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L'Année philologique; Bibliographie critique et analytique de l'antiquite greco-latine, ed., Ernst, Juliette, et al. (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1924-1992) {An invaluable bibliography to all aspects of Greco-Roman Civilization. It appears annually, and tries to include all works published anywhere in the world, with brief annotations in the original languages. A version on CD-ROM is scheduled to appear in January 1994; now available on the Web, as L'Année philologique sur le Web.}
Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt; Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung, ed. Hildegard Temporini (Berlin, NY: Walter de Gruyter, 1972-present) {ANRW is a serial publishing bibliographical essays and surveys of recent research, including articles on the occult sciences.}
Avi-Yonah, Michael and Avi Avi-Yonah, Piece by Piece! : Mosaics of the Ancient World (Buried Worlds). (Runestone Press, 1993) {Included are works from ancient Greece, Rome, and Byzantium, and some from modern times. Introduces tools and skills of a mosaicist.}
Avi-Yonah, Michael, Art in Ancient Palestine : Selected Studies Published in the Years 1930-1976. (Magnes Press, 1981) {Review of major archaeology work in Israel.}
Baigent, Michael, From the Omens of Babylon. (Arkana, 1994) {In spite of being the author of some classic works of "cult" history, this is a recent, up-to-date useful, survey of the history of astrology, with its beginnings in Mesopotamia. There is a kudurru on the paperback cover.}
Boll, Franz, Bezold, Carl, and Gundel, Wilhelm, Sternglaube und Sterndeutung; Die Geschichte und das Wesen der Astrologie, siebente unveränderte Auflage, mit einem bibliographischen Anhang von H. G. Gundel. (Stuttgart: Teubner, 1977). {This is a reprint of the sixth edition, without revisions. It is one of the best histories of astrology.}
Borger, Riekele [or Rykele], ed. and compiler, Handbuch der Keilschriftliteratur, 3 volumes. (1967-1975) {A very thorough and reliable book-length bibliography of Mesopotamian civilization, both for primary and secondary sources. A excellent guide to publications of cuneiform literature. Compare the annual "Keilschriftbibliographie" in Orientalia for more recent works.}
Bouché-Leclercq, Auguste, L'Astrologie grecque (Paris: Presses Universitaires de Frances, 1899; repr. Aalen: Scientia Verlag, 1979) {This is the best work on the techniques of greek astrology. Footnotes also contain useful discussions of Arabic and European authors of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.}
Caillet, Alb. L., Manuel bibliographique des sciences psychiques ou occultes. Sciences des Mages, Hermetique, Astrologie, Kabbale, Franc-Maconnerie, Medicine ancienne, Mesmerisme, Sorcellerie, Singularités, Aberration de tout ordre, Curiosites, 3 vols., Paris, 1912 {" 'most extended encyclopedia for the whole area of occultism' writes Ackermann in the 20ies of this century"; So says Andreas Bunkahle, "bunka@mibm.ruf.uni-freiburg.de", in response to my request for additional works. -- Lester Ness}
Cambridge Encyclopedia of China, ed. Brian Hook (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1982) {good survey of history, geography, anthropology, etc.; good bibliography}
Carmody, F. J., Arabic Astronomical and Astrological Sciences in Latin Translation. A Critical Bibliography (Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1956) {This is a detailed descriptive bibliography, useful for both Islamic and Medieval European civilization. Works are listed chronologically.}
Catalogus Codicum Astrologorum Graecorum, ed. D. Olivieri, et al., 12 Volumes in 20 parts (Brussels: Academie Royale, 1898-1953) {The major collection of Greek astrological texts. Very important!}
Cavendish, Richard, A History of Magic (NY: Taplinger Publ. Co., 1977) {Excellent, by one of the best historians of the occult.}
Cavendish, Richard, ed., The Encyclopedia of the Unexplained. Magic, Occultism, and Parapsychology, special consultant on parapsychology, Prof. J. B. Rhine (NY: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1974) {Good popular reference work on all aspects of the occult, including astrology.}
Cavendish, Richard, The Black Arts (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1967. NY: Putnum, 1967) {Similar to his History of Magic.)
