Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Textbook History Out of Kilter With Era of King Solomon By 500 Years

 
 
Dr. John Bimson’s important article, “Hatshepsut and the Queen of Sheba: A Critique of Velikovsky’s Identification and an Alternative View” (C and C Review, Vol. VIII, 1986), exposed as untenable, in the eyes of many revisionists, Velikovsky’s identification of Hatshepsut with the biblical Queen of Sheba. This was due to a series of strong arguments against Velikovsky’s reconstruction – some of these being irrefutable. Amongst the most telling of Bimson’s points were those that pertained to the famous Punt expedition, that Velikovsky had attempted to identify with the biblical visit by the Queen of the South to King Solomon in Jerusalem. Not only was Hatshepsut no longer a queen by the time of the Punt expedition – {she was actually in her Year 9 as pharaoh (king)} – but it appears from the Deir el-Bahri inscriptions that she did not actually accompany the Egyptian expedition to the land of Punt. The biblical queen, on the other hand, had most definitely visited King Solomon at Jerusalem in person.

What Bimson still shared with Velikovsky (at least in 1986), however, was the conviction that Hatshepsut was contemporaneous with the (approximate) era of King Solomon. Revisionists do not necessarily take that view anymore. And therein lies a problem. Because Hatshepsut, as queen, is still the outstanding candidate for the biblical “Queen of Sheba (of the South)”, given the testimony of Josephus that the biblical queen had ruled Egypt and Ethiopia, and given the likeness of her throne name, Maat-ka-re (Makera) to the queen’s legendary name, Makeda.

Bimson scrapped Hatshepsut as a candidate, but failed to provide any other contemporaneous woman ruler to represent this famous queen to whom both the Old and New Testaments attest. The same comment applies to Patrick Clarke in his more recent criticism of Velikovsky on the subject: ‘Why Pharaoh Hatshepsut is not to be equated to the Queen of Sheba’ (Journal of Creation, 24/2, August 2010, pp. 62-68).

And the same applies again to those whose new chronologies do not align the early (undivided) monarchy of Israel with the early 18th dynasty of Egypt: a downward time shift of about 500 years. Now I don’t know if Eric [Aitchison] has himself come up with any candidate for the celebrated biblical queen, but I presume that he, with his “Damien likes moving things by 500 years but my preference remains at 630 years”, cannot possibly accommodate Hatshepsut in this his singular rearrangement of time.

With Hatshepsut gone, then Thutmose III as the biblical “King Shishak of Egypt” must also go. Patrick Clarke, for instance, has rejected this equation in his ‘Was Thutmose III the biblical Shishak? – Claims of the ‘Jerusalem’ bas-relief at Karnak investigated’ (Journal of Creation, 25/1, April 2011, pp. 48-56). Two important pillars of the revision thus toppled. But, again, what is the alternative? So far, Clarke has not provided any candidate of his own. And, as for those who would prefer Ramesses II ‘the Great’ as “Shishak”, well they are running into the formidable problem as pointed out by Dale Murphie: “Critique of David Rohl’s A Test Of Time (SIS Cand C Review, Oct 1997:1), with Ramesses II having the powerful king Asa of Judah (in all his strength) sandwiched right between himself and his Hittite ally, Hattusilis.
 
Damien F. Mackey.



Sunday, December 9, 2012

Amazing New Satellite Archaeology





Egypt's lost pyramids: Spied from space by satellite, 17 tombs buried by sands of time


