LT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY ON BIBLICAL ASTRONOMY. 145 



entered the minds of either the French or Spanish translators, 

 as both have given the meaning as the signs of zodiac in both 

 places ; this seems quite consistent with the context of 

 Job xxxviii, 32, R.V. : "Canst thou lead forth the Mazzaroth 

 in their season ? " as the leading forth of the signs of the 

 zodiac with respect to the sun influences the seasons. 



(3) Hidden Southern Stars. — The third region of hidden 

 southern stars calls for no further note : when discovered by 

 one journeying south, they naturally linked themselves to the 

 other rising and setting stars. 



Job xxxviii, 31, 32, RV. : " Canst thou bind the cluster of the 

 Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion ? Canst thou lead forth 

 the Mazzaroth in their season ? or canst thou guide the Bear 

 with her train ? " enumerates what may be called the useful 

 visible constellations ; Pleiades and Orion indicated the time for 

 agricultural operations ; the signs of the zodiac the sequence 

 the seasons ; and the Bear was the guide to the mariner. 



(6) Grand Astronomical Statements. 



In ordinary ancient astronomy there were various theories 

 about the shape of the earth and the method of its support ; 

 in the Scriptures we have the simple statements, " the pillars 

 of the earth are the Lord's, and He hath set the world upon 

 them " (i Sam. ii, 8, see also Job xxxviii, 4, Ps. lxxv, 3, 

 Prov. viii, 29), and " He hangeth the earth upon nothing " 

 (Job xx vi, 7). The globular form of the earth is thought by 

 many to have been unknown to the ancients : but it appears 

 that (Is. xl, 22) He " sitteth upon the circle of the earth" of 

 both our Authorized and Eevised Versions would be more 

 accurately translated, He " sitteth upon the globe of the earth." 

 Both the French and Spanish agree in translating the Hebrew 

 word " khug " as " globe." 



The globular form of the earth is also inferred from the 

 Lord's statement that at His sudden coming (Luke xvii, 24), 

 some will be in bed, presumably at night (Luke xvii, 34), while 

 others will be working at their ordinary occupations (Luke 

 xvii, 35, Matt, xxiv, 40, 43), presumably in the day-time. Day 

 and night at the same instant at different parts of the earth 

 are quite consistent with its spherical shape. 



According to the observations of modern astronomers, there 

 are less than 6.000 stars in all the heavens visible to the 

 unaided human eye. In the Scripture, however, they are 

 repeatedly spoken of as very numerous indeed, and in some 



