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

Among the wonders of mathematics.
nothing appeals more 70 the average mind
than the computation OF eclipses. Not only
is il possible 90 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-
~ 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 q 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
a 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 orihce in some structure
Of similar intent a shadow was cast along
a given line indicating the annual jour
ney Of the sun from east to west and max
ing il bear its own testimony to the SOL
stices and equinoxes. 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 il
---,-f larr salfn rfl4ea "a nnon 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 approximately known by computation
il is permissible to go back through the
annals Of astronomy and discover. if pos
sibIe 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 sun s disk by the interposition of the
lnoon-would have the effect OF causing the
suns light instead OF climbing steadily to
the meridian. 10 sink backward must be
evident With this IN mind the late J.
W. BOsanquet undertook the necessary
computations. On January II, b. c. $50
In one Of the years accredited to Heze-
kiah's reign there was a 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 Wis in the follow
ing language: Il will cause the sun to go
down az noon and ! will darken the earth
on the clear day" This language it is
evident. can be explained by nothing short
Of a total eclipse. Archbishop Usher the
sacred Chronologist. was the first to seek
Identification OF this eclipse. more than
. 900 years ago. He failed to hit upon the
one now accepted. The German biblical
scholar. Hitzig. also missed the mark.
Later Dr. Pussy engaged the attention OF
the oxford astronomers for a certain
eclipse which was thought TO cover the
case. but Il was not verified.
Somewhat before this. however. Sir IT,
Rawiinsou. the distinguished Assyriologist.
found a tablet at Nineveh recording an
eclipse which must have taken place on
June D.. 3. C.. 763. The working out of the
details OF this particular observation OF
the sun was found 10 90 the facts respect
ing time and place as predicted by the
prophet Amos. the shadow passing over
Nineyeh and over SamaSi as we'll 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 profane marks It as total. Its
historical importance is immense. since IL
is a fixed date. and its fXation lowers by
fully twenty-five years the reigns previous
ly allotted 10 the Jewish monarchy.