The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
PREDICTIONS OF EcLIPsEs.
instances of Accord Between Sci
ence and the Bible,

Among the wonders of mathematics.
| nothing appeals more 10 the average mind
than the computation Of eclipses. Not only
is it possible to predict them for thousands
of years in advance, but there is no men
tion of a dimming of the suns light by
unusual means set forth in human histo-
ry which cannot be verified, however an
cient the reference. In a recently pub
lished work by George F. Chambers. fell
low of the Royal Astronomical Society," of
England called The Story of Eclipses,
there is a discussion OF the going back OF
the shadow on the sun dial of Ahaz. bib
lical incident of the life of King Hezekiah
which has fairly staggered the commenta-
tors for many ages. This may be taken
to attest in a remarkable degree the accu-
racy in minute detail of astronomical fig
ures.
The instrument on which this seeming
wonder was shown appears to have been
sun dial of a kind not unknown else
where in the ancient world, both Jewish
and Gentle By means of an upright style
or gnomon. or an orifce in some structure
of similar intent. a shadow was cast along
a given line Indicating the annual johr-
ney of the sun from east to west, and max
ing it bear its own testimony to the SOL
stices and equlnoXes. upon which the sa-
cred festivals of antiquity were largely
based. There is today a meridian line
marked in the floor OF the cathedral of
Milan. an aperture in the southern wall
enabling the sunlight to travel along this
at different heights according to the season
of the year.
To those unfamiliar with astronomical
possibilities the mere statement that the
shadow cast by the sun could be moved
ten steps. or degrees. backward sounds alb
surd Mr. Chambers points out that it
must have taken place at noon in order
to be effective, since il would have been
unnoticed in case the dial referred to was
similar to that in Milan Cathedral under
other circumstances. and would have been
less noticeable at any time other than
that of the sun approaching the meridian.
That ascertained and HeZekiah's reign be-
ing approxima ELY known by computation.
it is permissible to go back through the
annals of astronomy and discover, if pos
sible. whether there was any unusual phe
nomenon to which this extraordinary ex-
hibition of a backward going shadow could
be referred.
That an eclipse OF the upper limb of the
sun a little before noon-that is, the cut
ting of of the light from the upper half
of the suns disk by the interposition of the
noon-would have the effect of causing the
suns light. instead of climbing steadily to
the meridian to sink backward must be
evident With this in mind. the late J.
W. Bosanauet undertook the necessary
computations. On January II, b. c. $50,
In one of the years accredited to Heze-
kiahs reign, there was partial eclipse of
the sun at 1880 o'clock in the morning,
visible in Jerusalem. This brings out in
a remarkable manner. the truth of the bib
lical statement since the sacred writers OF
the day do not seem TO have understood
the cause.
Other eclipses are mentioned in the Bible,
one of which can be positively identified.
IL is set forth in Amos Wig in the follow
ing language: Il will cause the sun to go
down at noon and / will darken the earth
on the clear day" This language, 1t is
evident can be explained by nothing short
of a total eclipse. Archbishop Usher, the
sacred chronoiogist, was the first to seek
identification OF this eclipse, more than
9, 900 years ago. He failed to hit upon the
one now accepted. The German biblical
scholar. Hitzig. also missed the mark.
Later DIR. Pussy engaged the attention OF
the oxford astronomers for certain
eclipse which was thought to cover the
case, but it was not verified.
Somewhat before this, however Sir II.
Rawiinson. the distinguished Assyrologist,
found a tablet at Nineveh recording an
eclipse which must have taken place on
June u, b. c. 763. The working out of the
details of this particular observation of
the sun was found TO fit the facts respect
ing time and place. as predicted by the
prophet Amos, the shadow passing over
Nineveh and over Sama'Na as well. This
was eighteen years before the beginning OF
the reign OF Tiglath- Pileser, and the prom
inence given IL by the historians, both sa-
cred and profape. marks II as total. Its
historical importance is immense, since II
is a fixed date, and its fXation lowers by
fully twenty years the reigns previous
ly allotted to the Jewish monarchy.