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

Eden PART 3: Following Abraham Back to the Garden of Eden

COMING SOON!

As stated in Part 1 of this series on Eden, I believe the Garden of Eden was originally located in the area we know call Israel. There are a number of Scriptures that seem to support this view. For instance, in the book of Joel we have what appears to be a terrible army coming toward the land of Israel in the Last Days...

1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

- Joel 2:1-3

Ezekiel seems to indicate that Israel will be returned to a Garden of Eden-like state:

22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32 Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.

33 Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 34 And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35 And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.

- Ezekiel 36:22-35 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

Isaiah states the same thing:

For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

- Isaiah 51:3 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

There are others, but I think you get the point. In Part 2 of this series, I examined the 4 rivers and attempted to solidify this view. My hope with this blog is to leave no shadow of a doubt concerning the former location of the Garden of Eden. I believe the key to doing so can be found in the call of Abraham. Following in his footsteps led me to some interesting conclusions. We know from Scripture that he was called out of Ur of the Caldees. But why?

My friend LA Marzulli wrote a new book called, Cosmic Chess Match which deals with the moves and counter-moves between YHWH and Satan. I have often thought about the same thing when looking at history, current events and prophecy. You can see these constant movements on the "Chess Board of Life" being played out. But I have never seen the moves and counter moves so well played out, than at the beginning of the "new game" that appears to have started shortly after the Flood of Noah.

The first game played out fairly quick. YHWH makes man in His own image[1] and they have a great relationship together.[2] Satan gets jealous and tries to break up the relationship.[3] Because of that, YHWH pronounces a prophetic judgement, stating that Eve's seed will crush his head.[4] Satan then tries to mess up the seed in order to subvert this judgement. He nearly succeeds in his plan by getting Cain to kill his brother Abel.[5] Then, as we saw in the previous blog, he managed to get the people who were alive in the days of Seth's son Enosh to rebel against YHWH, profaning His name and provoking Him to anger, resulting in a pre-Flood flood, which wiped out 1/3rd of Eden.[6] A couple of hundred years later, a platoon of 200 fallen Watchers then descended upon Mt. Hermon in the days of Jared.[7] They participated in what I call The Genesis Six Experiment, which produced the terrible Titans of Greek mythology (first generation Nephilim). These Titans warred against eachother for 500 years, eventually killing eachother off.[8] Their Watcher parents were then judged, bound and buried.[9] Enoch gets raptured,[10] then Noah is born in a time of peace.[11] However, 600 years later, man would once again provoke YHWH to anger through the corruption of all flesh, which was the result of ancient transhumanism.[12] This corruption lasted approximately 120 years[13] until it got so bad that YHWH finally made His move. He finds ONE man that is still pure enough to preserve the promised Seed.[14] He saves this man (Noah), his family and a selection of all of the animals then wipes out the rest of the world in the Great Flood.[15] Checkmate. Game over.

New game. The Devil doesn't waste any time. Within a few hundred years after the Flood, he has a new champion player on the board: Nimrod. YHWH lets the game play out a bit, going so far as even allowing him to move this new player into position as king of the world. As the new world leader, he was said to have been more evil than all who came before him, from the days of the Flood up unto that point in time (which was approximately 250 years later).[16] Then, YHWH introduces His own new key player: Abram. And this is where "the game" gets really interesting.

Nimrod was is in the land of Shinar, and he had essentially been made king of the world in 1948AM (AM=year since Creation). This was the same year when Abram was born. In fact, Nimrod's evil kingship was a big part of the reason why YHWH called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees (just south of Babylon) in the first place. We read in Genesis 11...

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

- Genesis 11:31 (KJV)

What I found interesting about my study of Ur was the fact that the patron god of that city was an Akkadian/Sumerian moon god named "Sin" (also known as Nanna, son of Enlil and Ninlil).[17]How poetic that Abram and his family were "called out of sin" to go to a land YHWH would show him. Granted, this understanding is based on our English language, but I still found it rather fascinating. The problem is, they went from Ur to Haran, which also worshipped this same god. But why did they leave Ur in the first place? What was the event that caused Terah to pack up his family and leave? And why did they go to Haran?

The Book of Jasher lays it out beautifully. Earlier in the book, we see an interesting story about Abram and his quest for the one true God. For about 40 years, he lived with Noah and Shem. In that time, he was taught the ways of YHWH. But his father Terah remained an idolater.

