Volume III Month Four - Star Names for Ursa Minor

From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved "Volume III - The Fourth Month - Star Names for Ursa Minor" In the Fourth Month of Cancer

Star Names of Ursa Minor
a Polaris is the Polestar, or North Star, which all stars revolve around at present.

The Arabic called it Al-Ruccaba, which is Arabic for Polaris or the Polestar.
- Alruca'bah, Rucca'bah, Alruccabah.
  - Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 152 calls it "Al Ruccaba, the pole-star, the turned, or ridden on." Also Al riccaba.
  - Richard H. Allen comments: Alrucaba, or Alruccaba, which probably should be Al Rukkabah, is first found in the Alfonsine Tables, although the edition of 1521 applied it only to the lucida (alpha, Polaris). While this generally is supposed to be from the Arabic Al Rakabah, the Riders, Grotius asserted that it is from the Chaldee Rukub, a Vehicle, the Hebrew Rekhubh; and, if so, would seem to be equivalent to the Wain and from the Hebrew editor of Alfonso. Others have thought it from Rukbah, the Knee, as beta always has marked the forearm of the Bear, and Alrucaba, in a varied orthography, was current for that star some centuries ago, as it is now for Polaris. Riccioli gave a queerly combined name for the constellation, Dubherukabah; and Bayer had Eruccabah, ending his list of titles with Ezra, a blunder in some connection with the commentator Aben Ezra, whom he often cited as an authority; still Riccioli followed him in this.
Wagon.
- Hebrew 'agalah, ag-aw-law', from the same as Heb. 'agol, aw-gole', or 'agowl, aw-gole', from an unused root meaning to revolve, circular, round, thus something revolving, i.e. a wheeled vehicle, cart, chariot, wagon.
- Arabic Ogilah, means going around, as wheels.
In the Latin it is cynosora, from Greek kunosoura, dog's tail, kuon, kun-, dog. Also called Cynosura.
- Rolleston claims this to be the center or Biblical base, Ezra 3:3, and also the constellations, Biblical Mazzaroth, in Job 38:32.
- Akkadian An-nas-sur-ra, high in rising, or high in heavenly position.
Other names for Polaris: Phoenice, Lodestar, Tramontana, Angel Stern, Navigatoria, Star of Arcady, Mismar (in Damascus), Yilduz, and Al Jadi.

b Kochab in Arabic means "unknown meaning," and it's proper name may be Kokab, meaning "The star."

Arabic Al-kaukab, "The star," also Kothah.
Star.
- Hebrew kowkab, ko-kawb', probably from the same as Heb. Kabbown, kab-bone', from an unused root meaning to heap up, hilly (in the sense of rolling).
- Hebrew kavah, kaw-vaw', a primary root properly to prick or penetrate, blister (in the sense of blazing), a star (as round or as shining), fig. a prince.
In the "Gospel of the Stars, by Joseph Seiss, page 127 it is Kochab, the star, Rev. 2:28, "waiting the coming."
Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 153, "Waiting Him Who Cometh."
As seen in the Decan of Cepheus, one source states that "Robert Bauval demonstrated that alignment for 2500 BC in The Orion Mystery (pg. 174),..., identified the channel rising out of the King's Chamber which pointed to Alnitak (southeastern most star of Orion's Belt), and the north entrance passage which pointed toward Kachob."
In "Hamlet's Mill" by Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend, Gambit Inc. 1969 it states on page 137-138, regarding Al-Farghani "Kochab, b Ursae Minoris, 'mill peg,' and the stars of the Little Bear, surrounds the North Pole, and Fas al-rahha (the hole of the mill peg), as (the axle ring)... the star Al-jadi (he-goat, Polaris, a Ursae Minoris)."
- Richard H. Allen stated: The Arabs also likened the constellation to a Fish, while with all that nation, heathen or Muhammadan, it was Al Fass, the Hole in which the earth's axle found its bearing.

g Pherkad or Pherkad', Pherkad' Major, Arabic, "two calves."

Arabic Al-Farqad or Al Far'kad "the calf."
Pherkab, "calf."
Arabic Alpherkadain or Al Far'Kadain', "Redeemed Assembly," but depicted as a "sheepfold" or "little flock" not as a bear.
- Rolleston as well as in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 153, "Al Pherkadain (Arabic), the calves, or the young (Deut. 22:6), Heb. the redeemed assembly."
Rolleston, and "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 153, and the "Gospel of the Stars, by Joseph Seiss, page 126, "Al Kaid, the Assembled, the gathered together," as in Ursa Major.
Sheepfold.
- Sumerian amaš: sheepfold, cattle-pen (é, 'house', + maš, 'goat').
- Sumerian tùr; tur₅: birth-hut; sheepfold; stable.
  - Sumerian É.TÙR, in relation to planetary information is also seen as the Sumerian é-tùr: cattle pen (é, 'house' + tùr, 'stable').
  - Akkadian tarbasu, "The Cattle Pen."
  - Hebrew gederah, ghed-ay-raw', fem. of Heb. gader, gaw-dare', from Heb. gadar, gaw-dar', a primary root, to wall in, thus inclosure (espec. for flocks), cote (fold), hedge, wall.
- Hebrew mishpath, mish-pawth', (also mishpethayin) from Heb. shaphah, shaw-faw', a stall for cattle (only dual), burden, sheepfold.
  - Hebrew mikla'ah, mik-law-aw', or miklah, mik-law', (also mikhlah) from Heb. kala', kaw-law', a primary root to restrict, thus a pen (for flocks).
  - Fold, is a collection of domestic animals.
    - Richard H. Allen comments: Here, and in Ursa Major, some early commentators located the Fold, an ancient stellar figure of the Arabs, and an appropriate title, as Firuzabadi called beta and the gammas in Ursa Minor Al Farkadain, usually rendered the Two Calves, but, better, the Two Young Ibexes; Polaris, too, was well known as a Young He Goat, and adjacent stars bore names of desert animals more or less associated with a fold.
Bear.
- Sumerian asa, as, az: cage; fetter; bear; myrtle.
- Hebrew dob, dobe, or (fully) dowb, dobe, from Heb. dabab, daw-bab', a primary root to move slowly, thus the bear (as slow), bear.

d Yildun, "star," also called Vildiur, Gildun.

11 UMi or Pherkad Minor.
Other stars not shown here are e, z, h, and 5 to round out the 8 to 9 stars of Ursa Minor.

Return to Constellation Names for Ursa Minor

This page last updated on January 19, 2004, March 14, 2005, December 31, 2006 and July 15, 2008.

Return to the Table of Contents or the Zodiac of Denderah