Page 216 - Foundations

patriarchs through Noah and his immediate descendants.
[Source: Aratus’ - Phaenomena and Diosemeia, John Lamb, D.D.]

Here we have one who believes that Adam’s early descendants had knowledge of astronomy and of
the constellations, this knowledge being carried forward to postdiluvian civilizations through Noah
and his sons. Dr. Lamb shared his opinion of the development of the zodiac, its symbols and
mythology along two separate lines, one Babylonian, and the other Phoenician.

From the early history of the human race, as recorded in the first ten chapters of Genesis, and the
continued records of their own empire, they would form a picture-history, commencing with Adam
and reaching to their own times. Such I conceive to have been the Assyrian or Babylonian sphere;
and that from it are derived the human figures on our celestial globe. The other sphere, of which the
signs or constellations were the figures of animals, was of Phenician (sic) origin. This people at an
early period having migrated to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean became the first of maritime
nations...

They soon became a populous and powerful people, and were most celebrated for their maritime skill
and boldness, and for the advancement they made in arithmetic and astronomy. Their mariners would
carefully observe the positions and motions of the heavenly bodies, and would figure them upon a
celestial sphere. And in so doing, what plan would they more probably adopt than that of taking for
the signs or constellations the images which distinguished and gave a name to their celebrated ships?
The learned Bochart has clearly shewn that the word Pegasus is of Phenician (sic) origin: Pag or
Pega, "a bridle," and Sus, "a horse," forming the word "Pegasus," " the bridled horse," no doubt the
figure at the head, and the name of a ship. The body of this animal and of several others on the globe
are cut in half, exactly representing the figure as it would appear on the head of a ship. Cetus, a
whale, or great fish : a Dolphin : a Hydra, or seasnake: a Swan : a Ram : a Bull, are all such signs
as ships would bear.
[Source: Ibid]

The notion that some of the signs of the zodiac were derived from the figureheads of ships is shared
by other historians and authors. The major argument in support of this interesting idea is based upon
the half-formed images of some of the constellations as they have historically been rendered. Such
images might be observed on the prow of a sailing ship.

Constellation Pegasus