Volume III Month One - Constellation Names for Aries

From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved "Volume III - The First Month - Constellation Names for Aries" Aries - Libra

ARIES
Aries, the Ram, the Lamb.
The constellation name for Aries:

Before 3000 B.C. - Aries as "The Hired Man":

Sumerian LÚ.HUN.GÁ, (lú, grown man + hun-(g), to hire + á, nominative), "The Hired Man," "Hired Laborer," or farm worker, in Aries, which was the name of this constellation prior to 3000 B.C., before it was changed to a Ram. The image was shown holding a goad, which he prodded the celestial Bull, Taurus with. As we will see later the Greeks named Aries after the ram with the Golden Fleece, and bequeathed its name to the zero point of the system because the vernal equinox was once located in the constellation.
- Sumerian lú: grown man; male; human being; someone; gentleman.
  - Sumerian lúen-nu: guardian ('lord' + 'statue').
  - Sumerian lu: n., many, much; man, men, people; sheep; v., to be/make numerous, abundant; to multiply; to graze, pasture (reduplication class [?]) (cf., lug).
    - Sumerian lugal: king; owner, master (lú, 'man', + gal, 'big').
  - Sumerian lů: to disturb, agitate; to fluster, embarrass; to stir.
  - Sumerian lu₅: (cf., lul).
- Sumerian hun-(g); hug-(g): to hire or rent (someone or something); to introduce (to a job); to rest, repose; to abate.
  - Sumerian dab_(2,4,5), dib₍₂₎: to hold; to take, seize, catch; to hire; to receive.
    - Sumerian lúdab₅-ba: hired man ('to hire' + nominative).
    - Sumerian bala-dab₅-ba: worker hired to work for a bala' period ('term' + 'to hire' + nominative).
- Sumerian gá; gál: to be (somewhere); to be available; to place, put (with -ni- or bi-); to place into (with -ši-); to be with someone (with -da-); to have on one's person (with -da-); to be possible (with -da-); to take an oath; to dwell.
  - Sumerian á-ág-á: instructions, orders ('strength' + 'to check', + a, nominalizer).
  - Sumerian á-gú-zi-ga: early morning ('side' + 'edge' + 'to rise', + a, nominalizer).
  - Sumerian má-nisag-gá: boat with first-fruit offerings ('boat' + 'first-fruits' + nominative).
  - Sumerian ^(giš)má-sag-gá: prow of a boat ('boat' + 'point, head' + nominative).
- From www.lexiline.com it claims, "See Ursa Major, The star behind it: the agrarian worker (LU).CHUN.GA, d.Dumuzi, Sumerian Dumuzi (Tammuz), Akkadian Enkidu."
- As to the goad that the hired man was holding.
  - Goad.
    - Hebrew dorbawn, dor-bone', [also dor-bawn'] of uncertain der., a goad, goad.
    - Hebrew malmad, mal-mawd, see limmuwd, lim-mood or limmud, from Heb. lamad, law-mad', a primary root properly to goad, i.e. (by implication) to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive), [un-]accustomed, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach (-er, -ing), thus instructed, accustomed, discipline, learned, taught, used, thus a goad for oxen, goad.
Akkadian argu, "The Hired Man."
Babylonian Agaru (Aries) "The messenger of the New Year."
- J. Epping (1889) "Astronmisches Aus Babylon," provides the Babylonian source for the 28 lunar mansion names listed as Babylonian #3 Arkűšarîšu-ku, which is under the star name d Botein or Bot'ein', in Aries.
  - Also seen under Gemini star names in a combination of a-b Al Dhira' al Mabsutah', Al Dhira'ain, is Castor and Pollux combined together as J. Epping provides the lunar mansion names for Babylonian #12 Mašmašu-arkű.
  - Also under Scorpius star name d Dschubba or Dscub'ba we see the Babylonian #23 Qâbušarîšu-agrabi.
- In his work “BABYLONIAN STAR-LORE: An Illustrated Guide to the Star-lore and Constellations of Ancient Babylonia,” by Gavin White gives this image of Aries which is seen on page 39 shown here as and comments, "Contrary to its name the Hired Man was represented in the heavens by the familiar ram or lamb of Aries. As a seasonal symbol the lamb and goat-kid reflect the fact that a majority of newborn lambs, kids and calves appear in the cattlefold in the springtime. On the other hand, the name of the Hired Man refers to the hired labor used to bring in the springtime barley harvest. The lore of the constellation has been purposefully contrived to reflect the concerns of both barley farmers and cattle-herders. The symbolic meaning of the lamb is best preserved in Greek tradition where it appears as the horned lamb with a golden fleece, possession of which conferred kingship. Its radiant fleece clearly points to the solar nature of the lamb, which like the similar symbols of the bull-calf and goat-kid represents the newborn sun springing into manifestation."
  As you can see for yourself the image for Aries above has some correlation with the Round Denderah image and the Square Denderah image and the hieroglyphic image .
Hired.
- Hebrew sakiyr, saw-keer', from Heb. sakar, saw-kar' or sakar (Ezra 4:5), primary root to hire.
- Hebrew tanah, taw-naw', a primary root to present, bargain with a harlot, hire.
From www.louisville.edu, reference to Anthony Orr Clarke, P.H.D., "The hired laborer is one who pollinated the female flowers of the date palms to fertilize the date clusters. This refers to Dumuzi who was said to tend the date orchard. He pollinates the date blossoms to insure that the date clusters are many and rich." "Inanna was 'The Lady of the Date Clusters,' (E.C. Krupp, Beyond the Blue Horizon), and the date clusters represent her fruitful womb. Dumuzi was the shepherd and Inanna's consort, he also was symbolized as a male sheep or ram, also Inanna's bull."
- Palm.
  - Hebrew kaph, kaf, from Heb. kaphaph, kaw-faf', a primary root to curve, bow down, thus the hollow hand or palm.
  - Hebrew tomer, to'-mer, from Heb. tamar, taw-mawr', from an unused root meaning to be erect, a palm tree, thus a palm trunk.
  - Hebrew timmor (plural only), tim-more', or (fem.) timmorah, tim-mo-raw', a palm-like pilaster.