By Fiona Macrae



  • More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements found
  • Findings are a major boost to relatively new science of space archaeology
Indiana Jones found success with little more than a bullwhip and a fedora. These days however, if you want to make your mark as an archaeologist, a bit of space technology works wonders.
Satellites have helped locate 17 pyramids and 3,000 ancient settlements hidden underground in Egypt.
More than 1,000 burial sites were also discovered thanks to infra-red technology capable of probing beneath the desert sands from 450 miles above the Earth.
Pyramid of Djoser: Many more are thought to be buried underground. The cameras on the satellites are so powerful that they can precisely image objects on Earth that are less than one metre in diametre
Pyramid of Djoser: Many more are thought to be buried underground. The cameras on the satellites are so powerful that they can precisely image objects on Earth that are less than one metre in diameter
Astounded researchers on the ground have already confirmed that two of the pyramids exist - and they believe there are thousands more unknown sites in the region.
NASA-funded archaeologist Sarah Parcak said: ‘I couldn’t believe we could locate so many sites. To excavate a pyramid is the dream of every archaeologist.’
The finds are hugely significant. Until the latest discoveries there were thought to have been almost 140 pyramids across Egypt.
But experts have long argued that there must be many more that remain undiscovered, buried by the sands of time. Dr Parcak, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, analysed images from satellites equipped with cameras so powerful they can zoom in on objects less than three feet in diameter on the Earth’s surface.
Saqqara satellite shot
The amazing satellite images have revealed pyramids and ancient homes
A satellite image of an area of Tanis that shows the city to be littered with underground tombs.
Ancient streetmap: A satellite image shows Tanis to be a city littered with underground tombs. Buildings in ancient Egypt were constructed out of mud brick - the material is dense, allowing satellites orbiting above Earth to photograph the outlines of structures invisible to the human eye
Hidden history: This image of Tanis shows the difference between what the naked eye can see and the underground details that the high-powered satellite camera can pick up
Hidden history: This image of Tanis shows the difference between what the naked eye can see and the underground details that the high-powered satellite camera can pick up


THE LOST ARK IN A LOST CITY?

HARRISON FORD AS INDIAN JONES
In Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Tanis is named as the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.

The film chronicles the archaeologist adventurer's race against the Nazis to recover the Ark - which they want as they believe it will make them invincible.

With the help of his dead mentor's daughter Marion - an old girlfriend of his - tracks down the Well of Souls, the secret chamber in which the Ark is buried, before they do.

From the Well of Souls he recovers the Ark, but the Nazis steal it off them.

But when they open it to unleash its power, it releases a stream of demonic apparitions which destroy those who look at them.
Dr Parcak told the BBC: 'I could see the data as it was emerging, but for me the "a-ha" moment was when I could step back and look at everything that we'd found.'
The mud bricks used by ancient Egyptians are much denser than the sand and soil that surrounds them, allowing the shapes of homes, temples, tombs and other structures built thousands of years ago to be seen by satellites orbiting 435miles above Earth to photograph the outlines of structures invisible to the human eye.

The cameras on the satellites are so powerful that they can precisely image objects on Earth that are less than one metre in diameter.
The researchers' findings are a major boost to the relatively new science of space archaeology.
Their most promising excavations are taking place in Tanis, the hiding place of the Ark of the Covenant in the 1981 Indiana Jones blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark, where they are uncovering a 3,000-year-old house.
Excitingly, the outline of the house exactly matches the shape seen on the satellite images.
Two pyramids at Saqqara – the burial ground for the ancient capital of Memphis – have already been confirmed by excavations and the site is being hailed as one of the most important in Egyptian archaeology. The oldest pyramids ever discovered were built in Saqqara around 2,600BC.


Only the beginning: Archaeologist Dr Sarah Parcak points out the site of a buried pyramid on a satellite image
Only the beginning: Archaeologist Dr Sarah Parcak points out the site of a buried pyramid on a satellite image
The camera's high level of accuracy has impressed the Egyptian government, which now plans to use the technology to identify and protect its colossal heritage in the future.
Dr Parcak, whose work will feature in the BBC documentary Egypt’s Lost Cities on Monday, believes that there are many more buildings buried deeper than those already spotted, the most likely location being under the banks of the River Nile.
She said: 'These are just the sites close to the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt.
'This is just the beginning of this kind of work.'

Digging deep: The archaeologists' most promising excavations are taking place in the ancient city of Tanis
Digging deep: The archaeologists' most promising excavations are taking place in the ancient city of Tanis
She told the BBC: ‘It just shows us how easy it is to underestimate both the size and scale of past human settlements.
‘These are just the sites [close to] the surface. There are many thousands of additional sites that the Nile has covered over with silt. This is just the beginning of this kind of work.’
She said the technology could be used to monitor the looting of antiquities, as well as to engage young people around the world in science and help archaeologists in their quest to uncover the secrets of the past.
The archaeologist said, ‘We have to think bigger and that’s what the satellites allow us to do. Indiana Jones is old school. We’ve moved on from Indy, sorry Harrison Ford.’
A hidden chamber unseen for 4,500 years may have been discovered inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. A robotic probe designed by British engineers found hieroglyphs inside a tunnel that leads from the pyramid’s Queen’s chamber, New Scientist magazine reports. Cameras have also sent back images of a stone door which it is thought could lead to a hidden chamber.

