Geology and Third Nephi (2): Santorini and the Land of the Pharaoh

Last updated on: February 17, 2020 at 11:41 pm by Dan Peterson

Geology and Third Nephi (2): Santorini and the Land of the Pharaoh 2020-02-17T23:41:12-07:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A satellite view of the beautiful Greek island of Santorini as it appears today, roughly thirty five hundred years after it was blown apart by a quasi-legendary volcanic eruption. Many scholars think that Santorini’s fate inspired the ancient myth of the lost continent of Atlantis, suddenly submerged and lost below the waves. (NASA public domain photograph)

Yesterday, I cited an account, gathered by Russell Blong, of a catastrophic volcanic eruption (“The Time of Darkness”) that occurred off the northeastern coast of Papua New Guinea roughly three hundred years ago:

See “Geology and Third Nephi (1): The Time of Darkness (A)”

Here’s another item that I’ve drawn from that significant article from more than two decades ago, Bart J. Kowallis, “In the Thirty and Fourth Year: A Geologist’s View of the Great Destruction in 3 Nephi,” BYU Studies 37/3 (1997-1998). The phrase the Two Lands refers, of course, to Egypt in its entirety, which was made up of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, originally two independent kingdoms along the River Nile that were eventually united by Narmer or by Menes (probably two distinct names for the same Early Dynastic Period person, who likely lived between 3150 BC and 3100 BC):

A second, much older account of a time of darkness is found on the remains of an Egyptian stele that has been connected with a great volcanic eruption (ca. 1500-1450 B.C.) on the island of Santorini (Thera) located about seventy miles north of the island of Crete. The inscription on the stele reads in part:

The gods [caused] the sky to come in a tempest of r[ain], with darkness in the western region and the sky being / unleashed without [cessation, louder than] the cries of the masses, more powerful than [. . .] [while the rain raged (?)] on the mountains louder than the noise of the / cataract which is at Elephantine. Every house, every quarter that they reached [. . .] / floating on the water like skiffs of papyrus opposite the royal residence for a period of [. . .] days, / while a torch could not be lit in the Two Lands. (138)

Alert readers who are familiar with the Book of Mormon will already have noticed the similarity of the Egyptian account and of the New Hebridean retelling already mentioned to the narrative of 3 Nephi. And Professor Kowallis is not shy about calling attention to the Book of Mormon description of a natural catastrophe, expressly quoting 3 Nephi 8:5-13, 18-23; 10:12-13, which he plainly believes to be significantly parallel. (See page 140.)

Posted from Phoenix, Arizona

Previous Post

February 14, 2020

Geology and Third Nephi (1): The Time of Darkness (A)

Next Post

February 15, 2020 Geology and Third Nephi (3): The Time of Darkness (B)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which prophet was commanded to buy a field during a siege?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Isaiah Habakkuk Jeremiah Obadiah