5 h 57 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 5 h 57 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the constellations hold a biblical story rather than a guide to your fortune?
In The Witness of the Stars, E. W. Bullinger reads the night sky as a message about a coming Redeemer. The Anglican clergyman and biblical scholar argues that ancient star pictures carry a revelation older than written scripture. His question is bold: could the zodiac tell one connected story of promise, suffering, and victory?
Bullinger builds his case through the twelve signs and their smaller companion groups, called decans. Old star names and figures become clues in his reading of sky and scripture. He rejects fortune-telling and argues that later peoples turn an original message into myth. You can follow his reasoning without accepting his account of the stars.
What you’ll discover
- A revelation in the sky Explore Bullinger’s claim that the stars carry a divine message before written scripture.
- Promise and conflict Follow his reading from Virgo to Scorpio, where the promised seed shapes the story.
- Suffering and blessing See how Sagittarius to Pisces carries his argument from struggle toward its biblical meaning.
- A kingdom to come Trace his interpretation of Aries to Leo as a picture of final victory.
- Star names as clues Examine the names and figures Bullinger uses to connect constellations with his biblical reading.
Who will love it
This book suits readers who love star names, ancient zodiacs and the old pictures of the night sky, and anyone who enjoys seeing Bible passages read beside astronomy.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The sky carries an early message
- The circle becomes an ordered story
- Virgo introduces the promised child
- Redemption has a cost and conflict
- Victory and sacrifice belong together
- The redeemed move toward freedom
- Judgment stands beside a shepherd's care
- The evidence remains open to judgment
- Each connection needs to be weighed
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The Witness of the Stars
by E. W. Bullinger · 1893
Forty-eight star pictures, from Virgo to Leo, tell one story of a coming Redeemer, says E. W. Bullinger.
Easy read2–5 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What if the night sky is a book, and its pictures tell one story from first page to last? That is the claim of E. W. Bullinger in The Witness of the Stars, which he finished in August 1893.
The Witness of the Stars at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 25 min2 h 45 min fast, 4 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 49,400 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1893by E. W. Bullinger
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
The heavens speak before any book exists
Bullinger opens with a question. Did God give no testimony of himself during the first twenty-five centuries, when humanity had no divine message in writing? His answer is no. He points to Romans, which says that God's power can be seen in what he has made.
He turns to Psalm nineteen, which begins with the heavens. He reads it as one design in two halves. The first half speaks of God's message written in the sky, and the second half speaks of his message written in the law. For him the psalmist describes real speech, a message with words, and no mere wonder at beauty.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1893
- Language
- English
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Bullinger, E. W. The Witness of the Stars. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-witness-of-the-stars.
Bullinger, E. W. (2026). The witness of the stars. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-witness-of-the-stars (Original work published 1893)
Bullinger, E. W. The Witness of the Stars. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-witness-of-the-stars.
@book{bullinger2026witness,
author = {Bullinger, E. W.},
title = {The Witness of the Stars},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-witness-of-the-stars},
note = {First published 1893}
}
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What is The Witness of the Stars about?
It claims that the twelve signs of the zodiac and their thirty-six attending constellations were drawn in early times to tell one story. The story is the promise of a coming Redeemer who suffers and then triumphs, set beside matching Bible passages.
Why does Bullinger begin with Virgo and end with Leo?
He points to the Sphinx, which has a woman's head and a lion's body, as a sign of where the circle joins. For him Virgo, with the promised child, opens the story and Leo, with the conquering Lion, closes it.
What do the old star names mean in the book?
He lists Hebrew, Arabic, Egyptian and Greek names and gives each a meaning. For example, Spica is Al Zimach, the branch, and Sirius is the prince. These meanings form the main evidence he offers for his reading.
The author
E. W. Bullinger
1837–1913 · English biblical scholar and theologian
Ethelbert William Bullinger (1837–1913) was a British Anglican clergyman and biblical scholar. He was born in Canterbury and died in London. He served as secretary of the Trinitarian Bible Society from 1867 until his death. His books include The Witness of the Stars (1893) and Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (1898).
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