According to Pravda, the source of all Mesopotamian apocalyptic stories has been found. A large meteor crater, made about 10,000 years ago, has been discovered in the Jordanian desert. The report suggests that the impact gave rise to stories of destruction such as that found in Gilgamesh and perhaps even the Old Testament.

Supposing that the ancient people were observing the unfolding catastrophe (the explosion was visible thousands of kilometers away), it would doubtless leave a lasting impression on their curious minds and would most certainly inspire all kinds of creative outbursts.

It is interesting to note that the scientist who is suggesting all this is a geologist. While I don’t doubt that he is competent to judge whether the crater was caused by a meteor, I am not sure how sound his judgment is on ancient texts. For example, the story of the destruction by the Anunnaki that he quotes is not necessarily a description of a meteor. Sure, it might fit that event, but it could fit lots of other events as well. To suggest that this one event, which predates the stories as we know them by at least 8,000 years, is responsible for all of the apocalyptic stories in the ancient Near East seems a little far fetched.

Permalink