The Gen-X Bible: The Old Testament: Kingdoms, Catastrophes, and Covenants

By Gen-X Redactor: DL Lyle

Society’s foundational stories, key to uniting us, are under attack because they are judged as unhistorical biblical myths.  What if that judgment is wrong? In that case, debunking these attacks would be important.  Which is why this book is important!

The history of the universe from the beginning to the creation of man on earth is a real history, just slightly different than as described in the bible.  The cognitive revolution is a real event, just slightly different than as described in the bible.  The Garden of Eden is a real place and can be pointed to on a map today.  But what about the heroes?

The key to identifying biblical heroes in secular sources is to synchronize the chronologies.  By answering a simple question with a simple answer, this narrative is based on an alternative chronology that unmasks identities of many heroes…and they are REAL!  

Noah’s flood was a real event and can be linked to the most catastrophic volcanic eruption of the Bronze Age.  Abram was a real person, and a mayor of Jerusalem wrote and complained about him to an Egyptian Pharoah.  Joseph was a real person, and his story has been known for centuries in Egypt but misidentified due to poor chronology.  Moses is in the Egyptian records once you look in the right time period!  

And the histories of these hero’s matter.  They matter because the record of their history in the Bible records the maturation of an explanation for the fundamental question everyone wants to know the answer to:  why?  

Experience the thrill of quickly and easily learning the Bible and discovering how accurate it really is while staying true to the latest modern science.  The majority of the Old Testament is thoroughly explored in less than 250 pages, and they are explored as they occurred, within the larger history of man!  

History, alternative history, biblical history, Ancient Near East geography, military analysis, mathematics, metallurgy, the Bronze Age Collapse, archeology, linguistics, even climate change, all these topics make their appearance in these pages to help explain what the latest scholarship believes to be true about the Bible.

Although this book is clearly written by a modern scientist and mathematician, it is truly hoped that it is seen for what is intended to be:  a modern-day apologetic.  To serve that role, it was written in a way that is hopefully easy to read and not filled with dense notes.  It hopefully includes enough information to get the curious started on their own investigations.  And it is hopefully clear that the author respects and is in awe of the biblical authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Sep 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781977268549

Gen-X Redactor: DL Lyle

David was raised in a small rural town east of Pensacola, FL, earned degrees in engineering, pure, and applied Mathematics, and served 21 years in the USAF.  He joined Lockheed Martin in 2011, where he continued using math and science to forecast the future and design war-winning weapons.  

Book preview

The Gen-X Bible

The Old Testament: Kingdoms, Catastrophes, and Covenants

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2023 Gen-X Redactor: DL Lyle

v2.0

The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Cover Photo © 2023 DL Lyle. All rights reserved - used with permission.

Outskirts Press and the OP logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Preface

In 1976 I was causing trouble in my third-grade classroom. My teacher was hopeful that giving me challenging work would focus my energies on less destructive activities than horseplay and fighting. She would bring in textbooks from high school and college classes, tell me to make a lesson plan on various chapters in those books, assign myself homework, grade the homework, create tests, take tests, and then grade the tests. Can you believe I managed to fail a couple of these tests?

During one of these sprints through a textbook, I kept making mistakes converting numbers between base-10 and base-60 and ended up creating 900-year-old men and women. I was frustrated, but also a bit intrigued. As I let my curiosity lead the way, I discovered that there were practical reasons for these conversions, and I was stunned to learn that the biblical Abram grew up where base-60 numbers were the norm but died where base-10 numbers were. Later, me and my Catholic upbringing confronted life in a small Southern Baptist town where my loving and genuinely concerned friends worried about the safety of my soul. My curiosity forced me to figure out what they were worried about.

As a result, I have been doing informal biblical research for over 45 years. During these same years I’ve joined various Christian congregations, served a career in the US Military, and travelled all over the world. I’ve learned to truly appreciate great things about religious organizations, our government, and the nation they both serve.

For the past few years, I have had a feeling (probably a common one) that there’s something wrong with the world today, but I don’t know what it is. When I recently started to write down memories to share with my children, the idea of isolating the results of my religious research from the non-religious memories took shape as I started realizing I might see the answer to what’s wrong.

