How Old is the Earth? How the Bible Timeline Fits with Earth’s Geologic & Archaeological Prehistory.

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Introduction

I believe the Hebrew Old Testament was created as a response to ancient-academic histories. Just as Pharaoh Ptolemy commissioned Manetho to write Aegyptiaca, the History of Egypt in the 3rd century BC, modern scholarship seems to point toward Ezra as they key figure in assembling a sizable team of Israel’s best post-exilic scholar-priests to write the history of the world through the Jewish lens from the libraries and best resources they had in 491 BC. (Before both Herodotus’ Histories & Menetho’s Aegyptiaca)

From my experience reading fascinating channeled texts such as those written by mystics like John Ballou Newbrough (1828–1891) or John S.M. Ward (1885 – 1949), I suspect Ezra also employed skilled prophetic mystics who claimed the ability to channel/reveal large sections of impressive historic works through a type of revelation which allowed them to see history in a condensed visionary and symbolic/meaningful way. (read their impressive works here)

These scholar/mystics either foreran or followed ancient scholars like Plato, Ptolemy & Hipparchus in computing the ‘great year‘ or prophetic/symbolic version of the procession of the equinoxes. This ‘Platonic Year’ as it came to be known was a system of mystical knowledge based on the actual astronomical calculations for the length of the cycle it takes for the stars to precess and then return into their original locations. A process that relates to being able to prophecy or predict lunar & solar eclipses, as well as the metonic cycle (upon which the Jewish calendar is largely based) and which involves the mystical numbers of 7, 70, & 490 from jewish prophetic texts. (70×360°=25,500 & 490×52=25,500)

However, even though I sympathize with those who see the first chapters of Genesis as a literal accounts of the earth’s 7000 year creation. I believe it makes far more intellectual and spiritual sense to see those chapters as an incredibly creative and sophisticated way of weaving the true sequence and key points of creation together with an inspired ancient prophetic timeline which seeks to condense and symbolize the earth’s long history into a shorter predictive system of sevens based on lunar-solar cycles as well as larger astronomical cycles.

The Profound Symbolism in the Bible’s Timeline

It’s significant to note that Genesis is separated into three main sections separated into sets of ten, pointing to its highly symbolic nature. These are; 1. Then ten demigods. 2. The ten Patriarchs 3. The history of the current cycle.

Let’s quickly go over the profound symbolism in these three sections of the bible. First in its timeline are the ten demigods. Most ancient histories of Ezra’s day started with the demigod’s of their culture with lifespans ranging from the hundreds to the tens of thousands. An account of many such ancient demigod genealogies can be read about in Diodorus and Eusibus Chronicle here. (Both the oldest Babylonian & Egyptian histories started with the demigods.)

For Ezra, he seems to have employed exactly ten demigods between creation and flood, followed by exactly ten patriarchs between the flood and Abraham (the father of his people). The ten antediluvian demigods are (1) Adam, Seth, (3) Enos, (4) Cainan, (5) Mahalaleel, (6) Jared, (7) Enoch, (8) Methuselah, (9) Lamech and (10) Noah. Undoubtedly the inclusion of exactly ten antediluvians with average ages between 700 & 1000 years is no accident. In fact the names themselves are symbolic as they are often translated to form the Hebrew sentence “Man is appointed mortal sorrow, (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing comfort and rest.” The number ten in this case seems to be symbolizing a complete age, and fulfilling multiple purposes in his chronology. By making each demigod have a lifespan approximating 1000 years he seems to symbolize an Egyptian concept of a full ‘age’ or cycle of heavenly time. Joseph Smith attempted to explain this in saying.

1 And I, Abraham, had the Urim and Thummim, which the Lord my God had given unto me, in Ur of the Chaldees; 2 And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it; 4 And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof; that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after his manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that whereon thou standest. This is the reckoning of the Lord’s time, according to the reckoning of Kolob. (Book of Abraham 3:1–4) As also “Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.” (facsimile 2, figure 1)

This theory that the individual names in the antediluvian bible chronology actually represent entire ages ranging from 1000-3000 years is laid out in the channeled apocryphal work, Oahspe. Here each cycle is called a ‘dan’ and is said to equate to roughly 2500-3500 years of earth’s orbit wherein it passes through a celestial zodiac and makes a complete “harvest of souls” before a time of cosmic destruction. (add reference & quote). Therefore according to Oahspe, the ten demigods roughly represent 10 past cycles of time which approximated 3000 years each, much like the Platonic Great Year of ~25,000.

