An Analog Computer Older than Jesus
Turns out the Antikythera Artifact was an analog machine, or computer, that predated Jesus. It allowed users to predict how the skies would look for decades to come. That included the positions of the Sun and Moon, lunar phases, the paths of planets such as Venus, and even eclipses. The device contained pointers with small spheres that represented the Sun, the Moon, plus Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. All were arranged in a manner that replicated their orbit around the earth. Several ancient writers, such as Cicero, had mentioned the existence of such devices, but the Antikythera Mechanism is the only one ever recovered. The technology was lost in the Roman era, and the only known sample ended up at the bottom of the sea. There it lay, its secrets forgotten for over two millennia, until an archaeological search brought it back to the surface.
The device’s celestial display did not survive the ravages of time and two millennia of salt water corrosion. Some scholars had speculated about celestial observation uses of the device, but those were simply educated guesses, without any solid support. It was not until the device’s text was finally revealed via modern scans that the educated guesses became concrete facts. Other recovered texts from the archaeological find describe the risings and settings of various constellations, on different dates throughout the year. Researchers were thus able to confirm that the device’s maker – or at least the person who commissioned its manufacture – was an astronomer. Researchers were also able to make out handwritten text from at least two different people.
