Peleg

[Jerry]

No, what is it about, and where can we find it?

[Bakershalfdozen]

From amazon.com

Book Description

Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure -- a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage.

On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land -- the Polynesian island of Puka Puka.

Translated into sixty-five languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage -- a magnificent saga of men against the sea.

Washington Square Press' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Kon-Tiki has been prepared by an editorial committee headed by Harry Shefter, professor of English at New York University. It includes a foreword by the author, a selection of critical excerpts, notes, an index, and a unique visual essay of the voyage.

[Bakershalfdozen]

Another quote from amazon.com...

Thor Heyerdahl believed the Polynesian islands were inhabited by sea faring travellers from Peru. But his thesis on this topic was ridiculed because no one would believe that the pacific ocean could be crossed by a flimsy raft made of balsa wood and bamboo. So Heyerdahl decides to prove IT IS possible by building a raft using exactly the same materials the ancient Peruvians used and sailing off the coast of Peru hoping to eventually reach Polynesia.

Nearly every step off his journey was filled with nay sayers who said he was crazy and "experts" who variably told him he was going to die, the raft was going to break apart, or the balsa wood would absorb the sea water and sink. He ignored them all. When they told him balsa trees of the size he needed no longer existed along the coast, he took a jeep deep into the jungles through flooded roads and GOT his trees. Which then they floated down to the ocean in a river.

Heyerdahl is keenly aware of his surroundings and describes his voyage vividly and in simple prose. I could smell the sea breeze and feel the spray of the ocean. It was like taking a mini vacation every time I sat down with this book. You'll swim with whale sharks and get caught in ferocious storms. The six men caught sharks with their hands and even had a pet parrot. I suppose all self respecting seamen need to have a parrot.

The ending to this book was surprising but perfect. It brings the story full circle and could not have ended any other way. So prepare yourself a margarita, kick back, and begin a sea adventure.

Also, when you read the book, you will find that Mr. Hyerdahl and the other sailors saw species in the ocean that were unknown before then or were thought to be extinct. Imagine it - they sailed for thousands of miles on a raft.



Here are a couple more reviews:

"Kon Tiki" is one of the great adventure stories of all time. In 1947, six young Norwegians floated in a balsa-wood raft from Peru to the Polynesian islands of the South Seas. The trip took them 101 days and they traveled 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific without seeing a single other boat or ship. Only occasionally were they able to communicate with the outside world by radio, and the possibility of rescue should their primitive raft sink or break up in the heavy seas they often experienced was slim to none.

The journey was inspired by the theories of Thor Heyerdahl who speculated that the ancient civilizations of Peru had floated across the Pacific to reach the Polynesian islands. Scoffed at by scientists, Heyerdahl organized the expedition to prove that a raft crossing of the Pacific was possible. It was a foolhardy stunt -- but makes for a great story.

"Kon Tiki" tells the story of the expedition from beginning to the end when the crew of the raft is marooned on an idyllic paradise isle in the South Pacific. Rereading the book after many years, I was most impressed with how isolated and empty the Pacific Ocean was and how unexploited was its sea life in 1947. I fear that such is no longer the case.

Heyerdahl's theories of oceanic migrations from the Americas to Polynesia are still pooh-baahed by archaeologists today, although it seems that the sweet potato by some means made it from Peru to Polynesia in pre-historic times. Whatever your opinion may be regarding Heyerdahl as a scientist the story of the "Kon Tiki" is unique and original. Read it and weep because the opportunity for an adventure of such scope and daring is no longer possible in our over-crowded world.

first read of Thor Heyerdahl's voyage across the Pacific when I was in high-school and it had left a lasting impression on me. I recently ran across the book and reread it. Kon-Tiki is an amazing story of Heyerdahl's determination to prove a theory that it is possible to sail from Peru to the South Pacific islands by raft. He puts together a successful expedition, and with a lot of luck manages to prove his point. Along the way, you get a history lesson, geography lesson, marine biology lesson, and a wonderful sea-faring adventure story all in a fast-paced book. And with the photographs accompanying the prose, you feel like you too are on the raft with them.

[John81]

Thor did some excellent work! His work did a lot to bust many myths put forth as fact by scientists and other "experts" and really proves that ancient man wasn't the bumbling fool so many want us to believe he was.

