Monday, October 4, 2010

Gobekli Tepe

During a dinner discussion with a reader of DIT (Daily Interesting Things), I learned of a very interesting archaeological site in Turkey.

Seems this site, Gobekli Tepe, currently only partially excavated, has many standing stones and circle structures similar to the well known Stonehenge and other similar structures around the world -

But, the structures in Gobekli Tepe in Turkey (the area known as Armenia in the Bible in 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38) are thought to be older than Stonehenge.

Older?  

Yes. The structures in Gobekli Tepe are thought to be about 12,000 years old whereas Stonehenge is thought to be about 6,000 years old.  (Remember, these are dates selected by those wearing ‘old earth glasses’)

Everyone agrees, this is a fascinating and important discovery. 

But, the interpretation depends on which glasses you are wearing (‘old earth / evolutionary glasses’ or the ‘young earth / Creation by God glasses’)

If you wear the evolutionary glasses, the date of 12,000 or so years attributes the water erosion, location, etc. to the ‘last’ (of several) ice age with local heavy rains, etc.  The people who lived in this ‘era’ are called hunter-gatherers and folks today are understandably amazed that hunter-gatherers could build such things with no tools or with very rudimentary tools such as stones, sticks, ropes, whatever.

But, with ‘young earth’ glasses, the explanation re the water erosion, etc. is viewed within the context of the civilization before (a very highly advanced civilization) and after Noah’s flood (which likely began with the highly advanced pre-flood knowledge and then deteriorated rapidly as a result of the Babel Dispersion event), the ice age (the only ice age) that occurred after Noah’s flood, and etc.

Wearing old earth glasses, discoveries such as Gobekli Tepe are really very difficult (more likely impossible) to explain.

But, wearing young earth glasses, such discoveries make a lot of sense.  For example, the location of Gobekli Tepe is practically at the foot of the Mountains of Aarat.   Remember what happened there? Yes. Noah’s ark landed.

And civilization began anew from there. 

So, could Gobekli Tepe be one of the earliest post Flood structures?

And could Stonehenge and other similar sites around the world be later post flood and even post Babel structures? Hmmm.

Similarly, could the water erosion seen on many of these old structures, including the Sphinx and Pyramids of Egypt, be due to the heavy rains post Flood -- the heavy rains which ultimately produced the one and only ice age?

Just a thought.

So, put on your ‘young earth’ glasses and see what else you can interpret as you view the article and pictures of Gobekli Tepe.  HERE’S THE LINK

And if you would like to read still more, The Smithsonian.com site reported on this also.  HERE’S THE LINK

Finally, what does AIG have to say about this? HERE’S THE LINK