The Lost Continent of Atlantis (?) and Eber’s son [Genesis 10:25] PelegWe have heard many theories of the “lost Continent of Atlantis.” Let’s look at the stated facts, then I will share from the JIV how the scriptures, a man’s name and the disappearance of Atlantis are something simple enough to be actuality!  Remember that JIV is Jim’sIntrospective View.First, go to an interview with Professor Arysio Santos. View it with much subjectivity as he tries very hard to validate his scientific theory with some of the Bible facts of creation and the Great Flood. http://www.atlan.org/ Caution! He as do many secular scientists tries very hard to use a few biblical events to validate his Atlantis theory. Students, beware. These kinds of folks teach in our schools and universities. You MUST BE PREPARED. Is Atlantis possible? YES but read the following to better understand how and why. 

Few scientists can agree on Atlantis. Here is a quote and another theory: The Greek philosopher, Plato, brought to the world, the story of the lost continent of Atlantis. His story began to unfold for him around 355 B.C. He wrote about this land called Atlantis in two of his dialogues, Timaeus and Critias, around 370 B.C. Plato stated that the continent lay in the Atlantic Ocean near the Straits of Gibraltar until its destruction.http://www.crystalinks.com/atlantistheories.html

Many of these Lost Continent of Atlantis theories or historical records began during the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament but point back to a time much earlier in history.

Another researcher Alan F. Alford states in his book about Atlantis: “…this does not guarantee that the creation myth theory of Atlantis is correct, but it does make it the only satisfactory theory currently available.” Note that he had to add the word “myth” after the word “creation”. It is a way that the world wants to deny God; subtle and too often affective. Even the “father of History” Herodotus is referenced by others to support and at other time deny the existence of a Continent of Atlantis. Some historians make Atlantis a city-island therefore making it much easier to explain its disappearance into the sea/ocean. Whether it did or didn’t exist has little to do with eternity, but it is often used to try and mislead Christian high school and college students; cracking the early beliefs of young and old. 

We can spend a long time debating above publications and many others we do not have the space to mention. Let’s look at the facts in the light of history and the Bible together:

1. There is some debate that the Continent (not an island) of Atlantis existed in the Atlantic Ocean. What other location makes sense of a name like “Atlantis”?

2. After the Great Flood, current mankind descended from Noah and the other seven who rode out the flood in the Ark; all populating then expanding from Mt Ararat. 

3. Many scholars and researchers claim that Atlantis was the size of a continent equal to modern day Europe with Africa tied to it from the south. This is hardly an island.

4. Plato talks much about the major city of Atlantis being a “city of canals”;http://www.eridu.co.uk/Author/atlantis/; similar to cultures in the Yucatan.

5. The History Channel and National Explorer in early 2010 reported that Atlantis had been discovered “within” the current boundaries of South America. JIV: No surprise if in fact the American Continent is the legendary Atlantis prior to the birth of Peleg OR there was a great continent within the Atlantic Ocean as we know it today. See Mid-Atlantic ridge photograph below taken from space.

6. Egypt is very strongly tied to the story of Atlantis and coincidentally lines up well with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

7. Edgar Cayce, “The Sleeping Prophet,” once predicted that a tomb would be discovered beneath the Sphinx at Giza in which evidence of Atlantis’ existence would be found. [JIV: I do not promote the visions of Edgar Casey, but for those secularists who do, he too envisioned the existence of such a continent]. The Bible supports the possibility of an Atlantis [keep reading]…

8. Often references are made to Egypt being “east” of Atlantis. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is west in fact of Egypt making sense of this claim of Egypt being east of Atlantis.

Now, for The Rest of the Bible Story:

Names of people have historically been benchmarks of events, timetables, or special occasions. This is noted of names recorded in both secular history and the Bible (which is actuality history). Geophysicists and Oceanographers have identified an active fault line (earthquake deep under the ocean floor) between Europe and the American Continent. 

This fault line separates the North American Plate from the Eurasian Plate. Find it at:http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html#anchor5567033(USCG) 

“We can measure how fast tectonic plates are moving today, but how do scientists know what the rates of plate movement have been over geologic time?” Might there have beena a time when there was a dramatic movement of tectronic plates?

Genesis 10:25 tells us of a son born to Eber (see previous article in this web site) named Peleg. His name means, “When the firmament separated.” This is the same word [firmament] used in the creation story. Firmament in Hebrew is transliterated “raqiya [raw-kee’-ah]” meaning: “an expanse of land, i. e. the firmament or (apparently) visible [at the] arch of the skyline.” In short, Atlantis was visible on the horizon at the arch of the skyline. Raqa in Hebrew means “to expand; make broad or spread abroad.” The Hebrew word raqaq basically means: “to split apart, separated by waters.” All three words come from the same root in Hebrew. 

Put the definition of these 3 Hebrew words together. During the life of Eber “the earth separated [Peleg]. It was a great expanse, was visible on the skyline and it split from a main body of land.” To any observer, a ship on the horizon going away from the observer looks like it “sinks” into the sea. Some translators include the word “Great earthquake” in their definition and use of the word Peleg. Some secular researchers also use the same words to describe what happened to Atlantis; it [appeared] to sink into the sea after a great earthquake. 

Timetables of ancient historians and the existence of the Continent of Atlantis often conflict. Bible believers accept the fact that all current peoples descend from Noah and sons Japheth, Shem and Ham. A natural question would be how did the American Indians, beginning with the Maya get to the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico? Keep in mind that many secular archeologists claim the American Indian descended, at least in part, from an expansion of peoples descending from the Mayan Indians. The Bible claims the same thing when it states all descended from Noah’s group of 8 people and Mt Ararat. 

What does all this mean if you haven’t already surmised? It takes much less faith to believe and there is less conflict of recorded events to believe that Atlantis was, at least in part, on the west side of the natural fault line in the Atlantic Ocean; reachable from the Mediterranean and African continent. According to Scripture in Genesis 10-11 the firmament separated giving Peleg his name/definition providing grounds for the “supposed legend” of the lost Continent of Atlantis. This is not someone’s reality but very much a probability if we follow scripture. People lived on this “large continent” called Atlantis before the flood and occupied it again after the flood. Atlantis didn’t sink into the sea, but during the great earthquake it separated the known land mass of Bible times; disappeared over the horizon no longer reachable by then known water craft. 

Of course we haven’t even discussed the facts of the similarities between Egyptian and Mayan cultures, architecture and religious practices; i.e. similar pyramids, temples of worship, sovereign rulers, math skills, astronomy, and story of a Great Flood. Coincident? You decide. 

Northern Michigan Institute of Bible Studies
Article on the Bible, earthquakes, and secular history 

Note the Caribean & S. American Plates

In the late 18th century Benjamin Franklin hypothesized that Africa and South America were once joined. We now know that he was right. JIV: Peleg means “when the earth was separated, split apart by an earthquake”What began as a small crack in the Earth’s crust is now the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a giant undersea mountain range. As magma rises to escape along this ridge new crust is formed, sea-floors spread, and continents drift apart. It may have orginally been a sudden and catastrophic split in the earth and how Peleg got his name. [When the firmament/earth/raqiya divided by a great shaking of the earth’s crust]http://www.platetectonics.com/oceanfloors/africa.asp