The Beginning(Genesis) and Pangu, The Flood and Nüwa
China Legends of Pangu and Nuwa had great similarities with Bible Stories of the Beginning and the Big Flood
Abstract: Old Testament Bible Stories told us The Creation Story and The Big Flood Story.
In Ancient China legend, it was Pangu who started the universe from its formless. Nuwa who appeared only after Pangu opening up the universe, carried out God’s tasks to stop the Big Flood; repair the heavens and establish the Four Ends of the Earth.
This article briefly introduced the ancient China legends of Pangu and Nuwa. The legends of Pangu and Nuwa were similar with the Bible stories of the Creation and the Big Flood. These stories which came from different ancient civilizations had uncanny similarities. Even Pangu and Nuwa stories were regarded as legends in China, it should bring more confidence that these stories came from the same historical events as the Bible stories of the Creation and the Big Flood. The Creation Story and The Big Flood Story were not fictions, but real history of the earth.
1. Introduction
Old Testament Bible Stories told us The Creation Story and The Big Flood Story. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth from a formless, empty earth where darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. God created all creatures and mankind, and put Adam and Eve to the Garden of Eden. But because of the serpent, Adam and Eve ate the apple and they were banished by the Lord God from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
When Men began to increase in number on the earth, the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. But only Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. God let Noah make an ark and wiped all people and animals and the creatures from the earth by a big flood, except Noah, his family and creatures with him in the ark.
Mankind were scattered by Lord over the face of the whole earth after Babel (Genesis 11:9). The phrase ‘Whole Earth’ clearly told us that The Ends of the Earth were definitely not near the land of Middle East where Jerusalem, the Holy city, God's Capital city on the earth located; They should include: Easternmost place in China; Westernmost place in USA; Northernmost place near Arctic Circle; Southernmost place in Australia and New Zealand .
peacepink.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-ends-of-the-earth According to Pangu Legend in China, in the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg. And Pangu was inside it. After many years, Pangu opened up the universe and separated the sky from the earth.
Nuwa who appeared only after Pangu opening up the universe, Nuwa was an angle of God who carried out God’s tasks to stop the Big Flood; repair the heavens and establish the Four Ends of the Earth.
The legends of Pangu and Nuwa were similar with the Bible stories of the Creation and the Big Flood. These stories which came from different ancient civilizations, but had uncanny similarities, it should bring more confidence that the legends of Pangu and Nuwa and the Bible stories of the Creation and the Big Flood came from the same historical events. The Creation Story and The Big Flood Story were not fictions, but real history of the earth.
2. The Creation Story and The Big Flood Story in the Bible
2.1 The Creation Story in the Bible
Old Testament Bible Stories told us The Creation Story and The Big Flood Story. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth from a formless, empty earth where darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. God let there be ‘day’ and ‘night’; ‘sky’, ‘land’ and ‘seas’; ‘sun’ and ‘moon’; ‘evening’ and ‘morning’; God created creatures of the ground and the sea; and birds. God created mankind in his own image. (Genesis). Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array (Genesis 2:2). And the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed (Genesis 2:8).
Because of the serpent, Adam and Eve ate the apple and they were banished by the Load God from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken (Genesis 3:23).
2.2 The Big Flood Story in the Bible
When Men began to increase in number on the earth, the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. (Genesis 6:11) But only Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). God let Noah make himself an ark (Genesis 6:14) and go into the ark with his whole family, and take with him seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, and also seven pairs of every kind of bird (Genesis 7:7).
All the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. (Genesis 7)
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. 2 Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. (Genesis 8) By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.
3. The Pangu Legend in China
3.1 Historical records of Pangu Legend
The first writer to record the myth of Pangu was Xu Zheng (徐整) during the Three Kingdoms (184-280AC) (三国) period.
In the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg. And Pangu was inside it. After many years, Pangu separated the Sky from the earth. The yang which was light and pure rose to become the sky, and the yin which was heavy and murky sank to form the earth. Pangu was inside it for many years, and changed many times every day; with each day the sky grew ten feet (3 meters) higher, the Earth ten feet wider, and Pangu ten feet taller. Another many years passed, and there was an extremely high sky, an extremely thick earth, and an extremely tall Pangu.
After the universe became extremely large, there were Human Beings.
