Reynaldo Martinez comments: >>Many a scientist refuses to even consider astrological symbolism because they deem it to be merely "nonsensical superstition", as some "illustrated erudite" wrote to me off line, and consider it unworthy of devoting time to study it. But the ancients studied it ... thoroughly ...<<
This is a true statement! If anyone is interested, a short (one page) letter by the historian of science Otto Neugebauer, published in volume 42 of the journal Isis (1951, and reprinted in his _Astronomy and History_, Springer-Verlag, 1983), defends "serious scholars" such as himself who individually "spend years on the study of wretched subjects like ancient astrology." Neugebauer summarizes it thus: "... when the recognized dean of the History of Science [he is referring to "Professor Sarton" who had negatively critiqued the value of E. S. Drower's translation of the obscure Mandean _Book of the Zodiac_, calling it a 'wretched collection of omens, debased astrology and miscellaneous nonsense', this implying that it should never have been published] disposes of a whole field [of study] with the words 'the superstitious flotsam of the Near East,' he perhaps does not fully realize how much he is contributing to the destruction of the very foundations of our studies: the recovery and study of the texts as they are, regardless of our own tastes and prejudices." Words worth remembering, I'd say. Respectfully, Dave Hindley Cleveland, Ohio, USA For private reply, e-mail to "David C. Hindley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from Orion, e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: "unsubscribe Orion." Archives are on the Orion Web site, http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il. (PLEASE REMOVE THIS TRAILOR BEFORE REPLYING TO THE MESSAGE)
