CONTENTS

Chapter1—TheGreatPyramidForgery

Chapter2—PuzzlingCavities,MysteriousSand

Chapter3—TheSecretChamber

Chapter4—TheFatefulDay

Chapter5—OOPsintheCairoMuseum

Chapter6—EnigmasMadeofStone

Chapter7—TheIcemanoftheAlps

Chapter8—InsightstoHistory

Chapter9—VaticanEncounters

Chapter10—StargazersandSkymaps

Chapter11—Antikythera:AComputerBeforeItsTime

Chapter12—Nazca:WheretheGodsLeftEarth

Postscript:PropheciesoftheReturn

AlsobyZechariaSitchin

AbouttheAuthor

AboutInnerTraditions•Bear&Company

1

THEGREATPYRAMIDFORGERY

TherecordsofEgypt’sarchaeologicalfindsincludestoriesofvariedbitterendsofthediscovererofthisortheuncovererofthat,themostfamedofwhichweretheunusualdeathsattributedto“KingTut’sCurse”ofthosewhohadfoundhistomb;butIknowofnosuchinstancepertainingtoprobingtheGreatPyramidanditsmysteries.EvenAgathaChristie’sarchaeologicalthrillers,thatincludedmurderontheNile,didnot takeplaceinsidethepyramid;andwhenJamesBondwasluredtoGiza, thedeathlyencounter tookplaceoutside,neartheSphinx.EversinceNapoleon,whoinvadedEgyptin1798,madeavisittotheGreatPyramidinGizaatourist’s

“must,”millionsofpeoplehaveenteredittoadmire,wonder,researchandexplore;yetIcouldnotrecallcomingacrossevenone reportofavisitor’sdeath inside it.Thus,whenIwasalmostkilled there, IwouldhaveprobablymadeaFirst...Iwas inside theGreatPyramid,at the topof theGrandGallery,awaiting toclimbupbya seriesof

ladders intocompartmentsabove theKing’sChamber,whenIsuddenly feltamightyblowtomyhead:Someonehaddropped fromhigher up a large andheavypieceofwood that knockedmedown.Warmbloodbegantopourdownfromthetopofmyhead,andIwascertainthatmyskullhadbeencracked.ThoughdazedandbleedingasIwasrusheddownandout,thethoughtsofdeaththatracedthroughmy

mind included visions of newspaper headlines reporting my end. They ranged from an appropriateFamousAuthorKilledInsideGreatPyramid,toahumdrumVisitorDiesinGizaPyramid,to—cursedwasthethought—noheadlineatall.UpsettingwastheheadlineFatalTouristAccidentinEgypt, for Iwascertainthatwhathadhappenedwasnoaccident.AndmostdisturbingwastheimaginedwisecrackingheadlineCurseofKingCheops?—disturbingbecause I entered thepyramid thatday toprove that thePharaohCheopsdidnotbuildtheGreatPyramid.BeingabletowriteaboutthedaywhenIwasnearlykilledintheGreatPyramidsuggeststhatImanaged

tosurvive;butthisistheveryfirsttimeIamrevealingwhathadhappened.Andasthereadercansurelyalsoguessbynow,whathappenedthatdayhaditsorigins,itsbeginning,longbefore.So,evenbeforeItellthefullstoryofthateventfulandalmostfatalday,itbehoovesmetobacktracktotheBeginning.

TherearemanypyramidsandpyramidicalstructuresinEgypt,dottingthelandfromwheretheNileRiverformsadeltainthenorthallthewaysouthtoancientNubia;themainonesarethetwenty-oddpyramids(fig.1)attributedtoPharaohsoftheOldKingdom(2650–2150B.C.).Theseinturnconsistoftwodistinctgroups:TheelaboratelydecoratedpyramidsassociatedwithrulersoftheFifthandSixthDynasties(such

asUnash,Teti,Pepi);andthepyramidsascribedtoThirdandFourthDynastykings.Thelatergroup’sbuildersareclearlyidentifiedbyaprofusionofinscriptionsonthepyramids’walls,

the so-calledPyramidTexts; it is in regard to the earlier and paradoxically grander pyramids that themysteries proliferate. With few written clues inside or beside them, or even entirely devoid ofinscriptionsor decorations, these earlier pyramidskeep secret themysteryof their construction—Whobuilt themandwhen,howwere theybuilt,andforwhatpurpose.Thereareonly theoriesandeducatedguesses.Althoughnoactualroyalburialwaseverdiscoveredinsideanypyramid,theacceptedtheoryhasbeen

thatthepyramidswereglorifiedroyaltombs,evolvingfromtheearlierflathorizontalmastaba—alargetombstonethatcoveredtheroyalgrave.Egyptologistsassertthatthefirstimposingpyramid,atSakkara,belongedtokingZoser,thesecondPharaohoftheThirdDynasty,whoseingeniousarchitectpileduponemastabaon top another to createa steppyramid (fig. 2). The pyramid stands atop underground stoneshafts,vaults,andpassagesdecoratedwithcarvingsandblue-glazedtiles;weknowitisZoser’spyramidbecause some depictions of the king and inscriptions bearing his name were discovered there. Thepyramid is surrounded by decorated stone structures and colonnades; but the pyramid itself, aboveground,ispoorlyconstructedwithroughstonesheldinplacebymud-claymortarandtreestalks,allnowexposedforthevisitortosee.Itisasthoughtheabove-groundandthebelow-groundpartsofthepyramidweresetapart,eachfollowingadifferentarchitecturalandstructuraldiscipline.

Figure1

Egyptologists hold that Zoser’s ThirdDynasty successors emulated him, on a lesser scale andwithvarieddegreesofsuccess,withsteppyramidsoftheirown;butthenthelastPharaohoftheThirdDynasty,namedHuni,decidedtobuilda“true”pyramidwithsmoothsides,risingatthesteepangleof52°.Itisknown,appropriately,astheCollapsedPyramid,forthatattemptendedindismalfailure.Whatthevisitorstill sees at the site (at Maidum) is the step-shaped core surrounded by the debris of the collapsedmasonryofthesmooth-facemantlethatthebuildershadattemptedtoattachtothecore(fig.3).

Figure2

Why,allofasudden,wasanattemptmadetoshapethispyramidasa“true”pyramid,andwheredidthenotionofa“truepyramid”withsmoothtriangularsidescomefrom?Whywasasteepangleof52°chosen,andwhetheritwasHuni—or,assomehold,hissuccessor—whotriedtoattachthesmoothmantletothecore,nooneknows.ThatsuccessorwasSneferu,thefirstPharaohoftheFourthDynasty.Hewasbuilding(atDahshur)his

own“true”pyramidwhenthepreviousone,atMaidum,collapsed;sohisarchitects(asplausiblyheldbysome Egyptologists) abandoned the steep 52° angle inmid construction, and continued raising it at aflatterandmuchsaferangleof43°—resulting inwhat isknownas theBentPyramid (fig.4a); a stela(stonepillar)depictingthekingandbearingSneferu’snameconfirmedhisassociationwiththispyramid.ThenSneferu,stillpersistinginbuildinga“truepyramid”withsmoothsides,orderedtheconstructionofathirdpyramid(alsoatDahshur).KnownforthehueofitsstonesastheRedPyramid(fig.4b),ithasthe“correct”triangularsidesrisingfromasquarebaseandmeetingatanapex.Butitsremainsindicatethatitssidesroseatthesafeangleof44°...

Figure3

And then—so Egyptological theories go—Sneferu’s son and successor, a Pharaoh named Khufu(CheopsinEnglish),managedtoerectwhatisstillthegrandeststoneedificeonEarthandthegreatestofthe“true”pyramids—theGreatPyramidofGiza.Dwarfinganypreviouspyramidinsheersize, itstillrises likeanartificial stonemountainat themagicalangleof52°—unique,majestic,unchallenged,and

uncollapsed(plate1).Khufu’ssuccess—sothetextbookstellus—inspiredhissuccessorstobuildtheirpyramidsnexttohis,

atGiza.One, thatoutwardlyemulatestheGreatPyramid,wasbuiltbythePharaohChefra (ChefrenorChephren inEnglish), and is knownas theSecondPyramid; because a causeway leads from it to theSphinx(plate2),ittooisattributedtoChefra(althoughitstandsmuchclosertotheGreatPyramid).Thenhissuccessor,Menkaura(Mycerinus)builtnearbytheThirdPyramid—butforinexplicablereasons,asaminiatureoftheothertwo(fig.5).RisingskywardwherethedesertstopsattheNilevalley,thethree,asthesitemapshows(fig.6),wereperfectlyalignedtothecardinalpointsofthecompassandtoeachother,forminganarchitecturalunitasthoughtheywereplannedbyasinglearchitectandnotbythreedifferentPharaohsseparatedbyacentury.

Figure4

Figure5

Figure6

Unlike the other pyramids, the three Giza pyramids are devoid of any decorative feature, have nopaintings or texts inscribed on theirwalls, hold no royal seal or effigy, and (with the exception to bediscussed later) contain no other shred of evidence that the three were built by Khufu, Chefra, andMenkaura; Egyptologists nevertheless continue to adhere to their favorite theory of “pyramid persuccessivePharaoh”—andtheydosoinregardtoGizaeventhoughtheactualsuccessorofKhufuwasnotChefrabutthePharaohDedefra(alsoreadRadedef)whosesmallcrumblingpyramid,slopedat48º,wasbuiltfarawayfromGiza,atAbuRuashinthenorth(seefig.1).TheEgyptologists’ list alsoconvenientlyomits twootherPharaohswho reignedbetweenChefraand

Menkaura;andskippingasuccessortothelatternamedShepseskaf,continuethe“pyramidage”straightintotheFifthDynasty.ItsfirstPharaoh,Userkaf,built(atAbusir)a“true”pyramidatabouthalf-sizescaletothatoftheGreatPyramidofGiza.ItadoptedaslopeanglesimilartothatofGiza;theresultwasapileofrubblethatevennowadayslookslikeamudmound...Next came a pyramidbuilt by thePharaohSahura, inAbusir.Amuch reduced-scale imitationof the

greatonesinGiza,itslopedatabout50°,andisalsoapileofrubblenow.Soarethefourbuiltnext,alsoinAbusir,byhissuccessorsNeferirkara,Raneferef,Neuserra,andZedkara-Isesy.Inandaroundtheruins,wall reliefs and other finds (including images of the kings and their hieroglyphic names) attest theextensive artworks and decorations in these pyramids and in their companion structures. But all thatremainsoftheFifthDynastycenturyandahalfof“truepyramid”buildingarepilesofruinedrubble.WenowmovewithEgyptologytotheprofuselydecoratedandinscription-filledpyramidsoftheSixth

Dynasty.ThatpartofthePyramidAgebeganwiththePharaohUnash(whosomeconsiderthelastoftheFifthDynastyratherthanthefirstoftheSixth).HeledthewaybacktoSakkara,inproximitytoZoser’ssteppyramid;adoptingaone-thirdscalecomparedtoGiza’sGreatPyramid,hedaredaslopeakinto52°—andendedup,likeothersbeforehim,withapileofrubble.ThepyramidsoftheSixthDynastyPharaohswhofollowedhiminSakkara—Teti,PepiI,Mernera,PepiII—endedupthesameway.InspiteofallthedecorationsandtheversesfromtheBookoftheDeadinscribedontheirwalls,themonumentsthatthosePharaohs had erected for their afterlife journeys to Eternal Life on the “Planet ofMillions of Years”

endedupascollapsedpilesofrubble.Havingbeen toall thesepyramidswith theirchangedshapesandslopeangles,andhavingseen their

collapsed ruins—everywhereexcept inGiza, I couldnot acceptwithoutquestioning theEgyptologists’assertionthattheGizapyramidsfollowedandemulatedtheothers.AsIgazedattheremainsoftheotherpyramidsintheflatdesertlandscapes,mygutfeelingwasNo—Gizawastheexample,themodelthattheotherstriedtoemulate,andnotviceversa!TheGreatPyramidofGiza—insheersize,instructuralingenuityandcomplexity,inmathematicaland

geometricprecision, inenduringstability—hasbeenunique,and there isnoneedhere to illustrate thatwithwell-knowndata;butthatalonedoesnotprovethatitwasthemodelforalltheothers.Forthat,themost compelling aspect is its inner ascending features. All the pyramids have inner features that arelocatedinsubterraneanlevels;butofallthepyramids(includingitscompanionsinGiza—fig.7comparesthe main ones in size and inner complexity)—the Great Pyramid is the only one with ascendingpassagesandcomplexinnercomponentshighabovegroundlevel.Thestoryofthediscoveryofthoseascendingandupperinnerfeaturesisakeytounderstanding

the true sequence of pyramid construction in Egypt; the mystery of the plugging off of theascendingfeaturesisacluetothetrueidentityoftheGizabuilders.

TheGizapyramidsasseennowadaysarewithoutthesmoothwhitelimestonefacingtheyoriginallyhad—the handiwork of robbers who stripped off the valuable limestones for use in neighboring Cairo andsurrounding villages. In the Second Pyramid, the strippers fell short of the uppermost courses and thelimestone“skin”canstillbeseenonlywayup;intheGreatPyramidsomeofthefacingstonesremainedatthebase,servingtoindicatethepreciseslopeangle(fig.8).Today’svisitorenterstheGreatPyramidbyclimbing up several courses of the stone blocks of its exposed masonry, and goes through a forcedopeninginthepyramid’snorthfacethatleadstoitsinnardsviaatunnel-likepassage.However,asonelooks at the pyramidwhile still outside (fig. 9), it becomes obvious that this entrance lies somewhatlowerandsidewaysthanthetrueoriginalentrance,whichismarkedbytwosetsofmassivestoneslabstouchingdiagonally toprotect theentranceway(fig.10a).There,when thepyramidstillhad its smoothfacing,aswivelstonenotonlyshuttheentrancebutalsohiditcompletelyfromanoutsideonlooker(fig.10b).That such an original entranceway, with its swivel stone, had existedwas not a complete secret in

antiquity; though hidden from view, Egyptian priests knew of it. In fact Strabo, the first century A.D.Roman geographer and historian, reported that when he visited Egypt he entered the Great Pyramidthrough an opening in the north face hidden by a “hinged stone,” and went down a long and narrowpassageallthewaytoapitduginthebedrock—justasotherRomanandGreekvisitorshaddonebeforehim.

Figure7

Figure8

But as the centuries went by, and Egyptian priests gave way to Christian monks and then Moslemclerics,theexactlocationofthishiddenentrancewaywasforgotten.InA.D.820,whentheMoslemcaliphAlMamoon sought to enter the pyramid to find its rumoredChamber of Treasures, his engineers andmasonsendeduphacking theirwayin—correctly in thenorthface,butsomewhatbelowtherightspot.

Theirforcedopeningistheentrancethroughwhichtoday’svisitorgoesin.

Figure9

Onceinside,allthatAlMamoon’smenfoundwerestoneblocksandmorestoneblocks.Hammeringandchiseling, theycracked theirway inbyalternatelyheatingandcooling themassofstones.Finally, theyreachedanarrowinclinedpassageway;itledallthewaydown,throughmasonryandthenbedrock,toanemptypit—theverysamedescendingpassageandpitdescribedbyStrabo.

Figure10

Thepassageway also ledup; following it for a short distance,AlMamoon’smen found theoriginalentrancefromthe inside.Were thestory toend there,AlMamoon’seffortswouldhaveonlyconfirmedwhat was known and believed in previous Roman, Greek, and prior Egyptian times: that the GreatPyramid,as its twocompanionsandall theotherpyramids,hadonlyan innerdescendingpassageandbelowground-levelfeatures(fig.11a).The secret that theGreat Pyramid, alone of all the pyramids, also had amazing upper passages and

chamberswouldhaveremainedunknownwereitnotforanaccidentaldiscoverybyAlMamoon’smen.As they went on ramming and blasting, they suddenly heard a loosened stone fall. Searching in thedirectionof the sound, they found that a fallen triangular stonehadhidden fromviewblockinggranite

slabs emplaceddiagonally to thepassage.Unable tobreak it ormove it, they tunneledaround it—andreachedwhatisnowknownastheAscendingPassage(fig.11b).Itledupthroughthe“GrandGallery”viaahorizontalpassagetothe“Queen’sChamber”andfartheruptothe“King’sChamber”(fig.11c).TheamazinganduniqueinneruppercomplexitiesoftheGreatPyramidwerediscovered.

Figure11

Pyramid researchers now recognize that at some point in time after the Great Pyramid was built,“someone”for“somereason”sliddownagroovedchannelintheAscendingPassagethreegraniteplug-stonesthatsealedoffcompletelyalltheupperinnerpartsofthepyramid,andhidthemsowellfromsightthat anyone entering the pyramid through its proper entrancewaywould only know of the DescendingPassage. The inner upper parts became permanently sealed and forever hidden. That is why, I haveexplained, all the other Egyptian pyramids from Zoser’s on had only descending passages andcompartments;forallofthememulatedtheGreatPyramidastheyknewit,andasitscompanionsatGizasuggested:Onlydescendingpassagesandinnerpartsbelowgroundlevel.How,when,andwhywastheupperpassagewaysealed?Thebest(oronly)ideaEgyptologistshaveis

that the sealing-off took place after the Pharaoh’s burial in the “coffer” in the “King’sChamber”wascompleted.ButwhenAlMamoon finally broke into the upper passages and chambers, the cofferwasemptyandnoonewasburiedintheKing’sChamber.No,thegraniteplugsweresliddown,Iwrote,whenthegodRa/Marduk,inpunishment,wasimprisonedintheGreatPyramidtodieaslowdeath.IthappenedduringwhatIhavetermedinTheWarsofGodsandMenasthePyramidWars—whengods,notmen,ruledEgypt,longbeforeanyPharaonicdynasties.This findingalone should suffice forconcluding that theGizapyramidshadbeenbuiltbeforeall the

other pyramids in Egypt were erected; but there is more compelling evidence that leads to that

unavoidableconclusion.Suchevidencecanstartwithshowingthata“true”pyramid,astheGreatPyramidofGiza,hadexisted

—andwasknownandevendepictedlongbeforeZoserorKhufuandtheirdynasties.Onecansubmitinevidenceawell-knownancientEgyptianartifactcalledtheVictoryTabletofKingMenes(alsoknownastheNarmerPalette),whowasthefirstkingoftheveryfirstdynasty.ItshowsononesidethekingwearingthewhitecrownofUpperEgypt,defeatingitschieftainsandconqueringtheircities.Onthetablet’sothersideMenes is shown wearing the red crown of Lower Egypt—where Giza is situated; and there thepictographicsymbolsmostclearlyincludeasmooth-sidedtriangular“true”pyramid(fig.12),indicatingthatsuchapyramidhadalreadybeenknowncirca3100B.C.—halfamillenniumbeforeCheops/Khufu.Indeed, inscriptions (fig. 13) on a stone artifact belonging to Cheops—in which his name Khufu is

clearlywritteninhieroglyphics—implythattheGreatPyramidhadalreadyexistedinhistime,andsodidtheSphinx!Inthismonument,knownastheInventoryStela,Khufutookcreditforrestoringashrineto the goddess Isis, “Mistress of the Pyramid.”He does not take credit for the pyramid itself, clearlyconsidering itastructurebelonging togods,notmortals;andhestates that theshrinestood“beside thehouseoftheSphinx”—theverySphinxwhichaccordingtoEgyptologicaltenetswaserected(orcarvedout)byKhufu’ssuccessorChefra...

Figure12

Figure13

Infact,depictionsoftheSphinx(asreportedbySirW.M.FlindersPetrieinTheRoyalTombsofthe

EarliestDynasties,1901)werealreadyfoundonstonetabletsbelongingtotheearliestPharaohsMenes-NarmerandZer(fig.14).Clearly,theSphinxtoohadalreadyexistedwhenKhufuandChefraascendedtheirthrones.

Figure14

IftheGizapyramids(andtheSphinx)hadalreadyexistedwhenPharaohsbegantoreign,whowasthereto build them? The answer comes to us from theNear East’s earliest civilization, that of Sumer. TheSumerianswere quite aware of the unique edifices at Giza, describing them in texts dealingwith thePyramidWarsanddepictingthemoncylinderseals(fig.15a),includingonecommemoratingthevictoryofthegodNinurtabyshowinghisDivineEaglesurmountingthetwolargepyramids(fig.15b).

The story of the “PyramidWars” is told inTheWars of Gods andMen. The story of how the GizapyramidsandSphinxcametobebuilt,bythegods,asvitalcomponentsoftheirpost-DiluvialSpaceport,hasbeentoldinmybookTheStairwaytoHeaven.Gods,notmen,builttheGizapyramidsasterminalsfortheLandingCorridorthatwasanchoredonthe

twinpeaksofAraratinthenorthandontwonaturalpeaksintheSinaipeninsulainthesoutheast(fig.16);absent such peaks at the northeastern terminus, the gods first erected the small pyramid as a test ofstructural stabilityand functionality, thenbuilt theother larger two—equipping theGreatPyramidwithpulsatingguidanceequipmentintheuniqueupperinnards.

Figure15

Wecanevenexplainthedifficultslopeangleof52°bythefactthatitwasthe“secretnumber”oftheDivine Architect, Thoth (whom the Sumerians called Ningishzidda)—a number that linked the GreatPyramid’sbaselengthandheighttoacircle’sπ.Yetwithallthat,EgyptologistshaveremainedunmovableintheKhufu-Chefra-Menkaurasequence.Howandwhendidthistenetoriginate?

Figure16

SpendingweeksatatimeintheBritishMuseumLibraryinLondon,poringovercountlessbooksonthesubjectbackward—fromthelatesttotheearliest,IfoundthatallthetextbooksreportedthatHerodotus,

theGreekhistorian-geographer,wastoldsobyhisguideswhenhevisitedEgyptinthefifthcenturyB.C.Some textbooks asserted that the royal name of Khufu was actually found inscribed within the GreatPyramid;theyalsousedtostatethatacoffinlidbearingthename“Menkaura”wasdiscoveredinsidetheThirdPyramid.Couldanyonearguewiththat?The fact that later textbooks ceased referring to the information, given in earlier books, about the

Menkauracoffinlidintriguedme.Whywassuchphysicalevidencenolongermentioned?Searchingforananswerinissuesofscholarlyjournals,Iunearthedthewholestory.Theoriginalfind,ofthecoffinlidandskeletalremainsofthePharaoh,wasmadein1837bytwoEnglishmenwhoresifteddebrisinsidetheThirdPyramid.Textbooksacceptedthisasproofofthepyramidbuilder’sidentityformorethanacentury—untilmoderncarbondatingmethodsestablishedthatthecoffinlidwasnotfrom2600B.C.butfromcirca660B.C.(whenalaterPharaohalsocalledhimselfMenkaura),andtheskeletalremainsfromthefirstorsecondcenturyA.D.The1837“find”wasthereforedroppedfromtextbooks(andtheBritishMuseumremovedthecoffinlid

fromitscatalogue);butthecircumstancesintriguedme.Whydidallpreviousexplorersinsidethissmallpyramidmisstheremarkablephysicalevidence?Also,sincethelidandtheskeletalremainswerefromtotallydifferentperiods,howdidtheyhappentoresttogether?Didthe“finders”perpetrateadeliberatearchaeological fraud?Their names, I learned,wereHowardVyse and JohnPerring; theywere quite ateam,excavatingalmostatwill inGiza.Then, joinedbyawheeler-dealernamedJ.R.Hill, itwas thesameHowardVysewho discovered the name “Khufu”written inside theGreat Pyramid,where—youguessedit—nonewasfoundbefore...That realization, that an archaeological fraud was perpetrated in the small Third Pyramid,

launched me on a course that led to question the only “proof” of the Khufu-built-it tenet ofEgyptology.HowardVysewasaretiredBritishcolonel,a“blacksheep”ofawealthyfamily,who,visitingEgyptin

1835, became infatuated with Egyptian antiquities. Though the Firman (exploration permit) that wasissued toVyse by the Egyptian authorities named the British Consul in Cairo (a Col. Campbell) as atrustee,Vysemadehisownhiringdecisions;andinGizaheentrustedthesearchtooneBattistaCaviglia,whomade important findsat theSphinxandassuredVyse thatdiscovering theelusivehiddenTreasureChamber in theGreatPyramidwas justamatterof timeandmoney.Vyseprovided themoneyand leftEgypt to tour theLevant.He returned twoyears later,only tobe told that the searchhad lednowhere.Starting to runoutofbothmoneyand time,Vyse tookmatters intohisownhands,moved toGiza, andenlistedamixofhelpers—somewithEgyptologicalexperience(suchasC.SloaneandJ.Perring),andsomelocalwheeler-dealers(aMr.Hill,aMr.Mash,aMr.Raven).Adetailedday-by-daydiarythathekept(laterpublishedasOperationsCarriedOnatthePyramidsof

Gizeh)recordsthedesperationasnothingworthwhilewasfound.TheBritishConsulandotherdignitariesstartedtovisitthesite,wonderingwheretheeffortswereleading.Oneoftheproblemswastheneedtoconstantlyfindnewworkmen,sincethosehireddevelopedeyesoresastheyhackedandhammeredinsidethedust-filledpyramid;itgotsobadthat,onCol.Campbell’sintervention,theBritishsentateamtobuildaneyehospitalinGiza.Astheyear1837beganandhisfundswererunningout,thefrustratedVysestartedtousegunpowder inorder toblasthisway inside theGreatPyramid;hehiredanEnglishstonemason,whohadcometoEgyptfortheeyehospitalproject,tohandlethedetonations.HislastresortwerenarrowspacesabovetheKing’sChamber,oneofwhich(“Davison’sChamber”)

wasdiscoveredbyNathanielDavison in1765.Thegunpowderblasts revealed that therewasacavityaboveDavison’sChamber;forcinghiswayup,VysediscoveredasimilarspaceaboveDavison’s.Like

Davison’s,itwastotallydevoidofanydecorationorinscription.VysenameditWellington’sChamberinhonorofhisfavoritewarhero,andhadhisassistantHillinscribethisnameinsidethenarrowchamberwithredpaint.Continuingtheuseofgunpowderashismenmovedfartherup,Vysediscoveredtwomoresimilaremptyspaces;henamedtheminhonorofLordNelsonandLadyArbuthnot—namesrecordedbyMr. Hill in the usual red paint. Then he reached the vaulted cavity at the top, naming it Campbell’sChamberinhonorofhisconsularpatron.All the “chambersof construction” (as he called them—they arenowcalled “RelievingChambers”)

werebareandempty—noPharaonicremains,notreasure—justblackdustontheunevenfloors.Butonreenteringthechambers(Mr.Hill,Mr.Perring,Mr.Mashkeptgoingin),“quarrymarks”inredpaintwerenoticed(fig.17).It was in those days of despair and desperation that amajor discoverywasmade that assured

Vyse’s place in the annals of Egyptology: Among the quarrymarkswere several cartouches thatspelledoutroyalnames,includingthatofKhufu!(fig.18a,b)TheBritishandAustrianconsuls inCairowereinvitedtowitness thediscovery;Mr.Hillcopiedthe

inscriptionsonparchmentsheets,andallpresentauthenticatedthemwiththeirsignatures.ThedocumentswerethensenttotheBritishMuseuminLondon,andtheunprecedenteddiscoverywasannouncedforthewholeworldtoknow.Sincenoonehadenteredthoseupperchambersfromthetimewhenthepyramidwaserected,herewasunchallengedproofofitsbuilder’sname!Vyse’s findhas remained theonlyevidence for theKhufu–GreatPyramidconnection.Butwhile

textbooks state so unquestioningly, it appears that at the time, experts (including theBritishMuseum’sSamuel Birch and the great German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius) were uneasy about theinscriptions’script—itwasonethatwasintroducedinancientEgyptmuchlater—andquestionedwhethertheyreallyspelledoutcorrectlythenameKhufu(itlookedliketwodifferentroyalnameswereactuallyinscribed).AsIwasporingoverVyse’sprinteddiary,somethingoddstruckme:Theroyalnameheshowedwas

inscribed differently than on the Inventory Stela; instead of diagonal lines (a “sieve”) inside a circlewhichreadsKH(andthusKH-U-F-U),Vyse’sfindswerewrittenwithacirclewithjustadotinside(fig.19).ThatreadsnotKHbutRA,thesacrednameofEgypt’ssupremegod.Thus,thenameVysereportedwasnotKHufu,butRA-u-f-u...

Figure17

Figure18

In1978,visitingtheBritishMuseum,IaskedtoseetheVyseparchments.Ittooksomedoing,asnoonehadaskedforthemasfarasanyonecouldrecall.ButtheHillFacsimiles(astheywerecatalogued)were

foundandshowntome—abundletiedwithyellowing-whiteribbon.Theauthenticatedparchmentswerethere,thewaytheyreachedthemuseummorethanacenturyearlier;andthemisspellingwasalsothere:Innoinstancewasthe“Kh”inscribedcorrectlyasasievewithdiagonallines;insteadtherewasadotorasmudgeinsideacircle,spelling“Ra.”Coulditbethatsomeone,inantiquity,hadusedthenameofthegreatgodRAinvain—anunforgivablesacrilege,ablasphemypunishablebydeath?

Figure19

AsIreadthediaryentriesagain,thewords“redpaint”keptjumpingoutofthepages—aswhenMr.Hillusedittoinscribethenames“LordWellington,”“LadyArbuthnot,””LordNelson.”Iwasstruckbyastatement in Perring’s ownmemoirs (The Pyramids of Gizeh) that the red paint used for the ancientinscriptions“wasacompositionofredochrecalledbytheArabsmoghrahwhichisstillinuse.”ThenPerringaddedtheobservationonthepaint’squality:“Suchisthestateofpreservationofthemarksinthequarries that it is difficult to distinguish the work of yesterday from one of three thousand years”(emphasismine).Washevoicinghisownastonishmentabouthow fresh the redpaintmarkings looked—after4,500years!—orwasheofferinganexplanationfortheoddphenomenon?AsIwentbacktoVyse’sday-by-daydiaries, theentriesmadeclear that the“quarrymarks”(asVyse

calledthem)werenotdiscoveredwhenthechamberswerefirstentered;andthatitwasMr.HillorMr.Perring—notVysehimself—whowere first to notice the red-paintmarkings on subsequent visits.Andthen the thought struckme: Could the team that perpetrated the fraud in the Third Pyramid have alsoengagedinaforgeryinsidetheGreatPyramid—“discovering”inscriptionswhereabsolutelynonehavebeenfoundbefore?Wasn’titodd,Ithought,thatforcenturiesnomarkingsofanykindwerefoundbyanyone,anywhere,in

the pyramid, not even in Davison’s Chamber above the King’s Chamber—and only Vyse found suchmarkingswhereonlyhefirstentered?BasedonVyse’sowndiaryentries,theaccusingfingerpointedtoMr.Hillastheculprit,andIsuggested

that it was on the night of May 28, 1837, that he entered the pyramid with brush and red paint and

simulatedtheroyalname.TheGreatPyramidDiscoverywasagreatfraud,anarchaeologicalforgery.

