The Atlantis Keystone by Caroline Väljemark Page B

me”, Erik said looking at Paul.
    Paul responded: “Certainly, but we should remember that this is not the only ancient Egyptian text from this time which seems to describe the Thera eruption.” Paul paused and looked at them in turn as if he was checking to see if they were interested. “The Tempest Stele of Ahmose seems to convey a similar message. There is no consensus on this point but in my opinion given the timing and the lack of alternative descriptions of this cataclysmic event, I would say that its account of the Thera eruption is very feasible, almost beyond doubt in fact.” Paul stood up and went to his bedroom to get a photocopy of the half tablet and a translation.
    Erik was amused. He should have expected this when he had agreed to stay in a villa with an Oxford professor, a PhD student and two post-graduate students. His idea of a relaxing holiday in the sun would only be realised if he moved to a nearby hotel. Whilst staying in the villa he could expect discussions like this every day. He found it interesting though, in particular as it concerned the tablet.
    As Paul came back downstairs he said mid step as he sat back down: “Obviously this probably portrays the eruption from Egypt, nearly 650 miles from it. He showed Ball the picture of the tablet and read out the first part of the text which talked about the calamity:
    “…of water which swept in over the land with godly force. Smoke was clouding the sky. By day, the darkness was persisting with no [torch] being lit and by night a pillar of fire could be seen in the [west]. With his council, His Majesty descended in his boat to observe the devastation of the victors… coloured white.”
    Ball was quiet in contemplation for a moment and then started a lengthy deliberation about the consequences of a volcanic eruption. Erik was only half listening but caught fragments like “Tambora eruption in 1816… a year without summer… continual rains… clouds of ash blotted out the sun… dark periods… Mount St Helens… hail… brimstone… widespread violent storms… emission of dust into the atmosphere… low temperatures… tsunami…” Erik started to pay attention at the mention again of the more recent tsunami which he had experienced, when Ball glanced at him.
    “…Distant shores, further away from the event than 650 miles, were flooded by the Tsunami. Imagine the impact on the surrounding sea of a volcanic eruption of literally gigantic proportion, with much greater force than the tectonic plate shifting of the Indian Ocean. It’s not difficult to imagine that the Tsunami could easily reach the shores of Egypt and cause several subsequent waves with deadly force destroying temples and other buildings in its way. It’s obviously incomplete but I for one am almost convinced that this description is portraying the effects of a volcanic eruption. The pillar of fire and smoke is also very suggestive of this.”
    Having sat quietly for a long while, Laura stirred and joined the conversation, taking off her glasses and rubbing one eye as she started to speak: “I just had a thought. From what I can recall from the Bible”, she put her glasses back on again, “there is also a mention of something like a ‘pillar of cloud’ by day and ‘a pillar of fire’ by night in connection with the Israelites’ pilgrimage through the desert in the Exodus. This is very similar to the text on the tablet. Surely, a ‘pillar of fire’ and indeed a ‘pillar of smoke’ do seem to suggest that the volcanic eruption could actually be seen from Egypt?”
    “Well”, Ball said, “I would have doubted very much whether the pillar of fire or smoke could be seen all the way to Egypt. Perhaps the rumour of it though.” Laura nodded absently and they all quietly considered the significance of this.
    Emma was the first to voice her thoughts: “Does this mean that it’s possible that the tablet indirectly provides evidence that both the eruption and the Exodus