the
first time) that an eclipse of the Sun, under certain circumstances,
would explain all that happened, and reconcile all that has to be
reconciled. What happened to Hezekiah is thought by many to imply
clearly a miracle, and it may be said that an eclipse of the Sun cannot
be held to be a miracle[27] by the ordinary definition of the word. But,
on the other hand, it certainly might count as such in the eyes of
ignorant spectators, who know nothing of the theory or practice of
eclipses, and who would regard such a thing as quite unforeseen,
unexpected, and alarming. Illustrations of this might be multiplied from
all parts of the world, in all ages of the world's history.

Let us see now what the argument is, as it was worked out by the late
Mr. J. W. Bosanquet, F.R.A.S. Shortly before the invasion of Judaea by
Sennacherib--say in the beginning of the year 689 B.C.--Hezekiah was sick
unto death. In answer to his fervent prayer for recovery the prophet
Isaiah was sent to him with this message:--"Thus saith the Lord, the God
of David thy Father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears;
behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years ... and I will defend
this city, and this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the
Lord will do this thing that He hath spoken. Behold, I will bring again
the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun-dial of Ahaz
ten degrees backward. So the Sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees
it had gone down." (Isaiah xxxviii. 5-8).

In these words we evidently have mention of some instrument erected in
Hezekiah's palace, in the days of his father Ahaz, for showing the
change in the position of the shadow cast by the Sun from day to day.
This statement is confirmed by a profane writer, Glycas, who states:
"They say that Ahaz, by some contrivance, had erected in his palace
certain steps, which showed the hours of the day, and also measured the
course of the Sun."

The idea involved in "bringing again," through "ten degrees backward,"
"the shadow of the degrees" which had gone down, is very noteworthy. We
seem intended to learn from these words several things. For one thing
(to begin with) that the steps (as we must consider them to have been)
on this sun-dial of Ahaz, were turned away from the Sun. For only in
that position could they cast their shadow, or could the number of the
illuminated steps be varied, upwards or downwards, according to the
varying altitude of the