| Iceland Volcano Conjures Up Recollections | | | | waves crashed into Egypt, the east, the north |
| Iceland has caused us to ponder. "Wow. A | | | | and the west, continually pounding the region with |
| volcano can happen anywhere!" Of course, heated | | | | large waves and causing dense dark ash |
| molten rock has nothing to do with the local | | | | thickened skies. The ash, they say, ascended to |
| weather. Volcanoes happen where they happen. | | | | 50,000 feet. When it blew, it just turned villages |
| They are the 800 pound gorillas of the earth's | | | | into mist and crashed boats and ships for miles |
| surface. Hawaii exists because of volcanoes. | | | | and miles. Archaeologists that study this keep on |
| Iceland would not be there were it not for what | | | | finding evidence of the destruction. Newer |
| we are watching on TV. But since we are the | | | | theories about the story of Exodus and the |
| creatures that we are, we settle on the land and | | | | Children of Israel have made fabulous TV |
| notice its properties, and start to plant and live | | | | watching and tie in various issues that many have |
| and make babies and establish villages. A local | | | | thought about for years, such as the possible |
| Icelandic farmer who farms nearby asks why he | | | | location of Mt. Sinai, and even the Sea of Reeds, |
| is being punished. "My great grandfather started | | | | versus the "Red" Sea. |
| this farm". The "gods" might say: "Seems to me | | | | While the particulars as to how these effects |
| you guys got a great reprieve." | | | | might have caused the Plagues of Egypt are for a |
| Iceland Makes Us Realize Volcanoes Aren't Just | | | | book, or at least another article, the fact remains |
| Far Off and Away | | | | that this volcano caused the displacements of |
| As a species we are downright amazing to watch. | | | | peoples, movements into old areas and new |
| We forget, and forget, and then we go into | | | | commerce and cultural identity of formerly |
| trauma, then we forget again. There are millions | | | | unknown peoples. |
| of people now settled around Mt. Vesuvius. What | | | | Historic Power and Destruction - Exodus and |
| was once a desolation of the City of Pompeii is | | | | Diasporas and Immigrations |
| now a tourist spot and romantic center of | | | | The "Danous" people that came to Greece are |
| Southern Italy. History is meaningless and dire | | | | thought to be the Israelitish movement after |
| warnings are futile. Naples is like San Francisco. | | | | Moses' relocation efforts. Golden images and relics |
| People develop a "devil may care fatalism" or a | | | | make connections back to the peoples who were |
| resigned philosophy. "If I die, I die." Mt. Rainier | | | | on the move after the Exodus. The tribe of Dan |
| peers out toward Seattle and terrifies people and | | | | was always in motion. Dr. Herman Hoeh, an |
| the prognosticators say: "Not in our lifetime". | | | | expert on legends concerning this time, talked |
| That's probably good enough for most of us. We | | | | about how Moses sons, having lost a real place at |
| hope to get our "3 score years and 10" and our | | | | the table because Brother Aaron's children |
| grand kids, well, we have to deal with what we | | | | became the Aaronic priesthood, took a trip out of |
| have to deal. | | | | the area of the Holy Land, around the Pillars of |
| Krakatoa - Pacific Nightmare Near Java | | | | Hercules to the Ancient Land of Ireland. The |
| The last Iceland Volcano in 1821. They say it | | | | "Cohan" (priesthood and name of Moses kids) is a |
| lasted one or two years. No one wants to even | | | | familiar Irish name. George M. Cohan, being a |
| think about that. But the thing volcanologists love | | | | modern representative. The people who left |
| to think about, (but only historically) is Krakatoa. | | | | Egypt eventually created a land that would |
| Since it is far away for must of us, it has to be | | | | become known for its outermost limits. As we |
| considered the A Number One Boil on the planet | | | | would say from "Maine to California", or from |
| by most scientists concerned with the topic. It is | | | | "Florida to Alaska", the land was said to |
| theorized that one super eruption darkened the | | | | encompass from "Dan to Beersheba" (Dan, up |
| sun for years. It occurred in the 500 AD's and | | | | north by modern day Syria, and Beersheba in the |
| affected weather patterns for almost a century; | | | | southern desert). The Children of Israel would |
| cooling northern climes and cementing the "Dark | | | | eventually make a true Kingdom under Davidic |
| Ages". It is said to have changed agriculture in | | | | lineage through Solomon. The lineage continuing |
| Northern Europe for a long time, and, as one | | | | through Nathaniel to the family of Mary, Mother |
| speculated, to the rise of the plague in the 600's, | | | | of Jesus. |
| the end of the "Arthurian time" (Camelot) and the | | | | Greece itself, without the competition from the |
