"Dafydd " from Australia: Megalithic Monuments as Israelite Signposts and the Welsh. Some assorted comments on your recent postings
Contents:
1. The Dating of Stonehenge and Astronomy
2. North Welsh and South Welsh, Troy (Silures of Wales from Simeon) versus Edomite Sparta and Rome
Brit-Am Replies:
3. Megalithic Monuments
4. It was not our article!
Yair, Shalom,
If you would permit me, I would like to make some comments on some of your
recent postings. I apologise if this note is too lengthy.
(1. The Dating of Stonehenge and Astronomy
Regarding the Dolmens "Dolmens: The Way to Come Back - Through Solid
Proof and Clear Evidence" from
http://hebrewnations.com/features/now/1995.html#a2
Whilst I agree that the dolmens serve as "Tzionim" (signposts), and also
that quite a few megalithic monuments were constructed after the fall of
Samaria and the dispersion of the northern Hebrews, not all megalithic
monuments fit into this time frame. As an example, the most well known of
these monuments would be Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain in southern
England, which I suggest was erected prior to the fall of Samaria.
As proof I would offer that this monument does not align with significant
solar and lunar events as do other later (Hebrew Celtic) structures such as
Newgrange and at other locations. The Stonehenge monument is slightly out of
alignment (half of an orb) to significant solar and lunar events, which does
not reflect the accuracy of other megalithic structures with regards to
alignment to significant celestial events. The half-orb misalignment
suggests to me that this structure was erected prior to the cosmic events
which brought about the changes in our solar and lunar cycles, which
occurred prior to the expulsion of the House of Israel.
These events, which were detailed in the writings of Immanuel Velikovsky,
appear to have repositioned the earth's equator by a few degrees in addition
to changing the length of the earth's orbit around the sun from 360 days to
365.25 days. As you are aware, Velikovsky recorded how the Mayan, Aztec,
Chinese, Hindu, Greek, Hebrew & Egyptian calendars all changed the length of
the year from 360 days to 365.25 days, and that all these changes occurred
over a short period of time (around 120 years) after the events described by
Velikovsky. It is interesting to note that none of the reports of the event
from any of the scattered civilisations report major catastrophic flooding
which would have occurred had the earth's equator moved more than a few
degrees.
Due to centrifugal force there is more water "heaped" at the equator than at
the poles. This heaping effect, to use a non-scientific term, means that the
oceans are several miles deeper at the equator than at the poles. To
illustrate this point, some South American mountains in Colombia and Ecuador
are higher than Everest in the Himalayas if we were to measure their height
from the centre of the earth's core to the mountain's peaks rather than
their height above sea level. If the earth's equator had shifted more than a
few degrees, then whole continents would have slid under this band of
mountainous water before a new equator was established. As none of the
accounts recorded from that time mention catastrophic flooding, we can
assume that the events repositioned the earth's equator by a few degrees at
most, hence the half-orb anomaly at Stonehenge.
One final point regarding the earth's orbit of the sun, the earth takes a
little longer every year to complete its circumnavigation of the sun. The
time difference every year is miniscule, just a fraction of a second, yet it
disproves the Evolutionist's claim that the earth is billions of years old
as the slowing process, miniscule though it is, would have resulted in a
static earth by now if the earth was actually billions of years old.
Regarding the sign-posts ("Tzionim") mentioned by Jeremiah, those megalithic
structures (standing stones) certainly fulfil that requirement. If we
encounter a signpost on a road, it indicates both direction and distance to
further locations. The standing stone trail left by the Israelites provide
both direction and distance information to those who knew how to read them.
A Russian mathematician and philosopher, Peter Ouspensky, wrote of an event
which occurred while he was a member of a party travelling from Saint
Petersburg in Russia to Constantinople at the time of the Russian
Revolution. The party were students of a Greek-Armenian teacher George
Gurdjieff, who was associated with the Romanoff Dynasty, hence Gurdjieff's
decision to leave Russia at that time. Gurdjieff was a teacher of
esotericism, and he had spent many years travelling in central Asia and Asia
Minor where he acquired what we would probably call arcane knowledge from a
variety of teachers at different times and places.
