Ezekiel’s vision is recorded below.

Ezekiel 1:3-11
The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. 4And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire in-folding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. 6And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 7And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. 8And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. 9Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went each one straight forward.
10As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

The matching of the faces of these four living creatures with the four signs at the cardinal points in Numbers 24, is worth a closer look. First, these 4 cherubs are also tied to the four winds of heaven at the 4 quarters of earth [Jer. 49:32-36, Ezek. 37:9, Dan. 7:2, 8:8, 11:4, Zech. 2:6, Matt. 24:31, Mk. 13:27, Rev. 7:1]. This correlation between the four Cardinal Directions of the horizon and the four winds is an apparent celestial reference, supported by the celestial wheels within wheels tied to Cherubim, [Ezek. 1:16, 20-22, 10:1-22]. The wheels
embody the celestial structure of the ecliptic and the Equator, as one wheel is pictured within the other, and the points where they cross are the
equinoxes. One Hebrew word for “wheel” in Ezekiel, [10:2 & 10] is galgal
[*H1534], a variant of Gilgal [*H1536], the “Hill of God,” [I Sam. 10:5] where    [Josh 4], one for each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The word galgal is also the root origin of our word “Galaxy,” shows galactic applications of these wheels even into the modern day. Similar to the stellar reference of the 12 precious stones of the High Priest’s breastplate, as symbols of the twelve signs of the zodiac, Joshua’s altar marked their entry into the promised land, first deeded to Abraham [Gen. 13:14-15]. God marked the end
of Israel’s plight in the wilderness even as He had marked their exit from Egypt, with a miracle of parting of the waters, both of the Red Sea and of the Jordan River. He also marked the start of Israel’s reign of kings both in the anointing of Saul, along with the first Passover in the promised land at Gilgal. Joshua 5:9-10 has a figurative portrait of this initial Passover, as the “wheels of God’s justice” rolled over the heathen that stood in Israel’s way. Thus, when we view the two phases of the return of the promised seed, first in his sufferings second in glory, we can see the following division along the lines of Jesus’ ministry as seen in the four gospels:

Sufferings

He came as a man/Son of Man/Luke/Aquarius
He sacrificed his life/Servant/Mark/ Eagle for Scorpion

Glory

The Son coming in judgment/Son of God/John/Taurus
The Lion-king of Judah rending his prey/King/Matthew/Leo

With the serpent’s temptation of Eve in Eden focused on human freewill that God created in mankind, by zeroing in on this one limit God placed on Adam and Eve, the serpent took Eve’s focus off her free access to all other trees of the Garden, by altering its limit into a desire for something God was holding back from her, instead of a Godly law for their mutual good. Without a Godly limit marking Eden’s borders, mankind had no alternative but to obey God’s will, but even via this single limitation, man now enjoyed the freewill choice  activated, to obey God or not. Adam & Eve enjoyed a practical application of freewill perfection in their period in Paradise, with its many fruits shared in every way, till the Day they ate the forbidden fruit, and death was activated, in them as they lost their perfect spirit and Garden w/o Entropy, [Gen. 2:17]. See Moses’ burning bush

These four cardinal points correspond to the four tribes, zodiacal signs and Tabernacle colors as follows:

Eagle/Aquila [replacing Scorpius below, a substitute North]
North/Scorpion/Scorpius/Dan/Red  (omitted in Num. 24, Ps. 75:3ff)
East/Lion/Leo/Judah/Purple. (Numbers 24:9)
South/Man/Aquarius/Reuben/Blue. (Numbers 24:7)
West/Bull/Taurus/Ephraim & Manasseh/White(Numbers 24:8)

As symbolic references to the four quarters of heaven, the 4 unified faces of these living creatures represent a composite of the celestial narrative, witnessing to the return of the promised redeemer, and his judgment on the assembly of the wicked.

Ezek. 28:6-19

6 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god, 7 Behold, therefore, I will bring strangers against you, The most terrible of the nations; And they shall draw their swords [2719-flaming sword of Cherub’s Gen. 3:22-24] against the beauty [3308–yophiy from 3302–yaphah; bright & beautiful] of your wisdom, [2451-chokmah; wisdom, knowledge, insight, judgment, Shrewd, clever, always in a + sense, never independent from God, in a  full range of human experience, diplomacy, mil. strategy, practical spirituality, True wisdom leads to reverence for the Lord, Js. 3:13-18, Ezek. 28:4-5 thru traffic got rich,[2428] Job 11:6, 12:13, 28:20, 23, 28 38:37, Prov. 1:20, 2:2-6, 3:19, 8:1-31, 9: 1-2, 14:6-7, Jer. 10:12, from 2449-chakam; wise, intelligent, prudent-skilled in arts & morality, near philosophical, human heart wisdom not just head knowledge] Hebrew wisdom was very practical.

 And defile your splendor. 8 They shall throw you down into the Pit, And you shall die the death of the slain In the midst of the Seas. 9  Will you still say before him who slays you, ‘I am a god’? But you shall be a man, and not a god, In the hand of him who slays you. 10 You shall die the death of the un-circumcised By the hand of aliens; For I have spoken,” says the Lord God.’

Lamentation for the King of Tyre

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the seal of perfection, Full [4392-male from 4390- to fill, be full, confirm, fulfill, consecrate, replenish, satisfy] of wisdom [2451] and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And
I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. 17 “Your heart was [b]lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.

18 “You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.” ’ ”

In this same sense we can grasp the Covering Cherub of Ezek. 28:12-16. Every precious stone [9] was his covering, [4540] as his covenant with Almighty God, and the league with other angels covered as he upheld God’s Covenant. The workmanship of his tabrets [8596] played for music sounds in thy pipes [5345] was prepared [3559–kuwn] in thee in the day he was created. The repetition in “midst of Stones of Fire” in v. 14-16 shows fiery gemstones as each jewel reflected the light and sound of their angelic choral units in worship of the Almighty, as Lucifer was Chorus-master, as the sons of God shouted for joy! This is seen in Job 38:7 when the AM Stars “sang [7442] together” as these choral units praised & honored God with the full spectrums of sound and light. 

reflects a repetition of “the day thou wast created” in vs. 13-15, mirrors the “midst of stones of fire” perhaps shows the creation of his covering in his own inception, & purpose harmonized w/other Angels. A symbiosis in; “thy precious stones” were his covering, while he was Covering cherub-perhaps depicting a symbiotic relationship with his bejewelled covering of fiery gemstones, as the chorus master with his orchestra of angelic choral units. Each precious stone with their own frequency and harmonic praising the Lord in perfect beauty, [Job 38:7, Ezek 28:13-16 w/Isa. 14:12-32, 59:2-17]

Lamentation for the King of Tyre

11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king [4428] of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You were the Seal of perfection, Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
Jon refers to 3 elements in this record;

1. Seal of Perfection

2. Full of Wisdom

3. Perfect [3632] in Beauty

13 You were in Eden, the Garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, & jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels & pipes
Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed
Cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
16 “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.

17 “Your heart was [b]lifted up because of your beauty;

You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
I cast you to the ground,
I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you.

18 “You defiled your sanctuaries
By the multitude of your iniquities,
By the iniquity of your trading;
Therefore I brought fire from your midst;
It devoured you,
And I turned you to ashes upon the earth
In the sight of all who saw you.
19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you;
You have become a horror,
And shall be no more forever.”

The 22nd Psalm reveals more details of this evident celestial pattern, in the context of the Lord’s sacrifice, in Golgotha’s foreboding shadows. This is the record of the assembly of the wicked passing their depraved judgment on the Lord, as they orchestrated the events around Jesus’ crucifixion. But as his immanent return speeds towards us, the mighty conquering judge will execute his righteous verdict with everlasting echoes for the evil ones.

Psalm 22:11-23
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. [reem]
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

[Skip]

Below, is a scene from the ancient caves of Las Caux in France, depicting the pre-historic images of Taurus, a Large Unicorn, w/multi-colored horses beside the Unicorn, & between the horns of the first two large Bulls, followed by four complete large bulls and Bull-heads.

Ancient Prehistoric Cave of Bull images at Las Caux, France.

Lascaux IV : International Center of Cave Art | Perigord.com

iii. Banners and Directions. Each of 12 tribes of Israel had a flag or banner as its sign. The Hebrew word for “sign” translated “ensign” in the KJV Bible (Num. 2:2), but Hebrew scholars clarify the flag’s ensign also denoting zodiac signs. In Ancient tradition, the figure of a man was seen on the banner of Reuben, a lion on Judah’s flag, a serpent on Dan’s, while on Ephraim a Bull for Joseph’s- (Son’s, who took his place). Israel’s camp, structure depicts these four banners facing the four directions: Judah facing East, Reuben facing South, Ephraim facing West, and Dan facing North, (Num 2:3, 10,18,25).  [Skip]

 

In this Psalm, the wicked natures of those who brought about Jesus’ crucifixion are discernible in these obscene caricatures of the four winds of the host of heaven. These dark spectre’s of the Cherubim rejoiced in the Lord’s demise and death as they encircled him like dogs, ravening lions and gaping bulls, embodying the idol masks of Astrology. This was the peak of the power of this wicked assembly, but their time is past and their doom is sure. As verse 14 above tells us: Christ was “poured out like water,” which depicts him in this celestial context as the man of Aquarius, who pours the living waters of the gift of holy spirit into the saints. This also agrees with aspects of the common Hallel, as the last words of Psalm 118 rang throughout the Temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles in the last days of Christ’s earthly ministry. We   find this Biblical record in John 7.

John 7:37-44
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, of
a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? 43So there was a division among the people because of him. 44And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

In the context of God’s Creation below in Job 38:4-6, as its measures are used in reference to the “foundations of the earth,” linked to the earth’s cornerstone. The book of Job is considered key as the oldest book in Biblical canon, and its references to Creation set the context for related astronomical concepts and Biblical Creation ideas.

Job 38:1-6
 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?
3 Now [a]prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or Who stretched the [b] line upon it? 6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or Who laid its cornerstone,

It is Christ as the Crown and Apex, firstborn of all Creation, the Second Adam, who embodies the Apex of the Great Pyramid [Isa. 28:16], who completes the superstructure of both the physical [in Jerusalem] and spiritual Temples-body [spiritual body] of his churches in the Bride of Israel and the NT Church of the Believer’s in Christendom, [1Cor. 3, Eph. 2:18-22]. In this way, the light of heaven is shed on the earth in Christ, the Son/Sun of righteousness [Ps. 19] who rules over all Creation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. [Gen. 1:14-17]

The graphic below shows the Great Pyramid at the center of the Earth’s landmass, as a 3D model of our planet on a 1:43,200 scale, showing geographical latitude lines & Longitude, and when projected to the Heavens, marking lines of Celestial Latitude and Longitude also. The perimeter of the base is equal to a circle’s length whose radius equals the height of the Great Pyramid, [2 * 3.14159 * 146.6 = 921]. 18#

circle

Here God challenges Job as to his whereabouts during the Creation week, when God laid the foundations of the earth, [Ps. 24:1-6, 78:69, 89:11, 104:1-9, Isa. 48:12-22, 51:12-13, Heb. 11:10]. The Hebrew word for “foundations” is [H3245–yacad= establish or set, to found or build up, appoint, be settled, firm fixing something both literally and metaphorically]. A famed usage of this

The Holy Mt. Zion of the Lord in Jerusalem also has the value of 1440, where the Lamb stands with the 144,000 redeemed of the earth; [12,000 x 12,000 tribes, 12 apostles and foundations of New Jerusalem, 12 signs of the Mazzaroth, 12 Pearly Gates, etc.] Within the cube of the New Jerusalem     is a sphere with a circumference of 144 cubits, and a diameter of 79.20 ft, symbolizing the earth on a scale of 1 foot to 100 miles, since 7920 miles is the earth’s mean diameter. As we have seen in the myriad dimensions and measures of New Jerusalem above, as they are represented in Stonehenge and in the Great Pyramid, as a historical foretaste of the holy city John saw coming down out of heaven in Rev. 21:1-2; the tabernacle of God is with men to dwell with them as His people. As God is in Christ, and Christ lives in his Church, [Col. 1:27] so God is with His people as their God. The diameter of the New Jerusalem measures 7,920,000 feet. This corresponds to the diameter of the Bluestone circle of 79.2 feet, the diameter of the earth, at 7,920 miles, and the perimeter of a square 12k gallon Bath drawn on the Molten Sea at 792 in. seen in lower left corner of Graphic 6a below. While a side of the square of New Jerusalem is 12,000 furlongs or 7920 feet, the side of this square contains 1440 acres. #66

Graphic 6a. New Jerusalem, Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid     6b.The Molten Sea of the OT Jerusalem Temple. #67
A.                                                 B.

Stonehenge 27

The New Jerusalem represents the true Jerusalem, NOT the one in bondage, but the heavenly Jerusalem, [Gal. 4:25-26, 29-31, Heb. 12:22, James 1:17]. As the Square of New Jerusalem also embodies the Holy Mt. Zion, it includes the Lord Jesus Christ who said in Matt. 16:18; And I also say to you that you are Peter, [G4074-petros] and on this rock [G4073-petra]68, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Peter-petros was a small chunk of rock, but Jesus is the massive mountain, the Rock-petra, in reference to himself, the foundation upon which he builds his Church. Jesus surpasses the OT Temple, as he fulfilled all the OT sacrifices linked to the former Covenant, which will be back in effect during the 6th administration of the Millennial Kingdom, when Christ rules over the earth, with a rod of iron. Here we can see the difference between the 3 groups of people signified in God’s Word; Jews, Gentiles and the Church of God, with the Jews related to the OT, and the Gentiles and Messianic Jews related to the NT Church of Grace, the spiritual body of Christ.

engraved on panel borders [I Kg. 7:28, H4526-micgereth; and enclosed margins, from 5462-cagar; to shut up, close up]

Revelation 22:13. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

  • In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1. Those words are the beginning or alpha of the Bible.
  • In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1 (the beginning of John’s Gospel).
  • Rev. 22:21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (The Bible’s omega verse signed Lord Jesus Christ = 3168).

It is also very appropriate and significant that the Omega verse of the Bible is Rev. 22:21 shown above that signs off using the words; Lord Jesus Christ which has a gematria of 3168.

Curiously it is found in the numbers related to The Miracle of Ahaz’ Sundial, where the Sun moved backwards on the Sundial of Ahaz, as a sign of King Hezekiah’s Healing.

The Hebrew calendar has 12 months of 29 1/2 to 30 days. Approximately every 3 years they add a 13th month. Does that correlate in any way with the 10 degrees/ 40 minutes?

40 minutes per day x 30 days per month = 1200 minutes difference per month
1200 minutes x 12 months per year = 14,400 minutes per year
14,400 minutes per year x 3 years = 43,200 minutes
43,200 minutes divided by 60 minutes per hour = 720 hours over 3-year period
720 hours divided by 24 hours per day = 30 days (the 13th month!)

This adjustment is required also to ensure the alignment of the feast days with the correct season. 20#

Why Did God Choose How Many Degrees and not allow Hezekiah to choose?

(2Ki 20:9) And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?

Here we see that God gave Hezekiah the choice of 10 degrees forward or backwards, but not how many degrees. Why did God choose how many degrees, and not let Hezekiah choose? Because it may have affected God’s promise of His Covenant in the sanctified holy Sabbath-day.

If God had let Hezekiah choose the number of degrees, we as men like to see spectacular fantastic miracles. And as such Hezekiah might have chosen 30 or 40 degrees, as his first thought may not have been to preserve the Covenant of God’s Holy Sabbath! What would the potential impact be of this on the Calendar of Israel? If a change was made, which caused more than 1 day’s loss in any month, we would lose the last Sabbath of that month, as the last Sabbath is the 29th day of the month on the Hebrew calendar. As it stands now, only the 30th day, is lost in some months. If we had lost two days instead of one, then we would lose both the 30th day, and the 29th day Sabbath, thereby destroying the 7-day weekly Covenant, that God set up in Genesis 2:3.” 21#

Gen. 2:1-3
 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.

God blessed and sanctified the seventh day making it a Sabbath Covenant going forward, and He did not allow this Miracle of the Sundial of Ahaz to interfere with His promises. According to the calculations above, the 40 Minutes related to the 10 degrees the shadow of the sun moved backwards, on the sun- dial, the numbers fit a sacred numerical matrix that pervades the earth and our solar system. As the sun passes through its 365.2224- day, annual course it “dwells” in each of the 12 houses of its “civil year” of the zodiac for one month. The Sun moves in its circuit at a rate of 12 miles a second, or 43,200 miles per hour, with its train of planets in our solar system in the boundary lines of the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

Interestingly, the sun’s orbital  speed is 1/10th of 1/2 its perimeter in miles [864, 000], or [20 x 43,200] shown as a multiple in the unity of God’s creation of Space-Time. In a base 60 number system with in the 60 seconds a minute, 60 minutes an hour, in the 360–day calendar year of Noah, also breaks down into the basic numbers of 6 x 10. This shows the relation between the civil [lunar], and sacred [solar] years on the Hebrew calendars, in context of precession. This base 60 number system also provides the basis for the golden section ratio, also known as phi: 1.618 (10 by 6.18, or 100 by 61.8…). In addition to unifying the structure of the human body, the musical scale, planetary orbits, biological growth cycles and the Hebrew Calendar, this phi ratio proves to be a key element in the correlation of the eclipse cycle with the solar year.

The numbers referenced above, all fit within the workings of the Hebrew Calendar, and the intercalation of Israel’s calendar with an extra or 2nd month of Adar, to make up the 11-day difference between the luni-solar cycles. In His perfect foreknowledge, God knew how much leeway He could allow for, in the timing of this miracle of the Sundial, but He would not allow it to violate His existing Sabbath Covenant. It is important that we understand these, and other details to absorb to a fuller extent, the ramifications of God’s structure of the Hebrew Calendar, and how it relates to the Zodiacal band, within the order of the 12 constellations of the Mazzaroth.

With this in mind, let’s take a deeper look at the Zodiacal Band, wherein the planets move, starting with the planet Mercury, symbolizing the winged–footed Mercurius, indicating the speed and urgency with which the arch-angel Gabriel carries the teachings and messages of God, depicted in this Planet’s rapid 88-day solar orbit. The range of Mercury’s orbit is within       the Earth’s tropical borders, delineating the rectangular borders wherein the celestial light of the Sun, Moon and Stars is shed upon our planet. The word “tropic” has its roots in the Greek word tropos; [G5157], 22# found in James 1:17 with; a shadow cast by the turning of a heavenly body. This is understood better as we realize the Solstices are the farthest points from
Earth, marking the Sun’s position, and thus the seasonal turning points of the calendar, where the days lengthen in summer, and shorten in winter. Since Mercury’s orbit takes it as much as 7 degrees North, or South of the Equator –Mercury is seen figuratively as bringing the light of God’s Word to the Earth, by delineating our bounds on the ecliptic or pathway of the stars, within the bounds of the Zodiacal Band where the light of the Celestial Gospel is shed. This heavenly highway of 15 degrees reveals the relationship between the Celestial Equator and the Ecliptic-or path of the Sun as the two primary circles in the sky forming the Celestial Sphere.

This also distinguishes the planets and stars outside this band generally un-named, by God in the firmament, from those whose names have been with us since antiquity, within this band [Ps. 147:4] As the messenger archangel of light; Mercury symbolizing Gabriel, defines a pathway in which God’s three-fold light in the Celestial Gospel is shed upon the Earth. The tropical borders also determine the two interlocking polar borders of the great circles of the ecliptic and Equator in the cycle of obliquity, relating to the varying degree of the earth’s axis tilt.

Figure 3. The Earth’s Axis and the Obliquity Cycle. 23#

two interlocking polar borders

It is important to realize Mercury’s symbolic portrayal of the ministry of the archangel Gabriel, and how this translates into the science of Astronomy, relating to the tropical boundaries. We find here a truth and correlating principle in the revelation of God’s threefold celestial light in Biblical Astronomy, as it reveals the laws of scientific astronomy.

Even as the orbit of the planet Mercury is compatible with the borders of the zodiacal band, so these borders fall inside the tropical boundaries of the Earth. Thus, Mercury-Gabriel establishes the boundaries wherein celestial light is revealed upon the Earth, not only in a spiritual sense, when Gabriel brings a message of God directly to the people, and in the Gospel in the Stars, but also in a practical scientific sense. Astronomy in ancient cultures on the face of the Earth documented the extreme rising and setting points of the Sun’s Solstice, as witnessed for example, with the Great Sphinx and Stonehenge. As a goal of Biblical Astronomy is to recover the understanding    of the Bible Patriarchs in revelatory detail, as it applies to our Grace Administration, including the roots of the Astronomy of the Biblical Patriarchs that underlie the vast reservoir of ancient Archaeo-Astronomy, to recognize the influence exerted by the wisdom and divine revelation of these antediluvian Men of God. In this way, the study of Biblical Astronomy, reveals an authentic fountainhead in the history of ancient astronomy, that was perverted in the astrology of later star religions and the mythology of the ancient World.

