Time lags between Chinese Inventions and Discoveries and their Adoption or Recognition in the West

"Cain went out from the Presence of the Lord. . . and he builded a city." Genesis 4:16-17

"Notice, civilization has followed the sun. The oldest civilization we have is China . . ."
                                                                               William Branham -- Feast of Trumpets

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"The Tree of Knowledge produced clever men; men of renown. But their ways are the ways of death. God's people are simple but spiritual minded, leaning toward God and nature, calmly tilling the soil, caring for truth rather than wealth. The seed of the serpent has brought tremendous commerce, wonderful inventions, but with it all comes death. Their gunpowder and atomic bombs kill in war; and in peace time their mechanical inventions, such as the car, kill even more in a time of peace than do the inventions of war destroy in times of trouble. Death and destruction are the fruits of her labors" (An Exposition of the Seven Church Ages, 107:2).

Brother Branham said, "Russia, according to our own science, is five years ahead of us. . . an ungodly people that took those Jewish scientists up there . . . And they're working day and night, to blow us up . . . What's the meaning of these sputniks in the skies?" (Handwriting on the Wall #29:5, 15:121, 129).

Explosives, medical techniques, mechanical principles, food, the use of electricity, virtually anything technological in nature -- and an examination of the history of its development leads us surely and certainly back to a Hamitic people and exceedingly rarely to Japheth or Shem. The basic inventions which have been contributed by Shem or Japheth can, it seems, be numbered on the fingers of one hand. This seems so contrary to popular opinion, but it is a thesis which can be supported -- and has been documented -- from close to 1000 authoritative sources. Almost every new book dealing with the history of science (frequently confused with technology) adds its own confirmatory evidence in support of this thesis.

It is quite impossible within the compass of this study to attempt to do justice to the contribution made by the children of Ham towards the development of civilization in its more material aspects. It may serve as some indication of this contribution to simply list under rather obvious but convenient headings things the invention, first application, or the development of which, must be credited to Ham.

A mere list without comment can be most uninteresting. But in this case it seems the only way to put the ideas across. In this list, for the sake of brevity, we have not discriminated between principles of operation (Gimbal suspension, for example) and actual products or techniques (like rubber or the electroplating of metals). Obviously documentation for each entry is available but could not possibly be given here.

Mechanical Principles and Applications

Block and tackle       Gimbal suspension        Domes and arches
Whiffletrees           Suspension bridges       Lock gates and lifts
Windlass               Cantilever principle     Fire pistons
Gears                  Chain drives             Lathes
Pulleys                Steam engine principle   Clockwork mechanism
Catapults              

Materials

Copper                 Bellows systems of all types
Bronze                 Glass (including possibly a malleable glass)
Iron                   Pottery, china and porcelain
Cast Iron              Lenses of several types
Steel                  Charcoal and carbon black
Cement                 Glues and preservatives
Dyes and inks          Shellacs, varnishes and enamels
Rubber                 Casting methods of all kinds including
                       hollow casting
Case hardening
Gold and silver working including beading, repoussee, sheet, wire and
the plating of metals.

Building Techniques, Tools and Materials

Nails                  Window materials, including glass
Saws                   Door hinges and locks
Hammers                Protective coatings
Brace and bit          Street drainage systems
Sandpaper              Sewage disposal on a wide scale
Rope saws              Running water in piped systems
Carborundum            Piped gas for heating
Stoves                 Central heating systems
Plans and maps         Surveying instruments

Drills (including diamond drills)
Buildings of all types, including genuine skyscrapers and
   earthquake proof construction

Fabrics and Weaving, etc.

Linen       Voile      Ikat or tie-dyeing
Cotton      Tapestry   Feather and fur garments
Silk        Batique    Tailored clothing
Wool        Needles    Double-faced cloth
Felt        Thimbles   Knitted and crocheted materials
Lace        Parchment  All types of thread
Netting     Gauze      Dyes of all kinds
Mechanical looms       Silk screen methods of decoration
Invisible mending      Ropes up to 12 inches in diameter
Flying shuttles        Paper of all kinds including coated stock
Netting shuttles

Writing, Printing, etc.

