Precession β The Precessional Cycle¶
Sumerian name: MUL.AN (π―π) β "Celestial Signs"
Precession refers to the slow, conical wobble of Earth's rotational axis, which completes one full cycle approximately every 25,920 years. This phenomenon causes the position of the stars to shift slowly over time and changes which constellation rises with the Sun on the spring equinox β marking the "ages" of the zodiac.
Zecharia Sitchin gave the precessional cycle central importance in his interpretation of ancient knowledge, arguing that the Anunnaki not only understood precession but encoded its timing into the structure of mythology, religion, and monumental architecture.
Understanding Precession¶
| Cycle Element | Duration |
|---|---|
| Full cycle (Great Year) | 25,920 years |
| One zodiac age | 2,160 years (1/12 of cycle) |
| One degree of wobble | 72 years |
Precession is caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon on Earth's equatorial bulge. It was discovered by the Greek astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea in the 2nd century BCE β but Sitchin argued that the Anunnaki knew of it thousands of years earlier.
Sitchin's Arguments¶
"The knowledge of precession is the key to understanding the Anunnaki calendar and their influence on human civilization. It is the hidden code in the myths."
The Sphinx as a Time Marker¶
The Sphinx at Giza is oriented due east, looking directly at the rising sun on the equinox. Sitchin (following the work of Robert Bauval and Graham Hancock) argued that the Sphinx was built when the sun rose in the constellation Leo on the spring equinox β approximately 10,500 BCE. This would make the Sphinx more than 12,000 years old.
The Precessional Numbers¶
Sitchin identified the precessional numbers embedded in Sumerian and biblical texts:
- 72 years per degree β Appears in the 72 names of God, the 72 disciples sent out by Jesus
- 2,160 years per age β The NΓRU (3,600) divided by 1.67
- 25,920 years β The full cycle, encoded in the dimensions of the Great Pyramid
The Ages of the Zodiac¶
Each age of approximately 2,160 years corresponds to a major transformation in human civilization:
| Age | Dates | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Leo | 10,800β8,640 BCE | Post-Flood period, Sphinx built |
| Cancer | 8,640β6,480 BCE | Neolithic revolution |
| Gemini | 6,480β4,320 BCE | Early civilization |
| Taurus | 4,320β2,160 BCE | Minoan, Sumerian, Egyptian civilizations |
| Aries | 2,160β1 BCE | Israelite, Persian, Greek empires |
| Pisces | 1β2,160 CE | Christian era, current age |
| Aquarius | 2,160β4,320 CE | Future age |
The Great Year¶
The concept of the "Great Year" (the full precessional cycle) was known to many ancient cultures: - The Hindu Yuga cycle - The Mayan Long Count calendar - The Greek concept of the "Great Year" - The Sumerian Ε ar (36,000 years, a variation)
See Also¶
- Calendar β The calendar system
- Sacred Numbers β Sacred numbers
- NΓRU β The 3,600-year unit
- Ε ar β The 36,000-year cycle
- Giza β The Sphinx and pyramids
- When Time Began β Sitchin's book on time
- Archeoastronomy Of Giza β Giza's astronomical alignments
Sources¶
- Sitchin, Z. (1993). When Time Began. Chapters 3-5.
- Sitchin, Z. (2007). The End of Days.
- Hancock, G. (1995). Fingerprints of the Gods.
- Bauval, R. & Gilbert, A. (1994). The Orion Mystery.