Having shown that the founders of the ancient astrolatry accorded
homage to God Sol as Lord of Evil, under the symbol of the serpent, and
marked the beginning of his reign, as such, by the constellation
"Serpens" placed in conjunction with the Autumnal Equinox; we will now
direct attention to the symbols under which he was worshipped as Lord
of Good, which, corresponding to the form of the constellation in which
occurred the Vernal Equinox, and which was changed to correspond to the
form of the succeeding constellation as that Cardinal point passed into
it, by that process, known in Astronomy, as the precession of the
Equinoxes, its explanation becomes essential to a correct understanding
of our subject.
After long observation, aided by the telescope, of which they were
undoubtedly the original inventors, the ancient Astrologers discovered
that the Sun, in making his apparent annual revolution, did not return
to the same point in the heavens, but fell behind that of the preceding
year, at the rate of 50 1/4 seconds of a degree annually. At this rate
of precession, which modern, calculation has confirmed, it requires 71
2-3 years for the Cardinal points to pass through one degree on the
Ecliptic, and 2150 years through thirty degrees, or one sign of the
Zodiac. The knowledge of this process affording an exact chronology, we
are enabled, not only to determine the origin of these symbols, but to
approximate, very nearly, to the respective dates of their adoption.
The Sphinx.
From the teachings of Astronomy we learn that the Summer Solstice is
now occupying the point between the signs of Taurus and Gemini, from
which we know that that Cardinal point has passed through three whole
signs since it was between the signs of Leo and Virgo, and we have but
to multiply 2,150 by 3 to determine that it has been about 6,450 years
ago. Hence, the tourist to the Nile valley, when viewing, near the base
of old Cheops, the great Egyptian pyramid, a colossal head and bust of
a woman, carved in stone, and learns that it is attached to a body, in
the form of a lion in a crouching attitude 146 feet long, hidden
beneath the shifting sands of the Libyan desert; if possessed of the
knowledge of the precession of the Equinoxes, he will be enabled to
solve the riddle of the Sphinx by recognizing in that grotesque
monument the mid-summer symbol of solar worship, when the Summer
Solstice was between the signs of Leo and Virgo.
The Dragon.
When the Summer Solstice was between the signs of Leo and Virgo, the
Winter Solstice was between those of Aquarius and Pisces, and the
figure composed of the body of a man with the tail of a fish became the
mid-winter symbol of solar worship. Such was the form of this symbol to
which the ancient Phoenicians paid homage to the Lord under the name of
Dagon.
The Bull.
At the same time the Summer Solstice entered the sign of Leo, the
Vernal Equinox entered that of Taurus, and the bull becoming the spring
symbol of solar worship--the Lord was designated in the ancient
allegories as the bull of God which taketh away the sin of the world;
which, shorn of its allegorical sense, signifies the sun in Taurus, or
sun of spring, which taketh away the evil of Winter. Such is the
purport of hieroglyphical inscriptions upon papyrus rolls found in
Egypt, and engraved upon obelisks erected in the Nile valley, one of
which has been recently brought to the City of New York and set up in
Central Park. In the East Indies this symbol was represented by the
figure of a bull with the solar disk between his horns; and the
Egyptians, who were of Hindoo origin, perpetuating it in their "Apis,"
it was reproduced in the golden calf of the ancient Israelites. The
Assyrians represented this symbol by the figure of a winged bull with
the face and beard of a man; the Phoenicians, in their "Baal," by the
figure of a man with a bull's head and horns; and the small silver
bull's heads with golden horns, recently discovered by Dr. Schliemann
in the ruins of Mycenae, were jewels worn by the women of that ancient
city, when the Vernal Equinox was in the sign of Taurus.
The Ram.
By deducting 2,150 years from 6,450, we determine that about 4,300
years; ago the Vernal Equinox entered the sign of Aries, and the spring
symbol of solar worship, changing from the bull to the ram, was
represented by ram-headed figures, two of which, found in Egypt, are on
exhibition in the British Museum. Then the text which read the bull of
God, was changed to the Ram of God which taketh away the sins of the
world.
The Lamb.
Ultimately attaching a meek and lowly disposition to the imaginary
incarnations of the mythical genius of the sun, the symbol of the ram
was changed to that of the lamb, and the text in the allegories, which
read the Ram of God, was changed to read "The Lamb of God which taketh
away the sin of the World," John i, 29. The explanation we have given
relative to the Zodiacal Symbols of solar worship makes the assurance
doubly sure that the originals of the New Testament were composed when
the Vernal Equinox was in the sign of Aries, as will be shown
hereafter. Having adopted the symbol of the lamb, it was represented by
several forms of what is known as Agnus Dei, or Lamb of God, one of
which was in the form of a bleeding lamb with a vase attached into
which blood is flowing, which originated in reference to the shedding
of blood as a vicarious atonement for sin. But the most comprehensive
form of this symbol in its astronomical signification, was represented
by the figure of a lamb in a standing attitude, supporting the circle
of the Zodiac, divided into quarters to denote the seasons. At each of
the cardinal points there was a small cross, and the lamb held in its
uplifted fore-foot a larger cross, the long arm of which was made to
cut the celestial equator at the angle of 23 1/2 degrees, the true
angle of obliquity of the Ecliptic. This symbol is still retained in
the Catholic Church.
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The Fish.
By deducting 2,150 years from 4,300 we determine that about 2,150 years
ago the Vernal Equinox entered the sign of Pisces; and although the
original version of the New Testament was founded upon the symbol of
the lamb, it is a historical fact that for centuries after the
beginning of our era, the Christians paid homage to the Lord under the
symbol of the fish; but ultimately going into desuetude, the lamb was
retained as the distinguishing symbol of the Christian religion until
the year 680, at which date another was substituted, as will be shown
under our next heading.