This book is the result of that long, strange journey. I hope readers come to this book because it delivers on a promise to quickly (around 200 pages) provide a complete picture of how the biblical history it covers (from the beginning to the destruction of the first temple) fits in with the secular history surrounding it. I also hope readers hear a soft voice deep inside their consciousness telling them how these old lessons apply to what might be wrong with the world today.

Now for the many things this book is not and does not do. It is not a new translation – in fact the biblical quotes come from one of the oldest translations, the King James Version. It is not committed to proving the superiority of any version of the bible over another version, but is aware there are differences between the Septuagint, the Masoretic Text, the Peshitta, etc. For the big picture points being made in this book, those differences are irrelevant.

It does not organize the topics the way the traditional bibles do, it covers topics chronologically, and it intentionally ends at a different point in history than the traditional Old Testament. There will be a Part 2 and a Part 3 to discuss the other biblical books not covered in Part 1, and these parts make good sense historically. Part 1 (The Old Testament: Kingdoms, Catastrophes, and Covenants) covers from the beginning until the destruction of the first temple (586 BC). Part 2 (The Middle Testament: Greeks and Galileans) picks up where Part 1 ends and covers through the destruction of the second temple (70 AD). Part 3 (The New Testament: Saints, Soldiers, and Scientists) covers everything after the destruction of the second temple.

It does not present all sides of the debates the experts are engaged in. I formed opinions years ago based on my own reading of the bible and my accidental discoveries as I researched. The references found in this narrative were included because I found them recently as I checked to make sure my beliefs weren’t completely unfounded, not because they are meant to be an exhaustive or definitive statement on the debates.

Finally, although this book is clearly written by a modern scientist and mathematician, it is truly hoped that it is seen for what is intended to be: a modern-day apologetic. In order to serve that role, it is meant to be easy to read and not filled with dense notes. It includes enough information to get the curious started on their own investigations. And it should be clear that I respect and am in awe of the biblical authors.

I am so grateful for the many people in my life who helped make this pursuit of knowledge possible. My third-grade teacher, my childhood priest, my high school Debate coach, and my high school math teachers all helped nurture my enthusiasm for learning despite the trouble I caused them. They deserve medals for their work with me and with all their students. They were exceptional teachers.

My parents were the best parents a child could ever ask for, and both of them created safe but stimulating environments and situations that challenged me to grow every day. My wife and kids deserve praise for their patience listening to me bounce ideas off of them and me begging them to help make this a more entertaining book. Despite their best efforts, I am not a gifted writer. Any shortcomings, whether factually or from an entertainment standpoint, are mine, not theirs. They did the best they could with the clay I gave them.

Finally, in the spirit of a recommendation from a book my wife just read, I am very grateful for the life events that I endured over the past few years – without them I would not have had the opportunity to complete this project. For those events, I thank my creator.

Table of Contents

Preface

One: Genesis…and the Earliest Ages

1.1 - In the Beginning…Genesis 1

1.2 - The Fall of Sapiens – Cognitive Revolution…Genesis 3

1.3 - Cain and Abel…Genesis 4

1.4 - The Garden of Eden…Genesis 2

1.5 - Table of Nations…Genesis 10

1.6 - Battle of Gu Edin…2500 BC

1.7 - The Mighty Nimrod/Sargon…Genesis 10.8-12

1.8 - The Tower of Babel…Genesis 11

1.9 - King Lists, Calendars, and Bronze Age Chronology...2000 BC

1.10 - From Adam to Noah…Genesis 5

1.11 –Floods, Expulsions, and the Sack of Babylon…1600 BC

1.12 - Explaining the Flood, and a Covenant…Genesis 6-929

Two: Genesis…and the Bronze Age

2.1 - From Shem to Abram…Genesis 11

2.2 - Thutmose III and the Battle of Megiddo…1450 BC

2.3 - Abram’s Migration…Genesis 12-13

2.4 - Abram and Battle of Siddim…Genesis 14

2.5 - Abram’s Covenant…Genesis 15-17

2.6 - Abram and Sodom and Gomorrah…Genesis 18-19

2.7 - Akhenaten...1350 BC

2.8 - Ishmael and Isaac…Genesis 20-22

2.9 - Death of Sarah, Abram and the Hittites…Genesis 23

2.10 - Isaac’s Mitanni Marriage…Genesis 24-25

2.11 - Ramesses II, Battle of Kadesh and the Fall of Mitanni…1275 BC

2.12 - Esau and Jacob…Genesis 25-36

2.13 - Merneptah…1210 BC

2.14 - Judah and Joseph/Chancellor Bey…Genesis 37-50

Three: Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Samuel…and the Collapse Age

