From The Alpha and the Omega - Volume III
by Jim A. Cornwell, Copyright © July 20, 2002, all rights reserved "Volume III - The Sixth Month - Star Names for Bootes"
In the Sixth Month of Virgo

Star Names of Bootes
a Arcturus was once the name for the whole constellation.

• The name comes from the Greek arktouros, meaning "guardian of the bear," the "bear" being Arktos, the Greek name for the constellation we call Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
• The name gradually came to mean "north" (as in "arctic"), hence the name Arcturus can also mean "guardian of the north."
• Arcturus is the fourth brightest star in the entire sky (color-yellow-orange) and the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, approximately 36 light-years from Earth.
  • Arcturus was one of the stars first mentioned by Halley to have motion relative to the Sun.
• Middle English, from Latin Arcturus, from Greek Arktouros : arktos, bear; + ouros, guard, from its position behind Ursa Major.    Also see ARCTIC, ARCTURUS, from Greek arktos, bear; also GUARD, from Old French guarder, to guard; ARCTURUS, PYLORUS, from Greek ouros, a guard.    Also called "bear-guard."
  • Rolleston claims "Arcturus, the guardian keeper (keeper, Psalm 121:5 "The LORD is, thy keeper: ...")."
    • Keeper.
      • Hebrew shamar, shaw-mar', a primary root properly to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard, protect, attend.
• Others state that Arcturus means "He Cometh."
  • Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 42 claim that the "ancient name was Arcturus, He cometh."
  • One source claims that the NT Greek reference to Arcturus "He Comes -too, also (2 Thess. 2:3-9 and Hebrews 10:37)."
    • Come.
      • Greek erchomai, er'-khom-ahee, mid. of a primary verb (used in the present and imperfect tenses, the others being supplied buy a kindred, Gr. eltho, el'-tho, to come or go.
      • Greek heko, hay'-ko, a primary verb to arrive, i.e. be present (lit. or fig.), come.
  • Ecclesiastes 4:14 "For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor."
    • Cometh.
      • Hebrew yatsa', yaw-tsaw', a primary root to go out.
• From www.lexiline.com, regarding Arcturus "holder of the ark, swing or window (gate) of heaven."
• Hebrew 'Ayish, ah'-yish, or 'Ash, awsh, from Heb. 'uwsh, oosh, a primary root to hasten, assemble self, therefore the constellation of the Great Bear (perhaps from its migration through the heavens).
• See comments in the Fourth Month - Cancer, for the constellation name for Ursa Major.
  • In Job 38:32 ".. or canst thou guide (make them appear) Arcturus with his sons?"    Here Arcturus (a star in Bootes, which means "the guardian of the bear" or "the north") may refer to Ursa Major, and his sons are the three stars in his tail.    The great and less Bear are also called by the Arabs "Daughter of the Bier," whereas the quadrangle being the bier, the three others the mourners.
  • Al Naish, or Annaish is the Arabic name of the constellation of Ursa Major, which means "The Assembled Together," as in a fold.    Note Na -ish.
    • In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 127, "the ordered, or assembled together, as sheep in a fold."
    • Rolleston claims that the Hebrew Ash, the assembled, (Arcturus) Job 9:9, Biblical assemble - Joel 3:11.
      • Assemble.
        • Hebrew 'uwsh, oosh, a primary root to hasten, assemble self, note seen above with Hebrew 'Ayish, ah'-yish, or 'Ash, awsh.
    • One source calls it 'Ash and her offspring for Job 9:9 and Job 38:31-32.    Basically "Canst thou guide Ash and her offspring."
      • Authorized Version - "Arcturus and her sons."
        • In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 154, "Arcturus and his sons."
      • Revised Version - "Bear and his train (margin, sons)."
        • In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 154, "The Bear with her train."
      • One source claims that the Book of Job shows Ash or Ayish, as to the Hyades (in Taurus), as to the Vulgate and Septuagint this is "Arcturus," and "Hesperus."    Hesperus is Venus, when it appears as the evening star.
        • Ash resembles the Arabic na'ash, "a bier," the four stars of the Wain, the three in front as mourners under the title of Benat na 'ash, "daughters of the bier."    Job speaks of "children of Ayish," or Arcturus' sons.    One source claims that the Bible denotes Ash as "moth."    Ayish as seen in the Syrian Peshitta, is Iyutha, signifying Aldebaran, the great red star in Taurus, whereas the rainy Hyades are "the children."
        • Sumerian asa, as, az: cage; fetter; bear; myrtle.
        • Mezarim, the Bears (Great and Little), see notes in the Canis Major constellation section under Gemini.
        • Rolleston and "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 153-154, "While Arcas, or Arctos (Artic Regions) a traveling company or the stronghold of the saved."    Gen. 37:25.
  • To the Egyptians the stars of the dipper are the thigh of a bull (the seven stars).
    • On the Denderah Zodiac, Ursa Major is seen as a large thigh and leg of some kind of hoofed animal in the very middle of the Denderah Zodiac circle.
    • Of interest is the star g Phad or Phecda was the Arabic Al-Fakhidh meaning "the thigh."
  • Latin, Ursa, the bear, the strong (Rolleston claims as Biblical mighty - Job 6:23).
    • Mighty.
      • Hebrew 'ariyts, aw-reets', from Heb. 'arats, aw-rats', a primary root to awe, thus fearful, i.e. powerful or tyrannical, mighty, oppressor, in great power, strong, terrible, violent.
    • In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 155, "The ancient Jewish commentators interpreted Ash as the seven stars of this constellation.    They are called by others Septentriones, which became the Latin word for North."
• Other names for Arcturus: Haris-el-sema, Hara al Sama, Al Rainec, Ara'mec, Are'meah, Haris al Simak, Aramilkh (modern), Ascimech', Azimech', Azimeth'.

b Nekkar or Nakkar' is a name that comes from the Arabic word for "ox-driver," or "cattle man."

