DRGibbs NTS PhDBA Dissertation 6-15-19

NEWBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND COLLEGE OF THE BIBLE
DIVINE INTERVENTION:
INSPIRED WISDOM, MIRACULOUSLY DIRECT,
OR GOD’S LAWS OF NATURE
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO
THE FACULTY OF THE DIVISION OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
BY
DONALD RALPH GIBBS
WASILLA, ALASKA
FEBRUARY 2019
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Copyright © 2019 by Donald Ralph Gibbs
All rights reserved
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CONTENTS
DEDICATION TO MY INSPIRATIONS viii
ILLUSTRATIONS ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS x
ABBREVIATIONS xi
RESEARCH METHOD xii
ABSTRACT xiii
INTRODUCTION 1
PART I. DIVINE INTERVENTION DEFINED
Chapter 1. Intervention by Inspired Wisdom-The Still Small Voice 4
A Visit from God 4
A Visit from God’s Messenger Angel (s) 5
iv
God Visits in a Dream 6
Divinely Inspired Wisdom 7
A Personal Visitation 7
In Conclusion 8
Chapter 2. Intervention by the Miraculously Direct 8
The Ask and the Touch 9
The Action 10
Mercy and Healing for All 10
In Conclusion 11
Chapter 3. Intervention by God’s Laws of Nature 12
The Sun and Moon Stand Still 12
v
Weather as a Divine Exclamation Point 13
An Earthquake as a Divine Weapon 13
Rain as a Divine Weapon 13
In Conclusion 14
PART II. THE GREAT FLOOD
Chapter 4. The Great Flood in Scripture 16
God Regrets His Creation 16
The Flood in Extrabiblical Literature 17
Chapter 5. The Science Behind the Great Flood? 18
Which Came First, the Great Flood or the Last Ice Age? 18
Post Flood Climate Change 18
How Many Ice Ages? 19
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PART III. SODOM AND GOMORRAH
Chapter 6. Sodom and Gomorrah in Scripture 21
God Visits Abraham 21
God Shares His Plan 21
Abraham Argues with God 21
The Angels of Salvation and Destruction 22
Chapter 7. The Science Behind Sodom and Gomorrah? 23
The Sumerians Observe the Night Sky 23
Star Map Reflects an Asteroid Impact in Ancient Austria 23
Computer Modeling, Asteroid Trajectory, and Impact Analysis 24
Impact Plume Reenters Earth’s Atmosphere with a Course Reversal 27
Impact Plume Debris Falls on Sodom and Gomorrah 28
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Did They Really Exist? 30
On the Ground in Sodom 30
Brimstone Defined 31
In Conclusion 32
PART IV. THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT
Chapter 8. The Ten Plagues of Egypt in Scripture 34
Moses Petitions Pharaoh 34
Ten Judgements Against Egypt 34
In Conclusion 37
Chapter 9. The Science Behind the Ten Plagues of Egypt? 37
Super Volcano Eruption on Santorini, Greece (Ancient Thera) 37
Dating the Plagues and the Exodus 38
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Linking Thera’s Eruption to the Ten Plagues 40
The Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus as Corroborating Evidence 42
In Conclusion 43
PART V. JOSHUA CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN
Chapter 10. Joshua Crossing the River Jordan in Scripture 46
Joshua is Chosen to Replace Moses 46
Israel Prepares to Cross the River Jordan 46
Chapter 11. The Science Behind Joshua Crossing the River Jordan? 47
The Jordan River Has Stopped Many Times 48
A Fault Line is Used by God? 48
PART VI. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO
Chapter 12. The Destruction of the Walls of Jericho in Scripture 51
The Captain of the Heavenly Hosts 51
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God’s Divine Battle Plan 51
Chapter 13. The Science Behind the Destruction of the Walls of Jericho? 52
Correlating Archaeology with Joshua’s Canaan Campaign 52
Dating the Fall of Joshua’s Jericho 53
In Conclusion 54
PART VII. THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
Chapter 14. The Star of Bethlehem in Scripture 57
The Magi Arrive from Persia 57
A Star and a Dream Lead the Way 57
Chapter 15. The Science Behind the Star of Bethlehem? 58
Christmas Music and Scripture 58
Jupiter and the Star of Bethlehem 58
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A Celestial Convergence 59
Zoroastrian Priests Take Notice 59
Jupiter and Venus 60
In Conclusion 61
PART VIII. THE EARTH IS FORMED
Chapter 16. The Earth is Formed in Scripture 63
God Begins His Creative Processes 63
Chapter 17. The Science Behind the Earth’s Formation? 65
Intelligent Design 65
The Big Bang Theory 65
Science versus Theology 66
A Catholic Priest and the Big Bang Theory 66
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The Universe Expands and Evolves 67
The Earth and its Moon are Formed 68
The Earth is Prepared for Life 69
The Goldilocks Zone 69
In Conclusion 70
CONCLUSION 71
APPENDIX A. EXTRABIBLICAL SECULAR COMMENTARY
Chapter 18. The Ancient Alien Phenomena 74
Angels or Aliens? 74
Misunderstood Technology? 75
In Conclusion 76
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 77
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DEDICATIONS TO MY INSPIRATIONS
This paper is dedicated to my heavenly Father, His son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. May
the power of the Holy Spirit come over any who read this paper to heal them, inspire them, and
empower them to be the person God designed them to be. And, most importantly, may the Holy
Spirit be with me as I write each word!
Secondly, this paper is dedicated to my beloved wife, who suggested that I begin writing
to stay connected with the Divine Creator of the universe. When confronting new challenges
throughout our married life, like the children of Israel, I continuously forget how God has
intervened before. Like them, I despair. However, Ramona remembers! She constantly reminds
me of how God has intervened over the last 35 years of our marriage, both through His “Direct
Intervention” and through the still small voice of His Holy Spirit. Thank you, Ramona!
Finally, this paper is dedicated to my parents, who collectively taught me how to pray, to
seek my Creator, and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, our Brother and King.
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures
1. Sumerian clay tablet, the Planisphere and astrolabe, recording the night sky over
Mesopotamia, ca 3250 BC 25
2. Köfels’ mountain top impact site 26
3. Artist rendition of moment the Aten asteroid impacted Köfels’ 27
4. Asteroid inbound trajectory to Köfels’ impact and reentry plume over the Dead Sea 29
5. The First Plague: Water is changed into blood 44
6. Joshua’s march from the acacia groves to Gilgal to Jericho and the Jordan River fault
line 49
7.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to thank five very special friends, colleagues, spiritual advisors, and family
academics. They served as my pre-submission dissertation committee and proof readers. They
include The Reverend Don A. Gibbs, The Reverend Mark Farris, The Reverend Tom Young,
Mrs. Ruth E. Gibbs, and Mr. Jason Deissl-Gibbs. My sincerest thanks to you all for your edits,
happy-to-glad’s, and additional content suggestions.
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ABBREVIATIONS
AAT Ancient Alien Theory
AD Anno Domini – Latin for “In the year of our Lord”
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BC Before Christ
BCE Before the Common Era
CE Common Era
ca Circa
ET Extraterrestrial
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NT New Testament
NTS Newburgh Theological Seminary and College of the Bible
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OT Old Testament
UFO Unidentified Flying Object
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RESEARCH METHOD
Newburgh Theological Seminary and College of the Bible provides the doctoral
student three dissertation formats to answer their research question. They are empirical, non-
empirical, and narrative. I have chosen the more subjective and qualitative approach to complete
my research by combining the non-empirical and narrative styles. I believe them to be more
appropriate to the subject of Biblical Archaeology.
There is general acceptance, I believe, that God intervenes in our lives both directly and
indirectly through the inspiration of His Holy Spirit. My research question is, however, “Is there
also biblical and corroborating extrabiblical evidence that God uses His geology or His Laws of
Nature to accomplish His purposes for mankind?” In presenting the research for this question, I
am assuming that the readers accept that there is a God and that He intervenes in the lives of
those He has created. It is not meant to be a presentation of Christian Apologetics; the latter
being defined as a branch of Christian theology that defends Christianity against objections.
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ABSTRACT
One of the most contentious debates in Christendom is if God created the world in seven
days or seven epochs. This debate implies the question, “Does God limit Himself in how He
intervenes?” I suggest that the Bible tells the reader the “who” and “why” of creation, leaving
science, in some cases, to answer the “how” He did it. I believe the answer (s) to this question
may apply to all instances of Divine intervention.
For this dissertation, I have proposed just three Divine intervention strategies to answer
the question of “how.” I would not presume to suggest any limitation on how God intervenes in
the affairs of mankind. The first method I call “inspired wisdom,” which is given to mankind for
Divine direction through the “…still small voice” of His Holy Spirit. Second, there is the
“miraculously direct.” Two examples include the raising of Lazarus from the dead and the
feeding of the five thousand at Bethsaida.
The final method that I suggest God has used, continues to use, and will use again are His
Laws of Nature. These include His geology and His astrophysics of the universe that He created
following a Divinely determined template. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to answer the
question, “Has God used His geology and Laws of Nature, combined with a perfect sense of
timing, to accomplish His purposes?”
In this paper, I will combine biblical accounts with associated and plausible “scientific”
explanations for those events. I will put forth the research that I believe MAY explain how God
chose to accomplish His perfect will. I will not presume to answer the question of “how” with
certainty.
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INTRODUCTION
During the spring semester of 1973, I sat in a Bible college classroom listening to a
professor lecturing on the Old Testament. For the first time in my Christian walk, I was
introduced to a new concept concerning how God intervenes in our lives. Up to that point, my
theology had been shaped by sitting at the feet of a young evangelist. My father, the Reverend
Don A. Gibbs, read from Arthur S. Maxwell’s ten volumes of “The Bible Story” every morning.
Additionally, my mother, Ruth, taught me how to pray every night.
Through that socialization, I had come to believe that God intervened in our lives by His
personal touch, that I call His “direct intervention.” This was exemplified when Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead and healed the sick. But this professor was suggesting another way God
could intervene. He suggested that throughout history God had used His geology and His perfect
sense of timing to bring about His will for His people.
To make his point, the professor reminded us that when Joshua arrived at the River
Jordan on his way to Jericho, the river dried up so that God’s people could walk across on dry
land. The revelation…the geology behind the event was that the headwaters of the Jordan dried
up on a recurring basis, just as it did on this occasion.
The miracle of this event was that God could get His people, a half million former slaves,
to the right place at exactly the right time. So, while some may think this interpretation to be a
humanist perspective, I would ask which was the greater miracle? It seems to me that it would be
a very small task for the creator of heaven and earth to place His invisible hand across the river
Jordan to block its flow. The greater miracle, I believe, is seen in God’s perfect sense of timing
1
and leadership of His Holy Spirit to guide Joshua to exactly the right place at the right time.
From that day forward, I saw God’s hand at work both through His “direct intervention” and also
using His geology. For example, Simcha Jacobovici, in an History Channel exposé entitled “The
Exodus Decoded,” presents archaeological evidence to suggest that God used the volcanic
eruption on Santorini, Greece (Ancient Thera) to bring about the ten plagues of Egypt. And, I
have come to echo his final question to the audience. Paraphrasing… “Was the Santorini
eruption just a coincidence to the Exodus? Or, did God use the eruption to bring about His will to
free His people from bondage in Egypt?”
Similarly, in the pages that follow, I will explore the question of if biblical and
extrabiblical evidence supports an assertion that God also uses His geology, as well as
miraculously direct intervention and inspired wisdom to accomplish His perfect will for
mankind. At its conclusion, it is my hope that my readers will come to see the Bible as an
historical document. It is not just a collection of allegorical stories to teach morality to Jewish
children. This same view has been suggested by many in popular culture, including many
American Protestant Church denominations. And, I hope to show that God works in many ways
to accomplish His purposes. A partial list includes His geology, astrophysics, and other elements
found in His Laws of Nature, such as weather. I believe God was, is, and always will be the very
first scientist. Thus, in the following chapters, I will look at possible Divinely-initiated scientific
explanations.
2
PART I.
DIVINE INTERVENTION DEFINED

