This Day in History June 15, 763 B.C.

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I love it when things said in the Bible can be verified, and today happens to be one of those days.  In Amos 8:9, it says: "`And on that day,' says the Lord God, `I will make the Sun go down at noon, and darken the Earth in broad daylight'."  And on this date in 763 B.C., this is exactly what happened.  The Assyrians confirmed it, and this is earliest recorded solar eclipse. 


Whenever I think of ancient solar eclipses, I think of the Bing Crosby film A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (based on the Mark Twain book of the same title).  There is a solar eclipse that rescues his character, and the people begin to panic.  The sun goes dark, and people believe that it is some black magic afoot.  I am sure that when this happened, it had to be a frightening time.  And if they connected it with the prophet's message, they may have even been more scared.  I would love to see a solar eclipse one of these days, but oh well, it's not a big deal.


For more information, please check:
http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=282481&rel_no=1&back_url=
http://www.tourochina.com/newsarea/1232/Historical-eclipses
http://skepticism.org/timeline/june-history/6267-solar-eclipse-observed-recorded-assyria.html
http://www.earthview.com/ages/history.htm