And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith theLord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. - Joshua 24:2 (KJV)

Jasher elaborates:

5 And when Abram came out from the cave, he went to Noah and his son Shem, and he remained with them to learn the instruction of the Lord and his ways, and no man knew where Abram was, and Abram served Noah and Shem his son for a long time. 6 And Abram was in Noah's house thirty-nine years, and Abram knew the Lord from three years old, and he went in the ways of the Lord until the day of his death, as Noah and his son Shem had taught him; and all the sons of the earth in those days greatly transgressed against the Lord, and they rebelled against him and they served other gods, and they forgot the Lord who had created them in the earth; and the inhabitants of the earth made unto themselves, at that time, every man his god; gods of wood and stone which could neither speak, hear, nor deliver, and the sons of men served them and they became their gods. 7 And the king [Nimrod] and all his servants, and Terah with all his household were then the first of those that served gods of wood and stone.

8 And Terah had twelve gods of large size, made of wood and stone, after the twelve months of the year, and he served each one monthly, and every month Terah would bring his meat offering and drink offering to his gods; thus did Terah all the days.

9 And all that generation were wicked in the sight of the Lord, and they thus made every man his god, but they forsook the Lord who had created them. 10 And there was not a man found in those days in the whole earth, who knew the Lord (for they served each man his own God) except Noah and his household, and all those who were under his counsel knew the Lord in those days.

11 And Abram the son of Terah was waxing great in those days in the house of Noah, and no man knew it, and the Lord was with him. 12 And the Lord gave Abram an understanding heart, and he knew all the works of that generation were vain, and that all their gods were vain and were of no avail. 13 And Abram saw the sun shining upon the earth, and Abram said unto himself Surely now this sun that shines upon the earth is God, and him will I serve.14 And Abram served the sun in that day and he prayed to him, and when evening came the sun set as usual, and Abram said within himself, Surely this cannot be God?15 And Abram still continued to speak within himself, Who is he who made the heavens and the earth? who created upon earth? where is he? 16 And night darkened over him, and he lifted up his eyes toward the west, north, south, and east, and he saw that the sun had vanished from the earth, and the day became dark. 17 And Abram saw the stars and moon before him, and he said, Surely this is the God who created the whole earth as well as man, and behold these his servants are gods around him: and Abram served the moon and prayed to it all that night. 18 And in the morning when it was light and the sun shone upon the earth as usual, Abram saw all the things that the Lord God had made upon earth.

19 And Abram said unto himself Surely these are not gods that made the earth and all mankind, but these are the servants of God, and Abram remained in the house of Noah and there knew the Lord and his ways' and he served the Lord all the days of his life, and all that generation forgot the Lord, and served other gods of wood and stone, and rebelled all their days.

- Jasher 9:5-19

At this point, it appears everyone is living within the plains of Shinar (as indicated also in Genesis 11:1,2). So, Abram is in hiding with Noah and Shem. He has a heart to know the one true God. Eventually (after the Tower of Babel incident), he comes out of hiding. He then heads home.

13 And in the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house of Noah, and went to his father's house. 14 And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him.

15 And Terah his father was in those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed strange gods. 16 And Abram came to his father's house and saw twelve gods standing there in their temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his father's house. 17 And Abram said, As the Lord liveth these images shall not remain in my father's house; so shall the Lord who created me do unto me if in three days' time I do not break them all.

18 And Abram went from them, and his anger burned within him. And Abram hastened and went from the chamber to his father's outer court, and he found his father sitting in the court, and all his servants with him, and Abram came and sat before him.19 And Abram asked his father, saying, Father, tell me where is God who created heaven and earth, and all the sons of men upon earth, and who created thee and me. And Terah answered his son Abram and said, Behold those who created us are all with us in the house.

20 And Abram said to his father, My lord, shew them to me I pray thee; and Terah brought Abram into the chamber of the inner court, and Abram saw, and behold the whole room was full of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images and others less than they without number. 21 And Terah said to his son, Behold these are they which made all thou seest upon earth, and which created me and thee, and all mankind. 22 And Terah bowed down to his gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram, his son, went away with him.

23 And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother, Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the sons of men. 24 Now, therefore, hasten and fetch a kid from the flock, and make of it savory meat, that I may bring it to my father's gods as an offering for them to eat; perhaps I may thereby become acceptable to them. 25 And his mother did so, and she fetched a kid, and made savory meat thereof, and brought it to Abram, and Abram took the savory meat from his mother and brought it before his father's gods, and he drew nigh to them that they might eat; and Terah his father, did not know of it.

