Sirius its constellation, Canis Major (Greater Dog). The heliacal rising of Sirius marked the flooding of the Nile in Ancient Egypt and the "dog days" of summer for the ancient Greeks, while to the Polynesians in the Southern Hemisphere the star marked winter and was an important reference for their navigation around the Pacific Ocean. The brightest star in the night sky, Sirius is recorded in the earliest astronomical records. Its displacement from the ecliptic causes this heliacal rising to be remarkably regular compared to other stars, with a period of almost exactly 365.25 days holding it constant relative to the
Ancient of Days Ancient of Days Ancient of Days is a name for God in the Book of Daniel: in the original Aramaic "atik yomin" ; in the Septuagint "palaios hemeron" (); and in the Vulgate "antiquus dierum". The title "Ancient of Days" has been used as a source of inspiration in art and music, denoting the creator's aspects of eternity combined with perfection. William Blake's watercolour and relief etching entitled "The Ancient of Days" is one such example. This term appears three times in the Book of Daniel (7:9, 13, 22), and is used in the sense of God being eternal. In