687K views · 19K reactions | Astrolabe: A Brief History and Its...

An astrolabe – Greek for ‘star finder’ – is an instrument that can be used for timekeeping, surveying, determining latitude and casting horoscopes. They were originally invented in ancient Greece around 150 BC, and the features were useful for navigation and astronomy. This stunning brass example is engraved with Hebrew and Arabic script, meaning it was probably made for a Jewish scholar in Spain sometime in the mid-14th century. During this time there was a huge amount of knowledge exchanged be