The comments below have not been moderated.
The Giza Pyramid is housing to sheild the radiation from the ark of the covenant, the whole structure is used for some kind of power apparatus, water is involved somehow, probably a cooling purpose for the ark which is theorised to be atomic, the marble/granite box in the Kings chamber for the Ark and not Khufus burial monument, the capstone gold, a conductor. The hidden room found recently points to the likely discovery in the future that the pyramid descends under the ground in a network of tunnels, possibly for bringing water up to the upper chambers and I'd hazard a guess that it links up with the sphinx as well, under the sphinx is another room, one is for operational purpose, ie water direction a bit like train tracks being switched to a new line. The shafts have copper ropes fed into them and also a quartz or diamond wand in the other one to power a laser type beam. If we use the process of elimination as science does then this hypothesis would be worth ironing out a bit.
Click to rate Rating 2
This is just amazing! I hate that this is taking from "real Archaeologiet work." You have to keep in mind also that these people spend 15 plus years and learning new languages just to learn from the books that teach them this line of work. But out with the old and in with the new? Anyway this is big news. I was glad to read that a pyramid was found at Saqqara and Memphis. The 12 dynasty was said to be the Goldin years of Egypt yet we can't found the capital temple of this dynasty. You can read about it on stelas around Egypt. During the 12th dynasty Egypt was brought together and united as one. In honor of this come about a place called It-tawy (ruler of two lands) It is thought that this place would be located somewhere around Saqqara to Lake Moeris. This would be one of the biggest discoveries to find this place to see Egypt at it's best. And with this new technology were just one step closer.
Click to rate Rating 15
I'll bet that this can be used to find hidden (buried) WMD's or Nuclear Sites. If not? WhyNot? ~Rick Magee, Fl
Click to rate Rating 14
I bet this is also used to pinpoint hidden or burried Weaponage and Nucklear Sites as well. If not? Why Not? ~Rick Magee, Fl
Click to rate Rating 2
oh another discovery i see?well it was about time the ''british'' museum got a new exhibition about egyptian (eer sorry i meant british somehow) history...after all nobody can handle antiquities better than the proud english?isn't that so mr head of ''british''(facepalm) museum?
Click to rate Rating 107
dannyboy71, brick, nj usa, 26/5/2011 11:05 wrote "where did the native Americans come from their ancestors weren't born in America they migrated from somewhere. It is all very interesting" they came across the Beringia, a land bridge between Alaskia and Siberia. The most recient time this could have happend is approx 12,000 years ago alsthough there are many scientific hypothesis that state it was earlier.
Click to rate Rating 22
As an archaeology student, things like this make me wonder if I should specialise in this... - Megan, Bournemouth, Britain, 25/5/2011 18:15 Gosh, I am genuinely surprised that this is not part of your course! Or not offered as an accompanying qualification. Many, many years ago, some of us used to spend far too long (after completing tasking of course!) ,looking for Roman marching camps etc on UK aircraft imagery. I would have loved a career that combined history with such technology.
Click to rate Rating 29
Will someone please tell Tony Robinson and the Time Team crew about this......they may actually find something in future programs then.....
Click to rate Rating 56
Mankind has just been on the planet far longer than what we think. Buried settlements, Iheard the sphinx has water erosion on it. Carbon dating isn't accurate. The creation stories of religion are true they just happened a long, long, long time ago and were passed on and changed over time. The Europeans came to America in the early 1000's (viking), where did the native Americans come from their ancestors weren't born in America they migrated from somewhere. It is all very interesting.
Click to rate Rating 7
This is an exciting development in how archeologists will be able to uncover hidden artifacts, lost civilisations and solve some of the all consuming mysteries such as the whereabouts of Atlantis if it ever really existed. Being an avid reader of the works of Erik von Däniken, albeit with a certain amount of trepidation as to what his theory of Earth once having been visited by beings from the stars will do to how we view the universe if proven correct, I will be very interested to see if this new 'tool' will reveal signs or even proof that his theory bears any real substance. We may be in for quite an eye opening experience - as long as the findings are not suppressed and withheld from the general public.
Click to rate Rating 30