After the many years had elapsed, Pangu was laid to rest. His breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became the fish and animals throughout the land.
(Note: In ancient China, number 9 and 18 did not exactly mean nine and eighteen, it meant many, even could not be count).
In Pangu’s story, 18000 years did not mean exactly eighteen thousands years, it meant many years, even could not be count. And ‘change 9 times a day” did not mean exactly nine times, it meant many times.
( In Chinese《三五历记》:”(1) 天地浑沌如鸡子。盘古生在其中。万八千岁。天地开辟。阳清为天。阴浊为地。盘古在其中。一日九变。神于天。圣于地。天日高一丈。地日厚一丈。盘古日长一丈。如此万八千岁。天数极高。地数极深。盘古极长。故天去地九万里。后乃有三皇。 (2) 天气蒙鸿,萌芽兹始,遂分天地,肇立乾坤,启阴感阳,分布元气,乃孕中和,是为人也。首生盘古。垂死化身。气成风云。声为雷霆。左眼为日。右眼为月。四肢五体为四极五岳。血液为江河。筋脉为地里。肌肉为田土。发为星辰。皮肤为草木。齿骨为金石。精髓为珠玉。汗流为雨泽。身之诸虫。因风所感。化为黎甿.”)
3.2 The I-Ching (Yi-Jing) and The Pangu Legend
3.2.1 The basic theory of I-Ching (Yi-Jing)
I-Ching, or the Book of Change said, "Changes has the Great Ultimate, which give rise to the Two Elements. The Two Elements give rise to the Four Phenomena, and the Four Phenomena give rise to the Eight Hexagrams, and the Eight Hexagrams give rise to all events and things." ( In Chinese: 易经:太极生两仪,两仪生四象,四象生八卦,八卦演万物)。
Tai Chi (Tai Ji), The Great Ultimate, It actually means the earliest, the beginning... of all events and things.
Everything came from 1 ( Tai Chi) to 2 (elements) to 4 (phenomena) to 8 (hexagrams) to….. 64 (hexagrams)……to all events and things.
3.2.2 The Pangu Legend had great similarities with the basic theory of I-Ching
(1) In the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg. And Pangu was inside it. (In Chinese “天地浑沌如鸡子。盘古生在其中”)
I-Ching believed that there was nothing in the universe except Tai Chi (Tai Ji), The Great Ultimate. It actually means the earliest, the beginning... of all events and things.
Pangu can be considered Tai- Chi (Tai-Ji), The Great Ultimate.
(2) After many years, Pangu separated the Sky from the earth. The Yang (阳清) which was light and pure rose to become the sky, and the Yin (阴浊) which was heavy and murky sank to form the earth. (In Chinese “万八千岁。天地开辟。阳清为天。阴浊为地.”)
I-Ching said Tai Chi (Tai Ji), the Great Ultimate, gave rise to the Two Elements.
The Yin and the Yang can be considered Two Elements which came from Tai Chi (Tai Ji), the Great Ultimate.
(3) According to Pangu legend, his breath became the wind; his voice the thunder; left eye the sun and right eye the moon; his body became the mountains and extremes of the world; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars and milky way; his fur the bushes and forests; his bones the valuable minerals; his bone marrows sacred diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became the fish and animals throughout the land.
I-Ching believed that all things came from Tai Chi (Tai-Ji), The Great Ultimate.
Pangu was Tai Chi (Tai-Ji), The Great Ultimate; it gave rise to all things.
3.3 The Big Bang and The Pangu Legend
3.3.1 The Big Bang
Currently some people believe The Big Bang theory.
The Big Bang was the event which led to the formation of the universe, according to the prevailing cosmological theory of the universe's early development (known as the Big Bang theory or Big Bang model). According to the Big Bang model, the universe, originally in an extremely hot and dense state that expanded rapidly, has since cooled by expanding to the present diluted state, and continues to expand today. Based on the best available measurements as of 2010, the original state of the universe existed around 13.7 billion years ago, which is often referred to as the time when the Big Bang occurred.
3.3.2 The Pangu Legend had some similarities with the Big Bang
If Big Bang theory is correct, there will be some inspiration from Pangu’s story.