26 And Abram saw on the day when he was sitting amongst them, that they had no voice, no hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat. 27 And Abram mocked them, and said, Surely the savory meat that I prepared has not pleased them, or perhaps it was too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat; therefore tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than this, in order that I may see the result.

28 And it was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat, and his mother rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son Abram; and Terah his father did not know of it. 29 And Abram took the savory meat from his mother, and brought it before his father's gods into the chamber; and he came nigh unto them that they might eat, and he placed it before them, and Abram sat before them all day, thinking perhaps they might eat. 30 And Abram viewed them, and behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat.

31 And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God. 32 And he called out and said, Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat, smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like them are those that made them and that trust in them.

33 And when Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all his father's gods. 34 And when he had done breaking the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the great god which was there before them, and he went out; and Terah his father came home, for he had heard at the door the sound of the striking of the hatchet; so Terah came into the house to know what this was about. 35 And Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to the images, and he met Abram going out.

36 And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram his son had made was still before them. 37 And when Terah saw this his anger was greatly kindled, and he hastened and went from the room to Abram. 38 And he found Abram his son still sitting in the house; and he said to him, What is this work thou hast done to my gods?

39 And Abram answered Terah his father and he said, Not so my lord, for I brought savory meat before them, and when I came nigh to them with the meat that they might eat, they all at once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to eat. 40 And the large one saw their works that they did before him, and his anger was violently kindled against them, and he went and took the hatchet that was in the house and came to them and broke them all, and behold the hatchet is yet in his hand as thou seest.

41 And Terah's anger was kindled against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah said to Abram his son in his anger, What is this tale that thou hast told? Thou speakest lies to me. 42 Is there in these gods spirit, soul or power to do all thou hast told me? Are they not wood and stone, and have I not myself made them, and canst thou speak such lies, saying that the large god that was with them smote them? It is thou that didst place the hatchet in his hands, and then sayest he smote them all.

43 And Abram answered his father and said to him, And how canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is no power to do any thing? Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver thee? Can they hear thy prayers when thou callest upon them? Can they deliver thee from the hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou shouldst serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear? 44 And now surely it is not good for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with thee, to do these things; are you so silly, so foolish or so short of understanding that you will serve wood and stone, and do after this manner? 45 And forget the Lord God who made heaven and earth, and who created you in the earth, and thereby bring a great evil upon your souls in this matter by serving stone and wood?46 Did not our fathers in days of old sin in this matter, and the Lord God of the universe brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth? 47 And how can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear, or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of the universe upon you? 48 Now therefore my father refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and the souls of thy household.

49 And Abram hastened and sprang from before his father, and took the hatchet from his father's largest idol, with which Abram broke it and ran away.

- Jasher 11:13-49

I just love this story! It shows the attitude of a man "after God's own heart." He was zealous for the truth and angered by anything that took worship, glory and honor away from the Creator. One thing leads to another and then in Chapter 12 of Jasher, we find a very similar tale to that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Hebrew slaves that hundreds of years later - in the same place - King Nebuchadnezzar would throw into a firery furnace. In this case, the king is Nimrod and it is Abram who has been found guilty and thrown into the furnace - and yet remained supernaturally preserved by God. For the sake of brevity, let's pick up the story after that event. I'm going to include quite a bit of the text here because it is loaded with information!

And the king [Nimrod] said to Abram, "How is it that thou wast not burned in the fire?"And Abram said to the king, "The God of heaven and earth in whom I trust and who has all in his power, he delivered me from the fire into which thou didst cast me."

And Haran the brother of Abram was burned to ashes, and they sought for his body, and they found it consumed. And Haran was eighty-two years old when he died in the fire of Casdim. And the king, princes, and inhabitants of the land, seeing that Abram was delivered from the fire, they came and bowed down to Abram. And Abram said to them, "Do not bow down to me, but bow down to the God of the world who made you, and serve him, and go in his ways for it is he who delivered me from out of this fire, and it is he who created the souls and spirits of all men, and formed man in his mother's womb, and brought him forth into the world, and it is he who will deliver those who trust in him from all pain."

