Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid

And there are some references to them using various metaphors, and I think one of them is that they're referred to as the wild sheep of the sky, whereas the stars are the domesticated sheep that don't move. So they have lots of lovely ways of referring to the differences. So they didn't have tools the way we would understand tools. They didn't have telescopes.

And there are some references to them using various metaphors, and I think one of them is that they're referred to as the wild sheep of the sky, whereas the stars are the domesticated sheep that don't move. So they have lots of lovely ways of referring to the differences. So they didn't have tools the way we would understand tools. They didn't have telescopes.

They didn't have big buildings that helped them organize the sky. They used the naked eye. They used their fingers to measure distances as well as other kind of more standardized measurements. And then eventually math was their most important tool for figuring out what was going on in the sky.

They didn't have big buildings that helped them organize the sky. They used the naked eye. They used their fingers to measure distances as well as other kind of more standardized measurements. And then eventually math was their most important tool for figuring out what was going on in the sky.

They didn't have big buildings that helped them organize the sky. They used the naked eye. They used their fingers to measure distances as well as other kind of more standardized measurements. And then eventually math was their most important tool for figuring out what was going on in the sky.

Yes, and they refer to them so many times in the sources that it's sort of hard to doubt our understanding of their naming. But for example, one of the words they used to refer to Venus was dilbat or dilibat, which comes from basically the word for shining, because it's just such a bright object. Makes sense, yeah.

Yes, and they refer to them so many times in the sources that it's sort of hard to doubt our understanding of their naming. But for example, one of the words they used to refer to Venus was dilbat or dilibat, which comes from basically the word for shining, because it's just such a bright object. Makes sense, yeah.

Yes, and they refer to them so many times in the sources that it's sort of hard to doubt our understanding of their naming. But for example, one of the words they used to refer to Venus was dilbat or dilibat, which comes from basically the word for shining, because it's just such a bright object. Makes sense, yeah.

Yeah, and then similarly, the one for Jupiter, which is also bright, sometimes easy to confuse Jupiter and Venus if it's not a good viewing conditions, is Kakabupetsu, which means white star, because it looked, again, like a really bright white star.

Yeah, and then similarly, the one for Jupiter, which is also bright, sometimes easy to confuse Jupiter and Venus if it's not a good viewing conditions, is Kakabupetsu, which means white star, because it looked, again, like a really bright white star.

Yeah, and then similarly, the one for Jupiter, which is also bright, sometimes easy to confuse Jupiter and Venus if it's not a good viewing conditions, is Kakabupetsu, which means white star, because it looked, again, like a really bright white star.

Saturn, I think, is called Kayamanu, which means it has to do with steadiness, I think, because Saturn moves a bit more slowly because it's further away. And then there are also deities associated with the planets, just like in Greek. I mean, our names of the planets today are based on the names of deities, Jupiter being the kind of head of the Roman pantheon, for example.

Saturn, I think, is called Kayamanu, which means it has to do with steadiness, I think, because Saturn moves a bit more slowly because it's further away. And then there are also deities associated with the planets, just like in Greek. I mean, our names of the planets today are based on the names of deities, Jupiter being the kind of head of the Roman pantheon, for example.

Saturn, I think, is called Kayamanu, which means it has to do with steadiness, I think, because Saturn moves a bit more slowly because it's further away. And then there are also deities associated with the planets, just like in Greek. I mean, our names of the planets today are based on the names of deities, Jupiter being the kind of head of the Roman pantheon, for example.

And interestingly, the planet Jupiter in Mesopotamia in Babylonian Assyria was associated with the god Marduk, who was the head of the Babylonian pantheon as well, so that pantheon's Jupiter or Zeus, so to speak. Venus associated with Ishtar, who was Inanna in the earlier periods, but the goddess of love and war, Ishtar. Mars with the god of war, Nergal.

And interestingly, the planet Jupiter in Mesopotamia in Babylonian Assyria was associated with the god Marduk, who was the head of the Babylonian pantheon as well, so that pantheon's Jupiter or Zeus, so to speak. Venus associated with Ishtar, who was Inanna in the earlier periods, but the goddess of love and war, Ishtar. Mars with the god of war, Nergal.

And interestingly, the planet Jupiter in Mesopotamia in Babylonian Assyria was associated with the god Marduk, who was the head of the Babylonian pantheon as well, so that pantheon's Jupiter or Zeus, so to speak. Venus associated with Ishtar, who was Inanna in the earlier periods, but the goddess of love and war, Ishtar. Mars with the god of war, Nergal.

So there are some really interesting kind of overlap in the deities associated with the planets. And sometimes the planets are referred to by their kind of divine name, by the name of the deity associated with them.

So there are some really interesting kind of overlap in the deities associated with the planets. And sometimes the planets are referred to by their kind of divine name, by the name of the deity associated with them.

So there are some really interesting kind of overlap in the deities associated with the planets. And sometimes the planets are referred to by their kind of divine name, by the name of the deity associated with them.