Without the“Khufu” inscription,Egyptologists remainwithoutany tangibleevidencefornaminghimasthebuilderoftheGreatPyramid—andforthatmatterofChefraandMenkauraasthebuildersofthetwootherGizapyramids.TheevidencethatdoesexistshowsthatthesepyramidsandtheSphinxhadprecededthePharaohs;andtheonlyoneswhoweretheremillenniaearlier,whohadthetechnology,whohadthereasonforerectingthesepyramids—weretheAnunnaki.Convinced that that iswhathadhappened, Idetailed theevidence inmy1980bookTheStairway to

Heaven.Theforgeryconclusioncausedaminorsensation.Severaldailies(amongthemtheWashingtonTimes,

thePittsburghPress)andmagazinespickedupthestory,someevenatlength,someevenembellishingthereportwithacartoon(fig.20).Therewereradiointerviews.ButtheEgyptologicalcommunityignoredit—andittookmeawhiletounderstandwhy:Itwasonethingtosuggestthataquestionableinscriptionwasaforgery;itwasquiteanotherthingtoexpectEgyptologiststoacknowledgethatthepyramidswerebuiltby“Extraterrestrials”...

InMay1983,threeyearsafterTheStairwaytoHeavenwaspublished,Ireceivedanastonishingletter.Itwas fromaMr.WalterM.AllenofPittsburgh,Pa. “Ihave readyourbook,”hewrote. “Whatyou sayabout the forgery in theCheopsPyramidwasnotnewtome.”Hisgreat-grandfather,hewrote,wasaneyewitnesstotheforgery!

Figure20

“IhaveyourletterofMay7thandamliterallyflabbergasted,”Iwrotehimback.“Thatmyconclusioncouldbesupportedbyavirtualeyewitnesswasbeyondmywildestexpectations!”Asthestoryunfolded,itturnedoutthatMr.Allen’sgreat-grandfather,HumphriesW.Brewer,wasthe

verystonemasonfromEnglandwhomCol.Vysehadhired.Acivilengineerandmastermason,hecametoEgypttoassistaDr.Naylorwhowasbuildinganeyehospitalforthelocalworkmen.Whentheprojectwasdiscontinued,HumphrieswashiredbyVysetosupervisetheblastinginsidethepyramid.Heusedtowriteregularlyhome,describingtohisfatherbackinWiltshire,England,whatwashappeninginGiza.Inoneofthelettershegavehisfamilythesadnewsthathewasdismissedfromhisjob,andtoldhowandwhy:HewitnessedMr.Hillgointothepyramidwithredpaintandbrush,supposedlytopaintoverancientmarkings,butactuallytopaintnewones.Whentheyoungstonemasonobjected,hewasfiredandbanned from the site. “Hedidnotget alongwithPerringandRavenbecauseof the events . . . he

trustedthejudgmentofCavigliaandCol.Campbell,”Mr.Allenaddedinhisletter.Hesignedit“WalterM.Allen,AFTER150YEARS”(capitallettershisown).Howdid he know all that? In 1848 the familymoved fromEngland to theUnited States, settling in

upstate New York; they brought with them family records and memorabilia, including HumphriesBrewer’slettersfromEgypt.Inthe1950sMr.Allen,realizingtimewasrunningout,startedtovisitfamilyelders still living, recording what they recalled about the family’s history. The sources included hismother,twodaughtersofHumphries(MaryBrewerChristieandRebeccaBrewerAllen),anauntNell,anuncleCol.JosWalker,M.D.Aradiobuff,Mr.Allenusedtheemptypagesinhisradiologbooktowritedownwhat they said. Someof the recollections turned to the time his great-grandfatherwas inEgypt,hiredtousegunpowderinsidetheGreatPyramid,andwhathehadwitnessed.I askedMr. Allen for any documentary evidence he had. He said that hewould ask around for the

letters,butwouldsendmeinthemeantimephotocopiesofhislogbookentries,whichhedid.An entry dated Sat. Oct. 9, 1954 (fig. 21—here made public for the first time) recorded a

conversationwithhismotherandreferstoavisitwithNellPattingtoninCorning,N.Y.,who“hadsomeofHumfreysletters&Wm.BrewerslettersfromEngland.GotthemfromherfatherWm.MarchantBrewer.”Theentryincludedthefollowing:

Humfrey received prize for bridge he designed in Vienna over Danube. H. went to Egypt 1837,BritishMedicalServ.toEgypt. . .TheyweretobuildhospitalinCairoforArabswithsevereeyeafflictions.Dr.NaylortookHumfreyalong.Treatmentnotsuccessful,hospitalnotbuilt.HejoinedaCol.Visse exploringGizehpyramids.Recheckeddimensions2pyramids.HaddisputewithRavenandHillaboutpaintedmarksinpyramid.Faintmarkswererepainted,somewerenew...Humfreywent toSyria&Jerusalemtoseeholycity fewweeks later.HadwordswithaMr.HillandVissewhenheleft.HeagreedwithaCol.ColinCampbell&anotherGenoCabilia.HumfreywentbacktoEnglandlate1837.

I felt a chillwhen I read these lines.Written in1954—more than twentyyearsbeforemy bookwaspublished—theyresurrectedtheplayersof the1837drama:Vyse,Campbell,Caviglia,Hill,Raven,Dr.Naylor—andclearlyidentifiedtheculpritsasHillandRaven.Otherentries,andaletterfromanuncle,confirmedthebasicfactsregardingHumphriesBrewer,who

hewas,histimeinEgypt,hisdisputewith“VisseandHill,”andhisbanishmentfromGiza,addingatidbitthat theGermanEgyptologistRichardKarl Lepsius invitedHumphries to join himwhen hewanted toexaminethe“marks”insidethepyramid—butbothwererefusedpermissionbyVyse.ThoughMr.Allen’s search for the bundle ofHumphries’ letterswas unsuccessful, the above quoted

lines remain an authentic, unbiased eyewitness testament to what had happened: “Faint marks wererepainted,somewerenew.”Somemonths after the above exchangeswithMr.Allen, Iwas invited to be interviewed (via long-

distance phone) on a talk show on a Pittsburgh radio station. As the interview turned to the pyramidforgery,thehostsaid:Ihaveasurpriseforyou—wehaveMr.WalterAlleninthestudio!

Figure21

Continuingtheinterviewwithbothofus,thehostaskedMr.AllentorestatethefactsthatIdescribedasheknewthem—andhedid.Nodoubtwasleft:TheforgeryintheGreatPyramidwasconfirmedbyaneyewitness.InspiteofasegmentintheTVprogramAncientMysteries,morearticles,andreferencestotheforgery

evidence in several books bynon-academics, no headwaywasmade inEstablishment circles.Butmypersistentcuriosity—orwasitFate?—didnotletthematterrestthere.

2

PUZZLINGCAVITIES,MYSTERIOUSSAND

Asreadersofmywritingsknow,ithasbeenmyaimtoactuallyvisittheplacesIwaswritingabout;andwiththeexceptionofIraqunderSaddamHussein,Ihavebyandlargedoneso.IhaveofcoursebeentoEgyptandtheSinaipeninsula—locationsofthepyramids,theSphinx,andMountSinai,ofwhichIwroteinTheStairwaytoHeaven.NowtheeyewitnessevidenceprovidedbyMr.Allenpromptedmetofindawaytoalsovisitthe“crimescene”—togetinsidetheGreatPyramidandtheRelievingChamberswheretheredpaintmarkingswere.That,Iknew,wasthenalmostasimpossibleasmyotherambition:Toobtainahelicopterwithwhichto

landonthetrueMountSinai;butIwasdeterminedtodoit.I began the preparations as soon asThe Stairway to Heaven was published. Through the Egyptian

AmbassadorinWashingtoncopiesofthebook,accompaniedbyproperlettersofrecommendation,weresent to President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and other VIPs there. In addition to this political high-levelchannel, I tried to smooth theway to the necessary permissions on an “operative” (i.e., bureaucratic)level: I became a member of the influential American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), and waspersonallyintroducedtoDr.MohamedIbrahimBakr,ChairmanoftheEgyptianAntiquitiesOrganizationthatcontrolledallsuchmatters.Withthewaytosuccessthussmoothed,IwenttoEgyptin1982.InCairo,someoftheVIPsonmylistwerenotthere—startingwithPresidentSadat,whohadbeenassassinatedtheprevious October. Of those in town, everyone was nice and hospitable; but none of the high-levelconnectionsledanywhere.Ididnotgiveup.Aftertheattemptin1982,IfoundwhatIthoughtmightbeamorepracticalavenue.As

manywhohavemaderepeatvisitstotheGreatPyramidhavefoundout,theactualon-sitecontrolisinthehands of the robed guards/guides stationed at the entrance who can let you in when the Pyramid isofficiallyclosed,oropenforyoualockedchamber“byarrangement.”Asmyluckwouldhaveit,theveryboss of all the Giza guardians was right here in the USA—completing his graduate studies at theUniversityofPennsylvaniainPhiladelphia.HisnamewasZahiHawass;histitlewasChiefInspectoroftheGizaPyramids;andhewasgivingalectureattheUniversityMuseum(ofwhichIwasamember).Iattendedandintroducedmyselftothespeaker.Itoldhimaboutmybooks;heindicatedtomehisinterestingivinglectures,andinfindingapublisherforabookthathewaswriting;Iofferedtobeofhelp.Ialsofoundouttherethathewasgoingtoleadan“EgyptinDepth”tourinSeptember/October1984(fig.22).Inotonlyenrolledmyselfandmywifeinthetour—IalsosentMr.HawasscopiesofThe12thPlanet

andTheStairway toHeavenwith a nice letter describingmy interest inEgypt’s antiquities.The tour,however,wascanceled;soIcalledMr.HawassandtoldhimIwasreadytogoonmyown—ifhecould

arrangeformetogointotheGreatPyramidandseetheRelievingChambers.Inresponse,Mr.Hawassprovidedmewithaletterofintroductionaddressedto“Mr.AhmedMousa,DirectorofAntiquitiesattheGizaplateau,”askinghimtoenablethebeareroftheletter“toseewhateverhewantstoseeinGiza.”BeforeleavingforEgyptinNovember1984,Imadeaphotocopyoftheletterformyfiles(fig.23);I

havekeptitalltheseyearsasasignificantmemento,because,astimewenton,Dr.ZahiHawassmovedup the antiquities hierarchy to become the virtual dictator in all matters concerning Giza and otherEgyptianantiquities—andbecauseourpathswerefatedtocrossagain,includingonthatfatefuldayin1997whenIwasalmostkilledinsidetheGreatPyramid.

Figure22

Figure23

IarrivedinGizawiththeall-importantlettertoMr.AhmedMousafullofexpectations;disappointmentwasnotlateincoming...Benefitingfromexperience,Ifirstwenttothepyramid’sentrance,tofindoutwhatwasgoingon,whatcanbeseen,whatcanbeentered—byprivatearrangement,ifnecessary.Therewasnoway to reach theRelievingChambers, theysaid;climbablescaffoldingneeds tobeerected forthat.Iwenttotheofficebuildingthatstandsonarisetotherightofthepyramidplaza.Mr.Mousa,Iwastold,was away.His assistant, aMr. Ibrahim, took the letter andpromised I’dbe called atmyhotel; Iknew therewas a fat chance for that, so Iwas back at theDirector’s office the next day,waiting andwaiting forMr. Ibrahim toshowup.Whenhedid, Iwas told that theyareworkingonmyrequest,butreallythereisnowaytoclimbupwhereIwanttogo;higheruppermissionsareneededtosetupaccess;it’lltaketime;Ihavetobepatient. . .IspentthedaypokinginandaroundthePyramidsandSphinx;IspentadayintheEgyptianMuseum;IhiredadriverandwenttoexploreSakkara.Forfivedaystherewasnonews.IwentbacktoNewYork.

Unbeknowntomeatthetime,myconclusionthattheGreatPyramidanditscompanionsinGiza(thetwootherpyramidsandtheSphinx)werethousandsofyearsolderthanKhufu’stimedidnotgounnoticedinVirginiaBeach,Va.,wheretheAssociationforResearchandEnlightenmenthasbeenheadquartered.TheA.R.E. promotes and teaches the legacy of the famed “Seer” Edgar Cayce, whose wide-ranging“readings”decadesearlier includedvisionsof thepast.He spoke repeatedlyofa lost civilization thatpreceded the Pharaohs in Egypt, and credited itwith building theGreat Pyramid and the Sphinx. Thedate?10500B.C.—theverydateofmyconclusions!In 1985 the A.R.E. sent a team to Giza to verify Cayce’s predictive date through newly developed

carbon dating techniques. Samples of organicmatter (wood, charcoal) that somehow got stuck on thepyramid’s stone blocks were collected and sent for dating to two highly reputable laboratories. ThesamplesfromtheGreatPyramidwerefoundtorangeinagefromabout2900B.C.(giveortake100years)for material collected from its bottom to 3800B.C. (plus or minus 160 years) for samples from thetopmostcourses.Thedateswerefarfrom10500B.C.,yettheypredatedKhufufromseveralcenturiestomorethantwelvehundredyears.The investigators confirmed that no samples were collected inside the pyramid; all were from the

exterior—organicmaterialstucktothestoneblockswhentheywereexposed.Thiscouldhappeneitherbefore the limestone casingwas installed, orafter itwas ripped off.Because of the dating results, toassume the former required the pyramid to have been built upside down, first the topmost courses(samplesdated3800B.C.)andthenthelowerones(samplesdated2900B.C.).ToassumethelattermeantthatthelimestonecasingwasalreadygonecenturiesbeforeKhufu’stime.IwasinvitedbytheA.R.E.formy comments; they were published as a featured cover article in its journal Venture Inward(November/December1986issue).(The enigma of the disappeared limestone casing stones has never been satisfactorily explained by

Egyptologists;theconjecture—thatthelarge,preciselyshapedandangledblockswererippedoffforusein localconstruction—fails to showwhere thehugenumberof theseblockshadgone;hardlyanyhavebeenfoundinCairoorsurroundingvillages.Thetrueanswermightbethattheyweredestroyedduringthe“PyramidWars,”asdescribedinmybookTheWarsofGodsandMen.)My suggestion that the Giza complex was built circa 10500 B.C. was also getting “celestial

corroboration,”inamannerofspeaking.Asitturnedout,twoBritishauthors(RobertBauvalandAdrianGilbert)were researchingat that time their idea that theGiza layout (see fig.6)emulated thecelestiallayout of the Orion constellation and its stars. Their problem was that (due to the phenomenon ofPrecession) theGiza layout seems to emulate theOrion layout as it had been not inKhufu’s time butthousandsofyearsearlier.NotwishingtochallengeEgyptologicalchronologyheadon,thetwoauthors(intheirbookTheOrionMystery)saidthatevenifthePharaohsdidbuildthepyramids,theGizalayoutfolloweda“prioralignmentwithOrion—in10490B.C.”Butthat,asthereaderknows,wasatimewhengods,notmen,reignedinEgypt.

By themid-1980s the use of advanced technology as an archaeological tool arrived in Egypt. Frenchteams,thenJapanese,begantoprobetheGizamonumentswithsoil-penetratingradarandotherhigh-techequipment. They discovered puzzling “cavities” all over the place—and gave rise to a new set ofmysteries.InMay1986ateamoftwoFrencharchitects,GillesDormionandJean-PatriceGoidin,weresomehow

allowed to go into the Great Pyramid with instruments identified as a “gravity meter” and they“discoveredpreviouslyunknownspacesbehindwallseightfeetthickinthecorridorleadingtotheso-calledQueen’sChamber,” toquoteoneof themanypress reports; thisone, fromtheEconomistofLondon,containedalmost inpassinga revelationwhosesignificance loomed larger lateron:Thehigh-techequipmentwasthatusedbyengineerstodetectdangerousstructuralcracksinnuclearplants.ThefocusoftheirfindingswastheHorizontalPassagethatleadstothe“Queen’sChamber”froma

junctionwheretheAscendingPassagebecomestheGrandGallery(fig.24).Thenatureandextentofthevoidsor“spaces”foundbehindthewesternwallofthishorizontalpassagewasunclear,butspeculationquicklyarosethatthesuspectedcavitywasalong-soughtroyal“TreasureChamber.”

InSeptember1986thetwoFrenchmen,nowopenlyonamissiononbehalfoftheFrenchnationalenergycompanyElectricité de France, returned to the pyramid—accompanied by geophysical experts of EdFwho took charge of the operation.When the gravity-testing equipment reconfirmed the existence ofanelongated“cavity”behindthecorridor’swesternwall,theyusedhigh-speedpowertoolstodrillthreeholesthroughthewalltowardthemysteriouscavity;theidea,itwasexplainedatthetime,wastoinsertanendoscopiccameratofindoutwhatthecavitymighthold.Totheiramazement,afterdrillingthroughsomesixfeetofhardstone,thedrillingequipmenthitatwo-

foot layerof“RoyalLimestone”—ararelimestonethatwasusedinantiquityonlyforsculptures,beingtoosoftforstructuraluse.Andthen thedrillsreacheda layerofsand. Itwasaveryunusualkindofsand, according towhatwas published—a “powdery fine sand,” totally different from the sand of theGizaplateau.

Figure24

Whatwasonetomakeofallthat?BoththehighestEgyptianauthorities—andtheheadofthescientificsection in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs—were summoned. The published reports on thediscovery(whichoccurredonSeptember6,1986)statedthatDr.AhmedKadry,thenewChairmanoftheEgyptianAntiquitiesOrganization,whopersonallycollected samplesof theunusual sand intoaplasticbag,described the sandas “moreprecious thangold.”TheFrench representatives took samplesof thesandforlaboratorytestsinFrance.Twodayslater,onSeptember8th,theEgyptianauthoritiesorderedalltheworkstopped,andeveryone

wastoldtogohome.While there was never an official announcement regarding the tests’ results, subsequent information

circulatedinCairothatthesand“wasapparentlyimportedfromanotherpartofEgypt,wassubsequentlysifted, and thenenrichedwithminerals beforebeingplaced in thepyramidby the ancient architects”(ReutersnewsagencyMarch6,1987,reportbyitsCairocorrespondent;emphasismine).Touseametaphor,theamazingfindofthemysterioussanddisappearedunderthesandsoftime;

exceptthatittriggeredachainofeventsthatresultedinthediscoveryofasecretchamber—bymeandtwoteammates,asIwillsoontell.

AftertheFrench,JapaneseresearchersfromTokyo’sWasedaUniversityarrivedinGizawithanotherkindofhigh-techequipment(anelectromagneticscannerratherthantheFrenchmicrogravimetricinstruments).Bydirectingelectromagneticwaves into the soil at anangle, theycoulddeterminewhat layburied—astructure,artifacts,oracavity.TheyreceivedpermissiontoexaminetheSphinxanditssurroundings,butintimetheyalsore-checkedthespotinthepassagetotheQueen’sChamberwheretheFrenchhaddrilled.The Japanese team spent in Giza ten days in January–February 1987. Their findings drew renewed

attentiontotheenigmaoftheSphinx.Newspaperswerefilledwith“Sphinxnews”(seeexamplesfromtheChristianScienceMonitorofBoston,theDailyYomiuriofTokyo,andPravdainMoscow,fig.25).Theyreported the discovery of several underground cavities at or near theSphinx—and especially one thatsuggestedtheexistenceofatunnellinkingtheSphinxandtheGreatPyramid.Theirrequestforpermissiontoexplorethetunnelpossibilitybygoingdowninsidethepyramidtowhat

is called the Pit, was denied. Indeed, the existence of the varied “cavities” and “tunnel” made theEgyptian authorities uneasy and reluctant to allow any further exploration at all. The chairman of theEgyptianAntiquitiesOrganization,Dr.AhmedKadry,was prominently reported to have stated that hewouldcallaworldwidesymposiumofEgyptologists toevaluateall thesenewfindsbeforemoreworkwouldbeallowed.

Figure25

The scientific conclave was never called. But the interest in the Sphinx, revived by the Japaneseresearchers, led to other developments that had an impact on the main issue—the age of the GizaPyramids:NewwaysemergedfordatingalltheGizamonumentsbydatingjustoneofthem,theSphinx.Now, to determine the age of the Sphinx—the original Sphinx—is no simple task. Drawings from

Napoleon’svisittoEgyptshowedtheSphinxburiedinsandsuptoitsneck;visitorsstoodonsandsthathigheveninthenineteenthcentury(fig.26).Infact,onceexcavationscarriedoutinthe1920suncovered

thefullbodyoftheSphinx,astelawasdiscoveredbetweenitspawsinwhichthePharaohThothmesIVrecordedhowhedugtheSphinxoutofthesanddunesthatcoveredituptoitsneck—alreadyin1400B.C.!

Figure26

As anyone who had visited Giza in contemporary times (and before it was “restored” by beingcompletely coveredwith freshmasonry in the1990s) could easily see, the exposedSphinxdisplayedtwodifferentbodyparts.Thoughcarvedoutofnaturalbedrock,thelowerpartsandpawsoftheSphinxwerecoveredor“fleshedout”withmasonry(fig.27).Itisknownthatsuchrepairsorrestorationswithmasonryhadalreadytakenplacein1400B.C.,in700B.C.,andinthefirstandsecondcenturiesA.D.;somehistoriansbelievethatsimilarrestorationhadeventakenplaceinthetimeofChefra,thepresumedbuilderoftheSphinx.SotheselowerpartscannotservetodeterminetheoriginalageoftheSphinx.Theupperparts—themainbodyandthehead—retainedtheirnaturalbedrockorigin;andthoseupper

partsrevealsevereerosion,runningalonghorizontalstrata(fig.28).Ithasbeengenerallyassumedthatthiserosionwascausedovertimebythedesertwinds;butinthemid1980stheauthor-researcherJohnAnthonyWest,inhisbookSerpentintheSkyandvariedarticles,suggestedthatthe“weathering”ontheSphinx was due to erosion by water, not wind and windblown sand; and known ancient climateconditionsanddatesofwetterperiods“madetheSphinxolderthan10,000B.C.”

Figure27

Thisnovelapproachfound,in1990,supportfromanunexpectedquarterinthepersonofDr.RobertM.Schoch, a respectedgeologist atBostonUniversity. In 1991hewas joinedbyDr.ThomasDobecki, aHouston-based geophysicist, in a presentation to the Geological Society of America in which theyreportedthattheiron-siteresearchesconfirmedtheweatheringbywater,resultingindatingtheSphinx“to7000B.C.orearlier.”As with other challenges to established Egyptological tenets, that too—after more presentations,

articles, TV programs, debates, and debunkings—ended up being ignored by the Egyptologicalestablishment.

Figure28

By1990,Egyptwitnessedawaveofanewbreedoftourists—“NewAgers”attractedbythestreamoffindings dating the Giza pyramids and Sphinx to much earlier times. Arriving by the hundreds andthousands,theycametoseethehandiworkofExtraterrestrials,Atlantissurvivors,Osirians,orwhomever—andtohearinlectures,conferences,andconventionswhatallthatportendsforthefuture.In1992IwasagaininEgypt,asapresenteratonesuchconference.ThevenuewastheexclusiveMena

House,apalatialhotelfirstbuiltinthe1890stoaccommodateroyalty.ItissituatedliterallyatthefootoftheGizapromontoryonwhichthepyramidsandSphinxstand,anditisauniquethrilltodineinthehotel’sgrandrestaurantwiththeGreatPyramidloomingoveryouthroughthelargewindows.Thehotel’slounge,withitsbar,tables,sofas,andcornerrecesseswaswherethe“action”wasafterthe

formallecturesandmeetings.Ittooknotimetodiscoverthattheplacewasabuzzwithrumorsofwhathad“reallybeenfound”insecretchambers,whatishidden,whyaccessisblockedhereandthere.Italsotooknotimefortwomentoinvitemetojointhemthereforadrink.Amongthevariedmessagesthatthehotel’sstaffslippedtoguestsundertherooms’doors,Ifoundinmineanenvelopewithtwobusinesscards:OnewasofDr.AlexanderShumilin,ChiefoftheMiddleEastBureauofPravda;theother,ofDmitriVeliki,MiddleEastCorrespondentofIzvestia.Theyrepresented,respectively,theofficialdailiesoftheSovietGovernmentandtheSovietCommunistParty;theywere,asonehadtounquestionablyassume,agentsoftheKGB(theSovietspyorganization).Iwastoocuriousnottoaccepttheinvitation.TheyspokegoodEnglishandwereobviouslywellinformedinallmattersoftheNearEast—politics,

economics, history, and current affairs.Theywere alsowell informed aboutme, and aboutmybooks,includingTheWarsofGodsandMen that followed the first two. InThe12thPlanet I dealtwith theSumerianAnunnakigodsandtheircomingtoEarthfromtheplanetNibiru;inTheStairwaytoHeaven Idealtwiththepost-DiluvialspaceportintheSinaipeninsulaandtheconstructionoftheGizacomplexaspartofthespacefacilities;andinthethirdbookIdealtwiththewarsamongtheAnunnakiclans,includingthe“PyramidWars,”andthedestructionofthespaceportwithnuclearweapons.ItwasthelatterthatinterestedthetwoRussiansmost.AstheyandImeasuredourwords,thereasonfor

themeetingbegan toemerge from their lineofquestions.Whatcould I tell thembeyondwhat is in thebooks? Do the Sumerian texts describe the weapons used in the Pyramid Wars? Would I name themountainwhichinmyopinionisthetrueMountSinai?Wherepreciselywasthewipedoutspaceport?DotheSumeriantextsprovideaclueregardingwhatkindofnuclearexplosionitwas?DidIknowthatthemysterioussandfoundbytheFrenchwasfromtheSinaipeninsula?DidIhear therumors that thesandwasradioactive?They(Ihoped)learnedlittlefrommyevasiveanswers(theColdWarwiththeSovietUnionwasstill

raging);IthoughtthatIhadlearnedalotfromthem:Somethingsignificant,someimportantsecret,hadtodowiththeenigmaticsanddiscoveredinthe“Queen’sChamber”passage;andtheSovietssawanuclearconnectiontotheAnunnakispaceportintheSinai.Thesewereimplicationsthathadtobepursued.WhenthelecturesessionsoftheconferenceforwhichIcamewereover,theparticipantsembarkedon

theirtour&sightseeingprogram;Idecidedtostaybehindandrejointhegrouponlyfortheflightback.MyfirstundertakingwastovisittheARCEoffice-cum-libraryinCairo.IthadbeensixyearssincetheFrenchhadfoundthesand,andIwascuriouswhathadtranspiredsincethen.Yes,Iwastold,therehavebeenreportsaboutthesand,butnodirectinformationregardingtheresultsof

thetestsconductedinFrance;itwasEgyptiantestsofthesandsamplesthattheyretainedthatshoweditwassimilarinitsmakeuptosandfoundintheSinai,intheareaofel-Tor(anancientportontheRedSeathatservedEgyptianminingofturquoiseintheSinai).WhywouldthePyramid’sbuildershaulsandfrom

ahundredmilesawaywhensand isplentiful right there inGiza?Myguess, theysaid,wasasgoodasanyone’s.Theygaveme the addressof theEdF inParis towhom I couldwrite (I laterdid, butneverreceivedastraightanswer).Isittrue,Iasked,thatsectionsofthePyramid—liketheQueen’sChamber—havebeenofflimits?Yes,

nowandthen.Theytippedmeoff that thebest timetopokearoundinsidetheGreatPyramidwasrightaftertheofficialclosingtime,whenthePyramid’sguardskeepitopenforaboutanhourtoaccommodatevisitorswhostaytomeditateafterthecrowdsaregone.TheARCElibraryhadacopyofabook-reportwrittenbythetwoFrencharchitects;itdealtwiththe

architecturalaspectsoftheGreatPyramid,buthadnothingaboutthesandtests.Ialsofoundinthelibraryadetailed reportwritten (inEnglish, in1987)byProf.SakujiYoshimuraand threeotherprofessorsofWasedaUniversity about theGiza findings of the Japanese researchers. Part 6 dealtwith their “Non-destructivePyramidInvestigationbyElectromagneticWaveMethod.”Iwasespecially interested in thepagesdealingwiththeQueen’sChamber,andtheARCElibrarianallowedmetomakephotostaticcopies.The Japanese reported that the existence of an elongated cavity in the Horizontal Passage to the

Queen’sChamber“hasbeenconfirmed,aswellasthepresence,inthecavity,ofquantitiesofsand, inagreementwith theFrenchmicrogravimetricmeasurements”(emphasismine).Thereportdisclosed thattherewasalsoindicationofahiddencavityintheQueen’sChamberitselfinthewesternwall—but itsextentcouldnotbedefinedduetounexplained“turbulentreflections”thatdisturbedthereadings.

