From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved
"Volume III - The Ninth Month - Star Names for Sagittarius"
In the Ninth Month of Sagittarius
Star Names of Sagittarius
a Rukbat, which is on the southern edge and comes from the Arabic word for "knee."
- Also seen as Ar-Rukbah, "The knee."
- Knee.
- Hebrew berek, beh'-rek, from Heb. barak, baw-rak', a primary root to kneel, thus a knee.
- Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63 "The names of the brightest stars are: ... Arabic Ruchba or rami, the riding of the bowman (Psalm 45:4, 5)."
- Ride, Rider.
- Hebrew rakab, raw-kab', a primary root to ride (on an animal or in a vehicle), caus. to place upon (for riding or gen), to despatch, bring (on [horse-] back), ride (in a chariot), as mentioned in Psalm 45:4.
- Bowman.
- Hebrew ramah, raw-maw', a primary root to hurl, spec. to shoot, fig. to delude or betray (as if causing to fall) beguile, betray, [bow-] man, carry, deceive, throw, from Jer. 4:29, used with Bow as Hebrew qesheth, keh'-sheth.
- Rolleston also mentions "Urkab er rami, the bowman, the rider."
- In Sagittarius we find a star called n 'Ain al Rami.
- Other names for Rukbat: Ruc'ba, Ruc'bah, Ruc'bar, Ruk'bah, Ruktbat, Ruk'batal Rami, Al rami or Rami.
b Arkab, Arkab', "hamstring," is found near Rukbat and is also Arabic for "Achilles tendon."
- Also seen as Al-'Urqub, "the heel-tendon."
- This star has an optical binary system, b1 and b2 .
- Other names for Arkab: Urkab', Al Suradain (Prior 1, Posterior 2).
- Rolleston also mentions "Urkab er rami, the bowman, the rider."
The next four stars: g (gamma), d (delta), e (epsilon), and z (zeta) are called Na'am al Warid.
- Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63 "The names of the brightest stars are: ... Arabic Al Warida, who comes forth."
- Richard H. Allen states: In ancient Arabia the two small groups of stars now marking the head and the vane of the Archer's arrow were of much note as relics of still earlier asterisms, as well as a lunar station. The westernmost of these, — gamma, delta, epsilon, and eta — were Al Na’am al Warid, the Going Ostriches; and the easternmost, — sigma, zeta, phi, chi, and tau, — Al Na’am al Sadirah, the Returning Ostriches, passing to and from the celestial river, the Milky Way, with the star lambda for their Keeper. Ideler thought it inexplicable that these non-drinking creatures should be found here in connection with water, and Al Jauhari compared the figures to an Overturned Chair, which these stars may represent. But Al Biruni said that Al Zajjaj had a word that signifies the Beam over the mouth of a well to which the pulleys are attached; while another authority said that pasturing Camels, or Cattle, were intended. There evidently is much uncertainty as to the true reading and signification of this title. All of the foregoing stars, with mu1 and mu2, were included in the 18th manzil, Al Na’am.
g Alnasl, (El) Nasl, "arrowhead."
- Arabic An-Nasl, "The Arrowhead," all of which is Arabic for "the point" and refers to the tip of the arrow.
- Other names for Alnasl: Nash, Alnasl, Al Nasl, Alwazl, Al Wazl, Zujj al Nushsh'abah, Nushaba.
- Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63 "The names of the brightest stars are: ... Hebrew Neshushta, the going or sending forth (went about, Num. 11:8)."
- Went about.
- Hebrew shuwt, shoot, a primary root, properly to push forth, (but used figuratively), to lash, i.e. (the sea with oars) to row, by implication to travel, go (about, through, to and fro), mariner, rower, run to and fro.
- Rolleston also mentions the "Hebrew Nushata."
d Kaus Media or Kaus Merid'ionalis word for "bow" (kaus) and the Latin for "middle."
- Seen in the Arabic Al-Quas, the middle one of "the bow." (Part of the body of the teapot).
e Kaus' Australis "southern [star] of the bow."