After 3000 B.C. - Aries as "The Ram" or "The Lamb": As has been presented the Age of Aries corresponds to a starting date of 2370 B.C., so as it was ensuing the following came to light among the ancients.

Sumerian alim: wild ram; bison; aurochs; powerful.
- Sumerian udu: sheep; small cattle; ram, wether.
  - Sumerian utua₍₂₎: breed ram; breed bull (udu, 'sheep', + a, 'semen; father').
  - Sumerian udu-nitah: male sheep ('sheep' + 'male').
- Sumerian sila₄: lamb.
  - Sumerian sila₄-ga-sub-ba: milk suckling lamb ('lamb' + 'milk' + 'to suck' + nominative).
  - Sumerian sila₄-nim: early spring lamb ('lamb' + 'early').
  - Sumerian sila₄-nitah: lamb buck ('lamb' + 'male').
- Sumerian MÍ-u₈: ewe lamb ('female' + 'ewe').
- Sumerian kir₁₁: female lamb.
- Sumerian us₅, u₈: mother ewe, adult female sheep.
- Sumerian a-lum: adjective for sheep.
- Sumerian lu: n., many, much; man, men, people; sheep; v., to be/make numerous, abundant; to multiply; to graze, pasture (reduplication class [?]) (cf., lug).
- Sumerian kungal, gukkal [LU.HÚL]: fat-tailed sheep (kun, 'tail', + gal, 'big'kušu: herd of cattle or sheep.).
  - Under Serpends Star Names and the J or q Alya or Al'ya, which marks the tip of the snake's tail from the Arabic word that may mean, "tail."
    - One source says Alya, means "snake," and Arabic Al-Alyah, "the fatty tail of a sheep."
One source calls it Kakkab Lulim, the "Constellation of the Ram," when a more dignified figure was needed to adapt to the change from Taurus the Bull to these new stars.
- Under Pisces in the Andromeda section we find:
  - Sumerian LU.LIM, Akkadian lulimu, "The Stag," probably for Andromeda, the Sumerian lulim: stag, hart. A stag is a full-grown male deer, where a hart is a full-grown, male European red deer.
    - Sumerian alim: wild ram; bison; aurochs; powerful.
- These star names represent the "Horn-Stars":
  - As seen under Aries Star Names a Hamal, which is the Arabic name for "lamb" and the entire constellation.
    - In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 105 "The Arabic name is Al Hamal, the sheep, gentle, merciful."
    - In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 91 "Arabic Al Hamal, the Sheep, the Gentle, the Merciful."
      - Gentle(-ness).
        
