Astronomy @ The Hebrews were devout students of the wonders of the starry firmanent Amos:5:8; Psalms:19). In the Book of Job, which is the oldest book of the Bible in all probability, the constellations are distinguished and named. Mention is made of the "morning star" Revelation:2:28; comp. Isaiah:14:12), the "seven stars" and "Pleiades," "Orion," "Arcturus," the "Great Bear" Amos:5:8; Job:9:9Job:38:31), "the crooked serpent," Draco Job:26:13), the Dioscuri, or Gemini, "Castor and Pollux" Acts:28:11). The stars were called "the host of heaven" Isaiah:40:26; Jeremiah:33:22). The oldest divisions of time were mainly based on the observation of the movements of the heavenly bodies, the "ordinances of heaven" Genesis:1:14-18; Job:38:33; Jeremiah:31:35Jeremiah:33:25). Such observations led to the division of the year into months and the mapping out of the appearances of the stars into twelve portions, which received from the Greeks the name of the "zodiac." The word "Mazzaroth" Job:38:32) means, as the margin notes, "the twelve signs" of the zodiac. Astronomical observations were also necessary among the Jews in order to the fixing of the proper time for sacred ceremonies, the "new moons," the "passover," etc. Many allusions are found to the display of God's wisdom and power as seen in the starry heavens Psalms:8; 19:1-6; Isaiah:51:6, etc.)
