Saturday, March 28, 2020

What was Mulek’s Course to the Land of Promise? – Part IV

Continuing from the previous post regarding how Mulek and those with him reached the Land of Promise and what route they took and what routes they did not take that are popular among theorists. The first three routes have been discussed in the previous posts. Below is the fourth of these possible four ways for Mulek to have taken.
The fourth and most accurate course, around Australia and across the Pacific, to the area of today’s Lima at an area called Pachacamac in Peru 

4. He left the Arabian Peninsula and sailed in the same direction that the Lehi Colony took, down through the Indian Ocean and into the Southern Ocean, picking up the Prevailing Westerlies in the West Wind Drift and eastward across the southern Pacific Ocean to the west coast of South America, then landing on the west coast of the Land of Promise.
    In this fourth course, Mulek followed the path of Lehi, sailing south and southeast through the Indian Ocean on the Indian Ocean counter-clockwise gyre and picking up the eastward-flowing Southern Ocean. These waters are the southern-most ocean that unimpeded circles the globe and the newest-named ocean basin. It is unbroken by any land mass and moves unrestricted around the world with its narrowest point the Drake Passage, whichvis 600 miles wide between South America and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Red Arrows: The Southern Ocean circles the globe free of any land mass; Broken lined circle: the Antarctic Circle

To see why the Lord chose to send all three groups, the Jaredites, Lehi and Mulek, down around the Southern Ocean is best inferred when we understand the ocean itself and the currents involved on which a ship, “driven forth before the wind,” would be propelled forward.
    First of all, the flow of currents in the Southern Ocean is complex. Water cooled by cold air, outgoing radiation, and katabatic winds, or those that blow downhill or downslope because of gravity, often called gravity wind, off of the Antarctic continent sinks and flows northward along the ocean bottom and is replaced at the surface by an equal volume of warmer water flowing south from the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans.
    This process is most pronounced in calm air because winds mix the air and prevent cold pockets from forming. When this katabatic wind is warmed by compression during its descent into denser air, it is called a foehn—a warm and dry, gusty wind that periodically descends the leeward slopes of nearly all mountains and mountain ranges. The name was first applied to a wind of this kind that occurs in the Alps, where the phenomenon was first studied.
    It results from the ascent of moist air up the windward slopes; as this air climbs, it expands and cools until it becomes saturated with water vapor, after which it cools more slowly because its moisture is condensing as rain or snow, releasing latent heat. By the time it reaches the peaks and stops climbing, the air is quite dry. The ridges of the mountains are usually obscured by a bank of clouds known as a foehn wall, which marks the upper limit of precipitation on the windward slopes. As the air makes its leeward descent, it is compressed and warms rapidly all the way downslope because there is little water left to evaporate and absorb heat; thus, the air is warmer and drier when it reaches the foot of the leeward slope than when it begins its windward ascent.
    This means that the air in the Southern Ocean, that should be very cold, being so close to the Antarctic, is actually warmer as these effects take place, allowing for a milder passage on the Southern Ocean; at the same time where ancient, deep ocean water is upwelled to the surface and bringing deep nutrients upward, while modulating the water temperature between the warm tropical waters from the north and the cold arctic waters from the south.  However, such a passage is fraught with the stress and speed of the movement of the current.
Dotted Line: Mulek’s course to and around the Southern Ocean. Note how much shorter around the globe the red latitude is from the blue latitude or equator

The result is a quick movement across this southern Circumpolar Current, which is the world’s strongest ocean current, shortened even more by the fact that the globe is shorter around as the world diminishes toward the poles. With the Equator at 0º latitude, this means that the higher the latitude (50º south latitude), the shorter the distance around the globe. Rather than going straight across the Pacific around the equator as John L. Sorenson and other Mesoamerican theorists claim, or straight across the Mediterranean and Atlantic as Heartland and Great Lakes  as well as others claim, the distance in the Southern Ocean is far less and would require a much shorter route and voyage.
    In addition, those who claim Lehi and Mulek sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in the southern tip of Africa, then up and across the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico or eastern U.S. would be sailing even further, since there would be extra distance vertically and no benefit from a southern latitude.
Cape of Good Hope, originally called the Cape of Storms because of the turbulent weather and ocean currents

