zekiah's illness: it occurred while
the Sun was approaching and actually passing the meridian; the
obscuration was on that part of the Sun's disc (namely the upper part)
which would have had the effect of causing the point of light, which
would seem to emanate from the Sun, to appear to be depressed downwards;
and it was visible at Jerusalem. But there still remains for
consideration the final and most important question, "Would a deflection
of light proceeding from the Sun, regarded as a moving body, be capable
of affecting, to the extent of 'ten steps,' the shadow on such an
instrument as has been described?" And arising out of this, there is the
subordinate question, "Would January, being the month when this eclipse
certainly occurred, also be a month suitable for the exhibition of such
a phenomenon?"

It is ascertainable by calculation that the time occupied by the Moon in
passing over the Sun, in the way it did during this eclipse, was about
21/2 hours. But from the time of central conjunction, when the
obscuration was the greatest and the point of light depressed the most,
to the time when the uppermost portion of the Sun's disc was released by
the eastward motion of the Moon, and the light from that uppermost
portion was again manifest, was about 20 minutes, and this, therefore,
was the time during which the phenomenon of retrogression on the "steps"
would have been exhibited to the King's eyes. Assuming then that the
time when the ascending shadow had travelled upwards to the tenth step
coincided, or nearly so, with the time when the Sun had reached its
highest altitude for the day, at noon, we infer that the time of central
conjunction during this eclipse was not later than from 20 to 15
minutes before noon. It could not have been much earlier, because the
phenomenon of the resting of the shadow for a time at its _apparently_
highest point for the day (which preceded the promise that it should
rise ten steps) has also to be accounted for, and this cessation of its
motion upwards could not have taken place till about 25 minutes before
noon, when the decreasing motion of the Sun in altitude (or its
slackening motion upwards as it approached mid-day) would have become
counteracted by the coming on of the eclipse. Now at 11.35 A.M. the
sun's disc would have risen to the altitude of 35 deg. 8'; and the highest
visible point of light would, owing to the eclipse, then have been about
35 deg. 4'; and at 11.40 A.M., bei