On their trek from Saint Petersburg to Constantinople, Ouspensky recalled
that the party stopped for a short time to rest (near Tbilisi in Georgia if
my memory is correct). There was a standing stone near where the party was
resting, which some members went to investigate. They were puzzled by these
megalithic signposts so when Gurdjieff awoke, they asked him to explain the
purpose of these stones. Gurdjieff went to examine the stone, and told the
party travelling with him that if they went in a certain direction for a
certain distance, they would encounter another standing stone. The curious
amongst the party followed Gurdjieff's instructions and went off to
investigate. When they had travelled in the direction for the distance
indicated by Gurdjieff, they found themselves facing an almost impenetrable
thicket which hid everything beneath it. They cleared a path through the
thicket and found the next standing stone as Gurdjieff had stated.
The next day when they arrived at the next major town (Tblisi?) they went to
the local government archaeological records office to report their find. The
officer who recorded their find stated that he was aware of the standing
stone near where the party had rested, but was unaware of the other stone
that they found in the thicket.
Which does prove, to my reckoning, that the stones do provide sign-post
functions as they do provide both direction and distance information to
those who can "read" them. I expect that the stones do have some features, a
"natural" fissure or some "natural" marking or such like, which provides
this information. I am sure that there is a doctoral thesis waiting to be
written by some keen PhD candidate who is willing to search for the
symbolism found on these stones.
I also like the Hebrew word for sign=posts, Tzionim, as it has Zion in the
centre. Perhaps all the Israelites should cease using the old adage "all
roads lead to Rome" and replace it with "All roads lead to Zion."
(2. North Welsh and South Welsh, Troy (Silures of Wales from Simeon) versus Edomite Sparta and Rome
Regarding your article " Welsh Are the Most Ancient Britons [and of
Mediterranean type]"
http://hebrewnations.com/features/bamadcontents/bamad109.html ) - While there
are differences between the northern and southern Welsh, I think a large
part of the "dNBifferences" reside in the minds of those who proclaim that
these differences exist. My maternal Grandfather came to Australia from
Bethesda in Northern Wales just in time to enlist in the Australian Army
which then sent him back to Europe to fight in the trenches in France and
Belgium during WWI. I remember as a child introducing him to a school friend
of mine, when I said that he was from Wales. My grandfather corrected me and
said he was from North Wales, not Wales. Evidently, he believed that the
northern Welsh were different people to the southern Welsh, and this
difference was sufficiently marked to draw it to my attention.
The southern Welsh as you know are the Silures from Simeon (Clan of Shaul)
who arrived in south-west England and Wales from Troy. Both Steven Collins
and your good self are in agreement about that, though I understand that
there are differences of opinion regarding the northern Welsh. Please
forgive me if I have misstated your position, but I understand that you
believe that the northern Welsh are primarily from Dan, hence the dragon
(Griffin) on the green background (green denoting Simeon) on the Welsh flag,
whereas Steven Collins believes the northern Welsh were, at least in part,
Levites. In any event, I believe that the "lost Simeonites" established
Troy, not Sparta. It is interesting to note that the Trojan Wars were fought
twice, once in the Aegean between (Edomite) Sparta and (Simeonite) Troy, and
again early in this era in Britain between (Edomite) Rome (originally a
Spartan colony) and the (Simeonite) Silures who claimed to have come from
Troy.
The Mediterranean features of the southern Welsh have been diluted over time
(Shaul's mother was a Canaanite woman - Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15) due,
I expect, to environmental reasons in addition to the inflow of Angles and
others over the past few centuries due to the copper, steel and coal
industries in southern Wales which fuelled a lot of migration from England.
The actor Richard Burton probably best typifies the Mediterranean features
of the Silures, he was a natural fit for playing roles such as the Roman
Marc Antony in "Cleopatra". He was born in Pontrhydfen in southern Wales and
the Wikipedia description of his father as "a man of extraordinary
eloquence, tremendous passion, great violence" does contain elements of what
we know of the character of Simeon from the Bible.
Congratulation also Yair for passing the 2,000th Brit-Am NOW newsletter.
This milestone passed without comment, and I feel that this is sufficiently
important to commemorate. This newsletter is always appreciated when it
arrives in my in=box, and your learned musings together with those of your
readers are always appreciated. I would suggest that all your readers raise
a glass of wine (kosher, of course) and drink to your health and thank our
Almighty Father for your efforts.
