Astral Worship

About this book

A holy day follows the Sun's return; a religious emblem resembles a celestial sign. J. H. Hill reads these parallels as traces of ancient star worship surviving inside traditions that seem, at first glance, unrelated.

Astral Worship links the zodiac and seasonal cycles to myths, religious festivals and elements of Christian symbolism. Hill argues that traces of ancient celestial worship survive in later ceremonies and beliefs. Historians have not established the sweeping connections he proposes, though the parallels show the author's unusual approach to comparative religion.