Another level of truth we need to consider related to the Miracle of the Sundial of Ahaz, relates to what are called the “Songs of the Degrees.” There are 15 of these Psalms, that get their name from the 10 degrees the shadow returned on the Sundial, and are found in the Psalms, 120-134. They relate to the 15 years added to the life of King Hezekiah, resulting from his prayer to God for his healing, [Mal. 4:2]. These 15 Psalms break down into 10 related to Hezekiah and the 10 degrees the sun moved backwards on the dial, [2 Kings 20:8-11], with the other 5 Psalms from King David [4] and King Solomon [1]. Solomon’s Psalm is found in the center position [Ps. 127] in the structure of these 15 Psalms, with 7 Psalms on either side of it, including 2 Psalms in each of the 2 sets of 7-by King David, and 5 of these two sets of 7 by King Hezekiah. 24#

Since these 15 Psalms record God’s deliverance of His people from their trials under these 3 kings, God’s names are prominent in these Psalms, where the name Jehovah occurs 24 times in both the 2 sets of 7 Psalms. These 15 Psalms are arranged in 5 groups of 3, emphasizing God’s Deliverance with the subject in the first group is Distress, the 2nd group is Trust in Jehovah, with the 3rd covering the blessings and peace in Zion. 25#

The Structure of the Psalms of the Degrees is as follows; 26#
from EW. Bullinger’s Companion Bible.

Group 1. Distress
Psalm 120- Hezekiah’s distress under siege crying to Jehovah
  Psalm 121- Hezekiah’s trust in Jehovah’s help
Psalm 122-Hezekiah’s deliverance and blessing in the house of Jehovah
[Psalm of David]

Group 2. Trust
Psalm 123-Hezekiah looking unto Jehovah 
  Psalm 124-Hezekiah trusting Jehovah [Psalm of David]
    Psalm 125-Hezekiah’s blessing and Peace in Zion

Group 3. Blessing and Peace in Zion
Psalm 126-Hezekiah’s Distress prayer to turn his captivity
  Psalm 127-Center Psalm of Solomon [Trust]
    Psalm 128-Hezekiah’s Blessing and Peace out of Zion

Group 4. Distress
Psalm 129-Hezekiah’s distress in affliction
  Psalm 130-Hezekiah trusting Jehovah
    Psalm 131-Hezekiah’s Blessing and Peace out of Zion

Group 5. Trust
Psalm 132-Hezekiah recalls David distressed in affliction
  Psalm 133-[Psalm of David], Trusting Jehovah w/1 heart.
    Psalm 134-Hezekiah’s Blessing and Peace out of Zion

Link to the Structure of the Psalms of the Degrees from E.W. Bullinger’s Companion Bible.

The Zodiacal Band.  27#

Zodiac | COSMOS

What is interesting about these 15 Psalms of the Degrees is that they get their
name directly from the 10 degrees that the shadow of the sun moved back-wards on the Sundial of Ahaz. These 10 degrees symbolized the 15 years added to the life of King Hezekiah. Is it a mere coincidence that these 15 Psalms of the Degrees mirror the 15 degrees of the Zodiacal Band? The Center Psalm of Solomon; [Ps. 127], reflects the center-line of the Equator of the Earth, with 7 degrees- or 7 Psalms of the Degrees, on either side of it.

“The Great Hallel, which included these 15 Psalms of the Degrees, was sung at Passover, being recited at the Paschal supper, since remote antiquity. It praised the goodness of Jehovah towards Israel, in their deliverance from Egypt, where this generation began serving God instead of Pharaoh. Below, Alfred Edersheim tells us how the true worship of the Great Hallel or “Hallelujah chorus” was ordained and carried out on the Temple Steps by the Heavenly Father, in opposition to the idolatry that occurred before:

“….The Levites (with instruments of music without number) stood upon the fifteen steps which led down from the Court of Israel to that of the Women, according to the number of the fifteen Songs of Degrees in the Book of Psalms [Ps. 120-134]. Two Priests with trumpets in their hands, were at the upper gate (that of Nicanor), which led from the Court of Israel to that of the Women. At cock-crowing, they drew a three-fold blast. As they reached the tenth step, they drew another three-fold blast; as they entered the Court itself, they drew yet another three-fold blast; and so they blew as they advanced, till they reached the gate which opens upon the east (the Beautiful Gate). As they came to the eastern gate, they turned round towards the west (to face the Holy Place), and said: Our fathers who were in this place, they turned their back upon the Sanctuary of Jehovah, and their faces towards the east, and they worshipped towards the rising sun; but as for us, our eyes are towards the Lord.” 28 [Ezek. 8:16]

This tells us the nature of this idolatry based on sun worship, while shedding some light on the association of these the fifteen Songs of Degrees [Ps. 120-134] known as the “Great Hallel,” with the miracle of the Sun going backwards on Ahaz‘ sundial. This was a sign not only of Hezekiah’s personal rescue, but also the liberation of all those dwelling in Jerusalem via the fifteen years added to Hezekiah’s life, each year related to one of the 15 Psalms of the Degrees mentioned above, [Isa. 38]. This miraculous healing of King Hezekiah led to the extension of his progeny that eventually produced Jesus Christ, man’s deliverer. The Creator’s control of the sun in relation to the Earth’s orbit confirms His omnipotent power over these celestial bodies as only a small part of His Creation, no aspect of which deserves worship in place of the Almighty, [Rom. 1:23-25]. This record in Ezekiel 8 thus exposes the decrepit foundations of all forms of Astrology, showing the level to which the idolatrous substitution had its affect, because each ascending step of the Hallel rite leading to the Temple altar, was given over to an idol. This led to a defiling, not only of Temple, with all its attendant ministers, Sanhedrin priests, altar and sacrifices, but also the entire nation would be under this spiritual darkness as a result.

This summary of the true Genesis of the astronomical concepts first seen in Biblical Astronomy references covered in this study, will provide solid footing in the history of Biblical Astronomy as opposed to astronomical secular history.
This Miracle of the Sundial was a game changer not only for King Hezekiah and all Israel, but all mankind also since the progeny of the Christ-line through Hezekiah was extended, that brought us our redeemer–Jesus Christ! This was probably another occasion where the enemy was partying thinking they had halted the genetic line of Christ, when Isaiah told the king he would die and not live, [Isa. 38:1] until Hezekiah’s faith turned the tables unto victory for mankind, through the Son of God.

The constellation Lepus was also seen as “Cain driven from the face of the earth to the face of the Moon”:

A medieval legend used to say that at the end, Cain arrived at the Moon where he eternally settled with a bundle of twigs. An example of this belief can be found in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno (XX, 126) where the expression “Cain and the twigs” is used as a synonym of “moon” [].

A variation of this legend as given by many writers is something like this:

A man travelling on Sunday with a bundle on his back was met by a fairy, who asked him why he worked on the Sabbath. He replied : “Sunday on earth or Monday in heaven, it is all one to me.” “Then carry your bundle forever,” she answered. “As you have no regard for Sunday on earth, take your perpetual Monday (Moon-day) in heaven and travel with the moon.” So there he still remains.
Hewitt says that in earliest Egyptian astronomy Lepus was the Boat of Osiris, the great god of that country, identified with Orion. The Denderah Zodiac has in its place a Serpent apparently attacked by some bird of prey; and Persian zodiacs imitated this. Thompson suggests for it an astronomical explanation, as “the constellation Lepus sets soon after the rising of Corvus”; and something similar may be said of Lepus in connection with Aquila,

you specifically didn’t ask about the whale-dragon switch, but I’m going to answer that anyway! I touched on this subject in this previous answer of mine, about dragons. Essentially, it seems that the creature referred to in Chinese as lóng and in Mongol as lū was translated into Persian as nahang, a word referring to dangerous water beasts both real and legendary (crocodiles, hippos, sharks, sea serpents, etc.) Only in the 20th century did nahang shift to referring specifically to cetaceans, though it retains the more generic and monstrous sense in classically styled poetry.

Orion was originally a solar type, and that the Hare is almost universally a lunar type;

and mentions the very singular connection between, this creature and the moon shown on Euphratean cylinders, Syrian agate seals, Chinese coins, the Moon-cakes of Central Asia, and in the legends of widely separated nations and savage tribes. Astronomical folk-lore has many allusions to a symbolic association of animal with satellite, and indirectly with our constellation. The common idea that it is because all are nocturnal does not seem satisfactory; and there are others still less so, some being mentioned by Beaumont and Fletcher in the Faithful Shepherd

Chinese and Persian zodiacs are identical, except the latter swaps the dragon for a whale. What is the origin of this cultural link?

The shared zodiac, that is; not the whale-dragon swap! This point about whales and dragons, we have another example of a mythical or ‘real but misunderstood’ creature that has been described as both serpentine and as a whale in the West: the Biblical Leviathan

(Could also add the coincidental side note of basilosaurus, the ‘king lizard’, originally thought to be an ancient reptile, but actually a prehistoric whale.)

Babylonian Astrology was both known and practiced in ancient Iran. This system was interrelated with and influenced by Greek & Indian astrology, which both use essentially the same twelve-sign system, pegged to the constellations along the “path” of the sun. By the time astrological writing begins to appear in (Middle) Persian, during the late Sāsāniān and early Islamic periods, we find the 12-month system fully incorporated in a Zoroastrian cosmology. Classical Islamic astrology also employs this system, drawing extensively on Greek models in particular, and classical encyclopedia works like the ‘Ajā’ib (“natural wonders”) corpus discuss the heavens and calendar in these terms. Iranian months, in fact, correspond directly to zodiac signs (so for instance, the month Farvardin usually begins March 21 and ends on April 20, linking to Aries/borj-e hamal/barreh).

This section of Job 38 has not fully been considered in its true biblical light since it hasn’t been applied to the archaic fallen Morning Star, and the role of angels in the first Heaven and Earth in this time. Genesis 1 teaches that the Earth was fully created and developed prior to the Sun, Moon or Stars, or any “planets” in the Universe. This of course, is opposed to evolutionary theory that we learned in school.

Gen. 1:2 indicates that the earth became without form and void with darkness upon the faces of the deep, as the result of a great cataclysm that occurred between Gen. 1:1 and 1:2. This section of Job 38:4-7 adds light to a period before this cataclysm took place. It sheds light on the role of the angels, who already existed in fellowship, praising the Heavenly Father led by the first Morning Star; [Isa. 14:12], as a basis and foundation-corner-stone of the Earth. These angels or morning stars shouted for joy and sang in their choirs, wondrous celestial harmonies at the laying of the cornerstone who modeled the survey lines and dimensions of the first Earth and heavens. As Isaiah 19:19-20 show the functions of the Great Pyramid as a Boundary Stone, not only for ancient Egypt, but also in the foundations of Planet Earth as its Cornerstone, modeled in the full Great Pyramid and Capstone. The 38th chapter of Job cannot be fully grasped without a picture of the structure and function of the Great Pyramid.

 

Observations revealed in the construction of the Great Pyramid, include: The spherical shape of the Earth incorporating allowances for polar flattening, the length of the earth’s axes of rotation, the Precession of the equinoxes, with the earth’s weight among others, as examples of the design specs setting the the Great Pyramid apart from other pyramids. William Fix in his book “Pyramid Odyssey” 19# shows a direct link between the Pyramid’s dimensions and the size of the Earth. He found values not only for the Pyramid’s height directly related to the Earth’s Polar Radius but the perimeter at the Pyramid’s base sockets also in the same ratio for the best figures of the Earth’s circumference at the Equator.

Using the most accurate Geodetic surveys, Fix found the Great Pyramid to be a scale model of the Earth at a 1:43,200 ratio, which he accomplished with the inclusion of the Pyramid’s base into his calculations. Where else I wonder, might we find Biblical reference to this standard of measuring the Earth in an astronomical context?

Figure 2. The Pyramid Geometric Model of Planet Earth. 

Image result for Giza Pyramids and the fibonacci spiral images

Two elements from the reign of Psusennes I (1064-1018) allow us to anchor it on a remarkable astronomical phenomenon. Firstly, this king used four personal names (Dessousseix: 2008, 432-434), which is unusual, all of which contain the same expression: “The star that appeared for the city (of Thebes)”. This expression refers to a heliacal rising of Sirius (the brightest star in the sky) which coincided with a heliacal rising of Venus (the brightest planet in the sky). Several inscriptions from Psusennes I mention this exceptional apparition of Sirius (Le Guilloux: 2010, 133,147,229,284-285). The double Heliacal rising is conventionally represented by a grey heron (Venus), appearing at the start of the procession (below right), whose head is surmounted by a star (Sirius). ⇩ FIG. 4 This double heliacal rising occurs astronomically four times during a total cycle of 243 years 39 (= 8– 105.5-8-121.5), whose coincidences are as follows
according to astronomical calculations (Oosterhout: 1993, 83-96). Astronomical dates are marked with an asterisk (-1056* = 1057 BC). The dates in bold are those of the double heliacal risings depicted on sarcophagi or astronomical ceilings
40 : TABLE 32 Heliopolis longitude 31°19′ E, latitude 30°05′ N (BC 243 ans) 2774 2531 2288 2045 1802 1559 1316 1073 830 587 344 101 143 CE +103 ans 2671 2428 2185 1942 1699 1456 1203 970 727 484 241 3 CE 246 CE Thebes longitude 32°39′ E, latitude 25°42′ N (BCE) (243 ans) 2758 2515 2272 2029 1786 1543 1300 1057 814 571 328 85 159 CE +103 ans 2655 2412 2169 1926 1683 1440 1197 954 711 468 225 19 CE 262 CE A double helical rising of Sirius and Venus thus occurred in 1057 BC (-1056*) or in 1065 BC due to the pseudo 8-year period of the Venus cycle. This date corresponds to the accession to the throne of Psusennes I. The exact calculation of the double heliacal rising according to astronomy gives a date of 13 July 1065 BC around 4:30 local time (http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/ Yourhorizon). 39 The calculation of the date of the coincidence of heliacal risings of Venus and Sirius is similar to the calculation of the “transit of Venus in Sirius”. The transit of Venus includes a period of 243 years for an ascending node and a sub-period of 105.5 years for the descending node. As there is a pseudo period of 8 years, this gives a complete cycle of 243 years decomposing approx. as follows: 8 years/ 105.5 years/8 years/121.5 yrs = 243 years. When the two heliacal risings coincide in a 103-year sub-period, the heliacal rising of Sirius coincides with a heliacal setting of Venus. This problem is more complex than a classical transit because the arcus visionis of Venus and Sirius are different, from 8.5° to 9° for Sirius and from 4.5° to 5.5° for Venus, meaning that even when Venus and Sirius are in conjunction, Venus is seen about 5 days before Sirius (1° of shift per day is covered in 4 minutes, since the earth rotates 360° in 24 hrs and 365 days in 1 year). 40 The date of 2774 BC is calculated from the Djer ivory tablet dated to the I Akhet [1].
40 The heliacal rise of Venus (mag. -4.47) took place at only 1° above horizon (bottom left) because it is 6x brighter than Sirius (mag -1.46), that is 2° above the horizon (below right): FIG. 5 The accession to the throne of Psusennes I took place during the 26th and last year of Smendes’ reign in 1065 BC, so it occured  between August 1065 BC and January 1064 BC.

The Great Pyramid and Jacob’s Ladder


https://blog.try-god.org/orion-the-pleaides-the-great-pyramid-and-precession-pt-2/

Revised English Bible of 1 Kings 7:30-43
30 Moreover, each stand had 4 bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and at the four corners were supports for a basin. The supports were cast with wreaths at the side of each. 31 Its opening was within a crown that projected upward one cubit. Its opening was round, as a pedestal is made, a cubit and a half deep. At its opening there were carvings, and its panels were square, not round. 32 And the four wheels were underneath the panels. The axles of the wheels were of one piece with the stands, and the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half. 33 The wheels were made like a chariot wheel; their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast. 34 There were four supports at the four corners of each stand. The supports were of one piece with the stands. 35 And on the top of the stand there was a round band half
a cubit high; and on the top of the stand its stays and its panels were of one piece with it. 36 And on the surfaces of its stays and on its panels, he carved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, according to the space of each, with wreaths all around. 37 After this manner he made the ten stands. All of them were cast alike, of the same measure and the same form. 38 And he made ten basins of bronze. Each basin held forty baths, each basin measured four cubits, and there was a basin for each of the ten stands. 39 And he set the stands, five on the south side of the house, and five on the north side of the house. And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house. 40 Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. So Hiram finished all the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord: 41 The two pillars, the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars, and the two lattice-works to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on tops of the pillars;

42 And the 400 pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pome-granates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars; 43 the ten stands, and the ten basins on the stands; 44  and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath the sea.

“[Cambridge scholar and intelligent design pioneer] Stephen Meyer’s thoughtful and meticulous Darwin’s Doubt (2013) convinced me that Darwin has failed. He cannot answer the big question. Two other books are also essential: The Deniable Darwin and Other Essays (2009), by David Berlinski, and Debating Darwin’s Doubt (2015), an anthology edited by David Klinghoffer, which collects some of the arguments Meyer’s book stirred up. These three form a fateful battle group that most people would rather ignore. Bringing to bear the work of many dozen scientists over many decades, Meyer . . . disassembles the theory of evolution piece by piece. Darwin’s Doubt is one of the most important books in a generation. Few open-minded people will finish it with their faith in Darwin intact” (p. 104).
Professor Gelernter agrees with Berlinski that, in contrast to Darwin’s predictions about the fossil record, “in general, ‘most species enter the evolutionary order fully formed and then depart unchanged.’ The incremental development of new species is largely not there” (p. 105).

 

The Wheels of the Cherubim

The Wheels of the Cherubim

Welcome everyone to the August 2026 Blog folks! We are blessed in a current class by Rev. Jon Nessle and Ren Manetti on the Book of James, where Jon has recently taught on the First Fruits of a Restored Symmetry of the Creator’s Spiritual Cosmology. The incalculable value of this view, is a central concept in light of the recent blog study on the Cherubim Constellations and the Way of the Tree of Life. [see Nov. 2017 Blog] Their teaching on the Angelic Spiritual Symmetry in the 1st Heaven & Earth, opens new vistas in reviewing Joseph’s dreams of Israel’s 12 tribes tied to the 12 Ecliptic Signs in a Restored Angelic Symmetry as God renews Israel‘s vitality, in Christ’s spiritual Body. (Eph.2:11f)

The Tabernacle’s eastern door is the Way, the truth, and the life, of John 14:6, in Christ as light of the world, door of the sheep, and the Good Shepherd in the true way that leads unto life. [Jn.10]

We find important keys to this true way in Joseph’s dreams of Gen. 37, below:

Gen. 37:3-11 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him. 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept [#8104-Shamar]#1 the matter in mind.

A key to understanding this part of Genesis 37 is found as we take notice of details in the record, specifically the obeisance made by the sun, moon, and the eleven stars to Joseph’s sign of Taurus the Bull. The first dream makes no reference to Joseph’s parent’s who are represented as the Sun and Moon in the second dream. Their praise of Joseph’s star is added to that of the eleven stars of his brothers. The meaning of the Hebrew word (*H7812 shachah) to bow down, is to depress, prostrate oneself (in homage to royalty or God), to bow oneself down, to humbly beseech, worship or to do obeisance.#2  This word is used as indicated in verses 7, 9 & 10 above, in reference not only to the sheaves of the field, but also to the sun, moon & eleven stars, with Joseph being the 12th. We find an image of the Hebrew zodiac foreshadowing the prophecy of Jacob over his twelve sons in Genesis 49, as an image of the Sidereal zodiac, seen in both seeds-the sheaves (earthly seed [#2233; zera–Gen. 13:15-17] and stars (heavenly seed; Gen. 15:4-6), each relating to prophecies of innumerable seed tied to Israel. Here we can see a record where the witness of the Stars aligns with the witness of Scripture via God’s revelation to Joseph, to preserve the line of the promised seed of Israel, that the enemy attempts to wipe out in the famine that took Jacob to Egypt. We also find the two seeds mirrored in horizontal and vertical fish of the Pisces constellation in the Celestial Gospel.

Joseph’s first dream had a terrestrial interpretation which was seen in [Gen. 45: 8 & 26], where the same Hebrew word in v. 8, for “dominion” (4910–maschal),#3 has an initial relevance to Joseph’s political position as “ruler through all the land of Egypt,” that he was elevated to by the Pharaoh. This was fulfilled when Jacob brought his family to Egypt via God’s direction [Gen. 46:3-4], as Joseph became Grand Vizier of Egypt.

The second dream however, being celestial in nature, shows a clear distinction from the first dream, indicating that there’s an added aspect of these signs of the ecliptic that we, as students of Biblical Astronomy, must be aware of. The usage of (*H7812) here in Genesis 37, in relation to Joseph’s sign of Taurus, is distinctly different than in Genesis 49:8, where it states regarding Judah that: “thy Father’s children shall bow down (*H7812) before thee.”#4 Clearly, even though the same Hebrew word is used for the homage that Jacob’s children would give to both Judah and Joseph, it cannot mean for the same reason.

The homage due Judah in Genesis 49 has a distinct celestial significance since the Messiah’s ancestral roots came from this tribe [Rev. 5:5], as opposed to Joseph, who in the sign Taurus, the two horned Bull–a token of Joseph’s two sons in the tribes Ephraim & Manessah. [Deut. 33:16-17, Ezek. 37:16]

 As Patriarchal Astronomy, saw the poles, ecliptic and Equator all tied to the direction of earth’s axis, shows aspects of precession as part of the Creator’s plan to assess the geocentric view of Earth’s center position in Creation. The earth, is not a literal center of the Universe, but as the focus of the light shed by the Sun, Moon & Stars from a Godly view [Gen. 1:14-16], it is the figurative focal point of God’s Creation as man’s garden home. This aspect of the idea of the Sun’s dual year, as the Solar year depicts a heliocentric, or sun–centered solar system, noting it’s Daily/annual glow from earth’s view, as the central light of heaven, versus its cycle of precession. The key point of precession is seen, not only in the 2160 year-ages ruled by the Sun’s residence in each of 12 zodiac signs, but also tied to the Celestial Gospel of 12 signs linked to a return of the Promised seed-Jesus Christ.

