Ever noticed how in some maps of Pangaea....

Xalith

Newbie
Apr 6, 2015
1,518
630
✟19,943.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
......that Israel tends to be in the very center of the world?

Here's one such map:

pangea.PNG


Many maps resembling this can be found from secular sources, but if you look very carefully, you can see the brown continent above Saudi Arabia as being Turkey. If you go just south of Turkey, you can see Egypt (you might have to squint to read it). Right on the Northeastern Border of Egypt, is where Israel should be (but again, it's too small to make out on this map).

Note how that spot is almost in the exact center of the giant landmass as it is represented.

This style of Pangaea seems to be one of the more common ones, but even in a couple others I saw that Israel is nearly in the very center of such maps.

Kinda makes one wonder, doesn't it? The Christian Bible (and of course the Jewish one too) says that God chose for Himself a people, and gave them the "Promised Land". It seems kinda funny that the Promised Land would be in the very center of the world in Pangaea.

Even in Today's World, Israel is still rather close to the center of the world, in both East-West (assuming Alaska is the Westernmost and eastern Russia the Easternmost parts of the world) and North-South (bottom of South America vs Top of Greenland):

world%20map.PNG


Note that in a projection like this, the Northern areas are a little skewed, but it is still pretty close.

Seems nothing short of a miracle, that Israel would be the center of the world in both Today's world and in some maps of Pangaea, even as drawn by secular sources.
 

eclipsenow

God cares about his creation as well as us.
Dec 17, 2010
8,230
1,701
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
✟139,901.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Or is that British sources? I mean, why do our clocks all mark from GMT? ;-) It's Britain that's the centre of the world dude. Ever notice how Asia is called "The East" and Europe and America "The West"? It's that British perspective on things. But as the world is a great big globe, it would hardly do to show a map of Pangaea that showed only water, hey? You could have it off to the side, and the 'middle' of the map being Australia.

Or perhaps we could make my country of Australia the "top" of the world?

mcarthur.jpg


Or China is the centre of the world?
location.GIF


But again, you can see that Australia is still pretty central in both options.

So my new hypothesis is that Australia is the centre of the world. Surely this has some theological significance? Otherwise, why is Australia also nicknamed "God's own country?" :oldthumbsup:
 
Upvote 0

Xalith

Newbie
Apr 6, 2015
1,518
630
✟19,943.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Or is that British sources? I mean, why do our clocks all mark from GMT? ;-) It's Britain that's the centre of the world dude. Ever notice how Asia is called "The East" and Europe and America "The West"? It's that British perspective on things. But as the world is a great big globe, it would hardly do to show a map of Pangaea that showed only water, hey? You could have it off to the side, and the 'middle' of the map being Australia.

Or perhaps we could make my country of Australia the "top" of the world?

mcarthur.jpg


Or China is the centre of the world?
location.GIF


But again, you can see that Australia is still pretty central in both options.

So my new hypothesis is that Australia is the centre of the world. Surely this has some theological significance? Otherwise, why is Australia also nicknamed "God's own country?" :oldthumbsup:

If you look at a standard world map (like the one I posted above), you will notice that the eastern part of the Americas fit right in up against the western parts of Africa and Europe (which is why a lot of people believe in Pangaea).

If you draw the map in the other way, swapping the continents (like your 2nd pic depicts), it just doesn't work that way. You can tell that the Americas and Africa/Europe are shaped to "fit together" like a jigsaw puzzle, and when you draw the map that way, it just fits together naturally.

As for GMT and timezones, well. Here's a question for you. Take the westernmost Timezone of Alaska and the Easternmost Timezone of Russia, and see where the "Center" is, which is precisely where GMT is located.

They didn't pick GMT because that's where Britain is (GMT is a global standard), they picked it because that's where the center is.

HOWEVER...

If you consider the fact that Alaska extends way out away from the North American continent, it really isn't "fair" to allow those two timezones to be such a tiny region, so if you take Alaska off and add it onto Russia (just for purposes of Timezone calculation), you'll come up with a model where you shift GMT to the right 2 places which would place Israel at GMT 0 (doing that, because it balances out the land masses a bit more evenly).

Or, even if you don't... GMT+2 is still very close to the "center" of the world lattitude-wise.
 
Upvote 0

eclipsenow

God cares about his creation as well as us.
Dec 17, 2010
8,230
1,701
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
✟139,901.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
  • Like
Reactions: Jimmy D
Upvote 0

Xalith

Newbie
Apr 6, 2015
1,518
630
✟19,943.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
If you actually look at the map of Pangaea you posted, the centre of the world... is actually Spain and Portugal.

Not really...

