BAL
nabalkutu

Akkadian verb

Last edited: 2023-06-26
Primary meaning to transgress
Literal translation to transgress
Variants
BAL nabalkutu
Edited by
to transgress mathematical expression

used in mathematical astronomy

(3) [ana] na-bal-kat₂-tu₄ ša₂ 20 ⸢MU⸣.AN.NA.MEŠ ŠU₂ ša₂ ⸢ŠU₂⸣ (4) ⸢u⸣ KUR ša₂ NIM TA 30 ⸢ḪUN⸣ EN 30 A 4.49.17 LA₂ (5) TA 30 A EN 20.30.07.30 ALLA 4.34.15 LA₂ (6) TA 20.37.30 ALLA EN 30 ḪUN 5.32.51.30 LA₂

‘(3) [For] the transgression of 20 years, western setting (4) and eastern rising. From 30 Aries until 30 Leo you subtract 4;49,17. (5) From 30 Leo until 20;30,07,30 (error for 20;37,30) Cancer you subtract 4;34,15. (6) From 20;37,30 Cancer until 30 Aries you subtract 5;32,51,30 (error for 5;42,51,30?).’

— BM 36321 (BMAPT No. 5) rev. 3-6

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

Ossendrijver, M. 2012. Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts. New York: Springer. 214-215

(15) kun-nu u [nu]-bal-kut ME ana ME kun-nu (16) la nu-bal-kut 1-en ME LA₂ tur-ru la nu-bal-kut ME ana ME tur-ru u nu-bal-kut 1-en ME TAB

‘(15) (The month) is full and (the day) is transgressed: the day (corresponds) to the (same) day. (The month) is full (16) (and the day) is not transgressed: you subtract 1 day. (The month) is hollow and (the day) is not transgressed: the day (corresponds) to the (same) day. (The month) is hollow and (the day) is transgressed: you add 1 day.’

— BM 32167+ (BMAPT No. 53) rev. ii 15-16

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). BAL (Lemma #616). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/616/
Chicago (Author-Date)
Ossendrijver, M. (2023). BAL (Lemma #616). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/616/
MLA (9th)
Ossendrijver, M. (2023). BAL (Lemma #616). The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/616/
Harvard
Ossendrijver, M. (2023) BAL (Lemma #616), The ZODIAC Glossary: A Cross-Cultural Glossary of Ancient Astral Science. Available at: https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/616/ (Accessed: February 2, 2026).
BibTeX 
@misc{zodiac616,
	note = {[Online; accessed 2026-02-02]},
	author = {Ossendrijver, Mathieu},
	year = {2023},
	title = {BAL ({Lemma} #616)},
	url = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/616/},
	howpublished = {https://zodiacglossary.github.io/lemma/616/},
}