ANCIENT ECLIPSES. 623 
Assyrian tablets in the British Museum, is found a record of a solar eclipse, total 
at Nineveh, June 15, 763 B. C. Uzziah, king of Judah, and the prophet Isaiah 
both flourished about this time It was also near this date that the shadow went 
back on the dial of Ahaz. One of the most interesting and important eclipses of 
ancient times is the one predicted with the saros by Thales, of Miletus. It oc- 
curred May 28, 585 B. C., and put an end to a long and bloody war between 
the Medes and Lydians. A battle was raging high near two hours before sun- 
down of that eventful day, when the sun was suddenly darkened and day turned 
into gloomy night. ‘This great change in the face of nature produced such an im- 
pression on the contending armies that they were both anxious to make peace, 
which was confirmed by a twofold marriage, in order to make it the more binding, 
“‘For without some strong bond there is little security to be found in men’s coy- 
enants.”” The exact time and spot on the earth where this noted battle took 
place was for many ages a matter of doubt and contention among historians. 
But the accuracy of modern computations has settled the date (B. C. 585, May 
28th, in the evening), and pointed out Asia Minor, near the northeast corner of 
the Mediterranean as the place. 
About five and a half centuries before the Christian Era a king besieged the 
Median city of Larissa. ‘The Medes held their own full well for sometime; but 
in 557 B. C., May 19, an eclipse of the sun so overpowered them that they 
gave way, and the Persians took the city without further trouble. A total eclipse 
of the moon, recorded by Pliny and Plutarch, occurred September 30, 331, B. 
C., eleven days before the celebrated battle of Arbela, in which Alexander gain 
ed a signal victory over Darius. There was a partial eclipse of the moon about 
two or three hours after midnight, March 13, 4 B. C.; and also a total lunar 
eclipse near midnight, January 9, 1 B. C. Now according to Josephus, the 
the death of Herod took place about the time of one of these eclipses, but which 
one does not seem very clear, as (it is said) he only speaks of one eclipse in all 
his writings. Herod died a short time, probably three months, after the birth 
of Jesus Christ. Hence it would seem uncertain whether our Savior was born 
about December 13, 5 B. C., or October 9, 2 B. C. It has long been supposed 
that his birth preceded the Christian era by four years. Although there seems 
to be evidence in favor of the latter eclipse, making the birth of Christ early in 
October, 2 B. C., yet it may be safer to adopt the eclipse of March 13, 4 B. C., 
as the one to which Josephus alludes, and consequently the date December 13 
(or probably 25) as being the time of birth of Christ. It has been claimed by 
some that an eclipse of the sun caused the darkness which attended the cruci- 
fixion of our Lord; but that event occurred at the time of full moon, and, of 
course, there could be no eclipse of the sun. Besides, the darkness continued 
many times longer than that of a solar eclipse. 
An eclipse of the sun which was central and total some distance north of Jeru- 
salem occurred November 24, 29 A. D. Andon January 1, 47, a total eclipse 
was seen at Rome, and it is said in the same night an island rose up in the A’gean 
sea. 