Chapter 1
Intervention by Inspired Wisdom-The Still Small Voice
Scripture has many different accounts of God sharing His wisdom with mankind. The
Captain of the Heavenly hosts spoke to Joshua and gave him a Divine battle strategy. Angels
spoke to Gideon, Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, the mothers of Samson and Jesus, and
many more. God spoke to others through dreams. In the account of Elijah hiding in the cave on
Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, God spoke in a still small voice. And, God gave Solomon
wisdom, which I believe came from the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. In this discussion, I am
grouping these intervention and communication modalities as “Inspired Wisdom.”
A Visit from God
After serving as a lightning rod for God’s Holy Fire to consume an offering to the God of
Israel, exhausted, Elijah travelled into the wilderness to retreat and hide from Queen Jezebel.
Jezebel had vowed to kill Elijah because he killed her 450 prophets of Baal at the Kishon brook.1
On his journey, an angel of God prepared meals to fortify him for the forty-day and forty-night
trip to Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). When Elijah set up camp in a cave, the Lord appeared to him
and asked him what he was doing there. God told Elijah to go outside and stand before Him on
the mountain. Before doing so, a mighty windstorm passed by the mouth of the cave with such
force that rocks were torn loose. But the Lord was not in the wind. Then, an earthquake shook
the mountain. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then, an all-consuming fire appeared. But
the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, Elijah heard a gentle whisper. When he heard it,
1
1 Kings 18:30-40 (New Living Translation).
4
Elijah covered his face and walked to the mouth of the cave as the Lord walked by. God spoke to
Elijah in a still small voice.2 Who among us has not heard that gentle whisper and then run faster
with its inspiration or wept in response to its consoling and healing power?
A Visit from God’s Messenger Angel (s)
As Joshua camped outside Jericho, a man appeared to him with His sword drawn. Joshua
approached the man and asked whether He was friend or foe. “I am the Commander-in-Chief of
the Lord’s Army.” The response caused Joshua to fall in worship. “Give me your commands,”
said Joshua. The Commander directed that Joshua should remove his shoes, “for this is holy
ground.3” The Lord shared His Divine combat strategy with Joshua. The children of Israel were
to walk around the city of Jericho seven times. The priests were to blow their trumpets and carry
the Ark. A rear guard was to follow the procession. Executing God’s battle plan, Joshua captured
the city.4
Then, when the Israelites were oppressed by the Midianites, an Angel of the Lord came
down from heaven and sat under an oak tree. The angel called out to Gideon, “Mighty soldier,
the Lord is with you!” But Gideon responded “…If the Lord is with us, why has all this
happened to us? Where are the miracles our ancestors have told us about? Now the Lord has
thrown us away and has let the Midianites completely ruin us.” Responding, the angel said, “I
will make you strong! Go, and save Israel from the Midianites! I am sending you!” 5 The Divine
conversation continues providing Gideon with God’s strategy to deliver His people. I am
reminded that many times we Christians expect God to perform a miracle for us. But sometimes,
2
3
Joshua 5:13-15 (New Living Translation).
4
Joshua 6:1-5 (New Living Translation).
5
Judges 6:11-14 (New Living Translation).
5
God has something for us to do as part of our miracle or the miracle needed by others. He sends
us!
An angel appeared to the mothers of Samson and Jesus to herald the arrival of their sons.
One would deliver His people from their enemies and the other would deliver His people from
the consequences of their sins. An Angel of the Lord appeared to the wife of Manoah, a Danite.
She had no children. But the angel said to her, “…You will conceive and have a son…He will be
a Nazarite, a special servant of God…and he will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”
Hearing his wife’s account of heaven’s message, Manoah prayed for guidance. The Angel of the
Lord then appeared to both Manoah and his wife. He echoed the original Divine guidance for
rearing Samson.6 Fast forward to the beginning of the Common Era. God sent the Angel Gabriel
to Nazareth to speak with Mary, betrothed to Joseph. Gabriel said, “Congratulations, favored
lady! The Lord is with you!” Sensing Mary’s confusion, Gabriel said, “Don’t be frightened.
Very soon now the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will conceive a son to
be named ‘Jesus.’ The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David and He will
save His people.” 7
God Visits in a Dream
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2 gives another two examples of God’s Divine Wisdom.
In verses 11 and 12, we are told that three wise men from the east bowed down to worship the
Christ Child and present gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But contrary to King Herod’s
request that they return by way of Jerusalem, they returned home taking a different route.
Scripture tells us that God warned them in a dream. Similarly, verse 13 provides an account of
6
Judges 13:2-14 (New Living Translation).
7
Luke 1:26-33 (New Living Translation).
6
how God appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up and flee to Egypt with the baby
and his mother. Stay there until I tell you to return, for King Herod is going to try to kill the
child.”8 In the first case, Divine wisdom stalled Herod’s destructive plan. In the second case, God
directed Joseph to take an action as part of His plan for our salvation.
Divinely Inspired Wisdom
Another example of God speaking to mankind is found in the Bible’s 1 Kings Chapter 3.
In verse 5, God appeared to King Solomon and told him to ask for anything he wanted. Solomon
reminded God of His kindness to his father, David. Further, he told God that he felt ill prepared
to be king. So, he asked for wisdom. But because he did not ask for wealth or long life, God
granted him great wisdom to lead God’s people, plus wealth and long life. In fact, God declared
that Solomon would be the richest and wisest man that ever lived. An example of this great
wisdom was exemplified in the account of two mothers and their children, one living and one
dead. The mothers petitioned the king to settle their argument with each other. One mother
claimed that during the night the other mother rolled over on her baby and smothered it. So, she
rose and exchanged her dead child for the living one. Using his Divinely-bestowed insight,
Solomon calls for a sword to divide the child between the two mothers. The mother who had
stolen the living baby agreed that splitting (and killing) the living baby would be fair. But the
real mother, to save the life of her precious child, asked the king to give the child to the other
mother. King Solomon immediately perceived that she was the child’s mother and directed his
guards to give her the baby. Seeing through humanity’s deception is truly a Divine gift. 9
A Personal Visitation
8
Matt. 2:11-15 (New Living Translation).
9
7
I believe that every Christian has a story of how God gave them insight at a critical point
where personal devastation was imminent. I am no different. My account begins on a cold and
snowy December day driving from Parkdale, Oregon down to the city of Hood River. There is a
stretch of a two-lane, highway southbound to Mount Hood, where an uphill passing lane exists.
As I was headed downhill on that day, I approached the two uphill lanes. At the crest of the hill, I
noted a car about to attempt to pass a slower moving car in the uphill right lane. The roads were
snow packed and icy. In my mind, I heard what I now believe to be the “still small voice” of the
Holy Spirit. God said to me that the passing car was about to lose control and cross into my lane.
I was impressed that I should move into the center lane and drive between both uphill cars. In a
matter of seconds, that is exactly what happened. I drove into the gap between both cars and
avoided a head-on collision. If I had not, it would have most assuredly meant fatalities for both
me and the occupants in the other car.
In Conclusion
These are but a few personal and Biblical examples of heavenly intervention by way of
“Divine Wisdom.” I could share more personal examples. But my purpose for this paper is to
connect Biblical accounts of God’s intervention with modern scientific research explaining those
historic events. I want to determine whether God used His Laws of Nature to make them occur as
well.
Chapter 2
Intervention by the Miraculously Direct
8
My next modality of intervention, I am calling the Miraculously Direct. This occurs when
God reaches down from heaven or reaches out to heal His people with a word or a touch.
The Ask and the Touch
An example of this intervention is found in Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 8. In this case, no
action was required by the recipient of a miracle, other than to ask and/or to believe that God
could intervene in a miraculous way. After casting out the legion of demons from the man of
Gadara, Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. There, He encountered Jairus, a Jewish
Synagogue leader. Jairus fell at the feet of Jesus pleading with Him to heal his dying twelve-
year-old daughter. 10
As Jesus, Jairus, and the disciples pushed through the crowds toward the house of Jairus,
Jesus abruptly stopped. “Who touched me,” He asked. Peter questioned why Jesus would make
such inquiry when they were surrounded by so many people. Jesus answered that someone
touched Him and He felt healing power going out from Him. When the woman realized that her
touch of His garment hem had been discovered, trembling, she fell before Jesus to explain. She
had a twelve-year long issue of blood, for which she had spent all her money searching out a
cure. In my mind’s eye, I see Jesus gently touching this woman and saying, “Daughter, your faith
has healed you. Go in peace.” 11
10
11
9
While Jesus was speaking with the woman that He had just healed, a messenger from
Jairus’ household arrived. The news he carried was that the little twelve-year-old girl had died.
Hearing this report, Jesus said to the father, “Do not be afraid! Just trust me and she will be
alright.” When they arrived at the house of Jairus, Jesus took Peter, James, John, and the girl’s
parents upstairs to where she lay. Jesus took the girl’s hand and said, “Get up, little girl.” At that
moment, her life returned and she jumped up. 12
The Action
Another example of the Miraculously Direct is found in Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 9. The
writer recounts how Jesus fed five thousand people. After Herod beheaded John the Baptist,
Jesus slipped away to Bethsaida. But the crowds followed Him there. Jesus welcomed those who
followed Him, He healed their sick and He taught them about the Kingdom of Heaven. Late in
the afternoon, the disciples suggested that Jesus send the crowds away to find food in the nearby
villages. But Jesus said, “You feed them.” They protested that they only had five loaves of bread
and two fishes, which would not feed five thousand men. Jesus directed the disciples to have the
people sit down in groups of fifty. Then He took the five loaves and two fishes. Looking to
heaven, He blessed the food. The miracle…Jesus kept breaking off pieces of fish and bread until
all five thousand were fed and there were leftovers that filled twelve baskets. 13
Afterwards, on the outskirts of Jericho, a blind man named Bartimaeus called out, “Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those standing nearby told him to be quiet. But Bartimaeus
shouted even louder. “O Son of David, have mercy on me.” Jesus stopped and asked that the man
12
Ibid.
13
10
be brought to Him. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replied, “O
Teacher, I want to see!” Jesus replied, “…It is done. Your faith has healed you.” 14
Mercy and Healing for All
Continuing to minster, Jesus and His disciples traveled to the border between Samaria
(formerly Israel, the home to the ten northern tribes) and Galilee. There they encountered ten
lepers. They cried out, “Jesus, sir, have mercy on us.” Jesus said to them, “Go to the Jewish
priest and show him that you are healed.” When they turned to run, they were healed instantly.
Recognizing the miracle and gift of Jesus’ healing power, one Samaritan returned to bow down
in reverence and thanks. Jesus responded, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the nine? Does only
this foreigner return to give glory to God?” Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go; your faith
has made you well.” 15
Until my doctoral studies and research for this paper, I did not know who the Samaritans
were in relationship to the Jews. In the eighth century BC, the Assyrians conquered and carried
off into exile the peoples of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Following their conquest protocols,
the Assyrians repopulated Israel with people from other nations that they had previously
defeated. The Bible’s Second Kings 17:24 says, “And the king of Assyria brought people from
Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria
instead of the people of Israel. And they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities.” As
foreigners were brought in to replace the exiled people of Israel, they were especially despised
by the Jews living in the southern kingdom of Judah. That knowledge makes the parable of the
“Good Samaritan” all the more powerful and explains why Jesus sent the healed lepers to find a
14
Mark 10:46-52 (New Living Translation).
15
11
Jewish priest. I believe it was to be a statement to the Jews about God’s willingness to heal
anyone who asked, even a “Samaritan.”
In Conclusion
My final example of the Miraculously Direct intervention is seen in the resurrection of
Lazarus. Mary, the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume, and her sister Martha sent
word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was ill. When Jesus and His disciples arrived in Bethany,
they were told that Lazarus had died and had been in the family tomb four days. Martha went to
greet Jesus. “Sir, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And, even now, I know
it is not too late. I know God will bring my brother back to life again, if only you will ask Him.”
Jesus commanded that the stone be rolled away from the tomb. Looking heavenward, Jesus
prayed, “Father, thank you for hearing me…Lazarus, come out!” 16 In each of these miraculous
events, God intervened directly.
Chapter 3
Intervention by God’s Laws of Nature
Scripture tells us that God is behind many historical events recorded in the Bible. But
how God made them occur is obscured by phrases such as “God spoke and it was so!” Thus, it is
my assertion that God has intervened in history using His Laws of Nature more often than
generally thought. Supporting this assertion, I found a plethora of examples for Direct and
Inspired intervention. However, if you look for them, there are many accounts where God used
His Laws of Nature, as well. Here are a few examples.

16
John 11:1-44 (New Living Translation).
12
The Sun and Moon Stand Still
Joshua led the armies of Israel against the five kings of Canaan to defend Gibeon. They
included the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. Joshua 10:3 tells us, “As
the men of Israel were pursuing the foe, Joshua prayed aloud, ‘Let the sun stand still over
Gibeon, and let the moon stand its place over the valley of Aijalon.’ And the sun and the moon
didn’t move until the Israeli army had finished the destruction of its enemies.” Similarly, when
Joshua was pursuing his enemies, Joshua 2: 11 tells us that God used hail to destroy them. ‘And,
as the enemy was racing down the hill to Beth-horon, the Lord destroyed them with a great
hailstorm that continued all the way to Azekah; in fact, more men died from the hail than by the
swords of the Israelis.’
13
Weather as a Divine Exclamation Point
Before crowning Saul as king, Samuel recounts to the people his own faithfulness as their
judge and reminds them of God’s faithfulness in defending Israel. Samuel then points out that the
only reason the people want a king is because of their fear of Nahash and the Ammonites.
Confirming Samuel’s pronouncements that day, God sends thunder and rain as a Divine
exclamation point. It was so powerful that the people feared for their lives. Samuel warns the
people to repent. If they do not, Samuel warns that God will sweep away both the people and
King Saul. 17
An Earthquake as a Divine Weapon
Also, having been rebuked by Samuel, Saul begins keeping company with relatives of
Ichabod, the son of Phineas and grandson of the defrocked high priest, Eli. But, Jonathan’s faith
in God was strong. Again, God used His weather and geology to bring about His purposes. This
time, God delivered the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan by using an earthquake to bring
victory to His people. 18
Rain as a Divine Weapon
Deborah was one of the few Judges of Israel that also held judicial duties. But her place
in Old Testament history is most remembered for her role in getting Barak to lead an army
against Hazor’s king Jabin. Barak marched out to take the high ground on Mount Tabor. Jabin’s
general, Sisera, however, brought chariots to the fight. So, God brought rain, causing the Kishon
17
David Skorupa, “First Samuel” (Lecture, Newburgh Theological Seminary and College of the Bible,
Newburgh, IN, December 19, 2011), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4jxkGVPghY.
18
Ibid.
14
river to overflow its banks. Thus, the chariot wheels became mired down in the resulting mud,
giving Barak the victory. 19
In Conclusion
I suggest that these few examples show how God has used His geology and Laws of
Nature to accomplish His perfect will for mankind. In the pages that follow, I will introduce
scriptural accounts of several well-known biblical events and follow them with scientific
explanations that I suggest may show how God caused them to happen.
19
Alfred J. Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), page 231.
15
PART II.
THE GREAT FLOOD

