June 2021

The Twelve Princes of Ishmael

May 23, 2023

As it is commonly known, there were twelve tribes of Israel as outlined in the Bible. These tribes were begotten of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was Abraham’s second son, who was also the child of promise. But what is not as commonly known is that there were also twelve tribes of Ishmael, Abraham’s first son who was birthed by Hagar, who was the handmaid of Abraham’s wife Sarah. Though a rift would come between Sarah and Hagar over Ishmael, the Lord God did indeed bless Ishmael and promised to make him into a great nation. For God spoke unto Hagar and said, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 17:20). Let us turn now and venture farther into these passages concerning Ishmael and his twelve sons, whom were also known as princes according to their nations.

“Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s handmaid, bare unto Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.” (Genesis 25:12-16). These twelve tribes or nations of Ishmael would go on to populate what we know today as the territories of the Middle East, and these nations of Ishmael are believed to be the Arabs. Additionally, the Bible states that the descendants of Ishmael would be princes, signifying royalty. For a great nation which Ishmael birthed, and to whom God blessed, would need a king or kings to rule over them. Hence the twelve tribes of Ishmael were of a royal stock, making the Arabs a kingly people.

The character of Ishmael as stated in the Bible is that of a fighter and of an unruly personality. For as the angel of the Lord spoke unto Hagar concerning her son said, “…he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” (Genesis 16:12). This description of Ishmael, and his descendants the Arab peoples, may sound derogatory and biased, but further along the children of Israel would be called a stiff necked people by God himself. For it is written: “And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people.” (Exodus 32:9). For even though the children of Israel were the descendants of Isaac the child of promise, they too had their issues and the Lord dealt with them harshly and chastised them. For as the Bible says, God is without partiality and without hypocrisy (James 3:17).

St. Paul, when comparing the law of Moses to the grace which is in Christ Jesus, mentions the two sons of Abraham; Isaac and Ishmael. The Apostle signifies the Mosaic law as representing Ishmael, who was the son of a bondwoman and reveals that Christians are heirs of Isaac, who was the child of promise. Paul then explains that Christians have been set free from the bondage of sin and are not under the law, but are under the grace of God. St. Paul speaks: For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise…Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. (Galatians 4:22,23,30,31).

Again, though Ishmael was born from a bondwoman, the Lord did indeed bestow much mercy towards him. Even before he was born Ishmael received a blessing from God. For after Abraham’s wife Sarah treated Hagar with disdain, she fled from Sarah’s face into the wilderness. It was there that the angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar and said thus, “…I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.” (Genesis 16:10,11). So here we see that even though Ishmael did not receive the covenant that God would establish through his half brother Isaac, Ishmael and his descendants did receive a blessing and a promise from God. Now there was some sibling rivalry between the two brothers Isaac and Ishmael, but these feelings were put aside after their father Abraham died, for both Isaac and Ishmael buried their father Abraham in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 25:9).

In modern times we continue to witness the twelve princes of Ishmael (the Arabs) and the twelve tribes of Israel (the Jews) fighting in this age old struggle which began nearly 4,000 year ago. From the time when Ishmael mocked his infant brother Isaac after he was weaned, to the Israeli victory over the Arabs during the Six-Day War in 1967, to the victory of the Lebanese over the Jews in the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, tensions are still as intense as ever. However, these conflicts are not solely between Arabs and Jews, for there is much infighting between the various tribes of Ishmael or Arab peoples. Whatever the differences may be between the brothers, they all have one thing in common and that would be the struggle for power and the use of politics to achieve that goal. As the saying goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Hostilities build up and then simmer back down, only for tensions to rise once again until another war breaks out. Now after the passage of time and rebuilding, policies are written and the brothers get together in the hopes of deterring another conflict, but the resentment held between each party remains. As it is said in the Middle East, “we forgive, but we don’t forget.”

