RE: 2900 BC vs. 2350 BC and Bible chronology

From: Duff, Robert (rjduff@uakron.edu)
Date: Sun May 05 2002 - 07:20:25 EDT

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    Mike,
    I apologize if I missed it but I am interested in the tree ring data
    and I was wondering if you had given a reference for climatological
    interpretation of the Mesopotanian region based on tree rings. I
    would like to get the original articles for my own collection.
    Thanks, Joel

            -----Original Message-----
            From: MikeSatterlee@cs.com [mailto:MikeSatterlee@cs.com]
            Sent: Sat 5/4/2002 8:23 PM
            To: dickfischer@earthlink.net; asa@calvin.edu
            Cc:
            Subject: 2900 BC vs. 2350 BC and Bible chronology

            Hi Dick,

            You wrote: What I like about 2900 BC is that it agrees with
    others who have
            written
            on the subject. For example: Davis Young who wrote, The
    Biblical Flood, and
            Robert Best who wrote Noah's Ark. Each of us arrived at that date
            independently based upon solid data and evidence. ... Now
    you, who have done
            no research, decide we are all wrong!

            I thought you would have learned by now not to underestimate
    me. I have done
            extensive research on this subject matter, albeit a different kind of
            research.

            Besides, as I said, a flood the size of the one described in
    Genesis would
            have amounted to a major change in the climate of
    Mesopotamia. Major changes
            in climate affect the growth of trees. Tree ring growth
    studies indicate tree
            growth was affected by a major change in climate in 2350 BC
    but not in 2900
            BC. The 2900 BC date which you and others have assigned to
    Noah's flood is
            based on a long series of assumptions. If any of those assumptions is
            incorrect the 2900 BC date for Noah's flood is incorrect. The
    2350 BC date
            which has been recently assigned to Noah's flood by means of a study of
            dendrochronology is based on only two assumptions, neither of
    which are in
            doubt. 1. When trees grow they form one new growth ring every
    year. 2. A
            traumatic change in climate stunts the growth of trees and
    diminishes the
            size of their new annual growth rings. So again I ask you, if
    your 2900 BC
            date for Noah's flood is the correct one why do tree ring
    growth studies not
            indicate that a major change in climate occurred in that year?



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