This Fig. 1 graphic via Harmonica Macrocosmica [A. Cellarius, Amsterdam 1660] depicts a Sun centered Copernican view of the cosmos. #4a

harmonica macrocosmica

The view of Restored Symmetry in the Creator’s Spiritual Cosmology links to this context, in grasping of the relation between this angelic order in the first Heaven and Earth, that’s based on God’s perfect foreknowledge of Lucifer’s revolt, and His plan for Man’s Creation included the redemption of Mankind superceding Satan and his fallen angels, exemplified in the Perfect man Jesus Christ, who inherited authority over the 2/3rds of the Angels that retained their holiness, along with the redeemed of Israel with the Spiritual Body of Christ. We see a summary of an intact Angelic Godly order in Ezekiel 1.

[Ezek. 1:5-6] 5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of man.
6And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 

In Ezekiel’s vision the Cherubim each had four faces & four wings. As angels work between God and men, we see Cherubim traits, first with four wings and faces at the four corners of heaven. They also have four hands of a man under each of their wings, showing a 4-fold symmetry of service to God in heaven for men on Earth.

Figure 2. The Four Faces, Wings and Hands of the Cherubim

Image result for Cherubim of Ezekiel's vision images

We find added elements of dominion in these four Cherubim faces. as Man is created in God’s image, has earthly dominion, so the Lion–king is over the wild animal kingdom. As the Bull-king of domesticated animals, the Eagle is king of the air fowl, [Gen. 1:26-28]. In Fig. 2 Cherubim embody 4 cornerstone signs of the Hebrew Mazzaroth at 4 Compass points & Cardinal Directions. As the Cherubim’s 4 faces embody 4 royal stars/ constellations on the Sun’s ecliptic path, so 4 Cherubim are ever tied to four faces of Man/Aquarius, the Bull/Taurus, the Lion-king/Leo and the Eagle/Aquila, in Fig. 2 above.

Exodus 36 shows points of color in the Tabernacle’s veil of Cherubim, as we consider the color symbolism of services in the Temple and Tabernacle.

Ex. 36:35-36 And he made a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with Cherubims made he it of cunning work. And he made there-unto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.

Four pillars held a veil, symbolizing Earth’s number, oriented to four Cardinal Directions. The 4th digit rules this imagery, not just as 4 pillars held the veil of the Tabernacle, but also in its colors. The colors are Blue, in the peace of God‘s presence, and His Son-the Prince of Peace. Purple shows Christ’s royalty, as King of Kings. The Man Jesus Christ offered his perfect blood, as high priest– the sin offering to redeem us. White linen is his righteous purity as perfect Servant of God. Thus, 4 Tabernacle colors-a 4D collective–as Christ’s 4-fold service- Chief corner of 4 Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John, in 4 uses of the zemach branch in Scripture–God’s Word, made flesh. The 4 pillars are 4 Cardinal Points, as Solstices & Equinoxes–Cherubim Wheels in the ecliptic  & Equator, at 4-corners of the sky, to square the ecliptic circle.

These four compass points correspond to the four tribes, zodiacal signs and Tabernacle colors as follows:

Eagle/Aquila [replacing Scorpius below, a substitute North]
North/Scorpion/Scorpius/Dan/Red (omitted in Num. 24, Ps. 75:3ff)
East/Lion/Leo/Judah/Purple. (Numbers 24:9)
South/Man/Aquarius/Reuben/Blue. (Numbers 24:7)
West/Bull/Taurus/Ephraim & Manasseh/White(Numbers 24:8)

As symbolic references to the four quarters of heaven, the 4 unified faces of the Cherubim represent a composite of the celestial narrative, witnessing to the return of the promised redeemer, and his judgment on the assembly of the wicked.

The truths of Jesus as our Shepherd are vividly seen in 3 Psalms 22, 23 and 24, depict the sufferings and glory of the Lord. As Prophet, the Good Shepherd who gave his life not only for the sheep, but for the safe-keeping of all people who come unto him [John 10:11]. As the High Priest and the Great Shepherd, he is the first, last and only door, for the sheep, the Alpha and Omega, which provides the way of access through his blood and resurrection, [Heb. 13:20] unto life, into the true spiritual fellowship with our Heavenly Father. As the King and Chief Shepherd, his return exhibits his final glory, coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, [I Pet. 5:4, Rev. 19:16].

Thus, like the eastern Shepherd, Jesus Christ embodies Jehovah-Nissi: the redemptive name for God protecting His people, [Ps. 23:1]. The Door, or gate gives access to the holiest of all was covered by a veil in both the Temple and the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle veil, hung on four pillars, separated the holy of the holies, the central point of God’s presence among His people, from the holy place. Woven into the fabric of this linen veil, the Cherubim were depicted, as a special class of angels who are prominent in God’s throne-room. They are uniquely seen with four faces corresponding to “four royal signs” of the zodiac, ruling four-corners of celestial pillars in heaven, also seen in the four constellation signs of Num. 24:4-9, above.

This Celestial depiction of the circuit and Way that God set before the Lord Jesus Christ is found in the 19th Psalm.

Ps. 19:1-3 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament[a] [7540-Gen. 1:6-8] shows [b]His handiwork. #5 2 Day unto day utters speech, [#562-Num. 24:4] And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard–[#8065].

Ps. 19:4-6.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is as a bride-groom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

In Fig. 4 below we find a rendition of the Son/Sun of God running his course consisting of the four Cherubim at the Cardinal points of the Sun’s course on the Ecliptic, [Mal. 4:2-3].

Figure 4. The Four Celestial Signs at the four Compass points; Man, Eagle, Bull and Lion, with Christ in the center-vesica running his course.

The Four Cardinal Points

Ps. 19:7-8 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting [7725] the soul: [5315] the testimony [5715] of the Lord is sure, [539] making wise [2449] the simple.
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: [3820]#6 the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Ps. 19:7-8 depicts a pairing of the Heart and Soul, in the trials of our race, as we recover ourselves so we confess our sins to repent and return in fellowship, with God in response to our daily challenges.

Ps. 19:14 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, [3820]#7 be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, [6697] and my redeemer.

The pairing of Heart and Strength [Ps. 18:1-2] shows The Lord as our Rock-  one of the 7 Genesis titles of Christ in the OT. As we embody the Lord’s Strength there is nothing we cannot overcome in our race.

Thus, the placement of all four of the royal stars in the cornerstone signs is consistent with the symbolism of emotional, spiritual, mental and physical aspects of all living souls of believers.

Figure 5. Aquila the Eagle above the Serpent-Serpens.#8

Antique constellation map of Sagitta, Aquila and Delphinus. Celestial star chart illustration published in London, 1893. Antique constellation map of Sagitta, Aquila and Delphinus. Celestial star chart illustration published in London, 1893. aquila constellation stock illustrations

Ezekiel’s vision at the river Chebar tells of the living creatures, specifically their four faces, matching the signs at the four Cardinal Directions of the ecliptic. As noted regarding the North, it was omitted for various reasons, the main likely due to the idolatry of Dan’s tribe (Judges 18:30-31). Manasseh was added to replace Dan to maintain 12 tribes, but omitting Dan was not only due to their idolatry, but also because this tribe led the other ten northern tribes into idolatry. This is why in the Cherubim’s four faces, the Eagle–Aquila was replaced as the serpent’s natural enemy. We find in the Fig. 5 graphic above with the decan Aquila pictured directly over the serpent-Serpens’ tail @ the lower right, held by the man–Ophiuchus.

Up North we see the Eagle decan face of Aquila [Ezek. 1:10], replacing his born enemy, Dan’s Serpent/Scorpion, the one triple sign-man/ Ophiuchus, wrestling a Serpent-Serpens, stamping out-Antares‘ Starlight, at the scorpion’s core. The vision of Ezekiel is recorded below.

This analysis of the Four Royal Stars is not only at the basis of the Celestial Gospel, but also in light of the First and Great Commandment in Mark 12:28-34, as we have just seen in Psalm 19.

28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first of all commandments? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 And you shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and all thy mind, and all thy
strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like it, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He: 33 And to love him with all the heart, and all the understanding, and all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

For a Man to be unified in his Love for His God, he must give ALL his Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength, in service. The sooner we realize the four fold unity of man, in service the sooner we’ll reap the benefits of a unified life in our humble service to God. All who answer God’s Call, to serve with our All, in these 4 categories elevate ourselves into a maximum loading zone of God’s Miracle everlasting Abundance.

Several ancient cultures designated four bright stars in the zodiac as the “four corners of the earth” or the “four royal stars.” At the time the constellations were drawn by Shem, these four stars were near the sun’s location in the sky on the 1st  day of autumn, winter, spring & summer, regarded as four Cardinal Points of the heavens.

These 4 stars were well known at the ecliptic 4 corners, the first was a bright red star, Antares that anciently marked the autumnal equinox, in the heart of Scorpius, as the sun appeared the first day of autumn. 

The next bright star Fomalhaut, marked winter, trailed by Aldebaran, a very bright red star-180.0° opposite on the ecliptic from Antares, marked Spring Equinox, as Antares marked the Autumn. Finally, the bright star Regulus, located almost exactly on the ecliptic, marked Summer. Regulus, as “the Prince,” and traditional leader of these four royal stars. #9 [n]

We see four royal stars in their own Ecliptic sign of 12 Mazzaroth signs. Antares the heart of the Scorpion, as in Aquarius–the royal star Fomalhaut, the Southern Fish–eye at the end–stream of waters poured out in Aquarius, [Isa. 44:2-4]. We also see Aldebaran–the Bull’s-eye in (Taurus–reem), and lastly, Regulus in the Lion’s heart (Leo), king of royal stars. These 4 are cornerstone signs not only as the Great Pyramid’s Square base, as 4 tribes/apostles reflect in the sky, as chief corners on the ecliptic’s Great Square, form the basis of ‘squaring the circle,’ or ‘cubing the sphere’ in geometry. These truths work as added handles to grasp the Gospel in the Stars.

Gen. 3:22-24 22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” 23 Therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed Cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

As Rev. Nessle taught Guarding the Way to the Tree of life was essential in preventing the Serpent from gaining access to this tree which would have corrupted Adam & Eve in their fallen state, and cancelled God’s plan for human salvation.

This first Cherubim mention in Scripture sets a precedent for the other four Cherubim at the ecliptic’ 4 corners as the four royal stars on the Way holding the Celestial Gospel in the 12 ecliptic signs. The Lord put this Cherubim east of the garden of Eden, with a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the way to the Tree of life. This is a 1st usage of “Cherubim” from Cherub [#3742]-winged order of angel who stood over the Mercy seat in the holiest of all. [Ex. 37:7-9] They are said to rank under the Seraphim,[Isa. 6] which likely accounts for the Seraphim having six wings while Cherubs have four. [Rev. 4:6-8] #10

Adam was charged to dress [5647] & keep [8104-shamar]#11 guard as a watch-man, to keep safe, preserve, protect [1Sam. 26:15-16, Job 2:6 Satan is warned not to harm Job’s life] Abner was worthy of death as he did not keep his Lord the king, the Lord’s anointed [#4899], we must keep our mouth’s [Prov. 13:3]. Gen. 18:19, 28:15-20 keep the Lord’s way, [Jacob’s ladder v. 17 “Gate“ #8179 of Heaven] Gen. 37:11 Jacob kept Joseph’s dream narrative, Deut. 4:9 keep our Souls in God’s Word. Ps. 16:1, 25:20, Josh. 6:18 abstain from idols, Ps. 17:4 avoid the destroyer’s paths. Keep the Covenant [Gen. 17:9] God is keeper of Israel, [Ps. 121:4, Ex. 13:18, 21-22, Num. 22:23, 31-32, Deut. 6:7, 10:12, 26:17-19, Ps. 91:11, 103:7, Isa. 55:8-9,]

The Cherubim are prominent in the Holy of Holies where we find God’s Presence for Israel in the Temple and Tabernacle.

Ex. 25:17-22
17 “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end,[7098] and the other cherub at the other end;[7098] you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it in one piece with the Mercy Seat. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, [5526];
covering the Mercy Seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the Mercy Seat. 21 You shall put the Mercy
Seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the Mercy Seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

These Cherubim not only inhabit God’s Throne-room, and the Holy of Holies, where the Heavenly Father talks to men in the temple between the Cherubim above the Mercy Seat. But their angelic link in God’s presence is seen in the throne’s wheels with the Personal presence of the Almighty on Earth. The Vision of the Ancient of Days recorded in Dan. 7:9–10, relates to this;

9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The [e]court was seated,
And the books were opened.

Here we find the Throne of the Almighty–Ancient of Days was fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; as “He rode upon a Cherub“ in 2 Sam. 22:11 below.

2Chron. 5:7-8 7 Then the priests bore the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the Cherubim.  8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed [3680] the ark and its poles.
[3680–kacah-to cover, clothe, conceal, hide, keep secret, as the pillar of cloud covered the Tabernacle, Num. 9:16, Js. 5:14-20, cover or hiding sins is forgive-ness, Ps. 32:1, 85:2, 103:3, 11-12, cp. Prov. 17:9, 28:13, Neh. 4:5, #3722-kaphar]. #12

Note the similarity and repetitions between 2 Sam. 22 and Ps. 18:10-19 below;

2Sam. 22:7-20 7 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears. 8 “Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. 9 Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness [6205] under His feet. 11 He rode upon a cherub,[3742] and flew; [#5774–Isa. 6:1-6] And He [d]was seen upon the wings of the wind. [#7307] 12 He made darkness [2822] canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds [5645] of the skies. 13 From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled. 14“The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. 15 He sent out arrows & scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. 16 Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world [8398] were uncovered, At the rebuke of the Lord, the blast of breath [#7307] of His nostrils. 17 “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From they who hated me; For they were too strong for me. 19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, [343] But the Lord was my support. 20 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. [Job 22:11-17]

These 2 sections of Scripture in 2 Samuel & Ps. 18 are nearly identical in their witness of God who rides on cherubs or chariots they embody, vanquishing His foes. These wheels of God’s Throne move with the Cherubim’ wheels.

Ps. 18:9-19 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness [6205] under His feet. 10 And He rode [7392] upon a cherub, and flew;[#5774] He flew upon the wings of the wind. [7307] 11 He made darkness [2822] His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies. [#7834]
12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, [d]Hailstones & coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows & scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them. 15 Then channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world [8398] were uncovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath [#7307] of Your nostrils. 16 He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. 19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

A notable dual repetition opens in Ps. 18:10 with; “And He rode [7392] upon a cherub, and flew;[#5774] He flew upon the wings of the wind. [7307] In v. 10 we see the first repetition of Flew/fly [5774] sets a stage for “wind“ [7307-ruwach;
breath, life] Ezek. 37:12-14; as Israel restored today] repeated in Ps. 18:15. The 5 verses in Ps. 18:10-15 are bracketed in a dual repeat of “flew” [#5774-to cover with wings, or obscurity] as Cherubim’ wings cover over the presence of the Almighty, in the “wings of the wind“ [7307]. The emphasis of the text between “wings of the wind“ is God’s Spoken Word to defeat His enemies. This is also stressed in Ezek. 37:4-6 in “hearing the Word of the Lord” where He enlivens the valley of dry bones to put breath [7307] in them so they shall live. Ezek. 37:9-10 established this as Ezekiel prophesied unto the wind [7307] ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great
army.” As the text focused both on God flying upon the wings of the wind and His Word to put breath [7307] in them, thus in summary in verse14 “I will put My Spirit [7307] in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it.“

Generally in Scripture, the Four Winds of Heaven symbolize the comprehensive and sovereign reach of God’s power and judgment across the earth. This idea  also aligns with the four Cherubim angels as the four royal stars at the Ecliptic Points and four corners of the path of the Sun. We find it used in Daniel 7:1-3 below.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling [b]the main facts. 2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 

This phrase “the four winds of heaven;“ refers to the totality of the earth’s expanse, encompassing all directions; North, South, East, and West-the four Compass points and Cardinal directions. Many times its linked with divine intervention and the unfolding of God’s plans. Daniel’s usage suggests divine orchestration behind historical events that shape nations. God’s vast dominion is also seen in a comprehensive scope of His redemptive work throughout history, culminating in Matt. 24:31 “And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” In the New Testament, the four winds tie to a gathering of God’s chosen Saints. [Ex. 25:18-19]

Ps. 99:1 The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be [a]moved! 2 The Lord is great in Zion, And He is high above all peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name,
He is holy.

Our God is the only One Who dwells Between the Cherubim as seen with the original Ark of the Covenant resting directly under the center of the Cherub’s outstreched wings, God reigns above the place for atonement between the Cherubim unified in the holiest of all, on the Mercy Seat. His abundant Grace and Mercy to us is based on His Covenant Love for Israel, as seen in the 10 Commandments contained in the Ark of the Covenant. We don’t deserve any thing God has given us, but by His Grace and Mercy we are saved in Christ’s perfect sacrifice for us. 

Ex. 37:6-9 6 He also made the Mercy Seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends [7098] of the Mercy Seat:[3727-kapporeth-ark lid, from 3725–kippur, atonement] #13 8 One cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the Mercy Seat.
9 The Cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the Mercy Seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

The Cherubim covering the ends of Square/Rectangular Mercy Seat over the Ark of the Covenant, in the holiest of all embody the ends of the Earth in like way as the square High Priest’s Breastplate of 12 precious stones was Holy to the Lord.

Ezekiel 1 is where we find a treasure of truth on the Cherubim. In v. 4 we read; 4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces,
and each one had four wings. 7 Their [c]legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.

10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, they appeared
like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire  went lightning. 14And the living creatures ran back and forth, as lightning flashes.

The closest thing to this heavenly image of lightning flashes mingled with fire, I can recall is a recent eruption of a volcano, since its is the only natural image I can compare it to. On Sunday, Jan. 12th the Taal volcano roared to life, and this eruption on the volcanic island sent “steaming, ash and rock up 6 to 9 miles into the sky.” On Monday hot lava spewed from the Philippine volcano after it’s eruption of ash, steam and Lightning caused villagers to flee, closing down Manila’s International airport. #14

The image of the Cherubim are first linked to God’s presence in his Heavenly throne-room in 2 Sam. 22:11, Ps. 18:10 where He rode on the Cherub and flew on the wings of the wind. As we have already noted the celestial link between the Cherubim keeping the Way of the Tree of life, and its association with the other four Cherubim at the four corners of the Ecliptic-its enlightening to see the image below of the wheels of the Precession of the Poles, where 2 wheels of the Ecliptic and the Celestial Equator overlap to depict the Precession of the Northern Pole star, or the fall of the Dragon [Rev. 12:1-13, Isa. 14:12-22] from his first estate. This wheel of the Ecliptic and Equator certainly fits the description in Ezek. 1:15-17 below of a wheel upon the Earth. In this case we see the one Wheel upon the Earth, accurately since 2 Earthly poles in their Geographic and Magnetic poles on Earth’s surface reflect the poles of the Ecliptic and the Equator, fill an image of God’s celestial structure of stars
in the sky [Gen. 1:14-17].

Figure 6. The Hebrew “wheel within a wheel” from Ezekiel’s vision. #15

As symbolic references to the four quarters of heaven, the 4 unified faces of the living creatures [Rev. 4:6] embody a composite of the celestial narrative, of the four winds from the four quarters of Heaven witnessing to the return of the promised redeemer, and his judgment on the wicked assembly, [Jer. 49:32-39].

The tie to 4 Cardinal Directions on the horizon seems a direct celestial link, endorsed by the celestial wheels within wheels tied to Cherubim, [Ezek. 1:16, 20-22, 10:1-22]. The wheels tie to a celestial structure of the ecliptic and the Equator, as one wheel is seen within the other, and their crossover points are equinoxes. A Hebrew word for “wheel” in Ezekiel 10:2, [v. 10] galgal is [H1534], #16 variant of “Gilgal“ [H1536], #17 the “Hill of God,” [I Sam. 10:5] as Joshua set up an altar of twelve stones [Josh. 4], one for each of 12 tribes of Israel. Galgal is rooted in our word for “Galaxy,” in a N.T. celestial context of these wheels in 2 Pet. 2:4-9 as priests & living stones chosen of God, in Christ as chief Cornerstone in his spiritual Temple-body wherein Christ is Head. As stellar allusions [Gen. 15:5-7] to the 12 stones in the O.T. High Priest’s breast-plate, symbolize 12 signs of the zodiac, Joshua’s altar marked his entry into the promised land, first deeded to Abraham, [Gen. 13:14-15]. As God marked the end of Israel’s wilderness suffering like He marked their exit from Egypt, with miracles parting waters, both of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, so He opened Israel’s reign of kings by anointing Saul, and with a first Passover in the Promised Land at Gilgal. Josh. 5:9-10 as a new shift to their initial freedom Passover, as Israel trusted in the Lord, commited [1556] to Him, so He always carried it out, as the “wheels of God’s justice” rolled over the heathen standing in Israel’s way. 