The concept that the early bible chronology & genealogy represent something deeper than face value, such as entire ages of the past continues with the post-diluvial timeline which is again also composed of exactly ten names from the Flood to Abraham. These are (1) Shem, (2) Arphaxed, (3) Salah, (4) Eber, (5) Peleg, (6) Reu, (7) Serug, (8) Nahor, (9) Terah and (10) Abraham. This seems more than coincidence, and again the Book Oahspe gives a convincing channeled history suggesting that these TWO, ten named sequences represent TWO separate processionary periods of 25,000 years each (so 50,000 years total). An interesting number because we also find it in other impressive modern prophetic/channeled works such as ‘The Law of One’ Series. The works of Edgar Cayce, The Keys of Enoch, Bringers of the Dawn. We might ascribe this to coincidence were it not for the fact that the bible cuts it’s modern history since Moses into SEVEN 490 year periods of captivity and freedom (laid out in Leviticus x:xx) after the three patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob (Israel). Once again seriously seeming to be pointing us to something greater….

By adding 2 such sequences of 10 (the demigod plus the patriarchs), Ezra may have meant to equate his symbolic timeline to 70,000 years. Seven thousand years short of the important cosmic processional number of 77,400 years. Or a period of 3 great years. Dualistically, Ezra may have used specific numbers slightly less than 1000 to encode crytpic cypers in a way that accorded with Egyptian or Babylonian records for Menes, called Aegyptus and the father of the Egyptian race (according with Hermes in Greek). Note that in Oahspe, the timeline of Abraham is used to dualistically symbolize an entire age of ~2500 years. [finish this….]

. SEE MY ARTICLE ON ISSUES WITH THE UNIVERSAL MODEL

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION FROM THIS POINT

Matching with New Age literature of both Oahspe, Law of One and Occultist like Blavatsky
1-Mu/Lemuria, 75-50k BP. (matching with antediluvians). see LOO 10.15
2-Atlantis, 50-25k BP (matching with Noah to Abraham)
3-Current Cycle

Moses 1 is the key. It explains clearly that Moses’ revelation of the earth is only PARTIAL, and gives an account ONLY of this cycle of THIS earth. In verse 30 Moses essentially asks “why did you create the universe (heavens), earth, it continents (lands) and people?” And god makes it clear that he is not going to answer that question. He responds in verse 31, “For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me” (Moses 1:31)

Discontent with being denied an answer, Moses tries a more specific question, “Be merciful unto thy servant, O God, and tell me concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens, and then thy servant will be content.”

The answer given to Moses question is confused in translation, as we have lost common usage of the idiom “the heavens and earth shall pass away”. The ancients understood well that the history of the earth was one of global destruction and re-creation.

38 And as one earth [or cycle] shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words…

40 And now, Moses, my son, I will speak unto thee concerning this earth [or cycle] upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I shall speak.

This might very well be a key to unravelling our modern Bible, which we assume comes down from the pieces of the original revelations to Abraham and Moses. Here Moses is told that the revelation concerns ONLY the THIS present earth and not any of the earth’s or other planets after his present earth cycle.

Texts such as the Kolbrin (which contains interesting material supposedly pre-dating the Bible) suggests that the bible was NOT meant to be taken literally in it pre-Moses timespans. Revealed texts such as Oahspe, and Joseph Smith’s Book of Moses also make this clear, although the talking snake (Egyptian apep, god of the under world) and woman coming from man’s rib should be enough of a hint that the formative periods of the book are meant to be a deeply symbolic metaphor.

Howver, what many might not have considered is that Genesis is actually meant to accord or roughly correspond to the visions seen by Moses (according to LDS theology–see Moses ch. 2) or seen by the adepts of old (see Oahspe) concerning the formation of the earth. In fact for a modern example of this, see J.S.M. Ward’s vision of the formation of the earth here. This would explain why it begins with details of the formation of energy/light, the galaxy, the planets and the plants and animals. For a more detailed ancient view of those parts of the bible, see the opening books of the Kolbrin (Link).

