The following information is part of a brand new blog series called:

Eden PART 2: Finding the Garden of Eden

COMING SOON!

As stated in Part 1 of this series on Eden, I believe the strongest candidates for the location of the Garden of Eden are represented by the 5 yellow circles below:

I also stated which circle made the most sense to me, that being the one over Israel. I am developing a theory here. In order to do so, one must be able to test that theory with available evidence. I will give many more examples of why I believe Israel is the best choice, but first I will give my reasons why I do not believe the other locations work, beginning with Stan Deyo's choice.

I watched his entire "Quest for Eden" presentation that he did for the Prophecy in the News sponsored 2014 Pike's Peak Prophecy Summit. I generally respect, admire and enjoy Stan's work and always love to hear/see him give a presentation, but I have to say, regrettably, I did not care much for this particular study. While I admit, I did find some of it fascinating, I felt that he made way too many assumptions in trying to make his theory work. Most of it was based on his view concerning the locations of the 4 rivers mentioned in Scripture:

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

- Genesis 2:10-14 (KJV)

It is generally accepted that the Euphrates river of today is the same Euphrates river mentioned above. Likewise, many believe the Hiddekel to be the what we now call the Tigris river. These two being so close together in the land we now call Iraq has caused many to place the garden in the Persian Gulf area near Kuwait. Perhaps for good reason. There is a third river, which may be a great candidate for the Pison, in a dry riverbed that goes all the way across Saudi Arabia, extending westward from the Persian Gulf, possibly connecting with the Red Sea north of Medina. You can see this dry riverbed quite well on Google Earth. I've taken the liberty to draw it out for you in yellow with the understanding that once it hits the mountainous area east of the Red Sea, it is hard to tell where it really went from there (I am making a guess based on the topography, fully acknowledging that it could have gone in other directions):

So, with three of the four rivers possibly identified, it is a reasonable assumption that somewhere in the Persian Gulf could have been where the Garden of Eden was located. The wildcard in the bunch however is the Gihon, which is said to have "compassed the whole land of Ethiopia." Well, of course that's all the way to the far southwest of the Persian Gulf. But Stan takes an entirely different approach to these rivers, placing it nowhere near Ethiopia (as compared to our current topography):

(screenshot of Stan Deyo's "Quest for Eden" presentation)

Now to be fair, he does do some interesting research on the Expanding Earth Theory (which is something I very much believe in myself). This theory, just like it sounds, puts forth the idea that as the planet has expanded over time, the continents have shifted. So, naturally, the pre-Flood topography was quite different from what we see today. When you bring the continents back together, his model doesn't look as strange as it does on the current layout of the planet, thus placing the Gihon just to the east of Ethiopia.

For more on the Expanding Earth Theory check out the videos by Neal Adams. I do not agree with his evolutionary worldview, however I do believe he is on the right track concerning the "division" which took place in the days of Peleg:

I was excited to hear Stan talk about the division of Peleg in terms of continental splitting. Several months ago, I realized that the division of languages was not contemporary with this division of land. For a long time, I thought that the continents began to shift at or about the same time as the population was divided by language at the Tower of Babel. But when I created my Post-Flood Timeline, I realized (for the first time) that idea was in error. When I heard Stan's presentation, I took his view as confirmation (and I was quite happy about that as I had already produced and sold these timelines prior to hearing his lecture). Thankfully, I don't have to redo it! You can see the Peleg division being depicted below around 1757AM (or about 1893BC). As it turns out, the division of language came hundreds of years later:

(This timeline is available in high resolution here)

Even with this understanding of continental shift in mind however, I did not buy Mr. Deyo's argument concerning the Gihon. As you can see from his drawing of the rivers (above), he has it over and around (compassing) India and nowhere near Ethiopia as Genesis 2:13 clearly states. One may argue that what Moses meant was the locations of the Gihon and Ethiopia prior to the Flood, but I disagree with that notion as all references appear to be written with a contemporary understanding. For instance,Moses refers to the Pison river as that "...which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone." His present tense use of words combined with other references found throughout the Bible concerning the other rivers seem to indicate a post-Flood understanding and awareness of the various rivers, countries, resources, etc.. So, this is where Stan lost me. And while I did find his argument concerning the volcanoes of Tanzania as good candidates for the "stones of fire" mentioned in Ezekiel 28 rather intriguing, it was not enough to convince me.