On 1360x768 resolution, using iRuler.net and dragging the gif of the ruler, I measured the entire continent of Pangaea in the above graphic as being ~28cm across.

The very easternmost tip of Spain is about 12cm from the left edge of the map, which is well short of the halfway point.

Though, Israel is about 16-17cm which isn't exactly in the center either, but it is closer than Spain.

This is assuming the landmasses are accurate (which we have no way to make that assumption).

Either way, it is still very close.
 
Upvote 0

Warden_of_the_Storm

Well-Known Member
Oct 16, 2015
12,130
6,382
29
Wales
✟346,757.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Deist
Marital Status
Single
Not really...

On 1360x768 resolution, using iRuler.net and dragging the gif of the ruler, I measured the entire continent of Pangaea in the above graphic as being ~28cm across.

The very easternmost tip of Spain is about 12cm from the left edge of the map, which is well short of the halfway point.

Though, Israel is about 16-17cm which isn't exactly in the center either, but it is closer than Spain.

This is assuming the landmasses are accurate (which we have no way to make that assumption).

Either way, it is still very close.

Well, I have to ask: what the ever loving frak do this have to do with the physical and life sciences?
 
Upvote 0

Aureus

Regular Member
May 20, 2014
801
61
✟9,262.00
Faith
Deist
Marital Status
Private
Only one facepalm? Just drawing crosshairs on the map, you end up with Libya being the center. However its a map, you get to draw a map however you want. The only 'central' points on the Earth are the North and South Poles. Which at least are defined based on Earth's rotational axis.

Here's my favorite map

yzGYH8H.jpg


Its called a Dymaxion map, while it doesn't connect the oceans, it does show all of the continents relatively the same scale and with, relatively, their proper shapes.

So which way was up again?
 
Upvote 0

Chesterton

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding
Supporter
May 24, 2008
23,749
20,197
Flatland
✟860,379.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Surely this has some theological significance? Otherwise, why is Australia also nicknamed "God's own country?" :oldthumbsup:

Well we know the Lord loves sinners, and y'know, a prison colony would have lots of 'em. :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cute Tink
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

RickG

Senior Veteran
Supporter
Oct 1, 2011
10,092
1,430
Georgia
✟83,873.00
Faith
Presbyterian
Marital Status
Married
......that Israel tends to be in the very center of the world?

Here's one such map:

pangea.PNG


Many maps resembling this can be found from secular sources, but if you look very carefully, you can see the brown continent above Saudi Arabia as being Turkey. If you go just south of Turkey, you can see Egypt (you might have to squint to read it). Right on the Northeastern Border of Egypt, is where Israel should be (but again, it's too small to make out on this map).

Note how that spot is almost in the exact center of the giant landmass as it is represented.

This style of Pangaea seems to be one of the more common ones, but even in a couple others I saw that Israel is nearly in the very center of such maps.

Kinda makes one wonder, doesn't it? The Christian Bible (and of course the Jewish one too) says that God chose for Himself a people, and gave them the "Promised Land". It seems kinda funny that the Promised Land would be in the very center of the world in Pangaea.

Even in Today's World, Israel is still rather close to the center of the world, in both East-West (assuming Alaska is the Westernmost and eastern Russia the Easternmost parts of the world) and North-South (bottom of South America vs Top of Greenland):

world%20map.PNG


Note that in a projection like this, the Northern areas are a little skewed, but it is still pretty close.

Seems nothing short of a miracle, that Israel would be the center of the world in both Today's world and in some maps of Pangaea, even as drawn by secular sources.

Xalith, what you are referring to is the discipline of cartography, thus map making. It pretty much has to do with what country the map originated as to what the focus of the center is. If you look at a the second example, a Mercator projection, in the OP you will observe that the the center there is Europe and/or Africa. Here in the United States the Center focus is North and South America. For those in the Far East, China and Australia are going to be in the center of the map.
 
Upvote 0

eclipsenow

God cares about his creation as well as us.
Dec 17, 2010
8,230
1,701
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
✟139,901.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Xalith, what you are referring to is the discipline of cartography, thus map making. It pretty much has to do with what country the map originated as to what the focus of the center is. If you look at a the second example, a Mercator projection, in the OP you will observe that the the center there is Europe and/or Africa. Here in the United States the Center focus is North and South America. For those in the Far East, China and Australia are going to be in the center of the map.
What? One's country of origin, or the historical quirks of the empire you're born into, determine how you draw maps? Next thing you'll be quoting cartographers for social justice!:oldthumbsup:
 
  • Like
Reactions: RickG
Upvote 0

lasthero

Newbie
Jul 30, 2013
11,421
5,793
✟229,457.00
Faith
Seeker
......that Israel tends to be in the very center of the world?

