THE DIAL OF KING AHAZ.
fT0 THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.") SIE,—The explanation of the sign given to King Hezekiah pointed out by " Traveller " in your issue of February 19th has been anticipated. Somewhere about the year 1883 an observer at Southampton described how the shadow was thrown back on his dial. On this occasion, owing to a peculiar state of the atmosphere, there were two parhelia, one on either side of the sun. The clouds swept over the real sun and one of the parhelia, leaving the other with sufficient light to cast a shadow, backward in this case. This perfectly natural explanation was admitted by the late Mr. R. A. Proctor as satisfying the conditions. I have no doubt that the "sun standing still" of Joshua could be explained equally easily if we knew the real facts.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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