Chapter 4
The Great Flood in Scripture
In his book, “Archaeology and the Old Testament,” author Alfred J. Hoerth tells us, “To
create a nation out of a mixed collection of former slaves and give them an identity as God’s
chosen people, God gave Moses His account of creation and pre-Abrahamic history. Moses
recorded God’s account in Genesis and that account allowed Israel to ignore the polytheistic
religions of neighboring nations.” Through Moses, the Hebrews received more than the Ten
Commandments. God gave them their heritage. Hoerth suggests that the Israelites had no
account of their own origins until their stay at Mount Sinai. 20 What a privilege to sit with God
and hear His account of how He created the world! From the first time I heard this history, I
began praying that someday God would speak to me in this way. May God send each of us our
own “Burning Bush,” calling us into action through the power of His Holy Spirit.
God Regrets His Creation
One of the cornerstones found in that Divinely-told history was the account of Noah and
the flood. Genesis 6 tells us that God was sorry He created mankind because of their wickedness.
Scripture tells the reader that this broke the heart of our creator. In response, God said,” I will
blot out from the face of the earth all mankind that I created. Yes, the animals too, and the
reptiles and the birds. For I am sorry I made them.” 21
20
Alfred J. Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), page 184.
21
Gen. 6:5-7 (New Living Translation).
16
Amid all the depravity on the earth, God found one righteous man. His name was Noah.
God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all mankind; for the earth is filled with crime
because of man. Yes, I will destroy mankind from the earth. Therefore, make a boat from
resinous wood, sealing it with tar; and construct decks and stalls throughout the ship. Make it
450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Construct a skylight all the way around the ship,
eighteen inches below the roof…I am going to cover the earth with a flood and destroy every
living being... All will die.”22
When the time was right, God said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family…One
week from today, I will begin forty days and forty nights of rain.” …As promised, one week
later…the rain came down in mighty torrents from the sky. The subterranean waters burst forth
upon the earth for forty days and nights. 23 For forty days the roaring floods prevailed, covering
the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth. As the water rose higher and higher above
the ground, it reached twenty-two feet above the highest peaks. The water did not begin to recede
until it covered the earth for 150 days from when the first rain drops fell. To dry out the land,
God sent a wind to blow across the waters. He closed the subterranean water sources. He stopped
the torrential raining. Thus, the water levels went back down to pre-flood levels. Noah and his
family walked out on to dry land after Noah’s ship came to rest on Mount Ararat. 24
The Flood in Extrabiblical Literature
The Great Flood was also recorded in other ancient extrabiblical literature. Many ancient
cultures had a flood story in their traditions. Before Abraham was born, the Sumerians had
composed a flood story where the flood lasted seven days and seven nights. The Sumerian Epic
22
23
24
17
of Gilgamesh contains an account of a flood. Again, Alfred J. Hoerth, in his book Archaeology
and the Old Testament, suggests that Gilgamesh contained several parallels to the flood account
found in Genesis. They include:
1. The flood was divinely planned.

2. The flood was connected to the defects of humanity.
3. A divine revelation to the hero of the deluge tells of an imminent disaster that no one else
knows about.
4. A ship is built, pitched inside and out.
5. The family of the hero is saved.
6. The living creatures that are to be saved are put onboard.
7. A storm initiates the flood.
8. Everyone not on the ship is destroyed.
9. The duration of the flood is specified.
10. The ship lands on a mountain.
11. Birds are sent out to see whether the water has receded.
12. Sacrifice is offered to and accepted by the deity.
13. The hero receives a special blessing.
14. There is reference to the possibility of no future flooding. 25
The existence of flood stories across many ancient cultures’ myths and their common themes
suggest to me that they were all based on an actual ancient event. This fact verifies the biblical
flood account for me.
Chapter 5
The Science Behind the Great Flood?
Which Came First, the Great Flood or the Last Ice Age?
25
Alfred J. Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), pages
195-198.
18
As I began writing this dissertation and this chapter, I theorized that the end of the last ice
age could have been the trigger God used to initiate the Great Flood. However, it seems that the
reverse may be true. It was God’s flood that may have caused the last ice age.
Post Flood Climate Change
According to Michael Oard, the climate change following the Genesis Flood provides a
likely catastrophic mechanism for an ice age. The Flood was a tremendous tectonic and volcanic
event. Large amounts of volcanic aerosols remained in the atmosphere following the Flood,
generating a large temperature drop over land by reflecting much solar radiation back to space.
Volcanic aerosols would likely be replenished in the atmosphere for hundreds of years following
the Flood, due to high post-Flood volcanism from the Pleistocene era.26
The moisture necessary for an ice age would be provided by strong evaporation from a
much warmer ocean following the Flood. The warm ocean was a consequence of a warmer pre-
Flood climate and the release of hot subterranean water during the eruption of "all the fountains
of the great deep." The added quantity of water had to be large enough to cover all the pre-Flood
mountains, which were lower than today. 27
How Many Ice Ages?
Before the early 20th century, the number of ice ages was much debated. Some scientists
believed in only one ice age. However, the sediments are complex and there was/is evidence of
one to four, or possibly more, till sheets, separated by non-glacial deposits. Glacial tills are
comprised of loosely packed clay, sand, and gravel left behind after glacial movement. But there
are also strong indications that there was only one ice age. Nearly all the ice-age sediments are
26
Michael Oard, “The Ice Age and the Genesis Flood,” The Institute of Creation Research (ICR), June 01,
1987, http://www.icr.org/article/ice-age-genesis-flood/.
27
Gen. 7:11 (New Living Translation).
19
from the last ice age. The main characteristics of the till favor one ice age. Practically all the
megafauna extinctions were after the last ice age. Thus, Oard summarizes his article by stating
that the mystery of the ice age can be best explained by one catastrophic ice age because of the
Genesis Flood.28 In either case, God’s Laws of Nature, specifically His geology, is seen at work
in both events.
28
Michael Oard, “The Ice Age and the Genesis Flood,” The Institute of Creation Research (ICR), JUNE
01, 1987, http://www.icr.org/article/ice-age-genesis-flood/.
20
PART III.
SODOM AND GOMORRAH

Chapter 6
Sodom and Gomorrah in Scripture
God Visits Abraham
In the biblical book of beginnings, Genesis, we are told that three heavenly visitors
arrived at Abraham’s tent camp in the Mamre oak grove. Abraham invited them to stop for
shade, rest, and refreshments before continuing their trip. After concluding their meal, the three
Divine visitors stood up and proceeded toward Sodom. Abraham accompanied them part way.
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are
utterly evil and that everything they do is wicked. I am going down to see whether these reports
are true or not. Then I will know.” 29
God Shares His Plan
Two of the heavenly visitors departed for Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.
The Lord dispatched His two companions to warn Lot and his family. Their next task was to
bring down the Divine fire. The dialogue that follows is most unique. God tells Abraham of His
plan to destroy “the cities of the plain.” Abraham petitions the Lord six times to change His mind
concerning the destruction of Sodom. It is almost as if Abraham was arguing with the Lord.
Abraham Argues with God
Negotiating with God, Abraham asks the Lord if He is willing to destroy the righteous
with the wicked. He argues for an ever-decreasing number of righteous residents for God to
29
21
spare the entire city. From fifty down to ten, each time, God says yes. In their final negotiation,
God agrees to spare the cities of the plain if ten righteous people can be found. After their
conversation was complete, the Lord departed and Abraham returned to his tent. I find
Abraham’s comfort with sharing his opposing opinion with God to be most refreshing. And, I
especially take great comfort in knowing that God will allow us to do so.
The Angels of Salvation and Destruction
In the evening, scripture tells us that two angels approached the city gates of Sodom to
warn Lot of the impending fire from heaven. Thus, it can be assumed that there were not ten
righteous people in the city. Lot was sitting at the city gates. “What relatives do you have in the
city,” the men asked. “Get them out of this place…For we will destroy the city completely. The
stench of the place has reached heaven and God has sent us to destroy it.” 30
Early the next morning, the angelic men said to Lot, “Hurry, take your wife and two
daughters…and get out while you can, or you will be caught in the destruction of the city.” And
when Lot hesitated, the angels seized the hands of every member of Lot’s family and rushed
them to safety outside the city. “Flee for your lives and don’t look back,” said the angels. 31 As
He promised, God rained down fire and flaming tar from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah,
and utterly destroyed ...all life…Early in the morning, Abraham rose and looked out over the
plain, to where Sodom and Gomorrah had once been. He saw only columns of smoke and rising
fumes, as if from a furnace. 32
30
31
32
22
Chapter 7
The Science Behind Sodom and Gomorrah?
The Sumerians Observe the Night Sky
In my research looking for a scientific explanation for the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah
account, I found many commentaries. However, they all referred to the same references. The first
was an ancient Sumerian Planisphere describing their night sky in the fourth millennium BC.
The second was the research of Alan Bond and Mark Hempsell. In it, they documented their
hypotheses concerning that Sumerian Planisphere in a book entitled, “A Sumerian Observation
of the Köfels’ Impact Event.”
Star Map Reflects an Asteroid Impact in Ancient Austria
Lester Haines references Bond and Hempsell’s work in his article about Sodom and
Gomorrah and begins with a discussion of the Planisphere. He reported that this cuneiform clay
tablet has now been interpreted to describe an asteroid impact, which hit Köfels, Austria in 3123
BC. It left a trail of destruction in its wake, that may account for the biblical account of Sodom
and Gomorrah.33
The story of the Planisphere begins in the seventh century BC. It was found in the
underground library of King Ashurbanipal of Nineveh ca 650 BC. An Assyrian scribe made a
copy of that most important document in the king’s royal collection. It was a circular stone-cast
tablet, now called the Planisphere. Then, in the late 19th century, it was found near Mosul, Iraq
33
Lester Haines, “Assyrian Clay Tablet Points to 'Sodom and Gomorrah' Asteroid-29 June 3123 BC Starts
with a Bang,” The Register, 31 Mar 2008, https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/31/kofels_asteroid/.
23
by Henry Layard in the remains of the palace library. It was long thought to be an Assyrian
tablet. However, computer analysis has matched its markings with the sky above Mesopotamia,
ca 3300 BC.34
The cuneiform tablet is an “Astrolabe,” the earliest known astronomical instrument. It
consists of a segmented, disk-shaped star chart with marked units of angular measurements
inscribed on the rim. Included on its surface are drawings, textual descriptions, and recordings of
known constellation names. Unfortunately, approximately 40% of the Planisphere on this tablet
is missing caused by damage dating back to the sacking of Nineveh. The reverse of the tablet has
no markings. 35
Computer Modeling, Asteroid Trajectory, and Impact Analysis
With modern computer programs, that simulate trajectories and reconstruct the night sky
from thousands of years in the past, researchers have established what they believe the
Planisphere tablet refers. It is a copy of the night record of a Sumerian astronomer as he recorded
the events in the sky before dawn on the 29th of June 3123 BC. This Sumerian star map (Figure
1) shows that Sumerians observed and recorded the Köfels’ impact more than 5,500 years ago.
Half the tablet records planet positions and cloud cover. But the other half of the tablet records
an object (asteroid) moving through the sky, large enough for its shape to be noted even though it
was still in space.36
34
Message to the Eagle, “Controversial 5,500-year-old Sumerian Star Map of Ancient Nineveh Reveals
Observation of Köfels’ Impact Event,” Message to the Eagle-Ancient Civilizations & Places, Ancient Mysteries,
Artifacts (blog), December 7, 2014, http://www.messagetoeagle.com/controversial-5500-year-old-sumerian-star-
map-of-ancient-nineveh-reveals-observation-of-kofels-impact-event/.
35
Ibid.
36
24
Figure 1- Sumerian clay tablet, the Planisphere and astrolabe recording the night sky
over Mesopotamia, circa 3250 B.C. Bond and Hempsell ( Public Domain )37
37
Alan Bond and Mark Hempsell, A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels' Impact Event (Great Britain:
Alcuin Academics, 2008), 2-4.
25
The Sumerian astronomers made an accurate note of the asteroid’s trajectory relative to
the stars, with an error less than one degree. That trajectory has been determined to be consistent
with an impact at Köfels, Austria (Figure 2). The incoming angle was very low at six degrees.
Thus, inbound to its final point of impact, the asteroid clipped a mountain called Gamskogel
above the town of Längenfeld, 11 kilometers from Köfels. This caused the asteroid to explode
Figure 2 Köfels’ mountain top impact site. Bond and Hempsell ( Public Domain )
before it reached its final impact point, making it an air burst like the 1908 Tunguska, Russia
impact. As it travelled down the valley (Figure 3), it became a fireball around five kilometers in
diameter. This measurement was determined by the size of the resulting landslide. When it hit
Köfels, it created enormous pressures that pulverized the rock and caused a landslide. However,
because it was no longer a solid object, it did not create a classic impact crater. The observation
26
suggests that the asteroid was over three quarters of a mile in diameter. Its original orbit around
the Sun was an Aten type. This is a class of asteroid that orbits close to the earth and is resonant
(periodic gravitational influence) with the Earth’s orbit.38
Figure 3- Artist rendition of moment the Aten asteroid impacted Köfels’ - Bond and
Hempsell ( Public Domain )
Impact Plume Reenters Earth’s Atmosphere with a Course Reversal
38
Alcuin Academics, 2008), Page 97.
27
In 2008, Alan Bond and Mark Hempsell published their Planisphere tablet research in a
book called “A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels’ Impact Event”. They re-translated the
cuneiform text found on the Planisphere. They asserted that the tablet records an ancient asteroid
strike at Köfels,’ Austria sometime around 3100 BC.39 In this research and analysis, Mark
Hempsell suggests another conclusion can be made from the asteroid’s recorded trajectory. Its
impact materials rose up into the atmosphere following the inbound trajectory in reverse. This
“back” plume mushroom cloud from the impact explosion was bent backward over the
Mediterranean Sea. It then re-entered the atmosphere over the Levant (Dead Sea), Sinai, and
Northern Egypt as seen in Figure 4.40
He plotted that the re-entry plume radius was centered over the Dead Sea, which was
more than 1500 miles from its original point of impact in the Alps. Additionally, the impact force
was 1000 times more powerful than an atomic weapon. The ground heating, though very short,
would have been hot enough to ignite any flammable material, including human hair and clothes.
Because of friction heat in the atmosphere of the billions of tons of rock and dirt, it is estimated
that the temperature beneath the plume was 400 degrees on the ground. 41 It is probable that more
people died under the plume, than in the Alps due to the impact blast. 42
Impact Plume and Debris Fall on Sodom and Gomorrah

