>Date: Fri, 26 Jun 98 18:06 +0300
>From: MANN@vms.huji.ac.il
>To: xpolakis@hol.gr (Antreas P. Hatzipolakis)
>Subject: 72
>
>Dear Antreas
>If I remember right, some time ago you were interested in the number 72.
>Do you have a summary of your results anywhere? I would be curious to look
>at them.
>Best wishes
>Avinoam
>
[FWDed with the sender's permission]
Dear Avinoam,
You remember right. I will reply on-list(s) because, with this opportunity,
I want to ask some questions.
I. Why I am interested in this number.
This number (and its decadic multiples: 720; 7200; 72000) occurs in the Greek
Tradition/Folklore but not for reasons of precision. This means that the number
is a "magic", "sacred" one (like 3, 7, 12, 40 etc).
I am *in particular* interested in this number because it is found quite
often in the folklore of my village (Anopolis, in Sphakia, Crete, Greece).
See what writes a 19c English traveller:
In ancient times, as I learn from the villagers, the city below at Loutro,
was in alliance with this above, and was called Katopolis, as this is called
Anopolis. "The two possessed between them no less than seventy-two thousands
troops" [1, v. II, pp. 191-192]
II. Very Short History.
According to Bousset [2, pp. 246, 326, 504], the Babylonian year of 360 days
was divided into 72 "hebdomades" of 5 days each one.
Egyptians took the number from the Babylonian Astronomy: Iamblichus [3] writes
that Egyptians "... kata\ me/rh dialamba/nontes to\n ou)rano\n ei)s du/o moi/ras
h)/ te/taaras h)/ dw/dwka h)/ e(/c kai\ tria/konta h)/ diplasi/as tou/twn..."
= Egyptians were dividing the Sky into 2 degrees, or 4 or 12 or 36 or double
of them [= 72]"
The number also occurs in Egyptian Mythology: According to Horappolo
Egyptians "... e(bdomh/konta du/o xw/ras ta\s a)rxai/as fasi\ th=s oi)koume/nhs
ei=)nai..." [4] = Egyptians said that the ancient "countries" of the world were
seventy two.
>From Egyptians the number had been spreaded to Jews, Greeks, Romans, Christians,
Muslims etc.
The number is also found in Eastern Asian cultures: Chinese etc.
I will not write more here. Just some bibliography instead:
Bibliography:
R. Reitzestein: Poimandres. Studien zur Griechisch - A"gyptischen und
fru"hchristlichen Literature.
Leipzig 1904, pp. 266, 366
Fritz Pradel: Griechische und su"ditalienische Gabete, Beschwo"rungen und
Rezepte des Mittelalters.
Giessen : Alfred To"pelmann, 1907, pp. 325-327
Annemarie Schimmel: The Mystery of Numbers.
New York - Oxford : Oxford Univ. Press, 1993, pp. 264-268 (bibliog. 294-5)
Internetography:
http://www.globetrotter.qc.ca/gt/usagers/sdesr/nb72.htm
III. Questions:
a. Which was the role of the number in the Babylonian Astronomy/Mathematics?
b. References?
I mean references on the number in *ANY* culture, mythology, religion, etc,
like this one on the Modern Greek culture:
George K. Spyridakis: The Number Seventy two. [In Greek]
In: Afierwma eis K. I. Amanton
Aqhnai: 1940, pp. 409-418
[Good but not quite complete]
References:
1. Robert Pashley, Travels in Crete. I-II.
Cambridge - London 1837
2. W. Bousset, Die Religion des Judentums...
3te Aufl. Tu"bingen 1926
[Note: I have not seen it. The reference from secondary sources]
3. Gustavus Parthey (ed.), Jamblichi De Mysteriis Liber.
Berolini 1857, p. 264
4. Conradus Leemans (ed.), Horapollinis Hieroglyphica.
Amstelodami 1835, pp. 22, 198
Antreas