(screenshot of Stan Deyo's "Quest for Eden" presentation)

The other issue I had concerning Stan's location for the Gihon is it appeared (to me anyway) to directly contradict Scripture, not just in terms of it compassing the land of Ethiopia, but also in terms of its known underground location:

This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

- 2 Chronicles 32:30 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

---

Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

- 2 Chronicles 33:14 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

In fact, even prior to the above passages in 2 Chronicles, there is an interesting story concerning the anointing of king Solomon in 1 Kings worth noting...

32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. 35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the Lord God of my lord the king say so too. 37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. 38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? 42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. 43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. 44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: 45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. 48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

- 1 Kings 1:32-48 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

I have to say, I was rather surprised that Stan missed this (or chose to ignore it). It was common knowledge that the Gihon was under the Temple. In fact, this is also one of the reasons why I reject the idea that what we call "the Temple Mount" in Israel is truly the location of where the Temple once stood. I believe what we now call the Temple Mount was really the Fortress Antonia and that the Temple was really located further south over the Gihon Spring.[1]

If this is the first you've heard of this, you owe it to yourself to do the research. Here are two good videos to get you started:

Quoting from Ernest L. Martin's book, The Temples That Jerusalem Forgot, Jennifer Rast of Contender Ministries writes:

Martin points to the Gihon Spring as his second proof for the southern location of the Temple.  The Gihon Spring is the only spring within the city limits of Jerusalem.  An eyewitness named Aristeas who viewed the Temple in about 285 B.C. stated that the Temple was located over an inexhaustible spring that welled up within the interior part of the Temple.[2]   The Roman historian Tacitus also gave a reference that the Temple at Jerusalem had within its precincts a natural spring of water that issued from its interior.[3]  Martin believes that this water source in the center of the Temple is the Gihon Spring south of the Dome of the Rock and on the southeastern ridge of Jerusalem.   

The location of the Gihon Spring is also important.  Aristeas said that a peson could look northward from the top of the City of David and could easily witness all priestly activities within the Temple precincts.[4]   Martin points out that the area of the Dome of the Rock is 1000 feet north of the original City of David and is much too far away for anyone to look down into the courts of the Temple.  In addition, there has never been a natural water spring within the Haram esh-Sharif where the Dome of the Rock is located. 

As was stated earlier Aristeas and Tacitus both stated that the Temple had an inexhaustible spring within its interior and the Gihon is the only spring in Jerusalem.  Martin also points out that spring water is mentioned in numerous ways throughout the Psalms as the “waters of salvation” that come from the Throne or House of God.  Spring waters were an essential part of Temple requirements and are to accompany any future Temple.  (See Ezekiel 47:1, Revelation 21:2-6; 22:1, 17) 

Interestingly, we have an eyewitness account by Hecateus of Abdera written near the time of Alexander the Great that tells us that the Temple was located “nearly in the center of the City of David”.[5]  Josephus said that the “Lower City” which was once the site of the City of David was on a ridge shaped like a crescent moon.  The horns of this crescent pointed toward the Kidron Valley with the northern horn near the present southern wall of the Haram esh-Sharif and the southern horn just north of the confluence of the Valley of Hinnom.  The exact center of this cresent-shaped ridge would have been at the Ophel Mound directly over the Gihon Spring. The Bible even tells us that the Temple was located in the center of Jerusalem. 

Psalm 116:18, 19 “I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord – in your midst(center), O Jerusalem, Praise the Lord.”  (In Hebrew, the English word rendered “midst” means “center” in geographical contexts and is so translated by several versions.) 