And this thing seemed very wonderful in the eyes of the king and princes, that Abram was saved from the fire and that Haran was burned; and the king gave Abram many presents and he gave him his two head servants from the king's house; the name of one was Oni and the name of the other was Eliezer. And all the kings, princes and servants gave Abram many gifts of silver and gold and pearl, and the king and his princes sent him away, and he went in peace. And Abram went forth from the king in peace, and many of the king's servants followed him, and about three hundred men joined him. And Abram returned on that day and went to his father's house, he and the men that followed him, and Abram served the Lord his God all the days of his life, and he walked in his ways and followed his law. And from that day forward Abram inclined the hearts of the sons of men to serve the Lord.

And at that time Nahor and Abram took unto themselves wives, the daughters of their brother Haran; the wife of Nahor was Milca and the name of Abram's wife was Sarai. And Sarai, wife of Abram, was barren; she had no offspring in those days.

And at the expiration of two years from Abram's going out of the fire, that is in the fifty-second year of his life, behold king Nimrod sat in Babel upon the throne, and the king fell asleep and dreamed that he was standing with his troops and hosts in a valley opposite the king's furnace. And he lifted up his eyes and saw a man in the likeness of Abram coming forth from the furnace, and that he came and stood before the king with his drawn sword, and then sprang to the king with his sword, when the king fled from the man, for he was afraid; and while he was running, the man threw an egg upon the king's head, and the egg became a great river. And the king dreamed that all his troops sank in that river and died, and the king took flight with three men who were before him and he escaped. And the king looked at these men and they were clothed in princely dresses as the garments of kings, and had the appearance and majesty of kings. And while they were running, the river again turned to an egg before the king, and there came forth from the egg a young bird which came before the king, and flew at his head and plucked out the king's eye. And the king was grieved at the sight, and he awoke out of his sleep and his spirit was agitated; and he felt a great terror.

And in the morning the king rose from his couch in fear, and he ordered all the wise men and magicians to come before him, when the king related his dream to them. And a wise servant of the king, whose name was Anuki, answered the king, saying, "This is nothing else but the evil of Abram and his seed which will spring up against my Lord and king in the latter days. And behold the day will come when Abram and his seed and the children of his household will war with my king, and they will smite all the king's hosts and his troops. And as to what thou hast said concerning three men which thou didst see like unto thyself, and which did escape, this means that only thou wilt escape with three kings from the kings of the earth who will be with thee in battle. And that which thou sawest of the river which turned to an egg as at first, and the young bird plucking out thine eye, this means nothing else but the seed of Abram which will slay the king in latter days.

This is my king's dream, and this is its interpretation, and the dream is true, and the interpretation which thy servant has given thee is right. Now therefore my king, surely thou knowest that it is now fifty-two years since thy sages saw this at the birth of Abram, and if my king will suffer Abram to live in the earth it will be to the injury of my lord and king, for all the days that Abram liveth neither thou nor thy kingdom will be established, for this was known formerly at his birth; and why will not my king slay him, that his evil may be kept from thee in latter days?" And Nimrod hearkened to the voice of Anuki, and he sent some of his servants in secret to go and seize Abram, and bring him before the king to suffer death.

And Eliezer, Abram's servant whom the king had given him, was at that time in the presence of the king, and he heard what Anuki had advised the king, and what the king had said to cause Abram's death. And Eliezer said to Abram, Hasten, rise up and save thy soul, that thou mayest not die through the hands of the king, for thus did he see in a dream concerning thee, and thus did Anuki interpret it, and thus also did Anuki advise the king concerning thee.

And Abram hearkened to the voice of Eliezer, and Abram hastened and ran for safety to the house of Noah and his son Shem, and he concealed himself there and found a place of safety; and the king's servants came to Abram's house to seek him, but they could not find him, and they searched through out the country and he was not to be found, and they went and searched in every direction and he was not to be met with. And when the king's servants could not find Abram they returned to the king, but the king's anger against Abram was stilled, as they did not find him, and the king drove from his mind this matter concerning Abram.

And Abram was concealed in Noah's house for one month, until the king had forgotten this matter, but Abram was still afraid of the king; and Terah came to see Abram his son secretly in the house of Noah, and Terah was very great in the eyes of the king. And Abram said to his father, "Dost thou not know that the king thinketh to slay me, and to annihilate my name from the earth by the advice of his wicked counsellors? Now whom hast thou here and what hast thou in this land? Arise, let us go together to the land of Canaan, that we may be delivered from his hand, lest thou perish also through him in the latter days. Dost thou not know or hast thou not heard, that it is not through love that Nimrod giveth thee all this honor, but it is only for his benefit that he bestoweth all this good upon thee? And if he do unto thee greater good than this, surely these are only vanities of the world, for wealth and riches cannot avail in the day of wrath and anger. Now therefore hearken to my voice, and let us arise and go to the land of Canaan, out of the reach of injury from Nimrod; and serve thou the Lord who created thee in the earth and it will be well with thee; and cast away all the vain things which thou pursuest."

