Who carries in her hand a glittering spike....
Over her shoulder there revolves a star
In the right wing, superlatively bright;[21]
It rolls beneath the tail, and may compare
With the bright stars that deck the Greater Bear.
Upon her shoulder one bright star is borne,[22]
One clasps the circling girdle of her loins,[23]
One at her bending knee;[24] and in her hand
Glitters that bright and golden Ear of Corn.[25]
Thus the brightest star in Virgo (α)[26] has an ancient name, handed down to us in all the star-maps, in which the Hebrew word (צֶמֶח) Tsemech is preserved. It is [pg 032] called in Arabic Al Zimach, which means the branch. This star is in the ear of corn which she holds in her left hand. Hence the star has a modern Latin name, which has almost superseded the ancient one, Spica, which means, an ear of corn. But this hides the great truth revealed by its name Al Zimach. It foretold the coming of Him who should bear this name. The same Divine inspiration has, in the written Word, four times connected it with Him. There are twenty Hebrew words translated “Branch,” but only one of them (Tsemech) is used exclusively of the Messiah, and this word only four times.[27]Each of these further connects Him with one special account of Him, given in the Gospels.