ki-ṣa-ri
kiṣru

Akkadian noun

Last edited: 2024-07-01
Primary meaning node
Literal translation knot
Variants
ki-ṣa-ri kiṣaru
ki-ṣir kiṣir
Edited by
node astronomical term

mathematical astronomy: region near ecliptic

DU₃-šu₂ ša₂ NIM u SIG ša₂ sin AB₂ ana AB₂ 12 DAGAL ma-lak ᵈsin 2.24 MURUB₄-ti qaq-qar ki-ṣa-ri

‘Procedure for the Moon’s ‘height and depth’, month by month. The width of the path of the Moon is 12. The central part, the region of the node, is 2,24.’

— BM 32167+ (BMAPT No. 53) obv. i 20'

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text
Provenance: Babylon
Date: ca. 350-250 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer.

number or position in table mathematical expression, mathematical quantity

(0') [ALLA A 36] (1') [ABSIN RI]N₂ ⸢4⸣2 (2') GIR₂ PA 48 (3') MAŠ₂ GU 54 (4') zib ḪUN 48 (5') MUL₂ MAŠ 42 (6') 3 ki-ṣir (7') ZI ša₂ AN

‘(0’) [Cnc, Leo (0);36.] (1’) [Vir, Lib] (0);42. (2’) Sco, Sgr (0);48. (3’) Cap, Aqr (0);54. (4’) Psc, Ari (0);48. (5’) Tau, Gem (0);42. (6’) 3 "knots" (7’) of the displacement of Mars.’

— BM 33048 (BMAPT No. 43) rev. ii 0'-6'

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text
Provenance: Babylon
Date: ca. 350-50 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer. 317

16') ZI GAL-u₂ ana IGI-ka mim-ma ša₂ e ki-ṣir u mim-ma KI.TA k[i-ṣir ana UGU a-ḫa-miš₂] (17') GAR.GAR-ma ½-šu₂-nu GIŠ.A taš-pil-tu₄ ana UGU TAB ZI GAL tam-ma[r ZI TUR ana IGI-ka] (18') mim-ma ša₂ e ki-ṣir u SIG ki-ṣir ana UGU a-ḫa-miš₂ GAR.GAR-ma ½-[šu₂-nu GIŠ.A taš-pil-tu₄] (19') TA lib₃-bi E₁₁-ma ZI TUR

‘(16’) In order for you to see the largest displacement: whatever is above the ‘knot’ and whatever is below the ‘kn[ot’] you accumulate [together] (17’) and you compute half of it, you add the difference to (it), you see the largest displacement. [In order for you to see the smallest displacement:] (18’) whatever is above the ‘knot’ and below the ‘knot’ you accumulate together and [you compute] half [of it], you subtract [the difference] (19’) from it, it is the smallest displacement.’

— BM 32167+ (BMAPT No. 53) obv. ii 16'-19'

Genre: mathematical astronomy: procedure text
Provenance: Babylon
Date: ca. 350-250 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer. 362-363

Cite this entry
APA (7th)
Ossendrijver, M. (2024). ki-ṣa-ri (Lemma #1669). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1669/
Chicago (Author-Date)
Ossendrijver, M. (2024). ki-ṣa-ri (Lemma #1669). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1669/
MLA (9th)
Ossendrijver, M. (2024). ki-ṣa-ri (Lemma #1669). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1669/
Harvard
Ossendrijver, M. (2024) ki-ṣa-ri (Lemma #1669), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1669/ (Accessed: December 1, 2025).
BibTeX 
@misc{zodiac1669,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2025-12-01]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2024},
	title = {ki-ṣa-ri ({Lemma} #1669)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1669/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/1669/},
}