More Comments from Readers – Part IV

Here are more comments that we have received from readers of this website blog:
Comment #1: “Inevitably, the idea of creationist ideas leads to their claims being exposed as wrong or even foolish. For example, anyone who cares to do so can add 4004 BC to 1983, and find that Archbishop Ussher's biblical age for the universe is 5987 years. Some quick addition of the begats in Genesis shows that Noah's flood came 1646 years after the creation. That adds up to 2348 BC, or 4331 years ago. If Henry Morris (1980) is right that "all true facts of nature" support Biblical creationism, then the student of history would expect to find signs that some of the Egyptian pyramids had been inundated. Rather than confront fact after fact that refutes their deeply held beliefs, scientific creationists simply attack the theory of evolution and make vague claims that their own "model" is supported by abundant scientific evidence” Jason T.

Response: You base your argument on the validity of carbon-14 dating of the pyramids. Since no one was around at the time of the Flood, nor anyone around at the time of the building of the pyramids, there are only two things that can determine the age of each—and that is the Bible. If we take the Bible for its word, which in the case of the Flood, then we have to find some equally written idea of how old the pyramids are, which we only have guesses about from archaeologists.
    In fact, archaeologists believe Egypt’s large pyramids are the work of the Old Kingdom society that rose to prominence in the Nile Valley after 3000 B.C. Historical analysis tells us that the Egyptians built the Giza Pyramids in a span of 85 years between 2589 and 2504 B.C. However, though not well publicized, in 1984 radiocarbon dating on material from Egyptian Old Kingdom monuments (financed by the Edgar Cayce Foundation), showed the results to be 374 years earlier than expected, making the above dates 2215 B.C. to 2130 B.C.
    To the researchers “the radiocarbon dates confirmed that the Great Pyramid belonged to the historical era studied by Egyptologists.” The same group took sample measurements from an intact bakery in 1991 and found the dates tended to be 100 to 200 years older than the Cambridge Ancient History dates, but 200 years younger than their 1984 dates, putting the dates then at: 2015 B.C. to 1930 B.C. They did not adjust the earlier figures, still using the older dates for publication, though their own graph shows dates falling between 2200 and 1650 B.C., with an average date of 1900 B.C.

The results of the pyramid dating (Senwoset II), Georges Bonani et al., "Radiocarbon Dates of Old and Middle Kingdom Monuments in Egypt,“ Radiocarbon, Vol.43, No.3, 2001, pp1297-1320)

    Also, two caveats need to be considered: 1) All dating was of wood samples and there is no way of knowing if that wood was brand new (newly cut) at the time of use, or was harvested from other timber or previously used wood; 2) As has been stated in this blog so many times, Carbon-14 dating is erroneous to begin with and almost all dates prior to the time of Christ are older than they show. In addition, with all this, all of the dates shown and arrived at in these tests were after the Flood, which according to Moses occurred in 2344 B.C.
Comments #2: "If Lehi traveled along the Frankincense Trail why did they need the Liahona to show them the way? They could have just walked along the road with everyone else" Barb O.
Response: That seems to make sense until we realize that the Frankincense Trail was not a road in the sense that we understand today. There was no delineated trail along which to walk. It was simply a general course that would take one to the next caravan halt and water. Sometimes the width of the area in which they traveled was several miles wide. Assuming Lehi had not been this way before, he probably would have needed a guide of some sort to show the way from waterhole to waterhole.
    In those times when the colony traveled alone, the Liahona would have been absolutely necessary. While it is understandably normal to think in modern terms for us today, we have to keep in mind that in 600 B.C. there were few people in the area Lehi traveled, they were often not friendly, and frequently, the areas were claimed by local emirs who jealously guarded their lands and waterholes. It would seem that Lehi, as much as possible, would have kept to himself where it was practical for him to do so.
Comment #3: “You quoted recently that “Mesoamreica has become the focal point for understanding the Book of Mormon. Sorenson’s landmark work, ‘An Ancient American Setting for the book of Mormon’ ably demonstrates that [Mesoamerica] is a plausible geographic and cultural setting that an accommodate the Book of Mormon test” but did not give a reference. Who was this author?” Carla W.
Response: Jeff Lindsay and David C. Coles “Plain Reasoning and Empirical Findings that Support the Book of Mormon,” from Lindsay’s “Book of Moron Evidences and Book of Mormon Nuggets” and Coles: “Is the Book of Mormon Really an Ancient book?” as quoted by David Van Alstyne on his webpage http:/davidvanalstyne.com
Comment #4: “After 12 years of moderate studying of all other possible theories, last January I found this blog and have spent many, many hours reading each post. I also have read much concerning the worlds historical view of South America. I hate the fact it happened in South America, it shatters so many theory's ideas, thoughts, and books. Not to mention Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. J Never the less what an amazing marvelous culture. I love this blog I love this research. Thank you for all your work!” (unsigned)
Response: Glad you are enjoying it, and thank you for your kind words.
Comment #5: “I read where someone thought Lehi was in the caravan business because he had tents (1 Ne 2:4) and camels” Jenkins D.
Response: First of all, Lehi would not have had camels in or around Jerusalem because the land on the mountainous area is covered with sharp shale rock chips that would cut the soft underfoot of camels who require either soft sandy or solid ground to walk on. In fact, camels never traveled into the mountains anywhere unless there was a wadi, or a series of wadis that drained rain run-off from the mountain out into the desert, allowing for sandy travel into the mountains.

Anciently camel markets were located along the Frankincense trail to the south of the Dead Sea for travelers to Egypt or Arabia

So once Lehi left the mountainous area south of Jerusalem and entered the Wadi Arabah, he would have traded his donkeys for camels at one of the many camel markets that existed at the time (and even today) for the continuance of his journey down the Red Sea and across the Empty Quarter.
    Secondly, the possession of tents have nothing to do with the caravan business since caravans did not travel with or use tents—they slept on the sandy ground at night, with their camels, guarding the loads or merchandise. One needs to keep in mind that the tents the Bedouins had were very large, weighing some 500 pounds of goat hair, plus tent poles, inner rugs and dividers, etc. 
    It usually took several hours to an entire day to unpack and set up a Bedouin tent, and then again another similar length of time to take one down and pack it away. This would have been unnecessary delay in the basically speedy travel of a caravan across the desert wastes. When Bedouins (or Lehi) traveled with tents, they were not set up each night, but only after a lengthy travel period, and were done so around or near a waterhole or oases where the people spent several months to graze their cattle, goats, or horses before moving on to another location. In the case of Lehi, Nephi writes that they tarried for a while when they stopped (1 Nephi 16:33), meaning they spent some time, perhaps weeks or more before continuing.
    After all, Lehi did not travel down the Red Sea in one winter traveling season. Including crossing the Empty Quarter when he headed nearly eastward, he spent eight years in the wilderness. It should also be kept in mind that it is impossible to travel in Arabia during the hot months of May through October, Lehi would have stropped for the summer to rest because the temperatures along the trail are consistently over 120ºF in the shade, beginning in late spring. Obviously all travel along the Frankincense Trail would have ground to a halt in then through the summer.