JOSHUA’S VICTORY AND THE SUN AND MOON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4422, 22 May 1875, Page 2

JOSHUA’S VICTORY AND THE SUN AND MOON.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The victory of Joshua was not won by any prediction of an eclipse, for the simple reason that in the account given the sun stands upon Gibeoa, the moon upon the valley of Ajalon. In a solar eclipse the sun and moon arc together; in a lunar eclipse the moon only is visible. The wonder was evidently caused by a mirage, which, rising higher and higher, caused the sun and moon to appear stationary. This mirage was doubtless part of the same atmospheric disturbance which cast the hailstorm against the retreating Amorites. Captain Scoresby, in the Arctic Ocean, was able, by a like extraordinary mirage, to recognise his father’s ship when both ships were thirty milek apart. The miracle, then, was that the mirage should have occurred at that time and place, and at the command of Joshua. Those who comment upon this matter forget that the mirage lasted but a short while. The Jews bad marched, by. a forced march from Gilgal, about forty miles ; had fought all day long, and could not have continued fighting for twelve hours more. The right meaning of tho words, “ about a whole day," is ‘at the close of the day.” The sun did not set when, « at the end of the day, but for the mirage, it would have “ hasted to go down." The English at Waterloo were unable at sunset to pursue the French; nor was there need to chase the enemy after Bath-horon was reached. The hailstorm completed the victory. A similar explanation serves for the like wonder in the reign of Ilczokiah. The sun’s shadow went back, because a mirage threw back the sun's place. A like thing was seen at Portsmouth, March 25), 1848 (see “ Philosophical Magazine," June, 1848). The miracle again was that the wonder was done then and there. Again hero, as before, there was great atmospheric disturbance in tho simoon, which destroyed the Assyrian army. In this case it is evident that the effect was confined to Judea, for the ambassadors of the King of Babylon came to inquire about the wonder done in tho laud. Tho stopping and reversing of the earth’s rotation would have produced effects visible at Babylon,—l am, &c., A Stock