Crucifixion

The Bible often mentions earthquakes. If they are so, they are also a matter of secular records making these Bible records the same history as found in secular records. This series is designed to explore secular history, archeological digs [discoveries] and scriptural records of Biblical Earthquakes. This series will end with an article or two  on End-Time earthquakes. This is article number three in the series.


Earthquakes of the Bible and Secular History Coincide; secular views fail; the crucifixion

Before anyone reads the following article, I caution those who want to jump at conclusions steeped in one’s “belief” that now is the time; the end of the earth as we know it. Half-truths have done much damage to our Christian-based evangelical society. We (me included) accept without challenge statements that support our beliefs or desires without checking the facts. The World Wide Web has been one of the best tools for sending out half-truths.
Example: When in 2011 quarterback Tim Tebow and the Broncos beat the Steelers in overtime, a playoff they statistically never should have even been one of the competing teams, all sorts of “posts” were put out on the WWW that glorified the the view it was a “God supported” win. Perhaps the Broncos simply outplayed the Steelers. But what happens when a post goes viral stating that “amazingly four of the seven officials on the field were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John”; all key authors of Books of the Bible? What happens when it isn’t the truth yet it is forwarded to tens of thousands? Yes, it undercuts the reliability of Christian truth.

This is why we are using this series on the earthquakes of the Bible and secular history. When both sides identify the same earthquake, there is little room for middle ground.

In 1931 A.D., there were about seismograph stations 350 stations operating in the world. Today, there are more that 4,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by telex, computer and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years.

This is not to say that writers like Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, Michael D. Evans, and Peter LaLonde, to mention but a few, point with some validity to the End Times being very close via reported earthquakes. This author maintains that we are concerned about the wrong thing. We should be less concerned about the earthquakes, the supposed increasing numbers and the horrendous damage such as in Japan just last year than a concern about the PEOPLE who died without Christ. None the less, let’s try to help those who think the Bible is *full of stories and that secular history is distinctly different and not full of stories; i.e. one is a story and the latter is history. We trust by pointing out that the Bible and secular records of a simple thing called earthquakes and huge storms are the same history recorded in the annuls of both scripture and secular history.

*Story (synonyms): tale, narrative, yarn, legend, fairy-tale, anecdote, rumor, report, hearsay, scoop, lie, fib, untruth, falsehood. These words all play a part in how the hearer of the Word and the world at-large can translate the facts of the Bible if we constantly call them “stories.” They are NOT STORIES! Bible events and history are facts that are often proven through science and secular histories.

One more word of caution and clarification for what too many pulpits, radio and television speakers point out as fact and it just isn’t so. We are often left with the impression that in scripture such as Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11 that the natural destruction of end time earthquakes will be an INCREASE in numbers. Double check the facts… the word “increase” just isn’t there. Yes, the intensity may increase but we have no scriptural evidence that this will be a time when there is an increase in the number of earthquakes.

Matthew 24:7 (ESV) Nations will fight against other nations. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is no food for people to eat. And there will be earthquakes in different places.

Mark 13:8 (ESV) Nations will fight against other nations. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is no food for people to eat. And there will be earthquakes in different places.

Luke 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, sicknesses, and other bad things in many places. In some places there will be no food for the people to eat. Terrible things will happen, and amazing things will come from heaven to warn people.

Yes, the intensity of earthquakes may increase, and we do know from secular records that there is an increase in recorded and reported earthquakes (see paragraph 3 above) throughout the world, but the Bible simply does not say there will be an INCREASE in earthquakes. For the record, we checked the following interpretations of scripture to verify that the Bible does not say anything about an increase in the number of earthquakes:

King James; Lexham English Bible; Modern King James Version; Revised Version; Young’s Literal Translation of 1898; 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible; English Standard Version; American Standard Version; The Apostolic Bible Polyglot Greek… (I think the point is made).

Why is this important? Remember the example of Tim Tebow and the supposed Gospel-names of four officials in the playoff game? We as Christians need to get the facts correct or the world will use our misuse of them against us. The secular world holds us to a different standard. When they slip-up, it is simply dismissed. When Christians get the facts wrong, it is headlines on major communication networks and publications; not to mention the hey-day on the World Wide Web.

