ELIJAH AND THE WHIRLWIND
Most artists, in one way or another, through different media, like to stretch the minds of others. They are quick to delve into new areas unfamiliar to the average person. This of course holds true for anyone curious enough to look for answers to life’s mysteries, particularly our origins. When you find artists searching for truth and unable to express themselves due either to personal inabilities or censorship from their contemporaries, then you will find them incorporating their view points into their work in symbolic and sometimes discreet ways - passing along truths that cannot otherwise be mentioned without persecution. In my case it was not so much being afraid of persecution as it was having a desire to put something on canvas that would challenge others. It was an endeavor to observe reactions of those viewing the work. Most importantly, I wanted to raise the topic of UFO’s in biblical history and provoke discussion along these lines.
Well, guess what happened? Of all the people viewing the image in an exhibit, only five people asked for an explanation and I thought a couple of them would try to run me out of the state. Seriously, living in a conservative community unable to converse about these matters make me appreciate the more cosmopolitan mind that can openly discuss intellectual subjects of this nature without prejudging my own spirituality.
The title of the painting, Elijah and the Whirlwind, is based, of course, upon the incident in the old testament ( 11 Kings: 2: 1-15 ), whereas Elijah is transported to heaven in a whirlwind.
There are three very important aspects of this story. One, Elijah knows he is going on a journey. Two, he had to conform to a time schedule. And three, he had to be at a certain location by the Jordan River to be transported - almost as if he had a plane to catch.
He leaves Gilgal and goes to Bethel. From there he travels to Jericho and then to the Jordan River, all the while trying to convince Elisha to stay behind. Having arrived at his pre-determined place for departure, he finally convinces Elisha to stay behind. But, in leaving in a whirlwind, his cloak, “That fell from Him”, was taken up by Elisha. The painting depicts Elisha catching the falling cloak of Elijah. The significance of this cloak is another story.
This spacecraft is not my original design. Rather, it is based on a design, with some liberties, found on the walls of a structure excavated in 1929 by an archeological mission organized by the Vatican’s Pontifical Biblical Institute at a strategic location near the Jordan River called Tell Ghassul (Tell means mound). The building ruins date to circa 3500 BCE. “It was there that Elijah crossed the river (to its eastern bank) to keep an appointment” - quoting Zecharia Sitchin in his third book of The Earth Chronicle series, The Wars of Gods And Men, pages 180 and 190.
So, I created a craft that is maneuvered by two men (or Gods), each having an observational window. This craft could retract its landing pads, fold and secure its ‘copter’ blades, rendezvous and dock to another orbiting craft and quite possibly reduce its size a certain amount by collapsing to facilitate storage in a larger ship - note the layered body.
The legs (landing struts?), with “straight feet like the sole of a calf’s feet,” the dominant eye-like windows(?), and the helicopter-like rotaries on top were as they were depicted on the wall of a building at Tell Ghassul. I replaced a bulbous protrusion on the bottom (communication device or locking mechanism?), with a rocket cone accompanied by nozzles which made it possible to link up to a mother ship. I then added the calf-like landing pads and the rotaries on the legs. Thus, I had a hybrid-like ship drawn from biblical verse, the excellent research done by Zecheria Sitchin, and my own imagination.
Now, this is old technology, even in 1991 when the painting was done. However, scientific blasphemy and “religious heretic” will surely be cast my way. If it makes anyone a little more open to free discussion then I have succeeded. How one will judge this painting in the future is anybodies guess. Have I sent the wrong message to people? Did I stretch the truth (my truth), too much?
The danger in believing what an artist has painted is that in many cases the image is not based on thorough research and the artist can and will embellish, just as I did, some aspects or small details that are not accurate. This does not mean there is no underlying truth therein. The main point being that indeed, some type of flying machine or machines were prevalent in the Mesopotamia area during biblical times and throughout all recorded history.
The message I have presented here is that intelligent life from outside our solar system does exist. Alien intelligence was present thousands of years ago and is still with us today. That is my reality and the truth for which I search.
Unfortunately, most people don’t really care. They do not want to complicate their lives with these unexplainable truths and realities. They are like the petite lady that looked at the painting at an exhibit and then said to me, “I love the colors in that painting. They would sure look nice in my bedroom”. She paused, “If it just didn’t have that ole’ rocket ship in it”.
Alan Cornette, April, 2015