Again, it is probable that the "golden calf," worshipped by the Israelites in the wilderness, and, after the disruption, at Bethel and at Dan, was none other than an attempt to worship Jehovah under the symbol of Taurus, the leader of the zodiac and cognizance of the tribe of Joseph; regarded as a type of Him Who had been the Leader of the people out of Egypt, and the Giver of the blessings associated with the return of the sun to Taurus, the revival of nature in spring-time. It was intended as a worship of Jehovah; it was in reality dire rebellion against Him, and a beginning of the worship of "_Mazzālōth_ and the heavenly host;" an idolatry that was bound to bring other idolatries in its train. A three-fold symbol found continually on Babylonian monuments, "the triad of stars," undoubtedly at one time set forth Sin, the moon-god, Samas, the sun-god, and Ištar, in this connection possibly the planet Venus. It has therefore been suggested by Prof. Schiaparelli that _Mazzālōth_ is the planet Venus; and, since the word is plural in form, Venus in her double capacity;--sometimes an evening, sometimes a morning star. The sun and the moon and _Mazzālōth_ would then set forth the three brightest luminaries, whilst the general congress of stars would be represented by the "host of heaven." But though Venus is sometimes the brightest of the planets, she is essentially of the same order as Jupiter or Mars, and is not of the same order as the sun and moon, with whom, on this supposition, she is singled out to be ranked. Moreover, if Ištar or Ashtoreth were intended in this passage, it does not appear why she should not be expressly named as such; especially as Baal, so often coupled with her, is named. The "triad of stars," too, had originally quite a different meaning, as will be seen later. Moreover, the parallelism between Job ix. and Job xxxviii. is destroyed by this rendering, since the planet Venus could not be described as "the chambers of the south." These are therefore referred by Professor Schiaparelli to the glorious mass of stars in the far south, shining in the constellations that set forth the Deluge story,--the Ship, and the Centaur, much the most brilliant region of the whole sky. Another interpretation of _Mazzaroth_ is given by Dr. Cheyne, on grounds that refute Professor Schiaparelli's suggestion, but it is itself open to objection from an astronomical point of view. He writes-- "_Mazzaroth_ is probably not to be identified with _Mazzaloth_ (2 Kings xxiii. 5) in spite of the authority of the Sept. and the Targum. . . . _Mazzaroth_ = Ass. _Mazarati_; _Mazzaloth_ (i.e. the zodiacal signs) seems to be the plural of _Mazzāla_ = Ass. _Manzaltu_, station."[254:1] Dr. Cheyne therefore renders the passage thus--