3.1 - The Hittites and Fall of Troy…1180 BC

3.2 - Egypt and the Sea Peoples…1175 BC

3.3 - Moses and the Exodus…Exodus 1-15

3.4 - The Wandering…Exodus 16-19; Numbers 1-36

3.5 - Conquests? … Joshua and Judges

3.6 - Ruth … 1100 BC?

3.7 - The First Kingdom, Saul …1 Samuel 1-15

3.8 - David …1 Samuel 16 - 2 Samuel 24

3.9 - Solomon …1 Kings 1-11

Four: Kings…and the Neo-Assyrian Iron Age

4.1 - Adad Nirari II…900 BC

4.2 - Kings of Israel and Judah…1 Kings 11–16

4.3 - Elijah…1 Kings 17–22

4.4 - Battle of Qarqar…853 BC

4.5 - Elisha…2 Kings 1–15

4.6 - Amos…760 BC

4.7 - Hosea…720 BC

4.8 - Fall of Israel 722 BC…2 Kings 16-17

4.9 - Micah…720 BC

Five: Kings…and the Neo-Babylonian Iron Age

5.1 - First Isaiah…710 BC

5.2 - Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem –700 BC…2 Kings 17-19

5.3 - Leviticus …700 BC

5.4 - Assyrian Conquest of Egypt - 671 BC…2 Kings 20-21

5.5 - Josiah 640 – 609 BC…2 Kings 22-23

5.6 - Zephaniah…640 BC

5.7 - Deuteronomy…630 BC

5.8 - Revolt of Babylon…626-612 BC

5.9 - Nahum…612 BC

5.10 - Battle of Megiddo…609 BC

5.11 - Habakkuk…605 BC

5.12 – Destruction of the Temple 586 BC…2 Kings 24–25

5.13 - Lamentations…587 BC

Endnotes & Figure Citations

ONE

Genesis…and the Earliest Ages

1.1 - In the Beginning…Genesis 1

In the beginning…there was nothing.

Actually, in the beginning, our math models have a zero in the denominator…a singularity. When singularities occur in our math models, our ability to understand what is happening doesn’t exist at all or exists in a different and probably less quantitative way. In this case, we don’t know exactly what happened, but something DID happen. Our creator, whoever or whatever this infinitely powerful and incomprehensible force of nature is called, created.

And then there was an expansion into something…no more zeroes in our denominators.

Soon after that moment, around 13.8 billion years ago by our best guess today, the universe had organized itself in a way that we understand using laws of physics, which govern concepts such as space, forces, and sub-atomic particles. If the characteristics of space, forces and particles had been even slightly different, the universe would have collapsed back into a singularity. Perhaps there had been an infinite out of nothing, something events before this one, but they were either too hot or too cold. This one was just right. And it was good. Space, forces and sub-atomic particles interacted in ways that led, in rare places and times, to what we call Big Bang nucleosynthesis, creating the lightest elements, hydrogen and helium. These light elements combined in rare places and times to create stars, the earliest around 13.5 billion years ago. Thus defines the first era – the initial star-formation era.

The Bible also describes this era. The description has been praised, attacked, worshipped, and dismissed. Given the number of great thinkers who have been studying our origins and the number of years they have been studying it since the biblical version was recorded, my reaction at the beauty and relative accuracy of the biblical description is AWE and AMAZEMENT!

(NOTE: All biblical quotes from biblestudytools.com/kjv, where the King James Version of The Bible is available online).

Genesis 1

1 In the beginning God created* the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw* the light, that it was good: and God divided* the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Once the first stars were created, they created heavier elements in accordance with the laws of physics during stellar nucleosynthesis, whether during ordinary evolution of the life of the star or during an extraordinary demise called supernovae. As these heavier elements were created and dispersed, they interacted in ways we understand using the laws of chemistry to create molecules. Simultaneously, the laws of physics were still acting to create stars as in the initial star-formation period, except with the added complexity of access to the heavier elements and molecules created by the older stars. As a result of these processes, our solar system was created around 4.6 billion years ago. Thus defines the second era – our solar system formation era.

