THIS BOOK, The Long Day of Joshua and Six Other Catastrophes is a work analyzing an era of astronomical cataclysms which the Earth encountered in ancient times. The era begins circa 2500 B.C., the time of the Deluge, or Biblical Flood, and it ends on the night of March 20/21, 701 B.C., the date of the last of the seven major catastrophes.
The cause of the catastrophes was Mars Mars in another orbit, a Mars surrounded by orbiting meteoritic debris (like asteroidal material), Mars feared by many ancient peoples as the deity of “war.” The war was, of course, a cosmic warfare rather than a political warfare. Later, when Mars settled down into a non-catastrophic orbit, it continued to be the god of war for the Romans, as was Indra (Mars) in Indian folklore, and Tyr 1 (Mars) in ancient Teutonic mythology. For the pantheistic Romans, all of the five known planets were deities.
Those 1800 years of planetary warfare between Mars and the Earth-Moon system are the concern of this volume. We propose that the orbits of Earth and Mars had a particular, a peculiar relationship. They were in RESONANCE.2 Surprisingly, resonance can and does occur with some orbits. Although there are several different ratios of resonance, this orbital resonance-ratio was 2:1. The insights and outworking of this ancient planetary relationship shall supply the key to understanding the cosmologies, as well as the mythologies, of many ancient peoples.
Figure 1 illustrates what is meant by a resonance orbit. This relationship will help us understand why ancient peoples were so interested in planetary movements, in eclipses, in the wrath of planetary deities, in zodiacs, in sun-dials, sun caves, gnomons, obelisks, sun-temples, planet-temples, astrologies and other astronomy-related phenomena. Ancients were inveterate (and sometimes panic-gripped) planet-watchers.
During the period 2500 B.C. to 701 B.C., ancient Carthaginians, Etruscans, Hebrews, Greeks, Phoenicians, Teutons and others carefully measured the paths of the planets in the sky and mapped the zodiac in which they moved. The zodiac was given twelve sectors or “signs” to correspond with the twelve months of the year. In the technical sense, each “sign” is 30 degrees counting from the position of the sun at the vernal equinox. 3 This concept of astronomical geography is as old as Chaldea itself, where it originated.
A careful analysis of Hebrew historical records, primarily the Bible, but also including the works of Josephus, the Talmud, and their commentaries will yield a description of seven major catastrophes and several minor ones. Three of these seven major holocausts occurred on or about March 20/21.4 This repeating pattern suggests that this particular day was a location of much peril for Earth in its orbital travel. The four other major catastrophes all are believed to have occurred at the other intersection, that of the week of October 25 (according to our current calendars).5
The model of the orbits of Earth and Mars in 2:1 resonance. Mars crosses Earth's orbit in late October and mid-March. Occasionally the Earth is at the scene as Mars crosses, and these occasions which are catastrophes are seen to be cyclic in timing.
Does it surprise the reader that these seven catastrophes can be dated, and that from these dates (and including dates of several minor catastrophes) a cyclic pattern unfolds? This, however surprising, is correct. This cyclic pattern indicates that the catastrophes were somewhat predictable to the ancients, were repetitive, and were prophesied by oracles, seers, augurs and prophets. They were quite visible in their approach, and were closely watched.
To most readers, particular numeric patterns in years are not easily apparent from Footnotes 4, 5 and 6. One pattern which should be noted is the following:
Two major catastrophes occurred in the 8th century B.C. Two major catastrophes occurred in the 15th century B.C. Two major catastrophes occurred in the 20th century B.C.7
This list therefore suggests that heavy catastrophes frequently occurred in pairs per century (when they occurred), and generally about every five or six centuries. This is to begin seeing part of the pattern. 8
A minor catastrophe occurred on or about October 25, 864 B.C. and yet another occurred about October 25, 1080 B.C. Data describing these minor catastrophes will be presented in a later chapter. The first overall pattern was major catastrophes every five or six centuries, in pairs. The second overall pattern is shown in Table I.
| The Name of the Catastrophe+ | The Date | The Interval | |
| THE JOEL-AMOS CATASTROPHE | 756 B.C. | add 108 years | |
| The Elijahic Catastrophe | 864 B.C. | add 108 years | |
| THE DAVIDIC CATASTROPHE | 972 B.C. | add 108 years | |
| The Samuelic Catastrophe | 1080 B.C. | add 324 years++ | |
| THE LONG DAY OF JOSHUA | 1404 B.C. |
This table indicates that there was a period of 108 years, probably to the day, between the first four listed catastrophes. It also indicates they were of varying intensities, but of cyclic or regular schedule. The resonant orbit model (to be presented in a later chapter) will present data showing why these periods of planetary interaction were cyclic rather than random across the centuries, and were also faithful to the week of October 25th.