(1) In the beginning there was nothing in the universe except a formless chaos. However this chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg. And Pangu was inside it. (In Chinese“天地浑沌如鸡子。盘古生在其中。”)
Pangu can be considered a kind of energy.
(2) After many years, Pangu separated the Sky from the earth. The yang which was light and pure rose to become the sky, and the yin which was heavy and murky sank to form the earth. (In Chinese “万八千岁。天地开辟。阳清为天。阴浊为地。”)
“万八千岁” it did not mean 18000 years. In ancient China, it meant “extremely large/extremely long/extremely much”, even could not be count.
“阴浊”The yin which was heavy and murky can be considered those matters which form planets
“阳清”The yang which was light and pure can be considered those matters which are outside planets.
(3) Pangu was inside it for many years, and changed many times every day; with each day the sky grew ten feet (3 meters) higher, the Earth ten feet wider, and Pangu ten feet taller. (In Chinese“盘古在其中。一日九变。神于天。圣于地。天日高一丈。地日厚一丈。盘古日长一丈。”)
“一日九变” it did not mean “change 9 times every day”. In ancient China, it meant “change many times a day”.
In the beginning of The Big Bang, The universe was very unsteady and rapidly expanding.
(4) Another many years passed, and there was an extremely high sky, an extremely thick earth, and an extremely tall Pangu. After the universe became extremely large, Human Beings started. (In Chinese“如此万八千岁。天数极高。地数极深。盘古极长。故天去地九万里。后乃有三皇。”)
4 The Nüwa Legend in China
4.1 Historical written records of Nuwa’s story
The earliest written story of Nüwa was from < Shan Hai Jing - Da Huang Xi Jing > BCE(1600—BCE1046):There were ten spirits. It said Nüwa's intestines scatter into ten spirits, They lived in millet fields and slept on Roads. (In Chinese 《山海经•大荒西经》(商代,公元前1600年——公元前1046年):有神十人,名曰女娲之肠,化为神,处栗广之野,横道而处;)
Other earlier written story of Nüwa was from < Liezi, chapter 5: "Questions of Tang" (卷第五 汤问篇)> (475 - 221 BC) author: Lie Yukou.
Paragraph 1: "Nüwa repairs the heavens" Describes Nüwa repairing the imperfect heavens. Nüwa uses five colored stones to repair the heavens, cut the legs of a tortoise and use them as struts to establish the four corners of the earth(The Ends of the Earth).
(In Chinese:《汤问》(约前475年~公元前221)故昔者女娲氏练五色石以补其阙;断鳌之足以立四极。其后共工氏与颛顼争为帝,怒而触不周之山,折天柱,绝地维;故天倾西北,日月辰星就焉;地不满东南,故百川水潦归焉。)
Bamboo Annals (BCE475-BCE221):There was Mountain called Heaven Platform outside East Sea; there was a ladder led to Heaven, and a platform scattered Human Being to spirit, People with wings lived there. Heaven Platform, was a mountain carried by The tortoise, floating around the sea for many years. When Nüwa cut the legs of a tortoise and use them as struts to establish the four corners of the earth(The Ends of the Earth), She saw The Spirit Mountain was unsteady, then moved it to Langya beach.
(In Chinese《竹书纪年》(约前475年~公元前221) 东海外有山曰天台,有登天之梯,有登仙之台,羽人所居。天台者,神鳌背负之山也,浮游海内,不纪经年。惟女娲斩鳌足而立四极,见仙山无着,乃移于琅琊之滨。)
‘Shan Hai Jing-Hai Nei Dong Jing’: Langya Platform was near Bo Sea
(In Chinese《山海经•海内东经》云:“琅琊台在渤海间,琅琊之东。其北有山,一曰在海间.)
According to the earliest written story of Nüwa, Nüwa was not the creator of Human Beings.
In the book: ‘Huainanzi, chapter 6: Lanmingxun (览冥训)’ (179 - 122 BC) author: Liu An, "Nüwa Mended the Sky": In remote antiquity, the four corners collapsed, and the earth descended into chaos: the firmament was no longer able to cover everything, and the earth was no longer able to support itself; fire burned wild, and waters flooded the land. Fierce beasts ate common people, and ferocious birds attacked the old and the weak.
