Question: According to historians, what motivated the Babylonians to develop the practice of astrology? Question Answer a. It is only within the latitudes of Babylon that the Sun and Full Moon can be seen in the sky at the same time for a brief moment at sunrise and sunset; as this dramatic event occurs once a month, the Babylonians were convinced that all cycles of the sky are predictable b. Since the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, made its heliacal rise at the same time of year as the annual rainfall, the Babylonians were convinced that the positions of the celestial bodies foretold events on Earth c. The lack of reliable rainfall caused the Babylonian rulers to attempt to predict the future based on the predicted positions of the celestial bodies d. Since the first Babylonian ruler had suspiciously disappeared at the same time that Venus appeared at its brightest in the sky, the Babylonians were convinced that the positions of the celestial bodies foretold events on Earth