The Great Christ Comet (30 page)

Strikingly, a Jewish zodiac wheel from the sixth century AD, discovered at the Beth Alpha synagogue, portrayed Virgo as seated on a throne dressed in a long gown that reached down to her ankles, and wearing royal red shoes.
35

Likewise Antiochus of Athens (from the first or, more likely, second century AD) envisioned Virgo as a woman holding a child, and hence probably as seated.
36

So, it would seem, there were at least four portrayals of Virgo in the centuries around the birth of Jesus: three envisioned her standing and one imagined her sitting. Ptolemy, Hipparchus, and Pseudo-Eratosthenes and Hyginus represent versions of Virgo standing, and Teukros of Bab­ylon and the Dendera Zodiac represent the version of Virgo sitting on a throne, holding an infant. Hipparchus has Virgo's head high, as does Ptolemy, but Pseudo-Eratosthenes, Hyginus, and Teukros (and Egyptian art) reflect a conception of Virgo in which her head is lower, at or near 16 Virginis rather than at
ξ
,
ν
,
ο
, and
π
Virginis. Happily, there was widespread agreement regarding the level of Virgo's groin and legs.

How does Revelation 12:1–5 compare with these visualizations of Virgo?

It is important to give due attention to the fact that Revelation 12:1 regards Virgo as wearing a “crown”
37
of twelve stars.
38
If we take on board that the generally acknowledged maximum naked-eye visibility in ideal
conditions, such as those that would normally have prevailed in ancient Bab­ylon and Jerusalem, is up to and including the sixth magnitude, that is, up to +6.5, it is remarkable that there are precisely twelve stars of up to +6.5 magnitude in the relevant part of Virgo. These 12 stars are 10 (mag. +5.93), 11 (mag. +5.71), 7 (mag. +5.34), HIP58809 (mag. +6.37),
π
(mag. +4.62),
ο
(mag. +4.09), 6 (mag. +5.56),
ν
(mag. +4.03), 4 (mag. +5.28),
ξ
(mag. +4.81),
ω
(mag. +5.21), and HIP6756 (mag. +6.15). These stars form a conical shape that is reminiscent of a tiara, mitre, or tall royal crown (
fig. 7.6
). Strikingly, an image of Virgo next to Leo on a relief on the ceiling of the portico of the Temple of Khnum at Esna in Egypt portrays her with a tall crown of Egyptian style (
fig. 7.7
).
39

The tall crown was the most common style of crown in the ancient Near East, worn by royalty in, among other places, Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and Parthia. It was used before and after the time of Jesus's birth. Indeed Musa, from 2 BC to AD 4 queen of the Parthian empire, in which Bab­ylon was located and from which the Magi hailed, is pictured on coins wearing such a tall crown (
fig. 7.8
). Up to now, the 12 stars have not been correctly identified, probably because scholars looking for them have been presupposing the portrayal of Virgo found in Ptolemy.

With a crown on Virgo's head, Revelation 12:1's constellation figure evidently contrasts with that of Hipparchus and Ptolemy but is similar to that of Hyginus, Pseudo-Eratosthenes, Teukros, and Egypt.

In addition, both of Virgo's feet are envisioned in verse 1 as being above the Moon. The Virgo of Hipparchus, Hyginus, Pseudo-Eratosthenes, and Ptolemy had her left foot at
λ
Virginis and her right foot at
μ
Virginis. In certain years, depending on the angle of the Moon's orbit relative to the ecliptic plane of Earth's orbit, the Moon may pass through this area of sky. In the years 7 to 2 BC, at times when the Sun was in Virgo, the Moon ventured under
λ
Virginis in 7–5 BC (in the other years it was too far south of the ecliptic to be plausibly regarded as in any way under her feet). It seems therefore that Revelation 12:1 is portraying both of Virgo's feet as being in the vicinity of this star.

With the crown and feet identified on the star map, we know the boundaries within which we are to fit Virgo's body from her forehead to the end of her legs, that is, between the crown and the area around
λ
Virginis. Revelation 12:1 would seem to concur with the widespread view regarding the level within the constellation where her groin and legs were. With respect to the upper body of Virgo, verse 1 reveals that she is being viewed in terms very similar to the Virgo of Hyginus and Pseudo-Eratosthenes and the Virgo of Egypt and Bab­ylon.

At the same time, since Virgo is wearing a crown
40
and is clothed with the radiance of the Sun, she is most naturally regarded as sitting on a throne. The fact that the Moon is stationed under her feet suggests that it was in subservience, paying homage to Virgo.
41
Indeed the Moon seems to be forming a footstool for her feet. Virgo, it would appear, is being exalted in glorious splendor. That she is seated is consistent with the fact that relatively little room is available for her legs (above
λ
Virginis). Just as many in the ancient world envisioned Virgo as Queen Isis seated on her throne, so Revelation 12:1 pictures Virgo as “Queen Israel” on her throne. It presents her in terms that anticipate her exaltation and sovereignty over the nations in the new age.

Virgo was usually envisioned as having wings,
42
as in Revelation 12:14. However, she was not always represented as having them, particularly when she was conceived of as Isis (as apparently, for example, on the Dendera Zodiac and at Esna), and indeed in Revelation 12 she lacks wings up until verse 14.

As for the precise location of Virgo's body relative to the stars of the constellation, the fact that in verse 1 the Sun is clothing Virgo and the Moon is under her feet gives us a sense of the celestial position of Virgo's throne in relation to the fixed stars and the ecliptic. Virgo
rises
with her crown up and her legs down, but she
sets
upside-down, with her crown (or, if she is envisioned as having wings, the tip of her left wing [the star Zavijava]) being the first part of her to disappear below the horizon. The Sun is perceived in this verse to be within Virgo, and hence her belly is envisioned as encompassing the ecliptic.

All in all, Revelation 12:1 gives us a rather clear idea how the constellation figure Virgo is being imagined with respect to the stars. John's Virgo is similar to that of Hyginus and Pseudo-Eratosthenes, but the portrayal of her as sitting on a throne is more reminiscent of Teukros of Bab­ylon, the Dendera Zodiac, and the Jewish Virgo from the sixth century AD that was discovered at the Beth Alpha synagogue (
fig. 7.10
).