Hence, Nüwa tempered the five-colored stone to mend the heavens, cut off the feet of the great turtle to establish the four corners of the Earth (The Ends of the Earth), killed the black dragon to help the earth, and gathered the ash of reed to stop the flood.
After Nüwa finishing her tasks: Heavens repaired; The Four Corners of the Earth established; Flood water dried; China became peaceful; Evil animals died; Good people grew;
Then Nüwa left Square Earth, enfolded (went to) Round Heaven
(In Chinese《淮南子•览冥训》:往古之时,四极废,九州岛裂,天不兼覆,地不周载,火滥(lǎn)焱而不灭,水浩洋而不息,猛兽食颛民,鸷鸟攫老弱。于是,女娲炼五色石以补苍天,断鳌足以立四极,杀黑龙以济冀州,积芦灰以止淫水。苍天补,四极正;淫水涸,冀州平;狡虫死,颛民生; 背方州,抱圆天。)
From the earlier written records, we only could find the following story of Nüwa:Repaired the heavens; established the four corners of the earth (The Ends of the Earth); Killed the black Dragon; Stopped The Big Flood. We could find that Nüwa was not the creator of Human Beings.
4.2 Enriching legends of Nuwa
Later, mankind had keep enriching Nüwa’s stories by adding in more fancies.
Nüwa is presented differently in so many myths; it is not accurate to tie her down as a creator, mother. Depending on the myths, she is responsible for being a wife, sister, man, tribal leader (or even emperor), creator, maintainer, etc. It is not clear from the evidence which view came first. Regardless of the origins, most myths present Nüwa as female in a procreative role after a calamity.
4.3 The name of Nüwa “女娲”came from"女娃" (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa)
In ancient China, men and women did not have name.
For an example, Liu Bang(256BC-195BC), the first emperor of Han Dynasty (206BC-220AC), his original name was Liu Ji (Ji means the third son of the family). Liu Bang had two brothers: Liu Bo (Bo means the first son of the family); Liu Zhong (Zhong means the second son of the family).
Another example, the very famous story of Meng Jiang Nu cried for the Great Wall in Qin Dynasty. Meng Jiang Nu did not have her name too. Jiang was the family name, Meng meant the first daughter in the family. Meng Jiang Nu meant the first daughter of Jiang’s family.
The pronunciations (pinyin) of Chinese words “女娲” and “女娃” are same --- Nüwa.
“女娃" (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa)originally meant “Beautiful lady”. At first Nüwa did not have a name; People called her "女娃" (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa), meant “Beautiful lady”.
Later some people thought that as the Goddess, Nüwa must have her own name, so they specially invented a Chinese character “娲” (Pronounce: wa) for her. After that, Nüwa had her own name "女娲" (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa) instead of “女娃” (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa)。
Ancient Chinese character Oracle bone script (upper part: 我 and lower part:母)is the Chinese character “娥” (Pronounce pinyin: e), it means “Beautiful lady”.
Shang Dynasty People prayed to ‘E’ (娥): offer sacrifice to ancestors; offer sacrifice to country ancestors; give sacrifice gift to those who are loyal to the king; pray for good harvest; pray for rain; pray for luck and happiness; pray for prosperity for the country. “娥” (Pronounce pinyin: e) was the goddess with highest rank. Many scholars think that “娥” (Pronounce pinyin: e) was indeed "女娲" (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa)
In Ancient Chinese Phonology system, “娲” came from "呙". It belonged to Ge section of the pre-Qin Chinese Phonology.
“娲, 呙,我,娥” were at same section of the pre-Qin Chinese Phonology. The vowel rhyme of娲 and 娥 could be transferred, 娲 and 娥 were interchangeable.
"女娲" (Pronounce pinyin: Nüwa) was indeed “女娥” (Pronounce pinyin: Nüe). It originally meant “Beautiful Lady”.
4.4 The image of Nüwa changed to Human Head and Snake Body since Han Dynasty (202BCE-220ACE)
In the prehistoric legendary system and according to the literature available, the image of Nuwa was an indeterminate goddess in the eyes of the poets during the middle and latter half of the Warring States Period as far as her appearances were concerned.
Qu Yuan (BCE340 – BCE 278) was the first one questioning the image of Nüwa in ‘Questioning Heaven’. He questioned: ‘If Nüwa has a body, who made it?’
