A Man Named Peleg

Synopsis

"And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided. . . ."

Genesis 10:25

Peleg is a man that time has nearly forgotten. His name is preserved in a simple biblical verse, almost as a passing thought, yet there is evidence that in his day he was anything but insignificant.

When the man named Peleg walked the earth, the great Flood had just receded. Rumors swirled of a mysterious tower being built in Babel—a tower to guarantee safety and security, yet a tower built on wickedness. And there were other rumors. Rumors of water, of land, and of change.

The age of Peleg is shrouded in mystery, yet clues remain to the puzzle of his time. In A Man Named Peleg join noted scholar Clay McConkie as he explores ancient and modern events and prophecies that may hold the keys to our past—as well as our future.

Summary of Main Ideas

1. The name of Peleg is first mentions in the tenth chapter of the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
2. His name is associated very briefly with the so-called division of the earth.
3. Many opinions have been given as to how and when the earth was divided.
4. A well-known event which occurred in the same vicinity of time was the commencement of the Tower of Babel referred to in the eleventh chapter of Genesis.
5. Although Nimrod is not specifically named as the builder of the tower, he generally is considered to be the one.
6. A significant idea and concept is that he commenced the tower because he was convinced another flood was approaching, separate from the one during the time of Noah and the ark.
7. An obvious question pertaining to Nimrod is whether or not he could build a structure large enough to protect him and his people.
8. The prospects of a drama that might have occurred during the time of Peleg when the division of the earth took place, whatever it was that did occur, provides an interesting exploration into ancient history.
9. It is not so much that Peleg himself was important, but that events during his time period were significant and rife with implications.
10. Peleg became the namesake for what is still one of the Bible's unsolved mysteries.

Preface

This book is a sequel to another small book I have written called The Gathering of the Waters in which I referred to three giant floods in history coming to an end: one on the third day of Creation, one during the time of Noah, and another yet to occur just prior to the biblical Millennium. In this second account, however, attention has mainly been given to when the floods began.

In neither book has there been any attempt to focus on floods themselves, a subject I know very little about. Instead, my main interest in the first writing was how they pertain to the lost tribes of Israel, and in the second their relationship to the division of the earth mentioned in the Bible.

From the outset, I do not claim any special status for either of these two books. But one thing I have tried to do is put forth a variety of opinions, at least some of which are hopefully closer to fact than theory. In certain things I know I could be wrong, but in others there is a good chance I am right.

An important concept in A Man Named Peleg, for example, is that the Tower of Babel came after the time of Peleg and the so-called division of the earth and not before, as often stated. The division, in fact, might have been the principle motive for building the tower in the first place, instead of some of the more traditional reasons. I have also emphasized the idea that the division of the earth was mainly a phenomenon pertaining to water, rather than one related to drifting continents or some other theory.

In any case, my opinions are there, and I welcome any constructive criticism. The important thing is to discover what is accurate and true. Hopefully I have made some kind of contribution, yet if I have done nothing more than stimulate additional interest in my topic, I will have accomplished a worthwhile purpose.

There is also the matter of religious faith and belief. In this second account, as well as the first, much has been said about certain events in the future, including the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the return of the ten lost tribes of Israel, and the restoration of the earth to the way it was in the beginning before it was divided. All of these occurrences will fulfill ancient and modern prophecy and are important things to look forward to. With this in mind, I have written my two books!

Introduction

It is typical in the Bible to find isolated passages of scripture that are very brief in content yet introduce subjects of the greatest importance, conjuring up all kinds of images and ideas and raising provocative questions. "And Enoch walked with God," for example, "and he was not, for God took him".

Or there is the account of Joshua giving commands to the sun and moon during a battle with the Amorites. "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies".2 Obviously, it would be difficult to imagine many statements being more unusual and outstanding than these.

The same is true of a single verse in the book of Genesis. Its main purpose apparently was to document the birth of two brothers: Peleg and Joktan, the sons of Eber. This is a scripture that has often provoked only a passing thought, yet it is actually one of the most profound statements in the Bible, containing questions and implications bordering on the unbelievable!

"And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan."3 A companion scripture, almost identical in wording, is found in 1 Chronicles.

In very few places could there be so much meaning expressed in such a small number of words as in this last passage. The contents, very briefly stated, might seem reasonably apparent at first, yet at the same time they can very easily be misunderstood. It is as though a tremendous thought were purposely sandwiched between two relatively unimportant items of genealogy for some unknown purpose. And consequently, the passage has attracted very little attention.

It does raise some interesting questions, however, as to who Eber was, what happened to his two sons, and also what part each of them played during the historical period in which they lived (the time of the Tower of Babel and the century immediately following the great Flood).

More important is the question of what it means when it says that the earth was divided. In other words, exactly what kind of division was the ancient prophet and historian of Genesis talking about? On this last topic especially, there are many problems involved, with biblical scholars giving so many answers and solutions that any consensus of opinion at first seems unlikely.

Yet in all of the discussion and controversy, there is undoubtedly a correct answer! It is just a matter of finding it among the small amount of evidence that presently exists. And in the process of doing this, two of the people who stand out as figures of interest and importance are the two sons of Eber: Peleg and Joktan!

Chapter 1 - Peleg and Joktan

An interesting characteristic of these two brothers is their contrast, the different status each apparently held during his lifetime. A similar situation existed with other pairs of brothers in the Bible, such as Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau.

It was the idea that one brother seemed to be on one path, and one on another. Each appeared to have a different calling or destiny.

As far as genealogy and the patriarchal order were concerned, for example, Peleg was the one chosen for the designated line, while Joktan was not. This might have had something to do with birthright, although as in the case of Jacob and Esau, possibly not. It is certain, however, that Peleg, along with his father, was in the long line of patriarchs that started with Adam and continued with such men as Enoch, Noah, and Abraham.

But what about Joktan? What kind of status or calling did he have, if any, and what was his destiny?

First of all, he was a man who had thirteen sons, all of whom are referred to in the Bible. Ironically, only one of Peleg's sons is mentioned, but all thirteen belonging to Joktan are listed by name.

Second, the geographical area which Joktan eventually occupied appears to have been separate from that of Peleg. Each of his thirteen sons became the head of a tribe, and according to the biblical description, "their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the east",4 which is generally regarded as being in the lower part of the Arabian Peninsula. It was in this locality where Joktan became the progenitor of an important branch of the Arabic people.

In contrast to this, it is probable that Peleg remained in a different area where he led a more sedentary life, possibly on irrigated land. It was also his lot, once again, to be in the chosen line, the impressive string of patriarchs which eventually led to the great prophet Abraham.

The lifestyles of the two brothers, therefore, were noticeably different, as also were the places in which they lived. In fact, their settlement in different parts of the country was just one of the phases of a large dispersion of people taking place at that time, a movement already well underway in the Middle East. This was the great scattering of nations described in the book of Genesis. Having started in the city of Babylon during the time of the Tower of Babel, it spread quickly throughout the land, and Peleg and Joktan were both part of the process!