Chiat, M. J., Handbook of Synagogue Architecture (Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982) {A very good bibliography to works on ancient synagogues, including their zodiacs. It is a published version of her 1979 dissertation at University of Minnesota.}
Clairie, Thomas C., Occult Bibliography. An Annotated List of Books Published in English, 1971 Through 1975 (Metuchen, NJ and London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1978) {A good bibliography of late twentieth century occult writings. "... analyzes approx. 1850 books, most of which are annotated with descriptive and critical commentaries"-Clairie, 1984.}
Clairie, Thomas C., Paranormal Bibliography. An Annotated List of Books Published in English, 1976 Through 1981 (Metuchen, NJ and London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1984) {A sequel to the above work, it holds 3814 items listed with critical commentaries. One of the best.}
Cornell, James, The First Stargazers; An Introduction to the Origins of Astronomy, (NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981) {Good introduction to prehistoric astronomy, the pre- cursor of scientific astrology.}
Culianu [or Couliano], Ioan Petru, "Sky," Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade, 1987. {This article emphasizes astral religion and astrological symbolism. Contains helpful reference notes.}
Dictionnaire des Antiquités grecque et romaines d'apres les textes et les monuments, ed. C. V. Daremberg and E. Saglio (Paris: Imprimerie Imperiale, 1877-1919) {The French equivalent to Pauly-Wissowa, this covers all aspects of Greco-Roman civilization. The article "Exotic" was written by Franz Cumont, one of the most notable historians of astrology.}
Encyclopedia of Asian History, Editor-in-Chief, Embro, Ainslee T. (NY: Scribner's, 1988) {Provides a useful introduction to astrology in Asia.}
Encyclopedia Judaica, ed.-in-chief, Cecil Roth (Jerusalem, NY: Macmillan, 1971-72) {This reference work should be one's first reference source for almost anything Judaic.}
Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, 4 Vols. Michael Avi-Yonah, ed. English edition (Englewood-Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1975) {An important reference to archaeological sites in Israel and neighboring countries. It covers all the synagogue zodiacs known at time of publication. Avi-Yonah, the editor, was one of Israel's most noted historians, with a most creative explanation for these zodiacs. Cf. The New Encyclopedia, 2001}
Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Holy Land, The, 2 Vols., Benjamin Mazar, et al. (Jerusalem: Massada, 1971) {Contains discussions of the synagogue zodiac mosaics in their sites. Mazar was a leading Israeli archaeologist.}
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, 13 Vols., ed. James Hastings (NY: Charles Scribner's Sons. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1908-27) {An old but still useful reference work. See the article "Sun, Moon and Stars," for a lengthy discussion of different ethnic varieties of astrology.}
Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade (NY: Macmillan Publ. Co., 1987, 1989) {Recent and very useful reference work edited by the leading historian of religion. It supplements, rather than replaces, Hastings' Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics. See the article on "Sky" for the major discussion of astrology}
Galbreath, Robert, "The History of the Modern Occultism: A Bibliographic Survey," Journal of Popular Culture 5 (1971): 26-54 {A very good essay on twentieth century occult literature, in a special edition of the journal, given over to the occult.}
Gardner, F. Leigh, Bibliotheca Astrologica, A Catalogue of Astrological Publications of the 15th through the 19th Centuries. with a History of Astrology which serves as an Introduction by William Wynn Westcott (North Hollywood CA, Symbols and Signs, 1977). {"This valuable work, which is the only reasonably full attempt at a Bibliography in the English language on this subject, was first published in 1911 under the title, A Catalogue Raisonne of works on the Occult Sciences, Vol II, Astrological Books. The only other valuable book for this purpose is the Catalogue of Dr. John Dee's Library, for which see the separate entry. Gardner's Bibliography is not up to date, and it mostly deals with books to be found in England, and within these limits it is excellent." --Win Rowe. Westcott was a very influential 19th century occultist, one of the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.}
Gundel, Hans Georg "Imagines Zodiaci: zu neueren Funden und Forschungen." in Hommages a Martin J. Vermaseren. Edited by B. M. de Boer and T. A. Ettridge, 1978. Leiden: E. J. Brill, pp. 438-54. {Hans Georg Gundel and his father Wilhelm Gundel are two important German historians of "scientific" astrology, emphasizing the Egyptian contribution. This supplements his Realenzyklopädie article.}