Wang Yi (in East Han Dynasty) said: ‘It circulated widely as folk literature that Nüwa was half people and half snake, and her body changed 70 times a day. If it was real, who made Nüwa?’
There was also a fiction of Nuwa that Nuwa was from an ethnic group who worshipped phoenix. This possibly came from the bird worship history in ancient China.
Archaeologists and Scientists had discovered, many groups in ancient China chose bird as their totem. Such as: people in Shandong Peninsula before Zhou Dynasty (1050BC-256BC); And Shang Dynasty (1600BC—1046BC), Shi Jing recorded: God Orders Xuan Bird to Give Birth to Shang. From bird, ancient China started to worship Chinese phoenix/phoenix, queen/king of all birds, it was a symbol of good luck.
It was a long and tortuous process that Dragon worship had grown to the most important role, and even to a totem of whole China. Zhu Nai-cheng, the Director of Institute of archaeology Information Center of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, thought in his book ‘The Origin and Formation of China Dragon (中华龙:起源和形成 ISBN:9787108030771)’ that it was Sima Qian who wrote a story about a dragon and Liu Bang’s mother, started giving a linkage between Dragon and emperor.
The Records of the Grand Historian told us that Liu Lei, who had been formally recognized as an offspring of Yao (a legendary monarch in ancient China), was a Dragon Tamer. Liu Lei was officially recognized as the ancestor of Liu Bang’s non-biological father, Liu's family regarded dragons as like animals which could be tamed; they did not worship dragon.
Though Li Long-ji (his imperial concubine was Yang Yu-Huan), Emperor Tang Xuan-zong (685-762) of Tang Dynasty (618—907) had ever given bronze mirror which were carved with dragons to meritorious statesmen as awards; The dragon was evolved into the symbol of the Imperial rights only since Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and China emperors started wearing Dragon Robes. Emperors of China called themselves: ‘Son of God, The Real Dragon’. The dragon became a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. [9]
The image of Nuwa was a saint who advocated emptiness and purity and ranked with Fuxi as the people with consummate morality in the literature of Western Han Dynasty (202BCE- 9ACE). With the revival of the doctrine of three empresses during the time between the Western Hun and Eastern Han dynasties, the doctrine of three empresses (Fuxi, Shennong, Suiren or Zhurong) at the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25ACE-220ACE) evolved into the series of three empresses (Fuxi, Nuwa, Shennong) at the latter stage of the Eastern Han Dynasty, marking the eventual formation of the image of Nuwa as a saint. <The Evolution of the Image of Nuwa during the Periods of the WarringStates, Qin and Han> (SONG Chao, (The Editorial Department of History Studies, Beijing, China)
www.csscipaper.com/chinahistory/xianqin/110629.htmlNüwa and Fuxi were pictured as having snake like tails interlocked in an Eastern Han dynasty mural in the Wuliang Temple in Jiaxiang county, Shandong province.
It was clear that along with the Dragon worship growing to an important role in Ancient China, the image of Nuwa changed from indeterminate Goddess to a snake tail and a human head, this significant change happened during late West Han Dynasty when was considered to be a period of dragon worship being rapidly developed.
From the Bible we learned that Satan used to be an angel in the Heaven and he could ‘roam through the earth and go back and forth in it’ (Job1:6-7). He was hurled to the earth (Revelation 12:9) because he became evil, and he started persecuting God’s people. But the loud voice in the heaven said: ‘Now’ have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah (Revelation 12:10-11). Jesus Christ was the Messiah. ‘Brothers and sisters’ who followed Jesus Christ were persecuted to death, but they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death; they triumphed over Satan by the blood of the Lamb– Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:11). Christians won the final victory in the Roman Empire(27BCE - 476ACE), Constantine (27 Feb 272 – 22 May 337) reversed the persecutions of his predecessor, Diocletian, and issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of Christians throughout the empire.
When Jesus Christ and his followers were seriously persecuted in Roman Empire, Satan worked hard to eliminate West Han Dynasty. West Han dynasty entered its social upheaval and the Dragon worship began to flourish in ordinary people, the image of Nuwa changed from indeterminate Goddess to snake tail and human head.