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1390667/Seventeen-lost-pyramids-thousands-buried-Egyptian-settlements-pinpointed-infrared-satellite-images.html#ixzz2Eb4z0h7s

Friday, October 12, 2012

Henry T. Aubin on Pharaoh Taharqa (Tirhakah)

 
 

Taharqa

Taharqa the dual Pharaoh of the 25th dynasty of Kemet and Kush Now known as Egypt and Sudan.
He is noted in the bible in 2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9 as Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, who waged war against Sennacherib during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah and drove him from his intention of destroying Jerusalem and deporting its inhabitants—a critical action that, according to Henry T. Aubin, has shaped the Western world (Aubin 2003).

Click here for more

References;
 
Henry T. Aubin, The Rescue of Jerusalem, 2nd edition, 2003, Anchor Canada.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Dr Immanuel Velikovsky Had Pharaoh Tirhakah Contemporaneous With Horemheb




Taken from university thesis:http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/5973

....


Ethiopians
The appearance of Horemheb in an inscription with Tirhakah ruler of Ethiopia, a


contemporary of king Hezekiah and Sennacherib (2 Kings 19:9), led Velikovsky to
conclude that Horemheb had belonged to an era much later than the late C14th BC
accredited to him by the conventional chronology, and that he was in actual fact a
contemporary of this Tirhakah of the 25

th (Ethiopian) in the C7th BC. Thus he wrote in
an unpublished work:

683
… In this reconstruction Haremhab and Tirhaka, the Ethiopian, are
contemporaries; in the conventional version of history they are separated by more
than six centuries, Haremhab being dated to the late fourteenth and Tirhaka to the
early seventh. A certain scene, carved on one of the walls of a small Ethiopian
temple at Karnak, shows them together. The scene proves not only the
contemporaneity of Haremhab and Tirhaka, but also permits to establish a short
period in their relations from which it dates. ….
Given, though, that Egyptian monuments sometimes represented two pharaohs of
completely different eras, together, e.g. “… Egyptian artwork shows [the 12

th dynasty’s]
Sesostris I seated side by side with [the 18

th dynasty’s] Amenhotep I …”,684 I cannot
agree with Velikovsky that the particular carving to which he referred necessarily “proves
the contemporaneity of Haremhab and Tirhaka”.
683

“Haremhab’s Contemporaries”.
684

According to C. McDowell, ‘The Egyptian Prince Moses’, p. 5, fig. 1.
253
Though I do believe that these two kings were far closer in time (approximately a century
apart) than the “more than six centuries” gap separating them in the conventional history,
and that there was some sort of relationship between them.
....

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Achior Not An 'Enlightened Pagan'



 
Bible Critics Can Overstate Idea Of ‘Enlightened Pagan’


by

Damien F. Mackey



“Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22)


“I will arouse your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece” (Zechariah 9:13)



PART ONE


Here it will be argued that - contrary to what is often believed about the following biblical characters - none of these can really accurately be designated as an‘enlightened pagan’:


1. MELCHIZEDEK

2. RAHAB (in genealogy of David and Jesus)

3. RUTH

4. ACHIOR (in my Catholic Bible, Book of Judith)

5. JOB

6. (Probably also) the Magi.


Let us consider why.


1. MELCHIZEDEK was not an enlightened Canaanite priest-king. Melchizedek was the great Shem, son of Noah. This is apparently a Jewish tradition and I have long accepted it. Now, this is all explained very well in a recent article that I have posted at: http://amaic-abraham.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/melchizedek-was-shem-son-of-noah.html



Regarding 2, 3 and 4, for Rahab (as specified above), Ruth and Achior to have been former Gentile pagans, Canaanite in the first case (2.) and Moabites in the other two instances (3. and 4.), then this would have meant a serious flouting of Mosaic law and prohibitions: Deuteronomy 7 in the case of Rahab (see article posted at: http://amaic-kingdavid.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/the-genealogical-rachab-was-not.html), and Deuteronomy 23:3 for the presumed Moabites (see article posted at: http://amaic-kingdavid.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/ruth-was-israelite.html).



