Chapter III: The Star of Bethlehem

The Narrative--No Astronomical Details given--Purpose of the
Scripture Narrative--Kepler's suggested Identification of the
Star--The New Star of 1572--Legend of the Well of Bethlehem--True
Significance of the Reticence of the Gospel Narrative 393

A TABLE OF SCRIPTURAL REFERENCE 401

INDEX 405

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM (_Burne-Jones_) _Frontispiece_

THE RAINBOW (_Rubens_) 2

MERODACH AND TIAMAT 25

CIRRUS AND CUMULI 47

A CORNER OF THE MILKY WAY 94

THE GREAT COMET OF 1843 102

FALL OF AN AEROLITE 110

METEORIC SHOWER OF 1799 115

THE ASSYRIAN 'RING WITH WINGS' 126

CORONA OF MINIMUM TYPE 127

ST. PAUL PREACHING AT ATHENS (_Raphael_) 148

THE ANCIENT CONSTELLATIONS SOUTH OF THE ECLIPTIC 155

THE CELESTIAL SPHERE 156

THE MIDNIGHT CONSTELLATIONS OF SPRING, B.C. 2700 164

THE MIDNIGHT CONSTELLATIONS OF WINTER, B.C. 2700 165

OPHIUCHUS AND THE NEIGHBOURING CONSTELLATIONS 189

AQUARIUS AND THE NEIGHBOURING CONSTELLATIONS 192

HERCULES AND DRACO 197

HYDRA AND THE NEIGHBOURING CONSTELLATIONS 200

ANDROMEDA AND CETUS 207

STARS OF THE PLEIADES 219

INNER NEBULOSITIES OF THE PLEIADES 227

STARS OF ORION 232

ORION AND THE NEIGHBOURING CONSTELLATIONS 236

POSITION OF SPRING EQUINOX, B.C. 2700 246

POSITION OF SPRING EQUINOX, A.D. 1900 247

STARS OF THE PLOUGH, AS THE WINNOWING FAN 263

'BLOW UP THE TRUMPET IN THE NEW MOON' 268

POSITION OF THE NEW MOON AT THE EQUINOXES 316

BOUNDARY-STONE IN THE LOUVRE 318

WORSHIP OF THE SUN-GOD AT SIPPARA 322

'SUN, STAND THOU STILL UPON GIBEON, AND THOU MOON IN
THE VALLEY OF AJALON' 350

MAP OF SOUTHERN PALESTINE 357

BEARINGS OF THE RISING AND SETTING POINTS OF THE SUN
FROM GIBEON 363

THE RAINBOW (_by Rubens_).

"The bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain."]

THE ASTRONOMY OF THE BIBLE