- Jennifer Rast, Contender Ministries [6] [emphasis mine]

How interesting that here you have the Gihon Spring, which I believe is one and the same as the Gihon River, now submerged under the land of Israel, flowing under the "center of Jerusalem" underneath the Temple and it was known as the "waters of salvation"... and that was where King Solomon was anointed. I think all of this is significant.

According to the online Jewish Virtual Library, the Gihon Spring emerges in the Kindron Valley, east of the City of David. It is an intermittent spring, that "bursts forth" (the Hebrew meaning of the name Gihon):

The Hebrew name of the spring is derived from the verb meaning "to gush forth," reflecting the flow of the spring, which is not steady, but intermittent, its frequency varying with the seasons of the year and annual precipitation. It is a siphon-type karst spring fed by groundwater that accumulates in a subterranean cave. Each time that space fills to the brim, it empties at once through cracks in the rock and is siphoned to the surface. This natural feature made it necessary to accumulate water in a pool, to be available at times when the spring was not "gushing forth."

The spring emerged in a cave on the eastern slope of the City of David above the Kidron Valley, and from there water flowed into the valley, watering the terraced, agricultural plots on the slope of the City of David. This area is called in the Bible the "King's Garden" (II Kings 25:4; Jeremiah 52:7; Nehemiah 3:15). Today, the bed of the Kidron Valley is filled with 15 m. of erosion and debris, which have accumulated over the millennia. During the Second Temple period, a vault was built over the spring, to which one could descend via a long staircase. Water flowed from the spring along Hezekiah's Tunnel to the Siloam Pool, (John 9:7) which is located in the low, southern part of the Tyropoeon Valley, west of the City of David.

- Jewish Virtual Library[7] [emphasis mine]

Wikipedia goes on to say...

The Gihon Spring (Hebrew: מעיין הגיחון‎) was the main source of water for the City of David, the original site ofJerusalem. One of the world's major intermittent springs—and a reliable water source that made human settlement possible in ancient Jerusalem—the spring was not only used for drinking water, but also initially for irrigation of gardens in the adjacent Kidron Valley which provided a food source for the ancient settlement. The spring, being intermittent, required the excavation of the Pool of Siloam which stored the large amount of water needed for the town when the spring was not flowing.

- Wikipedia: Gihon Spring[8]

The Pool of Siloam was the place where Yeshua healed the man blind from birth (which was one of the signs of the Jewish Messiah)!

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

- John 9:1-11 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

This is nothing short of extraordinary! Think about it. Man was initially made out of the dust (clay) of the earth. He was then placed into a Garden, which had 4 rivers flowing out of one, within it. One of those rivers was the Gihon. The Gihon, now submerged, is an intermittent spring, which required the creation of a pool to store the water between "gushings" when it was not flowing (how prophetic is that?). This is the pool Yeshua told the man who was blind from birth to wash the clay off that He had put on the man's eyes, and in so doing he gained sight for the first time! Wow! How cool is that?? Could this act of healing, which would show the "works of God being manifested in him," be more significant than simply that of giving sight to the blind? Could it be a hint to show us the significance of this source of water? I think so.

How come this river is submerged? Well, I think the Jordan Rift Valley, the Red Sea Rift and the Great African Rift explain it. Wikipedia entry on the Great Aftrica Rift Valley describes it as follows...

The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) in length, that runs from northern Syria to central Mozambique in South Eastern Africa. [9] 

- Wikipedia: Great Rift Valley[10]

Although, today the Jordan, Red Sea and African Rifts are thought of as distinct, a quick glance at any map shows they appear to be connected as if something went from Syria to below Ethiopia. Hmmm, wonder what that could have been? Although secular geologists place the formation of these features millions of years ago, I believe (from a Biblical worldview) the initial formation of these rifts likely began at the Flood of Noah, but were then formalized at the Peleg expansion. Whatever the case, you will note the red triangles in the map above. Those are volcanoes. This would put a bigger picture together concerning Stan Deyo's thesis regarding the "stones of fire". You will also note how the Red Sea Rift connects with the African Rift at the Gulf of Aden (one of the other candidates for the Garden of Eden).

