The Sâbians of Harrân and the Classical Tradition

The Sâbians of Harrân and the Classical TraditionInternational Journal of the Classical TraditionSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/GFCFWLWV/tei

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2024-08-15-04:00

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.DavidPingreeThe Sâbians of Harrân and the Classical Traditionhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/GFCFWLWVhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/GFCFWLWVhttps://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/GFCFWLWVInternational Journal of the Classical Tradition9:120038-35This article addresses questions concerning the characteristics of the paganism of Harra-n its eclectic sources, and its development by examining the relationships - real, possible, and fictitious - of various personalities with the city of Harran from Assyrian times till the Mongol attack in 1271. It is suggested that the Sa-bians used Neoplatonism, which, if Tardieu's analysis is correct, they originally learned from Simplicius, to develop, explain, and justify their practice of astral magic, and that their interest in the Greek astronomy and astrology that astral magic required served to maintain the study and to preserve the texts of these sciences during the centuries in which they were ignored in Byzantium. It is further shown that the Greek philosophical and scientific material available to them was mingled with elements from ancient Mesopotamia, India, Iran, Judaism, and Egypt to form a syncretic system of belief that they could claim to be mankind's original and authentic religion. Pingree, David. “The Sâbians of Harrân and the Classical Tradition.” International Journal of the Classical Tradition 9:1 (2003): 8–35. David Pingree, The Sâbians of Harrân and the Classical Tradition, International Journal of the Classical Tradition 9:1 (2003): 8–35.Greek philosophyHarranHellenismSabianspaganism