Heraclitus and the Moon (1)

Text
Enūma Eliš 5.15-22:
At the beginning of the month, to glow over the land, you shine with horns to mark out six days; on the seventh day the crown is half. The fifteenth day shall always be the mid-point, the half of each month. When Šamaš (= the Sun-God) looks at you from the horizon, gradually shed your visiblity and begin to wane. Always bring the day of disappearance close to the path of Šamaš, and on the thirtieth day, the [year] is always equalized.

Heraclitus, P.Oxy. 3710:
As the months meet, days since it (= the moon) makes its appearance - at the first new moon - (or) at the second - sometimes it changes fewer (days), sometimes more. The moon, appearing on the third day, appears as a full moon on the 16th within fourteen days; it leaves the rest (to change) in thirteen days.

Philo of Alexandria, On the Creation 34 (101):
(The perfect number 28 governs the period of moon:) For the moon increases from its first appearance as a crescent to a half moon in 7 days, then in another 7 days it becomes a full moon, and again it comes back the same way, copleting the double course, from full moon to half moon in another 7 days, and from this to crescent in the same number of days. From these the number mentioned (= 28) has become complete.

Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Enūma Eliš 5.15-22
Heraclitus, P.Oxy. 3710
Philo of Alexandria, On the Creation 34 (101)

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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