The Science of Conspiracy Theories

The late great planet Tiamat

The late great planet Tiamat

This is one idea that I like because it involves astronomy. There are a number of people who believe that the asteroid belt, which lies about 205 to 300 million miles from the Sun, is the left over remains of a once majestic planet called Tiamat.

According to a Sumerian and Babylonian mythological belief, the fifth planet from the Sun, Tiamat, was moved into the third position by a cataclysm that is described in the Babylonian Enuma elish (Babylonian creation myth). Supposedly, this planet Tiamat became, or formed, Earth, which would imply that Earth was once much further from the Sun. This Babylonian mythology revealed that a giant collision with Tiamat formed Earth, the Moon and the asteroid belt.

Supposedly, three of Marduk's (Sumerians called it Nibiru - I discussed this previously) satellites  (moons) struck Tiamat before Marduk did, causing a great calamity, sending moons into other orbits and debris flying into the Great Band (the asteroid belt).

There are some scientists that believe that there is evidence for this type of calamity. Mars' rift might be the site of a moon collision; Neptune's moon show evidence of collisions; Mercury might have been a moon of Venus; Mars once had many moons; etc.
All of this is based on the idea that the Sumerians had 'Secret Knowledge' that was given to them by Anunnaki space travelers (ancient aliens) that formed the basis for ancient science and religion.

Some believe that the planet Tiamat was a beautiful planet with blue skies, nice oceans and green landscapes and that the ancient people that lived there founded a civilization and they even had a war with the military fighting the elders (rulers). The collision wiped out most of the people, but some survived. It's implied that they migrated to Earth.

This 'Tiamat hypothesis' is the work of Zecharia Sitchin in a book titled 'The Twelfth Planet and The Cosmic Code'. He reveals that Tiamat was a goddess and a monster bent on chaos. She gave birth to the first generations of gods but makes war on them and was split in two by the storm-god Marduk, who used her body to form the heavens and Earth. Sitchin is the guy who proposed the planet Nibiru, which is the planet associated with Marduk in the Babylonian cosmology.

All of this is an interesting theory, but there is no real evidence for it other than this Babylonian mythology. It makes for a good story. I like it!

Thanks for reading.