Those revelationswere in linewithbeliefsheldbyvariouspreviousexplorers that thebuildersof theGreat Pyramid offset its immense weight by strategically placed gabled arches and cavities. TheJapanese,whosuspectedacavitybehindthewesternwalloftheQueen’sChamber,notedintheirreportthat the eastern wall of that chamber, where the ceiling was gabled, contains “a niche which wassymbolicallycorbeled.”Thereferencewas toawell-knownfeature in theQueen’sChamberknownasTheNiche (as shown

schematicallyinfig.29).Itisusuallyconsideredtohavebeenawallrecessforholdingastatue,ofagodorofaking.PastvisitorstothechambercouldseedamagetotheNiche’sstonemasonrycausedbyvariedburrowingefforts (starting, it isbelieved,withAlMamoon’smen) to findoutwhatmight liebehind it(fig. 30). The opening has been known to extend inward, as a tunnel, a short distance (the 1971comprehensivestudySecretsoftheGreatPyramidbyPeterTompkinsstatesthat“treasureseekershavehackedapassagethroughtheback[oftheNiche]forseveralyards”).The Niche and its opening, cleaned of debris (plate 3), were the obvious feature of the Queen’s

ChamberwhenIvisiteditonpreviousoccasions(inaddition,prominentaretheopeningsof“airshafts”inthenorthandsouthwalls).NowagaininCairo,IwonderedwhytheNichedidnotarousethecuriosityoftheFrenchortheJapanese:Neitherofthemmadeanymentionofexploringintheeasternwall;andthatwasodd.

Figure29

Figure30

The next day I entered theGreat Pyramid in time for the extra “quiet hour.” Imademyway up theAscendingPassage.AtthejunctiontotheHorizontalPassagetherewasagateofmetalbarsthatwasnotthereonpreviousvisits—butitwasopen(fig.31).Advancinghalf-crouchingthroughthelowandnarrowHorizontalPassagethatleadstotheQueen’sChamber(formostofitslength,itislessthan4x4feethighandwide)IlookedforthethreeholesboredinthewesternwallbytheFrench,butcouldn’tfindthem.Ireached the lightedQueen’s Chamber, where it is possible to stand up. Therewas no one there—butsomeonewaswatching: Inoticed surveillance video cameras at two corners of the ceiling; onewaspointedtowardtheentrancetotheChamber,theothertotheNicheintheeasternwall.AndtheholeintheNichewasnowcoveredbyawiremeshinawoodenframe(plate4).

Figure31

Therewassomethingelsenewthere:SAND.Ontheexposedledgeofstonemasonryinfrontofthecoveredopeningtherewasasmallpileofsand.Itlookedlikeordinarysand,butitwasanunusualsand:mixed into itwereblue-greengranules.Amineral?Plastic? I couldnot tell.Thewords in theReuters1987reportabouttheunusualsanddiscoveredbytheFrenchhavingbeen“mixedwithminerals”flashedbackinmymemory;sodidtheRussians’queriesaboutradioactivesand.WasthatwhatIwasseeing?Wherediditcomefrom?Therewasnosandonthefloororanywhereelse.

Imanagedtoremovethecoveringinitswoodenframe,andshinedmyflashlightintothesquarishopening;Isawadarktunnel-likespace.Didthesandcomefrominsidethere?Icouldn’ttell.WhatwasI todo?Itwaseerieenoughtobealonein thebellyof thepyramid,engulfedbycomplete

silencebutwatchedbyunknowneyes. Iwasseizedwitha fear that someone, routinelyoronpurpose,would shut themetal barrier at the passage’s entrance and lockme in, at least for the night if not forlonger.Ihadinmyjacket’spocketseveralofthehotel’smessageenvelopes,soIusedonetoshovelsomeofthepeculiarsandintoanother,andtookitwithme.IbelieveIrememberedtoputthecoveringback.Cold-sweating,Ireachedthegateatthepassage’sentrance;itwasopen.Irushedupandout—relieved,butbewildered:WhowasdiggingbehindtheNiche,andwhatlaythere,deeperinside?Back inNewYork I tested the sandwith a regular radiation reader; therewas no unusual radiation

level.TheDepartmentofGeologyattheUniversityofCincinnatianalyzedthesand,atmyrequest,inMay1993,findingitsquartzgrainsunusuallycoatedwithironoxide;the“blueminuteflakes”appearedtobeshavingsof“anartificialorman-madematerial”(e.g.,plastic);therewasnomentionofradioactivity.SotheQueen’sChambermysteryremained:Wheredidthesandcomefrom?Whywasitmixedwiththe

peculiargranules?Wasit thesamesand“mixedwithminerals”aswasreportedintheFrenchborings?Whywasitallkeptasecret?Itwasanewpuzzle.Yet,whenafewyearslateranopportunityarosetofindanswers,aneven

greatermysterywasencountered.

3

THESECRETCHAMBER

IfyoulookupthewordDestinyinthedictionary,youwillfinditexplainedasFate;ifyoulookupFate,youwillreadthatitmeansDestiny.ButtheancientSumeriansmadeagreatdistinctionbetweenthetwo:Destiny,NAM,wasnotonlypredetermined,itwasalsofinalandunavoidable—ashumanmortality,forexample. Fate was changeable, was subject to free choice: By being just, by following moralcommandments, for example, one could live longer; Fate was NAM.TAR, a destiny that could be“twisted”andpostponed(thoughnotavoided).I have ponderedmore than once which one it was—Fate or Destiny—that, unrealized byme,

startedin1992achainofunforeseeneventsthatled,stepbystep,toamajordiscoveryandalmosttomydeath.TheinternationalconferenceatwhichIlecturedin1992wasarrangedbyanoutfitcalledPowerPlaces

Tours.AsIlaterlearned,acompetitoroftheirs,aMr.AbbasNadim,sneakedintotheconferencehallandtook note of the speakers. Contactingme back in theUSA, he introduced himself as an Egyptian touroperatorwithanofficeinLosAngeles.Heinvitedmetobea“TourScholar”ontoursorganizedbyhiscompany,VisionsTravel&Tours.I toldhim thatwhat I reallywantedwas tohavemyown tours, leadingmyown fans to sites ofmy

choice.Noproblem,hesaid;IhavethebestcontactsinEgypt;wheredoyouwanttogo?ItoldhimthatIwantedtogototheSinai, insearchofthetrueMountSinai—forwhichI’dneedahelicopter.Ididnotexpecttohearfromhimagain,foreveryonetoldmethatwiththeSinai(returnedtotheEgyptiansbyIsraelinapeacetreaty)stillamilitaryzone,privatehelicopterflightswereoutofthequestion.Tomysurprise,he called after awhile to say it could be done. The resultwas anApril 1994Egypt& Sinai “In theFootstepsoftheExodus”Tour—thefirsttourgroupallowedbytheEgyptiansintotheSinai,andtodosothroughapreviouslymilitarytunnelundertheSuezCanal.Abbas—everyone calledhim just byhis first name—didobtain forme a helicopter, but the planned

landingwithitontheMountcouldnottakeplace(thoseandsubsequentadventuresconnectedwithMountSinai are described inTheEarthChroniclesExpeditions). InEgypt proper, he arranged for us to seearchaeologicalsitesindicatedbymethatwereusuallyexcludedfromtouristitineraries.ButwecouldnotentertheQueen’sChamber;itwasoutofboundsduetothe“GantenbrinkAffair”:ThepreviousyearaGerman engineer, Rudolph Gantenbrink, who was hired by the Egyptians to install aventilating/dehumidifying system in the Great Pyramid, brought in a tiny robotic rover equipped withheadlightsandacameraandsentitupashaftintheQueen’sChamber’ssouthernwall(seeninplate3;another one of twomisnamed “air shafts” is in the opposite northernwall). The very narrow shaft is

channel-like,abouteightinchessquare.Onthewayuptherobotfoundthatthechannelwasblockedbyastone plug. The discoverymadeworldwide headlines; it also infuriated the Egyptian authorities,whoaccusedGantenbrink of unauthorized explorations and premature disclosures.The resultwas a ban onentrytotheQueen’sChamber...Wetriednevertheless,butthemetaldoorleadingtothehorizontalpassagewasindeedlocked.We’llgo

innexttime,Abbasassuredme—andwedid.

Thenexttimewasa“PeaceTour”inFebruary1995—Egypt,Sinai,Jordan,andIsrael—anitinerarymadepossiblebythesigningofapeacetreatybetweenIsraelandJordan.IntheSinai,Abbashadtoobtainforme another helicopter; inEgypt, the visit had to include entry into theQueen’sChamber.He achievedboth.Howhehadobtainedthehelicopter,Iwasnotsupposedtoask.TheadmissiontotheQueen’sChamber

wasattainedwith thehelpof thenewChiefof theGizaPlateauAntiquities—noneother thanmyearlyrecommenderDr.ZahiHawass,withwhomAbbashadbecomepersonallyfriendly.At the time admission to the Great Pyramid was allowed “By permit only,” and the Sphinx was

completelyoutofbounds,duetoaRestorationProject(overseenbyDr.Hawass)thatrequiredextensivescaffolding while the Sphinx was being covered with new masonry from head to tail. Many havesuspectedthattheSphinxRestorationProjectwasreallyacover-up—figurativelyandliterally,awaytoputanendtothemushroomingspeculationabouttheageoftheSphinxandthesuspected“cavities”inandaroundit.ButnotonlywasourgroupallowedtoentertheSphinxenclosure,standbetweenitspaws,andexplore

around it—Dr.Hawass himself came towelcome us (fig. 32), and letme peek into a just-discoveredchamberlike“cavity”inthebackoftheSphinx(fig.33,withmywife).ItwasagraciousgestureforwhichIlatersenthimaletterofthanks,enclosingpressclippingsshowinghimescortingAmerica’sFirstLadyandherdaughterattheseSphinxdiscoveries.FromtheSphinxwewalkedtotheGreatPyramid;wewerethelastgrouptobeletin.Onceinsidethe

Queen’sChamber,IwasastoundedbychangestotheNiche’shollowed-outopeningandtoitscovering—as this photo (plate 5), when compared to previous ones, shows. It was obvious that someone wasconducting some work there. Was it part of the previous year’s ventilating efforts, or did someonecontinuetotunneldeeperinside?IaskedAbbastosendthegroupbacktoourhotel,butstaywithmeforawhilelonger.Ialsoaskedone

ofthegroup,JohnCogswell,aveteranofthefirstjourney,tostaybehind.Onceallothershadleft,Itoldthetwoofthemthestoryof thesand,andof thevisiblechangesintheNiche.“Iwouldliketofindoutwhat’sinside,wherethetunnelingleadsto,”Isaid;“becauseifthesandcamefrominside,therecouldbea‘cavity’there—asecretchamber.”

Figure32

Figure33

The challenge was irresistible. We removed the framed wire covering, shined our flashlights in,strained to seewhat’s inside;we couldn’t seemuch beyond several feet; butwhatwe could seewasastounding: Lengths of plastic pipes were strewn about (plate 6) and even a discarded bottle;someonehadbeendoingsomeunreportedworkinside!JohnCogswell,anattorney,agraduateofYaleUniversityinhistory,andaformerU.S.Marinesofficer,

volunteeredtoclimbin.Crawlingwithflashlightandcamera,heshoutedat intervals to letusknowhewasOK.Thenwecouldbarelyhearhim.ForawhileAbbasandIbegantowonderwhethersomethingwentwrong.ThenweheardCogswellagain,andsawthelightofhisflashlightmovingtowardus(plate7).When he re-emerged at long last (plate 8), catching his breath he shouted to us:“There’s a secret

chamberinthere!”Excitedly, he told us what he had found. I sketched on a cover ofmy Briefing Notes what he was

describing(fig.34);he latersentmeaprofessionalsketchshowinghiminside thesecretchamber(fig.35). But the best way to tell the whole story is to quote his ownwords in a sworn affidavit that hepreparedasahistoricrecord:

AFFIDAVITOFJOHNM.COGSWELL

InearlyFebruary1995IwasonaVisionsTraveltourfeaturingZechariaSitchin.OurfirststopwastoseetheGizapyramidsnearCairo,Egypt.Therewashardlyanyoneatthepyramidswhenwearrived.As I recall,wewere theonlybusand therewerea fewvendorsaroundpeddling theirwares.Weenteredthepyramidandlookedaround.PartofourvisitincludedtheQueen’sChamber.WhenweenteredtheQueen’sChamber,wenoticedaholeinthelowerpartoftheniche,ontheleft

asoneenters.AftereveryoneleftexceptZechariaSitchin,AbbasNadimandmyself,Iremovedafewboardsintheareaofthenichetocleartheentryway.Ithentookaflashlightandcrawledinthehole.Icrawledalongforabout15feetwhena tunnelveeredto the left.Alongthisway,Inotedsomeoldblack plastic pipe that was badly damaged. The tunnel during this first stage of the journey wasapproximately 2.5 feet square. I took photos. After the first 15 feet, the tunnel veered to the leftapproximately30–45°andcontinuedforaboutanother15feet.AsIwenton,thetunnelgotroomier.Attheend,Ienteredintoanarearoughlycircularinnatureandapproximately10–12feetindiameterfromthewaistupandapproximately12feethigh. Itwasnota finishedroombutappeared tobearoomcreatedbytheremovalofbuildingstones.IsawthebuildingstoneswhichwerenotremovedonmyleftasIstoodup.Thesestoneswereashighasmywaistandmadethediameterbelowmywaistapproximately6–8feetindiameter.Thestoneswereunfinished.Theceilingoftheroomwasuneven.

Figure34

Figure35

IamtoldbyZechariaSitchin,whowaspresentatthetime,thatIreportedseeingblackontheupperceilingstonesinonearea,thoughtodayInolongerrecallhavingmadethisstatement.IrecalldrawingasketchofwhatIhadwitnessedonapaperofZechariaSitchin.Hesubsequentlyxeroxedthepaperandaddedcertainlanguage.Acopyofthispaperisattached.TherewerepresentwithmeduringthisadventureZechariaSitchinandAbbasNadim.Nooneelse

waspresent.I tookphotographsandhaveattachedthemtothisaffidavitwithalegendpertainingtotheviewofeachof them.Inorder togiveoneasenseofwhat Iexperienced, Ihaveaskeda localartist,MichelleWayland,todoanartisticrenderingfromthepictures,ZechariaSitchin’spaper,thisaffidavitandmymemory.Acopyofthisisalsoattached.

Signedthis28thdayofJanuary2004.

Cogswellaccompaniedtheaffidavitwithseveralphotographs.Thefirstonereproducedhere(plate9)represents a look backward to the entryway after crawling in, showing lengths of plastic pipes and aribbedplastic(?)containerlyingonthetunnel’sfloor.Thesecondone(plate10)isneartheentrancetothesecretchamber(notetheblackenedlintelstone).Next(plate11)islookingintothechamber.Plate12shows thechamber’supperpart and its (blackened)ceiling.Thenextphotograph (plate13) shows thechamber’s walls and some of its ceiling stones. Plate 14, taken on the way back, shows the tunnel’sstoneworktowardtheexit.TheCogswellphotographsandhisverbaldescriptionsuggestthatthechamberandthetunneltoithad

been excavated in earlier times; they might have even been part of the original construction. Hisdescriptiondividesthetunnelintotwodifferentsegments.ThefirstisnarrowandrunsstraightfromtheopeningintheNicheforabout15feet;thecontinuationveerstheretotheleftandisroomier.Thissecondsectionrunsforaboutanother15feet,reachingthechamber.Doesthismeanthatthetwosegmentsweredugatdifferenttimes,orthattheoriginalbuildersattemptedconcealment?Didthebuilders,asinotherknown instances (like the barrier found in the shaft by the Gantenbrink robot), intentionally put up a

barrierortwo—at15feetwherethetunnelveersleft,andbyerectingthewalloftheNicheitself?Didtheyinsertalayerofsandbehindthebarrier(s),astheFrenchhavefoundinthecavityintheHorizontalPassageleadingtotheQueen’sChamber?Butnomatterwhathadhappened in earlier times,whatabout the recentmysteryof theNiche

coverings,surveillancecameras,andthepuzzlingSANDthatIhavefound?InadditiontotheinitialphototakenfromtheQueen’sChamberandshowingredandblackplasticpipes

(plate6),Cogswell’sphotosalsoshow,inthefirst15feetintothetunnel,discardedplasticpiping.Thisismostincriminatinginregardtothepresentmystery:Itindicatesthatdiggerswereinthetunnelinrecent times.Were they the sameoneswho also installed the surveillance cameras and covered theNiche’shollow?Didtheyenterfartherin,reachabarrier,thenbreakthroughitandfindsand,astheFrenchdidin

thepassage?And,mostimportantly,didtheystopthere,withoutcontinuingtofindthechamber?Thatwashighlyunlikely:Once thesandbehind thebarrierwas removed (Cog-swelldidnot seeanysand),theymusthavegoneonanddiscoveredthechamberbackinside.SoWHOwerethey,andWHYwasitkeptasecret?Atmyrequest, the threeofusagreed tosaynothingabout thediscovery, toseeWHOwillsomeday

disclose the existence of the unknown chamber—and thereby confess to the secret digging and revealWHATmighthavebeenfoundthere.But,asfarasIknow,sofarnoonedid.TheauthoritativeTheCompletePyramidsstatesthisinregardtotheQueen’sChamberandtheNiche

(ofwhichitshowsaphoto):

Theso-calledQueen’sChamberwascertainlynotfortheburialofaqueen.Veryprobablyitwasasealedroomforaspecialstatueoftheking,representinghisKaor“spiritualforce.”Thisissuggestedbytheexistenceofacorbeledniche,4.7m(15ft.5in.high,ontheeastwallofthechamber,whichmayoncehaveheldsuchastatue.Asquarepitatitsbasewasdeepenedbyearlytreasureseekers.

Thebook,dated1997, thusmakesnomentionofachamberdeeper inside.Thebook’sauthor,Dr.MarkLehner,hascollaboratedwithDr.HawassinnumerousGizaprojects;whathesayscanbetakentobetheofficialwordoftheEgyptianAntiquitiesAuthority.ArticlesinthepressandInternetsitescontinue,tothisdate—tenyearslater—tostatethatthetunnelis“ablindpassageway.”Sothischapteristhefirsttimethattheexistenceofthissecretchamber,andhowandwithwhom

Ihaddiscoveredit,ispubliclydisclosed.

4

THEFATEFULDAY

Afterthe1995visittoEgyptthatculminatedwiththediscoveryofthesecretchamber,onemorethingremained onmy list of “must see” there: To enter theRelievingChambers and examine the red paintmarkings—thesole“evidence”supportingtheKhufu-built-it“HolyGrail”ofEgyptologists,andtheoneIhadsuggestedwasaforgery.I broached the subject toAbbas, urging him to use his good standingwithDr.Hawass (whose new

titles, includingSecretaryGeneral,SupremeCouncil ofAntiquities, reflectedhis increasing authority).Abbas promised to “work on it.”But the time for another group tour ofEgyptwas not right:Touristsbegantobetargetsofmurderousterroristattacks;andtheattacksincludedtheshootingupoftourbuses—even at the entrance to the EgyptianMuseum in Cairo!—that belonged to the transportation companyAbbaswasusing . . .Wechangeddestinations, and arranged several tours to sites in theAmericasofwhichIhavealsobeenwriting.Egyptianantiquitieswerealsobesetbyotherproblems,besides terrorism.The“GantenbrinkAffair”

leftalingeringbitterness; theEuropeanpress, inparticular,felt thatGantenbrinkwasmistreated,anditquestionedwhyhastherebeennofollow-uptothediscoveryofthebarrier(inthesouthern“airshaft”).Thedelaygaverisetospeculationandconspiracysuspicions.Whyisdiscoveryavoided?Whatisbeinghidden?IntheUnitedStates,theWest-Schochclaimscontinuedtosizzle,especiallyaftertheadmitted“Sphinx

cavities” discoveries. Was there indeed a “Hall of Records” under the Sphinx as Edgar Cayce hadpredicted? Reviving its Giza involvements, theA.R.E. sponsored (in 1996) a new high-tech researchproject,ledbyDr.JosephSchorofNewYork.ItcametoanabrupthaltduetofrenziedmediapublicitythatincludedaTVdocumentary,“TheMysteryoftheSphinx,”whichangeredtheEgyptianauthorities.Itallfueledaclimateofdistrustandspeculation.AstheSphinxConservationProgram—afavoriteofDr.Hawass—progressedandthefamiliarancient

monumentbegantodisappearunderfreshmasonry(fig.36),the“true”motivesfortheprojectcameintoquestioning. Archaeological and related journals were filled with accusations, explanations, andrebuttals. The atmosphere of suspicions and recriminationswas reinforced by reports that “outsiders”have been selectively allowed up into the Relieving Chambers. In spite of constant claims by theauthorities that theRelievingChamberswere inaccessible, photographs began to appear in Europe of(unidentified) visitors up there (figs. 37, 38). The photographs revealed extensive graffiti all over theplace,somewithdatesgoingbackto1839(Vyse’stime!),muchofitwith1940sdates—identifiableasthehandiworkofBritishmilitarypersonnelwhoswarmedinsidethepyramidsduringWorldWarII—but

somepossiblymuchmorerecent.Thephotographsalsocapturedinscribedcartouches(fig.39).Visitorsto theGreat pyramid began to report that some kind ofworkwas being carried on above theKing’sChamber.Inviewofallthat,IpressedAbbastousehiscontactswithHawasstoletmeintoo.AbbasandIwere

planningatthetimeatourofIsrael,andIfeltthatitwasnow-or-neverformychancetoseethe“quarrymarks” (as Howard Vyse had called them). The tour—“A Unique Expedition to the Holy Land withZechariaSitchin”—wasfinallysetforSeptember1997(fig.40),butaddingan“Egyptextension”tothegroup’selevendaysinIsraelwasimpractical.IthereforesuggestedtoAbbasthatjustheandIshouldgotoEgyptfromIsraelafterthegrouptourended—ifhecouldgethisfriendHawasstoletusin.

Figure36

As the tour date was nearing, Abbas came through. Calling from Los Angeles, “I obtained thepermissionfromZahi[Hawass],”hetriumphantlytoldme.Seventeen years after writing about the Great Pyramid Forgery in The Stairway to Heaven, I was

finallygoingtoenterthe“sceneofthecrime.”

Figure37

Figure38

Figure39

AmongmyfanswhoregisteredfortheIsraeltourwasWallaceM.Wally,asallwhoknewhimcalledhim—a recognized authority on prosthetics and other technical wizardry and a veteran of previous tourswhoseabilitytotakepictureseveninrestrictedcircumstancesmadehimmy“tourphotographer.”Hewastherightpersontotakealongtowitnessandrecordwhatwewouldfindupthere,inthenarrowchambers;andIspoketohimaboutit.HereadilyagreedtojoinmeonthesidetriptoEgypt—adetourthatrequired

adifferentflightplan,withLufthansaviaFrankfurt.AbbasaddedWally’sname to the listpre-submitted to theofficeof theDirectorofGizaAntiquities,

describinghimasmyphotographer;infactIhadanadditionalconfidentialtaskforWally,forwhichhetookalongsomeofhissmalltools:Totrytogetasampleoftheredinkwithwhichthe“quarrymarks”wereinscribed,tobeanalyzedfortheirage.Ifeltthatthiswasimportant,notonlybecauseofmyforgeryconclusions,butalsohavinginmindthePerryremarkquotedinthefirstchapter:Thattheredpaintusedfor the inscriptions “was a composition of red ochre called by theArabs ‘moghrah’which is still inuse”—“still in use” in his time—a remarkwhose implications for archaeological forg erymade onewonderwhetherthepaint’susehascontinuedbeyondthenineteenthcenturyA.D....

Figure40

AndsoitwasthatonSeptember25th,1997,afterthegroupleftIsraelearlyinthemorningontheflightbacktotheUSA,thethreeofus—Abbas,Wally,andme—leftintheeveningonaflighttoCairo.WeweremettherebyAbass’sCairoofficemanager,whodroveustoourhotel—theMenaHouse,rightnexttothepyramids.Itwasashortandmostlysleeplessnight;yetIwas,asIrecall,theveryfirsthotelguesttocometothe

restaurantforbreakfast in themorning,choosingaseatforafullviewof theGreatPyramid.It loomedlarge,overwhelming,andbeckoning—asifchallengingmewithitssecrets,asifsaying:Try,ifyoucan...WhenAbbas andWally joinedme, I outlined to them a plan of action. I hadwithme the sketches,

copied from Vyse’s book, of the red-ink markings and their location, and prepared a sheet with thecartouche-containing ones, fig. 41 (oddly, all the cartouches appeared to be upside down, as thoughpaintedbysomeonelyingonhisback).SinceIhadnoideaofhowwewouldenterthechambersorforhowlong,Imadethreesets,oneforeachoneofus.Then,loadedwithcameraswithbothblack&white

and color films, flashlights, sheets, pens, and excited anticipation, we were driven by Abbas’s localmanageruptheroadtothepyramids.

Figure41

Wefirsthad tomakeastopat thenearbyadministrationoffice,where—soAbbashadarrangedwithHawass—one of Hawass’s deputies was to take us into the Great Pyramid and up to the RelievingChambers;anarrayofladderswassupposedtobereadythereforus.WhileIandWallyremainedinthecar,Abbaswentintogetthedeputydirector.Weexpectedtheproceduretotakejustafewminutes,butAbbasdidnotreturnaftertenminutes,andaftertwentyminutes;halfanhourpassed—andAbbaswasstillinthere...Idecidedtogoinandseewhatwascausingthedelay.Wally,loadedwithhiscameras,camewithme.

WeweretoldthatAbbaswas“inside,”meetingwithDr.Hawass.WewereallowedintotheDirector’soffice,andHawassgreetedmeand invitedme tositdownbesidehisdesk,next toAbbas. I lookedatAbbas,andhejustraisedaneyebrow,givingmenoclueastowhatwascausingthedelay.AbbaswasdiscussingwithmehisplanforaconferenceonboardanAlaskacruiseship,Hawasssaid

to me; what do you (meaning I) think? Well, anything Abbas undertakes is worthwhile, I answered.Hawass thenshifted theconversationtoothersubjects—nonerelatingto thepurposeofourbeingtherethatmorning.Iwonderedwhatwasgoingon.As theaimlessconversationcontinued, itbecameobvious thatHawasswas justkilling time.Then it

becameclearwhy:Hisdeputy—theonewhowassupposedtotakeusintotheGreatPyramid—showedupwithanewspaperwhichhehadobtainedintown.Itwasadailynewspaperknownforitsnationalisticpositions, and it had a long article that criticized the government for allowing foreigners to “defileEgypt’sheritage”undertheguiseofarchaeology.Asegmentwasdevotedtotheforeignerswhopromotethe idea that the Great Pyramid and Sphinx were built by Atlanteans or by extraterrestrials, therebyimplyingthattheEgyptiansthemselveswereincapableofsuchachievements.ItwasaninsulttoEgypt’snationalpride,thearticlestated.

SothatwaswhatHawasswasdiscussingwithAbbas,waitingforthenewspapertobebroughtfromthecity!Aftertherelevantparagraphswerereadandtranslated,Hawasssaidtome:YouwillunderstandthatinviewofthisattackIcannotletyougoin,takepictures,andproclaimagainthatKhufudidnotbuildthePyramid...Iwasshocked.This isbad—this isominous,I thought;perhapsoneshouldhaveseenitcoming—the

terrorist attackson foreign tourists, the abrupt stoppingof certainexplorationprojects.But I couldnotacceptsuchanabruptstoptomyproject...Overcomingmyshock,Ivehementlyprotested:ThethreeofuscametoEgyptjustforthat,basedonanexplicitpromisefromyoutoletusin,ItoldHawass;Howcanyougobackonyourword?SpeakingtohisdeputyandtoAbbasinArabic,HawassfinallyaskedmeandWallytowaitoutside.A

shortwhilelaterAbbascameout.Hawassisveryembarrassed,hesaid;sohewill letyouin—butnopictures;wemustleavethecamerasbehind—theremustnotbeanyphotographicrecordofthisvisit.Itried to protest, butAbbas said thatHawass overruled his deputy for this compromise:Go inwithoutcameras,ornotatall.IgaveWallyaninquisitivelook,andherespondedwithaslightnod.Sobeit,ItoldAbbas.Wewent out to the car, and theEgyptian aide, ridingwithus to thePyramid, collected all thecamerasandlockedtheminthecar’strunk.

Weentered thePyramid through the familiarentrance,goingall thewayup through themajesticGrandGallery(fig.42).Whereitends,alargeflatstoneblockknownasthe“GreatStep”formsaplatforminfrontoftheante-chamberthatleadstotheKing’sChamber(fig.43).Reachingitandstoppingthere,wesaw that above us workmenwere standing on a ledge; from there, we assumed, the waywould leadfartheruptotheCrawlwayleadingtoDavison’sChamber,andthenviaVyse’sverticalForcedPassageentertheupperRelievingChambers(seefig.17).Hawass’sdeputyshoutedtothemandtheyloweredtohimaladder;heclimbedup,spoketothem,lookedaround,andclimbedbackdown.Allisreadyforyou,hesaid;weweretousethisladdertoclimbuptowheretheworkmenwere,andthenwewouldcontinuefartherupbymeansofadditionalladders;ithadtobedoneoneatatime,heexplained,becausetheledgeandthewayupfromitarenarrow.Andthenheleft.

