In The Art and Science of Hand Reading Ellen Goldberg claims that the art of palm reading emerged in the Middle East before the birth of Christ. The Koran, the Indian Vedas and the Old Testament make reference to the reading of the palms. Arabic palmistry texts can be found today in the Vatican library, which contains the largest selection of books on palmistry and astrology in the world. Doctors used to diagnose disease and illness by looking at the lines on the hands. It is said that the changes that occur in the subconscious mind show up in the lines of the hand before the conscious mind is aware. Therefore, it is possible to determine what will happen and what has happened to someone in life by studying their hands.