4.5 Three famous Flood recorded in Ancient China
According to the literature available, ancient China had recorded three famous Floods: Nüwa Flood, Gong Gong Flood and Da Yu Flood
4.5.1 Nüwa Flood happened before 20000 years ago.
In the book: <Huainanzi, chapter 6: Lanmingxun (览冥训)> (179 - 122 BC) author: Liu An, "Nüwa Mended the Sky": In remote antiquity, the four corners collapsed, and the earth descended into chaos: the firmament was no longer able to cover everything, and the earth was no longer able to support itself; fire burned wild, and waters flooded the land. Fierce beasts ate common people, and ferocious birds attacked the old and the weak. Nüwa repaired the Heavens; established the Four Corners of the Earth; stopped the Big Flood water. China became peaceful; Evil animals died; Good people grew;
There is a similar story about big flood in Maya records.
Maya Five Sun JI calendar is a record of Maya historical changes. Ancient Maya people believed human started from 23614 BCE, First Sun JI (MATLACTIL ART) (23614 BCE - 18489 BCE) was destroyed in a flood, the mysterious scientists think that was Noah's flood.
All most all fossils of modern Homo sapiens showed that modern humans started between 30000 - 20000 years ago.
Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, the current ice age or simply the ice age, refers to the period from 2.58 Ma (million years ago) to present, in which permanent ice sheets were established in Antarctica and perhaps Greenland, and fluctuating ice sheets have occurred elsewhere (for example, the Laurentide ice sheet). During the colder episodes — referred to as glacial periods — large ice sheets also existed in Europe, North America, and Siberia. The south edge of ice sheet reached North latitude 50 in Europe, North latitude 40 in America around 20000 years ago.
The so called ends of the earth located near North latitude 40 in Asia and America, South latitude 40 in Australia. East end of the earth in Weihai prefecture of China was North latitude: 37.23, East Longitude:122.41; West end of the earth in Western America was about North latitude: between 35-40, East Longitude: between120-125; South end of the earth in Melbourne of Australia was near South latitude 40.
According to the Holy Bible, Noah Flood lasted 150 days. At that time, most land on the earth was under the ice sheet. In a short period of 150 days, ice sheet could not be melt under water. And it could not leave many Geological traces on the earth.
Later climate warming brought to result in rising sea level. According to NASA, the sea level was 120 m lower as of around 20,000 years ago. Temperature rose quickly as of about 20,000-6000 years ago. After the ice sheets began to melt and retreat, the sea level rose rapidly. By the mid-Holocene period, 6000 years ago, glacial melting had essentially ceased. [2]
As of 6000 years ago, the sea level near Shandong Peninsula was 2-5meters higher than today’s present sea level. A lot of dry lands of the present Shandong Peninsula were under the sea. 5500 years ago, also the sea level was 2-5 meters lower than present sea level.
[2] Vivien Gornitz, Sea Level Rise, After the Ice Melted and Today, Jan 2007, NASA,
www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/gornitz_09/ 4.5.2 Gong Gong Flood happened 10000 years ago.
4.5.2.1 Historical written records of Gong Gong Flood
"Questions of Tang" (汤问篇) (Liezi, chapter 5: "Questions of Tang" (卷第五 汤问篇)> (475 - 221 BC) author: Lie Yukou ) had clearly indicated that after Nüwa finished her tasks (Repaired the heavens; Established the four corners of the earth (The Ends of the Earth); Stopped The Big Flood), later then Gong Gong(共工) fight with Zhuan Xu(颛顼) for the leadership. Gong Gong saw that he was losing, He bumped his head against Mount Buzhou (不周山) in anger. (In Chinese:《汤问》故昔者女娲氏练五色石以补其阙;断鳌之足以立四极。其后共工氏与颛顼争为帝,怒而触不周之山,折天柱,绝地维;故天倾西北,日月辰星就焉;地不满东南,故百川水潦归焉。)
The pillar of the earth collapsed and caused the earth to tilt towards the northwest and the southeast land sinking lower. Water changed it’s flowing to southeast.
There were also some other written records of Gong Gong bumping his head against Mount Buzhou (不周山) in anger.
“Huai Nan Zi” had the same written stories of Gong Gong as "Questions of Tang".
