Solar eclipse of 1207 BC helps to date pharaohs

Astronomy & Geophysics, Volume 58, Issue 5, 1 October 2017, Pages 5.39–5.42, ^ | Colin Humphreys Graeme Waddington

[BenLurkin]

According to the book of Joshua in the Old Testament, after an all-night march from Gilgal, the Israelites attacked the Amorites at Gibeon, they then pursued them to Azekah and then to Makkedah. We have evidence from historical geography of where these places were: Gibeon was about 10 km northwest of Jerusalem, Azekah about 30 km southwest of Gibeon and Makkedah about 20 km south of Azekah. Because the eclipse occurred in the afternoon, it was probably seen from near Azekah, from where the partial eclipse would have started at 15:27 (local apparent time as given by a sundial), with annularity occurring between 16:48 and 16:53. The Sun would still have been partially eclipsed at sunset, which occurred at 17:38. During annularity, 86% of the solar disc's area was covered by the Moon.

An interesting feature of the Joshua text is the observation that it is stated that not only did the Sun stop (shining) but that the Moon also stopped (shining). As the Moon is in conjunction at the time of a solar eclipse it is effectively absent from the sky for a couple of days (it has “stopped shining”). As the Israelites used an observationally based lunar calendar they would have been well aware of this monthly period of lunar invisibility and so could have timed their surprise night-time attack at Gibeon to take advantage of the lack of natural night-time illumination at this time.

After reporting that the Sun stopped (shining), the book of Joshua states further that “The Sun did not hurry to set for about a whole day” (Joshua 10:13, NRSV), which has given rise to the term “Joshua's Long Day”. What did the writer mean?

[BenLurkin]

The path of the annular solar eclipse of 30 October 1207 BC, which passed directly over the land of Canaan in the afternoon. The shadow leaves the Earth's surface at sunset over modern day Iraq. The map is centred on Azekah, which is marked with a circle.

The appearance of the Sun viewed from Azekah on 30 October 1207 BC at three-minute intervals. The Sun was still partially eclipsed at sunset.

[doorgunner69]

A very interesting thing to study, given the time and resources.

Thanks for the post.

[pigsmith]

Bfl

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin. The date is wrong, and Joshua's Long Day wasn't about an eclipse -- but other than that... ;^) [sidebar]

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[SunkenCiv]

http://www.google.com/search?q=Colin+Humphreys

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[SunkenCiv]

Whose Land Is Israel?
[defunct Vendyl Jones site, Wayback machine not responding] | Vendyl Jones | Vendyl Jones
Posted on 04/04/2009 7:41:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2222557/posts

[rawcatslyentist]

Wasn't it about then that the calendars changed from 360 days from 365?

It has been speculated that earth and mars had synchronous orbits and this was the last near pass before unhooking.

[SunkenCiv]

Thirty-day months, twelve months, year of 360 days> as I put quite a long list, actually, from all ancient calendars, from Incan and from Mayas, from Peru—which [Mayas] means in Mexico—from all ancient European, like ancient Roman and Greek, and also Asian, near Eastern, and Far Eastern civilization. From each of them I put quotes from authority: twleve months of thirty days, strange as it is, without intercalary. Intercalary months were brought later in. And so later there were two Moon’s calendars, Moon calendar of thirty days, and the new Moon calendar. -- Transcripts

[scrabblehack]

Also in order to get dark, it’s got to be very nearly a total eclipse. I don’t think 86% is enough. It was amazing how much light a small sliver of the sun put out during the total solar eclipse in August.

[ican'tbelieveit]

I was in the 95% in August; it was like early evening. Confused birds, got cool, but not anywhere near what my friend saw at 100%.

[ETL]

"Solar eclipse of 1207 BC helps to date pharaohs"

A former US president wanted to date a mummy.

___________________________________

Remark About Mummy Called 'Tacky'

May 25, 1996| Associated Press

LIMA, Peru - A top Peruvian anthropologist said Friday that President Clinton's joke about the sex appeal of an Inca mummy was "tacky" and criticized the display of the mummy in Washington.

Clinton joked during a political fund-raiser Wednesday that the 500-year-old frozen mummy, known as the Ice Princess, was "good-looking" and if he were single he might ask her out. "That mummy looks better than I do on my worst days," he said.

Anthropologist Sonia Guillen said, "Obviously, there's a lack of respect" in Clinton's remarks.

"Called Juanita by Peruvian scientists, the 12 to 14-year-old girl apparently was killed by a powerful blow to the head 500 years ago and sacrificed to the gods atop 20,000-foot-high Mt. Ampato."

http://articles.latimes.com/1996-05-25/news/mn-8167_1_inca-mummy

[SunkenCiv]

related topics, from the FRchives, including references to David Rohl’s citing of an eclipse record from Ugarit/Ras Shamra, and problems with the rotation of the Earth vis a vis retrocalculations:

Ancient Eclipse Found in “The Odyssey,” Scientists Say
National Geographic News | 6-23-2008 | Richard A. Lovett
Posted on 06/23/2008 5:36:32 PM PDT by blam
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2035358/posts?page=18#18

ARCHAEOLOGY: New Carbon Dates Support Revised History of Ancient Mediterranean
Science Magazine | 4/28/2006 | Michael Balter
Posted on 04/27/2006 4:59:30 PM PDT by Lessismore
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1622847/posts?page=76#76

Pharaohs and Kings - A Test of Time
http://debate.org.uk/topics/history/rohl-1.htm | David M. Rohl
Posted on 07/31/2002 7:35:06 PM PDT by Scythian
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/725672/posts

The Revision of Ancient History - A Perspective
SIS - How Historians have now embraced Velikovsky! | Internet Paper Revision no.1 March 2001 | By P John Crowe
Posted on 04/19/2002 12:33:06 PM PDT by vannrox
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/669255/posts

In the shadow of the Moon
New Scientist | 30 January 1999 | editors
Posted on 08/31/2004 8:42:25 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1203912/posts

[SunkenCiv]

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The Hebrew calendar is luni-solar, as are the Chinese and Hindu, and old Roman Calendar. Months are the intervals between observations of a new (waxing crescent) moons. Occasionally, and extra month is added since there are very nearly exactly 235 lunar cycles in 19 solar years. 19 x 12 = 218, leaving seven “leap months” (technically intercalary months) per 19 years. The extra months are added to keep the names of the months in sync with the seasons.

Mars and earth have never been in orbital resonance, much less synchrony. Neptune and Pluto are in 2:3 orbital resonance and there is a strict orbital resonance among three of Jupiter’s Galilean Moons.

[ml/nj]

It is unlikely that any partial eclipse would have been a big deal, or even noticed by the ancients.

ML/NJ

[fishtank]

Bflr bump for later

[Hieronymus]

Thanks, very interesting.

[Hieronymus]

Did you read the article that the post you are replying to links?

[cicero2k]

Having just observing the eclipse this year, I think they would have begun to notice at around 90% totality.

If they had a distance view, they would have noticed the approaching darkness as we did, watching the snow capped peaks silhouetted in advance of totality.

[SunkenCiv]