Gundel, Hans Georg "Zodiakos. Der Tierkreis in der Antike," Realenzyklopädie der classischen Altertums Wissenschaft, ed., August Friedrich Pauly, et al. (Stuttgart: J. B. Metzler, 1972), Volume X.A, columns 597-705. {A very thorough article listing all examples of zodiac in art, and much else. Separately published by Munich: Alfred Druckemueller Verlag, 1972.}
Gundel, Hans Georg, Zodiakos: Tierkreisbilder im Altertum: kosmische Bezug und Jenseitsvorstellungen in antiken Alltagsleben (Mainz am Rhien, Verlag P. von Zabern, c. 1992) {An up-date of Gundel's 1972 Realenzyklopädie article, with many good illustrations, which the Realenzyklopädie article lacks. This is one of the best resources for illustrations of zodiacs from the ancient world.}
Gundel, Wilhelm, "Astronomie, Astralreligion, Astralmythologie, und Astrologie. Darstellung und Literaturbericht, 1907-1933," in Bursian's Jahresberichte ueber die Fortschritte der classischen Altertums Wissenschaft Band 243, 60 Jahrgang, 2 Abteilung (Leipzig: O. R. Reisland, 1934), pp. 1-149 {Wilhelm Gundel was one of the major historians of astrology in all its forms. Very thorough bibliography covers the heyday of Panbabylonism, a popular theory at the turn of the century which claimed that all the religions of the ancient world were derived from Mesopotamian astrology. NB: Wilhelm Gundel was, I believe, also the father of Hans Georg Gundel.}
Gundel, Wilhelm, Sternglaube, Sternreligion und Sternorakel: Aus der Geschichte der Astrologie, 2. auflage, neu bearbeitet von H. G. Gundel (Heidelberg: Quelle und Meyer, 1959) {An excellent popular history.}
Hachlili, Rachel, Ancient Jewish Art and Archaeology in the Land of Israel, Handbuch der Orientalistik, siebente Abteilungen, Kunst und Archäologie, ed. J. Stargardt, Erster Band, Der vordere Orient, zweiter Abschnitt, Die Denkmäler, ed. B. Hrouda, B--Vorderasien, Lieferung 4 (Leiden: Brill, 1988) {Catalogs and discusses all excavated ancient synagogues. Includes plans and discussions of all zodiacs known to date of publication. Hachlili is a disciple of Avi-Yonah.}
Holden, John Herschel, MA, FAFA, A History of Horoscopic Astrology from the Babylonian Period to the Modern Age (ca. 2002) {from Amazon.com; looks to be a good popular general history based upon up-to-date scholarship, and by a practitioner}
Hospers, J. H., A Basic Bibliography for the Study of the Semitic Languages, V. 1 (Leiden: Brill, 1973) {Excellent reference source for discussions of Ancient Near Eastern works, including astrological ones.}
Hunger, Herbert, Die hochsprachliche profane Literatur der Byzantiner, 2 Vols., Handbuch der Altertums Wissenschaft, XII.5.2 (Munich: Beck, 1978) {Abt. 12 T. 5. Volume 2, chapter 9 deals with astronomy, mathematics, astrology. Good reference notes. A standard reference work, in a standard series, describing Byzantine literature, including astrological works. Most of ancient astrology comes to us in works copied by Byzantine scribes for their own use.}
Huettenmeister, Frowald, and Reeg, Gottfried, Die Antike Synagogen im Israel, Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients herausgegeben in Auftrag des Sonderforschungsbereichs 19, von Wolfgang Röllig (Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, 1977) {Gives bibliographies of all synagogues discovered in Israel up to time of publication, including those with zodiacs. An unusual feature is that it has separate segments for Jewish and Samaritan synagogues.}
Kitson, Annabella, ed., History and Astrology. Clio and Urania Confer (London: Unwin, Mandala, 1989) {Originally a series of lectures at the Astrological Lodge of London: "... its works embraces the history, philosophy and symbolism of astrology". The articles seem serious, scholarly. Good article on Sabians of Harran, including the welcome information that excavations have resumed.}
Knappich, Wilhelm, Geschichte der Astrologie (Frankfurt am Main: Vittorio Klostermann, 1964) {Useful chapters on Hellenistic, Roman, Islamic, and Indian astrology, with bibliographies at the end of each chapter.}
Krupp, E. C., Beyond the Blue Horizon; Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Planets (NY: HarperCollins, 1991) {A good popular survey of celestial myths, including astrological ones.}
Lehmann, Karl, "The Dome of Heaven," Art Bulletin 22 (1945): 1-17. {Discusses a variety of stellar motifs in world art. Many references to astral religion.}
Lexikon der Astrologie: Astrologie, Astronomie, Kosmologie, ed. Udo Becker (Frieburg: Herder, 1981) {Good short guide to the practice and history of astrology. Good, short bibliography, many excellent illustrations, particularly renaissance prints.}