In correlating the bible with Geology, I believe the important geophysical events such as the creation of earth, the creation of animals (and beginnings of them dying and making fossils) as well as The Flood and separation of the Continents at Peleg at least seem to be put in the correct order, but then superimposed upon the narrative of mankind so as to create a timeline which correlates natural science with scripture. (ie. Things start living and dying in both the Garden of Eden and Cambrian Explosion, then there’s a Great Dying at the Flood/Permian Extinction, then there’s a separation of the continents at Peleg/Pangea, and then a general march to the conditions of today.

As I know there are many Jews, Muslims and Creationists who visit this site, I offer the following Geologic/Scriptural correlation that is at least somewhat rational. (Which is more than I can say for the majority of creationist biblical correlations out there). Take it for what it’s worth even though it is only meant to represent what I believe the writers might have intended or perhaps even thought in the way they saw the earth’s progression through time.

AND NOTE. The ONLY rational placement of a Global Flood is with one of the two mega-extinction events such as the Great Permian Extinction superimposing geologic events over the human timeline. Any other placement comes up against insurmountable problems. Also the separation of the ‘land’ or continents at Peleg can match only with the separation of Pangea in the Permian. The following correlation would have to assume things like 1. Current Radiometric dates are off by millions of years. 2. Man existed in the early geologic record but left no trace in the fossil record. 3. Rates of erosion and deposition in the deep past occurred under uniformitarian principles, but at vastly higher rates because of the draining of creation and flood waters from the land over hundreds of years. 4. Oogenesis is driven by rapid pole shift, not convection cells.

Biblical Actualism– A Novel Young Earth Model

under construction:

Problems with literally trying to Match with Geologic Time

1. TO DO:
   • Change the exponential decay illustration to show ice ages starting bigger w/ pole wobble and getting smaller and less tight with time (100k periodicity becomes 24k then 3k). Explain w/ text how there used to be no overlap between ice age and geologic history, now its pushed back to Oligocene, I believe should and will push back to Cretaceous.
   • Make a new 2 column correlation illustration where right side is the 70k view instead of 7k.
   • Put Greenland/geologic poleshift with mya, next to Mario Biltraps changing pole archaology illustration. (they should both be big 7 pointed heptagon where the pole jumps seven times in one 24k circle.
2. Most who do this (Including myself when I did), do so because of a strong anti-evolution bias. Trying hard to disprove evolution because it is often associated with anti-religiousness and presented in a very anti-biblical way. But what they fail to see is that ANYONE WHO BELIEVS IN THE BIBLE, ALSO MUST BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION!  Its only a question of degrees. Because of its impossibility no-one believe every species was in the ark. So even among creationists the prevailing view is that only animal ‘kinds’ or singe representatives from entire taxonomic phylum were on the arc, which means all existing species and breads evolved from single representatives of the family of felines, canines bears, lizards, (finish). So ask the questions:
   • How much evolution has occurred? Were Comodo dragons, and EVERY type of lizard on the ark? Every feline? How many of the 250+ monkey species?! (~120 in Old & New World each.)
   • How did animals get across continents? Such as Monkeys, Elephants, deer, rabbits (if you believe the continents were one, THEN IT HAD TO BE THE PERMIAN (OR POSSIBLY K/T) EXTINCTION, (so everything you propose is wrong.) Putting the Flood in a recent time AFTER the continents have fully separated DOES NOT WORK. You just couldn’t get all the animals spread to all the islands from Australia to New Zealand to Indonesia & South America.
   • How do you explain New Zealand flightless birds? Or Australia/Madagascar lemurs & more? They only make sense with adaptive evolution given the predators of those islands. (Lemuria is a great explanation.)
   • MONKEYS are a HUGE problem for evolutionists (but also non-permian extinction creationists). How did they get across the oceans! They just DONT migrate through cold regions! [They MUST have migrated in the Triassic/Cret before continents split much and temps were worm, but NO FOSSIL evidence! So Humans could have lived too!) We see same issue with cocalants not being found from 50mya to now)
3. Most creationist ALSO BELIEVE IN CREATION SYMBOLISM! Where the ‘sun moon and stars all created on the FOURTH DAY? The day AFTER grass, trees and plants were created? Or even the fourth thousand years of creation (for those who favor the day of the Lord = 1000 years creation theory). NO, most creationist hold that this is symbolic
4. WHERE DO YOU PLACE THE FLOOD. Most creationist are so sloppy on this that its hard for any actual stratigraphic expert to take their arguments seriously. They often point to the layers of the Grand Canyon as being DEPOSITED in the flood, and then ALSO suggest that the canyon itself was then ERODED by the flood. This, unfortunately, is simply impossible because of the fact that subaerial ichnofossils, such as TERRESTRIAL FOOTPRINTS are found in the majority of the Canyons layers. THESE CAN’T BE DEPOSITED UNDERWATER. The canyon’s erosion also plays a huge problem, as each canyon is proportional to the MODERN flood potential of its stream. AND the folds upriver can ONLY be eroded concurrent with slow uplift on rivers that once again are proportional to current flood potentials! (flesh out)
5. Paleozoic. People would have to had lived on a Precambrian bedrock craton, which we’d have to suggest has been subducted somewhere since there’s ZERO evidence of pre-Permian hominids. (Some have suggest Lemuria or Mu are under the Antartica ice cap, or sunk in the continental crust around New Zealand… Animals would have had to have spread from the proverbial “garden of Eden” of this lost continent and slowly have begun filling the earth and creating the illusion of fossil/faunal succession from their reproduction/dispersion rates. They would have had to be evolutionarily ancient (likely more ape or big-foot like, which is what law of one says, and had the capability of breathing a VERY different atmosphere). They would have been obliterated at the Permian Extinction. Coincidentally, the Bible and NewAge literature make these assumptions
6. Mesozoic. Again, people would have lived on a Precambrian bedrock craton in a world and atmosphere of the dinosaurs. Here, their foods and plants would have just begun to proliferate but not made any meaningful inroads into the fossil record until the very end. All early hominids would need to be reassessed based on their geologic provenance, pushing the evolution of man back over 200 million years.
7. Cenozoic. During Cenozoic times, flora and fauna quickly become modern. This would have to correlate with the period symbolized in the Bible by the Tower of Babel/Abraham where remnants of Giants and Nephalim still roam the earth and things quickly become modern.
8. Were the continents one or weren’t they?  (if you take the scriptures literally it’s hard to escape that one). You MUST pick the Permian. 
9. Who are Denisovans?  What about Neanderthals? 
10. When was the ice age?   (it must work with Stonehenge, the pyramids, extinction of Mammoths and MULTIPLE glaciations

