Land surveying is one of the world's oldest professions, from the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians and many other cultures utilizing land surveying and surveying principles in their monolithic and massive building projects. Such projects could not be undertaken without the skill and precision required with the use of a skilled land surveyor. We all know that maps have existed since the earliest times, but someone had to make those maps and do the field work associated with them. The Bible not only describes acts of land surveying, but also the description of landmarks, laws concerning surveying and boundary markers, surveying technology, measurement units, and even a surveying request for services! It's pretty amazing, but not really surprising. In this article I have mentioned some of the examples and will include a short commentary before the examples. This is not to be confused with simple measurements such as Noah building the Ark, which could be construed as a form of space measurement, but that would fall more under the category of engineering of which there are also many many examples. So for a completely accurate view, I have chosen only those passages which could only be construed as land surveying and directly relating to land surveying. William D. Hatfield April 28,2009
Engineers Quotes
Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems. -Scott Adams
A man's feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.
-by George Santayana
“Great men have not been concerned with fame. The joy of achievement that comes from finding something new in the universe is by far their greatest joy.” - William P. King -by George Santayana
Biblical Quotes about Land and Boundaries:
Here are some of the many references in the Bible to land boundaries, measuring devices, and boundary markers:
Deuteronomy 19:14
Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.
Deuteronomy 27:17
Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Proverbs 22:28
Remove not the ancient landmark, Which thy fathers have set.
Numbers 34:6
As for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border; this shall be your west border. |
Numbers 34:12
And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to the borders thereof round about.
Revelation 21:16-17
And the city lieth foursquare, and the length thereof is as great as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height thereof are equal.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
Zechariah 2:1-2
I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, to measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.
Ezekiel 42:16-19
He measured on the east side with the measuring reed five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured on the north side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about.
He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
He measured on the south side five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.
Job 24:2
There are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them.