The celestial application of this word in the “Ecliptic“ path around Earth we find in Ezek. 1:15-28 below: 

Figure 7. Earth’s Axis related to the Ecliptic and Equator in Precession

precession of the poles

The Cherubim are a mainstay of God’s Throne-room in Ezek. 1:15-28;

Ezek. 1:15 Now as I looked at the living creatures, behold, a wheel was on earth beside each living creature with its four faces. 16 The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like color of beryl, and all four had a same likeness. The
appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17When they moved, they went toward any one of four directions; they did not turn aside when they went. 18 As for their rims, they were so high they were awe
-some; and their rims were full of eyes, all around the four of them. 19 When the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20 Where-
ever the spirit wanted to go, they went, because there the spirit went; and the wheels were lifted together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 21 When those went, these went; when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted  up together with them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.  22 The likeness of the [f]firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads. 23 And under the firmament their wings spread out straight, one toward another. Each one had two which covered one side, and each one had two that covered the other side of the body. 24 When they went, I heard noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings.

 25 A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; when-ever they stood, they let down their wings. 26 And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was likeness with the appearance of a man high above it. 27 Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were,
the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. 28 Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it.
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.

This is the spiritual message the heavenly Father intended to be told over the face of the Earth, a far cry from idols of “astrological ages” promoted in various cultural myths throughout history. Only in a Bible view of precession of the equinoxes in its true context, can we gain wisdom that God has stored for us in the temporal cycles of Creation. Though at times we see glimmers of true light, shining through myth’s of broken symmetry, we gain an unobstructed view when we take heed to both shares of a 2-part harmony of God’s Written Word, & His Celestial Gospel. This approach truly supplies a proper context for the Science aspect that archaeo–astronomy alone is not adequately equipped to answer.

As part of the Creator’s grand design, the 25,920-year precessional cycle of the sun’s apparent retrograde motion against the backdrop of the tropical zodiac, depicts the Sun’s dwelling in successive zodiacal signs, dictated by earth’s shifting axis and equatorial pole. Thus, with the precession of the vernal point/vernal
equinox in mind, Earth’s central position, showing it’s figurative geocentric view, as referred to above, is not only observed with respect to the solar system, but the Earth’s centrality involves a much larger cosmic district than our community roundabout of the planets and asteroid belt. As Gen. 1:16-17 says, not only in the Sun and Moon, but also the Stars were created to shed their light upon the Earth. This includes the entire zodiacal structure, the great celestial wheels of
stars of the ecliptic, the Equator and the historical motion of their poles.

In modern astronomy we imagine a “Celestial Sphere” as reference to conceive of a rotating sphere around the Earth, on which we fix the Stars & Planets, but we understand it’s not the Celestial sphere that turns on its axis, but Earth that turns around this axis, generating the illusion that the sky revolves ‘round us, as the Day/night cycle advances. As the source of Earth as a Universal center of Creation, opposed by Galileo who favored a Copernican heliocentric view held by the Roman Catholic Church who summoned him before the 1615 Roman Inquisition, which concluded that his opinions contradicted accepted Biblical interpretations.[14][15][16] #17a

Figure 7a. The Celestial Sphere

Celestial sphere | Night Sky, Celestial Bodies & Constellations | Britannica

Today, we know that it is not the celestial sphere that turns as night and day
advance, but rather the planet on which we live. So we post an imaginary rod through Earth’s North and South Poles, to represent our planetary axis. It is because the Earth turns on this axis every 24 hours that we see the Sun, Moon, and Stars rise and set with atomic clock accuracy. Today, we know that these celestial objects are not set on a dome, but at greatly varying distances from us  in space. Nevertheless, it serves as a convenient tool to talk about the celestial  sphere to help us track Celestial objects in the sky.

The Graphic in Figure 8 below depicts the equatorial north/south poles extended through the Earth. This depicts the Earth’s axes, reflecting the dual motion of the daily/annual solar cycle, versus the Sun’s retrograde Precessional cycle at the poles. As Earth’s axes generates Northern/Southern polar cycles, we not only view a “wheel within the wheel,“ Bible perspective of this cycle, but we find the role of Earth’s axes in the celestial motion of the wheels on this axle, in synch with the timing of the Almighty Who spun the planets in their cycles at Creation. As we envision this in a Figure 8 graphic below, the great celestial
wheels rotating round the Ecliptic North & South poles, so we track the motion of signs, seasons, days and years; [Gen. 1:14-18]. 

Ps. 103:18-22 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. 19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the Lord, all
you His hosts, You [c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Ps. 104:1-6 Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who cover [5844–attah: wrap, veil, array, clothe, roll, clad] Yourself with light [#216–owr: light, lightning, daylight, bright,  luminary, sunlight, dawn as indicator of time, Gen. 44:3, Isa. 60:1-3, Ps. 104:19-22, 19:8, 137:6-9, Jer. 31:35] as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, [7307] 4 Who makes
His angels spirits, [7307]#18 His ministers a flame of fire. [784] 5 You Who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever,

6 You covered it with the Deep as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. At Thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys, To the place that You founded for them. 9 You have set a boundary
[#1366-gebuwl, bound, a twisted line]#19 that they may not pass over, that they may not return to cover the earth.

The Flaming Sword [#2719] wielded by the Cherubim of Genesis 3:22-24 can refer also to a figurative sword of Lightning above, in Ps. 104:3-4 tied to God’s Holiness and Judgment, to guard the way to the Tree of Life. We also see the “Sword of the Lord” [Ezek. 21:3-16] to guard the Land of Israel, warring against her enemies. #20  

In 2 Sam. 22:11 & Ps. 18:10, we saw the Almighty as He: 10 And He rode [7392] upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind. [7307] We find the essence of this truth repeated in Ps. 104:3b-4 above as the Lord rides on His cherubs in His chariots of the clouds, on the wings of the wind. As the Earth’s axis/axle rotates according to God’s timing via its poles, so the great wheels fly on the wings of the wind. Below, in Fig. 8 we see how the Earth is depicted central in God’s Creation, as its axes embody the “wheel within the wheels,” rotating around the axes poles of the Celestial Ecliptic and Equator. 

With Earth as the figurative center of Creation and the object of the three-fold celestial light shed from the heavens, the purpose and beauty of the cosmos is to shed its threefold light upon the earth, as God began with the dual year of the Sun, as seen in Psalm 19 and in Joseph’s two dreams in Genesis 37. We see the dual Solar year, in the Sun’s annual and retrograde precessional cycles, with the Celestial vs. agricultural themes implied in the tree of life, referenced in Joseph’s two dreams, to open this study.

We can see how the geographic and magnetic Earthly poles are reflected in the North/South Poles of the ecliptic and the Equator, in the sky map seen in Figure 8. below.

magnetic poles

The Sun’s Cycle of Precession

The initial Biblical evidence of precession in Psalm 19, introduces the role of the Solar “dual year,” or its annual and precessional cycles, the two prime standards for astronomical time. This differentiates the Sun’s dual year, first seen in it’s annual cycle, spending one month in each sign of the 12 Zodiacal signs, versus the retrograde precessional cycle, where it spends a “great month;”
2,160 solar years in each of 12 signs on the ecliptic. As the Sun moves through all 12 signs of the tropical zodiac, the Sun completes a cycle of the “great year,”  in about 25,920 solar years. The sixth verse of Psalm 19 briefly refers to this apparent retrograde motion of the Sun:

Psalm 19:6 
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

“His going forth is from the end of the heaven…is a reference to the Sun’s path through the ecliptic, so called because all the solar and lunar eclipses occur on this course. The words “going forth” in Hebrew are mowtsa [*H4161], meaning the dawn, the east, a gate, the rising of the sun. 55

This refers to the place or gate of the rising of the Sun, also known as the vernal
point of the Spring Equinox, the sign of the zodiac where the sun rise occurs, indicating the sun’s retrograde precessional movement, because the sun rises in a different “gate,” or successive zodiacal house on average each 2,160 years.
The sun’s annual cycle, or solar year is seen in “his circuit” above, that in the Hebrew is (*H8622) tequphah: rendered, “at the end of the year” [2 Chron. 24:
23],#21 an obvious reference to the annual solar cycle. Thus we have in brief,
a Bible contrast between these two solar cycles. The Genesis 37 record of the dreams of Joseph takes us into greater depth on the Biblical testimony of precession. Joseph’s 2nd dream in Gen. 37:9-11 reveals the precessional context, with its use of stellar terms, in particular the “eleven stars making Obeisance” to his star or sign of the Bull, Taurus. The “12 stars” of Joseph’s dream correlate with Jacob’s 12 sons in Gen. 49 forming the Sidereal zodiac. One can also view the precession of the Vernal equinox as Solar retrograde motion against a fixed background of the sidereal Stellar zodiac in the stars. Thus, Joseph’s second dream reveals astronomical truth that his first dream
with an agricultural theme, does not. This perspective of the Genesis records in chapter’s 37 & 49 can help us differentiate between the various temporal cycles of solar/lunar time, galactic time, supplying elevated views of cosmic time in the motion of the Milky Way Galaxy. The galactic year, also known as a cosmic year, is time required for the Sun to orbit once around the center of
the Milky Way Galaxy.#22[1] A galactic year is near 225 million Earth years. [2]
The Solar System is moving at average speed of 230 km/s (828,000 km/h) or 143 mi/s (514,000 mph) within its trajectory around the [3] Galactic Center.

Figure 9. The Axes of the Dendera Zodiac. #23

denderazodiac2

The axes marked on the Zodiac show the movement of Solstices & Equinoxes through the constellations between the foundation of Egypt and the building of the Denderah Temple. Sirius appears twice -once on the true North-South axis, of Denderah’s Zodiac above the horns of the “cow of Isis“, and too on the axis of the temple, as Horus on a papyrus stem. The star’s light shines in the inner temple on New Year’s Day, at Sirius‘ heliacal rising, as the temple was built. In that era, it coincided with the summer solstice in Cancer, which is why Sirius also appears aligned to Cancer on the North-South axis.

John Lash points out another axis on the Dendera Zodiac, which goes from the four rams’ heads, through Pisces, across the pole to the star Spica, being held by Virgo. This, he says, points out the vernal equinox today. As the line extends through the Square of Pegasus, at exactly 90 degrees to this axis, an
other line drawn through the tip of Sagittarius’ arrow, points to the Galactic Centre, where the solstice alignment occured in 2012. John Lash summed up his Dendera theory in Colin Wilson’s book, Atlantis Blueprint,#24 seen in the Dendera Zodiac link opening this paragraph.

We must recall that the Rules of the Celestial Gospel tell us that God named & numbered the stars in Ps. 147:4, which is why a History of Biblical Astronomy takes priority over human astronomical history. A goal of Biblical Astronomy records the original star names God gave, to define the truth of the Celestial Gospel, not the idolatry of mankind who corrupted these first truths in their astrologies, that remain forbidden by God, [Deut. 4:15-28, Isa. 47:9-15]. 

Tying the Cherubim to the four royal stars of the ecliptic [Leo, Taurus, Aquila, & Aquarius] linked the four Royal faces anciently tracked as seasonal transition points of the year, on the ecliptic goes back to when the king star Regulus was identified in Summer’s solstice in bygone ages. These celestial turnstiles tracked the four gates or annual divisions marked by the Cherubim’s four faces. Just as the first Cherubim protected the integrity of the Ecliptic Sign/Star Names, in Gen. 3:22-24, we too are charged in this solemn duty to protect the integrity of the Celestial Gospel, with their God given Star names.

Regulus sits near exactly on the ecliptic, the path the Sun, Moon, & planets all travel across our sky, making it a key fixed star point that ancient astronomers had for tracking our Earthly temporal seasons. Historians, or astronomers did not choose the name Regulus, prince of Leo the Lion of Judah, the Almighty as the Creator did, told us of His only begotten Son-the Lord Jesus Christ, who as
distinct from The Father, being born in the flesh, thus not being Omnipresent.

This is an important key in keeping the identity of the Lord Jesus Christ distinct from His Heavenly Father whose commandments Jesus kept as the first-born from the dead. He is our commander whom we will follow in victory on white horses to conquer, defeat and utterly vanquish our spiritual enemies.

Rev. 19:13-16 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in [f]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a [g]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

As we obey God’s commands and serve Him and our fellow mankind we will ride with Christ in this future victory over our enemies…

Bless the Lord!

Rene’

 

Footnotes

1. Strong’s Concordance [#8104-Shamar], James Strong
2. IBID-(*H7812 shachah)
3. IBID- (H4910–maschal)
4. IBID-(*H7812)
4a. Fig. 1 Picture credit #4a from Harmonica Macrocosmica [A. Cellarius, Amsterdam 1660] depicts a Sun-centered Copernican view of the cosmos.
5.  Strong’s Concordance [7725] the soul: [5315] the testimony [5715]  the Lord is sure, [539] making wise [2449] the simple. 8 statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: [3820], James Strong
6. Strongs Concordance #7549 Raqiya–Gen. 1:6-8,20, 2:6, Job 26:7, Ps. 104:3, 148:4, Ezek. 1:22-26, James Strong 
7. IBID #3820
7a. Picture credit in Figure 7a. The Celestial Sphere, 2010 Encyclopedia Brittanica Inc.
8. Figure 5 Picture credit Witness of the Stars, p. 80, E.W. Bullinger
9. Johnpratt.com
10. Strongs Concordance, Cherub [#3742]-winged order of angel, James Strong
11. IBID, [8104-shamar] guard as watchman, to keep safe, preserve, protect [1Sam. 26:15-16, Job 2:6… James Strong 
12. IBID, [3680–kacah-to cover, clothe, conceal, hide, keep secret, as the pillar of
cloud covered the Tabernacle, Num. 9:16, Js. 5:14-20, covering or hiding sins
is forgiveness, Ps. 32:1, 85:2, 103:3, 11-12, cp. Prov. 17:9, 28:13, Neh. 4:5, see #3722-Kaphar].
13. IBID-[3727-kapporeth– ark lid, from 3725–kippur, atonement]
14. https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/jan/13/lava-gushes-from-taal-volcano-in-philippines-in-pictures [Picture credit]
15. Figure 6 picture credit, [Jewishenclopedia.com]
16. Strongs Concordance, A Hebrew word for “wheel” in Ezekiel, [10:2, 10] is galgal [*H1534-wheel, waterwheel, whirlwind, Isa. 5:28, Chariot wheel-Ezek. 26:10], James Strong
17. IBID, a variant of “Gilgal” Isa. 28:28 [*H1536], James Strong
17a. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei  [14][15][16]
18. IBID, Repetition of [#H7307-ruwach; air for breathing from H7306] in Ps. 103:3-4, refers to His ministers a flame of fire [H784]. Ex. 3:2,13:21, 14:24, 19:17-18, Num. 11:
1-3, 16:30-40, Deut. 1:33, 4:24, 33, Judg. 6:19-24, 1Kg. 18:23,24, 38-40, 19:12, 2Kgs. 1:10-12, 2:11, 6:17, 1Chr. 21:26, Neh. 9:12, Job 1:16, Ps. 105:39, Prov. 25:22, Isa. 43:2, Jer. 23: 29, Ezek. 10:2, 6-7, Dan. 5:20, 7:9-10, 10:6]
19. IBID, 1366-gebuwl, bound, a twisted line], James Strong
20. IBID, [#2719]-katesthio-to devour
21. IBID, (*H8622) tequphah, James Strong
22a. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/galacticyear
22b. IBID
22c. IBID
23. https://www.try-god.com/biblical-archaeo-astronomy-of-the-ancient-egyptian-star-names-of-the-dendera-zodiac.php
24. The Skies in Memory John Lash as quoted in The Atlantis Blueprint p. 169-172.

 

King Cyrus God’s Anointed King

Welcome to July 2026′ 12th Anniversary Blog folks! July‘s study marks 12 years of Biblical Astronomy research in honor of the Celestial Gospel. This month resumes a view of Persia’s Empire, revealing details of King’s Darius I, Xerxes 1, & Artaxerxes I, in a royal power transfer. Unity on topic infers Queen
Esther’s spouse was Darius I, due to Mordecai’s old age, advises a study goal to verify Xerxes’ wife’s identity. This urges study of all evidence from other views, to fully examine the topical context. To open and align the chronology
ending Darius‘ reign, into Xerxes’ rule, we cite a key period in history lined up with the co-regency of Xerxes 1 & Darius 1. The key to track a history of the co-regency we find as Gerard Gertoux,‘ tied periodic astro-intercalations in
this time: Intercalations in Xerxes I’ co-regency with Darius I, sparked debate
with Greek historians if Xerxes died in 475 BC, via Herodotus & Thucydides, or in 465 BC, via Babylon’s royal lists, was decided by a famed Greek astronomer, Claudius Ptolemy, whose Babylonian (& Achaemenid) chronicle published c. 150 AD that dates after the Nabonassar era, starting 748 BC. Ptolemy modified all Babylonian dates to an Egyptian civil calendar, that allowed him to verify historical synchronisms with Egyptian chronology. He also verified some lunar eclipses found in astronomical tablets in the Year of the King (Almagest). A result of Ptolemy’s reliance on verifiably–dated eclipses, is all historians post- 150 AD, without exception, adopted Greek & Babylonian chronology to align in the new absolute chronology of Achaemenid period. Babylon’s Chronology was
 verified by Claudius Ptolemy was confirmed by the BM 34576 tablet (copy of the King List dated 99 BC). A study of all tablets (contract & inscriptions) dated in an
era of 626–331 BC was published; (Parker, Dubberstein: 1956) shows all periods
of Achaemenid rule agree with the Babylonian royal lists, provided certain short co-regencies are allowed just before & during the enthronement of the new king.” #1

The accession of Xerxes in year 26 of Darius I (496 BC) occurred in a normal year, made his first year of reign an intercalary year (in Babylon), but since Xerxes resided in Persepolis the Persian astronomical priests did not add   an intercalary month at year’s end (XIIb), they visibly began a new cycle of  intercalation from the 2nd year of Xerxes (2U), shifting Xerxes intercalation cycle, that began in Persepolis (Ossendrijver: 2018, 141), from that of Darius. The intercalation cycle began during the reign of Xerxes, continuing till the end of Artaxerxes I’ reign. #2 In our last 2 blog-studies we presented Eclipse evidence for the Death of Xerxes in 475BC from Gerard Gertoux. #3We find in 475 BC the Moon was 20° behind Sagittarius, and in 465 BC it was in the sign Sagittarius. According to an astronomical tablet the 1st lunar eclipse [total] was: in Sagittarius‘ 4 rear stars in [475 BC]. Thus, via astronomy, Xerxes died (14/V/21) on Wed. 23, August 475 BC with his accession 21 years earlier in 496 BC, also Darius I’ Year 26. Despite Pierre Briant denying his co–regency due to his ideology, he admits Xerxes was Crown Prince long before Darius‘ death, because if Xerxes became Crown Prince just before the death  of Darius, one must admit that this king waited a long time-till his 72nd year in 486 BC#43/4, as Xerxes was 35 yrs old, when his parent’s union dated to Darius’ accession in 522 BC. Consequently, this chronology involves Xerxes’ choice before 490 BC.# 44/5.In fact, Xerxes was both the crown prince and co–regent, in a 10-year co-regency, with his accession from 496BC till the death of Darius in 486BC.
As Alignment depends on Accession Date, the alignment of Persian and Jewish years of Xerxes to any postdated reign, depends on whether a Persian or Jewish New Year came first after accession. If Xerxes’ year 21 on a Persian Calendar was 465, his year 1 was 485 BC, from spring to spring; he must have come to the throne some time before that, since his “accession year was the part of his reign preceding his first full calendar year. His accession date can be shown some  time preceding Nov. 486BC, because the latest known tablet dated in his father-Darius‘ last regnal year- in the 7th month, was first dated in Xerxes‘ reign in the 8th month (approx. Dec. 1). #38/6 After his accession in November, 486 BC, the first New Year’s Day to arrive was the Egyptian-1st of Thoth, in December (Fig. 2- I); #39/7. The Egyptian 1st year began, but those of his subjects who used the Babylonian-Persian calendar (band 2) would not begin to date by his first year until the next Nisanu I, the next Spring; and those who used the Jewish fall-to-fall; Tishri calendar (band 3) continued to date the accession year until their New Year’s Day came-next Tishri I, in the 7th month–almost a year after his accession and half a year after the Persian year I had started. (That is why, in some of these papyri, the Dateline in 2 calendars can have 2 regnal years.) So, in his reign, any specific year of Xerxes from year I to year 21–began earliest
in an Egyptian calendar, then in a Persian calendar, and last in the Jew’s time table. This demonstrated that the Jewish year 21, reckoned from Tishri I, must be 465BC.#7a.