Article – the crucifixion and its earthquakeEarthquake

There is much evidence surrounding the earthquakes that occurred during the crucifixion of Jesus, His resurrection, and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Quoting Jennifer Viegas of Discovery News:

To analyze earthquake activity in the region (Dead Sea), geologist Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geo-sciences studied three cores from the beach of the Ein Gedi Spa adjacent to the Dead Sea.

Varves, which are annual layers of deposition in the sediments, reveal that at least two major earthquakes affected the core: a widespread earthquake in *31 B.C. and a seismic event that happened sometime between the years *26 A.D. and 36 A.D. (see Science on NBCNEWS.com)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47555983/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/quake-reveals-day-jesus-crucifixion-researchers-believe/#.UK_DXvJDSSo

*These dates do not preclude that they could have occurred within hours or a few days of each other. The fact remains, there are secular geological records of two significant earthquakes surrounding the time of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
These dates also coincide well and are within the scripture records of two earthquakes that surround the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ: Matthew *27 & **28, Mark *15 & **16, Luke *23 & **24 (*the first chapter is the record of the crucifixion and the **second chapter in each book is the record of His resurrection). */**You can look these passages up in YOUR BIBLE.

Colin Humphreys, a British physicist, and Graeme Waddington , co-author and professor at Oxford University in the U.K., authored a paper that gives us some additional insight into the history surrounding these events.

• All four gospels and Tacitus in Annals (XV, 44) agree that the crucifixion occurred when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea from A.D. 26 to 36.

• All four gospels say the crucifixion occurred on a Friday.

• All four gospels agree that Jesus died a few hours before the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath (nightfall on a Friday).

• The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) indicate that Jesus died before nightfall on the 14th day of Nisan, right before the start of the Passover meal.
This suggests that the events of the death and resurrection of Christ and the earthquake records strongly coincide. They both settle in and around the same time period in secular and Biblical history. It should be pointed out that this means one is not a story and the other is history. They are both records of the same history, at the same time in history, and founded on research.

Is this another coincident or aha bible moment (ahabiblemoments.com)? You decide, but consider this additional information. Titus and Flavius Josephus, 37 C.E. to 100 C.E. were either youthful eyewitnesses to these events or lived so close to the time of these events, they heard it from people who actually witnessed this demarcation in history and eternity.

Bonus aha moments… The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, penned sometime between 50 A.D. and 60 A.D., were written during the lifetime of secular historian Flavius Josephus and Emperor Titus (Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus). This mean they are contemporary with the penning of these Gospels.

Thallus, a Greek historian who wrote The Chronicle of the Olympiad and was anything but a supporter of Christianity. He writes in his 3-volume edition of the History of the Mediterranean World about the darkness at the time of the crucifixion. He identified it as a lunar eclipse. Problem? A lunar eclipse by scientific standards can only occur during the evening hours; the moon is opposite the sun in the solar system during daylight hours and the earth is directly between the sun and the moon.

Don’t confuse a lunar eclipse as a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse puts the moon between the earth and the sun. One might argue that Thallus was incorrect in his terminally. I guess that would take unfounded faith that Thallus didn’t understand science simply using the wrong name for the occurrence. (read the closing paraphaph)

Christ died during the afternoon hours. A solar eclipse takes an hour to happen and last but a few minutes. The darkness that fell over the earth at the time of the crucifixion lasted over three hours.

http://jesusevidences.com/datesntgospels.php

Another coincident? Possibly, but you decide. Study the Word of God and compare it to history, archeology, geology, and seismology for yourself. The proof is there, but http://bible.cc/romans/10-17.htm (the word “faith” in this click on link is pistis in the Greek. it translates “TRUTH”. Therefore truth itself is assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity)jStark3

 

Egypt? Yemen? Tsunamis? Libya?

What in the world is going on?

What in the world is going on? Is this a sudden drive for nationalism and democracy in these Arab worlds’ or is there something more sinister? Is it in scripture? Did God warn or try to alert us to such happenings? As Christians we are not to be negative, add to the fire and fear or be personally fearful regardless of whatever is going on. At the same time, we need to be alert and prepared. Let me explain.

Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are parallel chapters. These three different books discuss the same topics; Jesus’ teachings and prophesies, AND, end times. This is not a time or place for discussing doctrine such as pre, post, mid, or “a [non]” anything. However, the Bible does tell us to be alert and the signs of end times will be as obvious as are the seasons. Alert to what?