        Hebrew 'anah, aw-naw', a primary root, looking down, browbeating, depress.
        Hebrew 'anavah, an-aw-vaw', from Heb. anav, condescension, gentleness, humility, meekness.
      - Merciful.
        
        Hebrew chemlah, khem-law', from Heb. chamal, khaw-mal', to commiserate, thus merciful, pity.
    - In Aries the star 41 Arietis (no name) is the most visible eastern star of the horns of the constellation and aligns with Moses' birth in chronological history.
Likewise the Old Testament word for Ram:
- Of interest is in Daniel 8:3-8, the word ram in Hebrew is 'ayil, ah'-yil, from the same as Heb. 'uwl, ool, from an unused root to twist, be strong; properly strength, hence anything strong, specially a chief (politically); also a ram (from his strength); a pilaster (as a strong support), an oak or other strong tree.
- Newton claimed that the ram in Dan. 8:3 corresponds to the "bear" in Dan. 7:5, symbolizing clumsy firmness. The King of Persia wore a jeweled ram's head of gold instead of a diadem, such as are seen on the pillars at Persepolis. Also claims that the Hebrew word above for ram springs from the same root as "Elam," or Persia.
  You decide.
  - Hebrew 'Eylam, ay-lawm', or 'Owlam (Ezra 10:2; Jer. 49:36), o-lawm'; probably from Heb. 'alam, aw-lam', a primary root to veil from sight, conceal; thus meaning hidden, i.e. distant, Elam.
  - Hebrew Paras, paw-ras', of foreign origin (i.e. Persia) also Heb. Parsiy, par-see', patrial from Heb. Paras, a Parsite, or inhabitant of Peres, Persian.
Aries, The Ram is also called the Lamb.
Akkadians called it Baraziggar, which means "The Altar (Sacrifice) of Making Right." The following information has great correlation with the opposing sign in Libra.
- Akkadian nissanu is the first month of the year. One source claims that the Akkadian Nisannu is the same as the Sumerian BAR.ZAG.GAR. Sumerian BAR, means "month," so as seen in the Sumerian UR.BAR.RA, "the seed of heavenly plow."
  - In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 105 "Akkadian name was Baraziggar." "Bar means altar, or sacrifice, ziggar, right making, the sacrifice of righteousness."
  - Allen says the Persians called it Bara, Bere, or Berre.
- The Altar.
  - Hebrew mizbeach, miz-bay'-akh, from Heb. zabach, zaw-bakh', a primary root to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice), kill, offer, sacrifice, slay, thus an altar, or place of slaughter, (Gr. bomos, is in Acts only, thysiasterion). The first Hebrew altar occurred when Noah left the ark, then Abraham made his, and so on to Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Joshua.
  - Akkadian Tul-ku, for Libra is the seventh month (lunar month of the autumn equinox, September-October) means "The Sacred (Holy) Mound" or "The Holy Altar."
    - Sumerian for this reads (dul₍₆₎, mound, sanctuary + ků, sacred, holy), in lieu of tul-ku.
      - Sumerian dul₍₆₎, du₆: mound, heap; sanctuary; ruins, 'tell'.
        
