Did the Babylonians know about the 3-4-5 triangle?

Maybe you caught it in the news recently. An amazing discovery revealing that ancient Babylonians (today’s Iraq) had used a form of trigonometry unknown until the recent interpretation of a stone engraving describing the process. Up until now the accepted theory was that trigonometry had originated with the Greeks. Well, not so. The Babylonian trig predated the Greek trig by at least 1,000 years!

Reminds me of how for hundreds of years the idea of “epicycles” to explain retrograde planet motion was the understanding of the scientists. Then Galileo came along, demonstrating a better idea. Epicycles became more and more complicated and cumbersome to use. Making the sun the center of our solar system made life a lot simpler – and more accurate. So, it is claimed, that is also true with the Babylonian trigonometry based on line ratios rather than angles. Simpler. Interesting.

Interesting especially when we consider, that Babylonian tablet was always there (at least since it was etched); we just didn’t decipher it. It is reminiscent of the Hittite empire described in the Bible. Scientists denied the existence of the Hittites because archeologists had not personally discovered any evidence themselves. When the Hittite empire was finally acknowledged it was then discovered that the Bible was accurate. The Hittites were a huge archeological oversight until then.

Babylonian trigonometry ratios, Galileo’s innovations, and that elusive Hittite empire, show how better observing skills produce better discoveries of truth - and maybe someone was before the Babylonians?

Actually, we use ratios all the time for ensuring a room (or whatever) is square. It’s the 3-4-5 triangle that defines a right angle (90 degrees). Cutting carpet, laying tile, or scoping foundation walls, if the ratio of the sides is 3-4-5, the intersection of the 3 and the 4 is at 90 degrees (plus or minus nada). But the Greeks probably knew that too.