The Wikipedia biographical article on Mashallah ibn Athari (circa 740 to 815 CE), the Persian Jewish astrologer who worked at the early Abbasid court, took part in the electional horoscope cast for the founding of Baghdad in 762, and advocated the theory that conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn mark the timing of major terrestrial and historical change. Useful for the biographical spine and his Baghdad role; the great-conjunction theory itself and its later elaboration are better sourced to the dedicated academic literature also catalogued in this file.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier3
Wikipedia's biographical article on Mashallah ibn Athari is a continuously revised tertiary encyclopedia entry with no named author or peer review process, hence the lower tier, though useful for the biographical spine and his role in the Baghdad electional horoscope. NotesCommunity edited encyclopedia article, checked against it directly. Fit for the biographical spine; use the Burnett and Greenbaum volume also catalogued here for the conjunctionist tradition's substance and later history.
Citation
AuthorWikipedia contributors
PublisherWikipedia
Publication Year2025
URLhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashallah_ibn_Athari
Source Typeencyclopedia
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Baghdad directly: "horoscope cast for the founding of Baghdad in 762, and advocated the theory that conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn mark the timing of major terrestrial and historical change."
This source names Jupiter directly: "the theory that conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn mark the timing of major terrestrial and historical change."
This source names Persians directly: "The Wikipedia biographical article on Mashallah ibn Athari (circa 740 to 815 CE), the Persian Jewish astrologer who worked at the early Abbasid court, took part in the electional horoscope cast for..."
This source names Saturn directly: "that conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn mark the timing of major terrestrial and historical change."
Claims Backed By This Source (27 claims)
This source backs 27 claims across the atlas. As facts: 15 well-attested. As cited relationships: 11 holds. Plus 1 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Historical Figures, 15 claims: 7 well-attested, 7 holds, 1 general references.
- Sources, 12 claims: 8 well-attested, 4 holds.
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