WhiletheviewofchronologybasedupontheliteralacceptanceofScripturetextswasthusshakenbyresearchesinEgypt，anotherlineofobservationandthoughtwasslowlydeveloped，evenmorefataltothetheologicalview。
Fromaveryearlyperiodtherehadbeendugfromtheearth，invariouspartsoftheworld，strangelyshapedmassesofstone，somerudelychipped，somepolished：inancienttimesthelargerofthesewereveryoftenconsideredasthunderbolts，thesmallerasarrows，andallofthemasweaponswhichhadbeenhurledbythegodsandothersupernaturalpersonages。Henceasortofsacrednessattachedtothem。InChaldea，theywerebuiltintothewalloftemples；inEgypt，theywerestrungaboutthenecksofthedead。InIndia，finespecimensaretothisdayseenuponaltars，receivingprayersandsacrifices。
NaturallythesebeliefswerebroughtintotheChristianmythologyandadaptedtoit。DuringtheMiddleAgesmanyofthesewell-wroughtstoneswereveneratedasweapons，whichduringthe“warinheaven“hadbeenusedindrivingforthSatanandhishosts；henceintheeleventhcenturyanEmperoroftheEastsenttotheEmperoroftheWesta“heavenaxe“；andinthetwelfthcenturyaBishopofRennesassertedthevalueofthunder-stonesasadivinely-appointedmeansofsecuringsuccessinbattle，safetyonthesea，securityagainstthunder，andimmunityfromunpleasantdreams。EvenaslateastheseventeenthcenturyaFrenchambassadorbroughtastonehatchet，whichstillexistsinthemuseumatNancy，asapresenttothePrince-BishopofVerdun，andclaimedforithealth-givingvirtues。
InthelastyearsofthesixteenthcenturyMichaelMercatitriedtoprovethatthe“thunder-stones“wereweaponsorimplementsofearlyracesofmen；butfromsomecausehisbookwasnotpublisheduntilthefollowingcentury，whenotherthinkershadbeguntotakeupthesameidea，andthenithadtocontendwithatheoryfarmoreaccordantwiththeologicmodesofreasoninginscience。ThiswasthetheoryofthelearnedTollius，whoin1649
toldtheworldthatthesechippedorsmoothedstoneswere“generatedintheskybyafulgurousexhalationconglobedinacloudbythecircumposedhumour。”