Immanuel Velikovsky

Immanuel Velikovsky (originally Russian Иммануил Великовский or Immanuil Welikowski; * 29 Maijul / June 10 1895greg in Vitebsk, .. † November 17, 1979 in Princeton ) was a physician, psychoanalyst and author of many speculative books. His conclusions about the catastrophism be rejected by the academic experts as unsustainable.

• 3.1 Incorrect predictions and assumptions

• 6.1 Literature on the methodology of Immanuel Velikovsky
• 6.2 Books and writings of Velikovsky

Biography

Velikovsky studied after his successful graduation from 1914 in Montpellier and Edinburgh, in 1915 his medical studies in Moscow again in 1921 and received his license. After traveling to Palestine, he then went to Berlin. There he married in 1923 violinist Elisheva Kramer of Hamburg. His edition of the Scripta Universitatis atque Bibliothecae Hierosolymitanarum was discontinued after a few volumes. From 1924 to 1933 he studied psychology in Zurich and from 1933 Psycho - Analysis in Vienna.

After the outbreak of World War II Velikovsky devoted himself in New York City the myths of Egyptian history and began his work Oedipus and Akhenaten. After 1949 he published the book Worlds in Collision first at Macmillan, after it had been rejected by eight other publishers. Due to its dubious methodology there sat publication scientists the publisher under pressure. Velikovsky found in Doubleday a new publisher who was willing to publish his works. A few years later the book appeared earth in turmoil. While the publication of his ideas and the appearance of his books Velikovsky was persona non grata at colleges and universities. In later years, followed by other platforms and forums in which his work was presented and disseminated.

In the last years, where his work was still rejected by the scientists, he also suffered from diabetes and depression. Although more artwork at this time appeared (for example, Peoples of the Sea ), he was not able to finish his other works. On February 25, 1974 Velikovsky was still a symposium presentation at the American Association for the Advancement of Science ( AAAS) enabled. Velikovsky died 1979 in Princeton. His unpublished writings should be published several times, but could only late after disputes between the publisher and the Velikovsky family appear. Since 1990, extensive writings have been placed on the Internet and since 2005 manages the Princeton University his posthumous works.

Velikovsky's works

Velikovsky's works can be divided into two main parts: The controversial discussed part deals mainly with stories and myths that Velikovsky reads and interprets as a description of global disasters. This includes parts such as the Bible Exodus as well as the Theogony of Hesiod, the Iliad of Homer or the Edda.

Worlds in Collision

In 1950, Velikovsky's book Worlds in Collision was published, which presents a katastrophistische perspective on events of the past 5000 years. He comes to the conclusion that " blasted " by a cosmic catastrophe mass of Jupiter and was collected in a proto- Venus; these circled as " comet " on an irregular path through the inner solar system. Venus should have devastated several times both with their " comet tail " as well as by their gravity and their electromagnetic effect the earth. The year had been less than 360 days and changed through these breaks in the 2nd millennium BC to a year of 360 days.

Also, the orbit of Mars was disturbed in its orbit of Venus, what is called " Battle of the Gods " in the myths, such as the Iliad, was received. Mars then came close to Earth at least twice in the 7th century BC and caused global devastation. Through this interaction, the year will have changed again to a length of 3651/4 days while the orbits of Mars and Venus stabilized in the subsequent period.

Supplementary series

Additions to form Velikovsky's Worlds in Collision Books earth in turmoil (1955 ) in which he presents geological evidence from his point of view, and mankind in amnesia (1982, posthumously ), which deals with those adopted by him psychological- social impact. Also, their conclusions are rejected by science.

Earth in turmoil

In Earth in Upheaval, Velikovsky tried mainly present evidence from geology, biology and other natural sciences, which should prove a different chronology.

Mammoths, rhinos, hippos, buffalos and hyenas, which were all found together in 440 meters above the sea under four meter thick clay deposits, as well as discoveries of whale bones in the middle of the U.S. state of Michigan, are dated by Velikovsky in glacial layers. Also tilted lakes, several hundred meters thick layers of lava, a scattered over the entire southeastern United States meteorite zone and back several kilometers crowded beaches leads Velikovsky for his hypothesis in the field.

Mankind in amnesia

In the Book of mankind in amnesia Velikovsky examines the potential individual and social impact that had witnessing the disaster postulated by him on the psyche and still has. Much like Sigmund Freud he sees cast a displacement mechanism, however, in contrast to Freud rather society as a whole and in relation to social aspects.

Ages in Chaos

Velikovsky reconstructed ancient Egyptian history under the assumption that a temporal coincidence of the Israelites is from the Exodus from Egypt to the disaster at the end of the Middle Kingdom, which is described in the Ipuwer Papyrus. He created a chronology over a period of 1200 years, a result in several volumes. Further evidence for simultaneously extract at the end of the Middle Kingdom are seen by Velikovsky, among others, in the papyrus of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the inscriptions on the shrine of al -Arish.

The Hyksos are of him with the Biblical Amalekites, the Queen of Sheba with the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut and Thutmose III the biblical Shishak with. identified. For synchronization, the results of the archaeological site of Ras Shamra, the timelines of Crete in the Minoan period and Greece in the Mycenaean period, which should include error ministered to him. By doing so, he dissolved it appears difficulties of the previous interpretation of the Bible and sat at the same time hurrische language of the Carian same.

