MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND QUERIES, WITH ANSWERS. "Geometrical equality can do great things, among gods and men.”—PLATO. VOL. V. SEPTEMBER, 1888. No. 9. WHAT IS THE HINDU COSMOGONY? Our correspondent "JOEL HENDERSON," asks for the Hindu Cosmogony. We answer that it is found in the "Asiatic Researches," Vol. V, and is as follows: "This Universe existed only in the first idea, yet unexpanded, as if involved in darkness, imperceptible, undefinable, undiscoverable by reason, and undiscovered by revelation, as if it were wholly immersed in sleep. When the soul self-existing Power himself undiscerned but making this world discernible, with five elements and other principles of nature, appeared with undiminished glory, expanding his idea or dispelling the gloom. He whom the mind alone can perceive, whose essense eludes the external organs, who has no visible parts, who exists from eternity, even he, the Soul of all beings, whom no being can comprehend, shone forth in person. He having willed to produce various beings from his own divine substance, first, with a thought created the waters. แ The waters are called nara, because they are the production of Nara, the Spirit of God; and since they were his first ayana, or place of motion, he thence is called Narayana, or moving on the waters." From that which is, the First Cause, not the object of sense, existing everywhere in substance, not existing to our perception, without beginning or end, was produced the Divine Mind. He framed the heaven above, and the earth beneath; in the midst he placed the subtle Æther, the eight regions, and the permanent receptacle of waters. He framed all creatures. He too assigned to all creatures distinct names, distinct acts, and distinct occupations. He gave being to time and the divisions of time, to the stars, and also to the planets; to rivers, oceans, and mountains; to level plains and uneven valleys. For the sake of distinguishing actions he made a total difference between right and wrong. Having divided his own substance, the Mighty Power became half male, and half female. He whose powers are incomprehensible, having created this universe, was again absorbed in the Spirit, changing the time of energy to the time of repose." WHAT WAS THE SIZE AND WEIGHT OF THE TABLES OF STONE? According to the Nedarim, (fol. xxxvIII, col. 8), the Tables of Stone of Moses were 6 ells long, 6 broad, and 3 thick. It may perhaps help the reader to have some idea of the strength of Moses if we work out arithmetically the size and probable weight of these stone slabs according to the Talmud. Taking the Hebrew a'm'h (cubit or ell) at its lowest estimate, that is, 18 inches, each slab would be 9 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 4 feet thich. Reckoning 13 cubit feet to the ton, the Tables would weigh upwards of 28 tons. The figures are thus: 9 × 9 × 4 364 ÷ 13 = 28 tons, 0 cwt., 3 qrs., 2 lbs. each. THE DODEKAPHYLON. (Vol. V, p. 148.) The word dodekaphylon is Greek and simply means the "twelve brethren," that is, the twelve sons of Jacob, or twelve tribes. Their prototypes were the twelve Apostles of Jesus. : THE TWELVE ANGELS, APOSTLES, PROPHETS, SIGNS, TRIBES, ETC. Several questions have been in stock for months all bearing on these subjects the breast-plate of judgment, the zodiacal signs as ascribed to the tribes, the precious stones, and the angels of God. These are subjects on which there is much speculation. The most elaborate work on the zodiac, that we have seen, is entitled "Mazzaroth, or the Constellations," in four parts, by Frances Rolleston of Keswick, Eng., 4 Parts bound together, 8vo., pp. 216; with "Mizraim, or Astronomy in Egypt," pp. 30. The latter gives the ancient Egyptian Zodiac and Planisphere of Denderah, and the Zodiac of Esné with plates. The description of both of these are quite full. These subject cover a wide range, and as the tabular form conveys much of the information asked |