244 LIEUT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY^ R.A., ON 



representation of Hera, the Assyrian equivalent of Istar with 

 a wand bearing a small crescent at its upper end in one hand, 

 while she holds in her other hand a symbol similar to the present 

 astronomical sign for the planet Venus. This circumstance, 

 coupled with the landing of a rock crystal lens at Nimroud by 

 Layard, caused Proctor* to suppose that the ancient Chaldeans 

 had some artificial means of assisting vision, as it is generally 

 considered to be impossible to see the crescent form of Venus 

 with the naked eye.f It is interesting to note as witness to the 

 importance of Istar among the ancients that our word star is 

 derived from the Greek aarrjp, which is said to be akin to the 

 ancient Babylonian name.J 



According to the Sinaitic inscriptions, the Arabs worshipped 

 the planet§ under the name of 'uzza until the rise of Mahomet ; 

 men's names, such as Abd-al-'uzza (servant of 'uzza), were 

 common amongst them, just as Arad Istar (servant of Istar) 

 had been in use among the more ancient Babylonians. An 

 Arabic love song to the planet|| still lingers in Morocco. 



The planet played its part in astrology, and at the present 

 time the Hindu divinities have a couplet in Tamil which infers 

 thatlT the powers of the Evil Spirit, which they profess to 

 enchant, ceases when the morning star rises, presumably because 

 day will soon come, when the powers of darkness will have to 

 depart. 



The Eev. Dr. Jessup, of Beyrut, says that the morning star 

 is spoken of among the Christian population as a type of 

 Christ ; and in many parts of the East, including India, it is 

 no uncommon thing to hear of farmers and others who have 

 noticed the planet in broad dayliglit.** 



We thus find, from various sources, that the planet Venus 

 was a far more familiar object to ordinary people under the 

 conditions of Bible times than it is to the majority of us at 

 the present moment in England; and, consequently, any figura- 

 tive allusions to the planet would come with far more force 



* Saturn and its System. Appendix, " Ciialdean Astronomy."' R. A. 

 Proctor. 



t For a discussion of tlie })()ssil)ility of seeing tlie liorns of Venus with 

 tlie naked eye, see KnowJ('<hn\ 190.3. 



\ The Crit. and Bihfc Cj/dopodia, p. 55. Rev. A. P. Fausset, D.D. 

 i5 Letter from Syed Ali Bilgrami, IMofessor of Mnratlii, Candnndge. 

 II Letter from Mr. Cutlibert Nairn, S. Morocco Mission, Mariukesli. 

 % Letter Pev. Canon ]\l;irgoscliis, Tinnevelly, S. India. 

 Letter C. Campbell, Es(p, I.C.S. 



