ZIB

Authors: Gennady E. Kurtik, Euin Choung Kim, David Hilder, Susanne M Hoffmann, Wayne Horowitz, Jan Safford, Youla Azkarrula

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^{transformation of the constellation in the Andromeda-region from Babylonian "Anunitu" through Syriac deities to the Greek mythological princess (by Susanne M Hoffmann 2016)}

^mulZIB^meš (𒀯𒍦𒈨) = zibbātu,. 'The Tails,' is a late Babylonian name for the zodiacal constellation Pisces, consisting of parts of the two traditional Mesopotamian asterisms ^mulSIM.MAḪ and ^mulAnunītu ('The Swallow' and Anunitu). In this late time, the constellation of "the tails" was visualized as a fish-tail and bird-tail joined (Beaulieu et al. 2018: 44-45). Yet the origin is the earlier and much larger constellation of The Swallow ^mulSIM.MAḪ mentioned in MUL.APIN whose V-shaped tails match the V-shaped chains of stars in Pisces and whose body was imagined in modern Cetus.

Concordance, Etymology, History

a reflection flight of barn swallow in Nepal (CC BY Prasan Shrestha)

Var. reading:

• ^mulZib^meš,
• ^mulZib;
• abbreviation of ^mulzibbātu 'Tails';

Designation of the zodiac sign and constellation Pisces in later astronomical and astrological texts [Gössmann 175].

Transfer and Transformation

• 
  animated transformation from Babylonian to Greek constellations (SMH 2017)
• 
  "Swallow" in Middle Babylonian (MUL.APIN), map: Stellarium 2026, drawing: Robert Perdok (LWL Planetarium Münster, Germany) 2016, adoption: SMH for IAU-WGSN 2026
• 
  "Swallow" in "Swallow-Fish" in Late Babylonian (e.g. normal star lists described with ribbon), map: Stellarium 2026, drawing: Robert Perdok (LWL Planetarium Münster, Germany) 2016, adoption: SMH for IAU-WGSN 2026
• 
  Simmakh modern star name (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour for IAU WGSN)
• 
  Zibbatu modern star name (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour for IAU WGSN)

Sources and Identifications

Sources	Identifications
Astronomical diaries. See. [Sachs-Hunger Diaries I-III, passim], the designation ZIBme first occurs in a diary in -382. [Sachs-Hunger Diaries I, 74, no.-382 rev. 4′].
Mathematical Astronomy. ZIB.ME – the standard designation for the zodiac sign Pisces [ACT I-III; LBAT, passim]; it is used already in the lunar tablets of the late 5th century BCE. [Aaboe-Sachs 1969; Britton 1989, 30-31].	Giant Swallow (MUL.APIN) with its tails in the path of the Moon = ecliptic (Stellarium, painting by Jessica Gullberg).
Late astrology, magic, and the calendar. (1) "Horoscopes". The designation of the zodiac sign Pisces [BH, passim]. (2) "Microzodiac". The division of the zodiac sign Hired Man(Aries) into 12 parts: 12-i-tum zittu(ḫa.la) múlzib šum3-šu2 "The 12th part, its name is Tails" [TU, 14:19; Sachs 1952, 66]. (3) "Hypsoma." Pisces is the hypsoma of Venus, see (Kurtik d06) Dilbat. (4) Zodiacal astrology. KI múlZIB.ME ... "In the region of Pisces (born): ...confusion of the heart." [LBAT, 1593 rev. 11′; Reiner 2000].	Psc as Swallow-Fish on seal from Uruk (Wallenfels 1993).
MLC 1866. See (Kurtik b12) BURANUN, (Kurtik s19) SIM.MAḪ.	The two rivers of Mesopotamia with Babylon roughly at the closest encounter (equalling the knot of the cords in the sky).

Historical Dictionaries

Kurtik (2022, z08)

Gössmann (1950)

вар. чтения: mulZibme, mulZib; сокращение от mulzibbātu «Хвосты»; обозначение знака зодиака и созвездия Рыбы (Pisces) в поздних астрономических и астрологических текстах [Grossmann 1950 175]. I. Источники. Астрономические дневники. См. [Sachs-Hunger Diaries I–III, passim], обозначение ZIBme впервые встречается в дневнике за -382 г. [Sachs-Hunger Diaries I, 74, No.-382 rev. 4′]. Математическая астрономия. ZIB.ME — стандартное обозначение знака зодиака Рыбы [ACT I–III; LBAT, passim]; используется уже в лунных таблицах конца V в. до н.э. [Aaboe–Sachs 1969; Britton 1989, 30–31]. Поздняя астрология, магия и календарь. (1) «Гороскопы». Обозначение знака зодиака Рыбы [BH, passim]. (2) «Микрозодиак». Деление знака зодиака Наемник(Овен) на 12 частей: 12-i-tum zittu(ḫa.la) múlzib šum3-šu2 «12-я часть, ее имя Хвосты» [TU, 14:19; Sachs 1952, 66]. (3) «Гипсома». Рыбы — гипсома Венеры, см. d06Dilbat. (4) Зодиакальная астрология. KI múlZIB.ME … «В области Рыб (родился): …сердечное смятение» [LBAT, 1593 rev. 11′; Reiner 2000]. MLC 1866. См. b12BURANUN, s19SIM.MAḪ.

References

• Kurtik's references