- Jan 2, 2015
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A great hope and inward zeal they had of laying some good foundation, or at least to make some way thereunto, for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world; yea, though they should be but even as stepping-stones unto others for the performing of so great a work.” (William Bradford)
“Now as the people of god in old time were called out of Babylon civil, the place of their bodily bondage, and were to come to Jerusalem, and there to build the Lord’s temple, or tabernacle…so are the people of God now to go out of Babylon spiritual to Jerusalem…and to build themselves as living stones into a spiritual house, or temple, for the Lord to dwell in.” (John Robinson)[1]
Plymouth Rock has been largely discredited as the stepping stone that Pilgrims disembarked upon. The sole credible source was Thomas Faunce who was quoted at age 94 as it being the stepping stone of the Pilgrims. But William Bradford and other Pilgrims never mentioned a 200ton boulder to step on. In saying that the possibility that "Plymouth Rock" was not at the Mayflower landing but placed (dragged) or commissioned by surviving Pilgrims (Separatists) later should be studied.
The purpose of its placement would have been to serve as a spiritual boundary marker, a memorial stone or testimony of thanksgiving for help given by God (as the Bible calls an Ebenezer Stone). These were all common Biblical themes. As faithful Christians the Pilgrims were well versed in the scriptures pertaining to stone memorials. This possibility is further born out of William Bradford and Pastor John Robinson's own words (quoted at the beginning of this article) describing the congregation as being symbolized as stones. Daniel 2 also describes a heavenly community represented by a stone as ending the earthly system of rule by king. I believe that the Pilgrims knew that they were that stone in Daniel 2 and they left Plymouth Rock as an eschatological marker for future Christians to know the times they were in.
Because of years keeping a low profile in England and Holland and even in the New World this memorial would have gone unannounced. A quietly placed stone memorial would have been the monument of choice of the Pilgrims. They bore witness to the damage that was done to Christendom decades earlier in Amsterdam and by one Leiden resident who made bold public declarations about being the co-founders of the "Earthly Kingdom Of Christ" riots ensued after these public announcements. As residents of both Amsterdam and Leiden these events would have been well known to the Pilgrims causing them to avoid public disclosure.
A subsequently placed stone marker would also better explain Thomas Faunce's words because the writings of William Bradford describing the Pilgrims as stepping stones would have been part of the narrative he heard in his childhood. The stone would have been placed by the Pilgrims covering or in front of the place that they landed on after disembarking. At 94 years old this could have caused his description to be transposed or misunderstood. It also explains why a beach totally devoid of boulders would have a 200ton rock on it. The Pilgrims would not have carved a 1620 in the rock because according to Biblical tradition these rock s must be uncarved by human hands.
To verify this matter a geologist or person knowledgeable in these matters should search the locality of Plymouth to determine where such an uncarved boulder could have been dragged from. Also maybe an unexplainable non-descript expenditure in accounting records of Plymouth Plantation or the church or residents. Also a study verifying that such an undertaking could have been done with 17th century technology. This would be slightly different than the research done on Stonehenge because those rocks were quarried. Plymouth Rock would not have been quarried (for reasons I stated earlier).
This memorial would have probably been placed during the time of several events that would have confirmed Daniel 2 in the minds of the surviving Pilgrims. The English Civil War, The Execution of King Charles or Cromwell’s rise to power.
With the upcoming 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival this would be an interesting topic for a public that is hungry for new information on our Pilgrim forefathers. Many times, the narrative of the Pilgrims has been minimized by secular historians as part of early American history. Divine providence has often intervened with almost supernatural circumstances to preserve and retain these important events and what we know today about the Pilgrims. A similar element has preserved Plymouth Rock, although it is widely known that it played no part in the Pilgrim’s landing still 1 million people per year visit it. It cannot be a coincidence, that Plymouth Rock is engrained on our national conscience.
“Now as the people of god in old time were called out of Babylon civil, the place of their bodily bondage, and were to come to Jerusalem, and there to build the Lord’s temple, or tabernacle…so are the people of God now to go out of Babylon spiritual to Jerusalem…and to build themselves as living stones into a spiritual house, or temple, for the Lord to dwell in.” (John Robinson)[1]
Plymouth Rock has been largely discredited as the stepping stone that Pilgrims disembarked upon. The sole credible source was Thomas Faunce who was quoted at age 94 as it being the stepping stone of the Pilgrims. But William Bradford and other Pilgrims never mentioned a 200ton boulder to step on. In saying that the possibility that "Plymouth Rock" was not at the Mayflower landing but placed (dragged) or commissioned by surviving Pilgrims (Separatists) later should be studied.
The purpose of its placement would have been to serve as a spiritual boundary marker, a memorial stone or testimony of thanksgiving for help given by God (as the Bible calls an Ebenezer Stone). These were all common Biblical themes. As faithful Christians the Pilgrims were well versed in the scriptures pertaining to stone memorials. This possibility is further born out of William Bradford and Pastor John Robinson's own words (quoted at the beginning of this article) describing the congregation as being symbolized as stones. Daniel 2 also describes a heavenly community represented by a stone as ending the earthly system of rule by king. I believe that the Pilgrims knew that they were that stone in Daniel 2 and they left Plymouth Rock as an eschatological marker for future Christians to know the times they were in.
Because of years keeping a low profile in England and Holland and even in the New World this memorial would have gone unannounced. A quietly placed stone memorial would have been the monument of choice of the Pilgrims. They bore witness to the damage that was done to Christendom decades earlier in Amsterdam and by one Leiden resident who made bold public declarations about being the co-founders of the "Earthly Kingdom Of Christ" riots ensued after these public announcements. As residents of both Amsterdam and Leiden these events would have been well known to the Pilgrims causing them to avoid public disclosure.
A subsequently placed stone marker would also better explain Thomas Faunce's words because the writings of William Bradford describing the Pilgrims as stepping stones would have been part of the narrative he heard in his childhood. The stone would have been placed by the Pilgrims covering or in front of the place that they landed on after disembarking. At 94 years old this could have caused his description to be transposed or misunderstood. It also explains why a beach totally devoid of boulders would have a 200ton rock on it. The Pilgrims would not have carved a 1620 in the rock because according to Biblical tradition these rock s must be uncarved by human hands.
To verify this matter a geologist or person knowledgeable in these matters should search the locality of Plymouth to determine where such an uncarved boulder could have been dragged from. Also maybe an unexplainable non-descript expenditure in accounting records of Plymouth Plantation or the church or residents. Also a study verifying that such an undertaking could have been done with 17th century technology. This would be slightly different than the research done on Stonehenge because those rocks were quarried. Plymouth Rock would not have been quarried (for reasons I stated earlier).
This memorial would have probably been placed during the time of several events that would have confirmed Daniel 2 in the minds of the surviving Pilgrims. The English Civil War, The Execution of King Charles or Cromwell’s rise to power.
With the upcoming 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival this would be an interesting topic for a public that is hungry for new information on our Pilgrim forefathers. Many times, the narrative of the Pilgrims has been minimized by secular historians as part of early American history. Divine providence has often intervened with almost supernatural circumstances to preserve and retain these important events and what we know today about the Pilgrims. A similar element has preserved Plymouth Rock, although it is widely known that it played no part in the Pilgrim’s landing still 1 million people per year visit it. It cannot be a coincidence, that Plymouth Rock is engrained on our national conscience.