This work is written to edify the average reader, the historian, the astronomer, the cosmologist, the geologist, the archaeologist and the theologian. As a result of this study, some of these people may begin thinking of Earth history (and the ancient history of man) within a new framework. This book has been written for the scientist as well as the layman. It contains concepts which are orbital, i.e. revolutionary.
Revolutionary catastrophic research, coupled with orbital analysis, reveals that the Bible contains some very excellent history. Compared to other sources of Assyrian, Greek, Egyptian, Indo-Aryan, Phoenician, Roman or Teutonic origin, it is far superior. This is not to infer that these other records lack in significance; they too are important.
This study does not advocate disregarding the celestial mechanics as established by Isaac Newton. They help in understanding the suddenness, the complexity and the source direction of these ancient holocausts. Some writers analyzing these ancient events would suggest celestial mechanics be set aside or challenged. This is a mistake.
This study does have a point of departure with “popular” theory. Specifically, our departure is from the nebular hypothesis of Kant as the theory for the origin of our solar system. With his general theory, Kant speculated that the solar system had been a vast gaseous nebula or filament 5 billion years ago.9 In his theory, most of the gaseous material condensed into the Sun; some did not. The remaining gases formed globules elsewhere. These smaller globules eventually cooled off and (somehow) formed planets and satellites, and (somehow) acquired spin axes. Kant's work was entitled The General History of Nature and Theory of the Heavens (1755).
Kant10 has been taken for a scientist; in reality, he was a philosopher. Kant's view, widely accepted today, does not explain such basic issues as:
As the reader persists through the next 300 pages, he may begin to wonder why the modern estimate of ancient catastrophic times has been so unclear and so unresourceful. Why has all of the cosmological discussion of the ancients been relegated to the classification of mythology, simplistically and a priori? Was there no core of truth in it, or was there, indeed, a very substantial core of truth overlooked?
Jonathan Swift, the Irish satirist, said some 250 years ago that it is good for society to be challenged with basic new ideas every couple of centuries, or else society might go to seed. We are going to challenge some popular theories, theories often arising out of the German rationalism and the followers of Kant, which include such men as Hegel, Feuerbach, Goethe, Marx, Hutton and Lyell. With reference to ancient history, to ancient literature and to historical cosmology, we shall require from our readers a new framework of thought for ancient history and for cosmology.
This work is written with specificity and with seeming boldness. The boldness should not imply rashness, since the material herein has been in consideration and study for almost twenty years, and in the writing for five years. Team thinking has been gathered to analyze, corroborate, dispute and revise key and secondary issues. A model of the catastrophic era is presented, with the belief that it is essentially correct, but also with the realization that some of the details eventually may require revision. The model is presented because models graphically identify assumptions, the all-important area of consideration.
This book is not for those who are entirely satisfied with prevailing explanations, often evolutionary explanations, for ancient times. The Hebrew word shaoq means shock, and earth-shocks were literally a part of the ancient scene. Soon literary shocks may be generated in this modern scene some 33 centuries later. Our challenge as authors and yours as readers is embraced in the Latin phrase, sapere aude, dare to think, and a complimentary principle, dare to challenge.
Many new ideas vanish as soon as they appear unless a particular effort is made to focus attention on them long enough to fix them in the memory.