I believe the following map may give a better explanation of where all 5 rivers of Eden were (including the one source river that originally fed the 4 branching rivers):

Now of course, as drawn, these rivers are not following an exact path here. This map is a very rough draft and I freely admit it is largely based on pure speculation regarding at least two of the rivers: the Source River and the path of the Gihon.

We know from Genesis 2:10 that a river went forth from Eden (proper) and from there it went toward the Garden (to water it) and split into many branches. Looking at the drawing I've done may lead one to think that the Turkey location is then the best choice for the Garden. And I would probably agree except for what I have found concerning Father Abraham (which will be dealt with in the next blog). I believe following in his footsteps will lead us to the final proof concerning the Canaan/Israel location.

Before I go there though, let's consider the possibility that the Gihon, part of the Pison and the Source River followed what later became known as great rifts. You see where I have the Gihon connecting to the Gulf of Aden? That's where the Red Sea Rift connects with the Great African Rift. I also have the Gihon following essentially what is now the Nile River, extending it to "encompass Ethiopia."

IF in fact, the Gihon did blend into what is now known as the Nile, then that takes on some interesting significance concerning both the story of Moses (being saved or "drawn out of" the Nile) and later that river being turned to blood. It is also worth considering in terms of the boundaries set by YHWH when He told Abraham what would be the totality of the Promised Land:

18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

- Genesis 15:18-21 (KJV)

I have seen many different renderings online depicting what people think the totality of the Promised Land should look like based on the above passage. I just did a Google search for "Genesis 15 boundaries of the Promised Land" and of all the choices I found, the picture I have to the right immediately jumped out at me. What caught my eye with this particular one is it essentially follows the inside (enclosed) dimensions of all 4 rivers of the Garden of Eden. However, I've seen others that draw the the southern line from Kuwait City directly west to the Nile, which makes more sense to me in that such a southern border would be north of the area where the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years (which I believe remained entirely outside of the Promised Land).

Something else I found intriguing as I researched the Gihon River is the idea that there was a pre-Flood flood! I had done a study on this a while back, while doing research for my book, Archon Invasion: The Rise, Fall and Return of the Nephilim. In the KJV rendering of Genesis 4:26 we miss what is really going on with Seth's son Enosh...

And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

- Genesis 4:26 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

As written, it sounds like during the days of Enosh, men were really worshiping YHWH right? Well, the International Standard Version sheds a different light on this passage:

Seth also fathered a son, whom he named Enosh. At that time, profaning the name of the LORD began.

- Genesis 4:26 (ISV) [emphasis mine]

This is why I really enjoy Parallel Bibles and why I passionately believe in comparing different versions of our English Bible in order to find truth - because when comparing the KJV with the ISV, we see two totally different things taking place. Whenever that happens, it forces me to dig deeper. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible had the following to say about this verse:

Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord - The marginal reading is, Then began men to call themselves by the name of the Lord; which words are supposed to signify that in the time of Enos the true followers of God began to distinguish themselves, and to be distinguished by others, by the appellation of sons of God; those of the other branch of Adam's family, among whom the Divine worship was not observed, being distinguished by the name, children of men. It must not be dissembled that many eminent men have contended that הוחל huchal, which we translate began, should be rendered began profanely, or then profanation began, and from this time they date the origin of idolatry. Most of the Jewish doctors were of this opinion, and Maimonides has discussed it at some length in his Treatise on Idolatry; as this piece is curious, and gives the most probable account of the origin and progress of idolatry, I shall insert it here.

