[sasportas]

Say blam, as a catastrophist, I suspect that you ever heard of Donald Patten. I have three of his books. His latest is called "Catastrophism and the Old Testament." Velikovsky's theory was based on Venus as a loose cannon in the solar system, Patten believed it was Mars.

Patten theorized in Old Testament times that Mars was not in the nice orderly orbit it is in now. Periodically it passed close to the earth, each time wreaking havoc on a gigantic scale, scaring the living daylights out of people.

This is why amongst the ancient Greeks, Romans, etc., Mars was so prominent. Mars was the leading deity in 8th century BC Rome. Mars Hill in Athens, for instance (Acts 17:22) is named for the planet.

Patten said, ?From whence in Roman culture comes the ancient advise to beware the ides of March? It came from pioneer Rome, the most ancient era of Roman experience, when the Romans were still living in the catastrophic era.? March (named after Mars) was the time of the year, according to Patten, that Mars had interacted with earth.

If indeed you have heard of Patten, what is your opinion of his stuff?

[blam]

"If indeed you have heard of Patten, what is your opinion of his stuff?"

Sorry, I've not heard of Patten. I'm a fairly new comer though.

I believe long period comets (crossing earths path) could have provided enough excitement without involving the planets in weird movements.

Maybe Encke