It sounds like Chariots of the Gods, but at its core, the message is an intriguing one, and the evidence in many cases seems hauntingly correct. Indeed, when I once presented this material informally at a social gathering, it riveted the attention of a young Oriental woman at the front of the audience - who immediately after the presentation rose to confirm what I had been talking about. Kang and Nelson have their own success story: They indicate that their data has been useful in the mission field in China!

The key to their scenario is understanding the nature of Chinese characters. A single, complicated symbol may be composed of several compacted, simpler symbols, and it is the premise of these authors that a few of these complicated characters may be dissected in order to tell a story.

The full impact of this premise cannot be implemented without being able to actually show the reader the characters in question, but perhaps a few explanations will suffice. Not all of the examples offered are as strong or convincing as these we offer, but they will be enough to whet the appetite of any interested reader.

The Chinese character for “tempter” is composed of three parts: The characters for “devil,” “cover,” and two “tree” characters. This brings to mind at once the temptation story of Genesis, with the devil being “under cover” and offering temptation involving the pair of trees in the Garden of Eden.

Sound odd? Seem like a coincidence? Consider another one. A Chinese character for “boat” consists of three parts: The characters for “vessel,” “eight,” and “mouth,” the latter used to represent people. Reach back to your Sunday school lesson: What famous vessel (boat) carried eight people?

character combinations, along with the evidence that the ancient Chinese were actually monotheists, deserve a closer look. (In 1994 Nelson released another book on this subject which we hope to review at a later date.) In the meantime, for the price offered, this book is definitely worth a look.