142 LT.-COL. G. MACK1NLAY ON BIBLICAL ASTRONOMY. 



omitted because it could hardly have been of use for purposes 

 of navigation. 



(5) The Heavens. 



From a remote period it has been found convenient to divide 

 the heavens into three regions, viz., those containing : — 



1. Circumpolar, non-setting stars. 



2. All other visible stars, i.e., those rising and setting. 



3. All remaining stars hidden under the horizon in the 



south. 



Job ix, 9, RV., mentions " the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades 

 and the chambers of the South," and thus enumerates all these 

 regions ; (1) The very conspicuous constellation of the Bear 

 was then non-setting in those latitudes, and consequently 

 represented the rest of the non-setting stars ; (2) Orion and 

 the Pleiades, the rising and setting stars ; and (3) the (hidden) 

 chambers of the South contained the remainder. 



(1) Non-setting stars. — Some of the non-setting stars had a 

 practical value in giving direction, as we have already noted : 

 if proper allowance is made for the time of year, the con- 

 stellation of the Great Bear, or the Great Clock of the North, 

 as it has been called, gives the time at night with consider- 

 able accuracy, especially if a dial face, anciently called a 

 " nocturnal," is placed over it and the pole star. The non-setting 

 stars collectively typified the evil powers of darkness, which 

 were only vanquished by the rising of the sun. The old story 

 was that Merodach had a fearful conflict with the dragon. 

 This was poetically pictured in the heavens by the constellation 

 Draco, one of whose stars, towards the tail, was the pole star of 

 some 4,500 years ago ; the body of Draco was consequently 

 apparently transfixed by an invisible spear (the axis of the 

 earth produced), and the two parts of the creature revolved 

 around it, giving the idea of twistings about in agony. The 

 rising of the sun caused its entire disappearance, and so 

 apparently completed its destruction. Our figure of bt. George 

 and the Dragon on the British sovereign possibly owes its 

 origin to the first part of this ancient story. " His hand 

 hath pierced the swift serpent " (Job xxvi, 13 ), probably has 

 an astronomical reference and indicates that Jehovah causes 

 the constellation Draco to revolve, and consequently all the 

 other stars as well ; it may perhaps also refer in poetic 

 language to His supreme power in overcoming all evil. 



The seeming destruction of the stars caused by the rising 