As we see in the Book of [Esther 1:9-19, 2:4] Ahasuerus‘ former wife was Vashti. Yet, the Great Feast described in v. 3, the 3rd year of his reign as we learn from Persian inscriptions, was held in preparation for the Persian expedition against Greece, after the death of Darius, who relinquished the title-Ahasuerus to his co-regent son Xerxes, ruling 485-465 BC, leading a vast Persian army against Greece c. 482-1 BC.#7b  He fought famed battles of Thermopalyae & Salamis in 480 BC, & ostensibly married Esther in the 7th year of his reign [Est. 2:16-17], in 478 BC. #8

 

A key Archaeological inscription from the Shushan Palace @ Susa-200 miles East of Babylon, capital of Elam & winter residence of Persian Kings was a site identified by Loftus in 1852, where the record from Artaxerxes II [405-358 BC] says; “My ancestor Darius [521-485 BC] built this palace in former times. In the reign of my grandfather [Artaxerxes 1; 465-425 BC] it burned. I have restored it.” The palace of Darius’ residence, who authorized a rebuild  of Jerusalem’s Temple; of Xerxes as Esther’s husband; & Artaxerxes 1, who authorized the restoration of Jerusalem by Nehemiah.” #8a

 

The location of this inscription was in the famed building in Susa called its “Apadana“, an audience hall of the Palace of Darius. Apadana-the word is only known from Susa – was built together with the palace by Darius I the Great (r.522-486BC). This can be deduced from an inscription known as A2Sa,  written for Artaxerxes II Mnemon (r.404-358), who finished a restoration of the complex after a great fire during the reign of his grandfather, Artaxerxes I Makrocheir (r.465-424/423): The inscription below reads in part:

“Artaxerxes, the great king, the king of kings, the king of all nations, the king of this world, the son of king Darius [II Nothus], Darius the son of Artaxerxes king [I Makrocheir], Artaxerxes son of king Xerxes, Son of king Darius, Darius the son of Hystaspes, the Achaemenid, says: My ancestor Darius I the Great, made the apadana, but during the reign of Artaxerxes my grandfather, it was burnt down; but, by grace of Ahura-mazda, Anahita, & Mithra, I reconstructed the audience hall. So Ahura-mazda, Anahita, & Mithra protect me against all evil, and may they never destroy or damage what I have built.” #8b

 

A Pillar Capital “Bull“ of the Apadana at Susa. #8b1

Susa, Apadana, Capital

Apadana, site of the throne among the 36 column bases in the audience hall is a thirty-seventh foundation, in the exact center if one enters from the northern, main entrance. This must have been the place of the throne of the Achaemenid king. #8c The fact that there are no columns left to be erected, makes it hard to  imagine what a splendid building the Apadana was in Antiquity. Thus, only the column‘ bases are left in Susa today, as seen below;A key Achaemenid Royal Inscriptions is the “daiva inscription“. The Old Persian text, known from three stone slabs from Persepolis & the Pasargadae citadel, (Elamite and Babylonian copies exist.) The interesting detail for why this text has become famous turns on a meaning of the word daiva, clearly means “demon” and looks similar to the word daeva in the Avesta (Zoroastrian holy book). If daiva & daeva agree, it makes it more likely the rebels lived in Iran, where the Zoroastrian religion held sway. But, if these words clash; daiva refers to idols of Babylon or Egypt. #8c1 
As Xerxes adhered to Ahura-mazda-primary God of Zoroastrianism, who was the only other monotheistic God with Israel’s Jehovah, not considered an idol or part of an idol pantheon, its historical fact that Persian kings especially after King Cyrus, who himself was a Messianic figure with a Godly commission to lead people positively to the One true God-as the Persian–Zoroastrian Magi did at Christ’s Birth. As we bear in mind this sentiment appears in other parts of the daiva inscription;
“King Xerxes says: when I became king, there was among these countries one that was in rebellion. Ahuramazda bore me aid. By the grace of Ahuramazda,    I smote that country and put it down in its place. And among these countries there was a place where previously demons (daiva) were worshipped. After-wards, by the grace of Ahuramazda I destroyed that sanctuary of demons, &   I proclaimed: ‘The demons shall not be worshipped!‘ Where previously the demons were worshipped, there I worshipped Ahuramazda at a proper time and manner. And the other business that had done ill, I made good. That which I did, all I did by the grace of Ahuramazda. Ahuramazda bore me aid until I  completed the work.” #8dThe line of Persian kings listed after King Cyrus- both share these righteous motives with the kings of Israel like king David, to further the worship of the true Monotheistic God, and cast down false idols. This is established in Isa. 45:1 below as Cyrus–called “Messiah“-King Cyrus, exalted in Judaism for his role in freeing the Jewish people from the Babylonian captivity by issuing the Edict of Restoration following the Persian conquest of Babylon. This event is described in the Hebrew Bible as the return to Zion, where displaced Jews were repatriated to what had been the Kingdom of Judah, thus enabling a resurgence of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. King Cyrus also allows for Jewish aspirations for a new Temple in Jerusalem in the Achaemenid Empire’s Yehud province, where Solomon’s Temple stood before being destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. His efforts resulted in the completion of the Second Temple. #8e
The Scriptural record confirms a history of Persia especially starting with the Messiah King Cyrus and kings following his line who were influenced by the Prophet Daniel as King Darius was in Daniel 6:1-4; It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought
to setting him over the whole realm.So the other 2 Governors and the Satraps conspired against Daniel regarding his worship of His God, to cause a division between Daniel and King Darius, in decreeing a royal statute that could’nt be changed, against any who petitioned any except King Darius, for 30 days, on penalty of being cast in the lion’s den, [Dan. 6:4-16], King Darius told Daniel his God would deliver Him. Once Daniel was put in the lion’s den, the King visited him the next morning in Dan. 6:20b-28.20bThe king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.Darius Honors God24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. 25 Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:

Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is The living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the [i]power of the lions. 28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

We can certainly see the the example set by King’s Cyrus & Darius that would have been followed by King Xerxes in his zeal to remove the idols from the kingdom seen in the Daiva Inscription above. Daniel’s oversight of the Magi influenced King Cyrus, not only availed Daniel to detailed plans to rebuild Jerusalem & the Temple, but too in how these blueprints impacted Isreal & other middle east cultures. The Prophet Daniel and his gifted men of God, were set apart in 1st telling the contents of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, then accurately disclosing its import, to decode it, gifted Daniel with a high station in the King’s Babylonian court, holding key government authority, where he was made chief over all wise men, magicians, and soothsayers, of Babylon. This key aspect of their story placed Daniel & his team in influencial posts as many royal decrees came down, not only from Nebuchadnezzar, but also from subsequent kings as Cyrus, Darius & Xerxes during their lifetimes.

(Note: Daniel’s captivity in 605 BC unto 1917/1947 is 1260 + 1260 & 1260 + 1290 years plus a day/year or two, (Dan. 12, Rev. 11-12). Jerusalem again fell in 586 BC, 19 Metonic years later, and thus the pattern repeats, this time to 1967 – a second witness! 
 
Daniel’s insight on the Celestial Gospel not only enlightened his view of the OT Prophecies of Christ, provided the key grasp needed to teach critical levers to Zoroastrian Magi, with Godly monotheism shared by King Cyrus, among
the most enlightened leaders in history. As seen in the Axioms of the Cyrus Cylinder– his example of leadership was the first true model of diversity, that included successful rule over nations with varied languages, belief systems and Religions. Since several Persian Kings of Zoroastrian Faith including Cyrus, providing a source of religious tolerance shown in his
reign. Cyrus’ influence in ruling conquered nations impacted many other historical kingdoms including the Roman Empire, that applied similar principles in their conquered lands. 
 
This speaks highly of how and why The Hand of the Almighty God dealt so graciously not only with this line of Persian kings, but also with the class of Parthian/Zoroastrian Magi, instructed by the Prophet Daniel as followers of the path leading to Christ‘s Birth, the ultimate anointed Son of God in 3BC.
The caste of Magi were also accessible to King Xerxes as he prepared to war against the Greeks, where he consulted them concerning Xerxes’ Eclipse. 
This too certifies a common God-acknowledged Source of ultimate spiritual authority regarding Jehovah & Ahuramazda both as One monotheistic God. 

Biblically King Cyrus is recalled as a Messianic figure, [Isa. 45:1] called “His anointed-[4899-mashiyach]-refers to a class of patriarchs, priests or kings– based on Messiah/Christ-Christos G5547, 1Sam. 2:7-10, 2Sam. 22:51, Ps. 9:2-7, 18:50]” to open the 2-leaved gates of Babylon that shall not be shut, as Isaiah declared [Isa. 44:28-45:1]. As King David in the royal Christ-line became the archetype of the Messiah. [Acts 13:32-37, Heb. 5:5-10] King Cyrus, as a Gentile King, God called as the “Lord’s Anointed” to deliver Israel from their captor’s in Babylon, returning them to their homeland. As King Cyrus authorized the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, freed the Jews from exile in Babylonian Captivity, returned to their Promised Land of Israel. #8f

 

As a result Israel regained their freedom to exert their spiritual influence as among the worldly kingdoms as agents of the true monotheistic God. As long as they obeyed their Prophets we stood in good stead with the Almighty, but if the Kings of Israel did evil in God’s sight, turning away from the truth of God’s Word, they reaped the fruit of their ways. During the darker times the influence of the Scribes and Pharisees was a key factor in how Israel fared. Their influence is found in The Midrash as a genre of Jewish Biblical exegesis, [2] that includes Talmudic texts that use a classical rabbinic mode of homiletical interpretation (derash). This word means; “textual interpretation“, “study“, or “exegesis“,[3] derived from a root verb (דָּרַשׁ‎)- darash, which means “resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require.”#8g

 

As we consider the royalty of the book of Esther, concepts of Ahasuerus & Vashti are found in the Rabbinic Midrash, with other sources where Vashti was considered of royal blood. Midrash involves Scripture interpretation
to elucidate legal points [Midrash Halakah], or bring out lessons via stories or homiletics [Midrash Aggadah]. #8h Midrash is too named for the Rabbinic interpretations, of rabbinic readings to “discern value in texts, words, and letters, as potential revelatory vehicles.” “Their review of major Scripture narratives that suggest alternate readings to stand beside—not replace—existing grammatical text. #9

Midrash is also used in a rabbinic work that interprets Scripture in this manner,[7][8] containing early interpretations and commentaries on Written Torah and Oral Torah (spoken law and sermons), as well as non-legalistic rabbinic literature (aggadah) and at times Jewish religious laws (halakha), usually forming running commentary on specific passages in the Hebrew Scripture. The midrash conveys that Vashti was the orphaned daughter of Belshazzar; God was her help and kept her alive to be wed to the emperor of Persia and Media, even though she was Chaldean (=Babylonian) (Esth. Rabbah 3:5).#10

 

Belshazzar had been known only from the Book of Daniel (chapt. 5, 7–8) and from Xenophon’s Cyropaedia till 1854, when references to him were found in Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions. Though in the Book of Daniel he was the son of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian inscriptions indicate that he was in fact the eldest son of Nabonidus, who was king of Babylon from 555 to 539, and of Nitocris, who was perhaps a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. As the last king of a Neo-Babylonian Empire, ruling from 556 BC, as Babylon fell to the Achaemenid
Empire under Cyrus the Great  in 539 BC. It is possible that Nabonidus was married to a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar II’. Not only would such a link explain Nabonidus’s rise to the throne (as part of the royal family), but it also accounts for histories where Belshazzar is found as Nebuchadnezzar’s descendant. In the Bible Book of Daniel– Belshazzar is not only known as Nebuchadnezzar’s grand-son,[10] but Daniel himself appears to have dated events in the years of Belshazzar’s co-regency, [Dan. 7:1, 8:1]. As Nabonidus goes into exile (550), he entrusted Belshazzar with the throne and the major part of his army, when Belshazzar oversaw the government, his own estates, and those of his father.#11

 

Jer. 27:6-7 “Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Family Tree Chart #11a

The Kings of Babylon were also mentioned in the book of Daniel. Do these prophecies of Jeremiah harmonize with Daniel Chapter 5?

Jeremiah’s prophecy that many nations (including Judah) and great kings (including Jehoiachin) would serve Nebuchadnezzar and “his son and his grandson.” So Babylon was predicted to end with Nebuchadnezzar’s grand-son. Indeed it ended 60 years later with Belshazzar, son of the state noble Nabonidus who was a usurper to the throne, nonetheless not in the line of Nebuchadnezzar, who allied the Babylonians with the Medes via another royal wedding: as the Babylonian crown prince Nebuchadnezzar married Amytis, the daughter of Astyages. Via the Chart above we find Nabonidus married Nitrocis, Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter, making him Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law and Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson.

If Darius I was indeed the husband of Esther, then what does history tell us about Darius’ wife? 

Via Herodotus, Otanes was blessed with royal marriages. Darius I married Otanes’ daughter; Phaedymia while Otanes married a sister of Darius, who gave birth to Amestris. As Queen of the Achaemenid empire, daughter of Otanes (Ctesias, fragment 13, par. 24 [in Jacoby, Fragmente] gives Onophas),  one of seven conspirators against Gaumata. She was married to Xerxes I (Herodotus 7.61.2) and was mother of Artaxerxes I, Amytis, and others. She died at an old age, near the end of Artaxerxes’ I reign.#12

 

Amestris was a daughter of Otanes, one of seven nobles reputed to have killed the magus impersonating King Bardiya in 522 BC. After this, Darius I the Great of Persia assumed the throne. The right side of the chart below shows an Achaemenid lineage, while the left side details Bardiya/Smerdis usurpers as pretenders opposed by Darius to Cyrus I’ throne.

Thus, if Xerxes I who was co-regent with Darius I- starting 496 BC was not Esther’s husband, then who was Xerxes’ wife? History points us to a woman named Amastris;

Amestris (Greek: Άμηστρις, Amēstris, perhaps the same as Άμαστρις, Amāstris, from Old Persian Amāstrī–, “strong woman“)[2] was an Achaemenid queen, wife of king Xerxes I and mother of king Artaxerxes I.[3][4] She was an influential woman of the Achaemenid era, very powerful and vindictive.#13 [5]


1. Achaemenid queen, daughter of Otanes (Ctesias, fragment 13, par. 24 [in Jacoby, Fragmente] gives Onophas), who was one of seven conspirators who killed the Persian usurper king Gaumâta (22 September 522 BC). After this, Darius I the Great who reigned from 522-486BC opened his rule. According to Greek historian Herodotus, (5th century), Otanes was honored in diplomatic marriage: the new king married Otanes’ daughter Phaedymia, as Otanes married a sister of Darius, who birthed Amestris.

Family tree of Amestris


Amastris married Xerxes I (Herodotus 7.61.2) and as mother of Artaxerxes I, Amytis, and others, she had a bad reputation of being licentious and notoriously cruel; (Ctesias, fragment 14), she exercised a baneful influence in Artaxerxes’ court; e.g., she is said to have caused the wife of her brother-in-law Masistes to be mutilated (Herodotus 9.109-l2) One of the only consistent facts in Persian succession referenced in history is the mother of a legitimate heir was always Persian. In fact, all royal wives marked in Greek and Persian sources were Persian women. Any consort who wasn’t, is marked as a concubine.#14This is a popular case for why Esther as Jewess Queen with Persian King fell in history under a shadow of doubt. But as Mordecai the Grand Vizier & adopted Father of Esther, advised she conceal her genealogy, these facts did not come to light till afterwards. The Hebrew-Greek Septuagint– as the source text for the book of Esther, was produced in a later Persian or early Seleucid period, belongs to a Hellenistic genre. For more on Esther: see Ego, B. (2019) “Prayer & Emotion in the Septuagint of Esther“ Ego, B. (2006) Esther, Brill Online.#15

“After the death of Atossa, Amastris, the wife of Xerxes, whom Greek writers such as Herodotus describe as a powerful yet cold-hearted woman, played a leading role in Xerxes’ court. Amastris also accompanied him during his military campaign against Greece.”[15]“Amastris, the first lady of Xerxes’ court, was a most formidable & ruthless women of her time. Though many actions attributed to her by Greek historians cannot be fully accepted, the surviving evidence points to her psychological strength and authority.

Amastris outlived Xerxes, remained  active in royal affairs serving as Queen mother during a long reign of her son Artaxerxes I. “During his reign, powers of kingdom influence were in her hands. The young king, Artaxerxes I, was heavily swayed by his mother, Amastris, and his sister, Amestris. The Queen Mother lived a long life, and her reputable standing of lineage and wealth, ranked highly, as her authority and respect remained intact until the end. She died in early 424 BC, aged near 90, with the passing of Artaxerxes himself following soon after.[12][13] #16 

Midrash is also used of a rabbinic work that interprets Scripture in this manner,[7][8] containing early interpretations and commentaries on Written Torah and Oral Torah (spoken law and sermons).#17  Midrash also asks questions of the text; proding the reader to seek truth, at times providing text driven answers,”
As a Jewish mode of interpretation; Midrash not only engages the words of the text, behind the text, and beyond the text, but is focused on each letter, and their part in forming the words of each line.


Mordechai and the Jehoiachin Exile

A good reason for reading the story of the megillah as having occurred before the rebuilding of the Temple comes in Esther 2:5 introducing Mordechai:

אסתר ב:ה אִישׁ יְהוּדִי הָיָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה וּשְׁמוֹ מָרְדֳּכַי בֶּן יָאִיר בֶּן שִׁמְעִי בֶּן קִישׁ אִישׁ יְמִינִי. ב:ו אֲשֶׁר הָגְלָה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִם הַגֹּלָה אֲשֶׁר הָגְלְתָה עִם יְכָנְיָה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל.

Esth. 2:5 In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite. 2:6 Who was exiled from Jerusalem in the group that was carried into exile along with King Jeconiah of Judah, which had been driven into exile by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

As a son of Kish, this name of the father of King Saul, another Benjaminite, the Talmud accords Mordecai the status of a descendant of the first King of Israel.
Grammatically speaking, the clause “who had been exiled” can refer to Kish or to Mordecai. If the rabbis hold to the latter, it means that Mordechai lived during the 1st exile, eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. According to Daniel 9:2, Jerusalem lay desolate for 70 years before the Temple was rebuilt, that would be 81 years after Mordechai had been exiled. As it is hard to imagine Mordechai– a 100-110+ year old man in the story, so the rabbis would have to agree that the story of the megillah took place before the Temple was rebuilt.#18 This agrees with the record of Ezra 4;

Ezra 4:1 “Now when the [a]adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel… they opposed and discouraged them…

Ezra 4:4-6
3 But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a [b]house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” 4 Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Achashverosh [Ahasuerus] reigned between Daryavesh (=Darius I), during whose reign the Temple was rebuilt (Ezra 6:15), & Artachshasta (=Artaxerxes I).[7] This supports the idea that Achashverosh was identified with Xerxes.#19

 The Seal of Xerxes

Seal of Xerxes. Perrot & Chipiez 1890 fig. 497, via Briant 2002 fig. 30.

O leaves tender and beautiful
of my beloved plane tree
On you may fate shine resplendent
May thunder, lighting, and storms
never intrude, ever, on your dear peace of mind,
nor may there be any wind that comes to violate you
—some violent wind from the west.

Shade there never was
of any plant
so dear and lovely
or any more sweet.

Trans. Gregory Nagy

As the Seal of Xerxes shows, his veneration of the Tree of Life, which for him is a plane tree that grows in the Greek-speaking territory of Asia Minor, as an overarching symbol of his ambition as king of a multi-ethnic Persian Empire. But the king’s failure on the West side of the Aegean Sea led to an occlusion of his imperial ambition—to be replaced by the ambitions of other Persian kings, all devotees of the Tree of Life. #19a 

Mordechai

In an introductory statement about the reign of Xerxes, after presenting two of Xerxes’ influential advisors, Ctesias writes; “among the eunuchs,[29] Natacas (Nατακας) exercised the greatest influence.”[30] A few lines later, he refers to a eunuch of Xerxes named Matacas (Ματακας). These two names likely reflect the same person.[31]

The “as” at the end of either name is almost certainly a Greek addition. Thus, “Matacas” suggests a Persian name with the consonants MTC, which would be very close to the consonants of the name Mordechai, MRDC.[32] Even the name “Natacas” is not that different. “N” and “M” are related consonants, both being nasal stops; it is not unusual for one to transform into the other.

With either form of the name, the information provided by Ctesias, that he was a high-ranking official in Xerxes court, bears a strong resemblance to the last verse in the Megillah, which records by the end of the story, Mordechai was 2nd mishneh (=second) to the king. So, the Matacas of Ctesias and Mordechai of the Megillah may very well refer to the same historical person.#20

In checking in the tablets of Persepolis that Mordecai was an eminent royal scribe called Marduka who worked with Tatennai, the Governor beyond the River, under the direction of Uštanu, the satrap of Babylon, during the years 17 to 32 of Darius. Similarly, the narrative of Herodotus regarding Amestris (a name meaning ‘vigorous woman’ in Old Persian), Xerxes‘ unique wife and only queen known in Persia, correlates in many ways to Esther; ‘star’-Old Persian” despite the unfavourable and biased description of the Persian queen.

 

According to the book of Esther there was a plot to kill Xerxes which was thwarted in the 11th year of his reign, we read: Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs & official‘s–ministers of the King’s Court — the porters — were outraged seeking to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. But this thing came to be known to Mordecai, and he soon revealed it to Queen Esther. Then Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name.  The case was thus sought and finally discovered, with both hanged on a  pole (…) Shortly afterwards. In the 1st month, that is the month of Nisan, the 12th year of King Ahasuerus (Est 2:21–3:7-15) as Mordecai saved the king’s life. This serious accusation against the Jews is dated in the 12th year of Xerxes legal reign (Est. 3:7–10), was tied to Haman’s desire to genocide the nation/people of Israel, near the start of his effective reign, (Ezr. 4:6).

