Scientific vs. Scriptural Timelines

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Today in the Christian & Muslim worlds there are two predominate world-views seeking to explain the history of the world. One is the religious view offered by traditional Christian & Muslim theologians based on faith-centered interpretation of scriptural evidence. The other is the naturalistic view offered by Scientists based on a logical interpretation of empirical evidence.

Which do you find yourself believing more?  Can they be harmonized?  See our article ‘How Old is the Earth? How the Bible Timeline Fits with Earth’s Geologic & Archaeological Prehistory‘.

The religious take on history:

  • 5000-4000 B.C. God, having power over atoms and element, creates complex life on earth, in a perfect immortal condition and places it in
    the Garden of Eden. He finishes and declares his work “Good” sometime around six to seven thousand years ago.
  • 4000 B.C. Adam’s sin brings death to the world. The world “falls” from its perfect, immortal state.
  • 4000 B.C. Adam is expelled from the Garden of Eden, which is located in Jackson County Missouri. Adam-ondi-Ahman is a mountainous region
    at this time (D&C ?? ), and is located near the “Sea East” (Moses ?? ). Adam’s posterity, and thus civilization radiates out from this area
    and is still concentrated in that region after 1000 years (Moses ?? Enoch scripture)
  • 3960 B.C. Adam is taught by God to read and write, he in turn teaches this skill to his children, who begin recording a book of
    remembrance (Moses ?? ).
  • 3960 B.C. Adam and his descendants raise livestock and cultivate grains (Moses?? )
  • 3500 B.C.? Adams descendants become masters in working metal such as brass and iron. (Gen 4:22) They also make musical instruments such
    as the harp and organ. (Gen 4:21)
  • 3000 B.C. God translates the city of Enoch about four thousand years ago; the righteous from that time until the flood are likewise
    translated in preparation for the world’s destruction (Moses ??)
  • 4000-2400 B.C Pre-flood patriarch life spans average 900 years. Something changes at the flood to make them slowly begin to
    shorten.
  • 2444 B.C. God baptizes the earth in the flood that kills “all that is on the dry land”, save Noah, his family, and the animals
    with him on the arc. (Gen ?? )
  • The world then begins to be repopulated by Noah and his family. His descendants all speak the same language and are concentrated in the
    land of Shinar (Assyria) & Egypt.
  • The descendants of Noah possess full knowledge of reading, writing, metallurgy and civilization.
  • 2330-? B.C. Egypt is first settled by Egyptus after the flood (Abr. 3: ?). When she finds the land, it is still underwater.
  • 2160? B.C. The earth is divided in the days of Peleg, about a hundred years after the flood (Gen. 10: ?, D&C 133: ??)
  • 2100 B.C. The Brother of Jared heads north from Shinar (Assyria) where “never man had gone before” on his way to the great
    ocean that separates the continents.
  • 2100 B.C. North America is settled for the first time since the flood by the Brother of Jared and his group. They bring livestock, bees
    and grains to repopulate the continent.
  • 2000 B.C. The Jaredites exhibit a high level of sophistication. They grow fruit and grain, and have all manner of livestock. They
    manufacture silks, and fine linen. They smelt gold, silver, and steel. (Ether 7:9) They also use horses, donkeys, elephants, and cureloms and cumoms
    (ref).
  • 2000 B.C. A money system using precious metals is firmly established by Abraham’s time. (Gen 23:15–16)
  • 2000 B.C. Silver and gold are smelted in the time of Abraham. They are used for jewelry such as earrings and bracelets. (Gen 13:2)
  • 1600 B.C. Iron, brass, tin and lead are used by the time of Moses. (Lev 26:19, Num 31:22)
  • 1544? B.C. The children of Israel grow to be a great people in the land of Egypt, numbering several million
  • 1517 B.C. Moses is sent by God to foretell and carry out the command to entirely destroy the kingdom of Egypt, and lead the Israelites to
    Palestine.
  • 1000 B.C. Steel is specifically mentioned as being used for bows at the time of David.
  • 1000 B.C. David and his son Solomon rule the entire Middle East. The climate is much more fertile and is described as a land flowing with
    milk and honey (Ref ?? ).
  • 800 B.C. By this time Israel has lost much of its power in the region and Assyria begins to raise up in the north as a major world
    power.
  • 7?? B.C. Assyria attacks and destroys the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Its people are transported to foreign lands and from there scattered
    among “the north countries”. (ref ??)
  • 600 B.C. Lehi’s group and the Mulekites flee Israel just prior to its destruction and sail to America. Sometime after their arrival
    the former inhabitants (the Jaredites) are completely destroyed and these new groups become the population stock for all future American peoples. (reword)
  • 580 B.C. Babylon conquers Assyria and becomes the major world power. It then attacks the Southern Kingdom of Judah and carries its
    inhabitants away into Babylon as prisoners.
  • 550 B.C. Much like Joseph in Egypt, David becomes second in command to Nebecaneezer, the king of the most powerful country in the world.
    He exerts much influence and spreads Israelite culture throughout the kingdom. After 70 years in captivity many of the Israelites return to set up the nation once
    again.
  • 500 B.C. At this point the bible ends and written history becomes abundant and trustworthy.
 The Naturalistic take on history:

  • 3 billion years ago – First life on earth appears in the form of single celled organisms such as protista and Eukarotic cells.
  • 570 million years ago – Cambrian Explosion occurs, marked by the abrupt appearance of complex life in the fossil record. Every major
    phylum on earth today, is represented.
  • 438 million years ago – First land plants and land invertebrates appear in fossil record.
  • 360 million years ago – Development of amphibians and insects.
  • 320 million years ago – Appearance of early reptiles
  • 245 million years ago – Development of conifer plants
  • 208 million years ago – appearance of fist birds and the rise of the dinosaurs.
  • 65 million years ago – First flowering plants evolve.
  • 45 MYA First Anthropoids evolve in Africa or Eurasia
  • 25 MYA First ape-like hominoids evolve
  • 5 MYA Divergent evolution begins between humans and apes (latest shared ancestor)
  • 3.5 MYA First erect walking bipeds (hominoids or early human’s) evolve
  • 2.5 MYA Humanoids learn to use stone tools.
  • 1.5 MYA First Homo Erectus species evolves
  • .5 MYA Humans learn to kindle fire
  • 400,000 BC Sites in England & Germany show hunting occurred
  • .2 MYA First Homo Sapiens evolve in Africa or Asia
  • 120,000 BC Neanderthals evolve
  • 90,000 BC Fish nets from the Congo found
  • 50,000 BC Bone and rock tools become prevalent, oldest stone spear tips found
  • +20,000 BC Cave paintings, sewing needles, bow and arrow are invented
  • NEW STONE AGE
  • 20,000 BC First inhabitants of North America cross the Bering Straights from Asia
  • 10, 000 BC Early Archaic culture raises up in North America
  • 8000 BC First cultivation of grains/farming, Alcoholic fermentation invented
  • 7000 BC Early use of pottery
  • 6000 BC Early use of linens (man goes from animal furs to woven fabrics)
  • 5000 BC Irrigation developed, First use of copper, First corn cultivation
  • 4500 BC Early ships and sailors in Mesopotamia and Egypt
  • 4000 BC Development of plowing and first domestication of horses
  • 4000 BC Sumerian /Acadian culture rises in Babylonia (peaks 2330 BC)
  • 4000 BC Some have carbon dated the pyramids of Egypt to this date.
  • BRONZE AGE
  • 3500 BC Early number systems developed, First use of carts with wheels
  • 3100 BC Early development of writing
  • Archaic Kingdom of Egypt (3100-2700 BC)
  • 3000 BC Stonehenge built, Minoan Civilization rises in Crete (3000-1400 BC), stone plows found
  • 2950 BC The oldest living tree (a bristle cone pine in West U.S.) starts growing
  • 2800 BC Development of the Calendar by Babylonians
  • 2700 BC Old Kingdom of Egypt rises (2700-2200 BC) capitol is Memphis.
  • 2550 BC The Great Pyramids of Egypt are built
  • 2500 BC Beginnings of glass, libraries, long distance trade, and domestication of camels.
  • Early Indus Valley Civilization rises. (it is destroyed by Aryans in 1500 BC)
  • 2400 BC Rise of first Chinese Civilizations
  • 2300 BC Invention of paper
  • 2050 BC Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2050-1800 BC) capitol is Thebes
  • 2000 BC The Aramaens move into Israel from the north
  • 1750 BC Hamarabi’s Code established. (first modern system of law)
  • 1620 BC Rise of the Hittite Empire (1620-1350 BC) although they existed from 3000 BC
  • 1500 BC The Hindu “Vedas” are written. (some say 1700 or 1500-1200 BC)
  • 1450 BC The Myceneaen Civilization rises in Greece and Crete.
  • IRON AGE
  • 1400 BC The Hittites begin smelting Iron.
  • 1100 BC The Dorians conquer Mycenaean Greece
  • 1050 BC The Phoenicians (the Canaanites) found Tyre and Sidon (Lebanon) and Carthage in Libya.
  • 800 BC Rise of the Medes who later conquer Assyria with Persia.
  • 600 BC The first coinage money system is invented

POPULAR WRITTEN HISTORY BEGINS AND BIBLICAL HISTORY ENDS

Protected: Correlations Between Scriptural & Radiometric Dates.