Figure42

Figure43

Itlookedlikeaflimsyandunsafearrangementtome;soWallyvolunteeredtogoupfirst.AfterWallyclimbed from the ledge up the next ladder, Abbas went up, and called out to me from the ledge,encouragingmetofollow.Asheturnedtoclimbfartherup,Ireachedfortheladderandwasabouttotakethefirststepup.At thatmomentIsuddenlyfeltamightyblowtomyhead:Alargeandheavypieceofwood,droppedfromhigherup,hitmesmackonmyheadandknockedmedown.Warmbloodbeganto

pourdownfromthetopofmyhead,andIwascertainthatmyskullhadbeencracked.Icriedoutinpain.Abbas,backontheledge,shoutedtome:Whathappened?“Myskulliscracked,Iam

bleeding!”Ishouted.Heclimbeddown,grabbedholdofme,andhalfsupporting,halfcarryingmeasIstaggered, rushedmeout to our car, orderinghismanager to driveback to thehotel.There’s a doctorthere,hesaid.ThehandkerchiefIwasholdingtomyheadwassoakingwithblood;bloodwasspillingonmyclothing.Iwassureitwasmyend,andmyriadthoughtsoffinalityracedthroughmymind.It took forever—so it seemed to me—to reach the hotel clinic. The doctor, American trained and

speakingEnglish,examinedme,cleanedthewound,andbandagedit.Ithinkit’sjustsuperficial,hesaid,theblowjustcuttheskinonyourhead;butit’sadvisabletotakeX-raysandmakesurethereisnointernalconcussion. Also, he said, you need a Tetanus shot, sincewhat hit you could have been infected. HeadvisedAbbastotakemetoahospitalwithoutdelay.We returned to the lobby,where theanxious localmanagerofAbbaswaswaiting.Steadier and less

apprehensive,Iaskedforacupofcoffee.Wesatdowntoevaluatethesituation.IkeptaskingAbbaswhathadhappened,whodroppedthepieceofwoodonme.Hesaidhedidn’tknow;itwasanaccident.Wasit?Isaid—ithadnothingtodowiththenewspaperarticle?Idon’tthinkIamsafeinEgypt,Isaid.IthinkI’dbettergetbacktoNewYorkrightaway,ItoldAbbas—tonight.WhereisWally?Iasked.HemusthavestayedbehindinthePyramid,Abbassaid.Askhimifhewould

ratherstayonemoredayasoriginallyscheduledorcomewithmetonight,ifthereareseatsontheflight,IsaidtoAbbas.Hismanagerinquiredandsaidthere’sahospitalnearby;hecouldtakemetoit.Itseemedadvisableto

let them takea look, at leastget the recommendedTetanus shot. I leftwithhim for thehospital,whileAbbaswasgoingtodealwiththeflightarrangements.GettingtheTetanusshotwasnosimplematter,butI’llskipdetailsoftheexperience.Whenwereturnedtothehotel,Wallywasthere;hehadalreadyheardwhathappenedtome.Hishand

wasbandaged;WhathappenedtoYOU?Iinquired.Heleanedtowardmeandsaidinawhisper:Itriedtobreakoffapieceofstonewithredinkmarkingsonit,andallImanagedtodowastocutmyself.Hetoocouldnotexplainhowthepieceofwooddropped—orwasdropped—onme.Toldofmyplantoleavetonight,hesaidhe’dcomewithme.Wediscussedagaintheday’sevents.InspiteofAbbas’sassurancesthatitwasjustanaccident,Ikept

feelingitwasdeliberate.DoesHawassknowwhathappened?Iasked.Forsure,Abbassaid—Iamsureitwasreportedtohim.SowhydidhenotcallmetofindouthowIam?Iasked—afterall,Icameherethistimebyhisinvitation,inamannerofspeaking.Maybeheintendedtocallyoutomorrow,Abbassaid.Iwonder,Isaid,shakingmyachingheadindoubt.AsIrestedinmyroomuntilitwastimetoleave,Ikeptthinkingabouttheday’sevents.Withoutaclose

examinationofthemarkings,withoutphotographs,withnored-paintsample,wasanythingachieved?Later that eveningwe left for the airport. From thehotelwe could see the searchlights andhear the

musicofthenightlySoundandLightshowupthehillatGiza.Itseemedquiteironictome:At the end of my Fateful Day—the day I almost got killed inside the Great Pyramid—I was

leavingemptyhanded;andtheGreatPyramid,defiant,continuedtokeepitssecrets.

5

OOPSINTHECAIROMUSEUM

The Egyptian Museum is the depository of Egypt’s archaeological heritage—the place to which itsarchaeological finds, once discovered andmoved, come for safekeeping, study, and display. Until itscurrentongoingexpansionand renovation, ithadbeenapastel-colored two-storiedbuildingerected in1900inaquietCaironeighborhood—onlytofinditselfbytheendofthetwentiethcenturyinthecity’sbustlingcenter,burstingtotherafterswithmorethan100,000archaeologicalartifacts.BythetimeIactedthereasguideformyfirstExpeditiongroupin1994,Ihadbecomequitefamiliar

withtheMuseum,itslayout,anditsexhibitsfrompreviousvisits,startinginthe1980s;butmyfirstvirtualvisittoittookplacein1971—inNewYorkCity,whentheMetropolitanMuseumofArtheldthespecialexhibit “Treasures of Egyptian Art from the Cairo Museum.” It was indeed, as advertised, a uniqueexhibit,foritwasthefirsttimethatthemostimportantsculptureartifactsoftheEgyptianMuseumweresentabroadonsuchacomprehensivescale.Theexhibit’scataloguehadonitscoveraphotographofafamousandpreciousstonesculpture—thatof

thePharaohChefrenseatedonamajesticthroneandprotectedbythefalcon-godHorus(fig.44).Itwasachoice justified not only by the antiquity and artistic quality of the artifact; since Chefren/Chefra isconsideredbyEgyptologists tohavebeen thebuilderof theSecondPyramidofGiza, thephotographicchoicewasappropriatebecausetheGizapyramidsareancientEgypt’sbest-knownmonuments.

Figure44

Appropriatetoowasthenextlargestonesculptureonexhibit,thatofthePharaohMycerinus/Menkauraindivine company (fig. 45), for hewas—washenot?—thepresumedbuilder of theThirdPyramid inGizaandof theevenmore famousSphinx.The twosculpturesare imposing insize:Thatof theseatedChefren amassive 5.5 feet in height, and that of the standingMycerinus over 3 feet in height—sizesbefittingthesizesof thepyramidsattributed to them.Onecould thusexpect—asIdid—tofindanevenmoreimpressivelargestatueofKhufu/Cheops,builderoftheevengranderGreatPyramid;buttherewasnone.

Figure45

WasitmissingbecausetherewasnostatueofKhufu,thegreatestbuilderofthemall?Ifoundtheanswerwhen I actually visited the Museum in Cairo. Yes, there is a statue—one sole carved image—ofCheops/Khufu;but it isnotan imposingoneaswouldbefit thebuilderof thegreatest stoneedificeonEarth; it isatinystatuette,carvedofivory, lessthan3 incheshigh(fig.46). Itwasashametobringitover to New York (and Boston and Los Angeles, where the special exhibit was also shown). Thecurators,bothintheUSAandinEgypt,didnotneedtheembarrassmentofanOOP.“OOP”isanacronym,theinitialsof“OutOfPlace”—atermappliedtoarchaeologicalobjectsthatdo

notbelongtotheperiod,theplace,thecultureinwhichtheywerefound.TherearetrueOOPartifacts—physical objects whose existence cannot be denied, yet they are “cannot be” objects that could notpossiblyexist;theyarebyanyyardstickOutOfPlace.OtherOOPsarecategorizedassuchbecausetheymaketheexpertsfeelthatthey“donotbelong”simplybecausetheydonotconformtotheEstablishment’stenets.AndthenthereareOOPswhich,foronereasonoranother,arejustembarrassing—ifitwereuptotheexperts,theyshouldnothavebeenfoundatall;butheretheyare!

Figure46

WhatevertheOOPcategory,theyposeaproblemtothemuseumauthorities:Whatshallbedonewithsuchembarrassingobjects?VariousmuseumsdealvariablywiththeOOPproblem.Withoutdoubt,morethanafewsuchobjectsendupjustoutofsight,neverdisplayed,andprobablyasoftenasnotremainingunknown.AnexampleofthatisthecaseoftheHeadlessSpaceman(fig.47),anartifactthattheIstanbulMuseum

inTurkeyhas refrained fromdisplayingbecause “therewereno astronauts and spacecraft 4,500yearsago.”ForfivedecadestheMuseumevendeniedtheexistenceoftheartifact.WhenIwastippedoffaboutitinthe1990s,IwasvisitingTurkeyasaguestoftheTurkishGovernment,sotheMuseumcouldnotdenytheobject’sexistence,butexplaineditsnon-displaybyitsbeingafake.Itfinallyputitondisplayundermypersistence;butthenremoveditagain...ReadersofthefirstbookofTheEarthChroniclesExpeditionswillalsorecallthecaseoftheOlmec

elephant toy (fig. 48) that was on display in the Jalapa Museum in Mexico, and then was removed(togetherwithawallpaneldatingtheOlmeccivilizationtoca.3000B.C.)—undoubtedlybecauseof itsembarrassing proof thatAfricans (familiarwith elephants that do not exist in theAmericas) somehowarrivedinMesoamericathousandsofyearsbeforeColumbus,whenpeoplecouldnotpossiblycrossthe

AtlanticOcean.

Figure47

Figure48

TheEgyptianMuseuminCairotoohasitsembarrassingOOPs;thediminutiveCheopsstatuettehasbeenoneofthem,andwastreatedaccordingly...

Somemuseums arrange their exhibits chronologically; others by category, or by provenance, or by the“culture”towhichtheybelong.TheEgyptianMuseumchosetodisplayitsartifactsbytheperiodtowhichtheybelonged—OldKingdom,MiddleKingdom,NewKingdom—andtheirdynasties.Thus,asoneenteredtheMuseum(Room48intheground-levelfloorplan,fig.49)lookingfortheOld

Kingdom’s famed kings, the statue ofMenkaurawas encountered to the left in room 47; the statue ofChefrawhoprecededhimwasplacedfartherbackinroom42,nexttoalargelimestonestatueofZoserfromSakkara.Andwhere isKhufu/Cheops?Hisembarrassingstatuette isnowhere tobeseen in thisOldKingdom

section. It isnotevenon theground floor.Andunlessoneknowsexactlywhere to lookon the secondfloor, itwill bemissed altogether; for it has been placed up there, alongwith other knickknacks, in aglass-covered tabletop display case near the stairs leading down and out of the Museum. The mainattractiononthatsecondflooroftheMuseumarethedazzlingfindsfromthetombofTutankhamen,oftheNewKingdom’sEighteenthDynasty,includinghisgoldendeathmask(plate15);butvisitorsuninformedofthelittleKhufu,justwalkbyandgodownthestairs.

Figure49

Once, visiting theMuseumwithmy Expedition group, I left the group to linger at the Tutankhamendisplays (I had seen those artifacts several times before), and found a chair to sit on next to theKhufucontainingdisplaycase.Waitingforthegrouptoreachthestairstogobackdown(atwhichtimeIwasgoingtoshowthemthestatuette),Iwascontemplatingnotsomuchthestatuetteitselfasitslocation.Iwasinfactwondering:Nomatterthesize,whyhavetheMuseum’sofficialsnotgrantedachronologicallycorrectandadeservedplaceofhonortothepresumedbuilderoftheGreatPyramid?Coulditbethatintheirinnermostheartstheytoohavedoubts?AndthatleadsustothesecondCairoMuseumOOP,theInventoryStela.

The EgyptianMuseumwas established in 1858 by the French archaeologist AugusteMariette, whommanyconsidertheFatherofmodernEgyptology,mostlywitharchaeologicalobjectsthathehimselfhadunearthed;theInventoryStelawasoneofthem.HefounditinGizain1853,intheremainsofatempleforthegoddessIsissituatedbesidetheGreatPyramidandtheSphinx—exactlywhereaccordingtothestela’sinscription(seefig.13)itwassetupbyCheops/Khufu:InthetemplebesidethealreadyexistingGreatPyramidandSphinx.TheInventoryStelawassonamedbecause,aftertheopeninglineswhichwehavequotedearlier,Khufu

listedonitan“inventory”ofthereligiousobjectsthathehadfoundintheIsistemplewhenheundertookitsrestoration.HedoesmakereferencetoasmallpyramidwhichhesayshebuilttohonortheprincessHenutsen(whomhemarried?)—oneofthethreesmallpyramidsattheeasternfootoftheGreatPyramid(seefigs.5and6).WouldhenothaveclaimedtohavingalsobuilttheGreatPyramidwereheitsbuilder?Asearlierexplained,theInventoryStelawasirrefutableproof,providedbyKhufu/Cheopshimself,that

hedidnotbuild theGreatPyramid,and that thePyramid(andSphinx)werealready there inhis time.AlthoughthatcreatedaproblemforEgyptologistscommittedtotheKhufu-built-ittenet,theartifactcouldnot be hidden away—it was found, after all, by the Museum’s very founder, and its discovery wasreportedinthescientificjournalsofthetime,whichalsoprintedapictureofit(fig.50).Sowhatcould

archaeologistsdowithsuchanOOP?Theydeclaredittobeaforgery,perpetrated(atalatertime)bytheancientEgyptiansthemselves!Not all the Egyptologists of the early twentieth century were doubters. James H. Breasted (Ancient

RecordsofEgypt)feltthattheInventoryStelaboreallthemarksofauthenticityandincludeditinthelistofFourthDynastyartifacts.ThegreatFrenchEgyptologistGastonMaspero(TheDawnofCivilization)suggestedthatevenif itwasfromalater time, itwasacopyofanearlierauthenticartifact,andthusafactualrecordofthelifeanddeedsofKhufu.Butconsiderationsofnationalpride—ledinthe1930sbyaforemostnativeEgyptologist,SelimHassan

—finallydominatedthepurelyscientificdiscussions.InthewordsofHassan(ExcavationsatGiza), theinscriptionwasmade“longafterthedeathofKhufu”butitsmakersinvokedhisname“tosupportsomefictitiousclaimofthelocalpriests.”Thesuggested“longafter”datewasthatoftheTwenty-sixthSaiticDynasty—an incredible two thousand years later!But, heedingHassan’s nationalistic views, the StelawasmovedtotheverybackoftheMuseum’sgroundfloor,placedinarowwithotherstelasfromsuchlaterperiods.Somefiftyyearslater,onmyfirstvisittotheEgyptianMuseuminCairo,Iwenttothatbackareaofthe

ground floor to see the Stela; but I couldn’t find it. I asked the guards about it, showing them theillustrationthatIhadwithme;buttheyhadnoideawhatIwastalkingabout.IaskedtotalktotheCurator,oranyoneelseintheDirector’soffice.Itwasnotasimplematter,butImanagedtogetsomeonetheretotalktome.GrudginglylookinguptheMuseumdirectoryandotherlists,thepersonsaidYes,theStelaisthere,inthebackrow.Iwentback,butstillcouldn’tfindit.BackattheDirector’soffice,theytoldme,insomanywords,tostopbotheringthem.

Figure50

InallsubsequentvisitsImadesuretolookfortheInventoryStela;butIcouldnotfindit.IntheBriefingNotesIpreparedfor thefirstEarthChroniclesExpeditiongroup,I listed theInventoryStelaamongthe“mustsee”artifactsandincludeditsphotograph,askingallinthegrouptotryandfindit—anywhereintheMuseum.

ButthisOOPisstillmissing.

TherehasbeenanotherOOP—atrueOOP—thathas faredbetter inCairo’sEgyptianMuseum.For thesakeofidentification,Iwillcallit“TheFlywheel,”thoughwhatitreallyisremainsanenigma.The best way to describe it is to show a picture of it—an actual photograph (plate 16). It was

discovered in 1936 in the tomb of the crown prince Sabu, son of kingAdjib of theFirstDynasty, innorthernSakkara—justsouthofGiza.Itisthuscertainthattheobjectwasplacedinthetombcirca3100B.C.;sotheobjectassuchmustbeatleastthatold,butcouldofcoursebeolder.Reportingthisandotherdiscoveriesinthattombandothersnearit,WalterB.Emery(GreatTombsof

the First Dynasty) described the object as a “bowl-like vessel of schist” and remarked that “Nosatisfactoryexplanationofthecuriousdesignofthisobjecthasbeenforthcoming.”Theobject is indeedcurious,unusual,andunique.Round—some twenty-four inches indiameter—it

has three precise curved cutouts that create three complex bladelike surfaces. A central hole, with aprotrudingrim,suggeststhattheobjectwasmadetofitoveranaxle,probablyforrotationpurposes.Athincircularframesurroundsthesefeatures;andthewholethinglooksextremelydelicate—itislessthanfourinchesatitsthickest(fig.51).Theshapeandcurvaturessuggestedtotechnicalexpertsthattheobjectwasintendedtobeimmersedinsomeliquid.Materialsstudiesrevealedthattheobjectwascarvedoutofasolidblockofschist—arockwhichis

verybrittleandwhicheasilysplitsintothinirregularlayers.Thatsuchastonewaschosensuggeststhatitwasneverthelessusedbecauseonlyitmadepossibletheelegantlypreciseshapingoftheobject’sunusualcurvedpartsandcutouts.Buttheexpertswhoexamineditdoubtedwhethertheobject,ifitwereputintoactual rotational use, could have remained intact for long, if at all—itwould have quickly split apartunderthecentrifugalforce.Thishasledsome,likeCyrilAldred(EgypttotheEndoftheOldKingdom),toconcludethatthestoneobject“Possiblyimitatesaformoriginallymadeofmetal.”

Figure51

Accordingtosuchopinions,thiswasastonecopyofafunctionalmetalobject.But theonlymetal inusebypeople5,000ormoreyearsagowascopper,andtocasttheobjectoutofcopperrequiredamoldeven more complex than the object itself. Was it then somehow machined to obtain its complex anddelicateshape?Ifso—withwhichprecisiontools?Thislastquestionapplieswhetherthestoneobjectisacopyofametaloriginalortheactualoriginal

itself.But apart from thequestionsofhow theobjectwasmade,orofwhatmaterial, there remain thebasicpuzzlingquestions:Whatwasitfor?Ifitwasrotatingonanaxle,whatwastheaxleattachedtoorpartof?Whohadthetechnicalabilitytomakeit—andwhohadthetechnologythatneededitandusedit?Theobject’spossiblefunctionoccurredtomesomefortyyearsafteritsdiscovery,asIwasreadingina

technical journal about a revolutionary design of a flywheel that a California-based company wasdevelopingfortheAmericanspaceprogram.Aflywheel,itneedstobeexplained,isacircularwheel-likeobject attached to the rotating shaft of amachine or an engine as ameans to regulate the equipment’sspeedofrotation—or(asinmetalpresses,vehiclessuchastrainsorbuses,orinaviation)tostoreenergyforpowersurges.Theflywheelhasbeeninuseformorethantwocenturies;itsbasicmechanicalpropertyhasbeenthe

abilitytostoreintheflywheel’scircumferencetheenergyobtainedinthecenter—forwhichreason,thecircumferencehadtobesolidlythickandheavy.Butinthe1970sengineersoftheLockheedMissile&Space Company developed an opposite design—with a lightweight rimmed wheel (fig. 52a). Theirresearch was continued by the Airesearch Manufacturing Company which developed a light-rimmedflywheel, hermetically sealed so that it could be used while immersed in a housing filled with alubricatingliquid.Respondingtomyrequest,Airesearchsentmephotographsoftheirflywheel(fig.52b)withaportfoliooftechnicaldata,whichstrengthenedmyguessthattheancientobjectwassomekindofaflywheelofadvanceddesign—storingtheenergyinathinrimandrotatinginalubricatingliquid.SincetheEgyptiansof3100B.C.(orearlier)didnothavethetechnologytomanufacturetheobject,or

thesophisticatedequipmentinwhichitcouldbeused,the“Flywheel”wasclearlyanOOP.Nevertheless,theMuseumauthoritiesdidnothideitawayinabasementcorner;theydidputitondisplay—asfarasIrecall,inRoom43amongothersmallfindsfromtheearliestdynasties.Thelogicbehindthedecisionto

displaythisobject,Iassume,wasthatiftheearlyPharaohscouldbuildtheGizaPyramids,whywouldn’tthey possess other sophisticated capabilities?Unlike the InventoryStela, it—according to this logic—affirmedratherthancontradictedthe“Ourancestorscoulddoit!”stance.

Figure52

Butofcourse,ifyoudoubtone,youcannothelpbutdoubttheother...

Since the “Flywheel” irrefutably exists, and since it must be dated to 3100 B.C. or earlier, the basicquestions remain:Who couldhavemanufactured it, towhat kindof advanced technological equipmentwasitattached,andwhomadeandusedsuchadvancedequipment?

Plate1.TheGreatPyramid

Plate2.TheSphinxwiththetwopyramidsinthebackground

Plate3.CleanedupNicheintheGreatPyramid’sQueen’sChamber,alsoshowingsouthernshaftopening

Plate4.Nicheopeningcoveredwithwire-meshframe

Plate5.DifferentNicheopening,February1995

Plate6.Nicheopening:coverremoved,lookingin

Plate7.Cogswell’sflashlightshiningfrominsidethesecretpassageway

Plate8.Cogswellemergingfromthepassageway

Plate9.Photographfrominsidethepassageway,lookingbacktowardtheentryway

Plate10.Photographtakenneartheentrancetothesecretchamber(notetheblackenedlintelstone)

Plate11.Lookingintothesecretchamber

Plate12.Theupperpartofthechamberanditsblackenedceiling

Plate13.Thechamber’swallsandsomeofitsceilingstones

Plate14.Thetunnel’sstonework,approachingtheexit

Plate15.GoldmaskofTutankhamen

Plate16.“Flywheel”from3100B.C.

Plate17.EarthChroniclesExpeditiongroupatStonehenge

Plate18.Ggantija,thelargesttempleontheislandofGozo

Plate19.ViewofHagarQimtempleonMalta

Plate20.EarthChroniclesExpeditiongroupdwarfedbybouldersatHagarQim

Plate21.Tarxientemple

Plate22.ExpeditiongroupphotoofSun’sraysonthemarkerstoneintheMnajdralowertempleonSummerSolstice

Plate23.Maltaruts

Plate24.Maltarutsat“ClaphamJunction”

Plate25.TheIcemanoftheAlpsattheArchaeologicalMuseumofSouthTyrolinBolzano,Italy

Plate26.StatueofPtah

Plate27.TheShroudofTurinondisplay

Plate28.LeonardodaVinci’sTheLastSupper

Pate29.TheauthorwithMonsignorBalducci

Plate30.CreationofAdam,SistineChapel

Plate31.The12thPlanetoriginalcover

Plate32.ThetwoillustrationsfromthesidebaroftheSky&Telescopearticle

Plate33.ThemainpartoftheAntikytheraMechanism

Plate34.RemainsofHarran’smedievaldefensivewalls

Plate35.Jacob’swellinHarran

Plate36.Harrantempleruins

Plate37.TheauthorwithNabuna’idstela

Plate38.The“Candelabra”carvedintoamountainsideintheBayofParacasonPeru’scoastnorthwestofTiahuanacu

Plate39.ViewofPumaPunku

Plate40.PreciselycutstonesatPumaPunku

Plate41.Groovesforgoldnailsforgold-platedwalls,PumaPunku

Plate42.ComplexcutstonesatPumaPunku

Plate43.ComplexcutstonesatPumaPunku

Plate44.NazcaLineswithanimalfigure

Plate45.NazcaLineswithanimalfigure

Plate46.Straight-runningNazcaLines

Plate47.IntriguingcircularmarkingsinthemountainsnotfarfromtheNazcaLinesinPeru

Plate48.IntriguingcircularmarkingsinthemountainsnotfarfromtheNazcaLines

Idaregiveoneanswertoallthreequestions:Thegods.InTheStairwaytoHeavenIprovidedinformationaboutancientEgypt’soldestcenterofworship,the

city of An (the biblical On), later known as Heliopolis. In its great temple, one of the “CelestialChambers”inwhichthegodsarrivedonEarth,waskeptanobjectcalledtheBen-Ben.Wecansurmisehow the temple, called Het Ben-Ben (“Sacred House of the Ben-Ben”), looked from its hieroglyphicpictograph, which in time also served as the hieroglyphic sign for the city’s name:A rocket’s launchtower(fig.53).WealsoknowhowtheBen-Benitselflooked,becauseastonemodelofitwasfound(fig.54a).Akin to amodern commandcapsuleof an astronauts’ rocketship (fig. 54b), thediscovered stonemodelevendepictsitsoccupantpeeringoutthroughanopenhatch-door.

Figure53

Figure54

In this temple the Ben-Ben and other space-travel paraphernalia were not only kept—they weredisplayedandopenedforview,bytheking,inaspecialannualceremonyintendedtoremindthepeopleof thegods’spaceorigins.TheHetBen-Benand itscontentsare longgone.Howandwhen the templewasruinedanditscontentsgone,nooneknows;butithasoccurredtomethatthe“Flywheel”mighthavebeenoneoftheobjectsoriginallykeptinthatancient“SmithsonianInstitution.”LetthisthoughtbewithyouifyougotoCairoandlookfortheenigmaticOOPs.

6

ENIGMASMADEOFSTONE

WhyareEarthlingsfascinatedbytheheavens?

Iaskedthequestion,andgaveananswer,inmy1993bookWhenTimeBegan.Ididsointhecontextofastronomical computersmade of stone—the best known ofwhich is Stonehenge in England. Found inEurope,intheNearEast,intheAmericas(andpossiblyalsointheFarEast),theyallinexplicablylinkedobservationsoftheSunandtheMoontoanartificialdivisionoftheheavensintotwelvepartscalledtheZodiac. Isuggested that thekey tounlocking thesecretsandenigmas theyposed lay inrecognizing thattheywereaproductof the technologiesof thegods,notofMan—that theyweredesignedbyaDivineArchitect.The records ofEarthlings’ fascinationwith the heavens permeate the halls of theBritishMuseum in

London,amodernTempleofKnowledgededicatedtoMankind’shistory,civilizations,and(unavoidably)gods.Duringthedecadesofmyresearchformywritings,thereweremanytimeswhenIhadspenttwo-week stretches of stay in London (my almamater having been the London School of Economics andPoliticalScience),devotingdailylonghourstotheBritishMuseum’sexhibitsandfamedroundLibrary.ItwastherethatIcouldstudyintheLibraryabouttheMesopotamianEpicofCreation,andthenseethe

actual sevenclay tabletsofEnumaelish—a text treated by scholars as an allegorical tale of celestialgods,butwhichinfactconstitutesasophisticatedcosmogonyscientificallydescribingourSolarSystem,the origins of the Earth, and of life upon it. It was there that I could read (in the Library) about theAnunnakigodsand theircoming toEarth, thensee (among theexhibits)anamazingcircular tablet (seechapter10)whoseeightsegmentsdealwiththegods’spacejourneysfromtheirplanet(Nibiru)toEarth.ItwasintheBritishMuseumthatIcouldreadaboutandthenseeanastronomicaltablet,dividedinto

columnsandfilledwithnumberswhich,whenrenderedintomoderncharacters,wasrevealedtosimulatea computer printout of datapredicting lunar eclipses fifty years in advance.And itwas there that Icould see for myself, then peruse in voluminous writings, the evidence about the ancient zodiacalknowledge—familiaritywithaphenomenonthatcausesonegroupofstarstoreplaceanother,atsunrise,onceinabout2,100years.InoneMesopotamianartifactafteranother,referencestothosetwelve(fig.55)constellationsandtheirdepictions(fig.56)wereomnipresent.

Figure55

Figure56

ButitwaswhenIwenttovisitStonehengeforthefirsttime,andstoodthereinsidethecircleofstonesthathadbeenbroughtfromfaraway(ashasbeenthecaseinmegalithicstructuresallovertheworld),thatthequestionpoppedupinmyhead:WHYhasMankind,whyhaveEarthlings,beensofascinatedwiththeheavens—andgonetoimmenselengthstoobservethem?ThefamiliarviewofStonehengewithitscolumns(fig.57)isjustthecurrentstageofitsvariedphases,

going back to the third millennium B.C. Stonehenge, all researchers agree, functioned throughout itsvarious stages (fig. 58) as adevice to determine theZodiacalAge by observing sunrise on SummerSolstice Day, the sightline reextending from the so-called Altar Stone in the center, through twodeterminingpillars,viatheAvenue,totheso-calledHeelStonefartherout(fig.59a).SirNormanLockyer,thefatherofArchaeoastronomy,usedStonehenge(StonehengeandOtherBritish

StoneMonuments)toillustratehowthesolsticeviewlinehelpsdeterminewhenthestructurewasbuilt.ThisissobecausethesolsticepointisdeterminedbytheEarth’stilt-angle(“inclination”)relativetoitsorbitalpath(“theEcliptic”).ThistiltchangesovertheagesastheEarthslightlywobbles—forexample,from24.11°in4000B.C. to23.92°in2000B.C. toabout23.5°nowadays.Theoriginalviewlinetothe

HeelStonematched the inclinationcirca2100B.C.when theZodiacalAgewasshiftingfromTaurus toAries.

Figure57

Figure58

Figure59

In the four thousandyears since then, thisview lineno longercorrectlypoints to the thenprevailingzodiacal constellations;onecan indeed see that theaxis isnowadaysmisalignedeven though theHeelStone had been moved (fig. 59b). Nevertheless, Summer Solstice Day—June 21—is a big thing atStonehenge.BelieversdressedasDruidpriestsperformritualdances,andmultitudesgathertheretoviewatdawn theSun risebetween the twoguidingpillars,nomatterwhichstarconstellation is seen in thepartlydarkenedhorizon.Initsheyday,somehaveconcluded,Stonehengealsoservedasapredictoroflunarphenomena,asthe

groundmarkings of a rectangular arrangement suggests (fig. 60).TheBostonUniversitymathematicianandastronomerGeraldHawkins(StonehengeDecoded),whodescribedStonehengeasanastronomicalpredictor, was fascinated by the number 19 that the stones and place-holes in the various circlesexpressed, and deemed it an unmistakable application of theMetonicCycle (the cycle of 235 lunarmonthsintheMoon-Earth-Sunorbitalrelationships).

Figure60

SuchanaspectofStonehenge,thoughrelatingtoacycleofonly19years(comparedtothe2,100yearsofthezodiacalshift),isneverthelessanindicationofhighastronomicalsophistication,sincethecomplexEarth-Sun-Moon relationship underlies the phenomena of not only lunar but also solar eclipses; and

predictingthemwasofimmensereligiousandpoliticalimportance.TheJune1999EarthChroniclesExpedition(toEnglandandMalta)beganinLondonwithrepeatvisits

to the BritishMuseum (facilitated by staying at a hotel virtually next door to it). It was a necessaryprelude,Ifelt,tothesubsequentvisittoStonehenge—avisittimedwithSolsticeDayinmind.Byspecialarrangementourgroupwasallowedintothemonument’sstonecircleearlyinthemorning,beforeregularvisitingtime,toprovideuswithanhourbyourselves(plate17).Wewalkedabout,lookedforthevariousmarkers,checkedtheviewlines.Manylaydownonthegroundamongthemonoliths,tryingtogetsomefeeling, inspiration,vibration,orwhateverby thedirectcontactwith theearth.We leftwithasenseofawe and wonderment: Here, without doubt, was a great monument from the past—built by men, butconceivedbysomegreaterknowingmind.ThetourincludedotherastronomicallysignificantNeolithic(“NewStoneAge”)sitesinthearea,such

asSilburyHillandthelargeAveburyCircle(fig.61);abonuswasanunplannedsightingofafreshCropCirclethatappearednearbythenightbefore,joiningpreviousonesinthesamevicinity(fig.62).But itall tookplace twodaysaheadofSolsticeDay, toavoid thecrushofpeople; Ichose to letmy

groupwitness theactualeverlastingcelestialphenomenon in the relativelyuncrowded islandofMalta,theExpedition’snextdestination.

