Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Pleiades to Hyades

NASA ^ | November 17, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[ixtl]

I have always been curious about the book of Job. For example, some commentators say “Leviathan” is the whale, others the crocodile; and “Behomoth,” is it the crocodile or the hippopotamus? Or are both some species of dinosaur?

Also I always thought Job predated the ancient Greeks, but they nameed the constellations...

Not trying to argue, just curious.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

The constellations are a fascinating example. Every civilization has the same concepts for the constellations, which is one of many clues that there was once a single civilization like the Bible describes at Babel.

Another example is the link from the days of the weeks to the planets: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. Even the Japanese have this same idiom.

We don’t know exactly what Leviathan is. I suspect it is a creature that no longer exists. Though I do think where the Bible talks about dragons we would call them dinosaurs. Many reptiles never stop growing. I think that is a big piece in the dinosaur puzzle.

http://studybible.me/bible.php?q=Job+41

[Conan the Librarian]

“Have you found the Yellow Sign?”
“Have you found the Yellow Sign?”
“Have you found the Yellow Sign?”

http://www.sff.net/people/doylemacdonald/l_kiy.htm

[Conan the Librarian]

Just noted, that photo is up side down!

My brain is freaking!

[Christian Engineer Mass]

Oh I see what you were trying to say now.

The concepts associated with the constellations have been around for a VERY long time. The Hebrews called it the Mazzaroth.

By the way, the constellations NEVER looked like what they are called. That is a myth. There is something else going on with that. A surprising case can be made that God’s plan of salvation is spelled out in the Mazzaroth. I remember it goes something like the savior comes from the virgin.

A very quick search yields:

“In almost all known cultures, the Pleiades are seven sisters, or, for some, seven brothers.”

“The Latin names for the Big and Little Dippers, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, are echoed in Asian and Native American names for the same constellations: Big and Little Bear.”