The Sirius Issue
Sirius is one of the brightest, closest and famous stars in the Night Sky. And you might wonder: "What does this have to do with the Book of Mormon and Archaeology?"!
The short answer is: 'Nothing'. The long answer is: following.
Things that at first sound silly
There is that place in Mexico called Teotihuacan. In the Book of Mormon there is that place called Zarahemla. Both have been known for quite some time now, and yet, you would think right in case you wonder that: 'If the two are the same', there has to be a reason why nobody has yet drawn the link between the two.
Zarahemla:
Zarahemla was a place occupied by the Nephites. The Nephites were the offspring of a group of people that separated from another group which were to become known as the Lamanites. (Their name is derived off of their Leader - once Nephi and on the other side Laman, both sons of Lehi who was the 'Patriarch' of the Journey away from Jerusalem before Nebuchadnezzar had conquered it). The reason for them to separate were contentions about Religion. Though it would seem fair to suggest that if they had finally made landfall in America that credit to the Lord would be due, but, the Lamanites thought different.
Zarahemla was the capital of the Nephites - and - also the Place where Christ showed up according to the Book of Mormon. It there-after was a very very thriving place until generations after the Prophecy got fulfilled that the younger Generation didn't believe their Ancestors stories anymore. However, after about 400 years the Nephites moved away from Zarahemla, with the Lamanites, to make war and so they basically killed each other.
Teotihuacan:
Teotihuacan is a Mystery to Archaeologists and others interested in Stories of the past. Some pointed out that the positioning of its Pyramits was in accordance to the Layout of our Solar System - issuing that each Planet, including Pluto, had a building in the relative distance to the issued Sun. Beyond that kind of stuff however, there is no written record of that civilization which Built Teotihuacan, nothing to somehow deduce which language they spoke. The people that built it then just somehow disappeared.
Later then the Aztecs found that place and occupied it.
Zarahemla was abandoned around 400 AD, Teotihuacan was abandoned around 700 AD.
It is not my aim to say that Teotihuacan IS Zarahemla - but - I want to list some Material that fill out some blanks here and there - not necessarily within the Book of Mormon - that put the story into a slightly different Frame you then may freely think about, so, to add material to this picture that is for once interesting, yet then also nice or important to know. To begin with - for the purpose of introduction - there is the so called 'Phantom Time Theorem'. It says that 300 years have been added to the European Calendar, focussed around 'Karl the Great', pointing out that the years between 600-something AD to 900 something AD have been invented. Thus we'd be actually writing 1714 AD or something, and not 2014. This would further impact our knowledge of how old things are. There are two methods of dating an ancient finding. There is the classic way of going by the Layer of dirt it was found in, while the age of each layer is referenced to known dates; And the other is Radio-Carbon Analysis which does physically analyze the accurate age of an item. While the latter provides us with an accurate age, the former does so in relation to something we know. If we knew that Alexander the Great built something we know how old that is - and so it can be possible to sort various other findings into that same era. In Bible Archaeology a lot is done that way. Once something 'by Layer' however would be referred to lets say King Salomon, and someone were to make a Radio-Carbon analysis of an item found there ... that item would be known by its age. If Salomon lived around 1000 BC, the place would be considered 3000 years old. The Radio Carbon analysis would, in consideration of the Phantom Time Theory being true, however only say 2700. If the Phantom Time Theory is true, that means that we got a huge blurr of data - depending on when how what got dated. Since the Dynasties of the Pharaohs have been dated in reference to a stellar Phenomenon, their dates are as accurate as going by Radio Carbon Analysis - and in that a 300 year shift would for instance put Ramses into a different era than the one we'd expect once going by the relative numbers given by History. As the Exodus so happened around 1200 BC, we'd have to look for the Pharao of the year 900 BC to find which one would be the one.
It matters - how it matters
Rewriting History ... is not the main topic!
