Astronomy in the old testament

198 Pages·1905·8.23 MB·English

by  G. Schiaparelli

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ASTRONOMY THE
IN
OLD TESTAMENT
BY
G. SCHIAPARI
^^^M.****
DIRECTOR OF THEHEiRERA OBSERVATORY IN MILAN
AUTHORIZED ENGLISH TRANSLATION
WITH MANY CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS
BY THE AUTHOR
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1905
HENRY FROWDE, M.A.
PUBLISHER TOTHE UNIVERSITYOFOXFORD
LONDON, EDINBURGH
NEW YORK AND TORONTO
NOTE. BY THE TRANSLATOR
THE author of this book is the Director of the
Brera Observatory in Milan, and his great reputation
as an astronomer causes special interest to attach to
his views on Biblical astronomy. He has been kind
enough to revise his work throughout for the purpose
of the English translation, and also to criticize and
amend the translation itself.
The translator, who has undertaken the work at the
request of the Delegates of the Clarendon Press, has
to express his great obligations to the Rev. Dr.
Driver, Regius Professor of Hebrew in the University
of Oxford, and to Mr. A. E. Cowley, Sub-Librarian
of the Bodleian Library and Fellow of Magdalen
College. Both these gentlemen have read the transla-
tion and made important corrections and, while they
;
cannot be held responsible in all cases for the form
which it has finallytaken, anyclaims to accuracywhich
it may possess are due to their assistance.
PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR
THIS little book was published for the first time in
Italian in 1903, forming No. 332 ofthe scientific series
in the large collection of Manuals which are being
A
published in Milan by Ulrico Hoepli. German
translation was published at Giessen in 1904, contain-
ing somechangesandcorrections. All thesealterations
have been adopted in the present version, together
with many others which are entirely new.
In presenting it to English readers, I feel bound to
express my sincere gratitude to the Delegates of the
Clarendon Press and to the translator, whohave inter-
ested themselves in its publication and have assisted
in rendering it less imperfect. Their observations on
some doubtful assertions, and on certain points which
were open to dispute and not clearly expressed, have
led me to make various improvements and to introduce
important additions and corrections. Special thanks
are also due to my kind and learned friend Monsignor
Antonio Ceriani, Prefect of the Ambrosian Library at
Milan, who rendered indispensable help in my con-
sultation ofsome Syriac and Rabbinical works.
Some readers may perhaps notice that not a word
is said in this book about some truly sensational
novelties which have been published recently (especi-
ally by some learned German Assyriologists) in regard
to the astronomical mythology ofthe ancient peoples