The Babylonian system originated around 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia. Their astrologers were priests who meticulously tracked planetary movements and star patterns, believing they were omens from the gods that foretold events for kings and empires. Key compilations like the 'Enuma Anu Enlil,' a series of cuneiform tablets, contained thousands of these celestial predictions. This practice was not for personal daily forecasts but for statecraft and religion, advising rulers on matters of war, harvests,