It should also be noted, as we have written in earlier articles, the waters around the Cape Peninsula of Africa is fraught with dangers. From the time of Eudoxus, who tried to sail around the tip of Africa, but found the difficulties too difficult land returned unsuccessful in 130 BC. On his second voyage, he and his ship were lost in the attempt to reach the other ocean beyond Africa.
    For centuries, the Cape has been considered a “Death Route” until steam and then diesel engines were used. When Bartolomeu Dias finally made the voyage from the Pacific to the Indian ocean in 1488, he encountered such tempestuous weather and counter currents, that he named the cape Cabo das Tormentas, the Cape of Storms. In fact, some storms in this area can last up to forty days and make sailing impossible. However, to encourage the exploration of Africa and the Orient in an effort to reinvigorate the Portuguese economy, king John II of Portugal renamed the cape (Cabo da Boa Esperança), Cape of Good Hope.
    However, as a symbol of the horrendous forces of nature in these waters that early Portuguese navigators had to overcome during their discoveries, and more specifically of the dangers Portuguese sailors faced when trying to round the Cape of Storms, poets and writers created numerous mythical figures. One of which was the Flying Dutchman, a ship crewed by tormented and damned ghostly sailors, doomed forever to beat its way through the adjacent waters without ever succeeding in rounding the headland of the Cape.
    Another was Adamastor, a Greek-type mythological character invented in the poem Os Lusiadas (Discovery of India) who was banished to the Cape where he appeared out of storm clouds and threatened to ruin anyone hardy enough to attempt passing the Cape, which was his domain. Adamaster became the spirit of the Cape of Good Hope, as a symbol of the forces sailors faced around the Cape and was a hideous phantom of unearthly pallor (Luis Vaz de Camoëns, Poem: The Lusiad, translated by William Julius Mickle, George Bell and Sons, London, 1877).
De Gama conversing with Adamastor sailing around the Cape of Africa
  
Of this it was written that Vasco da Gama, at the head of the Portuguese expedition, confronted the creature by asking "Who are you?" prompting Adamaster to reply:  
“I am that vast, secret promontory
you Portuguese call the Cape of Storms
which neither Ptolemy, Pompey or Strabo,
Pliny, nor any authors knew of.
Here Africa ends. Here its coast
Concludes in this, my vast inviolate
Plateau, extending southwards towards the Pole
And, by your daring, struck to my very soul.” 
— Camões, The Lusiads Book V
These stories and poems were meant to symbolize the extreme dangers associated with sailing around the Cape and any voyage in antiquity that attempted it would have been exceptionally dangerous, in fact the area was referred to as the Graveyard of Ships, where it is said hundreds of ships were lost. 
    It is easy today for one to look at a flat map of the world and traced a course with their fingertip, but the reality of any course, which is not shown or suggested on map, can be extremely difficult and often without merit simply because of a lack of understanding what is involved. The course Lehi and later Mulek took down to the Southern Ocean, past Australia, across the Pacific and up along South America would have been the simplest course and involve the least amount of navigation and sailing skill of the other courses, the most likely of success for an inexperienced crew.


14 comments:

  1. Many of us believe Jeremiah went to Egypt and later to Britain with one of the daughters of Zedekiah thus establishing the Royal bloodline there.Perhaps there was refuge at Elephantine for a while ,all supposition on my part of course but until we get the more sure word of the Lord no one knows unless records are found. And that also would be from the hand of God.I will be careful about making statements uncorroborated by hard facts lest we fall into the same trap the heartlanders and mesoamerican brethren fall into. However thanks for spending so much of your time with your ideas I enjoy reading this blog!

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  2. Where Jermiah went, and where the Lost 10 Tribes are located is not the subject of this blog, nor of this article. We are talking about three specific groups who were led away from the Old World (Mesopotamia and Jerusalem) to a land promised to them.

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  3. However if Mulek was the brother of the lady who went to Britain then we can be sure Jeremiah took her through the Mediterranean and where one can go another can follow. I have often felt Heyerdahl recreated the flight of the Mulekites with the Ra 1 and Ra 2 expeditions even though there is no hard proof .Thanks again for your kindness to us for sharing your wisdom and knowledge with us!

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    1. I think this point is somewhat valid myself. The Book of Mormon only says Mulek was a son of Zedekiah. It does not clarify where he was living before coming to America.

      On the other hand, I do find Del's conclusions very convincing because of where the Mulekites landed.

      I have to look again at this book that I read years ago that lays out the claim that Jeremiah went to Spain and then Ireland with King Zedekiah's daughters.

      Judah's Sceptre
      And Joseph's Birthright

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    2. George, I don't think it's at all valid for the simple fact that the Mulek party was on the run. Surely they would have been spotted at some point going out toward England. So given that idea I highly doubt the claim could be made that they hooked up with Jeremiah.

      Jeremiah tried his best to get the Jews to head to Babylon. They wouldn't do it. I think the appocaphal book of Baruch is accurate that Jeremiah was indeed stoned to death by the Jews. Later all the Jews were killed in Egypt by the Babylonians. They wouldn't have let Jeremiah go. So I dont think the idea of him heading to England/Spain is valid.