        Sumerian ú-tul: (cf., udul).
      - Sumerian kug, ků: n., noble metal; silver; money; v., to cleanse; adj., bright, pure; sacred, holy.
- Sumerian giš...tag: to make a religious offering, sacrifice (often with dative) ('tree' + 'to adorn').
  - Sumerian siskur₍₂₎: n., offering, sacrifice with entreaties, prayers; v., to pray; to sacrifice (isiš_2,3, 'to weep', + kur₉, 'to bring, deliver').
  - Sumerian zur: n., offering, sacrifice; prayer; v., to furnish, provide; to arrange, tend; to offer; to pray.
- Richard H. Allen states: Elsewhere he tells us that when Aries became chief of the zodiac signs it took the Akkadian titles Ku, I-ku, and I-ku-u, from its lucida Hamal, all equivalents of the Assyrian Rubu, Prince, and very appropriate to the leading stellar group of that date, although not one of the first formations.
  He also finds, from an inscription on the Tablet of the Thirty Stars, that the Euphratean astronomers had a constellation Gam, the Scimetar, stretching from Okda (another name for Alrisha) of the Fishes (Pisces) to Hamal of Aries, the curved blade being formed by the latter's three brightest components. This was the weapon protecting the kingdom against the Seven Evil Spirits, or Tempest Powers.
Egyptian/Coptic:
- Egyptians of the New Kingdom, 16th century B.C. had a god Amon Ra, ram. The Sun god Amun-Ra, usually seen as a body of a man, with a head of a ram.
  - The Criosphinx is a sphinx with the head of a ram became a sacred animal, as shown on the Avenue of Sphinxes (built by King Amenhotep III about 1400 B.C.), that leads to the great Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak, on the Nile River in modern day Luxor, Egypt [Greek krios, ram; + sphinx].
  - On the Denderah Zodiac, Aries is known by one source as Tametouris Ammon, the reign or rule of Ammon. The Hebrew word is Hamown, but the Ram in Hebrew is Taleh. No halo is noticeable above the figure of a male lamb or ram (with a long tail), and if you look close you can see its horns curling along its jaw bone to its mouth and it is seen lying down, and looking back towards Pisces or the Utchat (Eye).
    - In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 105 "In the Denderah Zodiac its (Aries) name is Tametouris Ammon, which means the reign, dominion, or government of Ammon. The lamb's head is without horns, and is crowned with a circle."
    - Richard H. Allen says: Many think that our figure was designed to represent the Egyptian King of Gods shown at Thebes with ram's horns, or veiled and crowned with feathers, and variously known as Amon, Ammon, Hammon, Amen, or Amun, and worshiped with great ceremony at his temple in the oasis Ammonium, now Siwah, west of Cairo on the northern limit of the Libyan desert. Kircher gave Aries' title there as Tametouro Amoun, Regum Ammonis. But there is doubt whether the Egyptian stellar Ram coincided with ours, although Miss Clerke says that the latter's stars were called the Fleece.
Others call Aries 'The Lamb,' although it is a Ram-like creature comparable to the Capricornus Goat-like creature-giving rise to a fish.
Syriac Amroo, the Lamb.
- In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 105 "Syriac Amroo (as in the Syriac New Testament in John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God.")."
  - Lamb.
    - Greek amnos, am-nos', apparently a primary word, a lamb, lamb.
- In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 91 "Syriac Amroo, the Lamb."
- Richard H. Allen claims the Syrians called it Amru or Emru.
The Hebrew word is Taleh, which means "The Lamb Sent Forth," as stated from some sources.
- Hebrew taleh, taw-leh'; by variation for Heb. tela', tel-aw'; apparently from Heb. tala', taw-law', a primary root properly to cover with pieces, in the original sense of covering (for protection), thus meaning a lamb.
  - In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 105 "The Hebrew name is Taleh, the lamb."
  - Rolleston claims this as "Hebrew Toleh."
  - In the constellation of Cassiopeia - Triangulum - the triangle, has a connection here to the Hebrew word Taleh for Ram. Notice the connection to some of the names for this constellation. Almutaleh, Almutal'lath, Almutla'to, Al Muthal'lath, Mutlaton', Al Mizan.
    - The star: a Tri Mothallah or "triangle," Caput Trianguli "head of the triangle," Mothallah, Metallah, Ras al Muthallah, Elmuthalleth.
  - Allen says: The Hebrews knew it as Teli, and inscribed it on the banners of Gad or Naphtali.
- Hebrew kebes, keh-bes', from an unused root meaning to dominate; a ram (just old enough to butt); lamb, sheep.
- Hebrew kibsah, kib-saw', or kab-sah, kab-saw', feminine of Heb. kebes, a ewe.
- Hebrew keseb, keh'-seb, apparently by transp. for Heb. kebes, a young sheep.
- Hebrew tso'n, tsone, or tseown (Psa. 144:13), tseh-one', from an unused root meaning to migrate, a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats), also fig. (of men).
- Hebrew seh, she, or sey, say, probably from Heb. sha'ah, shaw-aw', a primary root to rush, desolate, lay waste, through the idea of pushing out to graze, a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat.
In the New Testament the Greek word for Lamb is very similar to the word Aries, look at them for yourself.
- Greek Aren, ar-ane', a noun the nominative case of which is found only in early times, occurs in Luke 10:3. It is perhaps the same as Arrhen, ar'-hrane, or Arsen, ar'-sane probably from airo, male (as stronger for lifting); a lamb (as a male).
- Greek Arnion, ar-nee'-on, is a diminutive in form originally Aren, ar-ane', a lambkin, the Lamb of God for sacrifice, redemption and divine vengeance; the One to whom all judgment is committed; see Rev. 6:1 also; Lamb of God is Christ slain as a lamb from the foundation of the world; is seen in a position of sovereign glory and honor, as Leader and Shepherd of His saints; one who is to sit as the Lamb at the right hand of God the Father where he is in Rev. 4 and 5; as the Conqueror of the foes of God and His people; as the Head of His spiritual Bride; as the luminary of the heavenly and eternal city.
- Greek Amnos, am-nos', a lamb figuratively of Christ the expected One. It is apparently a primary word; a lamb. Revelation 5:9,10,12 "... has redeemed us to God by thy blood ... Worthy is the Lamb that was slain."
Other names for the constellation Aries: Alcha'malo, Al Ha'mal, Al Kabsh al Alif, Aryan, the Lordly.
- Richard H. Allen comments: An Arabian commentator on Ulug Beg called the constellation Al Kabsh al ‘Alif, the Tame Ram; but that people generally knew it as Al Hamal, the Sheep, — Hammel with Riccioli, Alchamalo with Schickard, and Alhamel with Chilmead (Hamal is also the alpha star of the constellation).
- Turks, as Kuzi; and in the Parsi Bundehesh it was Varak: all these being synonymous with Aries. The unexplained Arabib, or Aribib, also is seen for it.
- The early Hindus called it Aja and Mesha, the Tamil Mesham; but the later followed the Greeks in Kriya.
- In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 91 "Aries, the Chief, the Head. Aryan, the Lordly."
- It always was Aries with the Romans; but Ovid called it Phrixea Ovis; and Columella, Pecus Athamantidos Helles, Phrixus, and Portitor Phrixi; others, Phrixeum Pecus and Phrixi Vector, Phrixus being the hero-son of Athamas, who fled on the back of this Ram with his sister Helle to Colchis to escape the wrath of his stepmother Ino. It will be remembered that on the way Helle fell off into the sea, which thereafter became the Hellespont.
- Seen as Ariete in Italy, Belier in France, Widder in Germany — Bayer's Wider; in the Anglo-Saxon tongue it is Ramm, and in the Anglo-Norman of the 12^th century, Multuns.

