Page 147 - Coincidences in the Bible and in Biblical Hebrew

COINCIDENCES IN THE BIBLE AND IN BIBLICAL HEBREW
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126 COINCIDENCES IN THE BIBLE AND IN BIBLICAL HEBREW
An interesting theory is offered by Agnes M. Clerke (transcribed by Joseph
P. Thomas), and expounded in detail at the Catholic Encylopedia web-site, at
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02029a.htm#mazzaroth

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The following quote is from this source, relating to mazarot in Job:

“Professor Schiaparelli then recurs to the Vulgate rendering of this passage.

He recognizes in Mazzaroth the planet Venus in her double aspect of morning
and evening star, pointing out that the luminary designated in the Book of
Kings, with the sun and moon, and the “host of heaven” must evidently be
next in brightness to the chief light-givers. Further, the sun, moon, and Venus
constitute the great astronomical triad of Babylonia, the sculptured represen-
tations of which frequently include the “host of heaven” typified by a crowd

of fantastic animal-divinities. And since the astral worship anathematized by
the prophets of Israel was unquestionably of Euphratean origin, the designa-
tion of Mazzaroth as the third member of the Babylonian triad is a valuable
link in the evidence. Still, the case remains one of extreme difficulty.”

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Obviously, the author was unaware that mazarot is the plural of mazar, but the
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basic argument makes sense. Since the allusion in Job to mazarot is to their cyclic
appearance in heaven “in their seasons” (or, in literal Hebrew, “in their times”), and

since Venus is the most luminary star after the sun and the moon, it is highly likely
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that Venus was called Mazar, and then this concept was generalized to include all
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planets (mazarot). This interpretation is strengthened if one observes the root of
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the word Mazar. It is N.Z.R (similarly to N.Z.L of mazal.) The N.Z.R root is the
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source for the Hebrew word nezer, which means “crown” (of a king). An example:
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“and I took the crown [nezer ] that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on
his arm, and have brought them here to my lord” (2 Samuel 1:10).
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One can hardly conceive of a better term than Mazar to denote the most lumi-
nary star in heaven (after the sun and the moon). This is particularly warranted if one
remembers how the latter are described in Genesis: “And God made the two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night” (Gen. 1:16).
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It is our educated conjecture that Mazar was the original word for Venus ,
the third “royalty” after the sun and the moon, and then it was generalized to
all planets , as insinuated in Job (similar things happen all the time; for example,
refer to the term “to xerox”). Since the Hebrew R and L are both “tongue letters,”
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Mazar probably evolved in ancient times into mazal, so as to be consistent
with the common belief (in ancient times—or, some would argue, even in modern

times) that luck flows down from the planets to influence fates of human beings.