Page:Aratus The Phenomena and Diosemeia.pdf/24

16 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 origin. This people at an early period having migrated to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean became the first of maritime nations:

Their country extended along the coast of Syria, their inland territory being very limited, the ranges of Libanus and Antilibanus forming their utmost barrier to the east, and separating them from other 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