This information from Ctesias & Plutarch overlap, making it possible to locate the two brief reigns of Bel–šimânni and Šamaš–erîba in year 485 BC or early in the effective reign of Xerxes after the death of Darius. Contemporary records in Babylonian archives dating to the reigns of Bêl-šimânni and Šamaš-eriba; over a division of a large satrapy of Babylonia, early in Xerxes’ reign in 2 parts, as seen in the “daiva inscription” of Xerxes, that recorded the suppression of a

religious revolt in the empire. A remark by Roman author Arrian of Nicomedia, using 4th-century BC sources, stated Xerxes subdued a Babylonian revolt on his return from the war against Greece (479 BC). Via Arrian, Xerxes punished the city by closing the Esagila, Temple of Marduk, center of Babylon’s state cult. North of the Esagila was the Etemenanki, the ‘Foundation of heaven on earth‘, better known to us as the ‘Tower of Babel‘ [Gen. 11]. This temple tower (or ziggurat) was 92 meters high and had seven levels. According to the Greek researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus, the Persian king Xerxes had a statue removed from the Esagila when he sacked the city.#21

 

Figure 3. Ziggurat of Susa. 21a.

Chogha Zanbil [ Dūr Untash Ziggurat ] | Chiyakotravel

Parrot’s survey includes numerous illustrations, for example, a three-tiered structure on an Old Babylonian cylinder seal, four-to five-tiered towers on Assyrian cylinder seals, and a five-tiered ziggurat of Susa on a relief sculpture shows Assurbanipal’s Elamite campaign.#21b In addition, a considerable body of literary and pictorial evidence documents a concept of 7-level Ziggurats: 1. The Esagila tablet from Uruk (AO 6555), first noticed by George Smith in 1876, dates to 229 BC,#21c. and is now also known from a partial duplication in the British Museum (BM 40813), they are thought to be copies of an original, no later than the early-seventh century BC.#21d. This displays the dimensions of the temple-tower Etemenanki (é.temen.an.ki) part in a complex @ Esagila-in Babylon, completed by Nebuchadrezzar II. Seven stages are described, in their respective dimensions (AO 6555 ll. 36–42). The height of the structure equal to the base, agreeing with Strabo’s input, & Frankfort’s deduction on the original height of the Ziggurat at Khorsabad.


At Khorsabad only four stages were discerned, but Frankfort thought it reasonable that there had been three further stages, as the height of the structure would then match the base “which was, according to Strabo, the case in Babylon.”#21e.

The Ziggurat at Ur.

Sümerler, Mezopotamya’ya yaklaşık olarak M.Ö. 3500’lerden sonra gelmeye başlamıştır.

This sets out dimensions of the temple tower Etemenanki (é.temen.an.ki) of
Esagila’s complex in Babylon, completed by Nebuchadrezzar II, detailing Seven stages, with their respective dimensions; (AO 6555 ll. 36–42).

A broken Neo-Babylonian stele (MS 2063) in the Schøyen Collection depicts a king, apparently Nebuchadrezzar II, “standing before a Ziggurrat of 7-stories drawn in outline & labelled [é].tem[en] .an.ki [ziqúra-at ba-bili (ká.dingir.ra)ki ‘E-temen-anki, Ziqqurrat of Babylon.’ #21f.

If the Babylonian revolts occurred during the first year 1 of Xerxes’ reign, a chronological ranking of contracts29 tells us that they took place when the king had been fully recognized in Borsippa, which would be quite illogical. In fact, for the Babylonians the legitimate king was Šamaš–erîba. For a Babylonian scribe, Xerxes, an Achaemenid, was a usurper in his 1st year of reign, not a legitimate king in his 11th year of reign. To avoid this scene historians have speculated that the Babylonian revolts were at their maximum near 484/ 483 rather than 485 BC, but this assumption is contradicted by 3 elements:

1. If the first Babylonian revolt occurred in 484 BC, this year would have been the 2nd regnal year of Xerxes, however two tablets of Šamaš–erîba are clearly dated in year 1 of Xerxes.

2. Greek historians describing the succession Darius/ Xerxes all indicate that some Babylonian revolts occurred just after the death of Darius, not 2 years later. In addition, that chronology makes sense because revolts usually occur just after the death of a king when some pretenders to the throne contest the succession, which was the case for Xerxes.


3. An astronomical fragment (JCS 1, 350 n°2) enables a dating of the Babylonian revolts. Although data are fragmentary they describe a revolt, clearly dated 05/IV/[?] during Xerxes’ reign (line 3 of the tablet) in perfect agreement with Bel–šimânni’s tablet (BM 87357). The astronomical fragment reads 30:

2) [...] ……. […]

3) [...] the month of Tammuz (IV), the 5th day […]
4) [...] to Babylon went […]
5) [...] the troops of Elam […]
6) [... the religion of Mars which to […]
7) [... Mars into Cancer entered …]
8) [... fled and into the river jumped and […]

9) [... to] Borsippa went, destroyed the city [...]

 

The historical notices appear to be related to a conflict between Babylon and Elam (Media and Persia). Line 4 indicates that the troops, &/or others, went to Babylon. Line 5 mentions the troops of Elam, and line 8 apparently refers to a military defeat (Here someone flees and then jumps into a river, a parallel is to be found in the annals of Assurbasirpal). In line 9 a group of people go to Borsippa. Lines 6–7 date these events to a year when the planet Mars was in
the vicinity of Cancer during the month of Tammuz (IV). Observations of Mars in this context may be more than coincidental since planet Mars is not only the planet of Nergal, the Babylonian War-god, but is also often linked with Elam in astrology. The fragment must refer to an astronomical omen rather than an astronomical diary for two reasons: most data comes from a chronicle rather than an astronomical record (in which historical events are rare); given that the constellation of Cancer covers 20° of the sky31 it needs 20 days for a planet
to cross it, preventing one from making observations dated to a specific days. For practical reasons, Mars was entered visibly in a star sign /constellation when it was crossing its centre. An astronomical simulation32 indicates that Mars was in the center of the constellation of Cancer near the 9th of April –484 (485 BC),

matching Nisan (1st month of Babylonian year), and again33 on March 6th–467 (468 BC). Presumably after the death of Darius, Babylonian priests, given the dissatisfaction with Babylon and this omen early in the reign of Xerxes (year 11), had predicted wars (which happened soon-480 BC after).

Xerxes began his reign on two occasions, first as co-regent till 486 BC, his accession is dated III/00 (June), and again as true king after Darius 1‘ death. dated 10/IX/10 (8 December 486 BC). Darius I 522-496 Darius I/Xerxes 496-486 Pherendates 496-486 Darius I/Xerxes 496-486 Xerxes I co-regency 486-475, 486 Bel-shimanni 14+/V/00 04/VI/00 xx/VI/00 “usurper” 485–485 Shamash-eriba 04/V ! /00 11/VIII/00 xx/VIII/00 “usurper” 485–485 Xerxes I 20/ V/21 14/V/21 –475 486


An astronomical tablet (BM 32234)34 contains 2 lunar eclipses and the death of Xerxes is dated 14/V. Given that the 2nd partial lunar eclipse is dated 14/VIII (November/ December) it is easy to check what year it occurred35. A complete analysis of these 2 eclipses (when they began and ended, how much area of the moon darkened. P = Partial; T = Total; N = Penumbral) enables us to keep only the year 475 BC (=–474), not dated 465 BC that’s usually agreed. #36/21g

(4) The use of “year 21” “accession year,” in either Persian or Jewish dating, agrees with the fact that no known Babylonian tablets recognize any other kings between Xerxes and Artaxerxes, though Jewish dating implies a gap before the beginning of Artaxerxes’ accession year in Egypt.

(5) The alignment of the regnal years of the same number in the Egyptian and the two Semitic calendars (attested by the synchronisms of Ptolemy’s Canon, the Saros list, double-dated papyri, and dated tablets) follows this order: Egyptian (December), Persian (spring), Jewish (fall), in the reign of
Xerxes; likewise in Artaxerxes’ reign the order is: Egyptian, followed by Persian, followed (if AP 6 has a Jewish date) by the Jewish.

(6) This alignment makes it clear that the year formula in AP 6 does not fit the Egyptian calendar, but is an exceptional but normal double formula in either the Persian or the Jewish calendars.#21h

 

According to this chronological reconstruction, during his 10th year of reign-Xerxes was co-regent of Darius I until 8 December 486 BC, then full king after this date. As the years of reign began on the 1st Thoth in Egypt at that time (early Jan.), the 11th year of Xerxes’ reign began in January 485 BC, while this 11th year began in April 485 BC in Babylon. A careful study of Egyptian documents confirms this change in Xerxes’ status.#22

Indeed, G. Posener notes the Egyptian title of Xerxes had changed from his Year 10 but without giving the reason. In Posener’s collection of hieroglyphic inscriptions (Posener: 1936, 92, 120-124, 162), Posener classified Persian kings according to a chronology accepted in his time. But several anomalies can be explained only by assuming a 10-year co-regency between Xerxes & Darius. In these hieroglyphs, the Egyptian pharaohs, from Amasis to Artaxerxes, are still called “Lord of the Two Lands”, except Xerxes who is called “Master of Crowns” between year 1 and year 10 of his reign. He got a legal title of “Lord of the Two Lands”- official title of the Pharaohs of Egypt, only from his year 10. If Xerxes became Pharaoh shortly after Darius’ death, he then would have received the usual title “Lord of the Two Lands;“ to designate upper & lower Egypt for Egyptian kings, but the title was awarded him only in his year 10. In addition, for no known reason, the name Darius changed from year 27 up to year 36 of his reign to become inDarius. This hieroglyph in, literally meaning “contribution” in Egyptian 14 , or “booster”, can’t be a phonetic complement, as it deteriorates the pronunciation. FIG. 2 Year 2 Month I Akhet Day 9 Master of crowns, Xerxes Year 6, Master of Crowns, Xerxes Year 10, Lord of the 2 lands, Xerxes (Dec. 486 BC) Year 6, Lord of the two lands, Cambyses (II) Year 36, Lord of the two lands, Darius (I) Year 12, Lord of the two lands, Xerxes 14. This hieroglyph appears in names of some pharaohs like Antef 

 “contribution of his divine father”. It may be an abbreviation of the Egyptian word inpw “royal child”, meaning a pretender to the throne, that is a “Crown prince”. #23

 

Egyptian documents dated in both lunar and civil calendars allow absolute dates to be obtained because such date coincidences only occur every 25 years- if the lunar day is correctly observed, every 11 years with a 1-day observation error. The Aramaic documents from Elephantine, dated over the period 525-398 BC, contain 21 well identified double dates, make it possible to anchor the reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes on absolute dates.

As the “double dates” are witnessed in this context we can correlate Titles that refer to Egyptian Kings like Lord of the two Lands [upper & Lower Egypt] for example, to Persian Kings Darius, Xerxes & Artaxerxes. By cross–referencing  the historical reigns of the kings, as to when they held Egyptian titles, or the King of Babylon, with Persian King’s titles, we can anchor the reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes on absolute dates.

EGYPTIAN CHRONOLOGY THROUGH ASTRONOMICALLY DATED SYNCHRONISMS 11 TABLE 6 King of Babylon in Egypt Cambyses (II) Kambuzia K-n-b-w-d3 From 5th to 8th year King of Babylon, King of lands, Lord of the Two Lands– Darius (I) Dariawush (in)-šTi-rw-y-w-3 From 1st year to 36th year King of Babylon, King of lands, Lord of the Two Lands– Xerxes- Khisi‘arsa Ḫ-š3-y-rw-š3 From accession to 1st year- King of Babylon, King of lands? From 1st year to 10th year King of Persia & Media, King of Babylon and of lands, Master of Crowns from 10th year to 21st year King of lands, Lord of the Two Lands. The years indicated in those documents have been understood as years of reign when in fact they are years of domination (months/days usually unspecified). 23a.

 

A study showed that the reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes had been shifted by 10 years with respect to astronomical dates 17 giving rise to different inter-calations during the reigns of Darius & Xerxes (Gertoux: 2018, 179-206; 2020, 273-279). From 525 BC Egypt became a Persian satrapy but most scribes were Egyptians or Jews. Persian officials at Elephantine were familiar with three kinds of lunar calendar, Elamite, Old-Persian & Babylonian. Jewish scribes  at Elephantine were familiar with different calendars, but used a calendar based on Babylonian calendars after their return to Judea from Babylon. A Babylonian chronology est. by Claudius Ptolemy was confirmed by BM 34576 tablet (King List dated 99 BC). A study of all tablets (contracts/heiroglyphs) dated from 626–331 BC was published (Parker, Dubberstein: 1956) and showed that all durations in the Achaemenid period agreed with the Babylonian royal lists, providing several short co-regencies were admitted shortly before and during an enthronement of the new king. #24

 

 Babylonian astronomers classified lunar eclipses according to an 18-year Saros cycle, as they noticed that astronomical phenomena were reproduced identically in the 19th year of the solar cycle and almost identically in the 11th year (within a day). The 19 solar years last 6939.6 days = 19×365.24219 days and correspond exactly to 19 lunar years plus 7 intercalary months,
lasting 6939.7 days = ([19×12]+7) x 29.530588 days. The 11 solar years last 4017.6 days = 11×365.24219 days and correspond to 11 lunar years plus 4 intercalary months, that last 4016.2 days = ([11×12]+4) x 29.530588 days. With these astronomical cycles the two lunar eclipses of 475 BC (1st total, 2nd partial) were reproduced in 465 BC, but in reverse order (partial then total).

 

These Repeating Matching luni-solar eclipses happen to align with the last decade of Xerxes I’ reign, that opened in 480BC. For example, the two lunar eclipses of 475 BC were exactly reproduced in 457 BC on 6th July (total) and
31 December (partial). These adjustments made by Babylonian astronomers altered times in the chronology of Artaxerxes and Xerxes’ reigns, including the Metonic cycle of the intercalary years. The 19-year cycle; a mathematical cycle synchronizing 19 lunar years with 19 solar years by adding intercalary months, a 2nd Adar mo. (XIIa) or 2nd Ulul month (VIb), in 7 years of a 19-year cycle (3A, 6A, 8A, 11A, 14A, 17U, 19A). But, this 19-year Metonic cycle, based on observations, not calculations (Steele: 2007, 121-123) and computed data in diaries (purely computational, not a combo observed & predictive methods) that appeared prior to 350 BC.#25

As the Egyptian calendar had 12 months of 30 days, plus 5 days at the end of the year (365 days), called epagomenon in Greek, it was not lunar (around 354 days). In Elephantine the main system of dating was the Egyptian calendar (civil), but as numerous religious festivals in Egypt were based on lunar phases a lunar calendar was used to fix these dates. The Jews (after 587 BC), then the Persians (after 525 BC), naturally used this calendar for their own religious festivals based on a lunar calendar (ie. Jewish Passover). As the language of administration being either Egyptian or Persian, it was necessary to convert the names of the Egyptian lunar months to the common language understood by all: Aramaic. For example, the Jews converted to Aramaic the name of the months of their Hebrew calendar: « It came about that in the 4th year of Darius (…) on the 4th [day] of the 9th month, [that is] in Kislev » (Za 7:1). There was the same situation in Egypt, for example, an Elephantine Papyri (B24) is dated: « [17] Thoth, which is 17 Kislev, year 21 (of Xerxes), accession year of Artaxerxes » (Porten: 1996, 164-165). As Xerxes died on 14/V/21 (24 August) in 475 BC, the 1st Thoth (I Akhet 1) in 475 BC is dated 20 December and 17 Thoth on 5 January 474 BC.#26

 

1st Thoth in 475 BC thus links to 20 December in Julian calendar. With astro- software (https://promenade.imcce.fr/fr/pages4/441.html), we find on 20th Dec
–474* (= 475 BC) there was a full moon at 18:20 UT (Universal Time), or at 20:30 Local Time (LT = UT + 2:10) in Elephantine. On Kislev 1 on a lunar calendar in Elephantine thus coincided with the full moon of 20 Dec. in 475 BC. To calculate the 1st Kislev (= 1/IX) of the Babylonian lunar calendar we must first calculate the 1st Tishri (1/VII) coinciding with a 1st lunar crescent after the autumnal equinox on 29 September 01:00 UT in –474*

 

(https://promenade.imcce.fr/fr/pages4/439.html).#27 The 1st astronomical lunar crescent (day after the astronomical New Moon) after 29 September is that of 8 October 22:11 UT (= 1/VII). It is possible to calculate the 1st lunar day of the following months: 7 Nov. 09:17 UT (= 1/VIII), 6 December 20:22 UT (= 1/IX). The coincidences between observed lunar days & calendar dates are thus perfect. In 475 BC (= -474*): 1 Kislimu (Babylon calendar) = 6 December (in Babylon) 1 Kislev (Egyptian lunar calendar) = 20 December (Elephantine). The 20 records from Elephantine with a double date enable us to reconstruct a chronology of the reigns of the 27th dynasty. The papyrus B23 is dated: «Year 15 [of Xerxes] 18 Elul, thus the 1st lunar day is dated a full moon in 481 BC (30 August). The 11 Pahons or I Shemu 11 fits exactly to day 11: Papyrus year Lunar date on the Egyptian calendar BC 1st lunar day Full moon Xerxes I 15 1 Elul  29 Aug. 30 Aug. Papyrus B23 15 18 Elul (= 11 + 17) 15 Sept. 481 BC.

 

The matched dates on the three intercalated calandars thus provides a perfect alignment between the Persian, Jewish and Egyptian calendars, that too align the reigns of Kings and Pharaohs in their various royal titles linked to their related kingdom, and periods of reign. With astronomically verified dating system of this caliber, it removes much confusion that has plagued history in the past, especially in light of the Repeating-Matching eclipse dates we have seen related to Purim, during the reigns of Darius 1 to Xerxes 1, in the book and time of Esther.

As always I welcome any questions you may have, through our Facebook forum of our Biblical Astronomy Fellowship.

 God Bless,

Rene’

Footnotes

1.https://www.academia.edu/44915277/Intercalations_during_the_co_regency_of_Xerxes_with_Darius_I_in_NABU_2020_4_pp_273_279?email_work_card=reading-history]
2. IBID
3. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312069819_Dating_the_reigns_of_Xerxes_and_Artaxerxes]. Gerard Gertoux. 
4. IBID
5. IBID
6. IBID
7. IBID
7a. Intercalations during the co-regency of Xerxes with Darius I, in NABU 2020-4, pp. 273-279 By Gerard GERTOUX
7b. Halley’s Bible Handbook, p. 218, Henry H. Halley
8. IBID, p. 218
8a. IBID ppg. 218-219
8b. http://www.achemenet.com/en/results/?q=Susa
8b1. https://www.livius.org/articles/place/susa/susa-photos/susa-apadana/
8c. http://www.achemenet.com/en/results/?q=Susa
8c1. IBID
8d. https://www.livius.org/sources/content/achaemenid-royal-inscriptions/xph/
8e. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Zion
8f. Strong’s Concordance [#4899-mashiyach], James Strong
8g. https://www.thetorah.com/article/if-achashverosh-is-xerxes-is-esther-his-wife-amestris?
8h. Encyclopedia Judaica Glossary definition of Midrash.
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aggadah
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halakha
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Daniel
11a. https://www.onepagebiblesummary.com/pad/pad_01.php
12. Herodotus 7.61.2
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amestris
14. (Herodotus-Histories 7.61.2, 9.109-l2)
15. Prayer & Emotion in the Septuagint of Esther“ Ego, B. (2006) Esther, Brill Online.
16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amestris
17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midrash#cite_note-9
18. https://www.thetorah.com/article/ahasuerus-and-vashti-the-story-megillat-esther-does-not-tell-you
19. https://www.thetorah.com/article/if-achashverosh-is-xerxes-is-esther-his-wife-amestris
19a. [https://continuum.fas.harvard.edu/an-occlusion-of-xerxes-in-medieval-persian-epic/]
20. https://www.thetorah.com/article/if-achashverosh-is-xerxes-is-esther-his-wife-amestris
21. https://www.livius.org/articles/place/babylon/etemenanki/
21a. Fig. 3-Ziggarat of Susa-picture credit. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chogha_Zanbil#/media/File:jpg]
21b. (Parrot 1949: 37–50)  Ziggurats et Tour de Babel. Paris: Albin Michel.
21c. (Parrot 1949: 22–24.; Wiseman 1991: 71) Nebuchadrezzar and Babylon. The Schweich Lectures of the British Academy. Oxford: Oxford University Press
21d. (George 2005/2006: 75, 78; The Tower of Babel: Archaeology, History and Cuneiform Texts. AfOr 51: 75–95. (Allinger-Csollich 1998: 290–94).
21e. (Frankford 1970: 79) The Art and Architecture of the Ancient Orient. 4th edition. Harmondsworth: Penguin
21f.  (George 2005/2006: 75, 77, 78, 79, 86; Allinger-Csollich 1998: 290–94). The Tower of Babel: Archaeology, History and Cuneiform Texts. AfOr 51: 75–95.
21.g [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312069819_Dating_the_reigns_of_Xerxes_and_Artaxerxes]. Gerard Gertoux
21h. IBID
22. IBID
23. (Posener: 1936, 92, 120-124, 162) Posener’s collection of hieroglyphic inscriptions 
23a. (Posener: 1936, 92, 120-124, 162)
24. BABYLONIAN CHRONOLOGY, 626 B.C.-A.D. 75 Parker, Dubberstein: 1956
25. (Rochberg-Halton: 1991, 107-120). 
26. Bezalel Porten – The Elephantine Papyri in English
27. (https://promenade.imcce.fr/fr/pages4/439.html) https://about.jstor.org/terms XERXES AND THE BOOK OF ESTHER-LITTMAN

–

 

The Lunar Eclipse Pair of 523-522 BC Marking the Ascension of Cambyses.

