These are just a few of the many questions raised by Dr. Barry Downing in the book The Bible and Flying Saucers. First published in 1968, the same year as Erich von Daniken's bestseller Chariots of the Gods? Downing's book seeks to take up where Daniken's left off, by examining specific cases in the Bible to see if a connection between flying saucers and descriptions of Biblical events can be established.
He starts off with the old testament account of how the Hebrews were led out of Egypt by a "UFO" that resembled a "pillar of cloud in the day and pillar of fire at night." This same cloud then settled over the Egyptians and smothered them with darkness while the Israelites had their backs to the Red Sea. In the morning this "cloud" then moved over the sea and magically parted the waters, allowing the Israelites to cross the sea bed on dry land but causing the waters to come crashing down upon the Egyptians as they tried to follow.
This same "cloud" that the Hebrews considered to be God later performed many miracles such as causing bread, or manna, to rain from Heaven and allowing Moses to find water in a stone. It also settled over Mount Sinai where a supreme being called to Moses out of a burning bush and proceeded to give him the Ten Commandments that would become the basis for the law of Israel.
Downing points out that many modern day UFOs are described as resembling clouds, and that many of these Biblical miracles could have been the work of the advanced technology that these flying saucers possessed. He goes on to claim that some of the side effects that people were said to have developed while encountering these Biblical "clouds" are similar to the symptoms that some people develop after many modern UFO encounters.
For instance, when Moses went up the mountain to speak to God he returned with what was described as a peculiar glow on his face which the author claims may have been a result of being exposed to radiation. Later in the book there is another Old Testament account of a woman who got too close to one of these clouds and developed "leprosy" which Downing claims may have been blisters and burns also due to radiation.
The book is filled with many such examples of Biblical events that may have been UFO encounters. It talks about the Ascension of Jesus and how he was "taken up" into Heaven, thereby implying that he was lifted up in the air by a UFO. It also talks about Biblical angels and how they were described as human-like beings that came from above, which would imply that they were really extraterrestrial beings from outer space, or possibly another dimension.
The book also devotes several chapters to the possibility that Heaven and Hell may actually be different dimensions that are separated from Earth by a different curvature of space, and that alien beings or "angels" might possibly be able to pass from one dimension to another through portals or rips in the fabric between them.
Over all the book appears to be a very ambitious attempt to reconcile the differences between ancient Biblical religious beliefs and modern space-age science. In this respect, it is a worthy companion to von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods?
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I personally think that this is a very interesting book. While a few of Downing's theories may be outdated simply due to the age of the book and the many advances in science that have been made since its publication, he did a very good job of explaining many ancient religious beliefs in terms of futuristic technology. He actually presented some very interesting arguments, many of which would still be just as applicable today.
While the book was written from the perspective of somebody who is a devout adherent to the Christian religion and who believes the Biblical accounts to be one hundred percent factual, it also assumes that many modern UFO encounters are also based on fact. I think the book would be appealing to people from both camps. It manages to raise some interesting possibilities without going so far that it would offend people's sensibilities.
The Bible and Flying Saucers may not be for everybody since people do have a tendency to have very strong beliefs about their religion, but if you have an open mind it might be worth a look. I would recommend it.
Read more: http://theedgeofreality.proboards.com/thread/762/bible-flying-saucers#ixzz3vrWyJgcU