Matching with Ice Ages Somehow
1- Wisconsin, the last ice age ENDED with Abraham/Current cycle. (this is totally unworkable)
2- Illinoisan,
3- Pre Illinioan: late Mesozoic glacial periods

ANYONE WHO BELIEVS IN THE BIBLE —-  BELIEVES IN EVOLUTION.  Its only a question of degrees.
-you don’t believe every species was in the ark. Only ‘KINDS’ which means not hundreds of felines, canines bears, lizards,

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.GET AARON TO WRITE A FICTIONAL STORY ON THIS.

-The most important part of this imaginative fictional story is the idea: what if religion and science actually tell the same story?
-Aliens have been on this earth planet seeding since the Cambrian explosion.
-They lived with highly sophisticated space ships, taking them on and off planet every since life began on earth.
-They coexisted with dinosaurs of the Mesozoic and giant trees and dragonflies of the Paleozoic.
-What story could we tell here? I’m picturing something like avatar or ewok adventures that really captures the best parts of the massive plants and animals of the past, but has humans coexisting with them.
-It needs to be marketed to creationists AND MUSLIMS! (which would require finding out what they believe of Adam and eve)
-It needs to really re-tell the story of Adam and Eve. And it needs to travel through time somehow.
-WHATS THE STORY? Maybe the idea I once had of the kid in North Korea who had no idea there was a bigger world around him, and then he goes to a space base, and the tables turn and now its the whole world that has no idea there’s a bigger world of interconnected off-planet people around them. Perhaps in the orientation you could introduce TIME-TRAVEL, which is under STRICT guard not to be used under the rules of non-intervention. But in this case THEY HAVE TO BE USED. Why would the time travel be needed?

-A big part of this movie needs to be like a near death experience. With the higher dimensional beings explaining to the hero how reality works. How gods are all connected ‘as ONE’, and how they occasionally intervene in earth’s affairs. But most importantly, how an aspect of ourselves is part of that ONENESS, and how our hero has been reincarnated over and over but now needs to go back in time to