240 EEV. A. B. GRIMALDI, M.A., ON THE ZODIACAL ARRANGEMENT 



the lapse of many ages. In remote times the sun was in the sign 

 of Taurus at the vernal equinox ; in the time of Hipparchus, when 

 our Zodiac was probably arranged, it was in Aries; while at the 

 present time the sun is in Pisces when the days and nights are of 

 equal length in spring. 



Hence, if it is thought to be harmonious to begin the year at 

 the vernal equinox with the sun in Aries, typifying sacrifice, we 

 have a comparison which could have been made in the time of 

 Hipparchus, but which would not have held good in the days of 

 Adam long before, nor in our times long afterwards. Hence we 

 must dismiss the idea that Adam named Aries. 



It is by no means easy to ascertain the origin of the signs of the 

 Zodiac which we possess ; probably some are due to the seasons 

 corresponding to them in the times of Hipparchus : the sun was 

 then in Leo in July, the time of great heat ; in the Scales at the 

 autumnal equinox when the days and nights were of equal length, 

 and in Aquarius in the rainy month of January. Some have 

 thought that Virgo owes its name to the story of Istar seeking for 

 Tammuz. Different nations have different names for the signs of 

 the Zodiac ; it is difficult to understand how any one can know that 

 these names which we possess and which we have received through 

 heathen channels, contain Divine teaching any more than do our 

 names for the days of the week. 



The Hebrews of old had little need for astronomical knowledge 

 in the regulation of their simple calendar, in which the year con- 

 sisted of lunar months with an intercalary one inserted when 

 required by observing when the crops were backward during the 

 twelfth month, and when a sheaf of first-fruits. Lev. xxiii, 10, 11, 

 could probably not be presented just after the next full moon ; in 

 that case the coming month was made an additional one to the old 

 year, instead of the first month of the new year. 



In Egypt and Babylonia, on the other hand, the calendar was 

 regulated in a more direct astronomical manner, requiring, of course, 

 considerable knowledge of the movements of the heavenly bodies. 

 In both these countries the study of astronomy became inextricably 

 mixed up with religion, and the worship of sun, moon, and stars 

 and also the superstitions of astrology arose. 



There are certainly remains of sun worship to be found in many 

 old churches in different parts of Europe ; the fact that re2)resenta- 