Figure61

Figure62

TheMediterraneanSeaisboundedbythreecontinents—Europe,Asia,andAfrica.TheislandofMalta,togetherwith the islandofSicilyandneighboringsmaller islands,undoubtedlyonce formedaphysicalgeographic landbridge connecting the continents. After the waters surged (was it the biblical GreatFlood?)andsealevelrose,Malta—nowanisland—hascontinuedtoserveasaculturalbridgenotonlybetweenNorth andSouth, but also betweenEast andWest.Migrants, settlers, seafarers, conquerors—fromthemostancienttimesthroughthePhoeniciansandtheRomans,MoslemsandCrusaders(thefamedKnightsofMalta),andWorldWarIIwarriors—alllefttheirmarkthere.Nevertheless—or perhaps because of that—Malta’s enigmas remain unsolved puzzles. All those

settlers,visitors,andconquerors fromfar larger lands (Maltaand its twosmall satellite islands,GozoandComino,representanareaof just122squaremiles!)andtheircivilizationscannotexplainMalta’stwomainmysteries:Itsstone“Temples”andthe“Ruts.”“Temples”isatermappliedbylocalsandscholarstostructureswhentheirrealpurposeisunknown;

and inanoddway IbecameawareofMalta’sones longbefore Ieverwent there.One reasonwasanelderlygentlemanbynameofJosephEllul,whostartedtowritetomeafterhehadreadThe12thPlanet.Heclaimedthathisfamilyhadlivedontheislandfor500yearsandownedthelandwhereoneofthebestpreservedtempleswassituated;hethereforeknewallaboutthetemplessincechildhoodandwrotebooksinwhichheidentifieddescendantsofthebiblicalNoahasthebuildersofMalta’stemples.AnotherwastheSocietyfortheResearchandInvestigationofPhenomena,headquarteredinMalta’scapital,Valletta,whichinvitedmetocome,givealecture,andfindoutthe“Malteseconnection”insupportofmywritings.In1999IfinallywenttoMalta.TheSocietynolongerfunctioned,butMr.Ellulwasstillthere,eagerly

awaitingmyarrival.Amongtheadviceheshoweredonuswasonemostpractical:WherebesttowatchsunriseonSolsticeDayandhowtoreachandenterthetempleaheadoftheanticipatedcrowd...

Thetemplesandtheirsitesdotthetwomainislands,MaltaandGozo(fig.63).Theyareconstructedof

megalithicstoneboulders,andtheirmostdistinctorobviousfeatureistheirshape(fig.64).Inallofthem,theshapefollowsanunusualyetdistinctivepatternthatsuggestsapreconceivedarchitecturalconcept(orpurpose). They are neither square nor rectangular—as temples everywhere else are—but consist of aseriesofoval-likeorellipticalchambers(“apses”),arrangedas“cloverleafs,”withinalargerperimeterdelineatedby anouterwall that also forms anoval.Theyoccupy sizeable areas, andwere sometimesbuiltastwins—two“cloverleaf”templesrisingsidebyside—afeaturethathasledsometoseethereinanunderlyingreligiousconceptofDuality.

Figure63

Typicalbothof theovalshapes,cloverleaf layoutsandthe twinlike“duality” is the largest templeofthem all, the one at Ggantija (pronounced Jeguntiya) on the island of Gozo (plate 18). Dramaticallysituated on a promontory overlooking the bay, its two parts or twin temples each have their separateentranceway,withoneovalchamberorenclosureconnectedbyashortpassageway toanother“lobed”cloverleafenclosure;buttherearenoconnectingcorridorsorotherpassagesbetweenthetwotwinparts;sowhyarethetwoadjoining?

Figure64

AtthenearbysiteofXaghraonGozothecloverleaf“duality”alsoprevails;sodotheremainsofthetemple atMnajdra (pronouncedMnaidra) onMalta proper.But at the site calledTarxien (pronouncedTarshen), the temple’s remains include—in addition to the twinlike cloverleafs—a series of ovalenclosuresandundefinedstructuresthatmighthavebeencloverleafchambers.AndatthebestpreservedsiteonMalta,HagarQim(pronouncedHajar Im) there isaseriesof fourovalchambersarranged inasemicircleinadditiontotherecognizablecloverleafs.The number of cloverleaf chambers, it would thus appear, cannot support “duality” or such other

religioustheories.Yet,theproponentsof“thoseweretemples”notionsholdthattheinnerlayoutsofthesestructuresconfirmtheirreligiousfunctions.Theconcaveshapeofthewallsatthemainentranceways,theysay, created a forecourt for assembly and the bringing of sacrificial animals; the convex or semi-oval“lobe”chamberattheinnerend,theyexplain,wasakindofaninnersanctum,aHolyofHolies.Atleastinoneplacethatwehavevisited,twostonecolumnsflankingtheaccesstosuchaninnermostsectionhadcut-throughholesinthemwhichinallprobability(weactuallytriedit!)enabledropestoholdupascreenthat could bemoved up and down; somaybe the enclosurewas indeed a particularly sacred section.Doorways, doorposts, niches, small raised platforms—all of stone—have been called altars, prayeralcoves,sacrificetables,oracleposts,etc.,etc.,inlinewiththe“temple”concept.Ifso,whichdeitywasworshippedthere,andbywhom?A religious purpose in these designs, that are repeated in all of the still standing temple complexes,

seems to be confirmed by the discovery (in several of them) of stone sculptures of a fat—very fat—femalewithexaggerated(someevenusetheterm“elephantine”todescribethesize)feminineparts(fig.65). She is assumed to have been a goddess—a “Mother Goddess” image that was presumablyworshippedasa fertilitydeity.Thesimilarityof thearchitecturaldesignof the temples toher rounded

features(fig.66)strikesoneassoonasthesestatuesareviewedintheNationalMuseumofArchaeologyinValletta,Malta’scapital.Theassumptionisthatthestructureswereshapedintheimageofthegoddessandservedastempleswhereshewasworshipped;butintheabsenceofwritingofanykind,nothingaboutherorhercultisknown.Whoweretheworshippers—thepresumedbuildersof thesetemples?It isgenerallyassumedthat the

first settlers inMalta arrived from the nearby island of Sicily (less than 60miles away), in the fifthmillenniumB.C. In the thirdmillenniumB.C.newsettlers—farmers, this time—camefrom thesomewhatfartherislandsofSardiniaandCorsica,bringingwiththemdomesticanimals.Didanyofthembuildthetemples?Thatisatrickyquestion,becausetheanswerdependsondatingthesestructures.

Figure65

Figure66

Inspiteofthesimilaritiesofthevarioustemples,eventhecasualvisitorcandiscerngreatdifferencesbetweenthem.Theonesdeemedtheearliest,ontheislandofGozo,areconstructedofbouldersthatwerefound in the localarea.Megalithicstones,onlysomeof themsmoothedandshaped (as in theGgantijatemple)wereselectivelyplacedasgateways;otherwise,thefieldstoneswerejustpileduptoformwallsandpartitions.Bycomparison,theHagarQimtempleonMaltaproper(fig.67)haslongsectionsofwallsconstructedofimmensenaturalboulders(plate19)thatdwarfedourgroup(plate20),otherwallsofonly

dressedstoneblocks,stillothersofmixturesofnaturalboulderswithcutandshapedstoneblocks,andpartitionsmadeofgreatstoneblockspurposelyshapedwithopeningscutthroughthem.AndthecomplexTarxien temple—deemed the latest in the series—has almost modern-looking sections and geometric-designdecorations(plate21).The various temples began to be excavated in the 1820s and for more than a century thereafter

archaeologistsdeemedtheTempleBuildingPeriodtohaverunfromcirca2800B.C.(Ggantija)to2400B.C.(Tarxien).Laterstudiesbasedontheavailabilityofcarbondatingreducedtheantiquitytocirca2450and2100B.C., respectively—the2100B.C. date being the firmest, since something unknown caused anabruptinterruptionoftheisland’shabitationafterthat.

Figure67

Theconstructionofthesetemplesevenat thosedates—itisestimatedthat theremayhavebeenaboutfortyofthem—isagreattechnologicalachievement.Althoughtheislands’smallsizerulesoutthehaulingof the largeandheavystonebouldersfromverygreatdistances(ashasbeenthecaseinsomanyotherplaces inboth theOldand theNewWorlds), justobtaining theboulders, transporting them to the site,dressing,shapinganddecoratingmanyofthem,liftingthem,andemplacingthemintheplannedpositions,requiredsubstantialefforts,anorganizedsociety,architecturalandstructuralknowledge,andsomekindoftechnologythatnoonehasbeenabletotrulyfigureout.Althoughtheabovedatescorrespondnotonlyto theCopperAgebutalready theBronzeAge in theeasternMediterranean,no suchmetal toolswerediscoveredintheMaltesesites;onlyflintknivesandobsidiantoolswerefoundinthetemples.Thepuzzlewasthenmagnifiedbynewclaimsthatsomeofthetempleswerealreadystandingand

functioningbefore3800B.C.Theclaims,whichintimefoundtheirwayintomostbrochuresaboutMaltabystartingitsdescription

withthewordsthat“itsstonetemplespredateStonehengeandeventhepyramidsofEgypt,”beganinthe1970swhenthearchaeologistJ.D.Evans(ThePrehistoricAntiquitiesoftheMalteseIslands)pointedoutthatthelowerorsouthernmosttempleinMnajdraappearstohaveanaxisorientedtotheeast,whichwould make it a Solar Temple. This was followed by the application, in the 1980s, of Lockyer’sarchaeoastronomymethodstotheMaltatemples—specifically,toMnajdra—bytwoMalteseexperts,PaulMicaleff and Alfred Xuereb. Micaleff reported their findings in his 1989 bookMnajdra PrehistoricTemple.ThelowertempleatMnajdra,theyconcluded,was“acalendarinstone,”builtpreciselytoviewtheequinoxesandsolstices(fig.68).Basedongeographicposition,thesite’selevation,andtheAzimuththatindicatestruenorth,theyfigured

thattheportalfortheSun’srayswasbuiltwhentheEarth’sDeclinationAnglewasjustunder24.1°.UsingLockyer’ssystemtodeterminethedateofconstructionbytheangleofdeclination,theyarrivedatthedate

of3710B.C.Sincetheothertemples,suchastheGgantijaone,werebuilthundredsofyearsearlier—theclaimforMalta’s“First”intheconstructionofstonetemplesfollowed.

Figure68

This,Imustsay,soundedfar-fetchedtome.ThedwellersinMaltaatthatearlyperiodwereengagedinprimitive farming and used stone tools; could they have performed the technological feats ascribed tothem?Oncloseexamination,itturnedoutthatthephotographicevidenceinMicaleff’sbook,ofthesunrayshining on a particular stone, was taken not on Solstice Day but on Equinox Day; it confirmed theorientationofthatparticularaxistotheEast—butnotmorethanthat.

AndsoitwasthatearlyonSummerSolsticeDayin1999IandmyExpeditionsgroupsetoutnotonlytoviewsunrise—butalsotocheckoutthefeasibilityofthefourthmillenniumB.C.dates.OurfirstdestinationwastheMnajdralowertemple;ourmeasuringtoolwastheSunitself.Sunrise,we

weretold,wasdueat6:07:45a.m.localsummertime.Wewerethereaheadoftime,strainingoureyesandreadyingourcameras . . .As theminutespassed, thedarkenedskies to theeast-northeastbegan tolight.Oureyesweregluedtotheindicatedapertureinthestoneportal(fig.69).ThemomentofHeliacalRising,whenthereddishglobeof theSunappearsagainst thebackgroundof thestilldark-starryskies,wascoming.AndthenagoldenrayoftheSunburstthroughtheportal,paintingarayoflightonthemarkerstone,andwemanagedtocommemoratethemomentwithourcameras(plate22).

Figure69

ThisMnajdrastructurewasdefinitelyaSolar“Temple”—butwhenwasitbuilt?Themembers ofmy groupwere filledwith pride of achievement, but I shookmy headwith doubt:

ShouldtheSun’srayhavestruckthemarkerstone(seeS3infig.68)afterthepassageof5,689years,as

Micaleffhadcalculatedin1979?Aswesatdownoutsidethetempletoeattheboxedbreakfaststhatthehotelprovidedtous,Ireminded

mygroupofwhatwehadseenatStonehenge.There,eventhoughthemarkerstonecalledtheHeelStonewasmoved,atleastonceandprobablytwice,thelineofsighthasshiftedoffit(seefig.59).IfMnajdraisolder thanStonehengebymore than a thousandyears, should the ancient alignmenthere stillwork? InEgypt,Isaid,atempleorientationtothesolsticehadtobechangedeveryfewcenturies;sothefactthatwedidseetheSun’sraysstrikethemarkerstonemightsuggestthatthetemplehereismuchmorerecentthan it ispurported tobe.With somany factorsneeded toarriveat theDeclinationangle, the slightestchangeinthecalculationsmadeadifferenceofcenturies.Thetemple’sVeryOldAge,Ifelt,remainedindoubt.We thenwalked down to the nearbyHagarQim. Situated on the island’s southern coast, it offers a

spectacular view of theMediterranean Sea and of a tiny uninhabited island off the coast. It is, afterGgantija, the largest templecomplex—situatedlike itat thewater’sedge,yetquitedifferentfromit. InadditiontothemassivenaturalstonebouldersasatGgantija,heremanystoneslabsarecutandfashioned,smoothedand shaped,withclearpassagesandentrancewayswhose large stone-posts and lintel stonescreate trilithons. Hagar Qim was undoubtedly built by talented stonemasons, with an artistic touchexpressedinartfullyshapedanddecoratedstonesthatsomecall“altars.”ItwasatHagarQimthattwooftheFatGoddessstatueswerefound.Thetemple’slayoutstronglysuggestedthatthemainentrancewaytothecloverleafpart,withits“Holy

ofHolies”atthefarend,wasalsopurposelyorientedtotheSun—inthiscase,tothesouthwest,whichmeantWinterSolstice.Withsomeofuspositionedatthestrategicpointsandusingstringsthatwebroughtwithus,wetriedtoestablishastronomicalviewlines.WeendedupconvincedthatHagarQimtoowasaSunTemple;anditsoriginallysuggesteddate—between2400to2200B.C.—madesensetous.OurinvestigativetourofMalta’stemplesendedwithwhatalldeemthelatestofthemall—theoneat

Tarxien.NowsurroundedbyresidentialhousesnotfarfromValletta,ithastheappearanceofanopen-airmuseum, with its beautifully fashioned stonework giving an impression that the craftsmen have onlyrecently left.The stoneblocks are ashlar-like, precisely cut and angled; thewall behind thepresumedHolyofHoliesisperfectlysemi-circular;stoneblocksaredecoratedwithreliefsandfriezesdominatedbythespiralmotif,andareaccuratelydone.AlargestatueoftheFatGoddess,ofwhichonlythebottompart remains, stands in an open courtyard, right at themain entrance, as if placed there by amuseumcurator.Tarxien’sarchaeologically establisheddate, 2200/2100B.C.,mademore sense to us than theexaggeratedarchaeoastronomicalclaims.Sowhenexactlywereallthesetemplesbuilt?Evenatthelessdistantdates,thefeatwasextraordinary;

sowhowerethebuilders,andwhatwasthepurpose?TheUnitedNations,when it declared in the late1980s sevenof these temples as aWorldHeritage,

consideredthemtohavebeenbuiltbetween3000and2500B.C.InmyvariedwritingsIhavesuggestedthatcirca2200B.C.aDivineArchitect—thegodcalledbytheSumeriansNingishzidda,bytheEgyptiansThoth,andbytheMesoamericansQuetzalcoatl—roamedtheEarthandtaughtManhowtoerectcalendarsin stonewithwhich to determine the ZodiacalAge. Itwas done in the context of amounting conflictbetweentheEnkiandEnlilclans,aconflictthatledtotheuseofnuclearweaponsin2024B.C.Itisinthat,Istillbelieve,thattheexplanationforMalta’sTempleMysterieswillbefound.

BeforeweleftMalta,wehadtoseeitsotherpuzzlingenigma—theRuts.

Thedictionarydefinesrutas“anarrowchannelorgrooveinsomething,especiallyonemadebywheelsof a vehicle.” The dictionary’s definition aptly describes what we saw: parallel grooves cut into theground.Themystery is that theseparallelgrooveshavebeencut into solid stone, and couldnot havebeenmadebywheelsofavehicle—becauseneitherwheelsnorvehiclesexisted inNeolithic times;andeveniftheydid,nogroovescouldbemadebypassingwheelsinthehardrockyground.Thegrooves that areusually referred to inMaltaas“cart-ruts”wereoncevisible inmanyplaces in

Malta,butmostlyinitswesternpartandevenonGozo.Buturbanizationhasobscuredtherutsinmanyplaces,andtheoneplacewherewespentconsiderabletimewasleftasanunoccupiedfield,fencedofffrom its surrounding and encroachingbuildings (fig. 70)—anamazing relic fromanunknown time, forthereisnowaytoverifythedateofagrooveinarockyfield.

Figure70

Therutsrunmostly,butnotexclusively,asapairofparallelgrooves—asindeedtheparallelwheelsofacartwouldleaveinamuddytrail(plate23);exceptthat,asstatedabove,theterrainisneithermuddynorsoftinanyway,buthardsolidrock;oddly,wherethesoilissofterclayratherthanhardlimestone,nocart-ruts have been found.The grooves are sometimes a single pair, sometimesmanifold. Theirwidthvaries—quite substantially, fromabout 4 inches tomore than 20 inches.Their depth varies too—frommeresurfacemarkingstosome24inchesdeep,andthevariationsappearevenwithinthegroove-runofthe same rut.The distance between parallel pairs, though averaging about 55 inches, also varies—notonlyfrompairtopair,buteveninthecourseofthesamegroovepair.Ifonewouldassumethatdiscoveringfromwheretowheretherutslead(orhaveled)wouldofferan

answertotheruts’enigma,oneisdisappointed:Theysometimesruninthesamedirection,butasoftenasnot veer aside, turn, crisscross each other—as in a place nicknamed “Clapham Junction” after a busyrailroadhub inEngland (plate24).They runupcliffs anddownslopes, as if the terraindidn’tmatter.Were theyrelated to the templesorsomehowmadeby the templebuilders?Theruts’directionsdonotlead to any temple sites. They sometimes run for a short distance and abruptly stop—or seem to runwithoutend,insomecasesallthewaytotheshoreandunderwaterontheseafloor—anindication,some

think,thattherutsweremadebeforethesealevelrose.OfalltheunansweredquestionsofWho,When,ByWhom,Why,andsoon,theonethatseemstodefy

allreasoningisHOW.Nomatterwhetherleftbywheeledcartsorotherwise,byNeolithicpeopleorBronzeAgemen,forthispurposeorthat—howonEarthwerethesegroovescutsodeeplyintosolidrock?WeleftMaltawithoutananswer.

7

THEICEMANOFTHEALPS

There is one more interesting archaeological site in Malta; called the Hypogeum, it is a maze ofundergroundchambers,hewnoutoftherockyground,thatservedasasubterraneanCityoftheDead.Thebonesofthousandsofpeoplewerefoundthere;andIandmygroupskippedthepleasure.ButohhowIwishedwecouldgetholdofarealfellowfromthosemillenniaago,andfindoutmore!Thewish,inamannerofspeaking,wasfulfilledayearlater.The ultra plump female images—the “Mother Goddess” statues and statuettes—that were found in

Maltawerenotunique.Calledbyarchaeologists(undoubtedlywithtongue-in-cheek)“Venusfigurines,”they have been found elsewhere in European Neolithic sites, in fact all the way to the easternMediterranean.That,andtheprobablycorrectassumptionthatMalta’searlysettlershadcomefromItalyviaSicily,arousedmycuriositytoseeformyselftheIcemanoftheAlps.High in theAlpsmountainsof theTyrol region,where ItalyandAustriameet,millionsofpeoplecut

throughthesky-highpeaksbyusingtheBrennerPass,anaturalcleftintheotherwiseimpassableterrain.Theydosonowadaysbycarortrain;butthousandsofyearsagoalonetravelerwentthatwayonfoot.Astorm,anavalanche,orsomethingelsecausedhimtoliedown—nevertoawake.Itwas on September 19, 1991, that twomountain climbers discovered the frozen body in amelting

glacier,atl0,500feetabovesealevel.ThefindwasnotifiedtotheAustrianpolice,whoassumedthatitwasthebodyofarecentlylosthiker:Itwasanespeciallyhotsummerthatyear,andthemeltingicehadalreadyexposedseveralothercorpsesofmissingclimbers.Butwhentheytookagoodlookatthemalebody,theyhadashock:Itwasutterlymummified;itmusthavelainfrozenintheiceformanydecades.Police forensic experts, arriving by helicopter, observed that what remained of the man’s clothing

seemedveryodd.Heworesomekindofleatherorfurcoatlinedwithstraw,andheworeonhisneckanecklacemadeofstones.Theywonderedwhetherthemanhadbeenburiedintheiceforcenturiesratherthandecades.Anthropologists from the nearby University of Innsbruck were called in. They checked the man’s

clothingandimplements.Hehadasortofabackpackmadeofwood;a leatherpouchhangingfromhisbelt contained fire flints and a knife with a stone blade. Was he a Stone Age relic? The dead manclutchedinhishandacrudeaxe,andoneofthescientists—professorKonradSpindler—realizedthatthebladewasmadeofbronze;itwasanaxeaswasusedbypeopleintheBronzeAge.Coulditbethatthemandiedfortycenturiesago?Based on the evidence before them, the Austrian scientists announced that the body was that of a

Bronze-Agemanwholived4,000yearsago!Thenews,andthephotographsthepolicetook,soonmadeheadlinesaroundtheworld(asthisonein

theAmericanpress,fig.71):AbodyfoundinanAlpineglacierwasfourthousandyearsold.Thefindwas“ofextraordinaryscientificsignificance,”Prof.Spindlertoldthepressashegavedetails

ofthestepstakentopreservethebodyinalow-temperaturecontainerforfurtherexamination.Butwhatwas then presented as amatter of a fewweeks of examination and study turned out to be a series ofdiscoveriesoverthefollowingyears—yes,years,notjustweeksormonths—withunexpectedtwistsandturns.

Figure71

Oncethesignificanceofthefindwasrealized(thebody’smishandlingduringthefirstseveraldaysisasadtaleinitself),itwasmovedtotheUniversityofInnsbruck,Austria,whereitwasplacedinaspecialroomwithacontrolledatmospheresimilarintemperatureandhumiditytothatofhisAlpineicytomb.Withinayear,abroadportraitoftheIcemanhademerged.Hewasinhislatetwentiesorearlythirties

whenhedied,andwasjustover5feettall.Presumablyanoutdoorsman,hewasdressedfortheAlpineweather.Hiscoatwasmadeofpatchesofanimalfurskins,stitchedtogetherinamosaic-likefashionwiththreads of animal sinew and repaired with plant fibers. Over this he wore for added warmth andprotectionacapemadeofwovengrass.Onhisfeetheworeshoesmadeofleatherandstuffedwithhay,andonhisheadafurrycap.Heheldinhisrighthandalongwoodenstaffpointedattheend,likeaspear,andhadotherweapons.

Theyincludedastringlessbow,andarrowsinaleatherquiver.Thebowwasmadeofyew—woodbestsuitedforthepurpose.Thearrows,equippedwithflintheads,werefeathered,revealingaknowledgeofaerodynamics.Thequiveralsocontainedanuntreatedsinew,thatcouldbemadeintoabowstring;aballoffibrouscord;asharpthornofadeerantlerthatcouldbeusedforscraping;andfourantlertips.Therewas also the flint knife with a wooden handle, and the bronze axe earlier mentioned; except that the

“bronze”—copperalloyedwithtinbyanelaborateprocess—turnedoutonfurtherexaminationtobejustplaincopper.TheIcemanwasnotfromtheBronzeAge—hewasfromtheearlierCopperAge.Hisageshiftedback

from4,000yearsto4,400,thento4,800.Radiocarbondatingofthewoodandleatherobjectsestablishedanevenearlierdate:5,300yearsago.Theuniquenessofthefindwasamazing:HerewastheintactbodyofafullydressedandequippedEuropeanmanfrom3300B.C.!That was more than half a millennium after the start of the Sumerian civilization, but a time that

predatedthestartofpharaoniccivilizationinEgyptbytwocenturies.Inthecontextofthestudyoftheriseand spread of human civilizations, it was a find that aroused my curiosity; it was included as oneobjectiveofanEarthChroniclesExpeditionaftertheonetoMalta.TheExpedition,however,wasnottoAustriabuttoItaly...To which country the unique find belonged was an issue that had its roots in the events of the

discovery’s firstweek. It is a tale thatmakes onewonder about thewhole subject of the treatment ofOOPsandthefateofothersignificantfinds.The couple who had stumbled upon the corpse-in-the-ice, Mr. Helmut Simon and his wife, were

GermantouristsstayinginanearbyAlpinehamlet.Theyhurriedbacktoreportthefind,andtheowner—uncertainofjurisdiction—calledthepoliceonbothsidesoftheborder.AnAustrianpolicemanshowedupthenextday;theItaliansneverdid.Hetriedtofreethefrozenbodybyusingajackhammer,butgaveupandleft.Overtheweekendthatfollowed,curiosityseekersflockedtothesite,doingtheirbesttobreaktheiceandpluckpiecesoffthebodyanditsgarments.OnMondayateamofpoliceinvestigatorsarrivedfromAustria.Using pickaxes, theymanaged to free the corpse and took it to Innsbruck,where itwasdepositedinalocalmorgue.Lyingunprotected,thebodywasshowntolocalreporters.ItwasonlythenthatDr.Spindler,directoroftheInnsbruckInstituteofPrehistory,arrivedatthemorgue(thereportthatheflew to the discovery site by helicopter, seems to be a later glorified version; but itwas hewho hadrealizedtheuniquenessofthefind).Theexposedcorpse,by thenalmost aweekoutof itsprotective ice tomb,wasbeginning to showa

fungal infection on its skin. Spindler’s team treated the body with fungicides, wrapped it in plastics,covereditwithchippedice,andmovedittoacooledroomattheuniversity.ItwasthusthattheIcemanwassavedfromrottingdisintegration.It was then that the international media, alerted by Dr. Spindler’s statements that an intact body of

BronzeAgemanhadbeendiscovered,becameimmenselycurious;anditwasonlythenthattheItaliansawoketothescientificandtouristicpotentialitiesofthefind.TheydemandedadeterminationonwhichsideoftheItalian-Austrianborderthebodywasactuallyfound.Whenajointsurveyteamdecidedthatthesitewas100yardsfromtheborder—ontheItalianside—theItaliansdemandedtheimmediatetransferofthecorpsetoItaly.TheAustrianssaid,ineffect,FindersKeepers.ThecompromisethatwasworkedoutallowedtheAustrianstokeeptheIceman—namedbythemOetzi

aftertheglacier’sname—andconducttestsforthreeyears;thenhewastobehandedovertotheItalianauthoritiesofSouthTyrol.Infact,thetransferoccurredonlyin1998,whentheItalianswerereadytokeepthebodyanditsaccoutrementsinaformerbankbuildingconvertedtoaspeciallyequippedmuseum—theArchaeologicalMuseumofSouthTyrolinBolzano,theregionalcapital.ItwastherethatIandmyEarthChroniclesExpeditionsgroupwentinMarch2000.

WeleftrainyMilaninthemorning,andarrivedindryandchillyBolzano,bytrain,intheafternoon.Theroomsinourhotel(HotelAlpi)hadsmallbalconies,enablingonetotakeintheAlpineview—toweringmountainsthatseemedtocompetewitheachotherforaltitude.TheMuseumrequiredgroupstocomeinbyadvanceappointmentonly,andourswasfor10a.m.thenextmorning.Wearrivedsomewhataheadof time,andweremadetowaituntil thedoorsopened.But theEnglish-

language“RecordGuides”(electronicgadgetsthatspeakintoyourearsexplanationsneareachdisplay),thatwerealsoreservedinadvance,werethereforus;andwewerefreetoroamtheMuseumduringourallottedtime.Theprincipal“attraction”intheMuseumis,ofcourse,themummifiedcorpseoftheIceman.Itiskeptin

aspecialsealedroom,wherethetemperatureisalways–6°Celsiusandthehumidityisalsocontrolled.Awindowisprovided,throughwhichvisitorscanviewthebody.TheIceman,withhisdried-outskinnowdark brown, lies in grotesque contortion, holdinghiswooden staffwith both hands (plate 25).Did hestumbleandfalllikethat,orwashedefendinghimselfwhenhefrozetodeath?Standing theregazingat theoldestdiscovered intacthumanbody,one is seizedwith those andother

questions,bothpracticalandphilosophical;butthereisnotmuchtimegiventhereforthat,forthelineofcuriousvisitorsbehindyoupressesforwardanddoesnotletyoulingerattheviewingwindow.ElsewhereintheMuseum,videoscreenstelltheIceman’sstory,andthephysicalobjectsfoundwiththe

corpseareondisplay.Thegarmentsheworearelaidoutintheorderinwhichhewouldhaveputthemon; fig. 72 is theMuseum’s ideahowhehad looked fully clothed.Hisweaponsand tools are alsoonview.Captionsidentifyeachobject,andthe“RecordGuides”provideexplanationsasonestopsateachdisplay.Thevisitorisunavoidablyimpressedbythequalityandpracticality—somesay“sophistication”—of

thephysicalobjectsfromatimethathasbeenusuallyconsideredaprimitivebackward“StoneAge.”Thegarments were made, and worn, to provide maximum warmth. The shoes were shaped and fitted forwalkinginsnow(fig.73a).ThebowwasmadeofYewwoodthatisthebestforlongbows;thearrowswere“feathered”;theleatherpouch,thathungfromhisgarment,containedherbalremainsthatsuggesteditwas amedicinal kit; and so on and on. True to theMuseum’s announced purpose, the exhibits extendbeyond the Iceman and deal with the area in general—its climate, its people, and their cultures inantiquity,thusputtingtheIcemaninthecontextofhisenvironmentandhistime—leavingnodoubtthathistimewastheNeolithic,thefinalphaseoftheStoneAge.