Dating The Exodus

May 23, 2023

The purpose of this work is to come to a conclusion as to when the Exodus occurred. We may not come to a definitive answer, but searching for the truth may just be the entire point. Both the late and early dates of the Exodus will be examined and backed up with historical records as well as the Bible. So let us begin and discern if we can the mysteries surrounding the date of the Exodus.

The Victory Stele of Merneptah, better known as the Merneptah Stele, is a stone relief commissioned by the Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah who reigned from 1213 – 1203 BC during the era of the 19th dynasty. The stele was discovered by Flinders Petrie in 1896 at Thebes, and is now housed at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Merneptah Stele is dated to about the year 1205 BC and among it’s many lines of hieroglyphics, the name Israel is found. The majority of the inscription speaks of Merneptah’s military victories, like those over the Libyans for example, but the last two lines mention a campaign in Canaan where is says that Merneptah defeated Israel. The inscription reads thus, “Israel is laid waste, his seed is no more.” And this inscription is the fist mention of Israel outside of the Bible.

Now even though the late date of the Exodus is placed at about 1270 BC and the Merneptah Stele dates back to around 1205 BC, there could still be a continuity in time for the late date for the Exodus given that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years prior to their settlement in Canaan. So, if we subtract 40 from 1270, then we come to the year 1230 BC for an Israelite conquest of Canaan. Giving Israel the time to settle and to build up their armed forces, then 25 years after the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Merneptah could very well have come against Israel close to the year 1205 BC, of which time the Merneptah Stele was then engraved.

Now if the Exodus took place around the year 1270 BC, then that would place the identity of the pharaoh who ruled over Egypt at that time to be Ramesses II, also known as “Ramesses the Great” who reigned from 1279 – 1213 BC. Interestingly, in our modern day popular culture Ramesses is the chosen pharaoh for the date of the Exodus, which is seen in such movies as Cecil B. DeMille’s classic The Ten Commandments (1956), and even in the animated film The Prince of Egypt (1998). However, in the Biblical narrative the name of the pharaoh of the Exodus is not given. The Bible simply says, “Pharaoh king of Egypt”, but with no personal name attached to that royal title. Now the name Rameses is mentioned in the book of Exodus, but not after a person. Instead Rameses is mentioned as a city located in the northeastern part of the Egyptian delta, not far from Goshen, the district in which the Hebrews lived. And even though the personal name of the pharaoh of the Exodus is not given, the late date theory of the Exodus paralleled with recorded history would place Ramesses II as that pharaoh. So, now that the late date theory of the Exodus has been explored and a case built up for it’s credibility, let us now examine the possibility for an early date of the Exodus.

According to the Bible the Exodus occurred in the mid-15th century BC. For in I Kings 6:1 we read: “And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.” So here the Bible tells us that the Exodus took place 480 years prior to king Solomon’s initial construction of the temple. Now Solomon ascended the throne in the year 970 BC, and if we subtract 4 years from his ascension to when he began to build the temple we come to the year 966 BC. Also, when adding 480 years to 966 BC we arrive at the year 1446 BC to be the official date of the Exodus as outlined in the Bible.

In addition to the Bible giving credence to the early date of the Exodus, an ancient Egyptian artifact dating to the mid-14th century BC, may also back up the claim for an early date of Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt. This artifact is called, “The Israel Berlin Statue Pedestal Relief,” better known as the Berlin Pedestal. What is so significant about this artifact is that on the base of the statue there are three name rings which list the three enemies Pharaoh defeated in the territories of Canaan. One of the name rings is partially broken away, but has been reconstructed and it is the name Israel. So given that the Berlin Pedestal dates to around 1350 BC, then this would help to back up the theory of an early date of the Exodus as stated in the Bible. If the Israelites came out of Egypt in 1446 BC then about one hundred years later the children of Israel would have been well settled in the promised land. If there was no Israelite settlement in Canaan before 1350 BC then Pharaoh would not have had any reason to proclaim a victory over them, because at this time Israel would not have yet existed. But when taking into account of the dating of the Berlin Pedestal at 1350 BC, then we see evidence of an Israelite presence in Canaan well before the late date theory. Now that we have built a case in favor of the early date theory of when the Exodus took place, let us look at one last clue that would also support the Exodus taking place in the mid-15th century BC.

