Journal of Religion in Africa

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The Astrolabe

An ancient instrument for solving problems of location and distance, as well as time

Astrolábon órganon is the word used in Ptolemaeus Syntaxis 5.1 to describe a form of armillary sphere consisting of both fixed and rotating rings for determining the ecliptic co-ordinates of stars. Also called astrolabe were two-dimensional representations of the celestial sphere: over fixed disks with a representation of the horizon of the earth (in each case for a specific geographic latitude) and its parallels up to the zenith lies a rotating representation of the heavens (called ‘spider’ or ‘net’) with zodiac and indicators for some of the brightest stars. On the back is an indicator (‘alidade’) with visor plates for calculating the height of the stars. The astrolabe allows its user to determine the hours of day and night, the positions of stars, and the height and depth of objects on earth (mountains, buildings, wells). The oldest extant descriptions of the flat, planispheric astrolabe come from Iohannes Philoponus, 6th century AD, and (in Syrian) from Severus Sebokht, c. 660 AD. Indirect references may date back as early as Theon (4th cent.). Between the 8th and the 9th centuries the Arabs appropriated the knowledge of the astrolabe. At the end of the 10th century and again in the 12th century, they passed it on to Western Europe, where astrolabes were constructed up until the 17th cent. Today, one Byzantine astrolabe (from 1062) is extant, as are some 750 Arabic-Islamic astrolabes and approximately the same number of European astrolabes.

This information is abstracted from Brill's New Pauly, the English edition of the authoritative Der Neue Pauly, Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. The encyclopaedic coverage and high academic standard of the work, the interdisciplinary and contemporary approach and clear and accessible presentation have made the New Pauly the unrivalled modern reference work for the ancient world. For more information see www.brillsnewpauly.com or visit our website catalog: www.brill.nl/bnp
Brill’s New Pauly and the complete original Der Neue Pauly, the recognized standard reference works for students and scholars of the ancient world are also available online. This dual-language edition offers basic and advanced search facilities and is fully browsable. New English translations are added as they become available. See www.paulyonline.brill.nl for more information and a demo version.

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Publications & Services> Books> Book Series> Journal of Religion in Africa

Journal of Religion in Africa

Editors: Adeline Masquelier, Tulane University, New Orleans and Brad Weiss, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA

Journals


ISSN:	0022-4200
E-ISSN:	1570-0666

Current:	Volume 39 (2009)
Number of Issues:	4
List price Individuals:	€ 125.00 / US$ 184.00
List price Institutions:	€ 255.00 / US$ 375.00
List price institutions online only:	€ 230.00 / US$ 338.00

Editorial Board

Executive Editors ADELINE MASQUELIER (Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA) BRAD WEISS (Department of Anthropology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, USA) Deputy Editors MATTHEW ENGELKE (Department of Anthropology, London School of Economics, UK) KEVIN WARD (Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds, UK) Reviews Editor MISTY BASTIAN (Department of Anthropology, Franklin & Marshall College, PO Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003, USA), to whom review copies of books should be sent Former Editor (1985-2000) ADRIAN HASTINGS† Founding Editor ANDREW WALLS (Edinburgh) Editorial Advisory Board AFE ADOGAME (University of Edinburgh, UK)─KWABENA ASAMOAH-GYADU (Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon, Ghana)─RENAAT DEVISCH (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium)─NORMAN ETHERINGTON (University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia)─PAUL GIFFORD (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK)─ISABEL HOFMEYR (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa)─NIELS KASTFELT (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)─ROMAN LOIMEIER (University of Florida, Gainesville, USA)─ DAVID MAXWELL (University of Keele, UK)─BIRGIT MEYER (Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands)─AGBONKHIANMEGHE OROBATOR (Hekima College, Jesuit School of Theology, Nairobi, Kenya)─DIDIER PÉCLARD (Swiss Peace Foundation, Berne, Switzerland)─J.D.Y. PEEL (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, UK)─ELIZABETH SIRRIYEH (University of Leeds, UK)─BENJAMIN SOARES (African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands)─DAVID WESTERLUND (Södertörn University College, Huddinge, Sweden).

Abstracting & Indexing

America: History & Life American Humanities Index Arts & Humanities Citation Index Contents of Contemporary Mathematical Journals (now: Current Mathematical Publications) Current Contents Dietrich's Index Philosophicus Fanatic Reader Historical Abstracts (Part A & B) Index Islamicus Index to Black Periodicals International Bibliography of Book Reviews of Scolarly Literature International Bibliography of the Social Sciences Internationale Bibliographie der Zeitschriftenliteratur aus allen Gebieten des Wissens / International Bibliography of Periodicals from all Fields of Knowledge Periodica Islamica Periodicals Contents Index Religion Index One: Periodicals Religion Index Two: Multi Author Works Religious & Theological Abstracts Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale Russian Academy of Sciences Bibliographies Science of Religion – Abstracts and Index of Recent Articles Social Services Abstracts Sociological Abstracts

Instructions for Author(s)

Reviews

'...an invaluable resource' Elizabeth Isichei, The Religious Traditions of Africa: A History

Table of contents

VOLUME 38.1 Editorial 1 Evanson N. Wamagatta 3 Changes of Government Po

Back Volumes

Journal of Religion in Africa, Volume 37 (2007)

Journal of Religion in Africa, Volume 38 (2008)

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The Journal of Religion in Africa was founded in 1967 by Andrew Walls. In 1985 the editorship was taken over by Adrian Hastings, who retired in 1999. His successor, David Maxwell, acted as Executive Editor until the end of 2005. The Journal of Religion in Africa is interested in all religious traditions and all their forms, in every part of Africa, and it is open to every methodology. Its contributors include scholars working in history, anthropology, sociology, political science, missiology, literature and related disciplines. It occasionally publishes religious texts in their original African language. Presenting a unique forum for the debate of theoretical issues in the analysis of African religion past and present, the Journal of Religion in Africa also encourages the development of new methodologies. It reviews a very wide range of books and regularly publishes longer review articles on works of special interest. The Journal of Religion in Africa prides itself on being highly international and is the only English-language journal dedicated to the study of religion and ritual throughout Africa. In an effort to highlight emerging themes in the study of religion in Africa, and promote the outstanding work of younger scholars, the JRA regularly publishes special issues, for example: Faith and AIDS in East Africa, Islamic Thought in 20th-Century Africa, Inventing Orthodoxy: African Shaping of Mission Christianity During the Colonial Era, Christian-Muslim Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa, New Dimensions in the Study of Pentecostalism, and Twinship. For back volumes or issues older than 2 years, please contact: Periodicals Service Company, 11 Main Street, Germantown, NY 12526, USA psc@periodicals.com / www.periodicals.com/brill.html

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