39
40
Alcuin Academics, 2008), Page 71.
41
John DiNardo, “Sodom and Gomorrah Asteroid Strike,” YouTube, May 15, 2015,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QAnQXgVnU.
42
28
Thus, Hempsell suggests that the Planisphere records that the asteroid impact plume
followed its low orbit entry backwards over the Dead Sea to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Referencing Figure 3, event 7 shows the first observed asteroid position by the Sumerian
observers. Event 3 shows the asteroid position 92 seconds before impact, as it crossed the
horizon. Event 2 shows the asteroid location 67 seconds before impact, as it entered the earth’s
atmosphere over Greece. Event 1 shows the impact point at time zero on Köfels.’ This instant is
also reflected in Figures 2 and 3. Event 5 and 6 of Figure 4 show the boundaries of the re-entry
plume over the Dead Sea 20 minutes after impact. The biblical account of the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah is consistent with this asteroid theory. Genesis 19: 24 tells us, “Then the
Lord rained down burning sulfur (brimstone) on Sodom and Gomorrah.”
29
Figure 4- Aten-type asteroid strike to Köfels’ and plume path ca 3123 BC. Bond and
Hempsell ( Public Domain )
Did They Really Exist?
Some archeologists have questioned if there was a Sodom and Gomorrah and, if there
was, were they located near the Dead Sea. 43 More than five thousand years ago, a cataclysmic
event took place which literally changed the face of the earth. Approximately eight hundred
square miles of the world’s most fertile and productive acreage was destroyed by the greatest and
most devastating fire in earth’s recorded history. God condemned the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah by burning them into ash. He destroyed them to make them an example for those who
43
Richard Rives, “Richard Rives Recalls Account of Josephus Relating to Ashen Remains of Gomorrah,”
Wyatt Archeological Research, June 23, 2016, http://wyattmuseum.com/discovering/sodom-gomorrah.
30
would come later and choose to live ungodly lives. Today the results of that devastating fire can
plainly be seen throughout the Rift Valley of Israel and Jordan. Along the western shores of the
Dead Sea, the ashen remains of Sodom and Gomorrah bear witness to the ancient inferno which
burned with what the Bible called a “fervent heat.”44
The First Century Roman historian, Josephus (ca AD 75), records that the ghostly
shadows of five cities along the Dead Sea could still be seen. He stated that the remnants of
Divine fire and ash were still present in his day. Then, in 1924, archaeologists Kyle and Albright
found brimstone at the south end of the Dead Sea, just as you would expect in an area on which
brimstone had rained down. Kyle reported finding pieces of sulfur as large as the end of his
thumb. 45
On the Ground in Sodom
Despite many allegorical interpretations for the biblical account, in 1989, the Ron Wyatt
Archeological Research team found both ash and brimstone (sulfur) along the western shore of
the Dead Sea. Wyatt and his team noted specific areas along the western shore of the Dead Sea
that had ash. In fact, Wyatt found ash and brimstone scattered across a 50 mile stretch on the
western side of the Dead Sea, from the southern to the northern ends. However, no brimstone
was found on the east side in Jordan. He places Sodom at the southern end and Gomorrah just
below Masada. The next two cities in the string were Admah and Zeboim. The latter was thought
to be located north of Jericho and north of the Dead Sea. The expedition team visited the site just
below Masada. They took samples of a whitish material found on the surface. It had the
consistency of talcum powder. Laboratory testing confirmed that it was ash. These archaeologists
44
Richard Rives and Ronald E. Wyatt, Fervent Heat: Sodom and Gomorrah (Cornersville, TN: Wyatt
Archaeological Research, 2010), 1.
45
Ibid.
31
believed that the outline below Masada was the shadow of a city just as Josephus had described.
Additionally, they believed that the ashen remains belonged to Gomorrah. 46
Brimstone Defined
Visiting the Dead Sea again in 1990, Ron Wyatt and Richard Rives found a cave in the
ash. Below it, under what appeared to be an ash avalanche caused by rain, they found a
rectangular piece of ash. Embedded in it were yellow colored spherical pieces of brimstone,
surrounded by a reddish black ring. Brimstone is the ancient’s term for sulfur. This sulfur was
encased and formed into various sized balls. The team burned the sulfuric centers of one of the
balls and it burned a bluish purple. It was so hot that it burned through the spoon in which it was
held. 47
It was also noted that when calcium carbonate is heated to 1000 degrees, it is converted
to lime. This is significant because all stones in the ‘cities of the plains’ were made of calcium
carbonate. However, the talcum powder material found below Masada was found to be ash and
not lime. Ash or calcium sulfate (CO4) is only produced when heated in the presence of burning
brimstone. And, it is calcium sulfate that is found throughout the Rift Valley between Israel and
Jordan. It is not lime. It is this fact that confirms both fire and brimstone (sulfur) were present in
the destruction of this region and found only on the west side of the Dead Sea.48
In Conclusion
Closing this section, evidence has been suggested 1) that there was an asteroid observed
in the night sky by Sumerian astronomers in 3123 BC, 2) that computer modeling showed that its
46

47
Ibid.
48
32
backsplash plume fell on the dead sea 20 minutes after its impact on Köfels’, 3) that based on
Josephus’ first century account, there was an ancient Sodom and Gomorrah in the vicinity of the
Dead Sea, and 4) that based on the excavation of sulfur balls found in isolation only on the west
side of the Dead Sea, those ancient cities were destroyed by fire and brimstone. Faith in the
Divine inspiration of scripture is critical to the Christian’s walk. However, for me, this evidence
leaves little doubt in the historical accuracy of the biblical account of God’s destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah. And, it is another example of God using His Laws of Nature and
astrophysics to accomplish His plan for mankind.
33
PART IV.
THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT

Chapter 8
The Ten Plagues of Egypt in Scripture
After centuries as slaves in Egypt, God called Moses to lead His people to freedom in the
Promised Land. To convince Pharaoh to let His people go, scripture tells us that God gave Moses
the authority to call down ten plagues on Egypt to shake loose the shackles of Israel’s bondage.
Moses Petitions Pharaoh
Moses’ dialogue with Pharaoh began with a request to let his people go and the
transformation of Aaron’s staff into a serpent. But then Pharaoh’s sorcerers performed the same
“miracle.” However, God’s serpent ate the Egyptian snakes. In conversation with Moses, God
told him that Pharaoh’s heart would not be moved and that more demonstrations of His power
would be required. The Lord said, “Go back to Pharaoh in the morning to be there as he goes
down to the river. Stand beside the river bank and meet him there, holding in your hand the rod
that turned into a serpent.” And say, “Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me back to
demand that you let His people go to worship in the wilderness. You wouldn’t listen
before...You are going to find out that I am God. For I have instructed Moses to hit the water of
the Nile with his rod and the river will turn to blood (first plague). The fish will die and the river
will stink, so that the Egyptians will be unwilling to drink it.”49
Ten Judgements Against Egypt
49
Exod. 6:8-18 (New Living Translation).
34
So, began, the first of ten Divine judgments against Egypt, known as the Ten Plagues.
They were Divinely initiated to convince Egypt’s Pharaoh that the God of Israel was the King of
the Universe and superior to the gods of Egypt. The second plague caused the Nile River to
swarm with frogs. They left the river banks and entered houses, into bedrooms, into beds, and
even into ovens. Frogs covered every corner of Egypt (second plague). 50
For the third plague, the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron to strike the dust with his rod
and it will become lice throughout the land of Egypt (third plague).” 51 For the fourth plague, the
Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and meet Pharaoh as he comes out to the river to
bathe. Say to him, ‘Jehovah says, “Let my people go and worship me. If you refuse, I will send
swarms of flies throughout Egypt (fourth plague). Your homes will be filled with them and the
ground will be covered with them. But it will be different in the land of Goshen where the
Israelis live. No flies will be there; thus, you will know that I am the Lord God of all the earth. I
will make a distinction between your people and my people. All this will happen tomorrow.” 52
The first four Divine judgments did not move Pharaoh. So, for the fifth plague, God told
Moses to go back to Pharaoh and say, “Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, demands that you let
His people go to sacrifice to Him. If you refuse, the power of God will send a deadly plague to
destroy your cattle, horses, donkeys, flocks, and herds (fifth plague). But the plague will only
affect the cattle of Egypt. None of the Israeli herds and flocks will even be touched.” 53 Having
no effect on Pharaoh, Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, “Take ashes from the kiln. Moses, toss
them into the sky as Pharaoh watches. It will spread like fine dust over all the land of Egypt and
cause boils to break out upon people and animals alike, throughout the land (sixth plague).”54
50
51
Exod. 8:16 (New Living Translation).
52
Exod. 8:20- 23 (New Living Translation).
53
54
35
Announcing the seventh plague, Moses stood before Pharaoh and said, “Jehovah the God
of the Hebrews says, ‘Let my people go to worship me. This time I am going to send a plague
that will really speak to you, to your servants, and to all Egyptian people. It will prove to you that
there is no other God in all the earth…Tomorrow at about this time, I will send a hailstorm
across the nation, which has never been seen since Egypt was founded (seventh plague).”55
When Pharaoh refused to let the Israelis go worship, Moses and Aaron requested another
audience with him. Quoting the Lord, “How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people
go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, tomorrow I will cover the entire nation with a thick
layer of locusts. You won’t even be able to see the ground and they will destroy everything that
escaped the hail. They will fill your palace, the homes of your officials, and all the houses of
Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt has there been a plague like this will be (eighth plague).”56
Again, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by God to give Him an opportunity to prove to His
people, His sovereignty. Jehovah said to Moses, “Lift up your hands to heaven and darkness
without a ray of light will descend upon the land of Egypt.” So, Moses did as he was commanded
and there was a thick darkness over all the land for three days. During all that time, the people
scarcely moved. However, all the people of Israel had light as usual (ninth plague).”57
For the final, tenth, and most personal plague, the first born of Egypt were slain by God’s
“Destroyer.” In some texts, He is referred to as the “Angel of Death.” Moses told Pharaoh,
“Jehovah says, ‘About midnight I will pass through Egypt. All the oldest sons shall die in every
family in Egypt, from the oldest child of Pharaoh, heir to his throne, to the oldest child of his
lowliest slave. This will include even the first born of the animals. The wail of death will resound
55
56
57
36
throughout the entire land of Egypt. Never has there been such anguish and it will never again.’”
58
In Conclusion
In the next chapter, I will present several archaeologists’ theories of how geology and this
biblical event may have been connected. I will discuss how God MAY have used His geology to
bring the Ten Plagues to Egypt.
Chapter 9
The Science Behind the Ten Plagues of Egypt?
Super Volcano Eruption on Santorini, Greece (Ancient Thera)
In her article, “How the Eruption of Thera Changed the World,” Heather Whipps
suggests that the world map might look differently, if not for the volcanic eruption on the Greek
island of ancient Thera. It erupted 3,500 years ago. Geologists believe it was the single-most
powerful explosive event ever witnessed. The eruption on Thera (modern Santorini) didn't just
blow a massive hole into the island, it set the entire ancient Mediterranean onto a different
course. Whipps likened it to a train that switches tracks to head off in a new direction. The
dominant Minoan civilization in the Mediterranean, at the time, crumbled because of the
eruption. Environmental effects were felt across the globe as far away as China. It is suspected
that even North America and Antarctica were affected. 59
58
59
Heather Whipps, “How the Eruption of Thera Changed the World,” LiveScience (blog), February 24,
2008, https://www.livescience.com/4846-eruption-thera-changed-world.html.
37
Historians and archaeologists have had trouble deciding on the year Thera erupted, with
dates ranging anywhere from 1645 BC to 1500 BC. Studies of ash deposits on the ocean floor
have revealed that when the volcano did blow, it did so with a force dwarfing anything humans
had ever seen or have seen since. That fiery explosion that dwarfed an atomic bomb, killed
upwards of 40,000 people in just a few hours. It produced colossal tsunamis 40 feet tall, spewed
volcanic ash across Asia, caused a drop in global temperatures, and created strangely colored
sunsets for three years. The blast was heard 3,000 miles away. 60
Thera's eruption was four or five times more powerful than that of the Indonesian
volcano, Krakatoa. Geologists believe Krakatoa exploded in 1883 with the energy of several
hundred atomic bombs in a fraction of a second. Historians hypothesize that tsunamis spawned
by the Thera eruption would have swamped the Minoan naval fleet on the island of Crete, as well
as coastal villages. It would have been followed by a decrease in temperatures caused by the
massive amounts of sulfur dioxide thrust up into the atmosphere. It led to several years of cold,
wet summers in the region, which ruined harvests. Whipps also suggests that the eruption has
been linked with the biblical story of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. The effects of Thera's
eruption could explain many of the plagues described in the Old Testament, including the days of
darkness and the pollution of the rivers. 61
Dating the Plagues and the Exodus
To link the eruption of Thera to the Ten Plagues of Egypt, dating both events is critical.
Alfred J. Hoerth in his book, “Archaeology and the Old Testament,” cites three archaeological
studies that offer very specific dates for the Exodus. They are A. Rasmussen, B. Kitchen and
60
Heather Whipps, “How the Eruption of Thera Changed the World,” LiveScience (blog), February 24,
2008, https://www.livescience.com/4846-eruption-thera-changed-world.html.
61
Ibid.
38
Mitchell, and C. Beitzel. At the heart of each hypothesis is the length of time for the Egyptian
Sojourn by the Hebrews and if it also included the Patriarchal period in Canaan. To date the birth
of Abraham, Hoerth follows the theories of Beitzel and Rasmussen. They base their computed
estimates by working backwards from verifiable dates from the first millennium. For example,
First Kings 6:1 states that the Exodus occurred 480 years prior to the fourth year of King
Solomon’s reign. His fourth year can be dated to 967 BC, computing 1447 BC as the
approximate date for the Exodus. 62
Scholars agree that the patriarchal period lasted 215 years, but they do not agree on
whether those years should be included in the Egyptian Sojourn. Exodus 12: 40 states, “The time
that the sons of Israel, which dwelt in Egypt, sojourned was 430 years.” At issue is the fact that
the patriarchal period was also thought of as sojourning. A Greek translation of the Old
Testament, the Septuagint, added a phrase to Exodus 12:40. It states, “The time that the sons of
Israel, which dwelt in Egypt and in the land of Canaan, sojourned was 430 years.”
Another scriptural reference to this period is found in Acts 13:19. It states that the length
of time of the patriarchal period through the conquest of the Promised Land was 450 years. Then,
both Genesis 15:13 and Acts 7:6 refer to the Hebrew bondage as being 400 years of slavery.
However, many scholars believe this to be a rounded estimate of the period. 63
Given these differences, Hoerth still favors the dating suggested by C. Beitzel’s research.
It places the birth of Abraham at approximately 1952 BC. That was a period referred to as
Mesopotamia’s turbulent Isin-Larsa period, which could have been the cause for Abraham’s own
exodus from Ur. It places Joseph in Egypt during the Hyksos period (1800-1550 BC). And, it
62
Alfred J. Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), pages 57-
59.
63
Ibid.
39
puts the Exodus early enough (1447 BC) to support other chronological references in the Old
Testament. 64
Linking Thera’s Eruption to the Ten Plagues
Bryant Wood, in his “Debunking 'The Exodus Decoded,'” discusses the History Channel
exposé by Canadian Archeologist, Jacobovici. Two of Jacobovici’s primary theories about the
Exodus are that the eruption on Thera caused the ten plagues and that the account of the Hebrews
living in Egypt can be equated to the Canaanite Hyksos peoples. Jacobovici created several
exhibits to support his theories. I have included only a few that support the linkage of Thera and
the catastrophic plagues in Egypt. 65
According to Wood, Jacobovici states in his first exhibit that it was under the leadership
of Pharaoh Ahmose that the Egyptians drove out the hated foreign Hyksos, who had infiltrated
Egypt’s eastern Nile delta. The Hyksos, meaning “foreign rulers” in Egyptian, were Canaanite
traders who had emigrated from southern Canaan. This is a connection that Jacobovici suggests
follows the biblical account of Joseph, his brothers, and Jacob’s relocation to Egypt. Ahmose
went on to establish the powerful Egyptian 18th Dynasty. Ahmose’s stela tells of a great storm
during his rule, ca 1569–1545 BC. Jacobovici claims that the darkness and storm described in the
stela are related to the biblical plagues. His major premise in the documentary is that the biblical
Exodus is the same event as the expulsion of the Hyksos in Egyptian records. 66
64
59.
65
Bryant Wood, “Debunking 'The Exodus Decoded',” Bible and Spade Magazine, Sep 20, 2006,
http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2006/09/20/Debunking-The-Exodus-Decoded.aspx?
gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh8jE6ei73gIVhGd-Ch1b6gAAEAAYASAAEgIe2PD_BwE#Article.
66
Ibid.
40
The second major premise of The Exodus Decoded is that tectonic activity caused the
eruption of the Santorini volcano and associated earthquakes, bringing about the plagues in
Egypt. Jacobovici says the eruption took place in 1500 BC at the time of the Exodus. The date of
the eruption is a hotly debated topic. Carbon-14 samples suggest a date of ca 1625 BC. However,
conventional historical dating places the event at ca 1525 BC. Pumice from the Santorini
eruption was found in Egypt at Tell el-Daba (Avaris), which is believed to be the Jewish point of
departure from Egypt. 67
Additionally, Jacobovici refers to the Ipuwer Papyrus, which he believes provides
evidence for a plague of “ice and fire mingled together.” The seventh plague of hail, he says, is
volcanic hail induced by the Santorini eruption as described in the Ipuwer Papyrus. Jacobovici
claims that Santorini Ash fell in the Nile Delta and caused the darkness of the ninth plague.68
Finally, Jacobovici believes that the son of Egypt’s Pharaoh Ahmose, Prince Sapai, died
at age 12. Therefore, it is assumed that he died in the 10th plague. The presumed cause of the
disaster, touted as “the first scientific explanation of the tenth plague,” was earthquake-dislodged
carbon dioxide rising to the surface of the Nile River. Supporting this theory, he points to a
similar event that occurred in 1986 at Lake Neos, Cameroon. In this catastrophe, carbon dioxide
gas was released from the mineral-saturated waters trapped in the lake's depths. Then, because of
its denser-than-air characteristics, it killed many while they slept close to the ground. So,
Jacobovici asserted that because the Egyptian firstborn beds were lower to the ground than others
in the house, as a position of honor, he theorized that it was this low hanging gas that killed the
first born of Pharaoh.69
67
Bryant Wood, “Debunking 'The Exodus Decoded',” Bible and Spade Magazine, Sep 20, 2006,
68
Ibid.
69
Ibid.
41
The Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus as Corroborating Evidence
Similarly, Marina Sohma describes the Ipuwer papyrus as a controversial text heralding
starvation, drought, death, and violent upheavals in ancient Egypt. So, it may have recorded an
eyewitness account of the Exodus plagues. Neither the beginning nor end of this document was
preserved. Thus, it is difficult for historians to interpret the material and reach any conclusions
about the events it describes. It was written on a single piece of papyrus as a poetic composition.
Sohma quotes a Greek diplomat and merchant named Yianni Anastasiou that claimed the
papyrus was discovered at Memphis, in the Saqqara region. 70
In Sohma’s article, she quotes Dr. Alan Gardiner, who in 1909 began studying the Ipuwer
papyrus content. Its storyline depicts violence and chaos in Egypt. According to Dr. Lange,
evidence does validate the idea that the Ipuwer papyrus was written during the Middle Kingdom.
His basis for this assertion was that the language style and vocabulary corresponded to those
used during that era. Dr. Lange says that there are indications that the manuscript was copied
from an older version, perhaps dating from the beginning of the 18th Dynasty (ca 1550 BC to
1292 BC). 71
According to Sohma, many scholars support the theory proposed by Dr. Lange, who
believe the Ipuwer papyrus contains prophetic utterances of an Egyptian seer. However, another
more controversial interpretation of this text was proposed by Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky. He
suggests that the Ipuwer papyrus is a source of evidence supporting the events of the Exodus
found in the Old Testament. And most scholars agree that the Exodus events would have taken
70
Marina Sohma, “Does the Ipuwer Papyrus Provide Evidence for the Exodus?,” Ancient
Origins- Reconstructing the Story of Humanity's Past (blog), November 6, 2016, https://www.ancient-
origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/does-ipuwer-papyrus-provide-evidence-events-exodus-006951
71
Ibid.
42
place in the New Kingdom of Egypt (ca 1573 BC). Also, they agree that the contents of this
papyrus follow very closely the events outlined in the Old Testament’s account of the Ten
Plagues and the Exodus. It states, “Plague is throughout the land. Blood is everywhere…The
river is blood…Gates, columns and walls are consumed by fire…. Cattle moan…The land is not
light’”. Literary analysis places the original text at the very beginning of the turbulent Hyksos
period. 72
In Conclusion
Closing this chapter, according to Hoerth, there is no uniform system to establish the
chronology of events for Old Testament periods. One method used in antiquity was to date an
event based on a previous event. For example, Sarah’s offering of Hagar to Abraham as a
surrogate wife occurred ten years after they moved into Canaan. It is a relative chronology, but
does not provide a fixed date. Another system used in the ancient Near East and the Bible was
dating based on the first year of a king’s reign. However, with each new king, year one was
repeated, introducing an ever-increasing error over time. In short, given the length of time that
has elapsed since the Exodus, the eruption at Santorini, and the inherent errors in ancient “time
keeping,” I assert that God may have used the eruption on Thera to bring about His plan to send
the sons and daughters of Israel back to their Promised Land in Canaan. 73
72
Marina Sohma, “Does the Ipuwer Papyrus Provide Evidence for the Exodus?,” Ancient Origins-
Reconstructing the Story of Humanity's Past (blog), November 6, 2016, https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-
ancient-writings/does-ipuwer-papyrus-provide-evidence-events-exodus-006951
73
59.
43
Figure 5-The First Plague: Water Is Changed into Blood, James
Tissot ( Public Domain )74
74
Marina Sohma, “Does the Ipuwer Papyrus Provide Evidence for the Exodus?,” Ancient Origins-
Reconstructing the Story of Humanity's Past (blog), November 6, 2016, https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-
ancient-writings/does-ipuwer-papyrus-provide-evidence-events-exodus-006951.
44
PART V.
JOSHUA CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN

Chapter 10
Joshua Crossing the River Jordan in Scripture
Joshua is Chosen to Replace Moses
At the death of Moses, God spoke to Joshua saying, “…You are the new leader of Israel.
Lead my people across the Jordan River. …No one will be able to oppose you…for I will be
with you, just as I was with Moses…” 75 Responding, Joshua issued orders to the leaders of each
tribe to prepare the people to move out. Three days hence, they were to be ready to cross the
Jordan River, and to conquer and live in the Promised Land.
Arriving at the banks of the Jordan River, the people of Israel set up camp. On the third
day, officers went through the camp issuing orders to the people. “When you see the priests
carrying the Ark of God, follow them…However, stay about a half mile behind, with a clear
space between you and the Ark…Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves in preparation
for the great miracle the Lord was going to perform the next day. And, in the morning, Joshua
ordered the priests to lift up the Ark and the lead the people across the river.” 76
Israel Prepares to Cross the River Jordan
In preparation for that great miracle, God spoke to Joshua saying, “Today, I will give you
great honor, so that all Israel will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. (Also,)
Instruct the priests who are carrying the Ark to stop at the edge of the river.” (So,) Joshua
75
Josh. 1:1-5 (New Living Translation).
76
46
summoned the people to hear God’s promises. “Think of it,” Joshua said, “The Ark of God, who
is Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the river.” 77
Although the Jordan River was overflowing it banks, as the feet of the priests carrying the
Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, the water stopped flowing. Far up the river at the city
of Adam, the water backed up, as if behind a dam. The water below that unseen dam flowed on
to the Dead Sea. But the river bed in front of the crossing point selected for Israel was dry land.
The priests stopped in the middle of the river until all the people crossed over to the other side.
And as soon as the priests walked out of the river bed with the Ark, the flow of water returned,
again overflowing its banks.78 That day the entire nation of Israel crossed the River Jordan and
set up camp in Gilgal at the eastern edge of Jericho. 79
Chapter 11
The Science Behind Joshua Crossing the River Jordan?
Steven Miller, in his Christian Blog “God parted the River Jordan” reminds his audience
that God parted the (Red) Sea for Moses. Again, a generation later, God stopped the Jordan
River for Joshua and the Jews re-entering their Promised Land. The river was a natural border
blocking their entry to their destination. As Miller began researching the Joshua story, he
discovered that the Jordan River had stopped many times throughout history. In fact, in AD
1927, the River Jordan stopped flowing at the very same spot where the Bible says it stopped in
Joshua’s day. 80
77
Josh. 3: 7-11 (New Living Translation).
78
79
Josh. 4:19 (New Living Translation).
47
The Jordan River Has Stopped Many Times
Miller reports that the Jordan River has stopped at least six times in modern history. It
stopped in AD 1267, 1546, 1834, 1906, 1927, and 1956. In 1927, it stopped in the same place as
the Bible says it stopped for Joshua and the children of Israel. Like the events recorded in the
Book of Joshua, an earthquake caused a landslide to dam the river for 21 hours at the city of
Adam. 81
The Hebrews walked from their camp in Acacia groves on the east side of the river. They
walked across the river at a popular sandy crossing point, which was twenty miles south of
Adam. They set up camp at Gilgal on the west side of the river. Finally, ending this account, they
marched onto Jericho. 82
A Fault Line is Used by God?
Here is the science God may have used. The Jordan River flows downhill out of the Sea
of Galilee and drains into the Dead Sea. But it also runs along a fault line, with the African
Tectonic plate on its west side (Canaan) and the Arabian Tectonic Plate on its east side
(Jordan).83 In fact, in 1927, an earthquake shook loose the cliffs above the Jordan River at Adam.
Debris fell into the river and dammed its flow for twenty-one hours. Miller hypothesizes that this
same recurring event may have been how God enabled His people to walk across the River
Jordan on dry land in Joshua’s day.
80
Steven M. Miller, “When the Jordan River Stopped for Joshua,” Steven M. Miller (blog), August 31,
2012, https://stephenmillerbooks.com/2012/08/when-the-jordan-river-stopped-for-joshua/.
81
Steven M. Miller, “When the Jordan River Stopped for Joshua,” Steven M. Miller (blog), August 31,
2012, https://stephenmillerbooks.com/2012/08/when-the-jordan-river-stopped-for-joshua/.
82
Ibid.
83
Ibid.
48
Miller also presented his observation that many believers refute this possibility because
they believe it diminishes God’s supernatural powers. But he counters that “God made the Laws
of Physics and He knows how to use them.” 84 Steven Miller’s closing comment is at the very
core of my paper’s theme. God can choose to use, and has before, His Laws of Physics to bring
about His plan for His people, including you and me.
84
Steven M. Miller, “More Evidence for the Miracle: Jordan River Stops,” Steven M. Miller (blog), June
26, 2015, https://stephenmillerbooks.com/2015/06/more-evidence-for-the-miracle-jordan-river-stops/.
49
Figure 6. Joshua’s March from the Acacia groves to Gilgal to Jericho and the Jordan River Fault
Line (Reprinted with permission by Steven M. Miller) 85
85
Ibid.
50
PART VI.
THE WALLS OF JERICHO