According to an Egyptian text known as the Tulli Papyrus, dating from the reign of Tuthmosis III, the text relates how a disk of fire came down from the sky over the land of Egypt. This “disk of fire” appeared over Egypt during the 22nd year of Tuthmosis III’s reign over Egypt, which brings us to the date of 1486 BC for this epic anomaly. What is even more astounding is that when subtracting 1446 BC (the year of the early date of the Exodus) from 1486 BC we come to a figure of 40 years, the same amount of time that the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness before they entered the promised land. Going further, if the Bible means that the 480 years after the children of Israel came out of Egypt was dated to when they entered the land of promise, then this time-line fits perfectly with both the Biblical and historical narratives.

Returning to the disk of fire that came down over Egypt in 1486 BC, and when comparing this celestial event to the pillar of fire that came down over Egypt during the Exodus as mentioned in the Bible, we see an uncanny parallel. Now to the scientific historical view the disk of fire was most likely a comet, but from a Biblical perspective it was the supernatural pillar of fire as mentioned in Exodus 14:24, where it says that the Lord looked through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians. Now according to the research of the British author Graham Phillips this comet, or disk of fire was very large and had ten tails, and was possibly witnessed by other surrounding nations. Now this may be a stretch, but if this fiery comet with ten tails was really the presence of God on earth then each tail could represent the ten commandments and the ten fingers of God which wrote those ten commandments on tables of stone.

After testing and examining the two possible dates of the Exodus (the late and early date theories) I would personally veer towards the early date theory as being a more accurate date for the Exodus. In my opinion there is much more historical, Biblical, and scientific research to support the Exodus taking place in the mid-15th century BC rather than the mid-13th century BC. Though the early date theory is not completely air tight, I would still say that it indeed holds much more water when compared to the late date theory of the Exodus. From the Berlin Pedestal, to the Tulli Papyrus, and even from within the pages of the Holy Bible itself we see a strong argument for dating the Exodus to the early date of 1446 BC. This work has been a short expose of events and time-frames that demand much more research and testing if we are to possibly come to a conclusion as to when the Exodus took place. That being said let us continue to seek the truth, and in so doing may the Spirit of Truth guide us into all truth.

 

References:

Phillips, G. The End of Eden: The Comet That Changed Civilization. (Rochester, Vermont: Bear & Company, 2007).

Is the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia or Jerusalem?

May 23, 2023

Since its disappearance more than 2,500 years ago, the ark of the covenant could arguably be the most sought after artifact in the history of the world. We know from scripture that it was built during the time of the wanderings of the children of Israel in the wilderness around 1,440 BC, but after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC it disappears from the Biblical narrative. Was the ark of the covenant spirited away from the temple by prophet Jeremiah during the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, or did the ark really end up in Ethiopia as a result of King Solomon’s relationship with the Queen of Sheba? The origins of these theories are found in the apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees, and also in the Ethiopian holy book the Kebra Nagast. However, though the Kebra Nagast gives an account of the events from Antiquity, it was written nearly 2,000 years later in the 14th– century AD. So too are the books of the Maccabees doubted to be the inspired word of God. That being said may we study with a discerning eye as we go in search of the lost ark of the covenant.

According to 2 Maccabees 2:4, “…the prophet [Jeremiah], having received an oracle, ordered that the tent and the ark should follow with him, and that he went out to the mountain where Moses had gone up and had seen the inheritance of God.” This mountain where Moses had gone up is identified in Deuteronomy 32:49 as, “…mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho.” Today the acknowledged site of the Biblical mount Nebo is located in the country of Jordan, situated due east from the most northerly tip of the Dead Sea. When comparing the locations of Jerusalem and mount Nebo from a geographical standpoint the distance is quite far, not to mention the rocky terrain which makes travel more difficult and arduous, especially when carrying temple furniture such as the ark of the covenant and other items. So if Jeremiah did indeed take the ark before the Babylonians destroyed the Temple then its location could be much closer to Jerusalem, or even possibly buried somewhere beneath the Holy City.