And Abram ceased to speak, when Noah and his son Shem answered Terah, saying, "True is the word which Abram hath said unto thee."

And Terah hearkened to the voice of his son Abram, and Terah did all that Abram said, for this was from the Lord, that the king should not cause Abram's death.

- Jasher 12:34-62 [emphasis mine]

Like I said, this one chapter alone is loaded with information. It shows how Haran died before his father Terah. In fact it totally elaborates on Genesis 11:28-32, giving us a lot more details about the whole affair as to why Abram was "called out of Ur of the Chaldees" in the first place. It also helps to explain the myth of Osiris as it relates to Nimrod.

For instance, we are all familiar with the "All Seeing Eye." But few understand where this whole idea came from. At some point, either before or as the result Nimrod's death by the sword of Esau,[18] it would seem that he lost an eye. Anuki, the servant that interpretted Nimrod's dream (and possibly the author of the tales of the Anunnaki?), said that part of the dream means "nothing else but the seed of Abram will slay the king in latter days." [Jasher chapter 27 tells how Esau (Abraham's grandson) fulfills this prophecy.] Thus, I see Anuki's interpretaion as symbolic of two things:

1) Nimrod's first death in the days to come (from that time).
2) Nimrod's coming second death in the latter days - those we call the Last Days.

The picture to the right is that of the bust of Sargon. It is not within the scope of this work to elaborate on this, but many link Sargon to Nimrod. If indeed this link is valid, then we also have a connection to Nimrod's dream and the prophetic interpretation of his missing eye! And if the losing of the eye represents his death, we can now clearly "see" the other symbolic reference here.

Through the cult of Osiris, the "All Seeing Eye" is seen to be that of the left eye (same one missing in the bust of Sargon). His remaining right eye (according to the prophetic dream) seems to indicate a return. This is further confirmed by the numerous tales and iconography associated with Osiris - such as the Ankh and the Phoenix - both of which refer to resurrection. Again, Anuki said this would happen, "...in the latter days." Two eyes, two deaths! So, this seems to confirm my Babylon Rising thesis concerning the identity of the End Time Anti-Christ. He is the one who "was, is not and yet shall be" - the first of the seven heads of the Beast John described in Revelation 17. In this regard, note also what the prophet Zechariah had to say...

Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

- Zechariah 11:17 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

For more fascinating correlations concerning the life of Nimrod and Abraham, see my Nimrod - Abraham Timeline:

(This timeline is available in high resolution here)

Terah and his family have left Ur, and are now in Haran. They spend some time there and then we turn the page to Genesis 12 and read:

1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

- Genesis 12:1-7 (KJV)

Below is a map showing the journey of Abram:

When he reached the land of Canaan, YHWH let him journey onward until he arrived at Shechem. This is where he was stopped. Have you ever wondered why? We'll see what I believe to be the answer shortly. In the meantime, let's see what else happened there:

• Shechem was the first plot of land within Canaan owned by the house of Abraham:

18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money. 20 And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.

- Genesis 33:18-20 (KJV)

• This is where Dinah was raped (by Shechem, the man for whom the land was named). Simeon and Levi took vengence and killed him for it (Genesis 34).
  
  
• After Joseph has his dream concerning the sun, moon and 11 stars bowing down to him, his brothers become angry. They leave to go "tend their father's flock in Shechem." Jacob/Israel's later sends his beloved son Joseph to go find them (Genesis 37). The word Shechem means "dilligence/early rising". While looking for his brothers in the place of early rising, he meets "a certain man" who tells him that they have departed for Dothan, which means "their double sickness". The English word "dilligence" means: "the attention and care legally expected or required of a person (as a party to a contract)". So, they left their place of carefully tending to their father's flock, to go to a place of "double sickness" in order to lay in wait for their brother, whom they plotted to kill and destroy. Hold that thought.
  
  
• After the Exodus and the 40 days wandering in the wilderness, the children of Israel crossed the Jordan and were told to go to Shechem, build and altar (on Mt. Ebal) and divide the tribes in half, with one part on Mt. Garizim to pronounce the blessings of the Torah and the other on Mt. Ebal to pronounce the curses.(Deuteronomy 11:29 and 27:1-29:1)
  
  
• It was a city of refuge within the Promised Land (Joshua 21:21).
  
