why are they mentioned and where did this come from?
Couldn' t be from pagan sources or why would it be in the bible. What does it mean?What is a constellation? What or where is the ones mentioned in the bible?1) What is a constellation?
A constellation is a group of stars which, when viewed from earth, are believed to form a sort of picture or outline.
2) What or where is the ones mentioned in the bible?
Job 9:9; 26:13; 38:31-32; and Amos 5:8
3) why are they mentioned and where did this come from?
You have to read the context of each passage to determine why, in each case, constellations are mentioned.
Where it "came" from is debatable. Around the Mediterranean, most cultures grouped stars into constellations in a fairly uniform manner. In other words, they all divided the stars into the same groups. However, different Mediterranean cultures at different times associated different *symbols* with one or another constellation. Of course, the constellations determined by cultures a great distance away (such as China or North America) were frequently quite different from those determined by the Mediterranean cultures.
4) Couldn' t be from pagan sources or why would it be in the bible.
Of course they can be from pagan sources. Note, for example, how in the old testament pagan gods are mentioned, *by name*, repeatedly. Hebrew culture did not exist in a vacuum. It was based on older cultures - Abraham, for example, was from Mesopotamia, and much of Hebrew culture probably originated from that region. Then, consider that for 400 years the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt. Without a doubt Egyptian paganism had a tremendous influence on Hebrew culture and language. Thus, it should be no surprise that the constellations, and the names for them, were adopted from other cultures by the Hebrews. It is no different than, for example, our adoption of words such as "taco" or "rendezvous" from foreign cultures, and other cultures' adoption of English words like "computer" and "kleenex".
This in no way "cheapens" the **religion** of the Old Testament Jews. What the ancient Hebrews had that other cultures did not was the word of God. This is *their* primary contribution to world culture. Borrowing names or star groupings from other cultures, even though they were not Jewish, does not mean that the Jews worshiped any of these things in the way that the foreign cultures did.
5) What does it mean?
Generally, only what the bible indicates that it means.
Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/What is a constellation? What or where is the ones mentioned in the bible?Tells the whole story of the Messiah...
From Virgo (Virgin Mother) to Leo (Lion of Judah's triumphant return)What is a constellation? What or where is the ones mentioned in the bible?Job 38:31-32
31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?
32Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?
All the names of the stars and their constellations are given by God as the Creator. Throughout the centuries, via written record and various cultural influence some of these names have changed and their eytemology has been lost...Mazzaroth is thought to be the Hebrew word for "all the constellations of the Zodiac." Kesil refers to Orion, Kimah just means to cluster or gather...If Ash comes from Asheroth then its just a series of names associated with Easter, Astarte, Ishtar, Asheroth...ie, pagan deities...which most were associated with stellar bodies or stars..various planets, etc. Read the Book of Enoch and you may begin to understand what symbology "stars" have in the Bible. Love in Christ, ~J~
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