- Repeated as Arabic Al-Quas, the southern one of "the bow." (Part of the body of the teapot).
z Ascella, which is Latin for "armpit" of the archer. (Part of the body of the teapot).
h Sagittarii (no name) is a quadruple star with one M4 companion.
l Kaus Borealis "northern [star] of the bow."
- Repeated as Arabic Al-Quas, the northern one of "the bow." (Marks the top of the domed lid of the teapot).
- Other names for Kaus Borealis: Ra'i al Na'a'im.
m Al Thaliman.
- Under Capricornus, in the star names of Aquila, we find i Al Thalimaim (Al Thalimain), with l, is called "The two ostriches."
- Under Sagittarius in star s Nunki, we find mention of the Arabic #20 Na'âyim, Nahaym, Al Na'am, "Ostriches."
- Ostrich.
- Hebrew ya'en, yaw-ane', the ostrich.
- Hebrew nowtsah, no-tsaw', or not-sah, fem. act. part. of Heb. natsah, naw-tsaw', to go forth, desolate, lay waste, thus in the sense of flying, a pinion (or wing feather), plunge, ostrich.
n 'Ain al Rami.
- Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63 "The names of the brightest stars are: ... Arabic Ruchba or rami, the riding of the bowman (Psalm 45:4, 5)."
- Rolleston also mentions "Urkab er rami, the bowman, the rider."
- See the information from Sagittarius star a Rukbat.
p Albaldah, Al Bal'dah, originally noted as the 19th manzil.
- J. Epping (1889) "Astronmisches Aus Babylon," provides the Babylonian and Hassan Al-Saba (Saudia Arabia) provides the Arabic source for the following 28 lunar mansion names listed as:
- {No Babylonian names were specified for Sagittarius}.
- Arabic #21 Balda, Elbelda, Al Baldah, "City," or "The City," or "District."
- City.
- Hebrew 'iyr, eer, or (in the plural) 'ar, awr, or ayar, aw-yar', from Heb. 'uwr, oor, a primary root [rather ident. with Heb. 'uwr, oor, a primary root, to (be) bare, be made naked, through the idea of opening the eyes], to wake, thus a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch), encampment or post, Ai, city, court, town.
- The Coptic Mansion of the moon according to Kircher is polis, the city-state, associated with Abeda, Albeldach, the desert or The State, Latin Civitas, connection to Al Baldah, The City (Albeda).
- Another source shows Arabic lunar station #19 Al Bal'dah (p Sagittarii), Al Kilgdah.
- According to Richard H. Allen: The 19th manzil (Moon Mansion) lay in the vacant space from the upper part of the figure toward the horns of the Sea-Goat, and was known as Al Baldah, the City, or District, for this region is comparatively untenanted. It was marked by one scarcely distinguishable star, probably pi, and was bounded by six others in the form of a Bow, the Arabs' Kaus, which, however, was not our Bow of Sagittarius. It also was Al Kiladah, the Necklace; and Al Udhiyy, the Ostrich's Nest, marked by our tau, nu, psi, omega, alpha, and zeta; while the space between this and the preceding mansions was designated by Al Biruni as "the head of Sagittarius and his two locks." In his discussion of this subject, quoting, as he often did, from Arab poets, he compared this 19th manzil to "the interstice between the two eyebrows which are not connected with each other," — a condition described by the word 'Ablad, somewhat similar to the Baldah generally applied to it.
- To Rolleston it is the 21st manzil of the lunar mansion, is called "Al Beldah, hastily coming forth."
- In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 142, the 9th name of the lunar mansion, "Al Beldah, hastily coming, as to judgment."
- Other names for Albaldah: Al Kilqdah.
s Nunki, which is an untranslated ancient Babylon proper name. The Babylonians thought this star was the heavenly counterpart to their city Ridu (Eridu), sacred to the god Ea (It forms the handle of the teapot with Tau).
- In the Akkadian language, Sagittarius is called Nunki, which means "The Prince of the Earth."
- Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63 "The ancient Akkadian Nun-ki, Prince of the Earth."
- One source claims Nunki, means "of Enki," the Sumerian god of waters and of the most ancient city of Eridu.