The Lunar Eclipse Pair of 523-522 BC Marking Cambyses’ Ascension.

In our recent OT History Class taught by Rev. Jon Nessle & Ren Manetti, Ren produced a valuable Chronology in his class notes. He stated; “words on the Chronology in bold print & italics show pieces of missing Biblical Chronology as outlined by the 70-year spans and supplied from Ptolemy’s Canon, which shows Ahasuerus-Cambyses throne ascension on July 16, 530 BC. In Ezra 4, we
see the basis of the Persian’s agreement with conquered peoples like the Jews, was more benevolent than powers like the Assyrians, Greeks or Romans; if they promised not to rebel, they were allowed to go back to their homeland.

Ezra 4:3-8 

But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a [b] house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” 4 Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 In the days of Artaxerxes also, [c]Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language. 8 [d]Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:

In Rev. Nessle’s Study on “Post-exilic Bible Chronology & Identifying Esther’s Husband,” He points out; “Here we see evidence of the use of both Apellative Names for the Persian Kings, and the names modern historians use. Verse 5 used the names we use, Cyrus and Darius, but verse 6 refers to an “Ahauserus” in the “beginning of his reign.” This would have to be Cambyses as we call him.”
Then the next verse [7] it refers to an Artaxerxes, but this cannot be the king 
we refer to by that name in modern times. That monarch we name Artaxerxes’ reign is too late. So the “Artaxerxes” addressed here must be a throne name for Darius 1.” #1

This appears confirmed in the “decrees“ issued by King Darius 1 in Ezra 6:1, 8, 11-12 until the Temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt in vs. 14-16, in the 6th year of Darius the King, in late winter of 515 BC, and King Artaxerxes in Ezr. 7:21-23, that the commandments of the true God of Heaven were diligently done! This also refers to “decrees” made not only by King Darius, and King Cyrus in Ez. 6:2- called a “roll“ [4040] in The Cyrus Cylinder; Hebrew word; [Megillah], even as the 5 Megilloth as the 5 Books of the Hebrew OT, were preserved and read at Feasts to the God of Israel. #1a

Ren Manetti also shows the 7th year of Cambyses’ reign in 523 BC, confirmed by Eclipses. This month’s blog follows-up on last month’s study of the Greco-Persian Wars, with elements of related chronology.#2 Gertoux’s adapted article below details an astronomical analysis of the British Museum’s Cuneiform Clay Tablet #33066, regarding the 7th year of Cambyses’ reign. This (year 7 Anchor date in 523 BC for Cambyses) owes to tablet BM 33066125: 19 Year 7 month IV, night 14, 1 2/3 beru (= 50° = 50×4 minutes) after sunset, 20 the Moon in Partial Eclipse, with a little left over, north [wind] went. The Partial Eclipse is dated July 16/17, 523 BC [mag. = 0.54] paired with a Jan. 9/10, 522 BC, Total Eclipse. Ptolemy must have known the original tablet as he gave a correct magnitude of 0.50 for the Partial Eclipse. #2a

*Original Footnotes from this adapted study by Gerard Gertoux are fully supplied in their entirety at the end of this article.

In his initial review the author Gertoux, first scanned Espenak’s Lunar Phases Tables (formerly NASA’s) for possible lunar eclipses during the years 540-500 BC to fit lines 19-22 on the reverse side of BM 33066 tablet. After that, he traced Jupiter’s path through the same time period. Initially, he saw only 2 possible eclipse pairs. As it turned out, Jupiter’s path through Virgo falls in the same two time periods as said eclipse pairs: 1) 524-521 BC and, 2) 512-509 BC. Upon closer examination, it soon became clear that, the 512-509 BC scenario, Jupiter events as dated on BM 33066 were incompatible with available lunar eclipses, thus leaving the 524-521 BC scenario as the only viable option.

In particular, this preliminary study made it quite clear that BM 33066… (cf. the bold italicized text within the available footnotes🙂

1. “Based upon the face and format of this astronomical record, it is clear… that the originator of the record was using the Babylonian calendar… beginning each year… month number one.”

2. The beginning of each month is based upon the observable New Moon only.

3. The Jupiter events: as there is no need to debate the existence of a Creator/ God, the greatest scientific evidence and proof for His existence in the truth of the Bible, is the Astronomy of the Star of Bethlehem. One need only wind back the Planetarium and Celestial Computer Programs to see how God spun the planets and laid out the stars in the Universe to declare the Birth of His only Begotten Son. Jupiter Signs like the 3-2BC triple union of Jupiter-Regulus and Jupiter-Venus unions marking the Birth of Christ are prime examples of this Biblical Astronomy, [Try-God.com website]. We have pointed out where these key planetary unions are mirrored in this case on same days or within a day of actual dates aligned with those marking key aspects of Christ’s arrival, to depict how the Creator has sealed these historical dates for those with eyes to see and ears to hear their significance. In this case, it marks key historical Kings leading to the rise of key world Kingdom’s ruling the nations and decrees of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Statue, [Daniel 2, 3:28-30].#3

The Celestial signs marking Christ’s Birth are seen in planet signs of Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Mercury and Saturn as they are documented in numerous blogs @ [Blog.try-god.org] and studies that will keep you busy for a while. References in this month’s blog regarding 523-522 BC as we will see, are directly linked to the planetray signs of the 5 naked-eye visible planets of our Solar System as they pass through the constellations and their God-named stars to tell their story; [Ps. 147:4, Ps. 19, Isa. 45:12, Gen. 1:14-19] of Creation and the birth of Christ.

Gertoux continues; The term ‘Virgo’ is a reference to Gamma Virgo, Porrima (i.e. not a reference to either the constellation Virgo, nor to Alpha Virgo, Spica.)
“The 22nd day of Moon 5 began at sunset August 22, 523 BC, which is the very day when Jupiter passed Gamma Virgo! “The 22nd day of Moon 6 began at sunset September 21+, 523 BC, which is when Jupiter and Porrima became visible together on the morning horizon.

“Notice: These two observations, taken together, makes lines 1-2 [reverse] a statement on the visibility – and evidence of an actual firsthand observation-  of the setting star Porrima over the western horizon. Cf. Jupiter’s visibility over the eastern horizon!”

4. The Lunar Eclipses of lines 19-22 reverse on BM 33066 tablet are identified as follows: “Within the 7th year beginning in the Spring of 523 BC… we… find two lunar eclipses, both of them visible from the Baghdad horizon: A partial (53.15%) eclipse on July 17, 523 BC and a total eclipse on January 10, 522 BC” (cf. ftnote #1.) This mirrors the eclipse date of Herod’s Death…521 years later; Jan. 10th, 1BC, a key in the correct timing of Christ’s Birth in 3 BC. This high-lights a key feature of these planetary signs-as they align with a date matrix of celestial signs marking the birth of Christ with the planets-a starry concerto linked to key fixed stars, set in their constellations by The Almighty Creator, a unified temporal system of truth in His divine revelation for the wonder of all. His written Word in Creation as the Celestial Gospel.

5. “The New Moon of Abib [month number 1 of] year 7 began at sunset on April (5 or) 6, 523 BC… illum.: 0.81%.”

6. “After reviewing the available Jupiter events and available lunar eclipses, we may narrow our considerations to the following Venus events…

“Day 10 of Moon 3 of year 7 began at sunset June 12, 523 BC. Seems we have a problem here: Venus is in front of Cancer, not [immediately in front of] Leo! However, seeing that the first star visible with Venus in the evening sky was Regulus, alpha Leo, this… makes much sense! Especially in light of a mirrored June 12th date in 3BC, marking a Venus–Saturn union in Taurus, one of two consecutive Saturn unions in Taurus, opening to the 3-1 BC Celestial signs marking the Birth of Christ. 

“Day 27 of Moon 3 of year 7 began at sunset June 29, 523 BC. Seems that here too we may have a problem?! Venus is in the area of Gemini, NOT in Cancer. However, the Sun is in Cancer. Perhaps this is an error in translation?… the correct answer is found in recognizing that the Sun too is a star and that the Sun was, at that time, in Cancer! Indeed, as represented by my astronomy software, SNB, Venus was visible even before sunset!…

“Indeed, to me, both of these Venus notations seems powerful evidence of the astronomer’s actual first hand observation of these events.

The conventional 522 BC scenario – which does not(?) fit this astronomical record:

Based upon the face and format of this astronomical record, it is clear 1) that the originator of the record was using the Babylonian calendar, and beginning each year with Abib, month number one, and that 2) the two lunar eclipses of lines 19-22 occurred in the same 7th year as did events pertaining to Jupiter per lines 1-3.

Apparently the conventional dating of this record is based upon little more than an assumption that the lunar eclipses of year 7 & of lines 19-22 are identifiable with the July 5 and December 30, 522 BC lunar eclipses.

Unfortunately for said conventional dating of this record, the closest Jupiter events reminiscent of the events recorded per lines 1-3 in this record occurred one year earlier, that is, between September 20, 523 BC & May 5, 522 BC while being dated within the 7th and 8th years. For these events to fit this record, the events pertaining to Jupiter should have taken place one year later, or else they should be recorded as having occurred in the 6th and 7th year. Alternately, there should be found two lunar eclipses within the 7th year beginning in the Spring of 523 BC. And, Yes, we do indeed find two lunar eclipses within that year, both visible from the Baghdad horizon: A partial (53.15%) eclipse July 17, 523 BC and a total eclipse on January 10, 522 BC.  [July 17th, 2015 Jupiter-Regulus in Leo]

Accordingly, per the eclipse record of lines 19-22, Moon 4 of year 7 must include July 17, 523 BC, and Moon 10 of year 7 must include January 10, 522 BC. Using Espenak’s (formerly NASA’s) lunar phase tables, I find the New Moon of Abib year 7 began @ sunset on April (5 or) 6, 523 BC [Starry Nite Backyard set on Baghdad horizon:] Sunset: 18:19:59; moonset: 19:06:23; lag: 46 min 24 sec; illum.: 0.81%.

Also, per the Jupiter record of lines 1-3, the 22nd day of Moon 5 must precede Jupiter’s passing of Spica, alpha Virgo, on October 14, 523BC, as the 22nd day   of Moon 6 must fall subsequent to said date. Accordingly, (cf. Espenak’s tables) Moon 5 year 7 began with the New Moon August 30+, 523 BC, and Moon 6 year seven began with the New Moon September 29+, 523 BC. Unfortunately, such a placement does not harmonize with the above said lunar eclipses! It follows that either this placement of BM 33066 about 523 BC is wrong, or our choice of Spica, alpha Virgo, may be incorrect. Alternatively, a most likely contender is Gamma Virgo, Porrima, that Jupiter passed August 22, 523 BC. And per the Jupiter record of lines 1-3, the 22nd day of Moon 5 must precede Jupiter’s by- pass of Porrima, Gamma Virgo, on August 22, 523 BC, while the 22nd day of Moon 6 must fall subsequent to said date. Accordingly, (cf. Espenak’s tables) Moon 5 year 7 began with the New Moon August 1+, 523 BC [August 1 sunset: 19:04:39; moonset: 19:56:06; lag: 51 min 27 sec; illum.: 3.30%,] & Moon 6 year 7 began with the New Moon August 31+, 523 BC, reflects the [Aug. 31st, Jupiter–Venus 3BC union in Leo leading to the birth of Christ.] [August 30 sunset: 18:38:13; moonset: 18:56:39; lag: 18 min 26 sec; illum.: 1.66%.]

Thus:

The 22nd day of Moon 5 began at sunset August 22, 523 BC, which is the very day when Jupiter passed Gamma Virgo, as Saturn by-passed Spica, alpha Virgo at the same time. This mirrors a Jupiter–Venus union also in Virgo on
August 21st, 1 BC.

The 22nd day of Moon 6 began at sunset September 21+, 523 BC, was when Jupiter and Porrima became visible together on the morning horizon. This 9/21/523 BC date mirrors the same date in 2015 that opens Hebrew Jubilee year on Atonement day, while marking a Regulus–Venus alignment/union and Rev. 12 sign on the Christ angle of the Great Pyramid, in 2017!

Notice: These two observations, taken together, makes lines 1-2 a clear statement on the visibility – and an actual firsthand observation – of the setting star Porrima over the western horizon. Cf. Jupiter’s visibility over the eastern horizon, as Jupiter and Mars frame Porrima on the ecliptic!

Alternatively, looking upon subsequent series of Jupiter events (which events recur every 12 years) we find that on September 2, 512 BC- Jupiter entered the constellation of Virgo, and on December 13, 510 BC, Jupiter exited Libra while entering Scorpio. More specifically lines 1-3 of this astronomical clay tablet may be understood in terms of depicting the Jupiter events between Sept. 511 BC and Oct. 510 BC. Accordingly, the 7th and 8th years must be placed from the Spring of 511 BC until the Spring of 509 BC, and, for this temporal placement to fit, there must be two lunar eclipses between the Springs of 511 BC and 510 BC, within the 7th year of this record. But the closest pair of lunar eclipses, visible from Babylon, that possibly fit this record occurred on June 14 and December 9, 512 BC. Considering also the lunar eclipses that were not visible from the Baghdad horizon, we find two lunar eclipses also within the 7th year, starting in Spring of 511 BC: A total lunar eclipse on June 4, 511 BC, and a partial (58.54%) lunar eclipse on Nov 29, 511 BC.

Per Starry Night Backyard Constellation Boundaries, Jupiter left Leo for Virgo on Sept 18, 524 BC. Jupiter then became stationary while reversing across the breast of Virgo December 18, 524 BC, and then again April 23, 523 BC reverting to forward motion. Next stationary position occurred –after its last and only passage of Spica, alpha Virgo, on October 14, 523 BC– across the lower left tibia of Virgo on January 20, 522 BC, and following that on May 25, 522 BC. This retro-motion mimics Jupiter’s movements at Christ’s birth, with Jupiter-Regulus triple union. On Sept. 22, 522 BC Jupiter exited a Starry Night Backyard boundary of Virgo for Libra, passed Libra’s alpha star, Zubenelgenubi, [purchase/ deficient price Christ pd] on October 7, 522 BC, mirrors [October 8, 2015 Venus–Regulus in Leo]. On Jan. 5th, 521 BC it exited Libra for Scorpio, by–passing the Sun on Oct. 10, 522 BC, prior to visibility in evening sky, after which it rose higher in morning sky as it trailed ever further behind Libra.

Specifically on lines 1 and 2: ‘Virgo,’ as used in line 1 and 2, could represent either the constellation, or else the lead star, alpha Virgo, Spica. Given that only one month time is provided between lines 1 and 2, I am forced to conclude that Virgo, as used in lines 1 and 2, must apply to Spica, alpha Virgo and not to the constellation as a whole. It follows that the 22nd day of the 5th Moon of line 1 must be placed before Jupiter’s passing Spica, and that the 22nd day of the 6th Moon of line 2 must be placed after Jupiter’s passing Spica.

The conventional 524-522 BC scenario: Given, per Starry Night Backyard soft-ware, that Jupiter passed Spica only once within 524-521 BC, on October 14, 523 BC, I have no choice but to identify Moon 1 as opening May 5, 523 BC, Moon 5 as starting August 30+ [Aug 30, 523 BC sunset: 18:38:13; moonset: 18: 56:32; lag: 28 min 19 sec; illum.: 1.66%;] Moon 6 as opening on Sept. 29+ [Sept 29, 523 BC sunset: 17:59:51; moonset: 18:25:44; lag: 25 min 53 sec; illum.: 2.96%;] and Moon 10 opening on January 26+, 522 BC [Jan 26, 522 BC sunset: 17:27:55; moon- set: 18:52:35; lag: 84 min 40 sec; illum.: 2.25%.

Thus:

Abib 1 was reckoned as beginning on May 5+, 523 BC; ie. per the conventional dating of this record!

The 22nd day of the 5th Moon began on September 20+, 523 BC;

The 22nd day of the 6th Moon began on October 20+, 523 BC;

The 27th day of the 10th Moon began on February 21+, 522 BC. Notice: This is a no fit option, that is since 1) the real event took place on January 20± located 1° 35’ distant, and 2) this real event took place within the boundaries of the Virgo constellation, outside the constellation of Libra!

The closest & only alternative – that does(?) fit this astronomical record: The next time following the above 524-522 BC Virgo and Libra passage of Jupiter, began when, on September 2, 512 BC, Jupiter again exited Leo for Virgo, after which it again became stationary near Virgo’s left elbow; Dec. 24, 512 BC, and again reversing its path on April 25, 211 BC. Following next, Jupiter by-passed Spica, alpha Virgo, September 28, 511 BC, mirroring the last Blood Moon of the  9/28/2015 Blood Moon Tetrad, after which Jupiter reversed its path January 26, 510 BC (shortly after passing Libra’s limits, Dec. 23rd, 511 BC) before halting & reversing on May 29, 510 BC, to reenter Libra, August 16th, 510 BC. After by-passing alpha Libra [Zubenalgenubi] September 22, 510 BC, exiting the sign Libra for Scorpio on December 13, 510 BC.

The alternative 512-510 BC scenario: Given, per my Starry Night Backyard soft–ware, that Jupiter passed Spica only once within 512-510 BC, on September 28, 511 BC, [9/28/2015 Super Blood Moon @ Feast of Trunpets] I have no choice but to identify Moon 1 opening April 21, 511 BC, & Moon 5 started August 18+ [Aug 18, 511 BC-sunset: 18:50:57; moonset: 19:39: 02; lag: 48 min 05 sec; illum.: 1.04%;] Moon 6 opening Sept. 17+Sun clothes Virgo/ Moon @ feet/2015 Mercury-Spica, [Sept 17, 511 BC] @ sunset: 18:15:36; moonset: 19:17:25; lag: 61 min 49 sec; illum: 2.88%;] Moon 10 opened January 13+, 510 BC [Jan 13, 510 BC sunset: 17:16:38; moonset: 18:41:57; lag: 86 min 19 sec; illum.: 3.21%.]

Thus:

Abib 1 reckoned as beginning on April 21+, 511 BC; ie. per the one perfect fit dating of this record!

The 22nd day of the 5th Moon began on September 8+, 511 BC;

The 22nd day of the 6th Moon began on October 8+, 511 BC; mirrors Oct. 8/2015 Venus–Regulus in Leo].

The 27th day of the 10th Moon began on February 8+, 511 BC. Notice: Jupiter moved no more than 0° 20’ between Jan 26 and Feb 8. This is a good fit!

Alternatively: Jupiter passed Porrima on August 7, 511 BC.

Thus:

Abib 1 was reckoned starting on February 22+, 511 BC; This is not a likely Aviv date!

The 22nd day of the 5th Moon began on July 11+, 511 BC;

The 22nd day of the 6th Moon began on August 10+, 511 BC;

The 27th day of the 10th Moon began on December 11+, 511 BC. Notice: Jupiter moved almost 3° between Dec 11 and Jan 25. This is not a good fit!

It follows that for this Jupiter scenario to fit, Spica must have been the Virgo reference star, not Porrima!

Next we will review elements of the Chronologies of Darius 1 and Xerxes 1 followed by Artaxerxes. Lets start with the case for Ahasuerus being Darius: [see seforim blog]

A. Another aspect of this topic is consideration of the Chronology of Persian Kings. A reason for uncertainty in a timeline between Darius and Xerxes is they share similar personality traits. Though there are character traits that can fit Xerxes, they too can fit equally well for Darius. For example, Darius is well-known for his greed. Herodotus called Darius a “huckster“ for Darius sought to make a gain in everything. This fits with Haman offering to pay the King 10,000 talents of silver, & also fits Esther appealing to the loss of kingdom revenue with the Israelites in the kingdom being eliminated.

B. Esther 1:1 says this king reigned over Ethiopia. However, it was not until Cambyses; 530-523 BC that Ethiopia and Egypt were conquered. In 525 BC, Cambyses invaded Egypt. In the spring of that year, the Persian and Egyptian forces clashed at Pelusium, where the Persians emerged victorious. This king also chose the city of Susa/Shushan to build his palace according to Pliny,  ruling out anyone before Darius.

C. The age of Mordecai rules out any later than Darius, to which Rev. Nessle  pointed out and agrees, as seen in the very strong Biblical case he has put together. The age of Mordecai and Esther rules out anyone after Darius. In recognizing this problem have attempted a twisted translation such as the NKJV – that says it was Kish, [not Mordecai] taken captive under Jeconiah. Quotes; Jones says, “Only by a tortured, forced grammatical construction can this sentence ever apply to Mordecai’s Great Grandfather Kish.” If Mordecai was taken into exile, it makes him 78 in the first chapter of Esther, and 87 at the end, rather than 124 years old when promoted to the position of prime minister/Grand Vizier.

This chronology solves major problems in Ezra and Nehemiah where both are either made to be incredibly old or where (as most say) there are two different Ezras and two different Nehemiahs, [but no other Mordecai’s in the Bible.]

D1. Esther 1:14 mentions “the seven princes of Persia and Media.” Darius began the custom of having seven counselors.

