A newly discovered Syriac recension of the Revelation of Ezra
During a recent survey of Syriac manuscripts for her work on Astronomy, Calendar, and Related Sciences in Near Eastern Cultures, Third-Eighth Centuries CE (NEAstr), Dr Abigail Pearson identified a previously unknown Syriac version of a medieval prognostic text called the Revelation of Ezra. The text circulated widely in almanacs in several languages from the 9th century onwards, and was used to predict the fortunes of the year ahead based on the day of the week on which it began.
Visit the NEAstr Project blog for Dr Pearson's account of her discovery.
NEAstr Blog...with 1 January only recently behind us, I know that some readers will be keen to hear what the Syriac 'Revelation of Ezra' predicts for 2026—a year which began on a Thursday. Due to the water-damage, some mystery will remain; nonetheless, according to [the text], we can expect a scarcity of cattle (ܡܙܠܗܙܘܬܐ ܕܩܢܝܢܐ), an abundance of fruit (ܡܫܪܬܚܘܬܐ ܕܦܐܪܐ), and a temperate autumn (ܬܫܪ̈ܝܬܐ ܢܗܘ̇ܝܢ ܡܡܙܓܢ). On balance, I’d say the outlook sounds favourable.
Research Fellow in Syriac Astronomy and Related Sciences
Astronomy, Calendar, and Related Sciences in Near Eastern Cultures, Third-Eighth Centuries CE (NEAstr)In February 2025, Abigail joined UCL as the Research Fellow for the NEAstr project. She is conducting a thorough search for Syriac manuscripts relating to astronomy, astrology, and calendar computation housed in libraries worldwide; and producing translations of select texts. She is also investigating the transfer of astronomical knowledge between Syriac and other Near Eastern traditions, along with borrowings from ancient Mesopotamian astronomy and contemporary Hellenistic astronomy.
Astronomy, calendar, and related sciences in Near Eastern cultures, third-eighth centuries CE
This project investigates the history of astronomy, calendar computation, and related sciences (astrology, cosmology, chronology) in the Near East from the third to eighth centuries CE.
1 February 2025
Image: Weekday-based predictions for the year were also popular in England, where they circulated in printed almanacs throughout the early modern period, such as this example from 1695
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