Once the earth was created, the laws of physics and chemistry worked together to create earth’s atmosphere and accumulate water on the earth’s surface. Analysis of the deuterium to hydrogen ratio of various water sources suggests that most water on earth’s surface came to earth via asteroid impacts, possibly even the hypothesized impact that led to the formation of the moon. Because of the earth’s distance from the sun (not too hot and not too cold) water could accumulate on the surface during this era. As various sources of energy (the sun, the earth’s core, cosmic radiation) interacted with the various complex molecules that were forming, in rare places and times the chain of events that can create simple life forms occurred, maybe by 3.8 billion years ago. And life is good. With life comes the laws of biology, which must be included now with the laws of physics and the laws of chemistry. Thus defines the third era – the simple life formation era.

Once simple life forms were created, they competed for the scarce resources needed to survive. This competition leads to change based on the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, but at a faster speed driven by evolutionary processes that are explained using laws of economics - supply and demand in the presence of scarce resources. Finally, possibly 750 million years ago, multi-cellular life forms evolved. Life was still confined to the oceans at this time, but at some point, probably 400 million years ago, driven out of the ocean by a competition for scarce resources it could not win, a life form migrated onto land and survived. Some of these various life forms were successful, they were fruitful and multiplied. And life is good. Thus defines the fourth era – the land-life formation era.

Once land life forms were created, they evolved in response to a variety of challenges along with all other creatures based on the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, and economics until finally, by around 4 million years ago, bipedal hominids evolved. Some of these hominids were successful, they were fruitful and multiplied. And life is good. Thus defines the fifth era – the bipedal hominid formation era.

Once bipedal hominids were created, they continued to evolve based on the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, and economics. The hominids migrated and differentiated into new species. One of the new species that evolved during this period, around 300 thousand years ago, was Homo Sapiens, modern humans. But more importantly, some of these hominid species used tools to help transition from scavengers to hunter-gatherers. Some of them were successful, they were fruitful and multiplied. And life is good. Thus defines the sixth era – the lower paleolithic era.

But the forces of creation did NOT rest during the seventh era. Once the lower paleolithic era began, it was only a matter of time before competition for scarce resources led to more technological changes that would continue transforming life for hominids. More complex tools were created. Burial of the dead began. Artistic expression began. Widespread use of fire is observed. Some of these changes may have occurred as early as 200 thousand years ago, but the time varies with location, some places earlier, some places later. Thus defines the seventh era – the middle paleolithic era.

The biblical narrative that described the ancient past was as good of an explanation as any from that era about the ancient past, but humans have learned a lot in the past few thousand years, and the description included here¹ benefits from those thousands of years of human learning. That should not detract from the greatness that was the biblical description.

1.2 - The Fall of Sapiens – Cognitive Revolution…Genesis 3

Once the various species of hominids, including Homo Sapiens, had evolved, they continued evolving in accordance with the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, and economics, enabling them to succeed in a variety of climates, but never to the point where they were the dominant or top predator. In those days all the various hominids displayed similar social behaviors, including ritual-like grooming that appears to be the key to forming survivable socially bonded groups of 50 or so family members.

But around 60,000 years ago, or nearly 240,000 years after their creation, Homo Sapiens added a new social behavior that changed everything². Sapiens began gossiping. Gossiping led to more complex language. More complex language led to more complex information sharing, including the ability to share information about things that only existed in imagination – a cognitive revolution. The cognitive revolution affected manageable group size which got larger through the creation of stories that bound larger groups together via cultural affinity. The cognitive revolution also affected adaptation cycle time, which shrank. Good ideas were no longer the product of happy accidents, they were the product of discussions, arguments, gossip… imagination. Sapiens were evolving at a pace driven by imagination, much faster than the pace of change driven by the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, and economics. Sapiens’ imagination enabled adaptation much faster than any other species on earth.