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, An Introduction to Islamic Cosmological Doctrine. Conceptions of Nature and Methods Used for its Study by the Ikhwan al-safa, al-Biruni, and Ibn Sina (Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1964; repr., Boulder, CO: Shambala, 1978) {"This is a study of various arabic sources, from the peak period of arabic scientific and mathematical writing, which explores not only the cosmological doctrines which were held, but the philosophical and religious implications of those doctrines. A valuable background study. Heavy focus on Al-Biruni, and decent chapter on Astrology. Other arabic savants discussed include [the] Ikhwan Al-Safa, and Ibn Sina." --Win Rowe. I have read the 1964 edition since I copied Rowe's comments. The book is indeed an excellent introduction to the Islamic development of Hellenistic scientific thought, with good references to, for example, the Ikhwan's works in Western translation. The Ikhwan was well-informed on Sabian beliefs.}
National Union Catalog, Compiled, Edited and Approved by the Library of Congress .... (Ann Arbor, MI: J. W. Edwards, 1956- present) {Lists all the books in North American academic libraries alphabetically by author. Divided into several chronological series, such as all books up to 1956. This is an invaluable resource for verifying references from footnotes and bibliographies. For more recent works, North American reference librarians use electronic utilities like OCLC and RLIN, which pull together contents of the electronic catalogs of libraries. RLIN works with members of the Association of Research Libraries, OCLC with all libraries in the US and Canada.}
Naylor, P. I. H., Astrology: An Historical Examination (London: Robert Maxwell, 1967) {Brief but reliable. Covers antiquity to present.}
Ness, Lester J., Astrology and Judaism in Late Antiquity (Oxford, Ohio, Miami University: PhD Dissertation, 1990) {Thorough history of astrology in the ancient world, with goal of explaining the use of zodiac mosaics in ancient Israeli synagogues. The planets and stars were identified with angels, messengers of the Invisible God. When portrayed in a religious context, the represented the Presence and love of their Creator. Cf. published revision, Written in the Stars}
Ness, Lester J., "Astrology," Dictionary of Biblical Backgrounds, ed. E. Yamauchi (Grand Rapids: Zondervan). {up-to-date account, emphasizing early Christian reactions; good biblio.}
Ness, Lester J., Written in the Stars: Ancient Zodiac Mosaics (Warren Center, Penn: Shangri La Publications, 2000) {A thorough revision and up-dating of Ness' 1990 dissertation}
Neugebauer, Otto, and van Hoesen, H. B., "Astrological Papyri and Ostraca: Bibliographical Notes," Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 108 (1964): 57-72 {Lists publications and discussions of astrological works excavated, primarily in Egypt.}
New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in The Holy Land, The, ed. E. Stern (Israel Exploration Society; Jerusalem: Carta; NY: Simon and Schuster, updated 2001)
Peuckert, Will Erich, Astrologie (Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag) {Good general history from antiquity to present. Peuckert has written valuable works on a number of esoteric movements.}
Peuckert, Will Erich, L'Astrologie, son histoire, ses doctrines, Petite librairie Payot (Paris: Payot, 1980) tr. from German by R. Jouan and L. Jospin {A 274 page French translation of the above.}
Pingree, David, "Astrology," in Philip P. Weiner, ed., Dictionary of the History of Ideas (NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968) {"This is a short (8 p) article which expresses the views of D. Pingree, a distinguished historian of science, who has specialized in editing and translating astrological texts of great importance. His views are probably from outside of the astrological community, but place astrological ideas in the context of their contribution to the general history of western intellectual development. It is as important as Tester for understanding the contribution of the classical world to present day astrological methods, and more important for understanding the bridge to Arabic and Indian Astrology." --Win Rowe. Pingree took Neugebauer's and Sach's position at Brown University and is probably America's leading historian of astrology.}
Pingree, David, Census of the Exact Sciences in Sanskrit. Series A (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1970) {Vol. 81, sections 1-4. An extensive descriptive bibliography of astrological writings in India, with sizeable amounts of narrative.}