Inks                   Textbooks
Chalks                 Encyclopedias
Pencils and crayons    Libraries and cataloging systems
Block printing         Literary forms (fables, etc.)
Movable type           Envelopes and postal systems
All kinds of paper
Scripts (Sumerian, Cuneiform and its successors, Egyptian,
  Hittite, Minoan, Chinese, Easter Island, Indus Valley, and
  Maya scripts) 

Foodstuffs

Aloes                    Chickle gum                  Tomato
Pears                    Cascara                      Sweet potato
Kidney beans             Pineapple                    Prickly pear
Cereals                  Chili pepper                 Squash
Cocoa                    Cashew and peanut            Corn
Coffee                   Manioc                       Beans
Tea                      Artichoke                    Strawberries
Tobacco                  Potato                       Arrowroot

Animals Domesticated

Pigs                     Dogs                         Llama
Horses                   Cats                         Alpaca
Fowl                     Camels                       Cows, sheep,
etc.
And  in agriculture, the use of multiculture, fertilizers,  mechanical
seeders, and other such equipment. 

Foodgathering Methods

The use of countless fish poisons and animal intoxicants
The use of other tamed animals to catch "game":
   -- dogs and cormorants for fishing,
   -- cats for hunting,
   -- various birds of prey such as eagles, falcons, etc.
Elephants for labor and land clearance
Traps and nets of all kinds

Travel Conveyances, etc.

Compass                  Canals and locks             Road rollers
Skis                     Sternpost rudder             Wheelbarrows
Toboggans                All types of water craft     Stirrups
Snowshoes                Cement paving                Wheeled vehicles
Travois                  Surfaced roads
Wheels: solid, spoke& rimmed and tired
Watertight-compartment construction for boats
Harness for domestic animals
Use of birds for navigation
Bridges of all types: suspension, cantilever, arch, etc.

"Aircraft"

Balloons                 Gliders                      Helicopters
Kites                    Parachutes                   Jet Propulsion
Weather-signaling and forecasting

Cosmetics, etc.

Mirrors                  Nail polishes                Toothbrushes
Wigs                     Scissors                     Shaving equipment
Combs                    Powders and ointments        Jewelry of all kinds

Mathematics

Geometry                   A kind of logarithms
Trigonometry               Concept of zero
Algebra                    Use of place system

Trade and Commerce

Paper money and coinage    Systems of inspection
Banking houses             Trade regulations and price-fixing
Postal systems             Wage regulations and compensation systems
Loans with interest
Weights and measures       Accounting systems and use of formal contracts

Medical and Surgical Practices and Instruments

Gargles                    Anesthetics                Lotions
Snuffs                     Soaps                      Ointments
Inhalators                 Splints                    Plasters
Enemas                     Quinine                    Adhesive tapes
Fumigators                 Poultices                  Tourniquet
Suppositories              Decoctions                 Surgical stitching
Insecticides               Infusions                  Bandages
Truth serums               Pills                      Curare
Cocaine                    Troches                    Trephination
Caesarean operations       Vaccine for smallpox
Cascara and other emetics  Tranquilizing drugs
Animal-stupefying drugs    Surgical instruments of all kinds;
                             knives, forceps, tweezers, etc.
Identification of, and treatment of, hundreds of common diseases and
  injuries including brain and eye operations and surgery in general

Household Furnishing

Hammocks                 Gas cookers                  Fans
Rocking stools           Rotary querns                Clocks
Folding beds             Lamps                        Running water
Oil stoves               Space heaters                A form of "telephone"
Whistling pots and kettles    Go-carts for children, and other toys.

Games

Wrestling                                  Revolving stages for theaters
Rubber ball games                          Lacrosse
Numerous board games (chess, checkers, etc.)

Warfare

All types of piercing and striking         Bows and crossbows Bolas
  weapons
Gun powder                                 Rifled weapons
Guided missiles                            Body armor
Aerial bombardment                         Poison gases and toxic agents
Flame throwers
A  repeating bow, a form of machine gun Heavy artillery (catapults  of
several kinds). 

