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Revelation Ante-Dating Scientific Discovery—An Instance
|Revelation Ante-Dating Scientific Discovery—An Instance
|Year of Publication
|Pack, Frederick J.
|Ancient America - North America; Ancient America - South America; Apologetics; Book of Mormon Anachronisms; Book of Mormon Historicity; External Evidence; Horses
This article investigates geological evidence that horses were present on the American Continent during the Book of Mormon period. The second part is a response to and refutation of the editor's note preceding the first part.
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Revelation Ante-Dating Scientific Discovery-An Instance.
By Fred James Pack, a. M., Ph. D.
The February number of the ERA contained a short article by the present writer, entitled, Revelation Ante-dating Scientific Discovery—An Instance. The article dealt primarily with the statements in the Book of Mormon concerning the existence of horses on the American continent prior to its discovery by Columbus. It was pointed out that these statements were published to the world at a time when it was generally believed that no horses existed here previous to their introduction by the Spanish. It was further shown that science had come to the support of revelation in this matter, and that it is now known with certainty that prehistoric horses were abundant in both North and South America. This appeared to the writer as good evidence supporting the divinity of the Book of Mormon.
The author feels, however, that the force of the argument was completely destroyed by an attached editorial note, in which it was stated that "the author might have added, further, that more recent investigations have led to the conclusion that America is the original home of the horse." Had this been done it would be erroneous, as the more primitive type has been found in Europe and not in America. Further, nothing is "more recent" than the work of the American Museum of Natural History, to which frequent reference was made.
The writer of the note thinks that we are in an "embarrassing difficulty" because "the fossil remains are held to be of very much greater antiquity than either Jaredite or Nephite times," and then concludes that "too great antiquity may be claimed for most of the evidence relating to the existence of the horse in the western world." It should here be noted that horses certainly did exist for many ages before the advent of man, but this does not argue that they were not afterward contemporaneous with him.
Accompanying the article was a photograph of the skeletal remains of two ancient American horses. It was not assumed as part of the argument that the horses in question lived during Nephite or even Jaredite times. On the contrary, it is believed with great assurance that they are very much older. No one who is acquainted with the conditions will argue that the Pliestocene horses were contemporaneous with the Nephites or Jaredites. This admission does not in any way affect the validity of the argument set forth in the previous article.
When the Book of Mormon was published, in 1830, it was generally believed that the horses introduced by the Spanish were the only ones ever known to America, but it has since been proved that they appeared on the western continent ages ago, and further, that they had disappeared, or nearly so, at the time of the discovery by Columbus. The exact date of their extinction is not known. Their remains are found in the most recent geological formations. They continued here after the introduction of man, and how much longer is problematical. Professor W. D. Matthew of the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, considers it quite probable that they were destroyed by the early hunters. He implies that a few of them may have lived down to the time of Columbus:
All of these horses became extinct both in North and South America. Why, we do not know. It may have been that they were unable to stand the cold of the winters, probably longer continued and much more severe during the Ice Age than now. It is very probable that man—the early tribes of prehistoric hunters—played a large part in extinguishing the race.1 The competition with the bison and the antelope, which had recently migrated to America, may have made it more difficult than formerly for the American horse to get a living. Or, finally, some unknown disease or prolonged season of drought may have exterminated the race. Whatever the cause, the horse had disappeared from the New World when the white man invaded it (unless a few individuals still lingered on the remote plains of south America), and in his place the bison had come and spread over the prairies of the North." (Supplement to American Museum Journal, Second Edition, May, 1905.)
The Book of Mormon announced to the world that horses were known in America many centuries before Christ. Science has subsequently traced their existence still farther back. Neither of these sources discloses the date of their disappearance. One of the Nephite prophets incidentally mentions them as late as the third decade of the Christian era (III Nephi 6:1), and now one of our foremost scientists thinks it not impossible that some may have lingered on as late as the fifteenth century.
- The italics are mine.
