|
|
The night skies have always entranced
human beings, challenging the intellect and
inspiring their creativity. It was universally
believed that the mysteries of creation could
be read in the heavens. However, the
secrets of the universe began to be decoded
only with the development of precise
research tools, which made it possible to
determine the cycle of stellar motion and the
amount of time it takes for the planets to
make an orbit. The scholars of Greece, led
by Aristotle and Hipparchus, were already
achieving quite creditable measurements in
the third and second centuries BCE, and the
picture of the world that they conceived
held sway until the modern period. The
discoveries of Copernicus, Keppler,
Galileo, Descartes, and Newton laid the
foundation for the new science. The
Hebrew calendar makes certain that the
month of Nisan will fall no more than one
lunar month from the appearance of Aries,
in order to fulfill the biblical text: "Seven
days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I
commanded thee, in the time of the month
Aviv [Spring]". In the second century BCE
the picture of the universe formulated by the
Greeks was entirely different; not only was
the earth at the center, but there were nine
closed circles resolving around the earth.
Although this conception of the universe
changed somewhat over the years, it
endured into the fifteenth century. It is
therefore no wonder that for thousands of
years the stars were thought to accompany
the earth, or that many people also believed
in their power to influence the course of life
on earth.
human beings, challenging the intellect and
inspiring their creativity. It was universally
believed that the mysteries of creation could
be read in the heavens. However, the
secrets of the universe began to be decoded
only with the development of precise
research tools, which made it possible to
determine the cycle of stellar motion and the
amount of time it takes for the planets to
make an orbit. The scholars of Greece, led
by Aristotle and Hipparchus, were already
achieving quite creditable measurements in
the third and second centuries BCE, and the
picture of the world that they conceived
held sway until the modern period. The
discoveries of Copernicus, Keppler,
Galileo, Descartes, and Newton laid the
foundation for the new science. The
Hebrew calendar makes certain that the
month of Nisan will fall no more than one
lunar month from the appearance of Aries,
in order to fulfill the biblical text: "Seven
days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I
commanded thee, in the time of the month
Aviv [Spring]". In the second century BCE
the picture of the universe formulated by the
Greeks was entirely different; not only was
the earth at the center, but there were nine
closed circles resolving around the earth.
Although this conception of the universe
changed somewhat over the years, it
endured into the fifteenth century. It is
therefore no wonder that for thousands of
years the stars were thought to accompany
the earth, or that many people also believed
in their power to influence the course of life
on earth.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Software | DVD / Music | Hebrew study | Books | T-shirts | Archaeology | Jewelry | Art | Gifts | Dead sea cosmetics Home | Privacy Policy | Shipping Policy | Return Policy | Affiliate Program | Gift Certificate | site map | About us | Contact Us | Wholesalers | Partners Copyright © 1997-2007 |