Musical Instruments

Wind instruments (organ, pipes, horns, flutes, etc.)
String instruments (various modifications of the harp)
Percussion instruments (tubes, bars, stones, bells, and diaphragms)
Tuning forks of various kinds

Miscellaneous

Umbrellas                Safety pins                  Straws for drinking
Spectacles               Calendars                    Telescopes (?)
Snow goggles             Cigar holders                Finger printing for
                                                        identification 

Many believers will find this list entirely unsatisfactory. However, a word of further explanation together with the table below may help to clarify things. The majority of these items could be called Hamitic "firsts." Some of them bear no relationship historically to their western counterparts as far as we can ascertain from a study of the transmission of culture traits. Still, they had the concept first. The ingenuity of many of these devices and techniques is truly extraordinary, particularly in view of the paucity of natural resources. It is no exaggeration to state that primitive people have done marvels with natural resources as they found them.

The difficulty for us is that we are deceived by their very simplicity. Whether highly civilized Cainites or of a primitive culture, the Hamitic people have shown an amazing ability to exploit the immediate resources of their environment to the limit. It is only recently that the West has become aware of our indebtedness to non-Indo-European people for practically all the basic elements, simple and complex, of our own technological civilization.

The purpose of the following table is to draw attention to the fact that in each of these elements of culture Hamitic peoples got there first and independently, and in most cases were our instructors. We may sum up what has been said thus far by setting forth the following propositions.

First, the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 is a historic document indicating how the present population of the world has been derived from Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Secondly, this threefold division is more than merely a genetic variation of certain "racial" types: there is evidence that it is intended to indicate that the three branches of the race were divinely apportioned a characteristic capacity which has been reflected in the unique contribution each branch has rendered in the service of mankind as a whole.

Thirdly, we can distinguish between the nature and character of Ham and that of Canaan.

And fourth, the contribution of Shem has been in the realm of the spiritual, Ham's physical or practical, his illegitimate son Canaan, technological, and of Japheth intellectual. In the process of history, these contributions were made effective in this order.

Time lags between Chinese Inventions/Discoveries and their Adoption/Recognition in the West

Agriculture

        Row cultivation of crops and intensive hoeing   6thC BC      2,200 years
        The iron plow                                   6thC BC      2,300 years
        Efficient horse harness -- trace                4thC BC        500 years
                                -- collar               3rdC BC      1,000 years
        The rotary winnowing fan                        2ndC BC      2,000 years
        The multi-tube "modern" seed drill              2ndC BC      1,800 years

Astronomy & Cartography

        Recognition of sunspots as solar phenomenon     4thC BC      2,000 years
        Quantitative cartography                        2ndC BC      1,300 years
        Discovery of the solar wind                     6thC BC      1,400 years
        The Mercator map projection                    10thC AD        600 years
        (Mounted) Equatorial astronomical instruments  13thC AD        600 years

Engineering

        Sprouting bowls and standing waves              5thC BC      never
        Cast iron                                       4thC BC      1,700 years
        Double-acting piston air bellows                4thC BC      1,900 years
        Double-acting piston water bellows              4thC BC      2,100 years
        Crank handle                                    2ndC BC      1,100 years
        "Cardan suspension" or Gimbals                  2ndC BC      1,100 years
        Manufacture of steel from cast iron             2ndC BC      2,000 years
        Deep drilling for natural gas                   1stC BC      1,900 years
        Belt drives                                     1stC BC      1,800 years
        Water power                                     1stC AD      1,200 years
        Chain pump                                      1stC AD      1,400 years
        Suspension bridge                               1stC AD      1,200 years
        First cybernetic machine                        3rdC AD      3,000 years
        Essentials of the steam engine                  5thC AD      3,200 years
        "Magic" mirrors                                 5thC AD      1,500 years
        "Siemens" steel process                         5thC AD      1,300 years
        Segmental arch bridge                           AD610          500 years
        Chain drive                                     AD976          800 years
        Underwater salvage operations                  11thC AD        800 years

