We need perhaps only mention the astrological books of the Jews--the Cabal--in which the Bull is dealt with as the first zodiacal sign. Among the Persians, who designate the successive signs by the letters of the alphabet, _A_ stands for Taurus, _B_ for the Twins, and so on. The Chinese attribute the commencement of the sun's apparent motion to the stars of Taurus. In Thebes is a sepulchral chamber with zodiacal signs, and Taurus at the head of them. The zodiac of the pagoda of Elephanta (Salsette) commences with the same constellation. However, reasons have been given for assigning to the zodiac a still earlier date than this would involve. Thus Laplace writes:--"The names of the constellations of the zodiac have not been given to them by chance--they embody the results of a large number of researches and of astronomical systems. Some of the names appear to have reference to the motion of the sun. The Crab, for instance, and the He-Goat, indicate its retrogression at the solstices. The Balance marks the equality of the days and nights at the equinoxes, and the other names seem to refer to agriculture and to the climate of the country in which the zodiac was invented. The He-Goat appears better placed at the highest point of the sun's course than the lowest. In this position, which it occupied fifteen thousand years ago, the Balance was at the vernal equinox, and the zodiacal constellations match well with the climate and agriculture of Egypt." If we examine this, however, we see that all that is probable in it is satisfied by the Ram being at the vernal, and the Balance at the autumnal equinox, which corresponds much better with other evidence. [Illustration: THE ZODIAC OF DENDERAH.]