- J. Epping (1889) "Astronmisches Aus Babylon," provides the Babylonian and Hassan Al-Saba (Saudia Arabia) provides the Arabic source for the following 28 lunar mansion names listed as:
- {No Babylonian names were specified for Sagittarius}.
- Arabic #20 Na'âyim, Nahaym, Al Na'am, "Ostriches."
- The Coptic Mansion of the moon according to Kircher is ni-mamreh, station of favour and delight, associated with Abnahaya, the beam, transom or Mansion of delight and favour, Latin Statio gratiae and iucunditatis, connection to Al Na'am, The Ostiches (Alimain).
In Coptic Egytian, the definite article is pi for masculine, ti for feminine, and ni for the common plural.
- Egyptian/Coptic:
- On Denderah Zodiac, the name of Sagittarius is seen as the Coptic Pi-maere, which means "graciousness," possibly gracious one, or "the going forth," or "shoot." As seen in the Hebrew Naim, the gracious one, and also because of the serpent under it may be known as the same name as Hydra, Knem, "He conquers," but it is actually Draco and called Her-fent, "the serpent accursed."
- Also of interest is that Sagittarius is male figure, wearing the triple crown or Atef, although upon a closer look one might see female breast or large male breast on the chest, and from the waist up connected to a horse as in being a centaur with wings, and drawing back upon its bow and arrow.
- In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63-64 "Coptic Pimaere, the graciousness or beauty of the coming forth. Hebrew Naim, the gracious one."
- "In the ancient Zodiac of Denderah he (Sagittarius) is called (as in the Coptic) Pi-maere, i.e. graciousness, beauty of the appearing or coming forth. The characters under the hind foot read Knem, which means He conquers."
- In the Zodiac of Denderah, Draco is the serpent under the forefeet of Sagittarius and called Her-fent, "the serpent accursed." Fent means serpent.
- Delight.
- Hebrew na'iym, naw-eem', from Heb. na'em, naw-ame', a primary root to be agreeable (lit. or fig.), pass in beauty, be delight, be pleasant, be sweet, thus delightful (obj. or subj., lit. or fig.), pleasant (-ure), sweet.
- Another source shows Arabic lunar station #18 Al Na'am (Tau and Nu Pegasi).
- Al Na'am and Na'a'im al Sadirah.
- To Rolleston it is the 20th manzil of the lunar mansion, is called "Al Naim, the gracious, delighted in."
- In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 142, the 8th name of the lunar mansion, "Al Naim, the gracious, the delighted in."
- Ostrich.
- Hebrew ya'en, yaw-ane', from the same as Heb. ya'an, yah'-an, from an unused root meaning to pay attention, heed, purpose, the ostrich (probably from its answering cry), ostrich.
- Under Sagittarius star names is m Al Thaliman, which corresponds to a note under Capricornus, in the star names of Aquila, we find i Al Thalimaim (Al Thalimain), with l, is called "The two ostriches."
- Other names for Nunki: Sadira.
- Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 63 "The names of the brightest stars are: ... Hebrew Naim, which means the gracious one, the delighted in. The Arabic Al Naim, the gracious one, pleasant, Al Sadira, the Gracious, who strives."
- Al Na'am and Na'a'im al Sadirah.
t Sagittarii (no name), (Forms the handle of the teapot with Sigma s).
j Sagittarii (no name), (Part of the body of the teapot).
w 59, 60, 62 Terebellum.
- In the Sagittarius constellation section, as to the name Sagittarius, Rolleston is quoted as stating that the Hebrew Terebellum, means "sent forth swiftly."
i, r, o, x, f, and 3 have no name, but complete the 23 stars in the constellation of Sagittarius.
Some of the most famous Nebulae in Sagittarius are:
- The Lagoon Nebula, which is M8.
- The Omega or Horseshoe Nebula is M17.
- And M20 is the Trifid Nebula (a faint gas cloud).
- There are seven Globular Clusters M22, M28, M69, M70, M54, M55 and M75.
- Also five open clusters M18, M24, M25, M23 and M21.
Return to Constellation Names of Sagittarius.
This page updated on July 15, 2008, and on August 15, 2010.
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