Disclaimer: All three of these “synoptic” books in the New Testament attest to Jesus’ insights as he teaches one last time prior to his crucifixion. This time is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount [of Olives]. He answers questions posed to him by his disciples on issues of prophecy. Good men today disagree as to the timing of events on this earth, mankind and end times, but the fact remains, Jesus states emphatically that these end times will come. Believers will disappear from the face of the earth, chaos will result, and the people remaining on earth will try to return to a normal life; but it won’t happen!

Every serious student of prophecy is typically able to defend or make a strong case for his or her particular view of the sequence of end times, but once again… well, let’s look at it from The Book of Luke. Luke 21:7-8 states, “Teacher, when will these things happen? What will be the sign that they are about to take place.” Jesus is quick to reply and rather than directly answer the questions of his disciples he offers a caution: “Watch out that you are not deceived. Many men will come in my name claiming ‘I am he.’” [When this happens] “The time is near. Do not follow them.”

His answer is in contrast to being direct. Jesus gives us a strong clue as to what will be going on around us at the time we “draw near” to the end times. “Watch out…” But, he doesn’t stop here. The contrast to a direct answer to the disciples’ questions is Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32; only the Father knows when.

This does not change the fact that events will happen to give us clues as to when the end time is drawing very near. Jesus says these things MUST HAPPEN; Luke 21:9b. But the first part of this verse is what we as Christians can universally hang our hat on; “When you hear of *wars and revolutions, do not be **frightened.” As a theologian and researcher I find the word “fright or frightened” interesting. In the King James we find the phrase “fear not” 74 times and “be not afraid” 46 times. In the Greek it can mean to “cause one to fall.” To fall? Might this relate to being faint or weak-hearted? You decide but don‘t dismiss it. It is a caution from Jesus himself.

*Wars [Greek: polemos] a single or multiple conflicts; upheavals; revolts.
** Frightened [Greek: ptoeho] to draw back as when one is frightened; cause one to fall

This is very assuring when we read Luke 21:14a; “make up your mind (when? NOW!) not to worry.”

Luke 21:25 states, “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” This isn’t intended to drive you to the Weather Channel but it is a thought. Jesus is again the author of these words. Different translations say it a multiple number of ways but all come to the same conclusion; something is or will be quite wrong and unusual.

It is particularly fascinating to read the next two verses in Luke 21; [v26] “Men will faint in terror, apprehension of what is coming of this world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” [v27] “AT THAT TIME they will see the Son of Man coming” [where?] “in the clouds.” Nothing is stated here that Christ will plant His feet on earth… “they will see” [Greek: optanomai] as in gaze in awe with wide open eyes. Who is ‘they?’ From my best guess [J.I.V.] it is those who did not either expect or believe in Jesus Christ, or his return.

It isn’t the purpose or intent of this article to “preach” or teach a certain doctrine. It is to point out that Jesus himself said in Luke 21:34-35 “Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and anxieties of life. That day (end times or Christ’s coming?) will close on you like a trap. Be always on the watch, and pray that YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ESCAPE ALL THAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.”

Perhaps this last statement in verse 36 is why Jesus prefaced his answer to the disciples’ questions with Luke 21:9 “When you hear of wars and revolutions, signs in the sun, moon and stars. These things must happen first.” This doesn’t in any way mean to gather in some jungle in South America or some mountain top and wait. Jesus does say at the end of verse 9 “…but the end will not come right away.”

Now you know the Rest of this Bible story as it regards these rumors of wars, unrest and anxieties in this world. You decide. But before you do, read  1 John 4:1-3 and Matthew 24:25-27.

jStark3=Dr. J

 

It Must Be Said!

I couldn’t help myself.
The following is more of a blog than a message. A message would be more fully developed.
In reading some of the e-mails from those who follow ahabiblemoments, it occurs to me that there are too many “soft” Christian points of view; i.e. politically correct but spiritually wrong.Our culture has compromised, many fundamentally and well-intending churches and pastors pull their heads back into their proverbial turtle shells, apologize for, run the risk of being branded as “radical” and/or fear giving the “government” cause to revoke our tax-exempt status. When Jesus Christ said they will hate you because they first hated me, it is because HE too called sin, for what was and is – SIN. Jesus was not concerned about being politically correct. It was the message more than the messenger that the world and governing bodies hated. However, the messenger in the Bible, Jesus, paid the price. (You may want to think about “paid the price” a little as it has a double meaning here)Barnes’ Notes on the Bible commentary states: “If the world hates you – The friendship of the world they were not to expect, but they were not to be deterred from their work by its hatred. They had seen the example of Jesus. No opposition of the proud, the wealthy, the learned, or the men of power, no persecution or gibe, had deterred him from his work”.
(GIBE means “a comment that is intended to hurt or provoke”)


