Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Harkhebi

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Role
  
Astronomer

Name
  
Harkhebi Harkhebi


Harkhebi (ca. 300 BC) was an astronomer who lived in Ptolemaic Egypt during the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He was known as the priest of Selket (the stargazer). He specialized in the treatment of snake bites and scorpion stings. He also kept record of day and night, tracking the rising and setting of the sun. This then predicted he was evident in 1872 B.C. from the temple of Illahun.

He may have based many of his observations on earlier Babylonian contributions to astronomy. A funereal statue associated with him is known with an inscription in which he describes himself as an expert on observing stars.[1]. He referred to the planets as "the gods who foretell the future" and claimed to know everything Sirius predicted, but apparently did not write personal horoscopes.

The lunar crater Harkhebi is named after him. Half of the Lunar Crater is on top of the large walled plain Fabry. This is on the north-northeast side of Fabry. On the other half, the northwester half, Vashakidze, a smaller crater than Fabry, lies. And on the Southwest is Vestine, and Richardson on the south.

Harkhebi predicted the weather patterns of the heliacal risings of the fixed stars. He refers the winds and the omens' to is prediction of meteorology. While Harkhebi was observing the north and south motions of the sun and Venus, he concluded that the Babylonians has some affiliation with the weather phenomena in Enuma Anu Enil.

References

Harkhebi Wikipedia