Science in Christian Perspective

Letter to the Editor

Mr. Harold Hill and Joshua's Long Day
Marion Doble Djojapura, 
West Irian, Indonesia

From: JASA 22 (September 1970): 120

Though I have no degree in science I have been an interested reader of Journal ASA since nearly the beginning. I would he interested to know from the informed and responsible people of the American Scientific Affiliation whether it is an authentic report I have read (source unknown), reported as from Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Co., in Baltimore, Md., and a consultant in the space program, that computer calculations to plot the positions of the solar bodies 100 and 1000 years from now show a lost day in elapsed time, pointing to Joshua's long day; and that there is a discrepancy of 40 minutes shown by the computer, which corresponds exactly to the 10 degrees of Hezekiah's time.

Could you kindly confirm whether the computer indicated such a lost day in elapsed time? Thank you very much for your trouble.

(Editor's Comment: The Editor wrote to Mr. Hill requesting information about this story, seeking authentication of its claims, and offering to publish an account in the Journal ASA. Particular inquiry was directed to the question as to how the computer could separate the missing day into one 23 hr 20 mm segment, and a second 40 mm segment, when no information seemed to be available with which to make this decision. A reply from Mr. Hill was received, dated April 13, 1970, in the form of a duplicated sheet sent out in answer to many inquiries. He says, "1 did not write this article but assume it was adapted from one of the many talks I have made on the subject of Science and the Bible and which is one of my favorite subjects. Since this incident took place about two years ago I have misplaced the source information arid so am unable to give you names and places but will send it to you when I locate it. In the meantime I can only tell you that had I not considered the source to be completely reliable I would not have made use of it in the first place." To date no additional information has been received from Mr. Hill.)