-- W. Platt
The word Tyr in its genitive form is Tiewes, giving us our “Tiewes-daeg,” the third day of the week after “Sun-day” and “Moon-day.” Tiewes is derived from the Sanskrit word ’devas’, from which the Romans derived their word ’deus’ or “deity.” Encyclopedia Brittanica, Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1958, Vol. 22, p. 652. ↩︎
In physics, the reinforced vibration of a body exposed to the vibration at about the same frequency of another body. Webster's New World Dictionary, Cleveland: World Publishing Co., 1962, p. 1239. ↩︎
Figure 1 illustrates that one of the frequent dates of ancient astronomical peril for the Earth was March 20/21, the vernal equinox (the first day of spring). The vernal equinox is the point at which the Sun's path, the ecliptic plane, crosses the equator from south to north. From ancient times, March 21 has been known as the first point of Aries, or Mars. What is not widely realized is that the first point of Aries dates back to the era of the resonant orbit when Mars crossed Earth's orbit at that location. Even earlier, March 21 is the orbital location for Earth where the second cycle of the Flood Catastrophe occurred. The ancient veneration for March 21 reflects the degree to which astrology and astronomy were intermixed, indeed often were one and the same thing to the ancient star-watcher. ↩︎
The three spring or vernal equinox catastrophes are dated as follows:
March 20/21, 1877 B.C. The Sodom-Gomorrah Catastrophe
March 20/21, 1447 B.C. The Exodus Catastrophe
March 20/21, 701 B.C. The Isaiahic Catastrophe
The recorders, or chief recorders, of these three events were Abraham, Moses and Isaiah. Micah and Habakkuk add to the Isaiahic account. ↩︎
The four autumn catastrophes of the fire and brimstone era are dated as follows:
October 25, 1930 B.C. The Tower of Babel Catastrophe
October 25. 1404 B.C. The Long Day of Joshua Catastrophe
October 25, 972 B.C. The Greater Davidic Catastrophe
October 25, 756 B.C. The Joel-Amos Catastrophe
Among the viewers and recorders of these events were Joel, Amos, Isaiah and the author of the book of Joshua. It must be kept in mind that in the Scriptures we have preserved eye-witness observations of these events. ↩︎
TWO minor catastrophes occurred in or about 1080 B.C. and in 864 B.C. The former one of 1080 B.C. is named “The Samuelic Catastrophe” and the latter one of 864 B.C. is named “The Elijahic Catastrophe.” Each will be studied and discussed in later chapters. ↩︎
In the book by Donald Wesley Patten, The Biblical Flood and the Ice Epoch (Seattle: Pacific Meridian Publishing Co., 1966, p. 146), it was demonstrated that there were two cycles of astronomical catastrophism during the Deluge, with about a 140 day interval. In that book, this event was dated at about 2800 B.C. plus or minus 400 years. Current research leads us to believe it was closer to 2500 B.C. But significantly, the onset of the Flood Catastrophe occurred during the first week of November, and it ended after the second cycle of astronomical catastrophism, during the last week of March. Here again, these same two dates or orbital locations of Earth in space are prominent in catastrophic history.
If we include the two cycles of the Flood Catastrophe, the catastrophes occurred in pairs per century, about every five centuries. Specifically we refer to the 8th, the 15th, the 20th and the 25th centuries B.C. ↩︎
It should be observed and correlated that the 8th, 15th, 20th and 25th centuries B.C. coincide with the lives of Isaiah, Moses, Abraham and Noah, respectively. It is as if the centuries of catastrophism coincided with the emergence of great spiritual leaders who could lead their people through the crisis, and in the aftermath establish a new society or a new life style for the nation, for a battered group of people who survived. Each of these leaders predicted catastrophism. Noah built the ark. Abraham avoided Sodom-Gomorrah, Moses led his people out of the holocaust in Egypt. Isaiah advised his king brilliantly and prophetically on the outcome of the 701 B.C. event, enabling the nation to survive. ↩︎
Kant's theory is sacrosanct and essential to the evolutionary world view. He made “chance” and “time” the heroes of history. If Kant's view were correct, this book would be heresy. If our cosmology is correct, Kant's view of solar system origin is unfounded and unworkable. This establishes a basis for realizing that the entire evolutionary world view is contrary to scientific experience and principles. ↩︎
Kant was a geographer and a mathematics teacher. He later became a philosopher, and was the leading exponent of “rationalism.” Kant's theory provided the basis for Feuerbach's and Marx's atheism. Hence, views on cosmology “can” relate to how man believes and behaves. ↩︎
"The Long Day of Joshua and
Six Other Catastrophes" by Patten,
Hatch & Steinhauer
- is ©1973 by Pacific Meridian Pub. Co.
https://www.creationism.org/patten/PattenLDOJ/
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