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Wewe ni hapa Ufunuo Ante-Dating Scientific Discovery<unk>An Kiolezo <unk>Ufunuo Ante-Dating Scientific Discovery<unk>An Kiolezo <unk>Mwaka wa Uchapishaji <unk>Pack, Frederick J. "Kama ""Kijana"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia, ""Mzee"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia, ""Mzee"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia, ""Mzee"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia, ""Mzee"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia, ""Mzee"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia, ""Mzee"" na ""Mzee"" katika Biblia." Sehemu ya pili ni jibu na kupinga ya kumbukumbu ya mhariri kabla ya sehemu ya kwanza. Onyesha Maandishi Yote Ufunuo Kabla ya Kuanza Ugunduzi wa Kisayansi-Mfano. Kwa Fred James Pack, a. M., Ph. D. Toleo la Februari la ERA lilikuwa na makala fupi iliyoandikwa na mwandishi wa sasa, yenye kichwa, Ufunuo Unaotangulia Ugunduzi wa Kisayansi - Kielelezo. Makala hiyo ilizungumzia hasa taarifa zilizo katika Kitabu cha Mormoni kuhusu kuwepo kwa farasi katika bara la Amerika kabla ya kugunduliwa kwake na Columbus. "Ilikuwa ni wakati ambapo taarifa hizo zilitolewa kwa ulimwengu wakati ambapo kwa ujumla ilidhaniwa kwamba hakuna farasi waliopo hapa kabla ya kuanzishwa kwao na Wahispania. """ "Ilikuwa pia kuonyeshwa kwamba sayansi ilikuwa imekuja kwa msaada wa ufunuo katika jambo hili, na kwamba sasa inajulikana kwa uhakika kwamba farasi wa kabla ya historia walikuwa wengi katika Amerika ya Kaskazini na Kusini. """ Mwandishi aliona jambo hilo kuwa uthibitisho mzuri unaounga mkono uungu wa Kitabu cha Mormoni. "Mwandishi anaona, hata hivyo, kwamba nguvu ya hoja hiyo iliharibiwa kabisa na maelezo ya mhariri yaliyoambatanishwa, ambayo yalisema kwamba ""mwandishi angeweza kuongeza, zaidi ya hayo, kwamba uchunguzi wa hivi karibuni umesababisha hitimisho kwamba Amerika ni nyumbani kwa farasi.""" Kama hilo lingekuwa limefanywa lingekuwa kosa, kwa kuwa aina ya awali zaidi imepatikana Ulaya na si Amerika. Isitoshe, hakuna kitu "ya hivi karibuni zaidi" kuliko kazi ya Jumba la Makumbusho la Marekani la Historia ya Asili, ambalo lilitajwa mara nyingi. "Mwandishi wa kitabu hicho anafikiri kwamba tuko katika ""ugumu wenye kuaibisha"" kwa sababu ""mabaki ya visukuku yanadhaniwa kuwa ya kale sana kuliko nyakati za Wayeredi au Wanefiti,"" na kisha anafikia mkataa kwamba ""yaweza kudaiwa kuwa ya kale sana kwa ajili ya uthibitisho mwingi unaohusiana na kuwepo kwa farasi katika ulimwengu wa Magharibi.""" "Ni lazima tukumbuke kwamba farasi walikuwapo kwa muda mrefu kabla ya mwanadamu kutokea, lakini hilo halimaanishi kwamba hawakuwapo wakati huo.""" Makala hiyo ilifuatana na picha ya mabaki ya mifupa ya farasi wawili wa kale wa Amerika. Haikuwa ya kudhaniwa kuwa sehemu ya hoja kwamba farasi wanaozungumziwa waliishi wakati wa Wanefiti au hata wakati wa Wayeredi. Kinyume chake, inaaminika kwa uhakika mkubwa kwamba ni za zamani sana. Hakuna mtu anayejua hali ya farasi wa Pliestocene ambaye angeweza kusema kwamba farasi hao waliishi wakati uleule na Wanefati au Wayeredi. Kukiri huko hakuhusishi kwa njia yoyote uhalali wa hoja iliyotolewa katika makala iliyotangulia. Kitabu cha Mormon kilipochapishwa mwaka 1830, watu wengi waliamini kwamba farasi walioletwa na Wahispania ndio farasi pekee waliowahi kuonekana katika Amerika, lakini tangu wakati huo imethibitishwa kwamba farasi hao walionekana katika bara la magharibi miaka mingi iliyopita, na zaidi ya hayo, walikuwa wametoweka, au karibu kutoweka, wakati wa uvumbuzi wa Columbus. Tarehe hususa ya kutoweka kwao haijulikani. Mabaki yao yanapatikana katika miundo ya hivi karibuni zaidi ya kijiolojia. Waliendelea hapa baada ya kuanzishwa kwa mwanadamu, na ni vigumu kujua ni kwa muda gani. Profesa W. D. Matthew wa American Museum of Natural History, New York City, anaona ni jambo la uwezekano mkubwa kwamba waliharibiwa na wawindaji wa mapema. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""farasi"" walikuwa na uwezo wa kuishi hadi wakati wa Columbus, na walikuwa wamekufa katika Amerika ya Kaskazini na Kusini." Hatujui ni kwa nini. Huenda ikawa hawakuweza kuvumilia baridi ya majira ya baridi kali, ambayo huenda iliendelea kwa muda mrefu na kuwa kali zaidi wakati wa Enzi ya Barafu kuliko ilivyo sasa. Inawezekana sana kwamba mwanadamu - makabila ya mapema ya wawindaji wa kabla ya historia - yalichangia sana kutoweka kwa jamii hiyo. * Ushindani na nyati na antelope, ambao walikuwa wamehamia Amerika hivi karibuni, huenda ukafanya iwe vigumu zaidi kuliko hapo awali kwa farasi wa Amerika kupata riziki. Au, hatimaye, huenda ugonjwa fulani usiojulikana au msimu mrefu wa ukame ukawa umeangamiza jamii hiyo. "Kila sababu, farasi alikuwa amepotea kutoka Ulimwengu Mpya wakati mtu mweupe alipovamia (kama watu wachache bado walibaki katika nyanda za mbali za Amerika Kusini), na katika nafasi yake bison alikuwa amekuja na kuenea katika nyanda za kaskazini.""" (Kijitabu cha American Museum Journal, toleo la pili, Mei 1905). Kitabu cha Mormoni kilitangaza kwa ulimwengu kwamba farasi walijulikana katika Amerika karne nyingi kabla ya Kristo. Baadaye, sayansi imegundua kwamba zilikuwapo tangu wakati huo. Hakuna mojawapo ya vyanzo hivyo inayotoa tarehe ya kutoweka kwao. "Mmoja wa manabii wa Kinefi alitaja kwamba ""wakati wa mwisho wa karne ya tatu ya enzi ya Kristo"" (Nef 6:1), na sasa mmoja wa wanasayansi wetu mashuhuri anafikiri kwamba ni uwezekano kwamba baadhi yao huenda wakaendelea kuishi hadi karne ya kumi na tano." - Herufi zilizoandikwa kwa herufi nyembamba ni zangu. Vitu katika BMC Archive ni kufanywa hadharani inapatikana kwa ajili ya matumizi yasiyo ya kibiashara, binafsi. 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