"In the days of Enos the sons of Adam erred with great error, and the counsel of the wise men of that age became brutish, and Enos himself was (one) of them that erred; and their error was this: they said, Forasmuch as God hath created these stars and spheres to govern the world, and set them on high, and imparted honor unto them, and they are ministers that minister before him; it is meet that men should laud, and glorify, and give them honor. For this is the will of God, that we magnify and honor whomsoever he magnifieth and honoureth; even as a king would have them honored that stand before him, and this is the honor of the king himself. When this thing was come up into their hearts they began to build temples unto the stars, and to offer sacrifice unto them, and to laud and glorify them with words, and to worship before them, that they might in their evil opinion obtain favor of the Creator; and this was the root of idolatry, etc. And in process of time there stood up false prophets among the sons of Adam, which said that God had commanded and said unto them, Worship such a star, or all the stars, and do sacrifice unto them thus and thus; and build a temple for it, and make an image of it, that all the people, women, and children may worship it. And the false prophet showed them the image which he had feigned out of his own heart, and said it was the image of such a star, which was made known unto him by prophecy. And they began after this manner to make images in temples, and under trees, and on tops of mountains and hills, and assembled together and worshipped them, etc. And this thing was spread through all the world, to serve images with services different one from another, and to sacrifice unto and worship them. So, in process of time, the glorious and fearful name (of God) was forgotten out of the mouth of all living, and out of their knowledge, and they acknowledged him not.

And there was found no people on the earth that knew aught, save images of wood and stone, and temples of stone, which they had been trained up from their childhood to worship and serve, and to swear by their names. And the wise men that were among them, as the priests and such like, thought there was no God save the stars and spheres, for whose sake and in whose likeness they had made these images; but as for the Rock everlasting, there was no man that acknowledged him or knew him save a few persons in the world, as Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Sham, and Heber. And in this way did the world walk and converse till that pillar of the world, Abraham our father, was born." Maim. in Mishn, and Ainsworth in loco.

— Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible (Genesis 4:26 ) [emphasis mine]

Here we see Maimonides, a highly respected Jewish philosopher, one that many consider to have been among the greatest Torah scholars of the Middle Ages elaborating on what was written in the ancient book of Jasher...

3 And it was in the days of Enosh that the sons of men continued to rebel and transgress against God, to increase the anger of the Lord against the sons of men. 4 And the sons of men went and they served other gods, and they forgot the Lord who had created them in the earth: and in those days the sons of men made images of brass and iron, wood and stone, and they bowed down and served them. 5 And every man made his god and they bowed down to them, and the sons of men forsook the Lord all the days of Enosh and his children; and the anger of the Lord was kindled on account of their works and abominations which they did in the earth.

6 And the Lord caused the waters of the river Gihon to overwhelm them, and he destroyed and consumed them, and he destroyed the third part of the earth, and notwithstanding this, the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were yet extended to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

- Jasher 2:3-6

Now we have quite a different picture of what was going on in the days of Enosh. Note that Jasher says the Gihon River was used to bring a pre-Noah flood upon the earth, in a localized area. Jasher refers to this area as "the third part of the earth" but I think that is in the context of the population, which existed at that time. We are only talking about less than 300 years since Creation, so it could not have been a whole lot - certainly not enough to justify the destruction of 1/3 of the entire planet. It is my belief that a third of Eden was destroyed.

If in fact the Gihon went through the coastal area of what is now modern Israel and continued on down to Egypt as I have described above, then perhaps could we consider the possibility that the Mediterranean Sea may have been the result of this destruction? If so, this may lend some credibility to the memory of places such as the mythical Atlantis. I began to consider these things in light of the circle of Eden I had drawn and noticed that the Mediterranean would indeed make up about 1/3 of this pie:

If Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden to Babylon, it is conceivable that within 300 years their descendants could have made their way up the Euphrates and westward without coming back into the gaurded boundaries of the Garden. In fact, knowing that the Tree of Life still existed, human nature almost dictates that someone would have tried to figure a way back in. Judging from what we know of ancient civilization, the northwestern passage makes the most sense. Whatever the case may be, we know that the activity, which took place in the days of Enosh did not please YHWH. In fact, if you keep reading in the Jasher account, we see basically a first attempt at corruption of the earth, which would later be matched to a much greater degree in Genesis 6:12 (as in the corruption of all flesh that took place within the last 120 years[11] before the Great Flood of Noah):

7 And in those days there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth; and there was no food for the sons of men and the famine was very great in those days. 8 And the seed which they sowed in those days in the ground became thorns, thistles and briers; for from the days of Adam was this declaration concerning the earth, of the curse of God, which he cursed the earth, on account of the sin which Adam sinned before the Lord. 9 And it was when men continued to rebel and transgress against God, and to corrupt their ways, that the earth also became corrupt.