《天文训, 淮南子》:“昔者共工与颛顼争为帝,怒而触不周之山,天柱折,地维绝。天倾西北,故日月星辰移焉;地不满东南,故水潦尘埃归焉。”
“Shen Yi Jing. Xi Bei Huang Jing” had a record of Gong Gong too: There were someone lived in Northwest, He had human face, red hears, snake body, and human hands and feet. He ate cereals and meat. He was ferocious, stubborn and foolish; He was called Gong Gong. 《神异经.西北荒经》 “西北荒有人焉,人面,朱发,蛇身,人手足,而食五谷禽兽。贪恶愚顽,名曰共工。”
(In ancient China, mankind was named with Tribal clan’s name. Gong Gong was the tribal clan’s name too, and its totem was human face, red hears, snake body and human hands and feet)
4.5.2.2 Science discovery proved that Gong Gong flood possibly happened 10000 years ago.
The story of Gong Gong bumping his head against Mount Buzhou was possibly a very serious earthquake, which caused the Earth's rotation axis shifting.
Here, “the pillar of the sky” was exactly “The pillar of the earth”; it was the Earth's rotation axis. The Earth's rotation axis shifting caused great calamities on the Earth, and big changes on the earth.
According to the story, the earth tilted to the northwest; seeing from the earth, it seemed that the moon and stars’ locations had changes. The southeast land of China sank lower, while The Western land of China uplifted; and all the rivers changed it’s flowing to southeast.
a) Scientists had discovered that uplift of TIBETAN PLATEAU had been suddenly rapid at a rate of 7cm per year 10000 years ago.
b) According to historical records, Yellow River had changed its estuary from Tianjin (north) to Qing County (southeast); and later, its estuary kept shifting to southeast.
《山海经•北山经》大河下游大致北流到永定河冲积扇的南缘,向东经过雄县、霸县一线,到今天天津市区附近入海;
《禹贡》大河下游在今深县与《山经》大河别流,穿过今河北平原中部,于青县以东入海;
Scientists had discovered that Earthquake could change Earth's rotation.
The Earth spins on an axis that is tilted some 23.5° from the vertical. But this position is far from constant – the planet's axis is constantly shifting in response to changes in the distribution of mass around the Earth.
JPL research scientist Richard Gross computed how Earth's rotation should have changed as a result of the Feb. 27 2010 quake. Using a complex model, he and fellow scientists came up with a preliminary calculation that the quake should have shortened the length of an Earth day by about 1.26 microseconds (a microsecond is one millionth of a second). Gross calculates the quake should have moved Earth's figure axis (the axis about which Earth's mass is balanced) by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters, or 3 inches). Earth’s figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis; they are offset by about 10 meters (about 33 feet).
By comparison, Gross said the same model estimated the 2004 magnitude 9.1 Sumatran earthquake should have shortened the length of day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted Earth's axis by 2.32 milliarcseconds (about 7 centimeters, or 2.76 inches).
Landerer and colleagues estimate that the melting of Greenland's ice is already causing Earth's axis to tilt at an annual rate of about 2.6 centimetres – and that rate may increase significantly in the coming years.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said Over the next century, the subtle effect is expected to cause the northern pole of Earth's spin axis to shift by roughly 1.5 centimetres per year in the direction of Alaska and Hawaii.
4.5.3 Da Yu Flood happened about 4500-5000 years ago.
According to “Shan Hai Jing”, the Tribal clan of the Gong Gong made flood again during Yao, Shun, and Yu period. Da Yu fought with Gong Gong, deportation them and exiled them to You Zhou.
Archaeological evidences could prove that Da yu flood happened 4500-5000 years ago.
There are three archaeological sites which remain the flood phenomena: Handan, Luoyang, Wugong (Xu xi Zhuang and zhao jia lai).
An archaeological site located in a stream channel near Luo Yang (It belongs to long Shan Culture) indicated that People living in lower places were much earlier than upper places. Lower places were before flood; upper places were after flood. 5000 years ago, those people shifted from lower places to upper places.
Wugong archaeological site indicated that Xu Xi Zhuang located in lower places; Zhao Jia Lai located in upper places. 5000 years ago, People shifted from Xu Xi Zhuang to Zhao Jia Lai.
