Quote:
Originally Posted by Eönwė
But are you sure that Eru is not letting the Faithful escape. He could have just as easily let tem get killed.
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I think this is good point. After all, it's not as if Sauron was wholly responsible for the corruption of Numenor. The rift between the King's Men and the Faithful had become entrenched a thousand years before he showed up, and rumblings against the Ban of the Valar had been around even before that. If I recall correctly, Sauron took umbrage at Ar-Pharazon proclaiming himself the Lord of Middle-earth, as the Valar took umbrage at him calling himself the Lord of the West (a title that already belonged more rightfully to Manwe). The people of Numenor had a long time to choose which side they would be on, that of the King or that of Eru and the Valar, and most of them appear to have chosen the King. One could argue that this came about out of fear, but when the second to last king, Tar-Palantir, attempted to restore the old ways of friendship with the Elves and faithfulness to the Valar and the One, it doesn't appear that the people wholly embraced this opportunity for change. When Ar-Pharazon forced himself on Tar-Palantir's daughter to proclaim himself king, he was not stopped -- something I think rather unlikely, if the people had indeed chosen to return to the old ways. Even so, they were given additional warnings, and though Sauron spread lies as to their true meaning, the Faithful knew them for lies, and took what action they could. Why did they know that it was time to flee? How did they figure this out, or who told them? One might suspect that they were warned -- but not by anyone in Numenor. If Manwe sent signs in the form of storms and eagles, others of the Valar, or even Eru Himself, could have sent warnings more direct to the Faithful. I suspect they probably did -- and I also suspect that Eru regretted the destruction of Numenor as much as He regretted all that happened in the First Age because of mistakes the Valar had made in their dealings with the Elves.
To me, it seems that when they made Numenor for the Edain, the Valar didn't understand the nature of jealousy. A gift that brings one too close to what they cannot have, and thus reminds them of what they cannot -- indeed, are forbidden to -- have, isn't much of a gift at all, IMHO; sooner or later, someone thus "rewarded" is going to think that it's not a reward, and become jealous and angry. Why the Valar didn't foresee this possibility (probability?) has long puzzled me.