Wednesday, May 23, 2012

How did we find out about volcanoes?

How did we find out about volcanoes? Many people have argued with me that 'of course the Hebrews knew what volcanoes were silly!'. Well, considering the word 'volcano' is not used in the Bible one time and the only descriptive verses that could refer to volcanoes are also refering to 'God', I would hazard a guess they did not know what volcanoes were and that they were, in fact, in more awe of them than they should have been; they worshipped them, sacrificed animals at the foot of them to appease them and lived in fear of their imagined divine wrath.

This document by Isaac Asimou pretty much sums up how we humans found out about volcanoes. It makes complete sense but almost no-one is saying it.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Location of The Mountain of God



I can't believe it! I have finally worked out the location of the Mountain of God!!! It's a volcano in Tanzania on the East African Rift Valley, the highly volcanic rift that also cuts through 'the holy land'. It's called 'Ol Doinyo Lengai', which in the local lingo means 'The Mountain of God'. 

So there you have it......a volcano down the rift that also cuts through the Hebrew Holy Land is called The Mountain of God. This must surely be the mountain of God in the Bible. 

Oh, wait a minute.....maybe there is more than one Mountain of God. Could that be? Could there be more than one God? Could there be a God for every Mountain of God in the world? Could there be a God for every volcano in the world? 

Is the Pope Catholic?

In 1993, the carbonatite has extruded forming the white top of Oldoinyo Lengai and this white peak in the heart of the Maasailand is thought to represent the beard of the Maasai God, which is why the Maasai people call it the Mountain of God. David Maige, a senior warden at Tanzania Lake Manyara, told The Namibian this week that apart from contributing to the country’s tourism sector by drawing a lot of tourists, Oldoinyo Lengai is also a holy mountain for the Maasai people, just like Namibia’s Ovahimba people believe in their holy fireHe said the Maasai people use the mountain as a site to conduct rituals such as sacrifices and prayers“There are many American and European scientists studying and monitoring the activity of the mountain,” said Maige. He said the mountain also offers wonderful view of Lake Natron. He said when the mountain erupts the Maasai people believe that their God is angry and they have to go to the mountain to placate him with prayersMaige said the lower slopes of the mountain are used by the Maasai people for grazing cattle as the volcanic soil is very fertile for growing grass. Source


Lots of anthropomorphism in that, just as there is in the early Hebrew stories. 


Isaiah 30:27 See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire.


PSA 18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

More volcanic Bible verses here.