Another theory as to the whereabouts of the lost ark, relates that the ark has come to rest in the highlands of northern Ethiopia in the holy city of Axum. To this day a single priest guards the ark which is housed in the church of St. Mary of Zion. The duty of guarding the ark lasts for as long as the priest lives, as he is never allowed to ever leave the shrine. The story of how the ark ended up in Ethiopia is found in an ancient Ethiopian religious text known as the Kebra Nagast. The Kebra Nagast goes into great detail of how king Solomon seduced the Queen of Sheba, and how a son was born from their relationship. Eventually Solomon’s son, whose name was Menelik, travels to Jerusalem to visit his father. On Menelik’s return to Ethiopia the ark of the covenant also came with him, along with many of the Levites in order to establish the worship of the One True God in Ethiopia just as the LORD was worshiped in Jerusalem.

In recent years a claim has been made that the ark has indeed been found, hidden in a subterranean chamber located just outside of the walls of Jerusalem. The man who made the claim of discovering the lost ark was the late American archaeologist Ron Wyatt. Ron claimed that in January 1982, while excavating in the tunnels underneath Jerusalem, he broke into a chamber that contained the table of showbread, Goliath’s sword, and a stone box with the ark of the covenant inside of it. For several years after this initial discovery, Ron traveled to Jerusalem repeatedly to work on excavating the Garden Tomb area. On one such visit Ron said that as he entered the chamber that housed the ark, he was met by four angels who spoke to him of things concerning the Ten Commandments and the Mark of the Beast. Over the years many have believed Ron’s claims and many more have been critical of his discoveries. However, in 1999 while on his deathbed Mr. Wyatt continued to proclaim his findings and did not retract any of his claims concerning his work on the lost ark.

From the claims of Ron Wyatt and with what we see concerning the ark in the apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees, a possible solution as to where the ark is located may be found. From 2 Maccabees 2:5 we see that, “Jeremiah came and found a cave-dwelling, and he brought there the tent and the ark and the alter of incense; then he sealed up the entrance.” This verse from 2 Maccabees paints a very similar scenario as to what Ron Wyatt claimed about a sealed chamber that had golden furniture inside, not least of all the ark of the covenant. But the fact that the cave’s location according to 2 Maccabees doesn’t match with Ron’s discoveries could back up why the books of the Maccabees are doubted to be the inspired word of God, and thus labeled as apocrypha. Ron Wyatt’s claims could also be considered as doubtful, since Ron was the only person who entered the chamber, leaving his findings without a witness.

In conclusion we see that the claims as to the whereabouts of the ark are varied, with not much physical evidence to back up these traditions. Whether the ark is in Jerusalem, Ethiopia, or even in a cave somewhere in Jordan, the fact that it has remained hidden for over 2,000 years demonstrates how much the Lord is protecting this most holy object, waiting until the right time to reveal it to the world. And that revelation may not come until the end of this age, with God Himself providing the revelation. For in the book of Revelation the ark is mentioned at the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and rewards given to the prophets, and to the saints. And after these things the Bible says that, “…the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” (Revelation 11:19). So to be exactly sure as to where the ark rests, we will just have to wait until the Kingdom comes.

 

References:

Barker, M. The Gate of Heaven. (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2008).

Bowen, J. The Ark Secret. (Denton, NC: Barnes Printing, 2016).

Brooks, M.F. Kebra Nagast. (Kingston, Jamaica: LMH Publishing Limited, 2001).

Cambridge University Press. The Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1992).

