History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.285.1

v6.c82.285.1

Before proceeding further I must point out that India was not singular in its firm belief in Astrology The case was the same throughout Europe and among the Greeks after Alexander the Great. It has been already seen (p. 521) how Babylonian astrologers made reports to the king about the position of the Sun, the Moon and the planets and what they portended for the country, the king and the people Vide for example, Nos 9, 15, 16, 21, 32, 33, 52, 53, 63, 66, 67, 72, 74, 76, 86, 151, 164 from 'The Reports of the Magicians and Astrologers of Nineveh and Babylon' by R Campbell Thompson (vol I and II, Luzac and Co. London, 1900). But horoscopic astrology was developed by them later In the Old Testament Isaiah (759-710 B. C) 47 1 and 5 apostrophize Babylon as the daughter of the Chaldeans and in verse 13 we read 'let now the astrologers, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee'. In Daniel 4.7 it is said that on Nebuchadnezzar's order 'came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans and the soothsayers.' Vide also Daniel 1 20 and 2.2 and 27.