All his life, the famous English astrophysicist Joseph Norman Lockyer studied the celestial bodies. The result of his research, among other discoveries, was the theory of the astronomical orientation of ancient temple buildings. In this book, Lockyer examines the hypothesis that the basis of religious architecture, myths, legends and religious rituals are human observations of celestial phenomena: the movements of the stars, the Sun and the Moon. To begin with, Lockyer gives an idea of celestial mechanics and what methods of observation were available to ancient civilizations, then he sets out in detail conclusions about the origin of gods and cults, peoples, their customs, and also offers his dating of the reign of kings and the creation of temples.