jibe the calendars of ancient refinement to our own is a challenge , so historians are cracking to find events they can date precisely , like occultation . New app of this proficiency may see the Israelite conquering of Canaan , and possibly the reigns of important Pharaohs .
The Bible refers to Joshua advance a battle to seize part of Canaan by pray ; " Sun , brook still at Gibeon , and Moon , in the Valley of Aijalon . And the Sun stood still , and the Moon stopped , until the Carry Nation took vengeance on their enemies . " This spoil numerous Pentateuch of purgative – religious authorities even used the deduction the Sun pass around the Earth to oppose Copernicus .
However , Professor Sir Colin Humphreysof the University of Cambridge argues the original Hebrew text could be read to stand for the Sun stop shine , rather than stopped travel . In other word , a solar eclipse . Others have previously turn over the same ending but have been unable to describe a fitly timed total solar occultation .
However , inAstronomy and Geophysics , Humphreys points out the ancients drew no distinction between total occultation and annular occultation , where the Moon is in the further part of its orbit and too distant to blockade the intact Sun .
Humphreys calculates an doughnut-shaped occultation was visible from the Middle East in the late afternoon of October 30 , 1207 BC . If Humphreys is ripe , this might be the oldest occultation ever recorded , although a couple of old campaigner have been claim based ondisputed translation .
Such an upshot would surely have become part of local storytelling among hoi polloi who had never seen anything like , particularly if it happened to break up , and possibly alter the course of instruction of , an significant engagement .
Humphreys links the eclipse to Egyptian chronology through a famous inscribed granite block , which refers to the Pharaoh Merneptah having conducted a military campaign in Canaan , including a victory over the Israelites . This is view to give their presence there by that time . Humphreys explain to IFLScience he regard another Biblical rhyme as indicate Joshua ’s victory just about co-occur with an interposition from Egypt . He thinks this was Merneptah ’s campaign , go out his reign and therefore that of his quick herald , Ramesses the peachy .
Humphreys ' conclusion are sure as shooting heart-to-heart to questioning , even if the passage does refer to an occultation . For one matter , calculating eclipses prior to 1000 BC is considered questionable , as thin changes to the Earth ’s rotary motion could throw things out . Moreover , Humphreys ' pop the question Egyptian timeline requires Merneptah ’s venture into Canaan to match the eclipse ’s particular date , not only relying on his interpreation of the Bible as indicating the presence of Egyptian force-out nearby at the time , but requiring that Egyptian sorte into Canaan to be the one Merneptah ’s granite references . Historians and astronomer will have plenitude to look into .