Pingree, David, et al., "Occultism," Encyclopedia Britannica, fifteenth edition, (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, inc., 1993), volume 25, pages 75-98 {The subsections were separate articles in earlier editions. See the subsection "Astrology" by David Pingree, who is probably America's most notable historian of astrology. The bibliography is also quite useful.}
Realenzyklopädie der classischen Altertums Wissenschaft, ed., Pauly, August Friedrich, et al. (Stuttgart: J. B. Metzler, 1972) {Commonly called Pauly- Wissowa, this is the ultimate example of Germanic scholarship. It is 88 volumes on every imaginable aspect of Greco-Roman society, including astrology. There is also an abridged version, the Kleine Pauly and reputedly a New Pauly, completely up-dated, in the offing.}
Religion Index, ed., Albert Hurd, et al. (Evanston, IL: American Theological Library Association, 1949-present) {This is the premier U. S. bibliography of works in religion, and a good source for recent works on astrology. Called Index to Religious Periodical Literature until 1974, since then it has taken the form of separate serials, Religion Index One: Periodicals, Religion Index Two: Multi-author Works, and Index to Book Reviews in Religion. A series of retrospective volumes cover the years 1949-1959. Wilson also publishes a version on CD-ROM and it is available on-line through Dialogue.}
Revue bibliographique de sinologie (Paris et LaHaye: Mouton, 1955-) {publishes English and French abstracts of publications in Chinese}
Rowe, Win, "[Historical Bibliography of astrology]," archived at FTP site hilbert.maths.utas.edu.au in the directory pub/astrology {Rowe has compiled a sizeable bibliography of astrology, and made it available electronically. His interests are as much technical as historical, but he does provide valuable information on authors and works associated with the modern revival of scientific astrology.}
Saxl, Fritz, Verzeichnis der astrologischen und mythologischen illustrierten Handschriften des lateinischen mittelalters ..., 3 volumes in 4 (Heidelberg: C. Winter, 1915-53) {Associated with the Warburg Institute, Saxl here catalogs Medieval Latin manuscripts with astrological and astronomical illuminations. A good source on the later use of astrological symbolism.}
Stierlin, Henri, L'Astrologie et le Pouvoir de Platon a Newton (Paris: Payot, 1986) {An excellent account of astrological symbolism used for political and religious symbolism in Greco-Roman, Islamic, Byzantine societies. Discusses, e.g., Nero's cosmic dining hall in the Golden House, the cosmic throne chamber of Khusrau, and much else. Comparable to L'Orange. No references to synagogue zodiacs, but worth reading and considering for articles, revisions, etc. A German translation, Astrologie und Herrschaft, also exists.}
Sullivan, Lawrence E., ed., Hidden Truths: Magic, Alchemy, and the Occult. Religion, History, and Culture. Selections from The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade (NY: Macmillan Publ. Co., 1987, 1989) {Very good. Contains all the articles on the occult from the Encyclopedia of Religion. good bibliographies follow each article.}
Tester, S. J., A History of Western Astrology (Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: Boydell Press, 1987; Ballantine, 1988) {A good history by a distinguished classicist, emphasizing scientific astrology, but weak on astrological religion and symbolism. "This is without a doubt the best book in its field. Its excellencies are most apparent in developing a view of the relationship between calendrical and agricultural concerns, and the astrological factors stressed in the work of Claudius Ptolemy. Together with the work of David Pingree it is the key to an understanding of classical astrology. It seems to be less detached from traditional astrological points of view than Pingree, and utilizes the researches of someone like Rupert Gleadow. " --Win Rowe.}
Thorndike [or Thorndyke], Lynn, A History of Magic and Experimental Science, 8 volumes (Columbia University Press, 1923-1958) {This is a lifetime's work with detailed discussion of sources, which make it still useful in spite of it's age. The author has the positivist outlook common in his day and any remotely sexual matters are in Latin. It remains a standard reference work especially for the Latin Middle Ages and Renaissance. However, many works which he read in manuscript have since been published, e.g., Picatrix}
Vogel, Eleanor K., Bibliography of Holy Land Sites ... Compiled in Memory of Dr. Nelson Glueck, parts 1-3 (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1982) {Excellent reference work, listing all primary publications and discussions of archaeological sites in Israel and neighboring countries, including the zodiac mosaics. These volumes were originally published in the Hebrew Union College Annual.}