simānu

Akkadian · noun

variant si-man-nu : simannu

Edited by: Mathieu Ossendrijver
Last edited: 2023-06-26

Meanings

1. time

2. seasonal hour

3. monthly difference of the time of lunation (G)

Literal translation

time

1. time

1.a time astronomical quantity

ki si-man ša₂ GI₆ DU ⸢al-la LA₂ ša₂⸣ GI₆ DIRI ⸢LA₂ ša₂⸣ G[I₆ TA GI₆ DU NIM]

‘If the time by which the night has progressed exceeds the length of night you subtract the length of night [from] (the time by which) the night has progressed.’

— BM 35399 (BMAPT No. 61A) obv. 1

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

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer. 396-397

6 KI si-man IGI-u₂ TAB

‘You add 6,(0) with the previous time.’

— BM 35399 (BMAPT No. 61A) obv. 13

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

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer. 398-399

2. seasonal hour

2.a seasonal hour time interval

(4) 6 ina ZALAG₂ LU₂.TUR a-lid (5) ina si-man-ni-su sin ina SAG MAŠ.MAŠ

‘(4) (Day) 5, in the last part of the night, the child was born. (5) In his hour/time Sin was at the beginning of Gemini.’

— BM 35516 (Rochberg Horoscopes No. 18) obv. 4-5

Genre: horoscope Provenance: Babylon Date: 142 BCE

Rochberg, F. 1998. Babylonian Horoscopes. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 88, 1–164. 109

(3) U₄ 22 ina 11 si-man LU₂.TUR a-lid (4) ina si-ma-ni-su sin ina SAG A šamaš₂ ina ⸢RIN₂⸣

‘(3) Day 22, in the 11th hour the child was born. (4) In its hour Sin was in the beginning of Leo, Šamaš in Libra.’

— BM 33081 (Rochberg Horoscopes No. 21) obv. 3-4

Genre: horoscope Provenance: Babylon Date: 125 BCE

Rochberg, F. 1998. Babylonian Horoscopes. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 88, 1–164. 117

3. monthly difference of the time of lunation (G)

3.a monthly difference of the time of lunation (G) astronomical quantity: moon system a, time of lunation (g)

(23') [TA 25.7.30 ḪUN EN 13 ABSIN0] (24') 57.3.45 TA si-man LA₂

‘(23') [From 25;7,30 Aries until 13 Virgo] (24') you subtract 57;3,45 from the time (= G).’

— BM 32167+ (BMAPT No. 53) obv. ii 23'-24'

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

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

Cite this entry

APA (7th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2023). si-man (Lemma #260). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/260/

Chicago (Author-Date)

Ossendrijver, M. (2023). si-man (Lemma #260). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/260/

MLA (9th)

Ossendrijver, M. (2023). si-man (Lemma #260). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/260/

Harvard

Ossendrijver, M. (2023) si-man (Lemma #260), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/260/ (Accessed: July 4, 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{zodiac260,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-07-04]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2023},
	title = {si-man ({Lemma} #260)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/260/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/260/},
}