Clark’s Commentary on the Bible puts it in words I particularly like… “As the followers of Christ were to be exposed to the hatred of the world, it was no small consolation to them to know that their hatred would be only in proportion to their faith and holiness; and that, consequently, instead of being troubled at the prospect of persecution, they should rejoice, because that should always be a proof to them that they were on the very path in which Jesus himself had trod”. Don’t misread this passage commentary as meaning, in order to be recognized as a follower of Christ we MUST FIRST be at odds with individuals in this world. That is the cart leading the horse. (more on this in a different article)Re-read the middle part of Clark’s Commentary on this topic… “their [the world’s] hatred would be only in proportion to their faith and holiness…”. This does not mean to become obstinate or draw attention to one’s self. It also does not mean to hide or compromise one’s faith or the teachings of Christ. The hatred of the world is to the message a Christian delivers but be prepared to be picked out as the radical in the line-up.The Apostle Paul points out in Ephesians 5:2 that we are ‘to walk in love’, not antagonism. But, in Matthew 5:14 we are also identified as “the light of the world”. It should be a simple deduction that light exposes the “dark corners”. Read the rest of this passage starting at verse 14… 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Notice that the emphasis in Matthew 5:16 is to let our light shine before others that THEY MAY SEE GOOD DEEDS. Note: Maybe the Book of James and its author is onto something in that Epistle; works = good deeds and should be noticed? There is nothing in this passage to suggest it means to get into arguments, be a spectacle, revolutionary, behead those who do not believe, pick fights, knock on neighborhood doors in order to earn one’s salvation via a good heated discussion with the home owners, unbeliever or someone of another faith, etc. What it does emphasize is being a light with our good deeds. But here we go again, there is nothing here that supports compromising our faith, beliefs or hiding our faith in the proverbial turtle shell. I like how Rev. Greg Du Bois of the First Covenant Church in Cadillac, Michigan put it in one of his messages: “a belief is what you hold, but a conviction is what holds you” (author unknown)

John 3:20, 21 says: “Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed. 21: But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God’s approval,” (ESV). Verse 21 means transparency in our Christian living.Lookcarefully

Once again, as a reminder to each of us, John 3:21 …”Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed”. Ephesians 5:15, 16, 17 (ESV) “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, V16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. V17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Note in verse 17 it also tells us to not be foolish”. You judge what that means to you, but it means to me to be wise, not stupid or foolish in our actions, words or deeds; e.g. what we say and do.Does anyone reading this website “blog” really think that Jesus is trying to be politically correct in Ephesians 5:5? Look up the verse for yourself or click on the highlighted verse address. He is being very candid. Candid means frank, blunt, upfront and not hiding in one’s turtle shell. Jesus is not trying to be politically correct. Why point out the definition of this word? It isn’t to insult my readers, but it is to confess the excuse I used in the past. I claimed I really didn’t fully understand the meaning of the word “candid”. I deliberately took it to mean ”be candid while maintaining political correctness.” Lame… you bet it is! However, it worked for me until God worked on my heart and we had a face-to-face moment.Here is part of my “old” practice and a confession to my readers. For those who buy the humanist schooling philosophy … ‘human beings are naturally good’, read Romans 7:18-19. For those who harbor any animosity or anger toward another, read Mark 11:23-25. Underline verse 11:24 in your Bible. For those who wonder from where the statement came, “s/he is on the left or s/he is on the right”, read Ecclesiastes 10:2 in multiple translations but do it before casting your vote in our pending national elections this November.
Conclusion and how I tie this “blog” in with the opening paragraphs of this article. You will either hate or appreciate me, but not because of the messenger-author. It will be because of the messages. They all come from the Holy Word of God. Don’t simply take my word for it. I am but a human. Re-read the Word of God yourself and *do as it SAYS and as Jesus DID. You as a Christian are to be the light of the world and light up the room showing your good deeds but a light also exposes the evil even when it is not politically correct. Quit playing by the rules of deception that we have been gradually fed by the “world” and to a great part, accept life and the evils of this world as ‘this is just the way it is’.*So much for the old adage and advice we as Christians have also bought into. ”Do as I say, not as I do”. As Christians we are to do as God’s Word says and live as Jesus Christ did and said. Your eternity depends on it. So does mine. Denial does not excuse anyone. Besides, isn’t Denial [the Nile] a river somewhere in Egypt?I just couldn’t help myself. It has to be said and be made known to fellow believers. Are you on the right or the left?