The Celestial Architecture of Ancient Egypt

May 23, 2023

Ancient Egypt was a civilization in which architecture sprang from religion. No better example could be given than the Egyptian Tomb. The ancient Greek historian Diodorus, who lived in the first century BC, wrote of the Egyptian fascination with the afterlife. Diodorus speaks, “The inhabitants of this region consider the term of man’s present life to be utterly insignificant, and devote by far the largest part of their attention to the life after death. They call the habitations of the living ‘places of sojourn,’ since we occupy them but for a short time; but to the sepulchers of the dead they give the name of ‘eternal abodes,’ since men will live in the other world for an infinite period. For these reasons they pay little heed to the construction of their houses, while in what concerns burial they place no limit to the extravagance of their efforts.”

As to extravagant efforts of construction, no other work of Egyptian architecture stands out more boldly than the pyramids of Giza. What is even more astonishing about the three pyramids perched atop the Giza plateau, is their alignment with the three stars in the constellation of Orion’s belt. Lets dig a little deeper. Now in plan view, the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the middle pyramid of Khafre line up perfectly when drawing a straight line at a 45 degree angle from each of their two center-points. However, when extending that same line towards Menkaure (the small pyramid), it doesn’t line up with the other two larger pyramids. When comparing this offset of the pyramid with Orion’s belt, the same offset is seen in conjunction with the third and smaller star in the constellation. Thus we see here an architecture based on astronomy.

Now besides the pyramids of Giza lining up with Orion’s belt, there are also other pyramids to the north and to the south of Giza that correspond to other stars in the constellation of Orion. For instance just five miles north of Giza is Abu Rawash, which is the site of Egypt’s most northerly pyramid. It is also the earthly counterpart to the celestial Saiph, the star in the lower left position in Orion. Traveling south to the town of Zawyet El Aryan, we find two pyramid complexes which on land correspond to the star Bellatrix in the upper right area of Orion which is above. Also when looking at a map of Egypt facing south we see the constellation of Orion before us, with the Nile River symbolizing the Milky Way.

For the ancient Egyptians the constellation of Orion was also associated with the god Osiris, the Lord of the Underworld and of rebirth. The concept of death and rebirth was for the Egyptians a common occurrence, which played out in the very geography of the Nile Valley. For each year the Nile would flood bringing with it rich and fertile soil that was essential for agriculture. The time of the flooding of the Nile also coincided with the reappearance of the constellation Orion, which had been out of sight for 70 days. Thus with the annual flooding of the Nile, Osiris was reborn. To the left of Orion is the star Sirius associated with the goddess Isis, the consort of Osiris. Isis followed Osiris across the sky. There they ruled the heavenly kingdom. They ruled the night, for theirs is the kingdom of the dead.

The tombs of the Egyptians were covered with hieroglyphics, also known as the pyramid texts. The ceilings were covered with paintings of the sky, along with paintings of the gods mingled with the constellations. However, the Great Pyramid though believed to be a tomb has no hieroglyphics at all! Not in the Queen’s chamber nor in the King’s chamber, and neither in the Grand Gallery. What is present in both the Queen’s and King’s chamber are shafts that would seem to point to certain stars and constellations. For example, the angle of the southern shaft of the King’s chamber is 45 degrees. When calculating back to the building of the Great Pyramid, the shaft lines up perfectly with Orion’s belt. When using the same calculations in the Queen’s chamber the southern shaft points to Sirius, the star associated with Isis the consort of Osiris.

The ancient Egyptians worshiped the stars, for the stars were manifestations of their gods. The Egyptians also used the positioning of the stars to help them build and align their monuments. Also, the hieroglyphics etched within the tombs of the dead pharaohs would assist the soul on its ascension to the constellation of Orion and be united to Osiris. So it is evident that both architecture and religion were intertwined in ancient Egypt, and that astronomy was the glue that bound everything together. So, after examining the relationships of Egyptian architecture and religion and how astronomy was the guiding factor for both, then we could argue that the ancient Egyptians were attempting to build none other than heaven on earth.

