Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid

There's one named Urad Gula. He's a physician, so it's a slightly off topic, in which whatever he did, he fell out of favor with the king. And he and his father write multiple letters begging that he be reinstated because he can no longer afford to live and he's not being paid, you know, the way his father had been paid. In one of them, he writes that he's dying of a broken heart.

There's one named Urad Gula. He's a physician, so it's a slightly off topic, in which whatever he did, he fell out of favor with the king. And he and his father write multiple letters begging that he be reinstated because he can no longer afford to live and he's not being paid, you know, the way his father had been paid. In one of them, he writes that he's dying of a broken heart.

So you can kind of feel the precariousness of it. You know, yes, what they're doing is uber important to royal decision-making. It takes many years of training to achieve, but it doesn't always match up to the way they get treated in the texts.

So you can kind of feel the precariousness of it. You know, yes, what they're doing is uber important to royal decision-making. It takes many years of training to achieve, but it doesn't always match up to the way they get treated in the texts.

So you can kind of feel the precariousness of it. You know, yes, what they're doing is uber important to royal decision-making. It takes many years of training to achieve, but it doesn't always match up to the way they get treated in the texts.

Absolutely. And you also get a sense of it wasn't always sunshine and roses between the astronomers themselves. So there's an interesting letter from an astronomer named Balasi in which he's responding to a concern of the king. So the king wrote these letters to the scholars saying, so-and-so said that Mars is visible, like what's your take on it effectively or that sort of thing.

Absolutely. And you also get a sense of it wasn't always sunshine and roses between the astronomers themselves. So there's an interesting letter from an astronomer named Balasi in which he's responding to a concern of the king. So the king wrote these letters to the scholars saying, so-and-so said that Mars is visible, like what's your take on it effectively or that sort of thing.

Absolutely. And you also get a sense of it wasn't always sunshine and roses between the astronomers themselves. So there's an interesting letter from an astronomer named Balasi in which he's responding to a concern of the king. So the king wrote these letters to the scholars saying, so-and-so said that Mars is visible, like what's your take on it effectively or that sort of thing.

And there's one in which the king has obviously written and said, Venus is apparently visible, and that's a problem, so can you just talk me through what's happened? We don't have the original letter, but we have Bellassi's response, which is basically something along the lines of, the guy who told you that Venus is visible is an idiot. It's actually Mercury. I think he calls him an ignoramus.

And there's one in which the king has obviously written and said, Venus is apparently visible, and that's a problem, so can you just talk me through what's happened? We don't have the original letter, but we have Bellassi's response, which is basically something along the lines of, the guy who told you that Venus is visible is an idiot. It's actually Mercury. I think he calls him an ignoramus.

And there's one in which the king has obviously written and said, Venus is apparently visible, and that's a problem, so can you just talk me through what's happened? We don't have the original letter, but we have Bellassi's response, which is basically something along the lines of, the guy who told you that Venus is visible is an idiot. It's actually Mercury. I think he calls him an ignoramus.

He's actually Mercury. And actually, you know, it's quite difficult to confuse that. Mercury and Venus, especially with no light pollution. I find that difficult to wrap my head around.

He's actually Mercury. And actually, you know, it's quite difficult to confuse that. Mercury and Venus, especially with no light pollution. I find that difficult to wrap my head around.

He's actually Mercury. And actually, you know, it's quite difficult to confuse that. Mercury and Venus, especially with no light pollution. I find that difficult to wrap my head around.

So there's also a little bit of a really kind of nasty peer review system sometimes that comes through in these letters reminding us that these aren't just tablets floating around full of knowledge, but there are people... that are writing these and people that are stressing over these. And even kings who stress over some of the things that they're either observing or experiencing.

So there's also a little bit of a really kind of nasty peer review system sometimes that comes through in these letters reminding us that these aren't just tablets floating around full of knowledge, but there are people... that are writing these and people that are stressing over these. And even kings who stress over some of the things that they're either observing or experiencing.

So there's also a little bit of a really kind of nasty peer review system sometimes that comes through in these letters reminding us that these aren't just tablets floating around full of knowledge, but there are people... that are writing these and people that are stressing over these. And even kings who stress over some of the things that they're either observing or experiencing.

The letters include letters back and forth to physicians as well. And there are some really lovely kind of human moments where, again, we don't have the letter from the king, but the physician is quoting the king's worry about their baby having a fever and saying, don't worry, it's teething. Your baby's teething. he's going to be totally fine.

The letters include letters back and forth to physicians as well. And there are some really lovely kind of human moments where, again, we don't have the letter from the king, but the physician is quoting the king's worry about their baby having a fever and saying, don't worry, it's teething. Your baby's teething. he's going to be totally fine.

The letters include letters back and forth to physicians as well. And there are some really lovely kind of human moments where, again, we don't have the letter from the king, but the physician is quoting the king's worry about their baby having a fever and saying, don't worry, it's teething. Your baby's teething. he's going to be totally fine.