Domestic & Industrial Technology

        Lacquer: the first plastic                     13thC BC      3,200 years
        Strong beer (sake)                             11thC BC      never
        Petroleum and natural gas as fuel               4thC BC      2,300 years
        Paper                                           2ndC BC      1,400 years
        Wheelbarow                                      1stC BC      1,300 years
        Sliding calipers                                1stC BC      1,500 years
        Magic lantern                                   2ndC BC      1,800 years
        Fishing reel                                    3rdC BC      1,400 years
        Stirrup                                         3rdC AD        300 years
        Porcelain                                       3rdC AD      1,700 years
        Biological pest control                         3rdC AD      1,700 years
        Umbrella                                        4thC AD      1,200 years
        Matches                                         AD577        1,000 years
        Chess                                           6thC AD        500 years
        Brandy and Whisky                               7thC AD        500 years
        Mechanical clock                                AD725          585 years
        Printing -- block printing                      8thC AD        700 years
                 -- movable type                        AD1045         400 years
        playing cards                                   9thC AD        599 years
        Paper money                                     9thC AD        850 years
        "Permanent" lamps                               9thC AD      never
        Spinning wheel                                 11thC AD        200 years

Medicine & Health

        Circulation of blood                            6thC BC      1,800 years
        Circadian rhythms in the human body             2ndC BC      2,150 years
        Endocrinlogy (glands, secretion)                2ndC BC      2,100 years
        Deficiency diseases                             3rdC AD      1,600 years
        Diabetes detection by urine analysis            7thC AD      1,000 years
        Use of thyroid hormone                          7thC AD      1,250 years
        Immunology -- innoculation against smallpox    10thC AD        800 years

Mathematics

        Decimal system                                 14thC BC      2,300 years
        A place for zero                                4thC BC      1,400 years
        Negative numbers                                2ndC BC      1,700 years
        Extraction of higher roots & solutions of       1stC BC        600 years
           higher equations
        Decimal fractions                               1stC BC      1,600 years
        Using algebra in geometry                       3rdC AD      1,000 years
        A refined table of pi                           3rdC AD      1,200 years
        "Pascal's" triangle of coefficients             AD1100         427 years

Magnetism

        First compasses                                 4thC BC      1,500 years
        Dial and pointer devices                        3rdC AD      1,200 years
        Magnetic declination of Earth's magnetic field  9thC AD        600 years
        Magnetic remanence and induction               11thC AD        600 years

The Physical Sciences

        Geobotanical prospecting                        5thC BC      2,100 years
        First law of motion                             4thC BC      1,300 years
        Hexagonal structure of snowflakes               2ndC BC      1,800 years
        Seismograph                                     AD130        1,400 years
        Spontaneous combustion                          2ndC AD      1,500 years
        "Modern" geology                                2ndC AD      1,500 years
        Phosphorescent paint                           10thC AD        700 years

Transportation & Exploration

        Kite                                            5th/4thC BC  2,000 years
        Manned flight with kites                        4thC BC      1,650 years
        First relief maps                               3rdC BC      1,600 years
        First contour transport canal                   3rdC BC      1,900 years
        Parachute                                       2ndC BC      2,000 years
        Miniature hot-air baloons                       2ndC BC      1,400 years
        Rudder                                          1stC AD      1,100 years
        Masts/sailing: Batten sails -- staggered masts  2ndC AD      never
                       Multiple masts, fore & Aft rigs  2ndC BC      1,200 years
                       Leeboards                        8thC AD        800 years
                       Watertight compartments in ships 2ndC BC      1,707 years
        Helicopter rotor & propeller                    4thC AD      1,500 years
        Paddle-wheel boat                               5thC AD      1,000 years
        Land-sailing                                    AD650        1,050 years
        Canal pound-lock                                AD984          400 years

Sound & Music

        Large tuned bell                                6thC BC      2,500 years
        Tuned drums                                     2ndC BC      unknown
        Hermetically sealed research laboratories       1stC BC      2,000 years
        First understanding of musical timbre           3rdC AD      1,600 years
        Equal temperament in music                      AD1584          50 years

Warfare

        Chemical warfare: poison gas, smoke bombs       4thC AD      2,300 years
           & tear gas
        Crossbow                                        4thC BC        200 years
        Gunpowder                                       9thC AD        300 years
        Flame-thrower                                  10thC AD      1,000 years
        Flares & fireworks                             10thC AD        250 years
        Soft bombs & grenades                           AD1000         400 years
        Metal-cased bombs                               AD1221         246 years
        Land mines                                      AD1277         126 years
        Sea mines                                      14thC AD        200 years
        Rocket                                         11thC AD        200 years
        Multi-staged rockets                           14thC AD        600 years
        Guns, cannon & mortars -- firelance             AD1120         450 years
                               -- true gun              AD1280          50 years 
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