Scattered evidence suggests that the oldest known astrological references are

copies of texts made in the ancient world. The Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa is
thought to have been compiled in Babylon around 1700 BCE.[24] A scroll documenting
an early use of electional astrology is doubtfully ascribed to the reign of the
Sumerian ruler Gudea of Lagash (c. 2144 – 2124 BCE). This describes how the gods
revealed to him in a dream the constellations that would be most favourable for the
planned construction of a temple.[25] However, there is controversy about whether
these were genuinely recorded at the time or merely ascribed to ancient rulers by
posterity. The oldest undisputed evidence of the use of astrology as an integrated
system of knowledge is therefore attributed to the records of the first dynasty of
Mesopotamia (1950–1651 BCE). This astrology had some parallels with Hellenistic
Greek (western) astrology, including the zodiac, a norming point near 9 degrees in
Aries, the trine aspect, planetary exaltations, and the dodekatemoria (the twelve
divisions of 30 degrees each).[26] The Babylonians viewed celestial events as
possible signs rather than as causes of physical events.[26]

The system of Chinese astrology was elaborated during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256
BCE) and flourished during the Han dynasty (2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE),
during which all the familiar elements of traditional Chinese culture – the Yin-
Yang philosophy, theory of the five elements, Heaven and Earth, Confucian morality
– were brought together to formalise the philosophical principles of Chinese
medicine and divination, astrology, and alchemy.[27]: 3, 4

The ancient Arabs that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula before the advent of Islam
used to profess a widespread belief in fatalism (ḳadar) alongside a fearful
consideration for the sky and the stars, which they held to be ultimately
responsible for every phenomena that occurs on Earth and for the destiny of
humankind.[28] Accordingly, they shaped their entire lives in accordance with their
interpretations of astral configurations and phenomena.[28]