2. RAHAB. The Canaanite harlot, Rahab, whose ‘faith’both Paul (Hebrews 11:31) and James (2:25) praised incidentally (like Jesus with the Roman centurion, Luke 7:1-10), was not she who became the ancestress of David and Jesus, despite what is universally taught. The true situation, as well explained in the above-mentioned “Rachab” article, is that Rahab the harlot is to be distinguished from the Israelite woman, Rachab (note different spelling), whose name is to be found in the Davidic genealogical list.


3. RUTH. I have long believed, too, that Ruth of the Judges era could not plausibly have been a Moabitess for reasons already explained (Deuteronomy 23:3), but considered especially in my extensive research on the identity of Achior, presumably a Moabite, in the Book of Judith (see 4. next). I discussed Achior at length in Volume Two of my university thesis, A Revised History of the Era of King Hezekiah of Judah and its Background (accessible at: http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5973). Whilst Ruth, a woman, apparently gets away with it, Achior, a male, does not (see 4. next). Then necessity of Ruth’s being an Israelite is well argued in the above-mentioned “Ruth” article.


4. ACHIOR. I argued at length in the above-mentioned university thesis that Achior was not a Moabite at all but a Naphtalian Israelite. He was Ahikar (var. Achior, Vulgate), the nephew of Tobit (Book of Tobit 1:22). The mistaken notion that Achior was a Moabite leader is perhaps the primary reason why the Jews have not accepted the Book of Judith as part of the scriptural canon. I live in the hope that this can one day be rectified.


5. JOB I have firmly identified as Tobit’s very son, Tobias. See our site, “Holy Job Was An Israelite”, http://bookofjob-amaic.blogspot.com.au/ Thus the righteous Job was, not an enlightened Edomite (and not an Arabian sheikh), but a sage of Israel.


6. THE MAGI. There is some tradition that has them descending from the family of Job. I would suspect that the “east” in which the Magi dwelt was, not Persia by any means, but the same approximate “east”wherein Job dwelt, in the land of Uz, in Transjordanian Bashan. See our Jobian articles at site, “Holy Job Was An Israelite”.


PART TWO


Our {AMAIC} appreciation of the cultural, sapiential and spiritual supremacy of the holy people of Israel (the sincere Yahwists) has led to further important Israelitic identifications of certain famous historical characters (even dynasties), such as:


- the gifted Senenmut (Senmut) of 18th dynasty Egyptian history, consort of Hatshepsut, with King Solomon. See our site: http://amaic-kingdavid.blogspot.com.au/ Hatshepsut herself rightly being identified by Dr. Immanuel Velikovsky (Ages in Chaos, I) with the biblical Queen [of] Sheba. See our site: http://hatshepsut-amaic.blogspot.com.au/

- King Hammurabi the Lawgiver as King Solomon again, this time in his guise as ruler of Babylon. See our site: http://amaic-kingdavid.blogspot.com.au/


And, selectively following Dr. E. Metzler, “Conflict of Laws in the Israelite Dynasty of Egypt” (http://moziani.tripod.com/dynasty/ammm_2_1.htm), I have accepted his identification of Egypt’s 18th dynasty as Israelite, with the mighty Thutmoside pharaohs as Davidide.

The El Amarna dynasty was, I believe, a Baalistic Israelite resurgence under King Ahab (Akhnaton) and his wicked Phoenician wife, Queen Nefertiti (Jezebel). See e.g. our: http://queennefertiti-amaic.blogspot.com.au/

General Jehu is the ambiguous Horemheb, making the 19th dynasty that he (Horemheb) initiated, as Syro-(Israelite?).