Figure72

Before leaving, I said Hello to the Museum’s director, Dr. Angelika Fleckinger, with whom I hadcorrespondedaheadof thevisit. Itwouldbe interesting, Isuggested toher, toalsohaveacomparativedisplay,oratleastapanel,showingthestateofcivilizationelsewhere—Mesopotamia,NearEast,Egypt,theMediterraneanbasin—attheIceman’stime.This,Iadmittedtoher,wasmymaininterest:HowdidtheIceman’scultureandtechnologycomparetoSumeriansorEgyptiansof3300B.C.Typicaloftheneedforspecializationinanarchaeologicaloranthropologicalsegmenttoattainacademicjobadvancement,shewasanobviousexpertonStoneAgeEuropeyethardlyfamiliarwithNearEasternarchaeology;butsheagreedthata“WorldCultureMap”mightbeaworthwhilefutureadditiontothedisplays.Ifonewaseverputup,Idon’treallyknow.

No one leaves theMuseum without taking one more final look at the Iceman, and no one can avoidwondering:WhatwashedoingsohighupintheAlps?Presumably,helivedinoneofthevillagesinthevalleyatthefoothillsofthemountains;sowhydidhegowherehewasfound?Whoreallywashe?Thequestionshavepreoccupiedthelegionofscientistsandresearchersthathaveexaminedthefindin

every conceivable manner in the ensuing years. The series of tests, including X-rays and CAT-scans,beganinInnsbruck,withexpertsandscientistsfromVienna,fromGermany,andfromSwitzerlandcalledinduring theveryfirstweeks; the list thenexpanded toscientistsandexperts fromItaly,and thenfromBritain,theU.S.A.,Australia,andotherpartsoftheworld.Overtheyears,theIceman,hisbody,hisskin,hisinnards,hisclothing,histools,hisweapons—heand

everythingabouthim,onhim,andwithhimhavebeenexaminedinanyconceivablemannerofadvancedtechnology.VariedDNAtestswereconducted;Oetzi’sstomachwaspumpedforhisundigestedlastmeal;thebacterialcontentsofhisgutswerestudied;hiscolonwasexaminedforfecalremains(theycontainedparasiticworms).Hisbonesweretested(hesufferedfromarthritis).Histeeth’senamelwasexaminedforits strontium-to-lead proportions (to reveal his diet and climate conditions).The strawmantle, that heworeovertheskinscoat,wastestednotonlyforageandprovenance,butwasalsostudiedforthemethodofitsknotting(fig.73b).Themetalofhisaxewasscannedandanalyzed;bloodonhisarrowheadswastested.Theresultsrevealedthatthechancefindwasaveritabletimecapsule,providingrichinformationaboutthemanandhishumanfolkinthatpartoftheworld5,300yearsago.Theresultingconclusionsandtheorieswerealsovaried,diverse,andevencontradictory.

Figure73

Hisage,originallyassumedtohavebeenbetween25to35,wasupped—bysome,toatleast45;hewasabout5'5"tall,weighingabout65kg(135lbs).HisskeletonandDNAwereakintothosewhohavebeenlivingintheareatothisday.TheearlynotionthathewasashepherdwasdiscardedafterDNAtestsofbloodonhisknifeandarrowheadsindicatedthatthebloodcamefromotherpersonsaswell.NewX-rayscansrevealedanarrowheadlodgedinhisleftshoulder;soitisnowpresumedthathewasinvolvedinafight,thatacomradewaswithhimwhenhelaydownorfell.Tattoomarks—linesanddots—werefoundonhisskin;didtheysignifyarank,socialstatus,or(assomesuggest)areligiousaspect?Thelattersuggestionhasbeenreinforcedbywhatsomeconsidertobethemostpuzzlingobjectinthe

“backpack”:Asmalldiscofpolishedstone,piercedinitscenter,throughwhichitwasattachedtoatasselofstrings.Wasthisapieceofjewelry—orsomekindoftalisman,somethingtowardoffan“evileye,”andthusaglimpseofaprimitivereligion?In thevalleysat the foothillsof theAlps,where the Iceman isnowpresumed tohave liveduntilhis

mountain escapade, only mute stone tools were found from his time; there was no Cave Art, nopetroglyphs,notevenFatLadies...Andso,allassumptionsbeyondthediscoveredphysicalobjectsarepurespeculation.

WeleftBolzanoanditsIcemanwithseverallingeringquestions.Why,forexample,didtheSumeriansatthat timewriteonclay tablets,havehigh-rise temples,processmetals inkilns, fermentbarley tomakebeer,wearwovencoloredgarments—whiletheIcemanneededflintstomakefire?Everythingabouthim—his clothing, his tools, his weapons—indicated high intelligence and the ability to utilize to themaximum all that was available; but what we call “technology”wasway backward compared to the

Sumeriansofthesametime.Sowhataccountsforthedifference?Tomeitwasaquestionnodifferentfromthataskedinmyveryfirstbook,The12thPlanet:Whydid

theAboriginesinAustraliaremainAboriginestothedayoftheirdiscoveryinmoderntimes?“Allthatweknowwewere taughtby theAnunnaki,”aSumerian inscriptionstated; the interventionof theAnunnaki“gods”wasagain theonlyplausible answer; itwas they, as theancient texts repeatedlyasserted,whogavemankind its first three civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, IndusValley).Where they didn’t,ManworestrawshoesintheAlpsandstrawskirtsinBushmanAfrica.Another question concerns the issue of physical evidence of whowas here and who knewwhat in

prehistoric time: Would this unique find ever become available to scientific study were it not forSpindler’s noticing of the “bronze” axe? Such a question similarly arose in other circumstances.Importantinscribedstonetabletshavebeenfoundimbeddedinthewallsofvillageabodesnearancientsites in the Near East, discovered because an archaeologist with a trained eye noticed the tablet bychance. A unique stone bowl with markings that emulate Sumerian cuneiform writing was used by afarmerinBolivia,whohadfoundit,asawater troughforhispigs,untilsomeonequalifiednoticedthewriting. What if scholars with a keen eye would not have chanced upon these objects? What if thevillagershadnouseforthemandhadjustthrownthemaway?Weknow thatwhathasbeen found is a fractionofwhathadbeen—lostbecauseof thedeteriorating

passage of time, natural calamities, and incessantwars.Howmuch ofwhat survivedwas found, howmuchofthatwasdiscarded,andhowmuchoftheremainderendedupbeingreported,studied—andputondisplay?

8

INSIGHTSTOHISTORY

ThesecondrankingmuseumofEgyptianantiquities,aftertheoneinCairo,isneitherinEgyptnorinanyoneoftheworld’sgreatcapitals.ItistheEgyptianMuseuminTurin—anindustrialcityinnorthernItaly,acitythatiswayoutofthe“TourItaly”loop.WhenvisitorsdogotoTurin,hardlyanygothereforitsEgyptian artifacts; they go there to see the veneratedShroud of Turin—the purported burial cloth inwhichthebodyofJesuswaswrappedafterhehaddiedonthecross.MyItalyExpeditiongroupwenttoTurintoseeboth.Turinisashort trainridefromourassemblypoint,Milan—Italy’ssecondlargestcity;andnosooner

didwe arrive inMilan thanwewere told the goodnews:The restorationof oneof theworld’smostfamouspaintingswascompletedintimefortheHolyYear2000,andafterbeingofflimitsforalongtimeitcouldbeviewedagain.Itwasthus,severalyearsbeforethepaintingbecamethefocusofabestsellingbook phenomenon, that we were among the first to see the restoredLeonardo da Vinci’s The LastSupperinoneofMilan’soldestchurches.Asdiverseanddifferentastheobjectsinthethreelocationsare,theyhadagreatdealincommon:They

linkednewerFaithswitholderones,B.C.withA.D.,thePastwiththePresent.WhenIsawallthreealmostatonce—inthecourseof just twodays—insightssuddenly loomedas ifasecretcodewasdivulged,linkingthePastwiththeFuture.

Turin’sMuseoEgizio, appropriately located inAccademiadellaScienzeStreet inwhat isdeemed thecity’smostcharacteristicdomedbuilding,hasmorethan30,000artifactsfromancientEgypt,somedatingbackto3500B.C. Itsestablishment in1824wasaresultofEurope’sgrowinginterest in“Egyptianart”afterNapoleon’sexpeditiontoEgyptin1799.HetookwithhimtoEgyptscoresofscientists,engineers,draftsmen,historians,painters,andscholarsfromvariedfieldsoflearningforaconcertedefforttofind,assemble,andrecordthegloriesofancientEgypt.Thediscoveredtemples,monuments,statues,andotherartifactsweremeticulouslydescribedandpictoriallydepictedinthemulti-volumeseriesofprintsknownastheDescriptiondel’Egypte—booksthatstillserveasafoundationofEgyptology.It so happened that the French Consul General in Cairo during the years 1803–1820, Bernardino

Drovetti,wasanativeof thePiedmontareaofnorthernItalyofwhichTurinis theregionalcapital.AnavidcollectorofEgyptianartifacts,he shippedback toTurinwhateverhecould layhishandson.Hiscollection of more than 8,000 objects—grand statues, other sculptures, stelas, sarcophagi, mummies,amulets, and a treasure of inscribed papyri—formed the core of the Museum’s collection and is an

importantpartoftheexhibitstothisday.TheMuseumboastsasahighlightofitstouristattractionstheTombofKhawhowasthechiefarchitect

of thePharaohAmenhotep II of theEighteenthDynasty.The Italian archaeologistswhodiscovered thetomb in1906dismantled itwithall itswallpaintingsand furnishingsand reconstructed it,withall itscontents,intheTurinmuseum;andonecanseetheretheshroud-wrappeddeceased,hissarcophagus,hisgarments,andhisgroomingitemsjustaswhenhewasentombed3,500yearsago.Anotherfindonexhibitisactuallydatedto3500B.C.; it isauniquepieceofcloththathasonitapaintingofboatsandhuntingscenes.ThereisalsoareconstructedtemplefromNubia.Thearrayofstatuaryisgrandiose.Butitwasacrumblingpapyrus,partoftheoriginalDrovettiCollection,thatwasthecenterofmyattention.WhenDrovettiwasshipping“Egyptianart”backtoTurin,ancientEgyptianwriting—hieroglyphics—

wasstillundeciphered.ItwasoneofNapoleon’sofficerswhofoundinavillagecalledRosettaastonetabletonwhichanedictofkingPtolemyVwasinscribedinthreelanguages—ancientHieroglyphic,lateEgyptianDemotic,andGreek;itwasthisRosettaStone(fig.74,nowintheBritishMuseum)thatenabledayoungFrench linguist, Jean-FrancoisChampollion, todecipherEgyptianhieroglyphics in1822.AftertheTurinMuseumwasestablishedacoupleofyearslater,Champollionwasinvitedtoexamineitstroveofinscribedobjects;itwashewhowasfirsttorecognizetheimmenseimportanceofthepapyrusthathassincebecomeknownastheTurinKingList.

Figure74

StudentsofEgyptianhistory—andreadersofmybooks—arefamiliarwiththenameManetho.HewasanEgyptianpriestinthethirdcenturyB.C.whowascommissionedbyPtolemyI(thefirstGreekrulerofEgyptafterthedeathofAlexandertheGreat)towrite,inGreek,acomprehensivehistoryofEgypt.Theresultingwork,whichlistedEgypt’sPharaohsbydynasties,statedthatbeforethehumankingsEgyptwasruledbydemigods;andbeforethem,sevengods—startingwiththegodPtah—reignedoverthelandfor12,300years.Intime,modernarchaeologistsdiscoveredEgyptiankingliststhatcorroborateManetho’slistings.One,

fromthefourteenthcenturyB.C., isdepictedonthewallsofthe templeofSetiI inAbydos(fig.75); it

showsthisNineteenthDynastykingwithhisson,thefuturefamedRamsesII,facingtheinscribednamesofthedynasticPharaohswhohadreignedbeforethem.Another,knownasthePalermoStonebecauseitisinthePalermoMuseumontheislandofSicily,beginsthelistingswiththegodswhoreignedbeforethedemigods and the human kings. Though what is extant is a fragment of a larger stela (and even thefragmenthasbeendamagedbyitsuseasapeasant’sdoorstopbeforeitsimportancewasrealized),itiscertain that the list exactlymatchesManetho’s from the divine beginnings through the end of the FifthDynasty—whichdatesthisstonedocumenttocirca2400B.C.AndthenthereistheTurinPapyrus,thatalsobeginswith thedivine list—startingwith thegodPtah, followedby theothergods, then thedemigods,andthenthePharaohs.Itisdatedtocirca1250B.C.ThereisthusnodoubtthatwhatManethohadwrittenaboutPtahandtheotherdivinerulersoftheLands

of the Nile was based on earlier canonical documentation in Egypt—millennia-old traditions thatcorroboratemy assertions (see especiallyTheWars ofGods andMen) that the gods of Egypt and ofMesopotamiawere the sameAnunnaki:Ptah in Egyptwas one and the same god calledEnki by theSumerians;hisfirstbornsonMardukinMesopotamiawasRainEgypt;hisothersonNingishziddawasthe godThoth in Egypt, and so on.Ptah was held in both civilizations to have been the one whofashionedManthroughgeneticengineering.Hewastheone,Iwroteinmybooks,whohadsuggestedtotheotherAnunnaki leaderswhat theBible states: “Letus fashion theAdam inour imageandafterourlikeness”(Genesis1:26).

Figure75

ImaginethusmydelightwhenwecameuponabeautifulstatueofabeardedPtah—unusualinthatthestonesurfacehasametallicglow,givingthegod’sstaffagoldenhue(plate26)—withhishieroglyphicnameprominentlycarvedonit,lookinglikeanentwinedcord(fig.76).Itis,Iexplainedtomygroup,astylizationofthemoreelaborateEntwinedSerpentssymbolwhich,inturn,represented(wenowknow)thedouble-helixDNA—theemblemofmedicineandhealing to thisday.Holding inhishands theAnkhsignofLife,thestatuedepictedPtah/Enkiasthegodofgeneticengineering.Egyptian finds,Mesopotamian texts anddepictions, and the tales ofGenesis in theBible,were

comingtogether.

Figure76

Tomillionsaround theworld,Turin isknownas thehomeof theShroudofTurin—a length of cloth,somefourteenfeetlongandlessthanfourfeetwide,presumedtobetheshroudinwhich(asstatedintheGospelofMark15:44–46)thebodyofJesuswaswrappedafterhewastakendownfromthecrossandcarriedtoatombhewnoutoftherocks.Whenthelengthoflinenclothisspreadout,itappearstobearmarkingsasthoseofacrucifiedbody,

frontandback,ofamanwithhishandsfoldeddown.Where,accordingtothegospels’descriptionofthecrucifixionofJesus,hishandsandfeetwerenailedtothecrossbytheRomansoldiers,bleedingwoundsseemtohavelefttheirimprintontheshroud.Theimageisbestrealizedwhenviewedasanegative,whenit shows a tall bearded andmoustachedman,middle-aged, as in this photograph of the shroud’s frontimageinnegative(fig.77).

Figure77

The“ShroudofTurin”becameassociatedwithTurinonlyin1578,whenitwasacquiredbytheDukeEmanueleFilibertooftheHouseofSavoyandbroughttoTurin.BeforethatitwasinFrance,whereitwaskept—andexhibitedonandoff—sinceitwasbrought,purportedlyfromtheislandofCyprus,circa1350.Itisfirstmentionedinwritingina1389letterfromtheBishopofTroyestothePope,complainingthatafourteen-footlengthoflinenisbeingdisplayedinachurchinthetownofLireyinFranceand“althoughitis not publicly stated to be the true shroud of Christ, nevertheless this is given out and noised so inprivate.” The Bishop additionally reported to the Pope that his predecessor had ascertained that “theimageiscunninglypainted...aworkofhumanskillandnotmiraculouslywroughtorbestowed.”Thefirstrecordedmentionoftheshroudwasthuscoupledwithdoubtaboutitsauthenticity—afatethat

hasaccompaniedtheshroudtothisday.ButinspiteoftheBishop’sassertionthattheshroudwasnotarelic fromthe timeofJesus, theshroudattractedmultitudesofBelieversand localnunsattributed to itmiraculoushealingpowers. In1578 the royalHouseofSavoyacquired the shroud,moved it toTurin,houseditinaspecialchapel,andcommissionedfamedpainterstodepicttheshroudinreligious-artstyle;one(fig.78)evenshowstheshroudbeingrepaired.

Figure78

Until the inventionofphotography, thepaintings servedas apowerfulvisualmeans topropagate theshroudandinfertoitreligioussacredness.Thefirstphotographoftherelicwastakenin1898,andthefact that itsnegativewasclearer than thepositive launchedsuggestions that the imageon theshroud isitselfsomekindofanegativeimprintmiraculouslydepositedonthecloth.Asbothvenerationanddoubtscontinued, theChurch permitted in 1978 some scientific examination of the shroud; itwas reported tohaveconfirmeditsauthenticity.Adecadelaterthecuttingoffofapostage-stampsizepieceoftheclothforcarbondatingwasallowed;itdateditto“1260–1390A.D.”Thedisappointingresultwasdulychallenged,andin1993are-examinationsuggestedthatbacteria,mold,orafirein1532affectedthecarbondatingresultbysome1300years—pushingtheageoftheclothbacktothetimeofJesus.Othervariedtestsandanalysesthatfollowedkepttheconclusionsswingingbackandforth—andthecontroversycontinues...Therelicisenshrined,foldedinsideasilvercasket,intheChapeloftheHolyShroudoftheCathedral

ofSanGiovanniBattistaandisunrolledfordisplayonlyonspecialoccasions;theHolyYear2000wasoneofthoseraretimes—andwewenttoseeitduringourdayinTurin.Enteringthedimlylitchapelandreachingthecathedral’sdomedpart,thecasketcouldbeseenrestingonanimposingmarblealtar;aboveit,theshrouditself,framedandprotectedbysheetsofglass,couldbeseenfullyunrolled(plate27).Theimage, in faded brownish-yellow color,was exactly aswe had seen it in photographs,and it lookedauthentic. But whether it really was, turned out to be doubly doubtful: First because of the ongoingcontroversy,andsecondbecause,toourdismay,weheardlaterthatwhatwesawdisplayedwasareplicaandnotyettheoriginal—theoriginalwouldbeexposedonlylaterthatyear...So is the lengthof cloth two thousandyears old? Is it a burial shroud? Is the image an imprint of a

crucifiedman,orjustapaintingnomatterhowcleverlydone?AndiftheanswersareYes,Yes,Yes—isitthe burial shroudofJesus?No one can say for sure. TheVatican has steadfastly neither endorsed therelic’sauthenticitynordeniedit.PopeJohnPaulII,whowenttoTurin(severalmonthsafterus)aspartofthe Holy Year ceremonies and did get to see the original shroud, spoke of its spiritual meaning: An

affirmationofJesusastheChrist.Tome,theShroudofTurinwasasteponthewaytothemysteryoftheLastSupper.

BeforeweleftMilanwewenttoseeLeonardodaVinci’smasterpiece—TheLastSupper.Itisamuralpaintedbyhimin1495–1498forhispatron,theDukeLudovicoSforza,onawallinthe

conventoftheSantaMariadelleGraziechurchinMilan,whichisnowaUNESCOWorldHeritagesite.The churchwas damaged duringWorldWar II in anAllied air-raid onMilan in 1943; but themuralsurvived undamaged—a miracle that enhanced its fame and significance. The painting has undergoneseveral restorations, starting as early as1726; the latest restoration, intended to removedirt andotherpollutionandtostabilizethepaintingagainstflakinganddeterioration,usedadvancedscientificmethodstoascertain elementsof theoriginalpainting, and is thereforedeemedby some tohave resulted in themost authentic version—while other experts have been unhappywith the brighter and stronger colors,preferringtheolderversionashavingamoreauthenticfeel.Thisslowrestorationworklastedfrom1978to1999;itwascompletedintimefortheHolyYear2000—andwewere,asstatedabove,amongthefirsttoseetherestoredpaintingthatyear(fig.79).Fifteenfeetlong,thepainting(plate28,aftertherestoration)portraysJesusandhistwelvedisciplesat

his“lastsupper”beforehisarrestandcrucifixion,astoldintheNewTestament.Theyareseatedatalongtable, on which food platters and round bread-cakes are seen. Jesus is in the center, flanked by hisdisciplesingroupsofthree,sixoneachsideoftheirMaster.Eachpersondepicted,startingwithJesushimself,isamasterfulportraitpaintedbydaVincitoexpresspersonality,emotion,intent.Theface,thegesture,theclothing,whateachoneholdsorpointsto—createalifelikeandrealisticsceneasthoughitwasaphotograph;andindeed,fromthebeginningtothemostrecentnotorietyofthepainting,ithasbeentreated as though it was such—a “photograph” if not in fact, then certainly in its Church-approvedinterpretationofthatnight’seventsaccordingtotheNewTestament.

Figure79

ExpertshaveidentifiedthetwelvedisciplesbytheirNewTestamentnames,startingwithBatholomew,Jamesthelesser,andAndrewonJesus’extremeright,andMatthew,Jude,andSimononhisextremeleft.JudasIscariot,whohasbeenaccusedofbetrayingJesus(fourthfromtheleft)isshownwearinggreenandblue,thecolorsofbetrayalaccordingtotheexperts.ThephotographicqualityofdaVinci’smasterpieceappearstohavecapturedthegroupatamomentof

great excitement. Interpreters of the painting have suggested that it was themoment, reported in John

chapter13,whenJesusannouncedtohisdisciplesthatoneofthemwouldbetrayhim;butthathappenedafter themealwasover and Jesus,having takenhis clothesoff,washed thedisciples’ feet.Therewassomethingelse—duringthemeal—thatagitatedthegroup.Onecouldnotdiscussthesepointsinfrontofthepainting,sincethegroup’sallottedtwentyminutesof

viewingwereup.Backatthehotel,atthelastgroupbriefingbeforeleavingMilan,Ipointedoutthatintwodayswe covered 5,000 years of history.But the discussion centered on the “Jesus exhibits”—theShroud,thedaVincipainting.Membersofthegroupvoicedtheirreactionstowhatwehadvisited,whatwehadseen.ThediscipletotherightofJesusseemedtoevokethegreatestcuriosity;someonerecalledabookthatsuggesteditwasafemale,MaryMagdalene.Otherswonderedwhatthediscipleswereagitatedabout.AsfarasIamconcerned,Isaid,itisnotsomuchwhatthepaintingshows,butratherwhatitdoesnot

show.Tounderstandmypuzzlement,Iadded,onemustrealizethatthe“LastSupper”thatJesusandhisdiscipleswerehavingwasa traditionalandrituallyprescribedJewishSeder—thePassover-evemeal,theholidaycommemoratingtheIsraeliteExodusfromEgypt.Aprincipalrole in thePassoverSedermeal isplayedbytheProphetElijah,whowas takenup ina

whirlwind to bewithGod andwhowas to reappear, at Passover time, as theHerald of theMessiah.Customrequiredthataspecialcup,agobletfilledwithwine,besetonthetableforElijah,andahymnissungcallinguponhimtoappear,sipfromhiscup,andusherthemessianictime.Thiscustom,Isaid,wasfollowedbyJesus,towhomtheappearanceoftheHeraldwasvital;heheldupthecupofwineandmadethe blessing, according to theNewTestament;but in the painting there is no cup, no gobletwhereJesussits,Isaid;Why?IsthisthemysteryoftheHolyGrail?Years later,asIwaswritingTheEndofDays, I realized that Ihave indeedfound theanswer in this

paintingofTheLastSupper.

9

VATICANENCOUNTERS

One can visit Italy, the destination of the 2000EarthChroniclesExpedition, countless timeswithoutexhausting that country’s places of interest; the Vatican in Rome is just one of them. The customaryBriefingNotes prepared byme for that Expedition beganwith amap of Italy onwhich I circled fivedestinations (fig. 80); with the exception of Bolzano and its Iceman, they all had to do—oneway oranother—withtheVatican,theheartandmindoftheCatholicChurchanditsbillionandahalffollowersaroundtheworld.Therewerespecificreasonsforourgoingtoeachoneofthemarkedplaces;butunderlyingitallwas

thecuriositystemmingfrompersistentrumorsthat“TheVatican”—asadepositoryofcovertknowledgeandsecretartifactsaccumulatedoverthemillennia—knowsmorethanitdivulgesaboutwhatwasandwhatwillbe;thatitevenknowsabout“my”Anunnakiandtheirplanet,Nibiru.Andtofindoutasmuchaspossibleaboutthatwasanaddedpersonalpurposeofthetrip.Indeed,theveryreasonforgoingtoItalyatthatparticulartimewasdirectlyconnectedtotheVatican:

Tomeet,andhaveapublicdialogue,withoneofitsspokesmenonthesubjectofExtraterrestrials.It has been some twoor threeyears by then thatwordhad reachedme that a certainmemberof the

Vatican hierarchy—a Monsignor, no less—who has been speaking on the subject of UFOs andExtraterrestrialsonItaliantelevisionandinpressinterviews,hasmentionedmybooks.

Figure80

That, the reader should be told, was not the first time that my writings were noticed by Christianclergymen.Alreadyin1978,twoyearsafterThe12thPlanetwaspublished,IsharedaninterviewonaChristian radio program in Chicago with a Presbyterian Pastor, Rev. Jack Jennings, of the ChristusCollegiuminMontana,whohad this tosayaboutmybook:“Thepossibility thatMan isnot theonlyintelligentlifeintheuniverseandthatastronautsfromouterspacemayhavebeeninvolvedinMan’sorigins and development is supported by enough evidence tomerit serious consideration.” Severalyearslater,IfoundoutthataCatholicpriest,FatherCharlesMooreinCalifornia,wasquotingfrommybooksonhisweeklyradioprogram;welaterappearedtogetheronTVandhewasapresenterataSitchinStudiesDayin1996inDenver.Otherclergymenattendedandspokeupatmyvariousseminars.Butnowtheclergymanwhospokeoutwasofadifferentcaliber...HisnamewasCorradoBalducci,

andhewas a respected theologianhigh in theVaticanhierarchy, amemberof theCuria of theRomanCatholicChurch,aPrelateoftheCongregationfortheEvangelizationofPeoplesandthePropagationofthe Faith, a member of the Vatican’s Beatification Committee that approves sainthoods, the author ofseveral books. He was actually designated by the Vatican to speak out on the UFO/Extraterrestrialssubjects,Iwastold;andpeopleinItalywonderedwhetherIhadanyplanstocometoItalyandmeetwithhim.Atonepoint itwas arranged forme to speak at a conference inSardiniawhichhewas alsodue to

address;buthecanceledhisparticipationat the lastminute, andourmeetingdidnot takeplace.Then,early in 2000, the organizers of an international conference titled Il Mistero dell Esistenza Umana

invitedmetocometoItalyinMarch,assuringmethattheMonsignorwillalsobethereandwillbereadytohaveadialoguewithme—apublicdialogue.AndsoitwasthatonFridayMarch31,2000,IandmywifeandtwentyofmyAmericanfanstookthe

train inBolzano and arrived inRimini, a resort townon theAdriaticSea, for the “MysteryofHumanExistence” conference. The venue was a huge Centro Congressi Europeo in the adjoining town ofBellaria;Iwasscheduledtospeaktherethenextday,theMonsignoronSundaymorning,andourdialoguewastotakeplaceSundayafternoon.ButbySaturdaymorning,Balducciwasnowhereinsight...I leftfortheconferencevenuecertainthattheMonsignorhadrenegedagain;butwhenIarrivedthere

andwasledtothespeakers’room,abefrockedtallCatholicpriestwelcomedmewithopenarms;hetookbothmy hands in his, and said: I amMonsignor Corrado Balducci, and I have great esteem for yourscholarship; I drove thewhole night fromRome to hear you speak! It was FriendshipAt First Sight,commemoratedbymanyphotographs(plate29).AsIwasledtothespeaker’srostrum,Iwasastoundedbythesizeoftheaudience—thereweremore

than a thousand people there. My talk, ably translated by my Italian editor Tuvia, included a slidepresentation thataddedapictorialdimension to the textualevidence fromancient times, supportingmyconclusionsabouttheplanetNibiruandtheAnunnakiwhohadcomefromittoEarthandthenusedgeneticengineeringtobringaboutTheAdam.That,Isaid,istheSumerianexplanationofthemysteryofHumanityand itscivilization;and indoing that thesegodswitha small“g”actedasemissariesof theUniversalCreator—Godwithacapital“G.”“Wehavemuchtotalkabout,”Msgr.Balduccisaidtomeashecameforwardtocongratulatemeonmy

presentation.“Shallwedo itat lunch?”Isuggested.Weall returned to thehotel,and therestaurantsetasideatableforme,mywife,andMsgr.Balducci(fig.81);therestofmygroupsatattablessurroundingusinasemicircle.Several inmygroup,asonanunspokencommand,triggeredtheir taperecorders:ItwasnoteverydaythatarepresentativeoftheVaticanandadescendantofAbrahamwereabouttodiscussExtraterrestrialsandtheCreationofMan.Yet,inwhatsurelywasahistoricfirst,ourconclusionsconverged.Thoughdifferentfromeachotherin

background,upbringing,religion,andmethodology,wearrivedatthesecommonconclusions:

Extraterrestrialscananddoexistonotherplanets.

