Stephen Hawking and the Divine Author: The Day Hawking Found God But Could't Believe His Eyes

2nd Edition with over 150 illustrations How can we have freewill when it seems that our lives are already predetermined by God? "For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish." (ISAIAH 46:10) One of Stephen Hawking's theories makes it possible for us to have freewill while at the same time it enables God to know the future before it happens. The explanation is simply amazing! This is the story how Hawking ducked and weaved to avoid the evidence that his theories kept leading him to, namely that God created the Universe. However, in the end he came face to face with the Divine Author and ironically, it was one of his theories that made that fateful confrontation possible. But he could not bring himself to overcome his religious paradigm and acknowledge what his eyes had clearly been revealing to him. By reading this book not only will you learn about Hawking's brush with the Divine Author on a number of occasions, but you will also gain a good grounding on Black Holes, the Steady State Theory of Fred Hoyle, the Big Bang, Hawking Radiation, Einstein's theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Imaginary Time, String theory and more. This will enable you to make an an informed judgement as to the premise of this book, that, "In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth". As for Hawking, having been unable to contradict his own theories any more and in a final act of frustration and self-betrayal he adopted a theory that was not even one of his own - M-theory. Now here is the irony of it. By all accounts M-theory is not a genuine theory but rather it is philosophical speculation disguised as science. Sir Roger Penrose, who shared the Wolf Prize for physics with Hawking in 1988 said on a radio show in 2010, "... M-Theory isn't even a theory. It's a collection of ideas, hopes, aspirations. It's not even a theory." For any scientist, let alone a science superstar like Hawking, to disparage philosophy on the one hand, and then proceed to engage in it by adopting a self contradictory philosophical stance on the other, with M-theory, is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. What a sad end to such a remarkable man, who has captured the hearts and minds of so many people. But is it the end? Hawking's story is not finished yet. He once said: "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." Thus, it is in the realm of possibility that he may read this book, which goes over his theories that often point to God and change his mind. Stephen, if you are reading this, it is not too late to change your mind and believe what your eyes have been telling you all along. The question is will you? The world waits with bated breath upon your decision. This Book Presents A Clear, Concise History Of The Extraordinarily Multicultural Civilizations Of The Ancient Near East. Beginning With The Emergence Of Writing Around 3000 B.c., The Narrative Ranges From The Origins Of The First Cities In Mesopotamia, Through The Growth Of The Babylonian And Hittite Kingdoms, To The Assyrian And Persian Empires. It Ends With The Transformation Of The Ancient Near East By The Conquests Of Alexander The Great. Incorporating The Most Recent Discoveries And Scholarship, The Book Provides Both An Account Of Political And Military Events And A Survey Of The Cultures And Societies Of The Ancient Near East. The Straightforward, Accessible Text Is Accompanied By Plentiful Maps And Illustrations, And Contains A Selection Of Near Eastern Texts In Translation. Each Chapter Includes A Key Research Question Or Text, Such As The Use Of The Bible As A Historical Source, The Epic Of Gilgamesh, And The Assyrian Royal Annals. It Is Essential Reading For Anyone Interested In This Crucial Period In World History.--jacket. Introductory Concerns -- Part 1: City-states -- Chapter 2: Origins: The Uruk Phenomenon -- Chapter 3: Competing City-states: The Early Dynastic Period -- Chapter 4: Political Centralization In The Late Third Millennium -- Chapter 5: The Near East In The Early Second Millennium -- Chapter 6: The Growth Of Territorial States In The Early Second Millennium -- Part 2: Territorial States -- Chapter 7: The Club Of The Great Powers -- Chapter 8: The Western States Of The Late Second Millennium -- Chapter 9: Kassites, Assyrians, And Elamites -- Chapter 10: The Collapse Of The Regional System And Its Aftermath -- Part 3: Empires -- Chapter 11: The Near East At The Start Of The First Millennium -- Chapter 12: The Rise Of Assyria -- Chapter 13: Assyria's World Domination -- Chapter 14: The Medes And Babylonians -- Chapter 15: The Persian Empire. Marc Van De Mieroop. Includes King Lists: P. [281]-296. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [297]-302) And Index. "This book presents a clear, concise history of the extraordinarily multicultural civilizations of the ancient Near East. Beginning with the emergence of writing around 3000 B.C., the narrative ranges from the origins of the first cities in Mesopotamia, through the growth of the Babylonian and Hittite kingdoms, to the Assyrian and Persian empires. It ends with the transformation of the ancient Near East by the conquests of Alexander the Great." "Incorporating the most recent discoveries and scholarship, the book provides both an account of political and military events and a survey of the cultures and societies of the ancient Near East." "The straightforward, accessible text is accompanied by plentiful maps and illustrations, and contains a selection of Near Eastern texts in translation. Each chapter includes a key research question or text, such as the use of the Bible as a historical source, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Assyrian royal annals." "It is essential reading for anyone interested in this crucial period in world history."--BOOK JACKET **2nd Edition with over 150 illustrations**__"For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish." (ISAIAH 46:10)__ __"... M-Theory isn't even a theory. It's a collection of ideas, hopes, aspirations. It's not even a theory."__## "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." **Stephen, if you are reading this, it is not too late to change your mind and believe what your eyes have been telling you all along. The question is will you? The world waits with bated breath upon your decision.** [This book] begin[s] with the emergence of writing around 3000 BC, the narrative ranges from the origins of the first cities in Mesopotamia, through the growth of the Babylonian and Hittite kingdoms, to the Assyrian and Persian empires. It ends with the transformation of the ancient Near East by the conquests of Alexander the Great ... It is ... for anyone interested in this ... period in world history.-Back cover