Spring music for the official first day of Spring.
Naturally the sun is shining and the wind is just above freezing, as it is in Spring. All day people have walked around almost smiling as they considered the worst has passed. Maybe they are right but as we know another day or two of snow and storm will appear before May.
The weathermen use the 1st of March as the beginning of Spring for reasons unknown but this time of the year is when the hemispheres share the change over, in the north Spring begins while in the south Autumn arrives. I read that the cuneiform tablet shown above speaks of this event. This dates form around 3000 years ago, most likely from Ashurbanipal's library in Nineveh, Assyria.
The King liked to gather information that would help him run his kingdom, he lasted around 40 years and built up a large Assyrian Empire so he learnt well. This king not only gathered information it is possible he was academically inclined, unlike some of his kind. As is the way he obtained high office when the legitimate heir died and he was selected to the position, a good decision it turns out.
The scribes and learned men in Babylon might not have thought so however, Ashurbanipal's desire to know more led him to take such men into Nineveh and make them write out all the knowledge they had. To ensure they reluctant ones did so he chained them there until they had furnished him with knowledge.
The Babylon folks did not take kindly to their northern neighbours and once Ashurbanipal had gone the Assyrian Empire went into decline. Another couple of Kings later and an uprising from the south saw an end of the Assyrians empire making for good.
Down there in far off Mesopotamia (the land between two rivers) the people five thousand and more years BC were happily working out the earth was round, the times table and other difficult maths (they taught the Greeks) and building high Ziggerat temples and other buildings, often just from mud brick, long before most of us considered such things important.
Staring up into the sky their 'Magi' would soon learn the movement of the stars and planets (would they know the difference I wonder?) and interpreting the movements as indication of events on earth. They would not tell you a 'tall dark man will come to your door on Tuesday' however that is the stuff of girlies magazines not the real world. Clear skies in the night sky would allow a wonderful panorama above and these men would quickly learn the change of the seasons. Their understanding from away back is still relevant today (they gave us '60' for minutes in the day) and recognising Spring would be a reason for a celebration I would think.
Spring is here, the skies are bluer, the early morning brighter, now we can enjoy it as the weather improves.