Once upon a time there lived a man named Daniel. Daniel was a noble citizen of Jerusalem, and therefore chosen by Nebuchadnezzar to serve at his Palace in Babylon. It must have been some leadership kink to have the noble folks of the conquered nations to serve him. Daniel however came to be an outstanding individual, so that by Understanding Nebuchadnezzars Vision he gained more and more Trust and basically has so been 'traditioned' from King to King that was to follow. His story is written in the Book of Daniel - which basically speaks of the Rise and Fall of the 4 Great Kingdoms after Jerusalem. First there was Babylon, then Medo-Persia, then came Alexanders Greece and that was followed by Rome. Rome is then given some more credit - where the image of the 4 Animals points out that Rome itself was to be the host to a Suspect generally named as 'the Little Horn'. It is noted that this Beast is given the power upon the Saints, and that for 2 times, 1 time and the half of a time (3 1/2 times).
To just play with the numbers, I have learned - whether it be true or not is not the main point here - that one time relates to 1 'Prophetic' year, which is in about 360 years, so, a year though counting a day for a literal year. So, whether we'd take 360 or 365 or so - would make a difference of in about 21 years. These 1260-1281 years would so be the time this beast would rule. So is the question: When did this reign begin? It isn't the roman reign upon Israel, so, if we shift the significance onto the little horn that will turn into that power that does rule upon the saints. When we say 'saints' we may also right away acknowledge that it is 'post-Christ'. Studying the History of the Roman Church there is one who stands out, Leo I, who is the one of whom it is said that he united Christendom and made it happen that the Papacy was considered leader of all Christians worldwide. That happened so 450 AD or something. Anyway, the from there projected end of that reign would take us into the year 17-something - like - 1720. It is so not a matter of rewriting our History, But wondering whether this time is yet to come or far in the Past.
It has certainly widespeard influences on our Understanding of the Religion. The biggest point against Christendom is the saying that Christ told that he'd soon return, but now we've been waiting like 1700 - 2000 years. And every new-year it only seems to get worse and worse. With this Prophecy though the story is simple to the point that Christs return could not happen before these things had been fulfilled. (Neither is the end of that Time a possible date for Christs return - it just means that the reign of the Vatican is over).
Thus, as a believer, I can't ignore that I 'must' believe that the Phantom Time Theory is accurate - even so considering the Verse in Daniel 7 that states that this Beast will succeed in its attempts to Alter the Law and Time. Skeptics be aware - as an incident known as the Inquisition would be a sign of the power it posessed and in that an act of getting rid of evidence. What remained is what remains.
Now is it so that this story needs an ending
Teotihuacan and Aliens - ... - Teotihuacan and Christ - ... - whatever!? Somewhere in the Bible it is written that the Earth is the footstool of the Lord, to at least say something that doesn't need us to believe that the same story went on everywhere on other Planets. Like the Nephites did only passively recognize the atonement of Christ - in the same may the entire Rest have been a passive part to it. Its a nice image, furtheron, that does put the Bible into a beyond Global context.
It is trivial, but, lets get back to Sirius. Regarding Sirius you may easily find what is known as the 'Red-Sirius controversy'. (Even so on the Wiki regarding Sirius itself). The Red Sirius controversy is about some ancient texts that refer to Sirius as a Red star. So, 1000 BC it seemed to be Red yet. The references can be persued to the point that somewhere between 100 and 400 AD Sirius all of a sudden became white. Astronomers are riddled because it would seem too short of a time for a Star to undergo a transformation like that. Well, at least, when speaking in natural ways. Artificially, we don't know, and according to Sherlock Holmes it might remain to be the only logical explenation left - thus - it would be a strong hint that Alien life exists!
I can't tell you how the dates I'm going to use come together - I just take them from Wikipedia. The big conflict arises between some guy named 'Milius' who lived around 100 AD and claims it is white/blue, and Gregor of Torus who lived around 580 AD who yet claims it to be red. That is too much! Then, some mysterious Chinese texts hint out that Sirius was commonly recognized as White there.
Putting Gregor into the 'confused' timeline, 580 were 280. Putting Milius into the 'unconfused' timeline, 100 were 400. So, in that sense, somewhere in-between Sirius would have turned white - in case that both folks have been accurate and ... "Serious". What went on in China needs to be regarded as a process of Revision - well - maybe some scholars were embarassed by thinking that their ancestors must have been on some weird shit.
May the right context be with You!
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