A note of interest in Richard H. Allen's work:
The Jewish Nisan, our March-April, was associated with Aries, for Josephus said that it was when the sun was here in this month that his people were released from the bondage of Egypt; and so was the same month Nisanu of Assyria, where Aries represented the Altar and the Sacrifice, a ram usually being the victim. Hence the prominence given to this sign in antiquity even before its stars became the leaders of the rest; although Berossos and Macrobius attributed this to the ancient belief that the earth was created when the sun was within its boundaries; and Albumasar, of the 9^th century [This author, known also as 'Abu Ma'shar and Ja'phar, was from Balh' in Turkestan, celebrated as an astrologer and quoted by Al Biruni, but with the caution that he was a very incorrect astronomer.
The Lenox Library of New York has a copy of his Opus introductorii in astronomia Albumazaris abalachi, Idus Februarii, 1489, published at Venice with illustrations. Its similarity to the Hyginus of the preceding year would indicate that they issued from the same press.], in his devolution of Years wrote of the Creation as having taken place when "the seven planets" — the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — were in conjunction here, and foretold the destruction of the world when they should be in the same position in the last degree of Pisces.

One of the twelve simple Hebrew Letters is He (KJV He, hay, Ps 119:33), the English letter h, which has a numerical value equal to 5, and an esoteric meaning of "Window."

Window.
- Sumerian ab: window; niche (cf., aba).
- Hebrew tsohar, tso'-har, from Heb. tsahar, tsaw-har', a primary root to glisten, make oil, thus a light (i.e. window), dual double light, i.e. noon, midday, window.
- Hebrew challown, khal-lone', a window (as perforated), window.
- Hebrew arubbah, ar-oob-baw', a window.
- Greek thuris, thoo-rece', from Gr. thura, thoo'-rah, an aperture, i.e. window.

Continue to Star Names of Aries or return to the Introduction of Aries.

This file updated on July 15, 2008, and March 30, 2010.

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