Hebrew astronomy

Hebrew astronomy refers to any astronomy written in Hebrew or by Hebrew speakers, or translated into Hebrew, or written by Jews in Judeo-Arabic. It includes a range of genres from the earliest astronomy and cosmology contained in the Bible, mainly the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible or "Old Testament"), to Jewish religious works like the Talmud and very technical works.

Some Persian and Arabian traditions ascribe the invention of astronomy to Adam, Seth and Enoch.[1] Some scholars suggest that the signs of the zodiac, or Mazzaloth, and the names of the stars associated with them originally were created as a mnemonic device by these forefathers of the Hebrews to tell the story of the Bible.

Historian Flavius Josephus says Seth and his offspring preserved ancient astronomical knowledge in pillars of stone.[2]

  1. ^ "Two Types of Antedeluvian Tablets: Enochic Tradition from Historical Palea".
  2. ^ Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, Book I:1–3.