The Amarna letters from the late 18th-Dynasty by him in the time of Ahab, based on events from the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, dated.

The reports of the Battle of Kadesh, Velikovsky processed to believe that with the city of Kadesh, the place Carchemish on the west bank of the Euphrates is meant. On the basis of comparing text he suspects that Nebuchadnezzar and Ramesses II to have been contemporaries. The empire of the Hittites saw Velikovsky only as duplication of the kingdom of the Chaldeans, which he also founded the chronology of the Babylonian exile in conjunction with the Exodus.

Velikovsky deals with earlier research in Egyptology, the tiles of Tell el- Jehudijeh and the nearby necropolis. Further written evidence, as for example the Great Harris Papyrus and Diodorus reports are valued retimed from him. Ramses III. identified by Velikovsky as Nectanebo I, the Sea Peoples and the Philistines are Greek mercenaries actually Persians; here he refers to his own research that were made on the basis of archaeological findings and compare text from him.

The kings of the 20th dynasty should be Königsdopplungen the 29th and 30th dynasty and the kings of Dynasty 21 are compared with priests princes and governors of Darius II.

Reception

Velikovsky repeatedly tried to win scientists in support of experiments. So he turned, for example, in April 1946 with a letter to Harlow Shapley, as Horace M. Kallen to the philosopher. In the summer of 1946, he also directed questions to the astronomer Rupert Wildt and Walter S. Adams. Especially in the context of the emerging space program, he meant to get opportunities, but they were usually denied him.

Scientists consider Velikovsky's work way to interpret the word and from this create astronomical models without mathematical basis, as unscientific. Astronomers and physicists keep his speculations about the solar system untenable. Measurements of electromagnetic effects in the solar system are not in the order of magnitude as the model Velikovsky she demands. The Venus has been around for at least millions or billions of years in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium. Hydrocarbons are present in the atmosphere of Venus only in minute traces, the main component is carbon dioxide. Hydrogen is in contrast to the composition of comets found in only small amounts, in particular as water, sulfuric acid or sulfurous acid.

Biologists and geologists do not see any reason to change the existing scientific principles regarding Velikovsky's theories. Likewise, historians reject the historical speculation Velikovsky and declared that he selectively quote from his sources, which fit his hypotheses, and conceal the contradictions. The arguments with which Velikovsky supported his hypotheses come from many fields and are not traceable in their combination and evidence.

Incorrect predictions and assumptions

• Velikovsky said that Venus must still be hot due to the collision and therefore radiate heat. Venus is indeed hot, but the cause lies in the structure of the Venus atmosphere, absorbs the sunlight and converts it into heat.
• The universe is far more influenced by electromagnetism, as the calculation based on the state of research could make plausible at the time.
• The earth has repeatedly survived disasters of global proportions since the first human records.
• The theory of evolution after Darwin had to be supplemented or replaced by a catastrophism.
• Historical upheavals could be assigned to a single common cause.
• Failure to comply with new research results that refute ancient assumptions.
• All the old myths of the earth be interpreted by Velikovsky to a matching (physical) model.
• Additional elements in celestial mechanics.
• Contrary to Velikovsky's interpretation, the Venus have been a body with comet tail, as this is physically impossible. The high gravity of Venus prevents the formation of a (visible) tail.
• Contrary to Velikovsky's interpretation draws Jupiter comet ( Laplace ), a separation is impossible.
• A abgesprengter body would fly somewhere, but how you take it with only very small probability in exactly the same level, the other planets.
• Contrary to Velikovsky's interpretation describe the large moons of Jupiter nearly circular elliptical orbits, although Venus at least some in extreme tracks would have to force upon ejection.
• Contrary to Velikovsky's interpretation of the chemical compositions of Venus and Jupiter by damaligem and current knowledge are significantly different.
• Contrary to Velikovsky's interpretation, it is impossible that a highly complex and dynamic system such as the solar system settles down after a massive failure so quickly (4000 rounds of the earth) in a steady state and that the orbit of Venus is the kreisähnlichste train in the solar system and there is no mechanism is known as to the present would have a eccentric orbit can swivel.
• It is extremely unlikely that ( as assumed by Velikovsky ) held five or six consecutive near- collisions of planets.
• The modeled processes of Velikovsky would have had a complete destruction of the earth result.
• The moon and its orbit remained unchanged, although adopted by Velikovsky near- collisions the orbit of the moon could influence and would have had to change the Lunar calendar of the Hebrews.

Influence of Velikovsky

Main article: Society for the Reconstruction of Human and Natural History

After the re- publication of Velikovsky's major work " Worlds in Collision " ( Umschau Verlag, Frankfurt aM ) and the publication of an article on the theories of Velikovsky by the sociologist Gunnar Heinsohn in the journal " privateers " in 1978, began a more thorough debate in Germany. In 1982, Christoph Marx and Heinsohn, the Society for the Reconstruction of Human and Natural History ( GRMNG ). The club dissolved in 1988 but back on.

Notes and References