This set the stage for Sapiens’ rapid success in the conflict for scarce resources and rise to the top of the food chain all over the world. Sapiens left their point of origin, and by 12,000 years ago were the top predators almost everywhere on earth. And everywhere Sapiens went, many large mammals went extinct, including all the other bipedal hominids. So, Sapiens ate the forbidden fruit of gossip, gained a better ability to distinguish good ideas from bad ideas, became able to adapt more rapidly than any other species on earth and ascended to the top of the food chain. But with the good comes the bad. Sapiens, able to be persuaded via stories, became the first and only species to be manipulated by the propagation of misleading ideas – such as stories that imply evil in others. Thus defines the eighth era – the upper paleolithic era.

The biblical description of this momentous event in Genesis is much more personal and emotional. It is also shockingly accurate in assessing what ultimately differentiated Homo Sapiens from the rest of the animal kingdom, especially when you consider how much knowledge humans have gained over the past few thousand years.

Genesis 3

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

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

22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

1.3 - Cain and Abel…Genesis 4

Around 10,000 BC, some paleolithic bands in what we now call the fertile crescent discovered how to domesticate plants and animals and how to smelt metals, sparking the neolithic revolution³. Now driven by the speed of imagination and the speed of transmitting good ideas rather than the speed of physics, chemistry, biology, and economics, neolithic bands rapidly displaced paleolithic bands in the fertile crescent. We don’t know whether this happened through simple sharing of information and competition of ideas or outright violence in competition for scarce resources.

This revolution, while reducing the quality of life of most land-working peasant individuals, created food surpluses that permitted higher density occupation of the same land. This enhances through simple population advantages the military ability of neolithic bands. In other words, it was effective. So, inevitably, the neolithic revolution diffused throughout the world. Afterwards, relatively few neolithic shepherds led a life that in hindsight appeared like living in the good old days to the vast majority of neolithic land working peasants. In other words, neolithic crop-working Cain slew paleolithic shepherd Abel exactly as depicted in another very memorable and basically accurate biblical narrative.

Genesis 4

1 And Adam knew* Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare* Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Thus defines the ninth era – the neolithic era.

1.4 - The Garden of Eden…Genesis 2

While paleolithic and neolithic men were evolving, the fact that the universe is not static meant that change, whether caused by weather, geology, astronomy, or any other natural process, continually challenged them. But while challenged populations are solving problems, they will also gossip. Sometimes gossip evolves into epic stories that survive for decades, centuries, even millenniums.

In addition, it is only natural for people to wonder where they are from. In fact, many tribal communities have epic origin stories, and many of these stories involve similar elements – an origin location that is fondly remembered, a stressor event, and then a migration to the tribe’s current location. Modern science has also shown that after the cognitive revolution, there have been several flood events that would make great stressor events in these epic origin stories. Attempts to identify the historical source for all these legends are bound to fail because migration has been so prolific in the history of man, too many floods as stressor events are identifiable in the archaeological layers, and these migration events are so remote in time.

However, one of the more interesting of these potential events took place in the Persian Gulf around 6500 BC, when rising sea levels at the end of the last ice age filled the Persian Gulf basin in less than a year’s time. The area flooded could be described by someone living in Jerusalem almost exactly as done by the biblical narrator, as…

Genesis 2

8 …a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

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.

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; (Redactor’s note: this could correspond to the modern Wadi al-Batin which was a flowing river draining northern Arabia back then)

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. (This could correspond to the modern Karun in Iran, and Cush translated as Ethiopia could have been a mistranslation of the origin area of the Kassites)

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel (Tigris): that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

The flood at this place and time flooded the largest populations of neolithic people on earth and would have flooded the entire area in less than a year. These populations would have migrated north, forced to migrate away from paradise due to rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Figure 1 Persian Gulf and Garden of Eden 6500 BC

1.5 - Table of Nations…Genesis 10

The neolithic revolution led to surplus goods, which led to trade, specialization, and cities. All of which led to conflict. And because of the significance of victory and defeat, large numbers of land-working miserable peasants were satisfied with their lot in life as long as they believed in a safe future even though that future depended on their increasingly wealthy elites.

Who became these elites? First, people with a reputation for exceptional wisdom for keeping good calendars became elite because good calendars lead to the agricultural success needed to sustain larger populations. Second, people with a reputation for exceptional wisdom for their ability to recall ancient kinship events and implement deity worship became elite because kinship events and deity worship promote unity in these larger populations. Finally, successful warriors became elite for obvious reasons.

Because conflicts occurred so often,