      I haven't read the book you cited but I know the British kings like to trace their genealogy back through the Jews. Those old pedigrees were fabricated in the middle ages by the monks to connect the Royals to Israel. There are other sources that are more credible that connect the royality to Japhith the son of Noah.

      Later Ephriam was brought into England by the Saxons in 400ish AD, and the Norsmen beginning in the 700's AD. That is how the blood of Israel got there. Not through the sperious idea of Jeremiah or anybody else.

      To me the idea of Mulek going west is simply not credible.

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  4. Also I think the 10 tribes were long gone before Jeremiah, his concern and ours was with the bloodline of David , Mulek being of the Royal line.

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  5. Charles, I don't believe Jeremiah ever went to Britain or any other place. He died in Egypt after preaching to the Jews there. This has absolutely nothing to do with Mulek. How you came up with this idea is really a long stretch.

    There is an apocryphal book, The Book of Baruch, that claims to be written by this same Baruch who was the scribe of Jeremiah. We know it is the same companion of Jeremiah because he gives his genealogy (his father Neriah and grandfather Maasias, etc.). In this account, Baruch states that he is in Babylonia in the fifth year after the burning of Jerusalem. This would make the year 582 B.C. the same year that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt and the year that he took the remaining 745 Jews to Babylonia.

    If the Book of Baruch is true and was written by Baruch himself, then he was with this final group of 745 Jewish exiles taken to Babylon in 582 B.C. The question that arises is this: Is Jeremiah still living in Egypt when the Jews are taken? One account tells that Jeremiah was stoned to death by his people in Egypt. This would have been before the Jews were killed and/or taken back to Babylonia. Since the raid on Egypt was in 582 B.C., it would have been before the actual raid.

    What Del has done is laid out a credible course for Mulek to travel. He has completely debunked the idea that Mulek could travel any course other than from where Nephi and Jaredites left from. The fact that they landed on the west coast of South America should tell you that he and his party left from the same place as the others. Del has done exhaustive research into the winds of currents of the worlds oceans to come up with this course. It is very credible and fits perfectly with the South America location for the Book of Mormon lands.

    The 10 tribes were taken long before the time of Jeremiah at 721 B.C. This is all known history.

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  6. thanks Iterry for me it would be better to get the final word from the Lord ,we are just speculating. I just wanted to share a few things, I know I could be wrong.

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  7. Sure Charles, I believe what Del is sharing is inspired. It all fits perfectly from the way they traveled to where they landed and what we find in South America today from the ruins.

    The model is extremely well thought out with a pile of evidence. The problem is very few will believe it because they do not believe I. The power of God. What I mean by that is South America was an island until the time of the death of Christ. This is almost impossible to believe by the profs at BYU and others in the Church who believe in uniformatarianism and evolution. They simply do not believe in the scriptures, nor the flood of Noah and ultimately the power of God.

    So when you say you are waiting for some revelation on this subject. I think you have it. Now will you accept it.

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  8. Rod Meldrum claims to be inspired also this is a dangerous precedence to make. If we look at him and other men who claim revelation on these small things great harm can come to our LDS people.Men (and women) who are always right about everything can and will cause untold grief.

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  9. charles: Thank you for reading our blog, and thank you for your various comments.Having said that, I would like to point out that what Meldrum claims should be in question since, if you were to take one of his tours, you would hear fantastical claims that in some cases even go against Mormon's account. For inspiration to be correct and from the correct source, it MUST agree with the scriptural record.

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  10. I consider these men including Wayne May to be very bad men, I would never have anything to do with such people. How much money do you think they rake in from their tours?$$$ How do you think our Central and So. American church members feel about being told they are not of the blood of Father Lehi? They have pushed those phony dna claims for years and have tried to disregard the Patriarchal blessings our brothers and sisters receive by telling them they are not of the House of Joseph I may be more hardcore against them than you Del but I believe these brethren are causing real spiritual trouble in the Church.That is why your blog is important. At least the BYU crowd didnt deny the bloodlines .Some of our Lamanite brethren I have talked to feel they are the descendants of the Anti Nephi Lehis.They may be wrong but I am not going to tell them so!

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  11. Chatles, I did not say that Del claims to be inspired. I said I believe what he has found to have come by inspiration. The fact that it matches scripture is a strong indication that this is the location of the old Nephite and Jaredite lands in South America.

    I dont see that this as dangerous at all. If anything its refreshing to see good evidence for scripture.

    The other models either make up new definitions of long established words to fit their models or they say the writers of the BOM really didnt mean what they said. If you stick to the text of the bom you will find that this is the only model that fits. I call that inspired.

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