- Jasher 2:7-9 [emphasis mine]

I believe these events preceded the days of Jared, which were about 200 years later. It was in his days (1,200 years before the Flood of Noah) that The Genesis Six Experiment took place. The first generation Nephilim were destroyed and their Watcher parents, were judged, bound and buried a full 700 years before the Flood of Noah.[12] The reason for that later flood was the same as the reason for the former flood of Enosh: man began to corrupt earth and in the case of Noah's day, also all flesh[13]. Of course, in the case of Noah's Flood, YHWH destroyed the entire planet, not just a localized area of it.

This brings us back to the possible cause of the Jordan Valley, Red Sea and Great African Rifts. I believe the Earth was struck by something, which caused the fountains of the great deep to be opened. Again, Jasher gives us some interesting details missing from the Genesis account:

8 And Noah brought into the ark from all living creatures that were upon earth, so that there was none left but which Noah brought into the ark. 9 Two and two came to Noah into the ark, but from the clean animals, and clean fowls, he brought seven couples, as God had commanded him. 10 And all the animals, and beasts, and fowls, were still there, and they surrounded the ark at every place, and the rain had not descended till seven days after.[14]

11 And on that day, the Lord caused the whole earth to shake, and the sun darkened, and the foundations of the world raged, and the whole earth was moved violently, and the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared, and all the fountains in the earth were broken up, such as was not known to the inhabitants before; and God did this mighty act, in order to terrify the sons of men, that there might be no more evil upon earth.

- Jasher 6:8-11 [emphasis mine]

This certainly sounds like an impact event to me.[15] This is an extraordinary text! I believe this event actually describes the root cause of the Flood. Building upon the work of Immanuel Velikovsky in his books Worlds in Collision, Ages in Chaos I: From the Exodus to King Akhnaton and Earth in Upheaval, I have been developing a theory about the mechanism through which God executed the Flood judgment. In this theory, I suggest that a comet or other large object may have hit the earth, most probably in the location now known as Greenland.

Mechanisms of the Flood:

The following images represent what I believe concerning the mechanism of the Flood - as in how it happened and what resulted:

GENESIS 1:2	GENESIS 1:6
GENESIS 1:9	GENESIS 1:14-18
Example within our own solar system of a canopy covered world:	Everything in perfect alignment

With this concept in mind, could it be that Chicxulub is not the world’s largest impact crater? Perhaps that title may better fit another location? It is my belief that the primary impact crater which caused the Flood is in fact the continent of Greenland (which is tear-drop shaped island covered with an ice sheet that has a volume of approximately 680,000 cubic miles, which is 6,000 feet thick in some places, covering a depressed land basin that descends nearly 1,000 feet below sea level). As the world’s largest island, it sits at the top of the mid-Atlantic rift, which separates the Americas from Europe and Africa.

The topography of the entire Arctic Circle, extending south into much of the northern hemisphere shows evidence that something massive caused a circular ring of absolute devastation in all directions (see Velikovsky’s Earth in Upheaval).

When you combine this with the fact that very large creatures such as the Mammoths of Siberia were instantly flash-frozen, it all appears to add up to something extraordinary happening in the planet’s northern region, which I have come to believe was the E.L.E the Bible calls the Flood.

Contrary to popular, secular schools of thought, I believe is quite probable (from a Biblical worldview) that this same event also caused the Ice Age, the current tilt of the Earth and the initial fractures that later separated (divided) the world (Pangaea) during the time of Peleg, all at the same time.