Theycanbemoreadvancedthanus.

Materially,Mancouldhavebeenfashionedfromapre-existingsentientbeing.

Figure81

Inthehours-longsession,Msgr.BalduccioutlinedtheChurchpositionshewasgoingtostateinhistalkthenextday.Fromtimetotimehereadfromhispreparedtext,andthenagreedtogivemeacopy,sothatwhenhiswordsaregivenhereinquotationmarks,theyareactualquotesfromhistextorfromthetapedrecord.Itwasclearthatwhilemyapproachwasbasedontheavailablephysicalevidencefromantiquity,his

was a purely Roman Catholic theological-philosophical one. Based on the taped recording and hispreparedtext,thesewerethepositionsexpressedbyMsgr.Balducci:

OnUFOs:“Theremustbesomethingtoit.”Thehundredsandthousandsofeyewitnessreportsleavenoroom for denying that there is a measure of truth in them, even allowing for optical illusions,atmosphericphenomena,andsoon.SuchwitnessingcannotbedismissedbyaCatholic theologian:“Witnessingisonewayoftransmittingtruth,andinthecaseoftheChristianreligionwearetalkingaboutaDivineRevelationinwhichwitnessingiscrucialtothecredibilityofourfaith.”

OnlifeonotherPlanets:“Thatlifemayexistonotherplanetsiscertainlypossible;theBibledoesnotrule out that possibility. On the basis of scripture and on the basis of our knowledge of God’somnipotence,Hiswisdombeinglimitless,wemustaffirmthatlifeonotherplanetsispossible.”Moreover,thisisnotonlypossible,butalsocredibleandevenprobable.“CardinalNicoloCusano

(1401–1464)wrotethatthereisnotasinglestarintheskyaboutwhichwecanruleouttheexistenceoflife,evenifdifferentfromours.”

OnintelligentExtraterrestrials:“WhenItalkaboutExtraterrestrials,wemustthinkofbeingswhoarelike us—more probably, beingsmore advanced than us, in that their nature is an association of amaterial part and a spiritual part, a body and a soul, although in different proportions than humanbeingsonEarth.”Angelsarebeingswhoarepurelyspiritual,devoidofbodies,whilewearemadeupofspiritandmatterand[are]stillatalowlevel.”“It isentirelycredible that in theenormousdistancebetweenAngelsandhumans, therecouldbe

foundsomemiddlestage, that isbeingswithabodylikeoursbutmoreelevatedspiritually.Ifsuchintelligentbeingsreallyexistonotherplanets,onlysciencewillbeable toprove. Inspiteofwhatsomepeoplethink,wewouldbeinapositiontoreconciletheirexistencewiththeRedemptionthatChristhasbroughtus.”

These were far-reaching statements, in which I saw the basis for his being “reconciled” with myconclusions;buthiscommentsskippedoveramajorpoint:TheCreationofMan...Wellthen,IaskedMsgr.Balducci,doesitmeanthatmypresentationwasnogreatrevelationtoyou?We

appeartoagreethatmoreadvancedExtraterrestrialscanexist,andIusesciencetoevidencetheircomingtoEarth;butthenIquotetheSumeriantextsthatsaythattheAnunnaki(“ThosewhofromHeaventoEarthcame”)genetically improvedanexistingbeingonEarth tocreate the intelligentbeing that theBiblecallsAdam.Dowehaveaconflictinthat?The Monsignor must have been ready for the challenge. My conclusion regarding your overall

presentation,hesaid,isthatmorethananythingelseyourwholeapproachisbasedonphysicalevidence;itconcernsitselfwithmatter,notwithspirit.Thisisanimportantdistinction,“becauseifthisdistinctionismade,IcanbringuptheviewofthegreattheologianProfessorFatherMarakoff,whoisstillaliveand

whoisgreatlyrespectedintheChurch.HeformulatedthehypothesisthatwhenGodcreatedManandputthe soul into him, perhaps what is meant is not that Man was created from mud or lime, but fromsomethingpre-existing,evenfromasentientbeingcapableoffeelingandperception.Sothe ideaoftaking a pre-Man or hominid and creating someone who is aware of himself is something thatChristianity is coming around to. The key is the distinction between thematerial body and the soulgrantedbyGod.”This,Irealized,wasimportant—butitcircumventedtheroleoftheAnunnaki.Yes,Irespondedtothe

Vaticantheologian,inmywritingsIdealwithphysicalevidence;butalreadyinmyfirstbook,The12thPlanet, thelastsentenceof thelastparagraphraisesthequestion:If theExtraterrestrials, theAnunnaki,“created” us, who created them on their planet? From that my own thinking and the content of mysubsequent books evolved toward the spiritual or “divine” aspects. I explained in the books that theAnunnakiwerejustemissaries,whichiswhattheHebrewwordMalachim,translated“Angels,”means.They thought that itwas theirdecision tocomehere for selfish reasonsand to fashionusbecause theyneededworkers,butintruththeyonlycarriedouttheplansofanAlmightyGod.IfsuchExtraterrestrialsweresoinvolved,Msgr.Balduccisaid,evenbyyourowninterpretationthey

hadtodowithMan’sphysics,bodyandrationality;butGodalonehadtodowiththesoul!Well,Isaid,mysecondbookwhichdealswithMan’saspirationstoascendtheheavensis titledThe

StairwaytoHeaven;itseemstomethatyouandIareascendingthesamestairwaytoheaven,thoughbydifferentsteps:Ipursuethephysicalevidence,youpursuethesoul!“Wecanagreeonsuchadivisionoflabor,”theMosignoranswered.Itwaslateintheafternoon;weagreedtocontinuenextday,infrontofthepublicaudience.Butnextday

theprogramturnedchaotic,withspeakersholdingforthwellbeyondtheirallottedtime,angryexchanges,andprotestsfromtheaudience.Theprogrammeddialoguewaslostinthecommotion.WhentheMsgr.andIsaidgood-bye,wepartedasfriends,promisingtostayintouchandcontinue.For

awhilewedid,evenconsideringthepossibilityofajointbook;butthenthecontactspeteredout.Asfaras I know,Msgr.Balducci continued to speak out and state theVatican’s position onExtraterrestrials:Theycananddoexist.

That Msgr. Balducci’s analytical approach—of building his conclusions upon a foundation of earlierChurch theological opinions—was a traditional Catholic methodology, became evident as my grouparrivedinRomeandwewenttotheVatican—withthegrouptothevariouspubliclyaccessibleparts,andIadditionallytothehallowedVaticanLibraryforaprivatemeetingwithitsdirector.Romehasalwaysevokedinmeafeelingthatthereismoretothecity’srootsthatlinksittotheancient

lands—more,andearlier, than theknownchaptersof thePunicWarswith thePhoeniciansofCarthage(secondcenturyB.C.),theconquestoftheNearEastandEgyptinthefirstcenturyB.C.,andthesubsequentfatefuleventsinJudeaandJerusalemthatlieatthecoreofChristianity.Names,numbers,andtalesassociatedwithRomeandRomanhistorynaggedatmysenseofhistorical

connections:AccordingtotheRomanhistorianVirgil,Rome’sfirstsettlerswererefugeesfromTroy—i.e.,people fromAsiaMinor.Twelve of their kings ruled there for three centuries.The last of those kings,afraidofthetwinsRomulusandRemos(sonsborntoadaughterofamurderedking)orderedtheinfantsthrownintotherivertodie—atalethatechoestheSumerianstoryofSargonofAkkadand thebiblicalstoryofPharaohandMoses.Whentheygrewup(suckledbyashe-wolf),RomuluskilledRemos(thetaleofCainandAbel)and,guidedbyadivineomen,ploughedafurrowaroundthePalatineHillandfounded

therethesettlementthatwasnamedafterhim,“Rome”—acitybuiltonsevenhills.BothsevenandtwelvewerekeynumbersinSumerandintheBible.AndthenthereistheVaticanitself,withitslinkstothetwelveApostles;withSt.Peter’sbasilicabuilt,

liketheearliertempleofSolomoninJerusalem,asanequinoctialtemplefacingpreciselyeast(fig.82a,b);withanEgyptianobeliskinthecenterofSt.Peter’sroundplazawhichismarkedofftoindicatethetwelvehousesoftheZodiac.Thelinkstotheancientpast,ontheothersideoftheMediterraneanSea,areallovertheplace.HistoriansspeakofthesocietalorganizationintheancientNearEastasthatof“city-states.”Nowadays,

the Vatican is that kind of entity: It is a state within a state (Italy) and a city within a city (Rome),surroundedbyitsowndefensivewall(fig.83),astatusarrangedbyatreatysignedin1929.PeopleareunawareofthatasthetourbusesunloadtheminSt.Peter’sPlazaandtheyflock,unhindered,toSt.Peter’sbasilica.ButcometotheentrancethatleadstotheApostolicPalace(asIandmywifedidtoreachtheLibrary),andyougothroughPassportControlexactlyaswhenyoureachaninternationalborder...

Figure82

TheVaticanMuseums,publicentrytowhichisfromasidestreet,consistofaseriesofgallerieshousedinvarioussectionsofbuildingsthatalsoserveaspapalpalaces—residencesandadministrativeoffices;fig.84liststhemaincollectionsandshowstheirlocations.Thesheersize,variety,andprofusionofexhibitsinthemuseumsrequireatleastseveraldaystobefully

seen,appreciated,andunderstood.Wehadtoskipagooddeal,andonlywenttotheEgyptianMuseumwhichalso includes someMesopotamianobjects, spent time in theEtruscanMuseum—themysteriouspre-Roman Italians whose writing emulates the ancient Hebrew alphabet, and—passing through thePinacoteca,agalleryofpaintingsandtapestriesfromtheeleventhtothenineteenthcenturies—madeourwaytotheuniqueSistineChapel.

Figure83

Figure84

TheSistineChapel,builtbetween1475and1481andpartoftheApostolicPalace,originallyservedasthepapalprayerchapelandiswheretheSacredCollegeofCardinalsaresequesteredtodeliberateandelectanewPope.Fromtheverybeginning, itwasbuiltanddecoratedtoevokeJerusalemandtheOldTestament.Rectangular inshape, thechapelmeasures40.93meters longand13.41meterswide (about135 by 44 feet)—duplicating, it has been claimed, the exact measurements of Solomon’s Temple inJerusalem.Thewallsandceilingofthechapelarecoveredwithreligious-themefrescoespaintedbytheleading late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries Renaissance painters. While the wall frescoes aredevoted to scenes from the life ofMoses and Jesus, most famous are those on the arched ceiling byMichelangelothatdepictscenesfromthebiblicalbookofGenesis.Wewere in luck, for this famouschapelwasclosed for a long time for the renovationof itsworld-

renowned frescoes,andwas reopened topublicentrybyPopeJohnPaul II in time for theMillenniumYear2000,justmonthsbeforeourExpeditiontoItaly.Wecouldthusgoin,andviewthefamedpaintingsintheirrestoredoriginalcolors.Themost famous,mostcopied,andmost insightful frescoesareMichelangelo’sscenes fromGenesis

—includingthemajesticCreationofAdam(plate30).Paintedbyhimsoastobelocatedpreciselyabovethe altar, it depicts the Creator—God—in a wholly anthropomorphic shape, outstretching his righthand in order to impart to the already existingEarthling (which iswhat“Adam” literallymeans inHebrew) the divine element that differentiatesHomo sapiens from other creatures (including earlierhominids).ThisisamostprofoundunderstandingofthetaleinGenesisoftheCreationofManbytheElohim—a

termusuallytranslated“God”butwhichismostdefinitelyplural—whodecidedtofashiontheAdam“inour image and after our likeness” (asGenesis 1:26 states).Amazingly, it is an understanding of thebiblicaltalethatisinaccordwiththeSumeriancreationtextsaboutthegeneticengineeringbytheAnunnakithatadvancedManfromanexistingprimitivehominidtotheintelligentHomosapiens.Inthosetexts,aselaboratedinmybooksThe12thPlanetandGenesisRevisited, thegeneticfeatwas

attained by Enki, assisted by the goddessNinharsag and his sonNingishzidda,whose Sumerian nameliterally meant “Lord/god of the Tree of Life.” I have therefore found it highly significant that theadjoiningscenepaintedontheceilingbyMichelangelo,TheExpulsionfromtheGardenofEden fresco(thestoryofEveandtheSerpent),depictstheSerpentasananthropomorphicbeingemergingoutofanentwinedTreeofKnowing(fig.85).Thesedepictionsareinterpretationsofthebiblicaltalethatgowaybeyondthemereunderstandingthat

theBible’sHebrewtermNachash(translated“serpent”)canalsomean“aDiviner”and“Hewhounveilssecrets”—epithetsofEnki,whoinasecondgeneticmanipulationgavethesterilehybridsAdamandEve“Knowing”—thebiblical termfor theability toprocreate.HisEgyptianname,Ptah,wasunmistakenlywrittenbyahieroglyphthatdepictsEntwinedSerpents—thedouble-helixDNAaswehaveseenearlierintheTurinmuseum(seefig.76).Allofthisechoesnot“Biblebelt”dogmabuttheancientSumeriansources!UnlikethepaintingsinthePinacoteca,whichcanbeshiftedandhungeitherhereorthereoraltogether

removed, thesefrescoes(muralspainteddirectlyonwetplaster)arepermanentdepictions.There isnowaythatthePopesofthattimewouldhavealloweddepictionsthatdonotconformtoChurchtheology,sothey represented theofficial tenets of theVatican in regard to these themes.That theprofound insightsexpressedinthesefrescoesreachallthewaybacktothesources—theSumeriansources—oftheHebrew

Bible is truly mind-boggling; it can also explain why Msgr. Balducci relied in his statements on acardinal’swordsfromthefifteenthcentury—theverytimeoftheSistineChapel’spaintings.

Figure85

Thereare,IhavefoundoutinmyVaticanEncounters,othertiming“coincidences”thatbogglethemind.

It was because of the amazing “Sumerian insights” in the Sistine Chapel (which I have visited twicebefore)thatIaskedmyItalianpublishertousehispersonalcontactstogetmeintotheVaticanLibrary.Itwas part of my effort—naive as it was—to get a glimpse, any glimpse possible, of what has beenpersistently rumored to have been vast secret treasures in theVatican—not just treasures in the gold-silver-jewelrysense,butawealthofartifactsanddocumentsofarchaeological,historical,andevenpre-historicalvalue.Fortwomillennia,Romangeneralsandemperors,Churchemissaries,powerfulpatronspayinghomage,

andgenerationsofpilgrimshavebroughttotheVaticanpreciousworksofart,rareartifacts,andbookandmanuscriptcollectionsfromallovertheworld—includingtheancientlands.Someweregifts,somewerebooty—as often as not taken from the sacred sites and temples of other peoples, such as the sacredcandelabra and other ritual objects from theTemple in Jerusalem (which are depicted on theArch ofTitus,fig.86).Whereareall theserelicsandpricelessdocuments?Whilesomeareonviewin theVatican’spublic

andprivateareas,wherearetherestofthem?TheVaticanLibraryandMuseumsarepartoftheanswer;but the bulk have ended up stored in the cellars and underground chambers and corridors below theVatican’sbuildings;andsomeofthoseobjectsanddocuments—sotherumorspersistentlygo—attestthemostexplosivesecrets...

Figure86

Could they includesecretsconcerning theExtraterrestrialsofwhomMsgr.Balducci—and theearlierauthoritieshehadquoted—havespoken,andtheAnunnakiandtheirplanetofwhomIhavewritten?TheVaticanApostolicLibrarywasestablishedin1448byPopeNicholasVwhenhecombinedearlier

papalcollectionsofGreek,Latin,andHebrewcodiceswithhisowncollectionofmanuscripts,includingoldonesfromtheChurchlibraryintherivalConstantinople;itwasareachbackwardtosomeofthemostancientsourcesofreligionandbeliefs . . . In time,othercollectionswereaddedbyvariedmeans,andnowadays theLibrary holds some 80,000manuscripts (handwritten books) and over amillion printedbooks,inadditiontohundredsofpapyriandparchmentscrolls.TheLibraryishousedinawingofthegroupofbuildingsthatalsohousetheVaticanMuseumsandthe

SistineChapel, but is reached from inside theVatican (after PassportControl).Mymeeting therewaswithDr.AmbrogioPiazzoni,alayDirectoroftheinstitution.Heinvitedmeandmywifetohisoffice,andgaveusageneralexplanationofthelibraryandhowitfunctions.Youcomehighlyrecommended,hesaid,sowewillgladlyissuetoyouaResearchPermittocomeandworkhereanytimeyouwish.Ithankedhimandaskedtoseesomeofthestufftheykeep,andheledmetoseethestacks,withtheir

rowsofshelvesladenwithbooksanddocuments;therewerealsoclosedboxespiledup.Howoldaretheoldestyouhave?Iasked.Fourthcenturyorso,heanswered.A.D.?Iaskedtomakeitclear;Yes,ofcourse,hesaid.ThatisfromtheofficialbeginningofRomanChristianity,Isaid—theEmperorConstantine,theCouncil of Nicaea; but I heard that you also have gospels and manuscripts from the beginning ofChristianity?Ah,Yes,heanswered—buttheyarenotincludedinthecatalogue,sotheyarenotavailabletooutsideresearchers...WhataboutHebrewmanuscripts—Iunderstandthatsomewereintheveryfirstcollection,Iasked.Yes,

heanswered,weinfactcollaboratewiththeHebrewUniversityinJerusaleminstudyingandpublishingsomeofthem.WhenIwasinPrague,Isaid,IwasamazedtoseebooksfromtheMiddleAgesinHebrew,somehandwritten,someprinted,dealingwithastronomy;doyouhaveanyhere?We’llhavetochecktheastronomysection,heanswered—wehavequiteacollection, includingtheactualoldest logrecordsofthe Vatican Observatory. Could the original Hebrew manuscripts you have be ones dealing withastronomy?Iasked.Hewasn’tsure.Wethen talkedaboutanotherkindofdocument fromantiquity—tablets, inscribedobjects,depictions.

Asanexampleofmy interests, I toldhimof thePontificalBiblical Institute inJerusalemand thegoodcooperationIreceivedfromtheJesuitprieststhereinmysearchfortheartifactsfromthesiteinJordanconnectedtotheprophetElijah.WhentheChurchisinvolved,wheredoallsuchfindsendup?Iasked.He explained that they come under the jurisdiction of the museum’s people in the archaeologicaldepartment.IamawaitingwordwhenIcouldalsomeetwiththem,Isaid.Well,maybetheywill showyousomethingsfrombehindthescenes,hesaidwithasmile.Thatothermeetingdidnottakeplace,andIsawnopointingoingagaintotheVaticanLibrary,withno

chanceofseeingwhat isdeliberatelykeptunseen.Butbefore leavingRome,Iwentback to theSistineChapelandstaredagainatitsfrescoes,studyingthemslowlyandcarefully;theanswer,Ifelt,hastobethere.ThewallswerecoveredwithpaintingsdevotedtoMosesandJesus—theonewhoreceivedtheTenCommandmentsfromGod,theotherwhoChristiansbelievewastakentoHeavenandwillreturn;angelshoveredeverywhere.TheceilingtoldtheGenesisstoriesofCreation,showingGodinaheavenlycloudextendingHishandtoAdam.Thereseemedtobeapowerfulmessage to thecardinalsas theyassemble toelectanewPope:God

andHisangelsareExtraterrestrials.

Myconversationwith theVaticanLibrarydirector remindedme that there is yet anothermystery there—theVaticanObservatory.ThattheVaticanhashadanastronomicalobservatoryisnosecret;thatitoperatesasophisticatedarray

oftelescopesintheUnitedStates—inTucson,Arizona—isalittle-knownfact,butnotasecret.ThefactthattheobservatoryhasbeenoperatedbyJesuits—priestsofthesameorderthatrunsthearchaeologicallyoriented Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem—has only deepened the aura of mystery and mycuriosity.The Observatory’s founding is attributed to Pope Gregory XIII (1572–1585) who ordered an

observationtowertobeerected.CalledtheToweroftheWindsandlocatednexttotheVaticanLibrary,thestill-standingtowerhasinitscenteramarbleplatesurroundedbythetwelvesignsoftheZodiac.Aceiling hole in the south lets the Sun’s rays strike ameridian line on the floor; learned Jesuit priestsassembledbythePope,bychartingtheSun’smovementswithinthezodiacalcircle,calculatedhowfarthetheninuseJuliancalendar—socalledbecauseitwasintroducedinRomantimesbyJuliusCaesar—strayed from the astronomical reality.The resultwas thewipingof tendaysoffOctober1582and theintroduction of a new (and current) Gregorian Calendar. Jesuit priests have been in charge of theObservatoryeversince.In1780the thenheadof theVaticanLibraryconverted theupperpartof the tower toanobservatory,

equippeditwiththebestinstrumentsofthetime,andappointedthepriestFilippoLuigiGilil,ascientistversedinarchaeologyandHebrew,tobeitsdirector.ItwashewhoreplicatedthemeridianlineandthezodiacalcircleonagreaterscaleinSt.Peter’sSquare,usingtheEgyptianobeliskthereforagnomon’sshadow.In the1930s theObservatorymoved to its presentofficial site,CastelGandolfo, thePope’s summer

residenceinthemountainssoutheastofRome.In1993,theVaticanerecteditsmaintelescopesonMountGraham inArizona, in collaborationwith theUniversityofArizona inTucson. It is equippedwith themost sophisticated telescopic equipment. And the question that has intrigued me has been this:Whywould the Vatican have its own astronomical observatory? What need does the Church have toobservetheheavens?Ananswerofsortswasprovidedataninternationalgatheringofastronomersandastrophysicistsatthe

Vatican inMay2000,heldaspartof theHolyYear2000celebrations.Welcoming the scientists inSt.Peter’sBasilica,PopeJohnPaulIIofferedhisviewsonReligionandSciencebystatingthatscientificresearch“isagenuinewaytoarriveatthesourceofalltruthrevealedtousintheScriptures.”Press reports weremore informative: “For five days 250 astrophysicists will discuss the birth and

growthof“islandsofstars”ofwhichthevisibleuniverseseemstobepopulated;paralleltotheofficialtheme, informal discussions range from the Big Bang to extraterrestrial civilizations.” But a leadingVatican astronomer was even more specific, as press headlines reported: “EXTRATERRESTRIALSEXISTANDTHEYAREOURBROTHERS”(fig.87).ThissoundedverymuchlikeMsgr.Balduccispeaking...Buttheheadline-grabbingstatement,itwas

reported,wasmadebyFather JoséFunes, a Jesuitpriestwithadegree inastrophysicsandoneof theluminariesoftheVaticanObservatory.ImanagedtolocatehimattheObservatory’saddressinArizona,told him briefly that “central tomywritings has been a conclusion that a planet calledNibiru by theSumeriansisapost-PlutonianplanetbelongingtoourSolarsystem,”andaskedforinformationabouttheworkandpurposesoftheObservatory.

Figure87

Father Funes, by then on his way to Argentina for a year, was quite courteous, and we exchangedseveral letters; but the only information I received from himwas the official printed “Annual Report2000”oftheObservatory.Therewasnothinginitthatdirectlyrelatedtothebombshellstatementsattheinternationalconference,insofarasactualtelescopicobservationswerereported;buttheJesuitstaff’sresearchespertainingto“TheEvolutionofLife,”andto“CosmicDestinyandHumanDestiny”soundedintriguing. In a listing of publicwritings and lectures by theObservatory’sDirector, FatherGeorgeV.Coyne,thefocusofitseffortswasmadeclear:“TheevolutionofIntelligentLifeonEarthandpossiblyelsewhere.”That, coupled with Father Funes’ headline declaration, suggest that Msgr. Balducci’s statements

stemmed from a wide-based approach in the Vatican under Pope John Paul II. But all that still leftunansweredthespecificquestion:WhatexactlyistheObservatorylookingforonbehalfoftheVatican?

10

STARGAZERSANDSKYMAPS

Long before the Vatican had an observatory manned by Jesuit priests, the Sumerians had theirs—zigguratsmannedbyastronomerpriests(fig.88);andlongbeforeCopernicus(defyingtheVatican!)haddeterminedinthesixteenthcenturyA.D. thatEarthisamemberofaplanetarysystemwiththeSuninitscenter,theSumerianshadknownittobeso.Theyevendepicteditso4,500yearsago.TheSumerians,whosecivilizationblossomedoutinMesopotamiasome6,000yearsago,arecredited

withahostof“firsts”thathaveremainedessentialtoanadvancedsociety.Thewheel,thebrick,high-risebuildings, thekiln,mathematics, astronomy, lawcodes, contracts (including formarriageanddivorce),kingship, religion,writing—these are just a fewof themore thanonehundredFirsts on the list.Theircuneiformscript(fig.89)remainedinusealmosttothetimeofJesus;andwhattheydescribedinwordswasoftendepictedpictoriallyoncylinderseals(fig.90).Cutfromstonesandmeasuringontheaverageaboutaninchinheight,theengravedcylindersservedasprecursorsofthemodernrollerprintingpress:theartistengravedinthestonethedesireddepictioninreverse,asanegative,whichleftapositiveimagewhenrolledonwetclay.Theyarecalledcylindersealsbecausethatwastheirprimepurpose:Toserveasaking’sorVIP’spersonalseal,withwhichtostampclaydocumentsorclaycontainers.

Figure88

Figure89

Figure90

ThousandsofcylindersealsortheirimprintshavebeenfoundthroughouttheancientNearEast;everymuseumboastssome;scoresofscholarlybooksandcatalogueslist,copy,anddepictthem.Inthecourseofmyresearches,Ihavestudiedandexaminedaboutthreethousandofthem;ofparticularinteresttomewere seals adornedwithcelestial scenesorheavenly symbols.Oneday I cameacross a sealdrawingwhich boggled the mind: it was of cylinder seal VA/243 in the VorderasiatischesMuseum in Berlin.Scholarssaidthatthesceneonitwas“mythological”—depictingthegrantoftheploughtoMankindbythe god of farming. But the celestial scene with which it was adorned (fig. 91) showed a starsurroundedbyplanets—asolarsystem!Theyearwas1971.TheVorderasiatischesMuseumwasinwhatwasthenEastBerlin,behindthe“Iron

Curtain.” I wrote a letter to theMuseum, asking for a photograph and any available information andenclosed$10tocovercostsandfees.Tomysurprise,Ireceivedananswer—aletterenclosingaglossyphotographtowhichacaption(“Sumeriancylinderseal,c.2500B.C.”)wasattached(fig.92).Theletter,signedbytheMuseum’sDirector, listedabriefbibliographyofpublisheddata.Researchbasedonthatleftnodoubt:

Figure91

Figure92

Some 4,500 years ago—thousands of years before the invention of the telescope—a Sumerianartistdepictedourcompletesolarsystem,withitsstar—theSun—inthecenter.Yearslater,afterThe12thPlanetwaspublished,anInternetchatgroupdiscussingthebooksoughtthe

opinion of a noted astronomer regarding the VA/243 seal. “It is undoubtedly a depiction of a solarsystem,”hepostedback,“butsincethereisnowaytheSumerianscouldhaveknownthat6,000yearsago,itmustbeadepictionofanothersolarsystem.”WhenIwassentacopyofthoseexchanges,Iwrotebackonthemargin:“Wow!Wow!Wow!Doeshe

realizewhathehasjustsaid?ThattherewasnowaytheSumerianscouldknowaboutoursolarsystem,buttheyknewthemakeupofanotherone—onewhichwehaveyettodiscover!”No,itwasobviousfromtheverybeginningthatthiswasadepictionofoursolarsystem.Buthowcould

the telescopelessSumerianshaveknownall that?Theonlyplausibleanswerwas: fromtheirAnunnakiteachers.Acomparisonoftheancientdepiction(fig.93a)toasketchImadeofthesolarsystemasknownto us (showing the planets surrounding theSun rather than stretchedout from it fig. 93b), immediatelyindicatedamajordifference:theancientsincludedasizableplanetbetweenMarsandJupiter—wherewehavenone.WhatweshowinthatspacebetweenMarsandJupiteristheAsteroidBelt—abandofdebris,theremainsofasmashedplanet.That glaring difference bespoke the source of the ancient celestial knowledge, for the “extra”

planetwasNibiru,theHomePlanetoftheAnunnaki.Andso,allatonce,byfindingsealVA/243,“pictorial”confirmationwasprovidedforthetaleinthe

MesopotamianEpicofCreation.Thetext,inscribedonseventablets,hasbeentreatedbyscholarsasanallegoricaltale;IhavetreateditinThe12thPlanetasasophisticatedcosmogonyofoursolarsystem’sformationandthe“celestialbattle”betweenaninvadingplanet(“Nibiru”)whichcollidedwithandbrokeup theplanet “Tiamat” to formout of herEarth and the “HammeredBracelet” (theAsteroidBelt).Asillustratedinmybook, thesequenceofeventsendedupwiththecaptureofNibiruintosolarorbit(fig.94),resultinginitsreturn—onceinabout3,600Earth-years—totheCrossingPlace,betweenMarsandJupiter.The4,500-year-olddepictionthusshowedourcompletesolarsystem—Sun,EarthandtheMoon,

theeightotherknownplanets(Plutoincluded!!!)andNibiru,makingatotaloftwelve(hencethefirstbook’stitle).I hadvisitedBerlinwhile itwasdividedbetweenWest andEast, atwhich time the tour bus kept a

respectfuldistancefromthenotoriousBerlinWallatthelegendaryCheckpointCharlie.ButnosoonerdidtheWall fall thanIwasback, rushing ina“Western”Berlin taxi through thestrangeeasternpart to the

Museum.After a few inquiries, Iwasdirected to the sectionwhere, inside aglass-faceddisplay casedevotedtocylinderseals,theall-importantcylindersealwasondisplay.VA/243wasreal!

