manzāzu

Akkadian · noun

variant man-za-za : manzāzu

Edited by: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Last edited: 2024-12-09

Meanings

1. NA₁ = time from sunset to setting of first crescent

2. time from sunset to setting of planet at first appearance

3. NA = time from sunrise to first moonset after sunrise

4. river level

Literal translation

presence

1. NA₁ = time from sunset to setting of first crescent

1.a NA₁ = time from sunset to setting of first crescent astronomical quantity: lunar six interval, time interval

(36) 40 ša₂ ŠU₂ u NA ša₂ DU₆ GIŠ-ma TA NA ša₂ U₄ 1 (37) ša₂ BAR ša₂ 36 ZI-ma

‘(36) (0);40 of ŠU₂ and NA for month VII you compute and you subtract it from NA₁ for day 1 for month I of 36 (years ago).’

— AO 6455 (TU 11) Section 14, obv. 36-37

Genre: goal year procedure Provenance: Uruk Date: ca. 200 BCE

Brack-Bernsen, Lis, and Hunger, Hermann. 2002. TU 11. A Collection of Rules for the Prediction of Lunar Phases and of Month Lengths. SCIAMVS 3: 3–90.

4 A.RA₂ 3 : 12 : 12 man-za-za ša₂ U₄ 1

‘4 times 3 (is) 12; 12 (is) the NA of day 1.’

— BM 42961+ obv. 10

Genre: commentary Provenance: Babylon Date: ca. 350-50 BCE

Ossendrijver, M. 2014, Some new results on a commentary to Enūma Anu Enlil Tablet 14, NABU 2014/4, No. 101, 158–161.

2. time from sunset to setting of planet at first appearance

2.a time from sunset to setting of planet at first appearance astronomical quantity, time interval

3. NA = time from sunrise to first moonset after sunrise

3.a NA = time from sunrise to first moonset after sunrise astronomical quantity: lunar six interval, time interval

4. river level

4.a river level measurement quantity

Technical term in astronomical diaries

ITU BI ILLU 1 ⸢KUŠ₃⸣ LAL PAP 31 NA

‘That month, the river level receded 1 cubit, (in) total NA was 31.’

— BM 41581 (ADRT II No. -168A) obv. 14

Genre: astronomical diary Provenance: Babylon Date: 169 BCE

Sachs, A. J., Hunger, H. 1989. Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylonia, Vol. II: Diaries from 261 B.C. to 165 B.C. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 470-471

External links

Cite this entry

APA (7th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). NA (Lemma #256). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/256/

Chicago (Author-Date)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). NA (Lemma #256). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/256/

MLA (9th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2024). NA (Lemma #256). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/256/

Harvard

Ossendrijver, M. (2024) NA (Lemma #256), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/256/ (Accessed: July 4, 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{zodiac256,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-07-04]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2024},
	title = {NA ({Lemma} #256)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/256/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/256/},
}