Tag: blood sugar

Did Giants Build the Great Stone Cities of Canaan? 

Dale Pollard

Across the ancient Levant you’d find some of the largest stone structures ever assembled. It boggles the mind to think these were built at a time before cranes or diesel engines. Even with their help, some of the stones used in and around Baalbek— still couldn’t be moved. 

If the ancient builders quarried, transported, and precisely positioned stones weighing hundreds of tons, the only logical conclusion is that giants must have done it. Or at least, some of these places. 

The Bible mentions that parts of Canaan were inhabited by some big boys. 

“The Emim… were a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim” (Deuteronomy 2:10). 

 “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim… his bedstead was of iron… nine cubits was its length” (Deuteronomy 3:11).

 The spies sent by Moses also reported seeing the Anakim: 

“We saw the Nephilim… and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers” (Numbers 13:33). 

 Baalbek 

At Baalbek, the famous Trilithon consists of three limestone blocks weighing roughly 800 tons each. Nearby lie even larger stones, including one estimated to exceed 1,000 tons. These remain among the largest stones ever quarried by any ancient civilization— ever. 

Big stones in an area known for big people? Well— mystery solved! 

The Jewish historian Josephus referred to the descendants of the Anakim as a race of giants whose bones could still be seen in his day (Antiquities 5.2.3). 

The Phoenician historian Philo of Byblos, whose writings survive through Eusebius, preserved traditions about beings of extraordinary size and strength building the very earliest monuments. 

In fact, it was the Greeks who even coined the term “Cyclopean masonry” because they believed that only the giant Cyclopes could have constructed walls made from enormous, tightly fitted stones, like those found at Mycenae and Tiryns. 

 Can we say for certain which Canaanite fortifications were built by giants? Not entirely. But based on the evidence one could make some pretty good guesses.  Giants probably built the biggest ones. 

 Sources 

 • Antiquities of the Jews 5.2.3.

 • Fragments of Philo of Byblos in Eusebius, Praeparatio Evangelica. 

 • UNESCO documentation on Baalbek. 

 • Pausanias, Description of Greece (on Cyclopean masonry traditions)

LIZARD SPIT

Neal Pollard
It is not an interjection or obscure, Cowboy euphemism. It is one of the latest weapons in the fight for weight loss. In fact, it was approved a few years ago by the FDA to be used in the treatment of especially type two diabetes. The drug, exenatide, contains a chemical that is found is the saliva of the poisonous Gila monster. There are chemical explanations for why the reptile’s oral emission is effective in weight loss, but the result is that a growing number are clamoring for it to be made available for use in the battle of the bulge. To curb enthusiasm, one might want to consider the long-term effects of exenatide as there have been several reports of pancreatitis among users of the drug (for more info on this, see http://www.wgal.com/health/).
It is human nature to look for shortcuts and substitutes. Often, this can be a good thing as we look to be more efficient, better time managers, or discoverers of that which contributes to better quality of life. However, it can also betray a tendency to look for the easy way out rather than choosing a path that leads to the best, long-term solution. Whether it is in matters relating to finance, weight-loss, work productivity, or spirituality, the quick fix or easy substitute is not usually the best choice. In fact, it can even prove counterproductive.
Lizard spit in shot form might be easier than diet and exercise, but it does not sound like a good first choice. Getting “our Bible” only from the preacher is not a viable substitute for personal study. Letting man tell us that some other way leads to salvation will not take the place of obeying what the Lord says in His word about how to be saved. Self-reliance is no stand-in for prayer. Instant gratification is not the same as self-denial, whatever excuse or rationalization we make. No matter if it’s the old proverbial peddler of “snake oil” or the new medical expert promoting lizard spit, it is much the same. Remember that the path of least resistance is the quickest way to erosion. Do not accept substitutes!