My best wishes,
Dafydd
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Brit-Am Replies:
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3. Megalithic Monuments
We have not given enough attention to Megalithic Monuments as we should have.
Just to remind ourselves, our main source is Jeremiah 31:21.
Jeremiah 31:
20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
Therefore My heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.
21 Set up signposts [Hebrew: Tsionim],
Make landmarks [Hebrew: Tamrurim];
Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
The Hebrew words for signposts [Hebrew: Tsionim], and for landmarks [Hebrew: Tamrurim], according to Rabbinical Commentaries (e.g. Radak, Abarbanel) are referring to Megalithic type monuments. There are trails of such monuments linking Western Europe tot he region of Israel and its near neighbors.
Dafydd AGREES with us and adds insights of his own on the matter.
He however thinks that in the case of Stonehenge the dates are too late and that Stonehenge was erected earlier. As proof he says:
# The Stonehenge monument is slightly out of alignment (half of an orb) to significant solar and lunar events, which does not reflect the accuracy of other megalithic structures with regards to alignment to significant celestial events. #
I do not know much about the subject but understand Stonehenge to be of the same origins as Newgrange in Ireland etc.
Considering its dating Wikipedia tells us:
Archaeoastronomy and Stonehenge
Quote:
# Stonehenge has an opening in the henge earthwork facing northeast, and suggestions that particular significance was placed by its builders on the solstice and equinox points have followed. For example, the summer solstice sun rose close to the Heel Stone, and the sun's first rays shone into the centre of the monument between the horseshoe arrangement. While it is possible that such an alignment can be coincidental, this astronomical orientation had been acknowledged since William Stukeley drew the site and first identified its axis along the midsummer sunrise in 1720.
Stukeley noticed that the Heel Stone was not precisely aligned on the sunrise. Year to year, the movement of the sun across the sky appears regular. However, due to temporal changes in obliquity of the ecliptic, illumination declinations change with time. The purported Heel Stone alignment with summer solstice sunrise would have been less accurate four to five thousand years ago. The Heel Stone, in fact, is located at 1/7 of circumference from due North, as noted by archaeologist James Q. Jacobs.[3] Stukeley and the renowned astronomer Edmund Halley were to attempt what amounted to the first scientific attempt to date a prehistoric monument. Stukeley concluded the Stonehenge had been set up "by the use of a magnetic compass to lay out the works, the needle varying so much, at that time, from true north." He attempted to calculate the change in magnetic variation between the observed and theoretical (ideal) Stonehenge sunrise, which he imagined would relate to the date of construction. Their calculations returned three dates, the earliest of which, 460 BC, was accepted by Stukeley. That was incorrect, but this early exercise in dating is a landmark in field archaeology.[4]
End Quote.
We suspect Stukely was right on this matter and that his opinion was rejected for non-scientific reasons.
See Also:
Archaeoastronomy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeoastronomy
Newgrange
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeoastronomy#Newgrange
Stonehenge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeoastronomy#Stonehenge
In regard to Velikovsky see our article:
Slow-Down Planet?
Is the Year Now longer? A New Research Breakthrough Thanks to Velikovsky??? Or A Wild Goose Chase?
http://www.britam.org/Year360.html
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Dafydd wrote about the Welsh from Troy and the Romans from Sparta/Edom.
He quoted:
(2. Regarding your article " Welsh Are the Most Ancient Britons [and of
Mediterranean type]"
http://hebrewnations.com/features/bamadcontents/bamad109.html) -
This was an extract post on BAMAD-109.
BAMAD stands for Brit-Am Anthropology and DNA Update.
BAMAD is one of our features.
The extract in question WAS NOT OUR ARTICLE!
In our features we post out extracts from the articles of others, from news items, etc, that may be of interest and that may have pertinence to some degree to future research etc.
On the one hand, if we did not think what we post of value we would not post it.
On the other hand, it is wrong to assume that everything that we post from other sources is our own opinion or something that we completely agree with.
By the same token we are posting the above notes by Dafydd even though on one point (astronomy and the earlier dating of Stonehend) we tend to be doubtful and disagree and on the other points we are not certain, e.g. Whether or not Troy was an Israelite outpost we do not know and have not studied the subject in sufficient debt. Even though we may not necessarily agree with Dafydd we are posting his message because it is of potential value and brings up issues worth examining.