Some written records about Da Yu Flood
《淮南子•本经篇》“舜之时,共工振滔洪水,以薄空桑。”
《淮南子》说“共工振滔洪水,以薄空桑”,
《山海经•大荒西经》中提到“有禹攻共工国山”,
《荀子·成相篇》中说:“禹有功,抑下鸿,为民除害逐共工”,
《尚书·舜典》说:“流共工于幽州,放驩兜于崇山,窜三苗于三危,殛鲧于羽山,四罪而天下咸服。”《括地志》亦说:“故龚城在檀州燕乐县界,故老传云舜流共工幽州,居此城。”清人顾炎武作《昌平山水记》稱,“其城仍在,亦曰共城,在密云县东北五十里。”
5 China Pangu and Nuwa Legends had great similarities with Bible stories of the Creation and the Big Flood
5.1 China Pangu Legend had great similarities with Bible stories of the Creation
According to the Genesis 1, the universe was formless and empty and darkness. It was God who created universe (the heavens and the earth). God created everything on the earth.
According to Pangu Legend, the universe was formless. It was Pangu who started the universe. Everything on the earth came from Pangu.
5.2 China Nüwa Legend had great similarities with Bible stories of the Big Flood
5.2.1 Nüwa and Noah
From Nüwa’s story, we knew there was a big flood. This flood was exactly the same flood of Noah (Genesis 6). The waters were from the heavens and the springs of the deep.
5.2.2 Nüwa and The Four Corners of the Earth (The Ends of the Earth)
The Holy Bible told us that after the Big Flood, mankind firstly settled in Shinar, later Mankind were scattered by the Lord over the face of the whole earth after Babel (Genesis 11:9). The phrase ‘Whole Earth’ clearly told us that The Ends of the Earth were definitely not near the land of Middle East where Jerusalem, the Holy city, God's Capital city on the earth located; They should include: Easternmost place in China; Westernmost place in USA; Northernmost place near Arctic Circle; Southernmost place in Australia and New Zealand .
peacepink.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-ends-of-the-earth According Nüwa Legend, after The Big Flood, Nüwa established The Four Corners of the Earth (In Chinese”立四极”).
After Nüwa finishing God’s tasks, Heavens were repaired; The Four Corners of the Earth (The Ends of the Earth) were established; Flood water were dried; China became peaceful; Evil animals died; Good people grew; (In Chinese苍天补,四极正;淫水涸,冀州平;狡虫死,颛民生; 背方州,抱圆天), Then She left Square earth and enfolded (went to) Round Heaven.
In ancient Chinese culture, Chinese thought: “Heaven was high and round – Round Heaven; and the earth was low and rectangular – Square Earth”
背(Bei) means “leave”; such as: 背井离乡(Bei Jing Li Xiang)(leave one’s native home)
抱(Bao) means “enfold”. Here it means “go to”.
5.2.3 Nüwa and Angel
The Bible used the terms מלאך אלהים (mal'akh Elohim; messenger of God), מלאך יהוה (mal'akh YHWH; messenger of the Lord), בני אלהים (b'nai Elohim; sons of God) and הקודשים (ha-qodeshim; the holy ones) to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angels.
Daniel was the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name. The writer included the names Gabriel (God's primary messenger) in Daniel 9:21 and Michael (the holy fighter) in Daniel 10:13. These were part of Daniel's apocalyptic visions and were an important part of all apocalyptic literature.
Angels were created by God, and carrying out God's tasks "praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts... for He spoke and they were made. He commanded and they were created..." (Psalms 148:2-5; Colossians 1:16).
From China Legend, Nüwa appeared only after Pangu opened up the universe. Nüwa was created by Pangu.
We could surely believe that the legend of Pangu was the legend of God in ancient China, and Nüwa to be an Angel created by God. Nüwa carried out God’s tasks after The Big Flood.
The main tasks of Nüwa were to work for God: to repair the heavens; to establish the four corners of the earth (The ends of the Earth); to kill the black dragon; to stop the flood.
The Queen of the South in Matthew 12:42, authored by Soleilmavis Liu, is a strong and well-reasoned piece to demonstrate whom the Queen of the South is, by using plenty of detailed historical data and facts. It lets the readers understand where the Ends of the Earth are, how the Queen of the South comes from the Ends of the Earth, how she can be greater than Solomon, and what the judgment is etc. Readers will understand God’s big plan about the Queen of the South by answering all these questions.
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