| rise of Islam, as the southern parts of that region | | | | destroyed Minoan civilization began to thrive, and |
| thrived. Krakatoa of the late 1800's, it is | | | | Alexander in the 300's BC took his Macedonian |
| postulated, caused the devastating harsh winters | | | | armies all the way to the Indus River, and |
| in America in the 1880s. Krakatoa is on simmer | | | | established a Hellenized culture that affected the |
| right now, but the simmer is forming a new island | | | | very nature of western culture. The western part |
| as we speak. | | | | of the Mediterranean was not as affected as |
| The Eastern Med - Volcano Country - An | | | | much by this volcano, and it also thrived after this |
| Incredibly Active Seismic Zone | | | | period. Villages grew and cities blossomed. The |
| In the Eastern Mediterranean about 3500 years | | | | Minoans were not around anymore, controlling |
| ago, it was much different from today. Today, | | | | commerce, so western "vills" could make their |
| many tourists travel to the white-painted villages | | | | own impact on history. Places like Carthage and |
| on the Isle of Santorini. If you have flown over it, | | | | Rome might come to mind. |
| it looks like a finger nail clipping in the deep blue | | | | No More Hubris |
| waters of the Mediterranean. It now makes an | | | | Since the Minoans were gone, people like the |
| idyllic retreat for worn out Americans and | | | | Phoenicians also make their mark on history. They |
| Europeans who just want to kick back, lounge, | | | | were excellent sea faring peoples. These Semitic |
| drink Ouzo and bask in the warm sunlight. The | | | | peoples made commerce through the Straits of |
| people are wonderful, tourist tuned and have the | | | | Gibraltar (the Pillars of Hercules) doable. Their |
| handsome look of an ancient people. At least | | | | sailing technologies and skills allowed for |
| that's what the travel agencies tell us and the | | | | movement around Spain to England and Ireland |
| experienced traveler can attest to. | | | | and the Eastern part of France. Hubris, a word for |
| But once upon a time, this finger nail clipping of an | | | | "excessive pride" was coined because that is |
| island was the center of Mediterranean life. They | | | | what the Greeks called Gibraltar. In their minds, |
| were the Minoans, a powerful sea faring and | | | | you were taking your life in your hands, and were |
| trading people in the Late Bronze Age. They | | | | defying the gods if you went past that sign post |
| made this island one of their homes for their | | | | into the Atlantic. The Greeks and the Romans |
| nearby capital of Crete. This is Volcano country if | | | | were not exceptionally skilled seaman and their |
| you have ever heard of it. Countless small | | | | boats did not cut through the waves, like the |
| eruptions over the centuries have occurred on | | | | Phoenecians' did. (The Greeks and Romans made |
| small islands, reformed others and made a | | | | their living fighting on land.) The Phoenicians were |
| panoply of historical moments for the peoples of | | | | the Navy of the Mediterranean, and this is the |
| that region. | | | | way they established themselves and promoted |
| There was a volcano there in 1650 and many | | | | trade after the Theran Destruction. It no longer |
| more small ones. The most recent in 1949 made | | | | was tempting the gods with "hubris" to go |
| the news but didn't cause cataclysm. The | | | | through Gibraltar. Joseph of Arimathea's tin trade |
| destruction of the Minoan civilization on Crete and | | | | with Britain shows how trade developed in Roman |
| these neighboring islands actually made way for | | | | times. |
| replacing cultures and civilizations. The power | | | | Causes of Volcanoes |
| vacuum created at that time, allowed for the rise | | | | Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is the Timing |
| of Grecian city states, and the Phoenicians of | | | | of Volcanoes. Astrological cycles try to track |
| Biblical Lore and other powers to then dominate | | | | them to the movement of Pluto or Neptune. |
| and influence this area. Egypt, was historically | | | | Astrology and astronomy may indeed have |
| already founded and was not permanently | | | | undetectable influences, but the very earth that |
| damaged by the Volcano. However it might have | | | | we stand on is the main object of study. Still, |
| been affected in another way, by assisting Moses | | | | predicting is beyond our wizardry at this moment. |
| with his people-moving exercise, and thus causing | | | | When we stare at the might being displayed on |
| a diminution of their power and influence. | | | | periodically historical moments, maybe we should |
| Santorini Was The Island of Thera | | | | lie down and put our heads in our pillows with a |
| This volcano truly popped. It literally blew away | | | | little more thankfulness. Thankfulness that these |
| the island, then known as Thera, and created the | | | | volcanoes are as measured and non-periodic as |
| Caldera that is now Santorini. Then, tsunami | | | | they are. |