D2. Esther 1:14. Notice the order of “Persia and Media” (cf. 1:3,18,19). Before Cyrus, the Medes were dominant and Scripture refers to them as “the Medes and the Persians.” Not until Cyrus’ first year [539-538 BC] did the Persians gain ascendancy over the Medes.

E. Under Darius the Mede there were 120 satrapies (Dan. 6:1), yet under this king there are 127 (Est 1:1). Between the two kings the satrapies increased, but it was not until the 12th year of Darius that all 127 were in place. Under Xerxes the number of provinces controlled by Persia began to decrease.

F. Esther tells us under Xerxes the kingdom actually lost the isles by his 12th year. A good argument for Xerxes comes from Georg Friedrich; Grotefend’s decoding of the Persian characters found in Persepolis ruins. The name of the son of Darius Hystaspis was deciphered as Khshayarsha, in ancient Persian.

G. Grotefend’s translation to Greek = Xerxes. When khshayarsha is transposed into Hebrew, it becomes near letter for letter Akhashverosh, that’s rendered Ahasuerus in English. A problem with this is “Ahasuerus” consists of 2 words “aha“ that means “mighty“ and “Suerus“ meaning “king;”- Mighty king. So the translation into Xerxes leaves out the “aha,“ or the mighty. Jones says that it should have literally been translated “Artaxerxes.” This may be a reference to Darius’s grand-son, Artaxerxes and not Xerxes.

H. Ahasuerus may seem a probable match to Xerxes because:

– The name Ahasuerus is close to some versions of the name Xerxes even though it is not so close to the Xerxes version, as seen below.

Xerxes (Greek) = Xsayaarsan/Khshayarsha/Xsayarsa/Khashayar/Xasayar/Axores (Persian) = Khsherish/Khshiarsh/Khshaiarsha/Xasayarusa/Hasayarusa (Egyptian) = Hisi’arsa/Ahsiyarsu/Ahsiiaarsu (Akkadian/Babylonian) = Aksiwarsu/ Aksiiwaarsu = Hsy’rs (Aramaic) = Ahaseros/Ahaseweros/Ahasveros (Biblical) = Ahasuerus/Assuerus (Latin Biblical) = Ahasweros/Achashverosh (Tiberian Biblical) = Asoueros (Greek Biblical).

I. Although the Septuagint, Vulgate, Midrash & Josephus with an Ethiopic text identifies Ahasuerus as Artaxerxes, these are later traditions, and the name Artaxerxes is similar to Xerxes in Greek at least. (Artaxerxes is “considered a common name/title of kings in Persia.”) Seforim Eclipse Blog

Identifying Khshayarsha/Xerxes with Achashverosh thus makes much sense on linguistic grounds. Critically, it is consistent with Ezra 4:6 which had implied that Achashverosh was king between Daryavesh (=Darius I) & Artachshasta (=Artaxerxes I).[5]
    We have an inscription from Khshayarsha in Persian listing the countries over which he ruled. Among the countries listed are “Hidush” and “Kushiya,” most likely the Hodu and Kush of the Megillah.[6]
    Now that we have identified Achashverosh in secular sources, we can use these sources to provide some biographical information. Xerxes reigned from 486-465 BC, in one timeline when the Temple was already rebuilt, in the reign of his father Darius I in 515 BC. According to Herodotus, Xerxes was the son of Darius by Atossa, daughter of Cyrus. Xerxes was the first son born to Darius after Darius became king. These factors distinguished him from his older half-brother Artabazanes, meriting Xerxes being chosen as successor to Darius. At his accession in 486 BC, Xerxes could not have been more than 35 years old (since he was born after the accession of Darius in 522 BC).
The party in which Vashti rebelled occurred in the 3rd year of Achashverosh‘  reign (1:3), and Esther was not chosen until the 7th year (2:16). Why did it take Achashverosh so long to choose a replacement? It has been suggested Xerxes was distracted by his foreign policy. In the earlier years of his reign, Xerxes ordered a full-scale invasion of Greece. Xerxes led the invasion himself, that removed him from Persia commencing in the spring/summer of his 5th year and continuing through part of his 7th year. [7] This invasion ended in defeat.
From the secular sources and a solar eclipse that took place in the battles, it can be calculated that Xerxes did not return to Susa until the fall of 479 BC.
As was pointed out in last month’s blog, the only Solar Eclipses fitting this description of eclipses by Xerxes’ in 480BC are the 4/09/480BC Total Solar &

10/2/480BC Annular Solar Eclipses. In 479BC only the 3/29/479BC Total Solar Eclipse & 9/21/479BC Annular Solar Eclipses fit the bill of “day now eclipsing into night.”  

[8] Tevet of Achashverosh’s 7th year, when Esther was chosen, would have been Dec. 479/ Jan. 478 BC. Accordingly, Esther was taken to the palace shortly after Xerxes’ return.
    We find no known secular evidence for the main plot of Purim, except the Celestial evidence itself of the Repeating/Matched three Purim eclipses in a row, completing the fully matched repetition this past March in 2024-2026. No works by any Persian historians from this period survived. (Probably, no such works were composed.) But the Repeating/Matching eclipses with the mirrored
history between ancient Persia and modern Iran, provide compelling enough astronomical evidence over 10 years of matching eclipses to get our attention!
The added history of the reign of Xerxes is Herodotus and his narrative ends in the 7th year of Xerxes.[9]

There were unique events going on in the third year of this king’s reign. Xerxes can fit this beautifully in that he took at least 4 years gearing up to campaign against the Greeks and he needed the support of his princes. But this also fits  a chronology of Darius as well. Darius spent the first two+ years of his reign putting down rebellions, and a feast in the third year fits perfectly. It would have finally been a celebration of having put down 9 attempted overthrows of the kingdom and numerous rebellions in the empire. Once he consolidated, it was time to celebrate and display his power.#10

Likewise, waiting till the seventh year for the wedding search fits Xerxes. He had come home wasted in his war with Greece. He lost badly and could have sought comfort for himself during this time.

James Jordan says, “we have seen that Darius is called Artaxerxes in Ezra-Nehemiah. In the Greek Septuagint throughout, Esther’s king is called Artaxerxes. Ahasuerus is between Darius & Artaxerxes in Ezra 4. Xerxes      is between Darius and Artaxerxes in Persian king lists and in Herodotus.

There is also the exact date match of the 10th month of the king’s 7th year: “Ahasuerus met Esther in the 10th month of his 7th year. Xerxes sought comfort from his harem following his defeat at Salamis in 10th month of his 7th year.” Ahasuerus banished Vashti in his 3rd year, and met Esther in his 7th year. Xerxes ruled from 486 BC, and his Greek invasion was in 480 BC (to before?) his 7th year?). The 13th year of Ahasuerus is also near Xerxes 12th year, [486BC +12 years=474BC which fits a Thucydides timeline who reigned as the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, via a conventional history reigned from 486 BC until his assassination in 465 BC, but for these reasons are we lean to 474 BC for Xerxes I’ death. The next evidence from Gertoux fills out this picture from his article on “Dating the reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes.” #11 Dating the Reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes, in: Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis Series Archaeologica 40 (2018, pp. 179-206).

According to Diodorus Siculus [Historical Library XI:54-60] and Herodotus [Histories VII:1-5] referenced below; the transfer of power between Darius to Xerxes occurred with a revolt in Egypt in 486 BC, 4 years after the Persian defeat at Marathon. While the transition between Xerxes/Atraxerxes took place just after the storming of Eion in 476 BC. Xerxes recalled most of his Persian troops in the winter of 480/479 BC.[6] A final battle was engaged at Plataea in Boeotia in August 479 BC. Eion was taken by the Delian League in 476 BC led by the Athenian[7] general Cimon. This was a late event in Xerxes’ reign before Artaxerxes ascended, [Histories VII. 106-107]. Xerxes reigned 21 years via Ptolemy’s Kings List, including a 10-year co-regency with Darius his father. From the BM astronomical tablet #32234, lunar eclipses framed the death of Xerxes between June 26th, 474 BC-Total lunar eclipse as the Moon is seen in the 4 rear stars of Saggittarius, and a Partial lunar eclipse Dec. 20, 474 BC. Xerxes death was dated Wed. August 23/24, 474 BC, with his accession year 21 years earlier in 496 BC, or year 26 of Darius I. Xerxes was thus crown Prince long before Darius died, making him Crown Prince and co-regent at the same time. #12 IBID

Having declared Xerxes king, Darius was intent on his expedition. But in the year after this, and the revolt of Egypt, death came upon him in the midst of his preparation, after a reign of thirty six years; nor was it granted him to punish either the revolting Egyptians, or the Athenians. Esther 1 takes place in the third year of King Ahasuerus’ reign.

Let the king appoint overseers in all provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women;

All the women were to live in the harem under Hegai’s charge. Intriguingly, the name ‘Hegai‘ occurs as an officer of Xerxes in the Histories of Herodotus (ix. 34).

Esther 2:5-11

5 In [d]Shushan the [e]citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. 6 Kish[f] had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with [g]Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. 7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at [h] Shushan the [i]citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. 9 Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides [j]her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women. 10 Esther had not [k]revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. 11 And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.

Verse 6 establishes Mordecai’s grandfather Kish as one, “who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.” The event of King Jeconiah’s exile is found in Jer. 27:19-20:

In year 8 of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, in 597 BC he removed [Jehoiachin] king Jeconiah from Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem on Adar 2, 597 BC but waited till Nisan 1 to take him captive back to Babylon to put Zedekiah on the throne as vassal king- on Nisan 10. [2 Chron. 36:10]

All the nobles of Jerusalem were included in this exile, which included Mordecai. The next character in the narrative of Esther is introduced as Hadassah, a Jewish name meaning ‘myrtle’ and her Persian name Esther meaning ‘star’, maybe a potential reference to the star–like flowers of the myrtle, seen below in the botanical illustration.

Fringe Myrtle (Calytrix tetragona) is a beautiful native shrub that keeps on giving. Not only does it cover itself in an array of starry white flowers from spring, but after flowering the calyces hang on for some weeks, shiny with long curling threads, turning golden bronze and purplish. The name Calytrix is from two Greek words meaning calyx and hair, alluding to the long fine calyx tips and the species name tetragona means four-sided, relating to the leaf cross-section.

No photo description available.
Source: Australian National Botanic Gardens

Photos: Wild Blue Mountains

Esther is without living father or mother, however her family line is also from a royal family of Jews just as Mordecai, he adopted her and was raising her as his own daughter. She found favor with Mordecai as he took her in as his own daughter. She also found favor with Hegai as he quickly brought her into the harem and gave her advantage over all the other virgins.

Verse 16 gives us the details of when this event takes place, “So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.” This would have been about four years from the time the king had issued his edict concerning Vashti.

Verse 17 shows the king’s response after his evening spent with Esther as we read, “The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Note that Esther still listened to the direction of her adopted father, Mordecai even as she is no longer under his care having been crowned Queen, showing her humility.

Verse 21 discloses a significant incident, “In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus,” become angry enough to try and kill King Ahasuerus.

The king’s life was always in peril as this is part of the risk to having so much power, showing the palace intrigue involved that was navigated successfully by Mordecai and Esther in verse 22, where the plot became known to Mordecai and he translated the message through Queen Esther.

Verse 23 shows the results of this revelation that there was an investigation  that verified the report with a conclusion of both men being hanged on the gallows.

As with every important event that transpired during the king’s reign this one, “was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.” The books containing the king’s written records would have been destroyed in the fire that happened during the reign of Artexerxes, the son of King Ahasuerus.

God’s special care for His people-Israel is evident based on His foreknowledge to have all key people correctly placed to carry out His will. Only an Omni-scient All-powerful God can pull this off, as we find in the circumstances below.

A Jewish princess, not identified publicly, already resides in the citadel of Susa, who happens to be beautiful, humble, obedient, wise & charming, who catches the attention of Hegai an important official in the king’s service, one who happens to control the daily lives of all the virgins brought to the king. The king happens to adore her as well and selects her to be his queen. As her adopted Father-Mordecai happened to be seated in the Kings Gate, when a plot to kill the king was discovered and thwarted. Esther was a singular woman to deliver her nation from disaster, a rare person with a perfect blend of charm, strength, and guile, whose character was secure from the rot of wealth, power and prosperity, who at a critical juncture in history came through risked death for her people– Israel, escaped dying with them, opening God’s deliverance to His people as a providential instrument for His glorious purpose.

This month’s blog has seemingly generated more questions than perhaps the answers it has provided in certain cases. For example, if Xerxes was not Esther’s wife, who was his wife? This also begs the question of Xerxes‘ successor, as a potential offspring and heir to the Persian throne? We will explore these & other related questions in next month‘s July blog. 

From the last two blogs in May and June of 2026, we have presented information on a debate that’s raged literally for centuries on the history of timing of Persian Kings. We have included Historical, Astronomical, Biblical and Archaeological evidence in an effort to be as comprehensive and even-handed as possible, so as not to bias this material in any way. As always, I welcome any and all feed-back you may have to add to this discussion.

God Bless!

Rene’

 

Footnotes;

1. Post-exilic Bible Chronology & Identifying Esther’s Husband, Jon Nessle.
2. Ptolemy’s (Almagest V:14)

[1.]  http://www.adamoh.org/TreeOfLife.wan.io/OTCh/BM_33066-Cambyses_clay_tablet/BM_33066-Cambyses_7th_year_astronomy_clay_tablet-Initial_Review.htm

[1a] Adapted article from;  Jul 16, 523 BC – ANCHOR Partial Lunar Eclipse Yr 7 of Cambyses, Chronological, Historical and Archaeological Evidence by Gerard Gertoux

[2] Cf. footnote 1!

[3] Notice that our placement of this event forces a definition of the meaning of the original words behind this sentence! That is, whether or not an intercalary Moon was inserted at this time! At any rate, all considerable dates requires a 12 Moon year at this point, that is, with no intercalary Moon! [Cf. footnote 4!]

[4] The conventional 524-522 BC scenario: The event of May 25, 522 BC (cf. footnote 1.) Month 2 of year 8 began on either May 24+, or else on June 22+ (if a 13th Moon is intercalated.) The 25th day of Moon 2 fell on June 17+, or else on July 16+. June 17+ is perhaps? close enough to May 25, 522 BC (Jupiter moved 0° 51’,) but not July 16+!

The alternative 512-510 BCE scenario: The event of May 29, 510 BC (cf. ftnote 1.) Month 2 of year 8 began on either May 11+, or else on June 10+ (if a 13th Moon is intercalated.) The 29th day of Moon 2 fell on June 8+, or else on July 8+. June 8+ is close enough to May 29, 510 BC (Jupiter moved 0° 15’,) but not July 8+ (Jupiter moved 2° 30’!)

Accordingly, the cuneiform behind this translation is most likely saying that the 12th Moon of this year was the last Moon of this year, and that there was no 13th Moon.

 [5] Perhaps the error is found in the translation “behind Libra”, ie. vs. “in front of Libra?”

[6] Given that Moon 2 is already defined, it follows that: The conventional 524-522 BC scenario: Moon 6, 522 BC began Sept 18+, 522 BC. The 4th day of the 6th Moon began on Sept 21+, 522 BC. But, a called for recorded event occurred after passing alpha Libra on October 7, 522 BC.

The alternative 512-510 BC scenario: Moon 6, 510 BC began on Sept 7+, 510 BC. The 4th day of the 6th Moon began on Sept 10+. But, the called for recorded event occurred after passing alpha Libra on September 22, 510 BC.

It becomes obvious that alpha Libra is not the reference star being used in this record. Most likely then, the correct reference star must be beta Libra, Zubeneschamali. The corresponding corrected dates for Jupiter’s passing Libra are Nov 11, 522 BC and Oct 27, 510 BC. [But this suggestion only aggravates the problem!]

[7] The conventional 524-522 BC scenario: After reviewing the available Jupiter events and available lunar eclipses, we may narrow considerations of the Venus events accordingly, that is, the 7th year of BM 33066 beginning in Spring of 523 BC. More precisely, the 3rd Moon of year 7 began with the New Moon June 3, 523 BC [June 3, 523 BC sunset: 18:58:43; moonset: 20:19:51; lag: 81 min 8 sec; illum.: 2.01%.]

Thus, Day 10 of Moon 3 of year 7 began at sunset June 12, 523 BC. Seems we have a problem here: Venus is in front of Cancer, not Leo! However, seeing that the first star visible with Venus on the evening sky was Regulus, alpha Leo, this too makes much sense!

Day 27 of Moon 3 of year 7 began at sunset June 29, 523 BC. Seems that here too we may have a problem?! Venus is in the area of Gemini, NOT in Cancer. However, the Sun is in Cancer. Perhaps this is an error in translation? Or, perhaps the correct answer is found in recognizing that the Sun too is a star and that the Sun was, at that time, in Cancer! Indeed, as represented by my astronomy software, SNB, Venus was visible even before sunset! And, looking up Venus and magnitude I find that Venus is brighter as a crescent than it is at its full, that is, because of its closeness to Earth…

Indeed, to me, both of these Venus notations seems powerful evidence of the astronomer’s actual first hand observation of these events, that is, as opposed to theoretical calculations as some are suggesting.

The alternative 512-510 BC scenario:

Per our findings (cf. footnote #) for the 512-510BC scenario re Jupiter, day 10 of Moon 3 of year 7, must have fallen on June 29 or 30, 511 BC. But, in the 7th year the only lunar eclipses fell, not in the 4th and 10 Moons as required by this record, but in the 2nd and 8th Moons. As there is no fit for both Jupiter events and the eclipse events as recorded on BM33066, I find the 512-510 scenario is not a workable option and can be most certainly ruled out! – Accordingly, I may now freely go on with my creation of an interpretation of BM33066 in terms of the 323-321 BC scenario…

[8] Conventional placement in July 522 BC: As observable from the Baghdad horizon on July 5, 522 BC per Starry Night Backyard software: Sunset: 19:11:36; opening of penumbral (not noticeable) shadow: 20:49:36; beginning of visible shadow: 22:02:36; starting of total eclipse: 22:59:00; end total eclipse: 00:47:00; end of visible shadow: 01:46:00; end of penumbral (not noticeable) shadow: 02:58:00.

Accordingly, the blood colored red totally eclipsed Moon began 3 hours, 48 min, and 24 seconds after sunset, and the visible eclipse began 2 hours 53 min after sunset. It follows that F. X. Kugler’s 1907 translation – “1 2/3 Doppelstunden (3h 20m,)” i.e. “1 2/3 double hours [three hours and twenty minutes]” – is a less correct translation than is “1 2/3 and 1 double hour” as found at this link.

[9] Please note that the cuneiform word translated “the north wind blew” is probably better translated in terms of “stood.” Cf. my discussion at footnote 59 under this link.

[10] Conventional placement in December 522 BC: As observable from the Baghdad horizon on December 30-31, 522 BC per Starry Night Backyard software: Sunset: 17:06:30; beginning of penumbral (invisible) eclipse shadow: 17:35:04; beginning of visible partial (64.36%) eclipse: 18:48:00; end of visible partial eclipse: 21:18:00; sunrise: 07:11:28; moonset: 07:37:52.

Notice: The facts of this eclipse do not agree with the words of the record as conventionally translated!: Not, by far, a total eclipse, and the eclipse occurred in the evening, not in the hours before dawn!

Alternatives to conventional placement: Looking at the placement of lunar eclipses between 539 BC and 500 BC, I find only one other reasonably timed lunar eclipse pair: In 512 BC…

As observable from the Baghdad horizon on June 14-15, 512 BC per Starry Night Backyard software: Sunset: 19:05:09; beginning of penumbral (invisible) eclipse shadow: 23:14:33; beginning of visible partial (76.47%) eclipse: 00:28:00; end of visible partial eclipse: 03:19:00; end of penumbral (invisible) eclipse: 04:31:00; sunrise: 04:46:41; moonset: 04:58:33.

As observable from the Baghdad horizon on December 9-10, 512 BC per Starry Night Backyard software: Sunset: 16:59:59; beginning of penumbral (invisible) eclipse shadow: 00:44:00; beginning of visible total eclipse: 01:53:00; beginning of totally eclipsed Moon: 02:49:00; end of totally eclipsed Moon: 04:34:00; end of visible eclipse: 05:29:00; end penumbral eclipse: 06:38:40; sunrise: 06:58:15; moonset: 07:10:33.

Conclusion re alternative placement in time: Seeing that the beginning of the June 14/15, 512 BC visible eclipse is too far removed from sunset while also not a total eclipse, while the December 9/10, 512 BC eclipse seem a fairly good fit, I find that most likely the translation of the cuneiform is in serious error and must be thoroughly reviewed and reconsidered. Perhaps the best approach to this problem is to begin by considering the within record of Jupiter & Saturn? Cf. lines 1-3 reverse!

[11] If “total eclipse” is a correct translation, then this does not fit 522 BC! Please cf. the Notice under footnote #10!

[12] Cuneiform words translated “the south and north winds blew”, please cf. footnote#9.

#13 Seforim Eclipse Blog [https://seforimblog.com/2013/02/identifying-achashverosh-and-esther-in/]
A. IBID
B. IBID
C. IBID
D1. IBID
D2. IBID
E. IBID
F. IBID
G. IBID
H. IBID
I. IBID

14. Dating the Reigns of Xerxes and Artaxerxes, in: Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis Series Archaeologica 40 (2018, pp. 179-206).
15. IBID