• Some claim that this is also the Arabic name for the constellation of Bootes.
• Arabic Al-Baqqar, "The cattleman."    Note also called Al Bakkar.
• As seen in the Centaurus constellation section one source claims originally it was a combination of man-bull-horse, called in:
  • Akkadian Gud-elim, "The Horned Bull."
    • Sumerian gud-lah₅[DU-DU]: ox driver ('bull, ox' + 'to drive').
    • The Arabs believed that these circumpolar stars were a flock tended by Bootes, "ox-driver."
• This star marks the head of the herdsman.
• It is also claimed that this means "The Pierced."
  • As referenced in Zech. 7:10, "And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart."    This signifies that the "The Pierced (One)" is coming to be the judge and the conqueror and harvester of the earth, with as in Rev. 14:15 in his right hand a sharp-edged sickle to harvest the earth for the Final Judgment.
  • Rolleston claims that "Nekkar, the Pierced (Zech. 12:10)."
    • Zech. 12:10 "And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."
    • Pierced.
      • Hebrew daqar, daw-kar', a primary root to stab, by analogy to starve, fig. to revile, pierce, strike (thrust) through, wound.
• Other names for Nekkar: Merez, Meres, Simak al Ramih, Semech' hara'mech.

g Seginus a word that may reflect the corruption of an Arabic name for Bootes.

• Other names for Seginus: Geginus, Haris.

d Bootis (no common western name).

• Is known in China as Tseih Kung, the Seven Princes.

e Izar which is Arabic meaning "girdle" or "loincloth."

• Arabic Al-Izar, "The loincloth."
• It is also nicknamed Pulcherrima, from the Latin meaning "most beautiful."
• It is sometimes known as Mizar.
  • In "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 43 "The star e (just below the waist of his right side) is called Mirac, or Mizar, or Izar.    Mirac means 'the coming forth as an arrow'; Mizar, or Izar, means 'the perserver, guarding'."
  • Rolleston states that "Mirach, the coming forth as an arrow (Haggai 2:7 come, Hebrew bow', bo, "shall come")."
• Other names for Izar: Mirac, Mi'rak, Mirach, Mizar, Pucherrima, Mei'ver, Me'rak, Me'rer, Al Izar, Me'zen, Me'zer, Mi'cer, Mi'rar, Mintakat al 'Awwa.'

z Cho-t'i is in ancient China the "attendants" of the Spring Star.

h Mufrid has an Arabic meaning "solitary star of the lancer".

• Its connection with Bootes is not clear.    One of the group of leader stars.
• Muphrid, "the solitary."
• Arabic Al-Mufride, "The solitary one."
  • Rolleston claims that "Muphride, who separates."
• Lancer.
  • A spear, lance, javelin or dart was a sharp-pointed instrument to be thrust or thrown (Josh. 8:18, Judg. 8:8, 1 Sam. 17:7, 18:11; Psalm 68:30, different Hebrew words).
  • Lance.
    • Hebrew romach, ro'-makh, from an unused root meaning to hurl, a lance (as thrown), especially the iron point, buckler, javelin, lancet, spear.
    • Hebrew kiydown, kee-dohn.
  • Spearmen are mentioned in Acts 23:23 and a Roman lance pierced the body of Jesus on the cross (John 19:34).
• Other names for Mufrid: Mufride, Mu'frid al Ra'mah, Saak', Al Rumb, Rum'h al Ramin.
  • One source calls this star by the name Saak.

q or J Bootis (no name) marks part of the upraised arm of the herdsman.

• One source calls this Asellus Primus.

i Bootis (no name).

• One source calls this Asellus Secundus.

k Bootis (no name).

• One source calls this Asellus Tertius.

m Alkalurops is Arabic for "the herdsman's staff," a corruption of its earlier name, "the club."

• Another source calls it the "shepherd's crook."
• Rolleston promotes the ancient Egyptian name Al Katurops, "The Branch, treading under foot."
• Other names for Alkalurops: Inkalunis, Icalurus, Clara Venabulon.

38 Bootis (no name).

• A star 44 is referenced in some lists.
• Names referenced to this are Merga, Marrha, El Marael Musalsela, Falx Italica.
• Rolleston promotes the ancient Egyptian name Merga, "Hebrew for who bruises."

    Other stars not seen are:
t, u, r, s, l, x, o, and p to round out the 20 stars of Bootes.


Return to Constellation Names of Bootes.

---

Return to the Table of Contents or the Zodiac of Denderah