Religion & Human Rights

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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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Religion & Human Rights

An International Journal

Managing Editor: Dr. Nazila Ghanea, University Lecturer in International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford, UK.

Journals


ISSN:	1871-031X
E-ISSN:	1871-0328
Current:	Volume 4 (2009)
Number of Issues:	3
List price Individuals:	€ 57.00 / US$ 82.00
List price Institutions:	€ 167.00 / US$ 245.00
List price institutions online only:	€ 150.00 / US$ 221.00

Editorial Board

Editorial Board:
Professor Gudmundur Alfredsson, Professor of International Law, Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Sweden;
Professor Kevin Boyle, Professor of Law, University of Essex, UK;
Professor Malcolm Evans, Professor of Public International Law, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law, University of Bristol, UK;
Dr. Roja Fazaeli, Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland;
Ven. Dr Michael Ipgrave, Archdeacon of Southwark, UK;
Dr. Sylvie Langlaude, Lecturer in Law, Queen’s University Belfast, UK;
Professor Javaid Rehman, Professor of Law, Brunel University, UK;
Alan Stephens, Director of Research, Clemens Nathan Research Centre, The Hague, Netherlands and Jerusalem, Israel.

Instructions for Author(s)

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Religion & Human Rights, Volume 2 (2007)

Religion & Human Rights, Volume 3 (2008)

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Religion & Human Rights provides a unique academic forum for the discussion of issues which are of crucial importance and which have global reach. The Journal covers the interactions, conflicts and reconciliations between religions or beliefs on the one hand; and systems for the promotion and protection of human rights, international, regional and national, on the other. The Journal tackles these issues fearlessly, and draws its materials from all relevant disciplines - theology, anthropology, history, international relations, human rights, religious studies, and many others - but with special emphasis on legal frameworks. It is an indispensable source for all those concerned with monitoring, studying, teaching, analysing or developing policies on the relationship between religion and human rights today. The Journal of Religion & Human Rights is a peer-reviewed, academic journal, published by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers - the world’s leading imprint for international Human Rights books and periodicals. Nijhoff is an imprint of Brill of Leiden, The Netherlands, which is itself internationally renowned for the strength of its publishing programmes, inter alia, in the field of religious studies. The Journal is available online as well as in traditional form.

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