Mt. Sinai

The Bible often mentions earthquakes. If they are so, they are also a matter of secular records making these Bible records the same history as found in secular records. This series is designed to explore secular history, archeological digs [discoveries] and scriptural records of Biblical Earthquakes. This series will end with an article or two  on End-Time earthquakes. This is article number three in the series.


Was Mount Sinai a Volcano – but first…?
Secularists Views Fail the test of validity and often, reliability..Earthquake
To begin this article on earthquakes and volcanoes mentioned in the Bible and verified by secular geologist, volcano researchers, archeologists, and seismologists, the reader should note that much of the following information comes from articles and research written by people that do NOT buy into the Moses-Wilderness or any other story as reported in Bible history. In fact, one of the secular researchers studied for the writing of this article begins his paper by stating, “The legend of Moses.” Note the use of THE LEGEND: a myth, fable, fairy tale, etc. Some secular researchers of earth and human existence describe a volcano as “screaming or having a loud voice; perhaps loud like a trumpet”. Such statements are intended to cast questionable validity on Biblical records of similar sounds, voices, trumpets, and darkness on earth.One author and researcher goes so far as to state as a fact, “a volcanic eruption at night could easily be mistaken as a ‘pillar of light’ such as Biblical records indicate while in the 38 years of wilderness wandering the Israelites followed by night with a pillar of smoke by day.”With this article, I intend to briefly use some their own words against their conclusions; in the words of Gene Whittum in his fascinating articles on Ecclesiastes. :poke holes in their canopy under which they hide.”. We will also question their timelines and dating processes. 

To support questionable “dating” of artifacts we immediately remind our reader of another article in this website where in Texas human footprints have been discovered alongside and in some cases within the foot prints of dinosaurs. This is not an isolated discovery. (see Paluxy River, near Glen Rose Texas; Mary Leakey’s famous Laoetoli Track in Tanzania; 1995 study of quasi-human ichnofossils (supposed human tracks) found with tracks of dinosaurs in strata near Tuba City, Arizona.)Journalist Alexander Bushev reported in the 31 January 1995 edition of Komsomolskaya Pravda (one of the most popular newspapers of the former USSR) that he had journeyed to the plateau near the village of Khodga-Pil in Turkmenistan. Here he found fossilized prints of dinosaurs and humans together. We shold remember that secular science “CLAIMS” that dinosaurs vanished long before humans existed. Their justification for this co-existence discovery of human and dinosaur: “If we could prove that they do belong to a humanoid, then it would create a revolution in the science of man. Humanity would ‘grow older’ thirty-fold and its history would be at least 150 million years long?” [emphasis mine] (Professor Kurban Amanniyazov, head of the expedition that discovered these footprints).Keep in mind these same people had no problem putting a dinosaur label on the large footprints but question the foot print with a human-like heel, five toes, and similar in size to homo-sapiens [humans] of today. Note also that rather than bring the dinosaur into more contemporary history, they want to move human existence backward 150 million years, even though no discoveries have been made to support or justify such a conclusion.

The article in the English version of Moscow News in 1983 (No. 24, p. 10) goes on to explain away the “coincidence” of both footprints in the same fossilized clay, Professor Kurban Amanniyazov states: “However, at present we don’t have enough grounds to say this. We’ve imprints resembling human footprints, but to date have failed to determine, with any scientific veracity, [to] whom [species] they belong to, after all.” *In other words, the human prints may look like human footprints, be similar in size and shape to modern day human footprints, and were recognized as human footprints upon their discovery alongside and sometimes within dinosaur prints there is no scientific evidence to prove the “human prints” come from humans. Yes, you read this correctly!!!

*Aha moments: Mr. Amanniyazov is basically saying… if it looks like a duck, quakes like a duck, swims and flies like a duck, and has webbed feet and duck feathers, one must find scientific proof to validate it is a duck. And secularist and atheists say Christian faith is crazy?

http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v18/n4/footprints-in-turkmenistan

To continue this somewhat satirical or sardonic look at secular science and conclusions, we must include a Barnes and Noble ad with a web review of a book written by Barbara J. Silvertsen; The Parting of the Red Sea. Barbara Sivertsen [attempts to demonstrate; emphasis mine] demonstrates that the Exodus record found in scripture was in fact two separate exoduses both triggered by volcanic eruptions—and provides scientific explanations for the ten plagues including the parting of the Red Sea. She concludes that over time Israelite oral tradition combined these events into the one Exodus narrative known today.