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Book of Mormon Geography Scriptures & Notes

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[A] Aaron, city/cities of
Alma 8:13; 50:14

Ablom
Ether 9:3

Agosh
Ether 14:15–16

Akish, wilderness of
Ether 14:3–4, 14

Alma, valley of
Mosiah 24:20, 21

Ammonihah, city of
Alma 8:6–13, 16–18; chs. 9-14; 15:1, 15; 16:2-3, 9, 11; 25:2; 49:3, 10-11

Amnihu, hill
-Amlicites come upon it, and battle Alma and his Army.
-Very near Zarahemla, (“up” from Zarahemla)
-Directly east of River Sidon (Alma 2:17)
Alma 2:15

Amulon, land of
Mosiah 23:31; 24:1

Angola, city of
Mormon 2:4

Ani-Anti
Alma 21:11

Antionum, land of
Alma 31:3; 43:5, 22

Antiparah, city of
Alma 56:14, 31–34; 57:1-4

Antipas, mount
Alma 47:7, 10

Antum, land of
Mormon 1:3

[B] Boaz, city of
Mormon 4:20–21

Bountiful, city/land of
Alma 22:29–33; 27:22; 50:11, 32; 51:28, 30-32; 52:9, 15,17-18, 39; 53:3-4; 55:26; 63:5; Helaman 1:23, 28; 4:6; 5:14; 3 Nephi 3:23; 11:1

[C] Comnor, hill
Ether 14:28

Corihor, land/valley of
Ether 14:27–28

Cumeni, city of
Alma 56:13–14; 57:7-8, 12, 23, 31, 34

Cumorah, land/hill of
Mormon 6:2–6, 11; 8:2

[D] Desolation, city of
Mormon 3:7; 4:2, 3, 8, 13, 19

Desolation, land of
Alma 50:34; 63:5; 3 Nephi 3:23; Mormon 3:5; 4:1-2, 19; Ether 7:6

[E] Ephraim, hill
Ether 7:9

[G] Gad, city of
3 Nephi 9:10

Gadiani, city of
3 Nephi 9:8

Gadiomnah, city of
3 Nephi 9:8

Gid, city of
Alma 51:26; 55:7-26

Gideon, city/land/valley of
-named after Gideon who was killed by Nehor (6:7-8)
-Nehor lived here or near here? thus near Ammonihah who were his converts?
-east of the river Sidon (Alma 6:7)
-first church Alma visited after putting Zarahemla in order. Thus close (next door) to Zarahemla. (Alma 6:8)
Alma 2:20–26; 6:7-8:1; 17:1; 30:21; 61:5; 62:3-6

Gilgal, city/valley of
3 Nephi 9:6; Ether 13:27–30

Gimgimno, city of
3 Nephi 9:8

[H] Helam, city/land of
Mosiah 23:3–4, 19–20, 25–26, 29, 35, 37–39; 27:16

Hermounts, wilderness of
Alma 2:37

Heshlon, plains of
Ether 13:2–8

[I] Ishmael, land of
Alma 17:19–21; 20:14-15; 21:20-21; 22:4; 23:7-9; 24:5; 25:1

[J] Jacob, city of
3 Nephi 9:8

Jacobugath, city of
3 Nephi 9:9

Jashon, city/land of
Mormon 2:16–17

Jershon, land of
Alma 27:22–24, 26; 28:1, 8; 30:1, 19-21; 35:6, 13-14; 43:4, 15, 18, 25

Jerusalem, city/land
Alma 21:1–4; 24:1; 3 Nephi 9:7

Jordan, city of
Mormon 5:3

Josh, city of
3 Nephi 9:10

Joshua, land of
Mormon 2:6

Judea, city of
Alma 56:9, 15, 18, 57; 57:11

[L] Laman, city of
3 Nephi 9:10

land northward
Alma 22:32

land southward
Alma 22:32

Lehi, city/land of
Alma 50:15, 25–28, 36; 56:24, 26; 62:30; Helaman 6:10

Lehi-Nephi, city/land of
Mosiah 7:1–4, 21; 9:1-6, 8

Lemuel, city of
Alma 23:12–13

[M] Manti, city/land of
Alma 16:6–7; 17:1; 22:27; 43:22, 24-54; 56:14; 58:26-30; 59:6