Chapter 12
The Destruction of the Walls of Jericho in Scripture
The Captain of Heavenly Hosts
Scripture tells us that the Commander-in-Chief of the Lord’s army, perhaps the pre-
incarnate Jesus Christ, spoke with Joshua at Gilgal on the west side of the Jordan River. The
Lord said to Joshua, “Jericho, its king, and all its mighty warriors are already defeated, for I will
deliver them into your hand. The army of Israel is to walk around the city once each day for six
days, followed by seven priests walking ahead of the Ark of God. Each priest will carry a
trumpet made from a ram’s horn. On the seventh day, the people of Israel will walk around
Jericho seven times, with the priests blowing their trumpets. Beginning with the seventh lap, the
priests will give one long blast and the people will give a mighty shout. When the walls of
Jericho fall, move in from every direction and take the city.” 86
God’s Divine Battle Plan
Joshua summoned the priests and gave them the battle plan given him by the Captain of
the Lord’s Host. The armed soldiers would lead the procession. Next, the seven priests would
follow, continually blowing their trumpets. Following the seven, were the priests carrying the
Ark of God. They were all followed by a rear guard. Joshua directed that not a word was to be
spoken until he commanded the people to shout. For six days, except for the trumpets, not a
sound was heard from the army of Israel. At dawn on the seventh day, however, the army circled
the city walls seven times. At the beginning of the seventh lap, the trumpeters blew a long, loud
86
51
blast of the ram’s horn. Joshua responded with, “Shout! The Lord has given us the city!”
Suddenly the walls of Jericho crumbled and fell before them. The people of Israel poured into
the city from every side and captured it.” 87
May each of us be listening, when God approaches with His Divine battle strategy for our
lives and for the conflicts that we face each day!
Chapter 13
The Science Behind the Destruction of the Walls of Jericho?
In February 1990, New York Times writer John Noble Wilford wrote an article entitled
“Joshua Blow Your Horn: Walls Did Come Tumbling Down.” He cites Dr. Bryant G. Wood, an
archaeologist at the University of Toronto. Ceramic remnants, royal scarabs, carbon-14 dating,
seismic activity, and some ruins of tumbled walls now point to a fortified city that was destroyed
in the Late Bronze Age, ca 1400 BC. This is a significant change. Heretofore, scholars had
believed that the destruction of Jericho occurred 150 years earlier, which would preclude an
Israelite connection to its destruction. The Israelite invasion is believed to have occurred at
approximately 1400 BC. 88
Correlating Archaeology with Joshua’s Canaan Campaign
Jericho, Wood said, had become a “parade example” of the difficulties in correlating
archaeology with the Bible, especially when discussing the military conquest of ancient Canaan
87
88
John Noble Wilford, “Archaeologist’s Study Backs Story of Jericho in Bible,” The Oregonian, February
22, 1990.
52
by Joshua. Some scholars dismissed Wood’s assertions, as they believed the biblical account of
Joshua and the Walls of Jericho to be just folklore. Others, were cautiously guarded in their
acceptance. However, Dr. Lawrence Stager, professor of archaeology in Israel at Harvard
University said, “Overall, the archaeological assessment (by Wood) is not unreasonable…” But
he questioned the destruction linkage to the Israelites. Wood acknowledged that many scholars
have accepted that the Israelites entered Palestine closer to 1200 BC.89
Dating the Fall of Joshua’s Jericho
However, in the 1930’s, a British archaeologist, John Garstang, proposed a 1400 B.C.
date for the destruction of Jericho. He based this date on pottery and amulets found in tombs. His
conclusions were largely ignored because of the professional reputations of other archaeologists.
This was due in part to the work of Kathleen Kenyon in the 1950’s. She concluded that no
walled city existed at the time of Joshua. She concluded that Jericho fell somewhere between
1600 to 1550 BC, and that the conquerors were most probably the Egyptians or the Hyksos - the
latter being Canaanites living in Egypt. 90
Wood published a review of Kenyon’s work and concluded that she was looking for the
wrong kind of pottery and looking in the wrong places. She limited her excavations to a poor
section of Jericho. Wood suggests that this omission could account for the absence of the more
expensive Cypriote ceramics prevalent among many Canaanites in Joshua’s time. Conversely,
Garstang found an abundance of clay pots and bowls dated to that period. These were the basis
89
22, 1990.
90
Ibid.
53
for Wood’s new interpretations. Additionally, Wood found three other aspects that supported his
conclusions.91
First, there was a 3-foot layer of ash. In it, he found pottery fragments and mud bricks
from a wall. They had been preserved because they were sealed in a protective sediment. Second,
charred fragments were carbon dated to 1410 BC plus or minus 40 years. This is significant
because the biblical account reports that Joshua torched Jericho after his conquest of the city.
And third, several Egyptian scarab amulets were found in tombs with inscriptions that dated
them to the Joshua period. Wood said he could not definitively prove that the walls crumbled in a
battle versus aging decay. But he suggests that given the date of the fire and wall fragments
found in the sediment, they make a strong case for the Joshua connection given all the other
findings.92
Other archaeological evidence that matched the biblical account, includes evidence that
focuses on the time of year. The Bible reports that Joshua’s attack on Jericho occurred after the
spring harvest and that the Israelites burned the city. Supporting the biblical account, buried
stones, bricks, and timbers were found blackened by a city-wide fire. Additionally, excavations
uncovered large quantities of grain stored in the ground floors of houses. This finding suggests
that the city fell shortly after the spring harvest. And, it further corroborates the biblical account
because the typical siege tactic of the day was to surround a walled city and starve the
inhabitants into surrender. 93
In Conclusion
91
Ibid.
92
22, 1990.
93
Ibid.
54
Concluding remarks by Wood addresses the region’s seismic activity. As reported in the
previous chapter, Wood states Jericho is situated in a rift valley. Its unstable terrain is prone to
earthquakes. Many times, in recorded history, geophysicists say that earthquakes caused
landslides leading to a blockage of the Jordan River for one or two days.94 This fact has direct
correlation to the crossing of the Jordan River. However, I believe it also has a high probability
of being a possible geological instrument that God may have used to bring down the walls of
Jericho. In obedience, Israel still had to follow God’s military strategy observing silence,
marching around the city walls, and blowing the ram horns when directed by Joshua for God to
unleash His geological power.
94
Ibid.
55
PART VII.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

Chapter 14
The Star of Bethlehem in Scripture
The Magi Arrive from Persia
The Gospel writer, Matthew, recounts the birth of Jesus. He begins by describing a visit
by wise men from eastern lands, thought to be Zoroastrian priests or Magi from Persia. Arriving
in Jerusalem, they asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star in far-
off eastern lands and we have come to worship Him.” King Herod, concerned over this news,
sent a message to the astrologers. He asked to meet with them privately. To prepare for their
meeting, Herod asked his advisors to search the scriptures for the birthplace of the prophesied
Messiah. They responded that the prophet Micah wrote that Bethlehem would be the Messiah’s
birthplace.95
A Star and a Dream Lead the Way?
Herod began his questions of the Magi by asking when the star first appeared. Then, he
sent the astrologers to Bethlehem. Following their meeting with Herod, the astrologers set out
again in search of the newborn king. To their great joy, the star they had seen in the east went
ahead of them until it stopped over the baby Jesus in the town of Bethlehem.96 Upon entering the
house, the Magi saw the child with His mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshiped Him.
Then they presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having been warned in a
dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 97
95
96
97
57
Matthew is the only Gospel writer to mention the Magi’s visit and the Star of Bethlehem.
And yet, this star has become a symbol of God’s willingness to lead us to the place of Jesus’
birth and to the place where we can greet our redeemer.
Chapter 15
The Science Behind the Star of Bethlehem?
Christmas Music and Scripture
At Christmas time each year, a favorite Christmas Carol is “We Three Kings of Orient
are.” It was written in 1857 by Rev. John Henry Hopkins. The minister most likely wrote the
carol for the General Theological Seminary in New York City as part of their Christmas pageant.
But Matthew’s Gospel account is most certainly its inspiration. Also, it provides an excellent
segue into my analysis of a possible scientific explanation of how God may have used His Laws
of Nature, specifically His astrophysics, to accomplish this historic and miraculous event.
We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts, we traverse afar, Field and fountain, moor and
mountain, following yonder star, O Star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy Perfect Light.98
Jupiter and the Star of Bethlehem
BBC astronomer and Discovery News contributor, Mark Thompson, conducted research
into what the Star of Bethlehem could have been. He discovered a significant recurring
astronomical event that might explain what happened. He reviewed volumes of historical
98
John Henry Hopkins, “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” Carols UK, accessed December 1, 2018,
www.carols.org.uk/we_three_kings_of_orient_are.htm.
58
records. Using computer simulations to determine positions of the planets and stars, he could
determine how they would have appeared when Jesus was born. At the time of his article,
Thompson suggested that the Star of Bethlehem could be explained by the motion of the planet
Jupiter.99
A Celestial Convergence
Between September of 3 BC and May of 2 BC, there were three conjunctions in our solar
system. One occurred on September 14, 3 BC. The others occurred on February 17, 2 BC and
May 8, 2 BC. On these dates, Jupiter passed close to the star Regulus, the brightest star in the
constellation of Leo. Thompson also found that Jupiter passed Regulus in an easterly motion. It
appeared to reverse course, passing the star again in a westerly direction. This change in
direction is known as retrograde motion.100 Thompson found that in the year 2 BC, Jupiter’s
movement in the sky passed by the bright star of Regulus and the planet Venus. Both planets
were noted to have overlapped in the night sky to such a degree as to make them
indistinguishable to the naked eye on June 17, 2 BC. They formed a stellar conjunction, which
occurs when celestial objects group closely in the night sky.101
Zoroastrian Priests Take Notice
The Three Wise Men, thought by many to have been Zoroastrian priests and astrologers,
might have noticed this strange motion and considered it to be a ‘sign.’ Thompson suggests that
the retrograde motion meant the planet was travelling in a westerly direction in the sky. “The
Three Wise Men may have followed it from Persia," Thompson told the UK's Telegraph. "By
camel it would have taken about three months for this trip. Interestingly this is roughly about the
99
Mark Thompson, “The Star of Bethlehem: Was It Jupiter?,” Seeker, December 20, 2010,
https://www.seeker.com/the-star-of-bethlehem-was-it-jupiter-1765153375.html.
100
Ibid.
101
Ibid.
59
same time Jupiter was travelling in this westward direction." 102 But, is it also possible that
archived Jewish writings predicting the birth of Christ may have been the genesis for the Magi’s
association of a star with the birth of a Jewish king? After all, the Hebrews and God’s prophets
were living in Babylon as captives for over seventy years. This included time under Persian rule.
Jupiter and Venus
Michael Casey confirmed this same hypothesis in his article, “Jupiter, Venus to
Converge in Star of Bethlehem Moment.” He found this celestial convergence, also called
conjunction, is more common than you might think. During a remarkable conjunction on May
17, 2000, Venus and Jupiter were just 0.01 degrees apart. Indiana University researchers also
noted in 2003 that there was a spectacular conjunction between Jupiter and Venus a month after
Thompson's timeline. They appeared slightly closer together before dawn on August 18, 2014.103
Again, on Tuesday June 25th, 2015, Jupiter and Venus were so close in the night sky that
you could cover them both with the tip of an outstretched finger. The two planets were just a
third of a degree apart when viewed from North America. "To the eye they'll look like a double
star," said Kelly Beatty, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine. " They were easy to spot
as they were the brightest objects in the sky. Venus, appearing as a crescent, was even brighter
than its neighbor.104
Once more on a June 30 evening in 2015, Jupiter and Venus finished a month-long light
show. These twinkling orbs appeared to be just a fraction of a degree apart from one another. It
was a show that some astronomers say could account for the "Star of Bethlehem" mentioned in
102
Ibid.
103
Michael Casey, “Jupiter, Venus to Converge in Star of Bethlehem Moment,” CBS News, June 29, 2015,
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jupiter-venus-to-converge-in-star-of-bethlehem-moment/.
104
Michael Pearson, “'Double star' moment for Jupiter and Venus in the night sky,” CNN, July 1, 2015,
https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/30/us/feat-jupiter-venus-conjunction/index.html.
60
the Bible. "To the eye they'll look like a double star," said Sky & Telescope editor Kelly Beatty.
They remained no more than 2 degrees apart until July 4, 2015.105
And, on August 27, 2016, they dazzled observers of the night sky again with another
evening conjunction and a separation of just 0.1 degrees. Sky & Telescope Contributing Editor
Fred Schaaf points out that this current string of Venus-Jupiter conjunctions closely resembles a
similar series between the years 3 and 2 BC. He is another that has suggested their joint
appearance came to be known as the “Star of Bethlehem.” 106
In Conclusion
Concluding this section, multiple scientific researchers suggest a most plausible
explanation for a “westward leading” star to guide all humanity to the birthplace of the Christ
child. And, it is another example of how God may have used His Laws of Nature, i.e.
astrophysics, to accomplish His plan for mankind.
105
Michael Casey, “Jupiter, Venus to Converge in Star of Bethlehem Moment,” CBS News, June 29, 2015,
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jupiter-venus-to-converge-in-star-of-bethlehem-moment/.
106
Ibid.
61
PART VIII.
THE EARTH IS FORMED