If this is true, it might explain why the planet rocked so violently, why the “fountains of the great deep were broken up” and why the “windows of heaven were opened,” eventually (7 days later from Noah’s perspective) causing the water canopy to disintegrate and rain down for 40 days and 40 nights.

The following is from a presentation I did back in the late '90s, wherein I explained what I thought may have happened. I am not a scientist, geologist or any other "ist" so take this for whatever you think it is worth. It's just a theory. But if you have ever sat through a typical evolution-style lecture, I suggest that this is no more far-fetched than the nonsense they put forth on a regular basis...

Perfect world - incoming comet:	Comet hits perfect world:
This causes the fountains of the deep to break up and the earth to rock violently:	Over 40 days/nights, the gushing bursts of water shoot up into the already disintegrating canopy:
The instant exposure to the cold of space in the northern hemisphere causes massive sheets of snow and ice to fall, freezing the mammoths of Siberia in their tracks:	The once perfect earth is now shattered and broken, with an entirely new atmosphere, no longer containing the protective canopy:
New Earth, showing continents separated after the days of Peleg:	Comparison of atmospheres:
If earth was once straight up and down, it would have had a uniform temperature and no seasons:	The Yuccatan crater E.L.E. object supposedly came in at a 30 degree angle:
If that same event were to occur in the area of Greenland, it would knock the Earth over to its current tilt:	As the Earth continues to rotate, a smaller piece then hits the Yucatan Peninsula:

Whether my theory is true or not is irrelevant. One way or another, the ancient record testifies that something rocked the Earth seven days before the Flood waters completely destroyed everything on the planet, and that explains why Genesis says that the “fountains of the deep were broken up” first and then the rains came down later as the “windows of heaven were opened.” But I also think it explains a lot concerning the various rifts around the world, including the Jordan, Red Sea and African Rifts.

I believe that as a result of this violent upheaval, the Flood itself and then the subsequent Peleg expansion event, the Garden was buried. The Eden Source River and the Gihon were thus trapped underground. Later, due to climate change, and perhaps the up-thrust of mountains in western Saudi Arabia, the Pison dried up. All we have left now are the Euphrates and Tigris. This I think explains the rivers of Eden and helps us to understand why Israel is the best candidate for the Garden.

IN SUMMARY:

1. In my opinion, Stan Deyo's model for the Garden of Eden does not fit the Biblical narrative, nor the historical record. Though he contends (from an evolutionary perspective) that "early humanoids" appear first in the regions near Tanzania and "came out of Africa" northward, I don't buy the argument. Biblically speaking, I don't see any support for evolution. I don't know that Stan does either, but he did make mention of the fact that secular scientists say those things and he thought it fit well with his thesis. But my biggest problem with his model is the locations of the Pison and more specifically the Gihon. Also, I see no Biblical or historical reference that would lead me to believe the Garden was that far south. All of human civilization originates much further northeast in the regions of what we now call modern day Iraq and Iran. When Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden and sent to the east, if the Garden were in Tanzania, they'd end up in Madagascar, Indonesia, southern India or Australia! I see no evidence for that.
2. The Kuwait model for the Garden of Eden also fails in my mind because of the location of the Gihon.
3. The Gulf of Aden model fails in my mind because although the name is close to that of Eden, I think it really represents an outlet for the Source River, rather than for the Garden itself. Plus, banishing Adam and Eve to the east, puts them in the ocean or in pre-Flood India.
4. Southern Turkey is a good candidate in my opinion, but I believe, given a choice, Israel trumps it.
5. I believe there is a reason that little sliver of land in the Middle East known as Israel is the focal point of the entire Bible, history and indeed the evening news today. I truly do think it was the spot where YHWH originally walked and had one-on-one fellowship with man. I believe His goal ever since the fall of man, has been to get us back to that (physical) relationship. In the next blog, we will explore even more Biblical evidence that (in my opinion) is a slam-dunk for Israel as being the former location for the Garden of Eden... and we may even find the most likely candidate for the original location of the two trees.