Manti, Hill
-Nehor is executed here after trial in Zarahemla. Thus just outside Zarahemla
Alma 1:15

Melek, land of
Alma 8:3–4; 35:13; 45:18

Middoni, land of
Alma 20:2–3, 4–7, 14–15, 28–30; 21:12-13, 18; 23:10

Midian, land of
Alma 24:5

Minon, land of
Alma 2:24

Mocum, city of
3 Nephi 9:7

Moriancumer, land of
Ether 2:13

Morianton, city/land of
Alma 50:25, 36; 51:26; 55:33; 59:4-5

Moriantum
Moroni 9:9–10

Mormon, place/waters/forest of
Mosiah 18:4–16, 30–35; 25:18; 26:15; Alma 5:3

Moron, land of
Ether 7:5–6, 17; 14:6, 11

Moroni, city/land of
-drown in sea at time of Christ.
Alma 50:13; 51:22-24; 59:5; 62:25, 32-34; 3 Nephi 8:9; 9:4

Moronihah, city of
-a mountains comes upon it at the time of Christ.
3 Nephi 8:10, 25; 9:5

Mulek, city/land of
Alma 51:26; 52:2, 16-26; 53:2, 6; Helaman 6:10

[N] narrow neck of land
Alma 22:32; 63:5

narrow pass
Alma 50:34; 52:9; Mormon 2:29; 3:5

Nehor, city of
Ether 7:9

Nephi, city of
Mosiah 9:15; 21:1, 12; Alma 23:11; 47:20; 47:31

Nephi, land of
2 Nephi 5:8; Omni 1:12, 27–30; Words of Mormon 1:13; Mosiah 7:6–9; chs. 9-22; 28:1-9; 29:3; Alma 2:24; chs.
17-26; 27:1, 20; 28:8; 47:1, 20; 50:8; 53:6; 58:38; Helaman 4:12; 5:20

Nephihah, city/land/plains of
Alma 50:14; 51:24-26, 59:5-11; 62:14, 18-26, 30

Noah, city/land of
Alma 49:12–15

[O] Ogath
Ether 15:10

Ornner, city of
Alma 51:26

Onidah
Alma 47:5

Onidah, hill
Alma 32:4

Onihah, city of
3 Nephi 9:7

[R] Ramah, hill
Ether 15:11

Riplah, hill
Alma 43:31, 35

Ripliancum, waters of
Ether 15:8

[S] Sebus, waters of
Alma 17:26, 34; 18:7; 19:20

Shem, city/land of
Mormon 2:20–21

Shemlon, land of
Mosiah 10:7; 11:12; 19:6; 20:1-5; 24:1; Alma 23:12

Sherrizah
Moroni 9:16–17

Sherrizah, tower of
Moroni 9:7

Shilom, city/land of
Mosiah 7:7, 21; 9:6, 8, 14; 10:8, 20; 11:12-13; 22:8-11; 24:1; Alma 23:12

Shim, hill
Mormon 13; 4:23; Ether 9:3

Shimnilom, city of
Alma 23:8, 12

Shurr, valley of
Ether 14:28

Sidom, land of
Alma 2:15, 3, 11, 13–17

Sidon, river
-a hill called a Amnihu lies east of it. (Alma 2:15)
-runs by the land of Zarahemla. (Alma 2:15)
-deep enough near gideon to throw bodies into and have them float to sea. (Alma 3:3)
-is the chosen location for baptism of those in Land of Zarahemla. (Alma 4:4)
Alma 2:15, 34; 4:4; 22:29

Siron, land of
Alma 39:3

[T] Teancum, city of
Mormon 4:3–8, 14

[Z] Zarahemla, city of
Alma 2:26; 5:2; 6:1-7; 7:3-5; 8:1; 31:6; 56:25; 60:1; Helaman 1:18–33; 7:10; 13:12; 3 Nephi 8:8, 24; 9:3;
4 Nephi 1:8

Zarahemla, land of
Omni 1:12–13, 24, 28; Mosiah 1:1, 18; 2:4; 7:9, 13-14; 8:1-8, 14; 9:2; 21:24-26; 22:11-13; 24:25; 25:19-23; 27:35; 29:44; Alma 2:15–25; 4:1; 5:1; 15:18; 16:1; 22:32; 27:5-20; 28:1; 35:14; 59:4; 60:30; 62:6-7; Helaman 3:31; 4:5; 5:16-19; 6:4; 7:1; 13:2; 3 Nephi 3:22–23; Mormon 1:6

Zeezrom, city of
Alma 56:13–14

Zerin, mount
Ether 13:30