The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-10
tTs.c Astronomy OF .EG6.

Every one is acquainted with the story Of
| Calico. 1t is g dark scene in the page Of
| history. We are not about to repeat the
account. Our object is simply to bring out
Il new ront in Biblical criticism which re-
calls Calico to mind. When the ecclcSias-
tical tribunal, in 1858, condemned the Ital-
ian astronomer for maintaining propositions
in regard to the revolution of the earth,
philosophically false, erroneous in faith,
and expressly contrary to Holy Scripture; :.
and triumphantly pointed to the command
of Joshua, "Sun, stand thou still upon
Gibcon; and thou, Moon, in the Valley OF
Aialon; and the Sun stood still, and the
Moon stayed" the churchmen thought
that tic Ptolcmaic system was as
incontrovcrtible as the Aristotelian
philosophy, and that both were in
entire accordance with Scripture. They
had been years before amazed ami
cnragcd by the letter Of Cali
leo 10 the Able Castelli, written to prove
that the Scri ptures were not intended to
teach Us science and philosophy, and that
it was equally difficult to reconcile the Pto-
lemaic and Copernican systems with ex-
pressions in the Bible. They little thought,
| however, that there was passage IN Scrip
turc, written more than two hundred years
! before Jo-lua crossed the Jordan, IN
| which the doctrine of the revolution OF the
earth upon its axis, taught by Calico, Is
fully affirmed. Yet such is the case and,
had their eminenccs been as good l1cbrcwlsts
as they we're priests and inQuisitors, they
would have known that the Lord, when lie
answered Job out of the storm, had dis
| -.
darkened counsel by words without know
ledge"
Perhaps some of our readers will be not
less surprised than the cardinals them
selves would have been. to find that the old
patriarch had received a revelation on
astronomy. They may say that the science
of the heavens was born in the pure atmo-
sphere Of the Orient, where the moons OF
Jupiter can be seen without the aid Of the
glass of Fiesole, and that it is not strange
that the "greatest among the sons Of the
East" should be acquainted with the pecu-
liar science Of his native land; but they
are not prepared to acknowledge that Job
was in advance Of Copcrnicus. He was so,
however, as we propose to show to their
satisfaction.
A few years since the Rev. Carteret Pri-
aulx Carey, Incumbent OF st. Johns,
Guernsey, published "Translation OF the
Book of job" 1t is in blank verse, amply
illustrated by critical notes and commen-
tary. The work is but little known IN this
country, though it possesses great merit.
We extract the following lines from the
thirty-eighth chapter. They begin with the
twelfth yerse-a well-known passage IN tho
English Bible:
'.llat thou, since thy days, commanded the
And caused The day-spring to know his place
| 10 take hold OF the wings Of the earth 10
That the wi, kcd might br shakcn out OF II!
! Itlurncth round like seal OF clay,
| And things stand out as though in dress"
An examination of the original will
satisfy any one moderately acquainted with
Hebrew that Mr.. Carey is correct. The
words will not bear the rendering given
them in the Anglican version. \ verbal
critique would he out of place here. The
translation alludcs to the turning round Of
the earth like O seal of clay. Both in
Assyria and Egypt these clay seals arc
| found. They are made in the form of o
wheel, and have their designs wrought In
relief upon the tire, and when used, we're
rolled over the soft wax or whatever was
intended to take the impression. Thus the
objects" or designs stand OUT" and as
the seal rolls round, the revolution OF the
earth is declared and illustrated, and one
remarkable agreement between science and
Scripture is established conclusiyely.
In Galileo's time, had not knowledge of
Hebrew been limited to very few, and had
net the ccclesiastics of that day, like too
may O. he clergy of our own time, con-
tented Themselves with such acquaintance
with Holy Writ as may be obtained from