[qwerty guy]

Thor did some excellent work! His work did a lot to bust many myths put forth as fact by scientists and other "experts" and really proves that ancient man wasn't the bumbling fool so many want us to believe he was.

Although I hold the belief that Adam was the smartest man to ever live, with the most knowledge, and that we are getting dumber slightly with each generation, civilization only advancing by building on things re-figured out by past generations.....

If getting on a raft and going across the ocean, pretty much carried by currents, not knowing what is there, is how some of these islands where inhabited, it might just be the bumbling fools we owe credit too :lol

[John81]

I wasn't saying they necessarily knew where they were going, but for a very long time "experts" claimed that ancient man didn't have and couldn't make boats that could make such voyages.

[Psalms18_28]

I wasn't saying they necessarily knew where they were going' date=' but for a very long time "experts" claimed that ancient man didn't have and couldn't make boats that could make such voyages.[/quote']

Even a child know they can make things float. I watched my son play with water. If a man rely water to survive, then it would not be impossible for him to know that he can make things float considering the amount of time he spend around water (we drink water about all day). Unless men were apes in those days.

[John81]

The "experts" used to claim the boats ancient men had were barely seaworthy for local use and couldn't hold up in the ocean or on long voyages. That's why Thor made the boats he used on various adventures just as they did back then, using the same materials, and putting his theory the crafts were truly seaworthy to the test by acutally using them to make vast voyages. In the process, he proved the "experts" wrong.

[Psalms18_28]

oh ok, I thought maybe they didn't think they were intelligent enough.

but yeah, the voyage does seem impossible especially if they were in a poor health (like most native indians are) glad he could prove them wrong.

[zealyouthguy]

Sorry I have not had enough time to respond...

So, those who think that pangea is unbiblical probably are so set in their idea that they are right that they won't listen to a few (quite a few) scientist from the Institute of Creation Research...

http://static.icr.org/radio/mp3/sss-0900.mp3

[Jerry]

The debate so far hasn't been whether the continents shifted or not - but in regards to what Genesis 11 deals with (which isn't that). The continents may have been affected somewhat during the flood - as that is when the mountains and valleys, etc. were affected by the rain from heaven and the waters bursting from springs under the earth.

[chev1958]

I gotta go with Jerry here (not that he needs my help). If we use Scripture to interpret Scripture, then when 1 Chronicles 1:19 says ... "the name of the one was Peleg; because in his days the earth was divided:" ..., then we return to the context of Genesis 10-11, because that's the other mention of Peleg. Genesis refers to the dividing of the people.

I do disagree with Jerry regarding a super continent. It doesn't take much of a look at a flat map of the Earth to see that our current continents could have fit together at one time. Sure, there might have to be some modifications now, due to ocean currents, hurricanes, and ice ages, but fitting them all together is not that far-fetched.

Where's PE (Jim) when you need him?

Mitch

[Jerry]

I am not defending a supercontinent - I just pointed out that by their shapes they do not fit together. According to how someone that I read explained it, you would have to reshape several pieces and resize Africa by a significant amount in order for them to fit together.

I offered a couple of opinions otherwise, which I won't defend. What I will defend was the interpretation of Genesis 10 - and that any major (I use that word because I have no clue whether there are minor shifts since then or not) continental shifts, etc. would have had to have happened during the flood, not afterwards.

[Madeline]

I also agree that it does refer to the dividing of the human race because of the confusion of language at Babel. Before Babel, everyone spoke the same language which greatly contributed to human unity. We have been trained to think of that as a good thing, but since mankind is inherently sinful it most definitely turned out to be a bad thing which Satan exploited very effectively. The Lord set language variation in motion so as to create rifts in this unity and bring about the principle of nationalism instead (so that there would be firewalls against gross satanic attacks as in the tower of Babel). It is only recently that technology has begun to create a new "Babel effect" and we will see in short order how antichrist is able to use this opportunity to create another one-world state. Rather than a paradise, however, it will give us the worst effects of the Tribulation. Only when the world is ruled as one under the perfect ruler, our Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium, will this sort one world situation be a good thing. So Peleg refers to the division of languages and the divisions of the nations that resulted from the language shifts - a gracious development from the hand of God which saved the human race.

Love,
Madeline