 

References:

Bauval & Gilbert. The Orion Mystery. (New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 1994).

Rawlinson, G. History of Ancient Egypt, Vol. 1. (Boston, MA: S.E. Cassino Publisher, 1882).

Ancient Sumer and the Land of Shinar

September 28, 2023

The Sumerian civilization is the earliest known historical human settlement that developed in ancient Mesopotamia, which is presently located within the borders and along the territories of the country that we know currently as modern day Iraq. Additionally, not only is this Sumerian civilization the first to crop up in ancient Mesopotamia, but it is arguably the first and the oldest civilization which originated in the entire world next to ancient Egypt. However, though historians and archaeologists have pinpointed the location of the first human habitation, academia would have us believe in the theories of evolution and the “big bang” in order to answer the questions of how mankind was created and how the world came to be. Furthermore, it is the sincere belief of this author that the “problem” of tracing the origins of the universe and of mankind can be solved by looking into the Biblical narrative, as well as the dates of recorded history as outlined by secular academic scholars. That being said, let us begin in the beginning by turning to the first book of the Bible: Genesis.

By studying the genealogies of the patriarchs as outlined in the book of Genesis, we come close to the date of 5,500 BC for the creation of the world and for the creation of the first man Adam. About two thousand years or so later the Flood took place at around 3,500 BC, close to the same date historians believe writing was invented in Sumer or ancient Mesopotamia. The Bible goes on to say that after the Flood the whole earth was of one language, “and it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.” (Genesis 11:2). This plain of Shinar as described in the Bible is where the people built the Tower of Babel, for the name Babel is where the name Babylon derives it’s origin (Genesis 11:9). Additionally Sumer is known as the plain of Babylon, and we all can agree that Babylon was located in ancient Mesopotamia. So, if the land of Shinar is where the Tower of Babel was built shortly after the Flood around 3,500 BC, then both the origin of where the inhabitants of Sumer came from and when may be answered. Going further, the Bible states that after the Flood the Ark of Noah came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, near the boarders of modern day Turkey and Armenia. And since both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have their origins in Armenia and end in Sumer (Modern Iraq), then it is very plausible that the survivors of the Flood and their families could have traveled down the area between the rivers until they decided to settle in Sumer.

Now some may disagree with this conclusion and argue that since the Bible says that after the Flood the people journeyed from the east and if the survivors of the Flood traveled from the ark and went eastward, then the plain of Shinar must be located Syria and not Iraq. However, when studying the geography of where the ark is believed to have rested (in the mountains of Ararat) we notice how the Tigris and Euphrates rivers first flow eastward before they later curve towards the south and then southeast until they both terminate into the Persian Gulf. So by traveling along the rout of where the Euphrates river begins, we do indeed journey from the east. Going further, if we continue following the rivers we will eventually find ourselves in the territory of ancient Sumer, or the Biblical land of Shinar. Additionally, in the opening verses of the Book of Daniel, scripture directly links the land of Shinar with Sumeria and Babylon. For it is written, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar…” (Daniel 1:1-2). So here it is clearly revealed that Sumer and the land of Shinar are one and the same. Interestingly the name Sumer in ancient times was pronounced Shumer, very close to the name Shinar.

In conclusion, from the discoveries and theories of secular historians are we taught that ancient Sumer is the location of where writing was invented around 3,500 BC, and this is roughly the same date and place where we find the beginning of civilization as written in the Bible. Additionally, we see the connections of the Biblical land of Shinar with ancient Sumer from various passages found in holy writ. Following both the secular scholastic historians and Bible scholars, it is possible to not only match the date of the history of writing, but also the geographical location of the beginning of history in a post-Flood world.

 

References:

Kramer, S.N. History Begins at Sumer. (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc.,1959).

Roux, G. Ancient Iraq. (New York, NY: Penguin Books, Inc., 1992).

Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).