4 ms·

Not sure the bible is a good source for astronomy. But your quote does not say anything about "uncountable stars". I don't know the context but it could simply

Not sure the bible is a good source for astronomy. But your quote does not say anything about "uncountable stars". I don't know the context but it could simply be read as: > Your fields will produce lots of seeds, as many as stars (a few thousand) ... or as many as grains of sand (millions). Nowhere does it say those numbers are equal. Or maybe it means: > You'll get lots of children (seeds?), as many as stars (9000), or as many as grains of sand (millions, eventually). Is there an actual quote that says there are uncountable stars?

LeifCarrotson 8y ago
Context and culture suggest the latter interpretation. It's definitely talking about descendants, not agriculture, and it's definitely using "as many as the stars" in a fashion that suggests a lot more than 9000. Some clearer quotes: > Deuteronomy 10:22: Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Shortly before that quote was written, a census numbered the men at around 600,000, for a total population of 1.5-2.5 million. And there's also the New Testament interpretation of the same events: > Hebrews 11:12: Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
- alphydan 8y ago
  Again. That's the whole point of science. Leaving interpretations out. Neither you nor anybody here can know if the author meant "There are around 600,000 stars" or "There are around 5,000 stars". Also, exactly who tracked the geneaology to make sure those 600,000 men were direct descendants of the 70 people? Is that sentence possibly false? Was the author aware of the census? etc, etc. I don't think there is any point discussing it when there are actual star catalogues produced as early as 1800 BC by early astronomers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_astronomical_maps,_catalogs,_and_surveys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_astronomical_maps,...
  - deleted 8y ago
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yosito 8y ago
> Not sure the bible is a good source for astronomy. Agreed. I used the Bible in this context as a source of historical human ideas. There are lots of similar passages, both in other parts of the Bible, and in other works, that refer to the stars as "uncountable" in some form or another. I used this particular reference because it was the first one I found. :)

LeifCarrotson 8y ago

Context and culture suggest the latter interpretation. It's definitely talking about descendants, not agriculture, and it's definitely using "as many as the stars" in a fashion that suggests a lot more than 9000. Some clearer quotes: > Deuteronomy 10:22: Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. Shortly before that quote was written, a census numbered the men at around 600,000, for a total population of 1.5-2.5 million. And there's also the New Testament interpretation of the same events: > Hebrews 11:12: Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

alphydan 8y ago
Again. That's the whole point of science. Leaving interpretations out. Neither you nor anybody here can know if the author meant "There are around 600,000 stars" or "There are around 5,000 stars". Also, exactly who tracked the geneaology to make sure those 600,000 men were direct descendants of the 70 people? Is that sentence possibly false? Was the author aware of the census? etc, etc. I don't think there is any point discussing it when there are actual star catalogues produced as early as 1800 BC by early astronomers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_astronomical_maps,_catalogs,_and_surveys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_astronomical_maps,...
- deleted 8y ago
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yosito 8y ago

> Not sure the bible is a good source for astronomy. Agreed. I used the Bible in this context as a source of historical human ideas. There are lots of similar passages, both in other parts of the Bible, and in other works, that refer to the stars as "uncountable" in some form or another. I used this particular reference because it was the first one I found. :)