Here's one such map:

pangea.PNG


Many maps resembling this can be found from secular sources, but if you look very carefully, you can see the brown continent above Saudi Arabia as being Turkey. If you go just south of Turkey, you can see Egypt (you might have to squint to read it). Right on the Northeastern Border of Egypt, is where Israel should be (but again, it's too small to make out on this map).

Note how that spot is almost in the exact center of the giant landmass as it is represented.

This style of Pangaea seems to be one of the more common ones, but even in a couple others I saw that Israel is nearly in the very center of such maps.

Kinda makes one wonder, doesn't it? The Christian Bible (and of course the Jewish one too) says that God chose for Himself a people, and gave them the "Promised Land". It seems kinda funny that the Promised Land would be in the very center of the world in Pangaea.

Even in Today's World, Israel is still rather close to the center of the world, in both East-West (assuming Alaska is the Westernmost and eastern Russia the Easternmost parts of the world) and North-South (bottom of South America vs Top of Greenland):

world%20map.PNG


Note that in a projection like this, the Northern areas are a little skewed, but it is still pretty close.

Seems nothing short of a miracle, that Israel would be the center of the world in both Today's world and in some maps of Pangaea, even as drawn by secular sources.
...so? So what?
 
Upvote 0

eclipsenow

God cares about his creation as well as us.
Dec 17, 2010
8,230
1,701
Sydney, Australia
Visit site
✟139,901.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Anglican
Marital Status
Married
Look, I think the overwhelming logic we have in this thread points to the fact that Australia is the TOP of the world, and that means it's God's own country, a land full of convicts that He just has to love! OK? So let's stop with all this Israel nonsense. Australia is the place to be. :oldthumbsup:
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

essentialsaltes

Stranger in a Strange Land
Oct 17, 2011
32,794
36,089
Los Angeles Area
✟820,146.00
Country
United States
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
The actual world does not have lines on it that tell you how to draw your maps. Maps are all human choices. Even then, Israel is not even that close to the center in the maps you have shown. Either stop smoking that weed, or get some better weed.
 
Upvote 0

Chesterton

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding
Supporter
May 24, 2008
23,749
20,197
Flatland
✟860,379.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Regardless of maps, Israel was actually kind of centrally located at a crossroads of the ancient world, between Europe, Africa, Near East Asia and Arabia. With commerce and conquest and adventure, it might have been the perfect place to implant an idea if you wanted it to spread.
 
Upvote 0

Warden_of_the_Storm

Well-Known Member
Oct 16, 2015
12,130
6,382
29
Wales
✟346,757.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Deist
Marital Status
Single
Regardless of maps, Israel was actually kind of centrally located at a crossroads of the ancient world, between Europe, Africa, Near East Asia and Arabia. With commerce and conquest and adventure, it might have been the perfect place to implant an idea if you wanted it to spread.

Actually, you'll find that it was Turkey/Byzantium that was the crossroads from Europe in to Asia, and it was also Egypt that would have been the crossroads in to Africa. Israel is way too far from either country to be considered a crossroads in to either continent.
The definition of a country that's a crossroad in to continents is that it sits on the borders of two continents and Israel does not sit on the borders of any continents.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RickG
Upvote 0

Chesterton

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding
Supporter
May 24, 2008
23,749
20,197
Flatland
✟860,379.00
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Single
Actually, you'll find that it was Turkey/Byzantium that was the crossroads from Europe in to Asia, and it was also Egypt that would have been the crossroads in to Africa. Israel is way too far from either country to be considered a crossroads in to either continent.
The definition of a country that's a crossroad in to continents is that it sits on the borders of two continents and Israel does not sit on the borders of any continents.

Israel is too far from its next-door neighbor Egypt? And too far from Byzantium, the second greatest Christian capital of the world? (Christ was from Israel, if you recall.) You're quibbling.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Warden_of_the_Storm

Well-Known Member
Oct 16, 2015
12,130
6,382
29
Wales
✟346,757.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Deist
Marital Status
Single
Israel is too far from its next-door neighbor Egypt? And too far from Byzantium, the second greatest Christian capital of the world? (Christ was from Israel, if you recall.) You're quibbling.

It's not quibbling. It's a fact.
Look at this map, and look at the locations of Egypt and it's placement on the African and Asian continent and Turkey and it's placement on the European and Asian 'continents' (obviously, Europe and Asia are the same continent but for the sake of discussion let's say they aren't) and then look at the placement of Israel.
Israel is not on the border of Europe, Asia or Africa. It is not the crossroads in to any country. To get from Europe in to Asia or Africa in to Asia, you have to go through Turkey or Egypt, no choice in the matter, but you can easily bypass Israel.
 
Upvote 0