| Thales of Miletus Consider the astronomer Thales of | | | | out" from the book of Jeremiah is better translated |
| Miletus. Thales is credited by the peers in his age with | | | | "shadows of evening were distorted". During a solar |
| predicting a solar eclipse that stopped the war | | | | eclipse the appearance of shadows exhibit many |
| between the nations of Lydia and Media. Apparently, | | | | strange behaviors. As the sun approaches eclipse, the |
| Lydia and Media were engaged in battle when a solar | | | | shadows of trees appear to have many crescent |
| eclipse occurred. These nations, who were | | | | outlines, shadows appears to race across the ground |
| worshippers of heavenly bodies, realized that the | | | | and shadows lengthen. I believe this is what Jeremiah |
| solar eclipse could be a potentially "bad" omen so | | | | was describing when he wrote "the shadows of |
| they negotiated an end to the military engagement. | | | | evening are stretched out". |
| Conventional chronologists dated this eclipse to the | | | | If this was a solar eclipse why didn't Jeremiah write |
| year 585 B.C. This date is only a year different than | | | | "the day became night at noon"? I believe this was a |
| the date proposed by conventional chronologists for | | | | special type of eclipse, an annular eclipse. A total solar |
| the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in | | | | eclipse will result in total darkness for some area on |
| 586 B.C. Since Lydia (modern day Turkey) is in the | | | | Earth, however an annular eclipse will not. So what is |
| same part of the world as Jerusalem, was the eclipse | | | | an annular eclipse? It is an eclipse where only about |
| described by Thales that stopped the war between | | | | 97% of the area of the Sun is eclipsed. Total |
| Lydia and Media also visible in Jerusalem near the time | | | | darkness doesn't occur; however the brightness of |
| of Nebuchadnezzar's siege? If it was visible in | | | | the sun is diminished like it went behind a cloud. |
| Jerusalem was this eclipse documented in the Bible? | | | | Therefore, the description of the solar eclipse in |
| The solar eclipse in Turkey (Lydia) in 585 B.C. was | | | | Jeremiah 6:4-5 is consistent with the description of an |
| visible over Israel. No other solar eclipses occurred in | | | | annular solar eclipse. |
| Turkey or Israel from 558 B.C. until 634 B.C. | | | | Finding the Eclipse of Thales |
| Therefore this eclipse could have been seen in Israel | | | | If the eclipse in Jeremiah 6:4-5 is an annular eclipse |
| and was the only eclipse that could have been seen | | | | and it is the same eclipse described by Thales of |
| in Israel during this time. So does the Bible mention a | | | | Miletus then it can't be the eclipse that occurred in |
| solar eclipse near the period of the destruction of | | | | 585 B.C. Why? That eclipse was a total solar eclipse. |
| Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar? I believe it does. | | | | So which eclipse is it? According to the timeline I |
| Consider the following verses (Jeremiah 6:4-5): | | | | propose in my book "The Fourth Day: Why the Bible |
| "Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up | | | | is Historically Accurate", the destruction of Jerusalem |
| at noon. Woe unto us! For the day goeth away, for | | | | happens very near 390 B.C. rather than the year 586 |
| the shadows of the evening are stretched out. Arise, | | | | B.C. as many historians claim. The closest solar eclipse |
| and let us go by night, and let us destroy her | | | | over Israel in the time frame I proposed took place |
| palaces." Many theologians believe that this verse | | | | on August 14, 393 B.C. and it was an annular eclipse. |
| describes a conversation among the generals of | | | | While a solar eclipse provides very useful information |
| Nebuchadnezzar on the day they were to attack | | | | when it comes to dating an event it appears that |
| Jerusalem. These theologians believe that | | | | God provides even more clarification to remove all |
| Nebuchadnezzar's forces were preparing to attack at | | | | doubt as to which solar eclipse he is referring to |
| noon and found that their attack had been extended | | | | (Jeremiah 15:9): "She that hath born seven |
| until the end of the day so that they would have to | | | | languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is |
| continue their attack at night. I have a different | | | | gone down while it is yet day..." Notice that it is much |
| interpretation. I believe these verses describe a solar | | | | clearer in this verse that a solar eclipse has taken |
| eclipse. I believe that the forces of Nebuchadnezzar | | | | place : "...her sun is gone down while it is yet day...". |
| began to attack at noon when a solar eclipse | | | | Also, can you imagine a woman that has her own |
| occurred. His generals realized that a very "bad" | | | | "sun"? What kind of woman is this? If you read the |
| omen was occurring in the sky (maybe because of | | | | twelfth chapter in the book of Revelations a woman |
| some angry god) and so they exclaimed "Woe to us" | | | | in the sky has been associated with Israel and her |
| and they stopped the attack. (It is interesting that | | | | name is Virgo. Is it possible that Jeremiah is referring |
| the forces of Lydia and Media reacted similarly during | | | | to the constellation Virgo? According to this verse |
| the same eclipse that was predicted by Thales.) Also | | | | Virgo has bore "seven". I mention elsewhere in my |
| note that the characteristics of a solar eclipse, the | | | | book, "The Fourth Day: Why the Bible is Historically |
| day going down and the distortion of shadows, are | | | | Accurate" that the sign in the sky described in |
| mentioned in the verse to clarify that the solar event | | | | Revelation 12:3 regarding the celestial sign of the |
| took place. The generals of Nebuchadnezzar then | | | | dragon with seven crowns was the constellation |
| attacked at night to avoid the possibility that another | | | | Hydra and seven bodies (sun, moon and five planets) |
| solar eclipse could occur and impede their attack. | | | | located in the sky during a solar eclipse. Is it possible |
| The wording of the verse also points to the | | | | that Jeremiah 15:9 is describing a similar celestial sign? |
| uniqueness of the event. Notice the phrase "the | | | | A solar eclipse occurred over Israel on August 14, |
| shadows of the evening are stretched out". This is | | | | 393 B.C. During this solar eclipse the constellation |
| the only place in the entire Bible this description is | | | | Virgo is in the middle of the sky and seven celestial |
| used of shadows. There are two different verses | | | | bodies, the sun and the moon and five planets, would |
| used by Solomon to describe the appearance of | | | | have been in the sky. Therefore, I believe Jeremiah |
| shadows as the night turned to day, Song of | | | | 15:9 is a description of the appearance of the sky |
| Solomon 2:17 and 4:6: "Until the day break and the | | | | during the solar eclipse that occurs at the beginning |
| shadows flee away...". Literally the phrase "the | | | | of the final siege that Nebuchadnezzar conducted on |
| shadows flee away" means the shadows disappeared | | | | Jerusalem, the solar eclipse that Thales predicted and |
| which is a reasonable way to describe the | | | | the solar eclipse that stopped the war between Lydia |
| phenomena of the sun transforming night into day. | | | | and Media. |
| The phrase "the shadows of evening are stretched | | | | |