Following is a summary of the major inconsistencies between the nutter chronology offered in this thread and the content of VAT 4956. Various 'minor' inconsistencies (mostly lunar observations) are not included. Note that other sources may have different criteria and margins of error for what I consider a 'major inconsistency'. Because the nutter chronology is unreliable, some dates may vary by a day, but none of the problems are resolved by the difference of 1 day. Where there are interpolations in the translation indicated by square brackets [], a best-case match is indicated for the alternative chronology where possible. (Apologies for any table formatting stripped out by the forum.)
Date | Line | Comments |
13-Mar | 6 | Impossible reference to 8th of month XII2; there was no intercalary month the previous year |
5 Apr (am) | 2 | Saturn between Aquarius and Capricorn, not in front of ‘the Swallow’ (Pisces) |
15-16 Apr | 4 | Jupiter not anywhere near acronychal |
18 Apr (am) | 4 | Sunrise to moonset 55 minutes (39 minutes longer) |
5 May (am) | 9 | Saturn between Aquarius and Capricorn, not in front of ‘the Swallow’ (Pisces); Mercury had set, not visible |
6 May (pm) | 10 | Mars did not enter Praesepe or anything else significant |
9 May | 10 | Mars did not go out of Praesepe or anything else significant |
21 May (pm) | 11 | Venus near Cancer, not below α Leonis |
30 May (am) | 11 | Moonrise to sunrise 58 minutes (22 minutes shorter) |
2 Jun (pm) | 12–14 | Mars and Mercury not visible in evening; briefly visible before next sunrise, but not in front of α [anything]; Mercury passed below Mars to the East; Jupiter in Leo, not above α Scorpii; Venus in west far below θ Leonis |
6 Jun (pm) | 14 | Moon in Virgo, not near “end of Lion’s foot” |
11 Jun | 16 | Impossible date for solstice |
11 Jun (pm) | 16 | Moon between Virgo and Leo, not above α Scorpii |
14 Jun (pm) | 16 | Mars visible for less than an hour in the morning, not notably above [anything] to warrant measurement in cubits |
18 Jun (am) | 17 | Sunrise to moonset 118 minutes (88 minutes longer) |
14 Jan (am) | 3' | Venus in Sagittarius, not below Capricorn |
24 Jan (pm) | 5' | Sunset to moonset 102 minutes (44 minutes longer) |
25 Jan (am) | 5' | Jupiter in Virgo, not behind elbow of Sagittarius |
3-4 Feb | 7' | Moon in front of Cancer, not relative to α Leonis |
7 Mar (am) | 16'-17' | [Mercury] in front of the “band” of ‘the Swallow’ (Pisces) behind Venus, too far from Venus to match observation |
7 Mar (am) | 16'-17' | Moon already set before sunrise |
Between 7 Mar and 14 Mar | 17'-18' | [No observable planets] above Mercury and below Venus in required period; Mars below [?] granted due to ambiguity |
15 Mar (am) | 19'-20' | Mercury in Pisces but not observable, Venus did not enter the “band” of ‘the Swallow’ (Pisces) |
21 Mar (am) | 20' | Neither Mercury nor Venus [entered or left] the "band" of Anunitu (Pisces); Mercury was not observable |