To be continued in Part 3: Following Abraham Back to the Garden of Eden

Footnotes:

1. http://www.rogerswebsite.com/others/The-Temple-Mount-and-Fort-Antonio.htm [back]
2. Aristeas, translation by Eusebius, chapter 38 [back]
3. Tacitus, History, Bk.5, para.12. [back]
4. Aristeas lines 100 to 104 as translated by Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel, chapter 38 (Grand Rapids:Baker, 1982) [back]
5. Hecateus of Abdera, see Josephus Contra Apion I.22. [back]
6. http://www.contenderministries.org/prophecy/templelocation.php [back]
7. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/jerwater.html [back]
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gihon_Spring [back]
9. Merriam-Webster, Inc 편집부 (1997). MERRIAM WEBSTER'S GEOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY 3/E(H). Merriam-Webster. p. 444. ISBN 978-0-87779-546-9. Retrieved 22 November 2012. [back]
10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rift_Valley [back]
11. Genesis 6:3 [back]
12. 1 Enoch 10:8-13 [back]
13. Genesis 6:12 [back]
14. Compare with Genesis 7:10 [back]
15. Compare with Isaiah 24:20 (for a last days context of possibly the same thing happening again)

The information presented in this blog is part of the e-book series: BABYLON RISING And The First Shall Be The Last written by Rob Skiba II Copyright © 2010-2011

This e-book series is designed to explore many of the themes, concepts and ideas that will be in our forthcoming sci-fi series SEED. Thus, you might think of it as the non-fiction behind the fiction. To navigate this series, use the slide-out BLOG MENU to the left. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. As such, each blog (chapter) is subject to change, modification and in some cases a complete re-write as I receive feedback, criticism and new revelation in my research. When I am fairly satisfied with what I have written, I will record myself reading the blog for your benefit. Whenever audio is available, you can listen as you read by clicking on the embedded audio player below each blog's title or by clicking here to bring up the all in one audio player. If I have not recorded a particular blog in audio format, it probably means I am not finished writing and/or editing it. When I feel it is ready, I will record it on my supplemental radio show, The Revolutionary Radio Project on BlogTalkRadio.com. If you find this information helpful and interesting, please click on the "SHOW SEED" button to the right. That will take you to a page that will enable you to show your support for this effort by filling out a short and simple form that will help us gauge the level of public interest. Doing so will give us a valuable tool as we approach investors to get this project off the ground. It will also put you on our mailing list for future Babylon Rising blog updates. This way you can know when a new blog has been posted (or an old one has been modified). You can also check out our SEED promotional page to have another resource for posting on Facebook and other social networking sites. Your support is greatly appreciated! A note from the author: This work represents some of my research, thoughts and ideas regarding history and the End Times. Do not take anything I write as the "Gospel Truth." I encourage you to be a “good Berean” and study these things out for yourself to come to your own conclusions. DISCLAIMER: While I do believe that the books contained in The Holy Bible were Divinely inspired and written by men, I do not necessarily hold to the idea that only the 66 books we now have in our (Protestant) Bibles are the sole Divinely inspired books of antiquity. For instance, the King James Version (on which I was raised) used to have 80 books in it. Today, we only have 66. Many editions of the Bible throughout the centuries contained or left out different books. God will not contradict Himself. Therefore, the fact that there have been so many different "canons" of Scripture over the centuries proves to me that the acquisition and accumulation of Scripture has not always been Divinely inspired. I also do not believe that any one version of our English Bible is 100% correct and accurate in its TRANSLATION. Granted, some are better than others. But Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic are all very complex languages and it is often hard for English as a language to do the text justice. Thus, I find that comparing different English translations can help show us a variety of ways of looking at what was originally written. I am mentioning this because throughout this series of blogs I will be referencing different versions of English Bibles as well as taking a look at some of the books not currently considered "canon" in our (Protestant) Bibles. Having grown up in a "KJV only" environment, I felt the need to say this up front. I pray that does not hinder you in any way and that this series of blogs is interesting, enlightening and encouraging to you. STATEMENT OF FAITH