Dr. Moudhy Al-Rashid

Yeah, it's pretty terrible. I mean, I think some people have argued that actually maybe for some people, you know, living like a king for three months might be the ultimate kind of, but I don't know that I would ever feel that way. True, maybe. So yeah, so they really took these omens seriously, and they generated them in really, really systematic ways.

Yeah, it's pretty terrible. I mean, I think some people have argued that actually maybe for some people, you know, living like a king for three months might be the ultimate kind of, but I don't know that I would ever feel that way. True, maybe. So yeah, so they really took these omens seriously, and they generated them in really, really systematic ways.

Yeah, it's pretty terrible. I mean, I think some people have argued that actually maybe for some people, you know, living like a king for three months might be the ultimate kind of, but I don't know that I would ever feel that way. True, maybe. So yeah, so they really took these omens seriously, and they generated them in really, really systematic ways.

It wasn't just a completely random collection of fake observations. They were grounded in empiricism, but then they were extrapolated in really, really specific ways.

It wasn't just a completely random collection of fake observations. They were grounded in empiricism, but then they were extrapolated in really, really specific ways.

It wasn't just a completely random collection of fake observations. They were grounded in empiricism, but then they were extrapolated in really, really specific ways.

Exactly. They're sort of internally kind of consistent with each other and the methods they use are agreed upon. And there's like a rule following that these scholars used in generating and writing these down, which is really interesting. But what gets us more science-y in a way, or science in the way that we might understand it today, which is not necessarily the pinnacle of how we might

Exactly. They're sort of internally kind of consistent with each other and the methods they use are agreed upon. And there's like a rule following that these scholars used in generating and writing these down, which is really interesting. But what gets us more science-y in a way, or science in the way that we might understand it today, which is not necessarily the pinnacle of how we might

Exactly. They're sort of internally kind of consistent with each other and the methods they use are agreed upon. And there's like a rule following that these scholars used in generating and writing these down, which is really interesting. But what gets us more science-y in a way, or science in the way that we might understand it today, which is not necessarily the pinnacle of how we might

understand science in the ancient world, but is the way that the omens were applied involved a lot of empirical observation. So moving into the first millennium BCE with the rise of Assyria, which was the largest empire the world had ever known up to that point, covering from

understand science in the ancient world, but is the way that the omens were applied involved a lot of empirical observation. So moving into the first millennium BCE with the rise of Assyria, which was the largest empire the world had ever known up to that point, covering from

understand science in the ancient world, but is the way that the omens were applied involved a lot of empirical observation. So moving into the first millennium BCE with the rise of Assyria, which was the largest empire the world had ever known up to that point, covering from

Persia or Iran in the east all the way to what is now Cyprus, and then in the south, Egypt all the way up north through Anatolia. It was a humongous empire run at its height by someone called King Ashurbanipal, who's an interesting figure in his own right.

Persia or Iran in the east all the way to what is now Cyprus, and then in the south, Egypt all the way up north through Anatolia. It was a humongous empire run at its height by someone called King Ashurbanipal, who's an interesting figure in his own right.

Persia or Iran in the east all the way to what is now Cyprus, and then in the south, Egypt all the way up north through Anatolia. It was a humongous empire run at its height by someone called King Ashurbanipal, who's an interesting figure in his own right.

But even the kings that came before him and Ashurbanipal himself, they relied on their court astronomers to take nightly observations of the sky and then interpret those with respect to these kind of textbooks of omens and then make predictions about what the king should or shouldn't do or whether he should lay low or everything was fine.

But even the kings that came before him and Ashurbanipal himself, they relied on their court astronomers to take nightly observations of the sky and then interpret those with respect to these kind of textbooks of omens and then make predictions about what the king should or shouldn't do or whether he should lay low or everything was fine.

But even the kings that came before him and Ashurbanipal himself, they relied on their court astronomers to take nightly observations of the sky and then interpret those with respect to these kind of textbooks of omens and then make predictions about what the king should or shouldn't do or whether he should lay low or everything was fine.

But as a result of making all these observations every night, they then started to be able to predict other astronomical phenomena. So there are these little leaps along the way. There's an astronomer called Rachel, who I think he's working under Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal. I hope that's right, but he's working sometime in the 8th or 7th centuries BCE.

But as a result of making all these observations every night, they then started to be able to predict other astronomical phenomena. So there are these little leaps along the way. There's an astronomer called Rachel, who I think he's working under Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal. I hope that's right, but he's working sometime in the 8th or 7th centuries BCE.