And I further suspect that Egypt’s 20th dynasty was Judaean again, with pharaoh Ramses III as the mighty King Amaziah of Judah. See our: http://ramsesiii-amaic.blogspot.com.au/



To conclude


Whilst there are indeed to be found in the Scriptures some highly ‘enlightened pagans’or Gentiles of ‘faith’, such as Rahab the harlot and the Roman centurion, the Old Testament ones at least would not have been allowed into the Yahwistic fold according to the very strict Laws of Moses.


Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hezekiah's Minister Eliakim was High Priest and he also points to Saint Peter

 
 
....
We first encounter Eliakim son of Hilkiah in Isaiah 22, in what is regarded as the prophet’s ‘second oracle’ against the official, Sobna (or Shebna). Isaiah predicted that Sobna will be replaced by Eliakim. I showed in the previous chapter that this took effect during Sennacherib’s Third Campaign invasion, since Eliakim was by then the king’s chief minister. Sobna was now only second in command.
But the vital question here is: What was Sobna’s former office, to which Eliakim had now succeeded? It is usually given as Major-domo or its equivalent; but the Douay Isaiah 22:15 translates it in terms that could only be referring to the high priesthood. Thus Isaiah is commanded: ‘Go … to him that dwelleth in the tabernacle, to Sobna [Shebna] who is over the Temple ...’. The Latin Vulgate gives the words italicized here as ‘eum qui habitat in tabernaculo’.
Moreover, Isaiah describes and praises Eliakim in words that indicate, not only the man’s great authority, but that could also be taken as a description of a high priest: “He shall be as a father …, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah” (v. 21). Strong words when it is considered that Hezekiah himself ruled over the House of Judah; but an appropriate title for a high priest who was, in a sense, ruler over even the king whom he would proclaim and anoint (cf. 1 Samuel 16:13).
And in Eliakim’s case, with his having had to substitute for the king whilst Hezekiah was sick, the title, ‘father’ … would take on an even more significant meaning.
....
For more, see: http://kinghezekiahofjudah2.blogspot.com.au/2009/01/chapter-2-thesis-revised-history-of-era.html#uds-search-results
The following is taken from:
http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/dont-revelation-37-and-isaiah-22-point-to-christ-not-peter-as-having-the-keys-of-davi

Don't Revelation 3:7 and Isaiah 22 point to Christ - not Peter - as having the keys of David?


Full Question

Revelation 3:7 proves Christ is the one who holds the key of David, not Peter. Isaiah 22 prophesies Christ's coming and his authority rather than Peter's. Matthew 16:18 has nothing to do with either.

Answer

As the royal son of David, Christ is the owner of the key of David, but this doesn't mean he can't give to Peter, as his "prime minister," the keys to his heavenly kingdom.
In the passage to which Revelation 3:7 alludes, Isaiah 22:20-23, Eliakim is made master of the palace, a post roughly equivalent to prime minister. As the king's right-hand man, the master of the palace is given the "key of the House of David."
Keys symbolize authority, so bestowing the key to the House of David upon Eliakim is equivalent to giving him, as the king's duly appointed representative, authority over the kingdom.
Revelation 3:7 speaks of Jesus as the "holder of the key of David." Some argue this means he fulfills the role Eliakim foreshadowed in Isaiah 22:20-23. They claim this excludes a prophetic application of this text to Peter by Christ in Matthew 16:18-19.
There's a problem with this argument. In Isaiah 22 Eliakim is master of the palace--the king isn't. Eliakim possesses the key of the kingdom not as its owner, but as one deputed to oversee the king's affairs. If we apply this to Christ, then we must conclude he's not the true messianic king, merely his prime minister, the Messiah's chief representative!
Although Jesus is called the "holder of the key of David" in Revelation 3:7, he doesn't hold it as Eliakim did. As the son of David, Jesus is the heir to the throne of his ancestor (Lk 1:32-33). He really is the king, not the master of the king's palace, as was Eliakim. As king, Jesus is free to bestow the keys of his kingdom on whomever he wishes--without losing the authority those keys represent.
It's the Catholic position that this is precisely what Jesus does in Matthew 16:18-19. Peter identifies Jesus as the Messiah, which means, among other things, acknowledging his kingship. Christ then shows his kingly authority by bestowing on Peter something only the king could give--the keys of the kingdom of heaven--thus making Peter the messianic equivalent of Eliakim.