Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 10/8/2008

Question
What prompted you to write this series? What type of longboat did you build on Pitcairn?  Why did you build the longboat? How long have you had an interest in the ancient civilizations?

Answer
Dear Paul,

Thanks for your question. Did you read the books on PettyPress.com?

I have had an interest in ancient civilizations since childhood, as I heard stories of Noah and the Ark, Joseph in Egypt, and other Bible stories. But my current interest in ancient history began in 1961, when one of my requirements for my history major was ancient history. That was also the course that arrested me from running from the call of God into ministry. I changed my major at the end of the semester to Theology. It changed my whole life, as I became a pastor soon after that.

When I lived on Pitcairn Island (an isolated South Pacific Island of 2 sq. miles) the only supplies for the island came from ships wich passed at sea. So the only tangible contact with the outside world were these ships. And the only way to get out to the ships, and to transfer goods to shore, were these open launches called by locals “longboats.” They were home crafted, without a pattern, other than that in the minds of the builders. Example: Though they had a general idea of what each was doing, those who worked at the bow had different ideas of how the boat should be built than those who worked at the stern. But they met in the middle, and the craft proved to be a strong longboat.

A longboat is an open boat, powered by a Lyster 3-cylinder engine from England. The one we built was 47 ft. long, and 10 ft. wide, and about 5-6 feet high, keel to gunnel. It will carry about 5-6 tons of cargo including the crew of 5-6 men (sometimes as few as three).

I wrote Siege (the original title) while pastor of the Trenton, New Jersey Seventh-day Adventist Church. At that time I watched a lot of TV in the evening. However, I became jaded by TV and decided to follow my interest in ancient history by researching the subject of Hezekiah and the loss of 185,000 Assyrians in one night at Jerusalem. I wanted to study the background of the story.

I did a lot of writing of stories and articles in those days, and so as I studied I kept note cards, with the idea that I might someday write an article about the story. After a few weeks I realized that I had enough information about it to write a book. Even though I’d never written a book before, I reasoned that a book is only an assemblage of several articles on the same topic. So I began to write on the subject, and eventually had a book-length manuscript.

When I submitted it to publishers, it was rejected by 2, and the third pointed out that they would be interested if it were about half its length. So I began the major edit, which regarded leaving out 2 chapters, and digesting the rest. Eventually it reached the form that you have today. It was first printed in 1980, and through the years I wrote the other books in the series. (Actually, Siege was not part of the series at that time. The three Gate series books—Fire in the Gates; Gate of the Gods, and the Open Gates were written in the 90s and published under those names.)

All but The Temple Gates (2006) had been published before and this series is a reprint. But when I found out that the press was going reprint the former books, I suggested that they be brought together in a series, since Hezekiah’s mistake of showing off to the Babylonian envoys eventually triggered the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. Upon a short survey of the period, I realized that the era of King Josiah would make a good bridge to connect all these books, making the Gate series complete. I suggested this to the publisher, and they bought the idea. Thus the 5-book series was complete.

I’m glad you enjoyed the books. Check the others on my website—The Flood; Jesus is enough: the Story of Paul and Barnabas; Wreck of the Wild Wave (1858—I wrote it from the captain’s diary). I suggest you would find spiritual fulfillment by reading the Bible study guides. They approach the Bible in a subject format, so that each subject is a collection of Biblical passages which deal on the same subject. I found that such an arrangement actually opens up the Bible more fully than does any other form of Bible study.

Thanks again for your interest. You’re welcome to contact me through my personal e-mail address at any time.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Thurman@PettyPress.com