Chapter 16
The Earth is Formed in Scripture
I began this paper by introducing an academic and spiritual debate in Christendom
relating to “how” God created our planet Earth. So, it seems only appropriate to conclude this
paper by returning to that beginning premise and present both the scriptural account of how the
earth was formed by God and how scientists believe it was formed. The first book of Genesis
provides a sequence that God followed in His creation of the earth. It was part of the logical
sequence He followed for the creation of the entire universe. The creation sequence was divided
into six literal days or periods of time. The latter differentiation of “days” versus “periods of
time” was provided as an annotation for Genesis 1, found in the Lindsell Study Bible and based
on The Living Bible Paraphrased.
God Begins His Creative Processes
Before God began the creative process, Genesis tells us that the earth was a “shapeless
and chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors.” This has also been
interpreted to mean “over the darkness and waters,” or “over the dark vapors.” But then God
said, “Let there be light to separate the day from the night.” So, God created our sun and, in
doing so, that ended the first day or first period. 107
107
63
On the second day, God said, “Let the vapors separate to form the sky above and the
oceans below.” Literally, let there be a dome to divide the waters above from the waters below.
In making this distinction, God created the sky on the second day. 108
On the third day, God gathered all the waters beneath the sky into oceans, so that dry land
appeared. God called the dry land the “earth” and the gathered waters He called “seas.” Upon the
dry land, God caused the earth to burst forth with every sort of grass, seed-bearing plant, and
fruit tree. The seeds from within reproduced each new plant. This took one more day, ending on
the third day of creation.109
Then God said, “Let bright lights appear in the sky to give light to the earth and to
identify the day and night; they shall bring about the seasons on the earth and mark the days and
years.” To make it so, God created both the sun and the moon to shine down upon the earth - the
larger one, the sun, to preside over the day and the smaller one, the moon, to preside over the
night. Also, to divide the day from the night, He created the stars. And this took one more day,
ending on the fourth day of creation.110
Then God said, “Let the waters teem with fish and other life, and let the skies be filled
with birds of every kind.” God charged the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky to multiply.
This took one more day, ending on the fifth day of creation.111
Before resting on the seventh day, God created animal life and man. Then God said, “Let
the earth bring forth every kind of animal, including cattle, reptiles, and wildlife of every kind.”
108
Ibid.
109
110
Ibid.
111
Ibid.
64
Then God said, “Let us make man, someone like ourselves. Let us make man in our image, in
our likeness to be the master of all life upon the earth, in the skies, and in the seas. So, God made
man like His Maker. Like God, did God make man; Man, and maid, did He make them.” This
took one more day, ending on the sixth day of creation. For me, these last two lines more than
imply that Creation’s crowning jewel, mankind, was a spirit being.112
Chapter 17
The Science Behind the Earth’s Formation?
Intelligent Design
Many secular scientists have rejected intelligent design or any Divine involvement in
creation. However, I am not sure that matters. As I stated in my introduction, I believe the Bible
tells “who” created the heavens and the earth and even “why.” After concluding my research for
this paper, I have determined that I am not alone in this analysis. It is my assertion that God was,
is, and always will be the first, the Divine, and Creator scientist. He is the architect of the
universe’s design. By that I mean, God created the Laws of Nature and then followed them as
His template to create the universe. In the paragraphs that follow, I will summarize just a few
“Laws” that God both designed and then used to place the earth in a perfect orbit around the sun.
The Big Bang Theory
The History Channel documentary, The Universe-Beyond the Big Bang, addresses a
composite scientific answer to the how the universe may have been created. The narrator begins
112
65
with a question. He asks, “Where do we begin?” “Let’s begin at the beginning!” “Let’s begin
with the Big Bang.” Brian Greene, a Professor of math and physics at Columbia University,
equates the Big Bang to a theory of cosmic evolution. Geoffrey Landis, a NASA physicist, adds
that it is a theory forward “from whatever brought it (the bang) into existence.” The theory states
that the universe is expanding, with its galaxies moving outward. If true and based on the
calculation of its expansion rate, scientists believe that the universe was compressed into an
extremely dense singularity 13.7 billion years ago. 113
Science versus Theology
However, the Big Bang theory does not explain everything. It only explains the aftermath
of the bang. Alan Guth, a physics professor at MIT says, “It (the Big Bang Theory) says nothing
about how it “banged” or what happened before it “banged.” It just says that 13.7 billion years
ago the universe was smaller than the smallest part of an atom. Then something happened. In a
flash, everything suddenly expanded.” To my point, the Bible answers the “who” and “why.” Or,
in this context, it addresses all that came before the Big Bang. 114
Similarly, John Polkinghorne, a physicist and Anglican priest, believes that clergy and
scientists look at things in different ways and ask different questions. Scientists ask the question
of how things are happening. Theologians ask why things are happening. “Religion and science
have been uneasy competitors,” he says, “because they are motivated by the same goal.” They
are both searching for truth about our beginnings. Even Albert Einstein suggested that the
universe had a beginning. His theory of relativity leads logically to a moment of creation. 115
113
Matthew P. Hickey "Beyond the Big Bang." The Universe. Directed by Luke Ellis. 2007. Los Angeles,
CA: The History Channel.
114
Ibid.
115
Ibid.
66
A Catholic Priest and the Big Bang Theory
In the early 1920’s Father George Lemaitre, a Catholic priest, was the first twentieth
century scientist to suggest the Big Bang Theory. He postulated that the universe had a beginning
and started out very small. This “cosmic egg” exploded in the past leading to the creation of
everything. Pope Pius XII endorsed his priest’s theory, as he believed it was de facto proof of the
Genesis creation account. Not unlike the seven days of creation, the Big Bang Theory states the
universe was created in stages. Hydrogen and helium were created in the Big Bang. All the other
elements were created in the centers of stars and supernova explosions later. Afterwards, this
transformation of hydrogen and helium into other elements is called nucleosynthesis.116
So, what is the Big Bang Theory? Based on time frames following the Big Bang, here are
nine general stages.117
1. A billionth of a second after the bang, a bubble forms with all four forces of
nature inside (Gravity, Electromagnetism, Weak Nuclear, and Strong Nuclear).
The combined forces are referred to as a super force.
2. One second after the bang, the super force decays into the four separate forces. As
gravity splits off, cooling begins.
3. Three minutes after the bang, temperatures drop to some point where atomic
nuclei can form helium and hydrogen.
4. 380,000 years after the bang, light from radiation would have been detected.
5. One billion years after the bang, stars begin to take shape producing the heavier
elements, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.
6. Nine billion years after the bang, matter and gravity combine to form a typical sun
and planetary solar system. Pressure creates heat at its core which triggers
thermonuclear fusion. 700 billion tons of nitrogen is converted to 695 billion tons
of helium per second. A star is born.
7. Orbiting dust from the explosion coalesces into planets and moons.
116
Matthew P. Hickey "Beyond the Big Bang." The Universe. Directed by Luke Ellis. 2007. Los Angeles,
117
Ibid.
67
8. 200 billion years ago, the Milky Way galaxy was formed and 4.5 billion years ago
our solar system was formed.
9. One of these lumps of stardust, after being pummeled by other lumps of star dust
has the right temperature for H20 to develop in the planet’s atmosphere. Liquid
water gathers on the surface.
The Universe Expands and Evolves
To provide a complete scientific description of how God may have created the universe,
to include the earth, I need to dig a little deeper into the last stages of the Big Bang Theory. The
History Channel documentary entitled The Universe-Spaceship Earth tells their audience that the
earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago. Further, it states that the creation of the planets was filled
with chaos (Gen. 1:2). While the earth was forming, asteroids came screaming in, impacting with
other rocks to cause the earth to grow. 118
A massive star exploded as a Supernova, which is a star that suddenly increases greatly in
brightness because of a catastrophic explosion that ejects most of its mass. That blast triggered a
gravitational collapse of the cloud that formed our sun. Shortly after the sun formed, extra
material orbited the new star which included ice particles and dust. Like clothing dryer lint, these
materials began clumping together. Made of sand (silicate), as they stuck together, little rocks
formed. As the stellar cast offs bumped into each other, gravity held them together. Thus,
through multiple collisions the infant earth was formed. 119
The Earth and its Moon are Formed
118
Laura Verklan. "Spaceship Earth." The Universe. Directed by Laura Verklan. 2007. Los Angeles, CA:
The History Channel.
119
Ibid.
68
Some asteroids that impacted the earth were 300 miles in diameter. The chaos continued
until Earth’s mass grew to what it is today. The impacts created heat in its core, which caused the
iron and nickel to sink to the center of the Earth. That created a magnetic field. According to
Robert Roy Britt of Livescience.com, “if not for that magnetic field, solar winds would burn
away the earth’s atmosphere.” Knowing that all life on earth requires air to breathe, it is difficult
to see this as coincidence. 120
Fifty million years after the earth began forming, an object the size of the planet Mars
slammed into the earth. The two orbs were fused together, forming a much larger earth.
However, molten debris caught in the gravitational pull of the earth and shaped by gravity,
coalesced into our moon. After the first Apollo missions, moon rocks were analyzed and shown
to be very similar to Earth’s lava rock. The moon holds the earth in a tilt, which gives us our
seasons (Gen. 1:14-15, Day 4) 121
The Earth is Prepared for Life
NASA’s Michael J. Mumma says that earth’s water came from space. He asserts that
asteroids and comets delivered the building blocks of life to the earth. Peter H. Schultz of Brown
University suggests that comets and asteroids “seeded” the earth with essential elements to make
life possible. These cosmic impacts made the earth’s surface environment more favorable for
life. 122 I do not find these assertions to conflict with scripture. Genesis 2: 7 states, “The time
came when the Lord God formed a man’s body from the dust of the ground (earth) and breathed
into it the breath of life. And man became a living person.”
120
Ibid.
121
122
Ibid.
69
Scientists believe that extremophiles in the form cyanobacteria or blue green algae
converted sunlight in the early oceans to produce oxygen through photosynthesis. Without
oxygen, plants, animals, and humans cannot live. The emergence of land masses occurred 4
billion years ago. Plate tectonics produced rock that was lighter than the ocean floor. So, it
floated and accumulated as continents. This, too, facilitated the creation of complex life. The
narrator adds that once man claimed dominance over the planet (as he was directed to do by
God), the earth would never be the same. 123
“The Goldilocks Zone”
Astronomer Donald Brownlee, University of Washington, states that the earth was,
“formed in just the right place.” It is the only place in the universe that plants and animals can
live. He says that planet earth holds the best real estate in the solar system for mankind. Earth is
in the Goldilocks habitable zone. It is just the right distance from the sun. Not too hot. Not too
cold. It became a special place because it was positioned just right to sustain oceans, land, and
life.124
In Conclusion
Earth’s history has been compared to a 24-hour clock with the appearance of humanity
being the last 2 seconds of the day. Thus, it is my assertion that the ratio of scripture’s first five
days of creation versus the sixth day, when the animals and man were created, is not
disproportionate. In short, I believe the Big Bang Theory of Astrophysics could explain how God
chose to create His “Heavens and the Earth.”
123
Ibid.
124
70
CONCLUSION
The purpose of this paper has been to stitch together multiple and plausible scientific
explanations of biblical events. However, my intent was not to eliminate the Divine, but rather to
show that God uses His science just as freely as He does His “still small voice” to intervene in
our lives. So, I ask, “Is it possible that God used a volcanic eruption, an asteroid impact, the
intersecting movement of heavenly bodies, an earthquake, and a recurring change in the water
flow of the Jordan River to be His tools in the execution of His will?” I say “yes.”
Some may say that my proposed scientific explanations are just an attempt to rationalize
away Divine involvement as mere coincidence. But I would ask, how many times can
“coincidence” occur before a rational man or woman would conclude that an intelligent and
Divine intent was behind events recorded in history? From my perspective, the number of these
coincidences now exceeds any prediction made by the laws of statistical probability. They just
can’t be random occurrences. Similarly, many believe that so-called “miracles” are just
coincidences of happenstance. I am not one of them.
And, to place an exclamation point on my theme that God does use science, I added
Appendix A covering “The Ancient Alien” phenomena. I did so, because even the believers in
the Ancient Alien Theory acknowledge that the Bible accurately describes supernatural events in
antiquity. They just attribute them to misunderstood extraterrestrial alien technology. So, the
question I propose therein is, “Angels or Aliens?” After all, angels ARE extraterrestrial beings.
So, I respond with the Divine attribution.
In conclusion, I have presented seven biblical events and provided scientific evidence to
suggest how God may have caused them to happen with His Laws of Nature and His perfect
71
sense of timing. Supporting the research of my dissertation question, I did find many more
research articles about two of the seven, i.e. Sodom and Gomorrah and the Ten Plagues of Egypt.
But in all, the answer to my research question was “yes.” God does use His Laws of Nature to
intervene in our affairs, as I believed He did when He created the universe! And “no,” He does
not limit Himself to just Direct or Inspired forms of Divine intervention.
Finally, my research has shown that many scientists and theologians do not find the Bible
and science to be mutually exclusive. So, I recommend further research on other biblical events,
where that symbiotic relationship may exist. Specifically, I propose a more in-depth look at the
Bond and Hempsell dating for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in 3123 BC.125 Abraham
was a contemporary of this cataclysmic event. Yet, when comparing his second millennium BC
birth, ca 1952 BC, 126 the thousand-year difference between the two dates presents a dilemma that
could be the basis for additional research.
125
126
Alfred J. Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), pages
57-59.
72
APPENDIX A
EXTRABIBLICAL SECULAR COMMENTARY

