http://SaturnianCosmology.Org/ mirrored file For complete access to all the files of this collection see http://SaturnianCosmology.org/search.php ========================================================== *Illustration Gallery* *Astronomical Artefacts and Portraits, etc* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *The illustrations on this page have been compiled from a variety of sources. If advised that copyright has been infringed I will immediately remove the particular illustration(s).* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Return To Section Index Page* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Franz Boll was a renowned German classical philologist who specialized in ancient astronomy and astrology. Born in 1867 in Rothenburg on the Tauber river he died in Heidleberg in 1924. His doctoral dissertation was on Ptolemy. He had the ability to combine astronomy, religion, and literature with great originality. His early death in 1924 at the age of 57 put an end to his further masterly contributions to elucidating little-known traditions. His last academic position was Professor of Classical Philology at the University of Heidelberg. His most outstanding publication was perhaps /Sphaera/ (1903). In this book he published and annotated the texts of then newly discovered Classical and Byzantine astronomical/astrological manuscripts by Teukros, Antiochus, Valens, and Kamateras. Boll recognised the contributions of Teukros the Babylonian to constellation lore ahead of his contemporaries. The first part of the book is a critical discussion of the newly discovered texts, the second part describes the constellations in them, and the third part deals with the history of the "Sphaera Barbarica" as described by Nigidius and others. Many of his papers are now difficult to access. A collection of his most important papers are gathered in the /Kleine Schriften/ edited by Viktor Stegemann and published in 1950. Franz Boll's controversial publication involving an astral interpretation of the New Testament Apocalypse. The French author Charles Dupuis first published a similar thesis in his /Origine de tous les cultes/ (1795). The book only deals with a select number of passages in the Apocalypse. However, Boll was neither a biblical scholar nor a theologian. Not surprisingly he chose to use those passages that best suited his astral theory. He basically viewed the Apocalypse as containing astral ideas developed in the Graeco-Roman world but ultimately originating in Babylonian astral ideas. Within a few years his book was largely ignored. For a critical book-length rebuttal of Boll's ideas in this book see /Die Apokalypse des Apostels Johannes und die hellenistische Kosmologie und Astrologie/, by (the Catholic theologian/(later) bishop) Joseph Freundorfer (1929). In recent times Bruce Malina, a Professor of Biblical Studies, has revived the ideas of Boll for interpreting the New Testament Apocalypse. See especially his book /On the Genre and Message of Revelation/ published in 1995. However, Malina also uncritically relies on the flawed publications of the amateur English Orientalist Robert Brown Junior for many of his concepts of the ancient constellations. For a succinct critique of Malina's astral ideas see also: Revelation by Ben Witherington III (2003). An earlier proponent of an astral interpretation of the Book of Revelation was the Russian scientist Nikolaus Morosow. His Russian-language book /Revelation in Storm and Tempest/ (1907) was later translated and published in a German-language edition /Die Offenbarung Johannis: Eine astronomish-historische Untersuchung/ (1912). The author believed that the Book of Revelation was based on events experienced during the day and night of 30th September, 395 CE. His basic premise is the events giving rise to the astronomical and astrological speculations were a thunderstorm and earthquake on the day of a solar eclipse and the course of the constellations during the night. Moroscow further believed the author of the Book of Revelation was John Chrisostom, the future bishop of Constantinople. Needless to say the premise of the book has not found support. Another early discussion involving an astral interpretation of the Book of Revelation was conducted by William Ramsay and Johannes Lepsius in a series of dual articles in The Expositor in 1911. Both were historians of religion. See: William Ramsay and Johannes Lepsius "The Symbolic Language of the Apocalypse." (The Expositor, Eighth Series, Volume 1, 1911; Pages 160-180, 210-230, 375-380, 461-475, & 504-519. Note: Pages 210-230, 461-475, & 504-519 are headed "The Symbolic language of the Revelation.") Copyright © 2005-2006 by Gary D. Thompson ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Return to top of page.* <#top> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This Web Page was last updated on: Friday, December 30, 2005, 4:00 am. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This Web Page was created using Arachnophilia 4.0 and FrontPage 2003. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can reach me here by email: gtosiris.mpx.com.au ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Return To Site Contents Page*