  
• Joshua gathered all the tribes and elders of Israel and made a covenant with the people at Shechem (Joshua 24:25).
  
  
• The bones of Joseph, which were brought up from Egypt, were buried in Shechem and the city became the inheritance of the children of Joseph (Joshua 24:32).
  
  
• The conversation Yeshua had with the Samaritan woman at the well took place at a place believed to have been a suburb of Shechem. (John 4:3-42) [19] An entire book could be written just on the significance of this point alone, but it is not within the scope of this work to do so. Read over that whole story and then, for the sake of the purpose of this blog, consider "well" the following commentaries:

  Jacob’s well is one of the few spots about the position of which all travellers are agreed. Jesus, passing from south to west would pass up the valley of Mochna until the road turns sharp to the west, to enter the valley of Sichem between Ebal and Gerizim. Here is Jacob’s field, and in the field is Jacob’s well.  

  - Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers on John 4:6

  ---

  It has been known as Jacob's well by a continuous tradition, and is situated in the plain of Mukhhan, under the rough sides of Gerizim, just beyond the spot where the plain is entered almost at right angles by the eastern end of the vale of Shechem. The latter vale is constituted by the two mountain ridges of Gerizim on the south and Ebal on the north. Nablous, or Shechem, is not visible from the well of Sychar, being hidden by the spur of Gerizim from view, and higher up the valley of Shechem are the present ruins of Sebastich or Samaria proper. Dean Stanley said it was one of the most beautiful spots in Palestine. Sychar lies half a mile to the north of the traditional well. 

  - Pulpit Commentary on John 4:6

  ---

  4:4-26 There was great hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Christ's road from Judea to Galilee lay through Samaria. We should not go into places of temptation but when we needs must; and then must not dwell in them, but hasten through them. We have here our Lord Jesus under the common fatigue of travellers. Thus we see that he was truly a man. Toil came in with sin; therefore Christ, having made himself a curse for us, submitted to it. Also, he was a poor man, and went all his journeys on foot. Being wearied, he sat thus on the well; he had no couch to rest upon. He sat thus, as people wearied with travelling sit. Surely, we ought readily to submit to be like the Son of God in such things as these. Christ asked a woman for water. She was surprised because he did not show the anger of his own nation against the Samaritans. Moderate men of all sides are men wondered at. Christ took the occasion to teach her Divine things: he converted this woman, by showing her ignorance and sinfulness, and her need of a Saviour. By this living water is meant the Spirit. Under this comparison the blessing of the Messiah had been promised in the Old Testament. The graces of the Spirit, and his comforts, satisfy the thirsting soul, that knows its own nature and necessity. What Jesus spake figuratively, she took literally. Christ shows that the water of Jacob's well yielded a very short satisfaction. Of whatever waters of comfort we drink, we shall thirst again. But whoever partakes of the Spirit of grace, and the comforts of the gospel, shall never want that which will abundantly satisfy his soul. Carnal hearts look no higher than carnal ends. Give it me, saith she, not that I may have everlasting life, which Christ proposed, but that I come not hither to draw. The carnal mind is very ingenious in shifting off convictions, and keeping them from fastening. But how closely our Lord Jesus brings home the conviction to her conscience! He severely reproved her present state of life. The woman acknowledged Christ to be a prophet. The power of his word in searching the heart, and convincing the conscience of secret things, is a proof of Divine authority. It should cool our contests, to think that the things we are striving about are passing away. The object of worship will continue still the same, God, as a Father; but an end shall be put to all differences about the place of worship. Reason teaches us to consult decency and convenience in the places of our worship; but religion gives no preference to one place above another, in respect of holiness and approval with God. The Jews were certainly in the right. Those who by the Scriptures have obtained some knowledge of God, know whom they worship. The word of salvation was of the Jews. It came to other nations through them. Christ justly preferred the Jewish worship before the Samaritan, yet here he speaks of the former as soon to be done away. God was about to be revealed as the Father of all believers in every nation. The spirit or the soul of man, as influenced by the Holy Spirit, must worship God, and have communion with him. Spiritual affections, as shown in fervent prayers, supplications, and thanksgivings, form the worship of an upright heart, in which God delights and is glorified. The woman was disposed to leave the matter undecided, till the coming of the Messiah. But Christ told her, I that speak to thee, am He. She was an alien and a hostile Samaritan, merely speaking to her was thought to disgrace our Lord Jesus. Yet to this woman did our Lord reveal himself more fully than as yet he had done to any of his disciples. No past sins can bar our acceptance with him, if we humble ourselves before him, believing in him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

  - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 4:6 [emphasis mine]

Lot's of interesting things happened in Shechem (both good and bad)![14] In addition to the above, I also found this:

God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

- Psalm 60:6 again in 108:7(KJV)

Have you ever seen Shechem? From above, it looks like there was once a continuous mountain range, that someone cut in half (divided?) and scooped out the middle:

This was the perfect place for Joshua to bring the Israelites, to divide them in half and perform the ceremony of pronouncing the blessings and curses as he was commanded, because it was a natural amphitheater!

26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

29 And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. 30 Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh? 31 For ye shall pass over Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it, and dwell therein.

32 And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.

- Deuteronomy 11:26-32 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

Regarding YHWH's commandments, consider also what Moses said later on in Deuteronomy:

11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

- Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

When I first really read this, I was struck with the idea of a very similar command, which was given long before:

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil...

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

- Genesis 2:9 & 15-17 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

Adam and Eve chose death over life. That is why I believe Moses was, in almost a comical sense, giving the Israelites the answer to the question of which they should choose: Life or death?

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, {almost like, "Hello McFly! Choose life!!} that both thou and thy seed may live:

- Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

Adam and Eve chose wrong. They were kicked out of the land due to disobedience. This was also an act of love, for had they eaten of the Tree of Life after eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they would have lived in an eternally fallen state. Nevertheless, their act of disobedience to YHWH's ONE commandment, got them booted out of Paradise and into Babylon.

Thousands of years later, a man, living in "Sin," became a man after YHWH's own heart, so much so that he was referred to as the "friend of God."

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. - James 2:23 (KJV)

Abraham not only believed God, but he obeyed Him. Consider this promise YHWH made to Abraham's son Isaac:

And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

- Genesis 26:4-5 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

This was long before Moses! And yet we read that Abraham had obeyed the commandments, statutes and laws of YHWH. I believe Moses merely was given in stone what was always in the heart of God. Abraham, while far from perfect, was tuned into the heart of God and I believe this is what made him the man worthy of being chosen by YHWH to "return to Eden." So out of Sin he went and journeyed until he got to that one very special place in YHWH's land - the spot where mankind broke the first commandment. Thus, it is my strong belief that Shechem marks that spot. And I believe the Tree of Life once stood where Mt. Gerizim is today and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil once stood where Mt. Ebal is today. The blessings were pronounced over the spot where the Tree of Life was and the curses were pronounced over the spot where the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was. Furthermore, as if to serve as a permanent reminder, Joshua was commanded to build an altar, cover it with plaster and write the commandments on it on Mt. Ebal!

1 And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.

2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: 3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee. 4 Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister. 5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them. 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God: 7 And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.

- Deuteronomy 27:1-8 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

If my thesis is true, this is an extraordinarily beautiful scenario. YHWH is telling them to build an altar of "living stones" in order to make "peace offerings" to be reconciled to Him once again. Regarding the issue of "living stones" and the altar on Mt. Ebal, consider what Jim Staley has to say about this:

Staley believes that Shechem was divided (as David says in Psalm 60:6 says) by YHWH and that when He killed and divided the animals (in Genesis 15), through which He walked when He made the covenant with Abraham, He did so in Shechem, between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal. If this is true, it is nothing short of absolutely amazing that at the end of the Exodus, Israel had to walk through the same exact place where YHWH made that covenant! As they were walking through this location, passing between Gerizim and Ebal, they were literally fulfilling the prophecy spoken to Abraham, by walking where YHWH had walked hundreds of years before:

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?

9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 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:

- Genesis 15:5-18 (KLV) [emphasis mine]

I believe this animal sacrifice covenant took place in the same location as the first animal sacrifice, which provided the skins that clothed Adam and Eve when they sinned and realized they were naked.

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

- Genesis 3:21 (KJV)

I am tearing up as I type this because I can almost see YHWH crying as His people return to this spot and try to make right what was done wrong so many thousands of years earlier. It's like as the Israelites gathered on Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, at the location of the betrayal of man sinning against His Creator; at the location of His promise to Abraham, I can hear Him saying, "Thank you. I forgive you (mankind). I love you. I long to have fellowship with you and walk among you again as I did with Adam. Now, be sure you write my commandments down 'plainly' so that you do not forget to obey them. Because if you do forget and start to disobey Me again, I'm going to have to kick you out of my Garden again... and I really don't want to have to do that. Will you this time choose life instead of death?"