Chapter 18
The Ancient Alien Phenomena
Angels or Aliens?
Over the past several years, the History Channel has showcased a new television program
covering the Ancient Alien Theory (AAT). It provides documentary style presentations of many
ancient supernatural events. The irony is that they have concluded lifeforms from other planets
were working behind the scenes to cause them instead of a Divine creator. I find it odd that they
acknowledge the supernatural events recorded in the Bible, but cannot accept Divinity as the
most probable cause factor.
One of the weekly episodes (Season 5, Episode 7) was entitled “Prophets and
Prophecies.” This episode acknowledges the presence of fiery pillars, voices from heaven,
visions of the future, and strange encounters with supernatural beings. The show’s narrator
asked, “Who were the gods?” Were they figments of our ancestor’s imagination? Were the
prophets of the ancient world really messengers from God or did their knowledge come from
more mysterious sources?” They acknowledge that the prophets were spokespersons for
extraterrestrials trying to rule the world. 127
Each week the show begins by asking the audience a single question. “Millions of people
believe we have been visited in the past by Extraterrestrial (ET) beings. What if it were true?”128
127
Kaylan Eggert. "Prophets and Prophecies." Ancient Aliens. Directed by John C. Metcalfe. 2013. Los
Angeles, CA: The History Channel.
128
Ibid.
74
Their definition of ET includes alien life forms from other planets. But it could just as easily be
Divine beings sent by the creator of heaven and earth. Of course, I believe the latter is true.
In their discussion of prophets, they question the true nature of Moses’ encounter at the
burning bush. They ask, “Was he randomly chosen or did he possess an innate ability to
communicate with other worldly forces?” In addition to Moses, the AAT writers acknowledge
that Elijah, Isaiah, Abraham, Enoch, and Jesus were all prophets of antiquity. They define
prophets as the liaisons between the mortal and immortal world. 129
However, at the core of the AAT theory is their alternate interpretation of extraterrestrial.
AAT theorists ask if the source of information was Divine, because they have another possibility.
AAT theory proposes that the ancient prophets had contact with non-human intelligence. The
accuracy of their prophecies is evidence that higher beings were interacting with them. But then,
as a segue, AAT theorists ask if it could be that ancient extraterrestrials contacted the biblical
prophets. 130
Misunderstood Technology?
For example, the AAT theory supporters do not believe that a bush can burn and give
guidance. So, they have concluded that the ancients must have misunderstood some form of
ancient technology. They suggest that God’s burning bush could have been an extraterrestrial
device, machine, or spacecraft. Similarly, when the Hebrews departed Egypt from Tell el-Daba
(Avaris), a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day led the people to the Promised
Land. When it moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped. However, the AAT theorists
129
130
Ibid.
75
suggest that the pillar of fire was a UFO. Again, they ask if it was a supernatural event initiated
by God or an advanced technological device? And finally, AAT believers suggest that Moses
received the Ten Commandments from an ET messenger rather than from God Himself. 131
In Conclusion
In closing this chapter, my take on this phenomenon is that these seekers are trying to
answer the question, “Where did we come from? Or, what was the source of ‘intelligent’
influence on mankind?” However, they have found it easier to explain our origins and our
supernatural inspirations through visits from alien life forms. For me, visits by angelic hosts from
heaven and God Himself seem much more logical. But the key takeaway is that they
acknowledge that ancient supernatural events did occur, just as they are described in the Bible.
For this reason, I included this chapter in my discussion.
131
76
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bond, Alan, and Mark Hempsell. A Sumerian Observation of the Köfels' Impact Event. Great
Britain: Alcuin Academics, 2008.
Casey, Michael. “Jupiter, Venus to Converge in Star of Bethlehem Moment.” CBS News. June 29,
2015. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jupiter-venus-to-converge-in-star-of-bethlehem-
moment/.
De Vries, LaMoine F. Cities of the Biblical World. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2006.
DiNardo, John. “Sodom and Gomorrah Asteroid Strike.” YouTube. May 15, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66QAnQXgVnU.
Eggert, Kaylan. "Prophets and Prophecies." Ancient Aliens. Directed by John C. Metcalfe. 2013. Los
Angeles, CA: History Channel.
Haines, Lester. “Assyrian Clay Tablet Points to 'Sodom and Gomorrah' Asteroid-29 June 3123 BC
Starts with a Bang.” The Register, 31 Mar 2008.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/31/kofels_asteroid/.
Hickey, Matthew P. "Beyond the Big Bang." The Universe. Directed by Luke Ellis. 2007. Los
Hoerth, Alfred J. Archaeology and the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.
Hopkins, John Henry. “We Three Kings of Orient Are ?” Carols UK. Accessed December 1, 2018.
www.carols.org.uk/we_three_kings_of_orient_are.htm.
Maxwell, Arthur S. THE BIBLE STORY Ten Volume Set. 23rd ed. Takoma Park: Review and Herald
Publishing Association, 1953.
Mazar, Amihai. Archaeology of the Land of the Bible 10,000 - 586 B.C.E. New Haven and London:
Yale University Press, 2009.
Message to the Eagle. “Controversial 5,500-year-old Sumerian Star Map of Ancient Nineveh
Reveals Observation of Köfels’ Impact Event.” Message to the Eagle-Ancient Civilizations
& Places, Ancient Mysteries, Artifacts (blog), December 7, 2014.
http://www.messagetoeagle.com/controversial-5500-year-old-sumerian-star-map-of-ancient-
nineveh-reveals-observation-of-kofels-impact-event/.
Miller, Steven M. “More Evidence for the Miracle: Jordan River Stops.” Steven M. Miller (blog),
June 26, 2015. https://stephenmillerbooks.com/2015/06/more-evidence-for-the-miracle-
jordan-river-stops/.
Miller, Steven M. “When the Jordan River Stopped for Joshua.” Steven M. Miller (blog), August 31,
2012. https://stephenmillerbooks.com/2012/08/when-the-jordan-river-stopped-for-joshua/.
Oard, Michael. “The Ice Age and the Genesis Flood.” The Institute of Creation Research (ICR),
JUNE 01, 1987. http://www.icr.org/article/ice-age-genesis-flood/ .
Pearson, Michael. “'Double star' moment for Jupiter and Venus in the night sky.” CNN. July 1, 2015.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/30/us/feat-jupiter-venus-conjunction/index.html.
77
Rives, Richard, and Ronald E. Wyatt. Fervent Heat: Sodom and Gomorrah. Cornersville, TN: Wyatt
Archaeological Research, 2010.
Rives, Richard. “Richard Rives Recalls Account of Josephus Relating to Ashen Remains of
Gomorrah.” Wyatt Archeological Research, June 23, 2016.
http://wyattmuseum.com/discovering/sodom-gomorrah.
Silva, Freddy. The Divine Blueprint-Temples, Power Places and the Global Plan to Shape the
Human Soul. Portland Maine: Invisible Temple, 2016.
Skorupa, David. “First Samuel.” Lecture, Newburgh Theological Seminary and College of the Bible,
Newburgh, IN, December 19, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4jxkGVPghY.
Sohma, Marina. “Does the Ipuwer Papyrus Provide Evidence for the Exodus?” Ancient Origins-
Reconstructing the Story of Humanity's Past (blog), November 6, 2016. https://www.ancient-
origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/does-ipuwer-papyrus-provide-evidence-events-exodus-
006951.
Thompson, Mark. “The Star of Bethlehem: Was It Jupiter?” Seeker. December 20, 2010.
https://www.seeker.com/the-star-of-bethlehem-was-it-jupiter-1765153375.html.
University of Bristol. “Cuneiform Clay Tablet Translated for the First Time.” PHYS.ORG. March
31, 2008. https://phys.org/news/2008-03-cuneiform-clay-tablet.html.
Verklan, Laura. "Spaceship Earth." The Universe. Directed by Laura Verklan. 2007. Los Angeles,
Whipps, Heather. “How the Eruption of Thera Changed the World.” LiveScience (blog), February
24, 2008. https://www.livescience.com/4846-eruption-thera-changed-world.html.
Wood, Bryant. “Debunking 'The Exodus Decoded'.” Bible and Spade Magazine, Sep 20, 2006.
78

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NEWBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND COLLEGE OF THE BIBLE

INSPIRED WISDOM, MIRACULOUSLY DIRECT,

OR GOD’S LAWS OF NATURE

THE FACULTY OF THE DIVISION OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF

DEPARTMENT OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

All rights reserved

DEDICATION TO MY INSPIRATIONS viii

RESEARCH METHOD xii

PART I. DIVINE INTERVENTION DEFINED

Chapter 1. Intervention by Inspired Wisdom-The Still Small Voice 4

A Visit from God 4

A Visit from God’s Messenger Angel (s) 5

Divinely Inspired Wisdom 7

Chapter 2. Intervention by the Miraculously Direct 8

The Ask and the Touch 9

Mercy and Healing for All 10

Chapter 3. Intervention by God’s Laws of Nature 12

The Sun and Moon Stand Still 12

An Earthquake as a Divine Weapon 13

Rain as a Divine Weapon 13

PART II. THE GREAT FLOOD

Chapter 4. The Great Flood in Scripture 16

God Regrets His Creation 16

The Flood in Extrabiblical Literature 17

Chapter 5. The Science Behind the Great Flood? 18

Post Flood Climate Change 18

How Many Ice Ages? 19

Chapter 6. Sodom and Gomorrah in Scripture 21

God Visits Abraham 21

God Shares His Plan 21

Abraham Argues with God 21

The Angels of Salvation and Destruction 22

Chapter 7. The Science Behind Sodom and Gomorrah? 23

The Sumerians Observe the Night Sky 23

Star Map Reflects an Asteroid Impact in Ancient Austria 23

Computer Modeling, Asteroid Trajectory, and Impact Analysis 24

Impact Plume Reenters Earth’s Atmosphere with a Course Reversal 27

Impact Plume Debris Falls on Sodom and Gomorrah 28

On the Ground in Sodom 30

PART IV. THE TEN PLAGUES OF EGYPT

Chapter 8. The Ten Plagues of Egypt in Scripture 34

Moses Petitions Pharaoh 34

Ten Judgements Against Egypt 34

Chapter 9. The Science Behind the Ten Plagues of Egypt? 37

Super Volcano Eruption on Santorini, Greece (Ancient Thera) 37

Dating the Plagues and the Exodus 38

The Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus as Corroborating Evidence 42

PART V. JOSHUA CROSSING THE RIVER JORDAN

Chapter 10. Joshua Crossing the River Jordan in Scripture 46

Joshua is Chosen to Replace Moses 46

Israel Prepares to Cross the River Jordan 46

The Jordan River Has Stopped Many Times 48

A Fault Line is Used by God? 48

PART VI. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WALLS OF JERICHO

Chapter 12. The Destruction of the Walls of Jericho in Scripture 51

The Captain of the Heavenly Hosts 51

Correlating Archaeology with Joshua’s Canaan Campaign 52

Dating the Fall of Joshua’s Jericho 53

PART VII. THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

Chapter 14. The Star of Bethlehem in Scripture 57

The Magi Arrive from Persia 57

A Star and a Dream Lead the Way 57

Chapter 15. The Science Behind the Star of Bethlehem? 58