The Publishers Weekly tries to show the Silvertsen research and conclusion as somehow challenging Biblical records of the exodus and the ten plagues. In their review of her work they state: ‘Siversten locates an eruption in 1450 B.C. [a] submarine explosion of the island of Bali of south-east Indonesia just north of Australia, which would have caused the tsunami that inundated the Egyptians [army] in the “Sea of Reeds.”‘ If this is so, according to secularists, the tsunami would have had to wash over a myth, fable, fairy tale and over the heel of Africa before reaching the Sea of Reeds then eventually Egypt. However, they fail to point out any evidence that at the Sea of Reeds the tsunami somehow wiped out the Egyptian army but never reached the Egyptian mainland on the other side of “the Sea of Reeds”.

Even if she meant to say the Island of Yali in the Agean Sea, her Tsunami theory still can’t “hold water” (pun intended). The Tsunami flood would also have had to wipe out Egypt itself,a myth, fable, fairy tale and several other locations within the reach of this 1450 B.C. Tsunami.

Is this a bit odd or simply a sacrificial conclusion of truth? She also forgets to mention that the direction the supposed tsunami of 1450 B.C. moved was an east to west direction. This means the Israelites who were safely on the EASTERN side of the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea) would have been directly in the wake of this same Tsunami flood that destroyed the Egyptian army to the WEST of them. Somehow this tsunami traveled over land masses uninterrupted, skipped over the heads of 2 million fleeing Israelis, then drowned the Egyptian army on the other side. Even if the tsunaumi came from the other direction, the massive flood the wiped out the Egyptian army would not have suddenly halted at the Sea of Reeds leaving the Israelis on the other side unscathed. 

Huh? Where is there any record of such a flood wiping out Saudi Arabia, India and the heel of Africa? The fact is such evidence simply doesn’t exist.

It even gets better. To quote the Barnes and Noble review of her book, they state that Silvertsen (attempts to) shows with secular research just how the first exodus followed a 1628 B.C.E Minoan eruption that produced the first nine plagues. The second exodus [in 1450 B.C.] followed an eruption of a volcano off the Aegean island of Yali (or Indian Ocean Island of Bali) almost two centuries later, creating the tenth plague of darkness.

Something is wrong with their review of her research. The Bible clearly states that the 10th plague was the death of the eldest son (including livestock). From where did the “DARKNESS” plague come; albeit the 10th plague? Even testier is the fact that she is concluding the first nine plagues happened 200 years (1628 B.C.) BEFORE the tenth plague (1450 B.C.). It was 200 years later the exodus from Egypt occurred. 

Deuteronamy 34:5-7 “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-pe’or but no man knows the place of his burial to this day. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; …”

Moses died at the age of 120. How does that fit with her dates, events and numbers of over 200 years between the 9th and 10th plague on Egypt prior to the the exodus? Simple third grade math, it doesn’t!

One who can read between the lines should note that their very review of Silvertsen’s book is a confession of the exodus, the plagues, the drowning of the Egyptian army, and the Israelite exodus from forced labor in Egypt. I quote a passage from UltimateRiddles.com, Exodus 11:1 begins with God speaking to Moses about the next prophesy to announce the tenth plague, and verses 1 through 3 are in parentheses for a reason. Verse 2 begins with ‘Speak now in the ears of the People…’ and continues through verse 3 with instructions in preparation for leaving Egypt. For clearer understanding of the place and time of this address and the continuation in verse 4, students should note the last two verses of chapter 10.”

”And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die” Exodus 10:28 (KJV).

“And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more”; Exodus 10:29 (KJV). 

PS: This incident in the history of the exodus is the basis of Hebrew celebration of Passover.
Mt Sinai? We haven’t forgotten our title to this article but wanted to poke holes in the canopy that secularist hide under. It would be so simple to poke many more holes but the point is made. They can’t even agree with each other and every new discovery changes their explanations of their previous discovery.

“And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.” (Exodus. 19:18) 

“The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.” (Psalms 68:8)jStark3