26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: 27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) 28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. 29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.

- Leviticus 18:26-30 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

That land is HIS land and He has "house rules" for living on it. YHWH's rules are for our own good, for our own health and long life and right relationship with Him and our fellow man. When man breaks those rules, he always gets vomitted out of the Garden!

Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

- Leviticus 20:22 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

Sadly, we see many instances where the people of Israel are "spued out" of that land to go into captivity. When we disobey in the Garden, we end up in Babylon! Note the call of the last days is to "come out of Babylon" so that we don't get what she has coming to her:

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

- Revelation 18:4 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

I believe YHWH is calling us all back to the Garden. That is why in the Millennial Reign, we end up back at the location we now call Israel. It's why the pyramid-shaped New Jerusalem comes down and sits on that specific plot of land.

This brings us back to the beginning discussion of the Great Pyramid and the circle of Eden I drew back in 2009. When I first drew it, I only had in mind that the Giza plateau was the spot where Adam was created. The Garden was "eastward" within a plot of land known as Eden, which I imagine extended as far east as Babylon. I drew the circle. Then, recently (in 2014) I compared the diameter of that circle with the measurements of the base of the New Jerusalem. Much to my surprise, it was an almost perfect match!

The picture to the right shows the white square base of the New Jerusalem under the red circle of what I thought may have been the original boundary of Eden. The crosshair is centered over Giza in this picture, but I do not believe the New Jerusalem will be centered over Giza. I believe it will be centered over Jerusalem. With that idea in mind, I shifted it over...

As I said early on, this is all speculation on my part, but I believe the evidence is pretty solid. It's all part of an amazing plan, which was set in motion when Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. YHWH has always had a plan to bring us back to the Garden in fellowship with Him. All we have to do is listen and obey and we will have life and life more abundantly. If we choose rather to obey the Serpent, we find nothing but death and destruction and exile from the Promised Land.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. - John 10:10 (KJV)

---

19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

- Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

---

45 And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel: 46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

- Deuteronomy 32:45-47 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

---

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. - Psalm 19:7 (KJV)

---

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. - Proverbs 7:2 (KJV)

---

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. - Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

---

1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

- 1 John 5:1-3 (KJV) [emphasis mine]

As for me and my house... I'll choose life. Will you?

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Footnotes:

1. Genesis 1:26,27 [back]
2. Genesis 2:8-25 [back]
3. Genesis 3:1-13 [back]
4. Genesis 3:14,15 [back]
5. Genesis 4:1-16 Note: the land of Nod is also to the East of Eden, so it must have been further east, away from where ever it was that Adam and Eve lived (presumably as noted in Part 1, in the region of ancient, pre-Flood Babylon). Elliott's Commentary for English Readers on Gen. 4:16 states:
   
   16) Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.—See Note on Genesis 3:8. Adam and his family probably worshipped with their faces towards the Paradise, and Cain, on migrating from the whole land of Eden, regarded himself as beyond the range of the vision of God. (See Note on Genesis 4:14.)

   The land of Nod.—i.e., of wandering. Knobel supposes it was China, but this is too remote. Read without vowels, the word becomes India. All that is certain is that Cain emigrated into Eastern Asia, and as none of Noah’s descendants, in the table of nations in Genesis 10, are described as having travelled eastward, many with Philippson and Knobel regard the Mongol race as the offspring of Cain.
   
   - Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers on Gen. 4:16 [back]

6. Jasher 2:3-9 [back]
7. Genesis 6:1-4 and 1 Enoch 6 [back]
8. 1 Enoch 10:9,10 [back]
9. 1 Enoch 10:11,12 [back]
10. Genesis 5:23,24 [back]
11. Noah's name means "rest" [back]
12. Genesis 6:12; Jasher 4:18; Jubilees 7:24 [back]
13. Genesis 6:3 [back]
14. Genesis 6:8,9 [back]
15. Genesis 7 [back]
16. Jasher 7:44-46 [back]
17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin_(mythology) [back]
18. Jasher 27:1-12 [back]
19. http://biblehub.com/john/4-5.htm [back]
20. https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=Shechem&qs_version=KJV [back]

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