Figure93

Figure94

In 1991 I was back in Berlin with a camera crew, filming in the VorderasiatischesMuseum videofootage for a documentary based onmy bookGenesisRevisited and titledAreWe Alone? The permitnegotiatedbytheSwiss-basedproducerswith theMuseumallowedus tocomeineachdayforaweektwohoursbeforethepublicopening,andclearoutbyopeningtime.EachdaytheDirector—FrauDoktorJakobProst—wasupinarmsbecausewedidn’tleaveontime;eachnextdaysheaccededtoourrequeststofilmthisordothat.Oneofthoseparticularrequestswastofilmademonstrationofhowacylindersealisactually rolledonwetclay to leave thepositive imprint. I suggested thatweusesealVA/243 in thedemonstration; butwhen all was set up for that, theMuseum employee showed upwith another seal;VA/243wastooimportant,theyexplained,toberisked.Overtheyears,theMuseumwasvisitedbyhundredsofmyreaderseagertoseetheseal,anditsimage

wasused and shown in countless articles andTVprograms all over theworld.But as far asmyown“close encounter” with it was concerned, the filming in Berlin in 1991 was the last time—until anunexpectedencounterinMay2000.

ItwassoonafterreturninghomefromtheeventfulvisittoItalyduringtheVatican’sHolyYear2000thatIfoundinthemailalargeflatenvelopefromoneofmylongtimefans,JoanneN.“You’llgetakickoutofthis,”shewroteinanoteattachedtoseveralpagesclippedfromSky&Telescope,amonthlymagazinedevotedtoastronomy.Acolorphotographimmediatelycaughtmyeye:itwasaphotographoftheoriginal1976coverofmyfirstbook,The12thPlanet(plate31)!Itwas,asIlaterreportedinmywebsite,“anencounterwithanoldfriend”andquiteasurprise:What

wasitdoing,aftertwenty-fouryears,inSky&Telescope?Acloserlookatthepagesrevealedthatthephotowasprovidedbyanastronomer,E.C.Krupp,forhis

article“LostWorlds”inthemagazine.Hissubjectwasthemisconceivedpredictionsofplanetarydooms,suchasthethenhullabalooabouttheEndoftheWorldonMay5,2000.ThoughIhadabsolutelynothingtodowiththosepredictions,Dr.Kruppfoundtheopportunitytodeal—afteraquarterofacentury!—with“adifferentastronomicalmisconception”—myinterpretationofcylindersealVA/243...“ZechariaSitchin’sbooks,”thearticleexplained,are“aboutancientspacecolonistsfromalost‘twelfth

planet’thatonceviolentlyinvadedoursolarsystem.”Lamenting(orconceding?)that“credulousreadersarepersuadedbySitchin that the traditionsofancientSumervalidate thisunorthodox reconstructionofsolarsystemhistory,”thearticledeclaredthat

Sitchin’s case originates in anAkkadian cylinder seal from the thirdmillenniumB.C., a portion ofwhichfeaturesasix-pointedstarsurroundedbyelevendotsofvaryingsize.Sitchin judged that thestar symbolizes the Sun and the smaller elements are supposedly planets, including the lost 12thworld.

The ancient depiction and my interpretation of it have embarrassed astronomers from the verybeginning,becauseitwasjustnotpossiblefortheancientpeoplestohaveknownaboutthepost-Saturnplanets, tosaynothingaboutonemoreyet-unknownplanet;andmyexplanationthat theknowledgewasprovidedbyExtraterrestrialswhohadcometoEarthmademyviewpointanevengreateranathematothescientific establishment. Sonow, finally—after a quarter of a century!—anoted astronomer, head of amajorobservatoryinCalifornia,hascomeupwithanantidote.Asthemagazinesummedupinasidebar,theancientdepictionofourcompletesolarsystemcouldbeinterpreteddifferently:

Severalotherinterpretationsofthesymbolsmaybeentertained.Theycouldeasilyrepresentabrightplanet—suchas Jupiter—in themidst of familiar stars. In fact, the arrangement around the starlikeobjectroughlyresemblestheTeapotofSagittarius.

Mypurportedevidencefortheancients’impossibleknowledge,thearticlestated,wasnoevidenceatall,becausewhatthesealdepictsistheknownbrightplanetJupiter,shownpassingwithintheTeapotofthewell-knownconstellationofSagittarius;hence,ifthecentral“star”isnottheSunbuttheplanetJupiter,andthesurroundingdotsnotplanetsbutstarsthatmakeuptheconstellationofSagittarius,thereisnoneedforextraordinaryknowledge,noExtraterrestrialteachers,noAnunnaki,no12thplanet,noSitchin

misconceptions!Twoillustrationsalongsidethesidebar’stextillustratedthearticle’spoint(plate32).Onepurportedto

illustratewhatIclaimed—notbadly,butcertainlynotexactlythewayitwasdepictedonthecylindersealorinmydrawings,andconvenientlyomittingthemysteriousplanetbetweenMarsandJupiter.Theotheroutlined theTeapot using the cylinder seal depiction to “connect the dots,” to showhow it resembledJupiterseenwithinSagittarius.

This out-of-the-blue critique of my understanding of cylinder seal VA/243, even after a quarter of acentury,was aweightymatter. Sky& Telescope is a prestigious journal. Dr. Krupp, then head of theGriffithObservatory inCalifornia,wasa respectedastronomerand theauthorofseveralbooks—someactuallyquotedinmybooks.Hisalternativeinterpretationoftheancientsealcouldnotbetakenlightly.IhaveofcourseknownthatSagittariusisoneofthetwelvezodiacalconstellations;itwasknowntothe

Sumerians,wascalledbythemPA.BIL(“TheDefender”)andwasdepictedbythemasanArcher(fig.95)—anameandadepictionretainedtothisday.Butwhattheheckwasits“Teapot”?I looked itup inmybooksonastronomyand foundout that somemodernastronomers (whilehaving

afternoon tea?) decided that the central part of Sagittarius resembles a teapot: a “spout” formed byconnecting theconstellation’sstarsAlNasi,KausMedia,andKausAustralis (alsodesignatedGamma,Delta,andEpsilon);a“handle”shapedbythestarsdesignatedZeta(Ascella),Tau,Sigma(Nunki),andPhi;anda“lid”indicatedbyKausBorealis(Lambda).

Figure95

ImadeacopyofastarmapofSagittarius,anddrewonit lines toconnect theabovenamedstarsasdots, in themanner that thearticlehadusedtheplanets in theancientdepictionto“connect thedots”;Ithenplacedtheresultingsketchnexttothedot-connectingillustrationinthemagazine(fig.96).Didtheylook alike? Yes? No? Not really? As I kept on comparing, I began to wonder:Where is Jupiter,supposedlypassinginthecenterofSagittarius,withintheTeapot?Andthen,asInoticedthelineindicating“Ecliptic”(theplaneinwhichtheplanetsorbittheSun),the

realizationhitme:JupiterisnottherebecauseJupitercouldneverbethere!JupiterorbitstheSunalmostpreciselyintheEcliptic;itNEVERstrayssouthtoEVERhaveaconjunctionwiththecenterofSagittarius;itcanneverbewithintheTeapot!I checked this astounding finding with friends who are amateur astronomers. I checked with the

PlanetariumoftheMetropolitanMuseuminNewYork.IcheckedwiththeprestigiousPalmerPlanetariumin Chicago. They confirmed my conclusion—in writing. There was no doubt: The counter solutionproposed in Sky & Telescope was an impossibility, and my original interpretation remained standing

unchallenged.I then wrote a Letter to the Editor to the journal, politely pointing it all out. The letter was not

published.Butaftersometime,Ireceivedaresponse—atwopageletterfromDr.Krupphimself.WrittenontheObservatory’sletterheadanddated4August2000,itsaid:

Figure96

Itisadelighttohearfromyou.Ihaveallyourbooks,havereadmostofthem,andhavelistenedtoyou on the radio a couple of times. I have of course dedicated thought to the arguments you havedeveloped.Althoughyourhandlingofthedatahasinspiredmyskepticism,pleaseletmeacknowledgethecourtesyandlogicofyourcomplaintaboutthewayIevaluatedyourTwelfthPlanetnotionsinmymonthlycolumnonastronomyandcultureinSky&Telescope.YouarecorrecttopointoutthatIwashastyinofferingSagittariusasanoptionfortheimageryon

theAkkadiancylindersealVA/243.CertainlywecannotregardthefigureasanaccuratemapoftheTeapotwithJupiterbrewinginside.IfyouallowmeSaturn,wegetalittlecloser;butyouareright—no tea caddiedplanet.Mycaptionhighlights Jupiter, positions itwithinSagittarius, and suggests arealmapping.Yourobjectionissustained.

So,ifhewaswrong(“hasty,”hecalledit),wasIrightafterall?Notyet—asthelettercontinued:

Ofcourse,thereareothercandidatesamongthestars.AplanetcouldhavebeeninthevicinityofLeo,for example, enclosed by Regulus, gamma Leonis, zeta Leonis, epsilon Leonis, alpha Canceri, 38Canceri,zetaHydrae,andiotaHydra.Giventhelackofprecisiononthecylinderseal,thatsetofstarsworksprettywell.Iftheybeunacceptable,however,wecanalternativelyimagineaplanetinalargerenclosure.

Should I have said “Wow!Wow!Wow!” again?Gotten angry that therewas no apology? Instead, Iwrotethedistinguishedastronomerasfollows:

Ittrulychagrinsmethatsomeonelikeyou,insearchingforexplanationsfortheseal’sdepictions(youlistsomeofthemostimprobableonesinyourletter)wouldnotevenconsideroursolarsystemasapossibility.This canonly stem froman absolute refusal to accept theExtraterrestrial nature of the

Anunnaki.Butwhywouldsomeone—Iamsureyouareincluded—whowoulddeemitpossiblethatMan fromEarthwouldoneday travel toanotherplanet,deem it totallyunacceptable that someonefromanotherplanetmighthavecomehere?

Isignedtheletter“Lookingforwardtoadialoguewithyou.”Butasfarastheotherswereconcerned,thematterwasclosed.

In retrospect, my rhetorical question to a modern stargazer stated the issue of elitist shunning of“Extraterrestrials” inanutshell: Ifwewillbeablesomedaytosendourastronauts toanotherplanet—whyisitinconceivablethatthereversecould—anddid—happen?In February 1971 the United States launched an unmanned spacecraft on a journey whose ultimate

destinationwasouter space.NamedPioneer10, it traveled for twenty-onemonths, pastMars and theAsteroidBelt, toapreciselyscheduledrendezvouswithJupiter.There thegreatgravitational forcesofJupitergrabbedthespacecraftandthrustitoutintoouterspace.Onthe25thanniversaryofPioneer10’sdeparture fromEarth, it crossed the outermost boundary of our Sun’s realm andwas still coursing todestinationsunknown—perhaps to tell some“Extraterrestrial”out there that the tinyplanet inacertainsolarsystemhasintelligentbeingswhowishtosayHello.No,thisisnotmyfantasy.SeriousscientistsattachedtoPioneer10aplaquebearingsuchmessage(fig.

97).Insignlanguage,itinformswhomeveritwillencounterthatitcomesfromthethirdplanetinasolarsysteminacertaingalaxy,fromwhichintelligentbeings,maleandfemale,sendgreetings.“Wemay never knowwhether, countless years from now, someone on another planet will find and

understandthemessagedrawnontheplaqueattachedtoPioneer10,”Iwrotein1976inThe12thPlanet.“Likewise,onewouldthinkitfutiletoexpecttofindonEarthsuchaplaqueinreverse...Yet,suchextraordinaryevidencedoesexist!”Theevidence,Ithenwrote,isaplaqueconveyingtoEarthlingsinformationregardingthelocationand

theroutefromthe12thPlanettoEarth.Itisaroundplaquethatwasdiscoveredintheruinsoftheroyallibrary of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria, and is on view in the BritishMuseum in London.Though catalogued (BMK-8538) as a clay disc, it has a graymetallic coloring to it, andwhere it isdamaged it appears to have been damaged by fire—most unusual, for clay hardens in fire rather thansoftensandbendsashadhappenedtothisartifact.

Figure97

Theundamagedportionsofthediscarecoveredwithcuneiformsigns,togetherwitharrows,triangles,intersectinglines,andevenanellipse(ageometricshapesupposedlyunknowninantiquity).In1912L.W.King,thencuratorofAssyrianandBabylonianantiquitiesintheBritishMuseum,madeameticulouscopyofthesigns,showingthatthediscwaspreciselydividedintoeightsegments(fig.98).

Figure98

Thecuneiformwritingclearly includedthenamesofstarsandplanets,sonowonder that theunusualartifactwasfirstdiscussedatsessionsoftheBritishRoyalAstronomicalSociety,whichdesignatedittobea360°Planisphere—thereproductiononaflatsurfaceoftheheavensenvelopingtheEarthasasphere.Yet,forreasonsofitsown,theMuseumdisplaysthisunusualartifactinthesectiondevotedtoWriting,rather thanaspartof itsgreatMesopotamiancollection.Thishasenabledme to firstguidemygroupsthrough the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian displays spread over three floors andgradually introduce them to the evidence about the Anunnaki “gods,” and then take them to see theseparatelydisplayedconclusiveitem—this“clay”disc.“Conclusive” because what has been inscribed and described on this millennia-old document is a

skymap,inwhichtheAnunnakishowedandliterallytoldMankind:Thisishowwejourneybetweenourplanetandyours.WithoutrepeatingtheextensiveanalysisoftheplanispheregiveninThe12thPlanet, suffice it tosay

herethatthemostcompellingsegmentistheonewithtwoconnectedtriangularshapes.Itswriting,whentranslated (fig.99), consistsofcelestialnavigation terminologywith topographic landingdirectionsonthe segment’smargins, and provides in the centeran unmistakable routemap from amountainousplanettooursegmentofthesolarsystem.Theconnectinglineindicatesacoursecorrectionordetourbetween two planets—Kakkab DILGAN (“Planet Jupiter”) and Kakkab APIN (“Planet Mars”); theinscriptionwheresevendotsaredepictedstatesintheclearestpossibleway:“DeityEnlilwentbythe

planets.”

Figure99

Thattherearesevenofthemisnoerror;onthecontrary,itisinconformitywiththepersistentreferralinMesopotamian astronomical texts to Earth as “the seventh” (and its depiction with seven dots whencelestial symbolswereused—fig.100). Indeed, itcouldbeconsideredasanothercompellingpieceofevidencefortheAnunnakiandtheirdistantplanetNibiru—forwhilewethinkofEarthasthethirdplanetfromtheSun,someonecomingintooursolarsystemfromoutsidewouldfirstencounterPluto(yes,Pluto!),thenNeptuneandUranus,SaturnandJupiter;Marswouldbethesixthtobeencountered,andEarththeseventh!

Figure100

Figure101

That, the ancient skymap states, is how the godEN.LIL (“Lord of theCommand”) had journeyed tocome toEarth. The route correction or detour between Jupiter andMars—where theAsteroidBelt islocated—conforms to the cosmogonyof theEpic ofCreation and confirms the use by theAnunnaki ofMarsasaWayStation.Itwasnotaonewaycelestialjourney.Intheeighthsegmentofthisamazingskymap,pointingarrows

areaccompaniedbythewordRETURN(fig.101).AndthereinliesthelinkbetweenthePastandtheFuture.

11

ANTIKYTHERA:ACOMPUTERBEFOREITSTIME

I have often told my audiences that “the Past is the Future.” If a physical object could be found toillustratethattheFuturewasinthePast,itiswithoutdoubtthe“Antikytheramechanism”intheNationalArchaeologicalMuseuminAthens,Greece.Itis,onecansay,theOOPtobeatallmuseumOOPs.The circumstances of its discovery, which help determine its age, are beyond dispute; so, beyond

dispute, is its Out Of Place advanced technology. Its place of provenance (though not necessarily oforigin)ismoreorlessagoodguess.Butwhopossessedthetechnologythatunderliesthe“mechanism,”andwhatwasitspurpose,haveremainedasubjectofdebateandconjectureformorethanacentury.ItismybeliefthatarealbreakthroughinsolvingtheenigmawillnotoccuruntilitisrealizedthattheAntikytheraMechanismisaproductofthetechnologiesnotofMan,butofthegods.It was just before Easter in 1900 that two sponge-divers’ boats were sailing in the eastern

Mediterranean,offtheGreekislandofAntikythera.DivingforspongeswhereinantiquityboatspliedtheMediterraneansearoutebetweeneastandwest,thediversdiscoveredontheseafloor,atadepthof42meters (about140 feet), thewreckofanancient ship.They retrieved from thewreckvariousartifacts,includingmarbleandbronzestatues.Thefindwasreportedtotheauthorities,andtheshipanditscontentsweresubsequentlyexaminedby

archaeologistsandotherexperts,asmoreof thecargo’sobjectswereretrieved.Theydated theship tosometimeafter200B.C.;amphorae—clayjarsthatoncecontainedwine,oliveoil,andotherfoodstuffs—were dated to about 75B.C. These two datesmarked the “not-earlier and not-later than” datesof theshipwreck.BynowallexpertsagreethattheshipsankinthefirstcenturyB.C.—soeverythingfoundinithad tobe, inA.D. 1900, at least 2,000yearsold; but the fact that someof the statuesweredatedwithcertaintytothefourthcenturyB.C.naturallysuggeststhatotherfindsintheshipwreckcouldalsobethatold,orevenolder.AmongthefindsbroughttotheMuseumforexaminationwasalumpofhardenedmudinwhichpiecesof

metal—presumablypiecesofastatuethatbrokeup—wereembedded.ItwasinMay1902thataMuseumarchaeologistnoticed in ita roundedpieceofmetal that looked likeawheel.As themudwascleanedaway, the hard core of the lumpwas revealed to be a heavily encrusted and corrodedwheeledmetalobject(plate33).Asitsdetailswerestudied(fig.102),andotherroundandteethedpiecesofmetal—gear wheels?—were cleaned and placed next to each other, the stunned Museum officials saw amechanical contraptionmade of bronze and consisting of several circular parts including gearwheels(fig.103).Theywereseeing,theyrealized,anamazinglycomplexmechanicalcontraptionthatcouldnot

possiblybelongtoantiquity...TheAntikytheraMechanism,asitcametobecalled,wascontainedinawoodenboxmeasuring33by

17 centimeters (about 13 by 6.75 inches), and a mere 9 centimeters (about 3.5 inches) wide. Greekletteringwasvisibleonthemetalparts;butwhetherthelettersaddeduptowords,andwhattheymeant,requiredalotmoredelicatecleaningandmatchingoffragments.Further examination and studies showed that the small box contained a precision-made mechanism

consistingofnumeroustoothedwheels—gears—ofdifferentsizes,interlockedatdifferentplaneswithinacircularframe(fig.104),whichinturnwasheldinplaceinsidethewoodenbox.

Figure102

Figure103

Sowhatwas it,where did it come from,whomade it,when, andwhat for?The first clues that thedevice’s investigators followedfocusedon theship itself.Theyconcluded from thecargo that theshipwassailingfromeasttowest,andassumedthattheshipwascomingfromeitherGreekcoloniesinAsiaMinor(today’sTurkey),orfromthenearbyGreekislandsRhodesorCosintheeasternMediterranean,itsdestinationbeingItaly(possiblytoRome).Did the device originate there? It was pointed out that on the island of Rhodes there had been an

academy, founded by the philosopher Posidonios, dedicated to astronomy andmechanical engineering.Was the device, then, a product of that center’s engineering advancements combined with astronomy—wasitanastronomicaldevice?Somethoughtthatitwassomekindofplanetarium,usedtoshowthemotionsofcelestialbodies.Otherssuggestedthatithadapracticalpurpose—thatitwassomekindofanavalinstrumentusingthestarsfornavigation.

Figure104

After several decades of investigation, the prevailing conclusion was that the mechanism was anAstrolabe (literally: “A taker of stars”)—an instrument used to project themotions and determine thepositionsoftheSun,Moon,andplanets—“withsphericalprojectionsandasetofrings.”Andthere,halfacenturyafterthediscovery,themattermoreorlessrested.

Reading about the discovery in the course of working on my first book, The 12th Planet, the termastrolabearousedmyinterest.Inachapterdevotedtoastronomicalknowledgeinantiquity,Ireportedthesensational lecture given by the Assyriologist Theophilus G. Pinches at the Royal Asiatic Society inLondon, England, in that very same year—1900—of the Antikythera discovery. His talk was about aMesopotamianastrolabefromthesecondmillenniumB.C.Itwascircularandalsohadwritingonit,incuneiform;itwasalsodiscoveredinfragments(madeofclay).Pinchessucceededinputtingthemtogethertorenderthecompleteastrolabe(herewithitswritingtranslated,fig.105).ItsspecialsignificanceforThe12thPlanetwasthattheMesopotamianastrolabelistedthehomeplanet

oftheAnunnaki,Nibiru,byitsBabyloniannameMulMarduk;showedthatitsdesignandusewerebasedonsphericalastronomy (and thuson a spherical andnot flatEarth); and confirmed theMesopotamianfamiliaritywiththezodiacalconstellations.ThelatterpointswerepartofawiderexplorationinmybookoftheMesopotamianoriginsoftheastronomicalknowledgeforwhichthemuchlaterGreekshavebeengivencredit.Those Greek astronomers/mathematicians included Hipparchus (second century B.C.) who has been

credited—wrongly—withdiscoveringthephenomenonofPrecessionthatliesatthecoreofthedivisionoftheheavensintotwelvezodiacalconstellations.Citingancientcuneiformtextsandpictorialevidence,Ishowedthat thezodiacalconstellationswereknowntotheSumeriansandwerenamedanddepictedbythemintheverymannerwestillcallanddepictthemtothisday(seefig.56)—knowledgethattakesusback to the fourth millennium B.C. The better-known Babylonian astronomical texts, from the secondmillenniumB.C.,andAssyrianonesfromthefirstmillenniumB.C.—whicharesometimesacknowledgedasthesourceoftheGreekastronomicalknowledge—wereallbasedontheearlierSumerianfoundations.

Figure105

Theinterestingfactinthatchainofknowledge-connectionsisthatbothHipparchusandEudoxuslivedinAsiaMinor, inGreek settlements that formed a geographical and cultural link to theMesopotamianknowledge; the island of Rhodes, the purported origin of the wrecked ship’s cargo, lies just off thatGreek-settled coast ofAsiaMinor; andbothGreek savants—it is nowcertain—drew their knowledgefromMesopotamia’sBabylonanditsprecursor,Sumer.Ithereforewonderedwhetherthesimilaritiestothe“Pinches”Mesopotamianastrolabewereaclueto

thetrueoriginoftheAntikythera“astrolabe”—ifnotitsphysicalorigin,thenoftheknowledgerequiredfor its fashioning. Much more was needed to be found out—especially the decipherment of theinscriptionsonit—forunlockingthedevice’ssecrets.SoIcompletedthemanuscriptofThe12thPlanetwithoutreferringtotheAntikytheramechanism,butplannedtogoandseethedeviceformyselfsoonafterthebookwaspublished.Theverynextyear,1977,IwenttovisitGreecewithmywife.Myparticularinterest,Imustadmit,was

Delphi,itsfamedoracleandits“WhisperingStone,”theOmphalos,forreasonsexplainedinmyfollow-upbook,TheStairwaytoHeaven.But Iofcoursewentseveral times to thearchaeologicalmuseuminAthens. Themechanismwas on display in a back roomof theMuseumdevoted to “Bronzes,” and itsexplanatorycaptionwasquitemodest:

No.15087.Mechanismusedinastronomy(astrolabus?).Foundin1900intheSeaofAntikythera.SystemofgeareddiscsandlongGreek

inscriptionsof2ndcenturyB.C.

Therewasn’tmuchinformationthere,noranimpetusforfurtherresearch...

Butstillcurious,IwrotetotheMuseum,askingforafullerstoryandforthelatestonthedecipheringattempts.Surprisingly,IdidgetaresponsefromtheDirector,B.Philippaki,thatsaid:

Inreplytoyourletterof17.10.1978,weinformyouthefollowing:

Themechanisminv.no.X-15087wasfoundintheseaofAntikytheraislandbyspongediversin1900.It was part of the cargo of a shipwreck which occurred in the first cent. B.C. The mechanism isconsideredtobeacalendricalSunandMooncomputingmachinedated,afterthelatestevidence,toca.80B.C.For technical details of themechanism and for its inscription you should consult themonograph

“Gears from the Greeks, The Antikythera Mechanism” by D. De Solla Price (Science HistoryPublications,1975).Anolderarticleonthesubjecthasbeenpublishedin“ScientificAmerican,”June1959.

The letter from Athens reached me too late to follow its suggestions in time for The Stairway toHeaven.ButitdidopenupaPandora’sboxofresearch,wonderment,andintimetotallyunexpectedinsights.

Dr.DerekdeSollaPrice,itturnedout,becameinterestedinthemechanismalreadyin1951,helpingtoidentifythemechanism’s30gearsandsome80otherdifferentparts.In1959,inanarticleinScientificAmerican, he suggested that themechanismwas a device for calculating themotions of the planets inrelation to star constellations and that it operated as a mechanical computer. Enthused by suchtechnologicalprowessbytheancientGreeks,hegavethemcreditfordevisingamechanismthatwastheforerunner,notbycenturiesbutbymuchmorethanamillennium,ofmedievalastronomicalclocks.JoiningGreekexperts,hespentanothertwodecadesstudyingthedeviceduringitscarefulcleaningand

theevaluationof itsdiversepieces.As technologyadvanced,X-rayswereused toascertainwhatwasinside the crushed-togethermechanism, and epigraphersmade progress in reading the inscriptions.BythenaProfessorofHistoryofScienceatYaleUniversity,deSollaPriceofferedhisnew findingsandconclusionsina1976bookwithanintriguingtitleandsubtitle:

GEARSFROMTHEGREEKSTheAntikytheraMechanism

ACalendarComputerfromca.80B.C.

Following thesuggestionfromAthens, Imanaged toobtain thebook.Thecoveralone(fig.106)washighlyintriguing;thecontentsmind-boggling.The“mechanism,”toputitmildly,wasafirst-classOOP:The professor’s findings were that the Antikythera Mechanism “is the oldest and most complexsurvivingscientificinstrumentofantiquity—acomputerfromthefirstcenturyB.C.”ProfessordeSollaPriceconcludedthatthemechanism’sremainsconsistedoffourmajorparts.Itwas

housed in awooden box that could be opened from front and back; thewood, however, disintegratedquicklyaftertheobjectwastakenoutofthewaterinwhichithadbeenimmersedfortwothousandyears.The most astounding aspect was the gears; he counted and identified 28 gears of varying sizes, andillustratedhowtheywereassembledin“layers”intwogroups,afrontgroupandabackgroup(fig.107),thinlyarrangedand“sandwiched”againsteachother inside thesmallandnarrowbox.Healsodrewa

schematicplanofallthegears,showinghowtheteethofonemeshedwiththoseofothers,sothatwhenthemain twogears (one in front,one in theback, inside thebox) rotated—probablymovedbyahandcrank—alltheotherwheelswereputintomotion(aspartlydepictedonthecover).

Figure106

Therewereatleasttendifferentkindsofcomponentsinthemechanism,eachconsistingofsub-parts—attachments,levers,axles,andsoon.It isimpossibletoconveythescopeofthemechanism’singenuityandcomplexitywithout following theanalysis inpageafterpageof thebook.An ideacouldbegiven,perhaps, simply by quoting somewords and terminology from the book: “Structure of the dialwork,”“concentric pair of dials,” “outer perimeter of themain drive,” “central plate surrounded by annuli,”“four complete rings,” “a special bridge with straddles,” “a strip riveted to the central plate,” “dialpointer,”“engravedand inscribed fixed limb,”“graduationsacross theannuli,”“dialplateoverhangs,”“connecting channel-place support,” “a series of tiny holes,” “equilateral teeth,” “rim connected to acircularhubwithfourspokes,”“gear-trainsystem,”“planetarymarkers,”andsoonandon.

Figure107

Allthesediversecomponentsofthemechanismweremadefromaspecialbronze,formedintoasingleflatmetalsheetfromwhichallthepartswerepreciselycutout.Bronzeisanalloyofcopperwithtin,amixturethatgives thesoftcoppergreatstrengthandrigidity.Objectsmadeofbronzeare,asarule, theresult of casting in amold, because the alloy is notmalleable.How thenwas a thin flat sheet—of athicknessof less than6millimeters(0.24inches!)—manufactured,howcould thepartsbecutoutof itwithgreatprecision,andhowcouldthegearteethbecuttoprovidetheexactnumberofteetharoundthegivencircumferenceofeach(anddifferent)gear?Anastoundinglevelofgeometryandmathematicswasrequiredjustforthat.Thegearteeth(aslaterstudiesshowed)werecutwithastoundingaccuracy(fig.108)atapreciseand

uniformangleof60°thatassuredanidealfitbetweengearwheels—apreciseandperfectfitthatallowedthem to rotate eachotherwithout either slippageor getting stuck.Anothermind-boggling aspect of thetightinnerassemblageisthefactthattheseparationsbetweenthevariousgearlevelsaverageaminusculegapof1.35millimeters(0.05inches)—afantastictechnologicalachievementatanytime!ThisisalmostwhatNanotechnology,aminiaturizationofmechanicalcomponents tomicroscopicsize, isexpected toachieveforusinthefuture!

Figure108

Howwasthatachieved,andbywhom?Still,what seems tohave impressed theHistoryofScienceprofessormostwas the fact that thegear

wheelswereofvariedsizes,eachwithadifferentnumberofteeth,whichmadethewholesystemoneof“differentialgearing”—meaning thatgearsofdifferentsizesmeshed to rotateatdifferentspeeds—thesmallergearsrotatedmoretimes(andthusfaster)thanthelargergearswithwhichtheirteethmeshed(andvice versa). The different sizesmeant a different number of gear “teeth”; and those differences in thenumber of gear teethwere not haphazard, but carefully designed to attain the overall precision of themechanism.“Thedifferentialgeardoesnotappearagainuntilitoccursinacomplicatedglobalclockmadeby

EberhartBaldewinat the court ofLandgrafWilhelm IVatKassel in 1575,” Prof. Pricewrote.TheAntikytheradevicethusremainedauniqueforerunneroftheFuturefromthePastforatleast1,650years.

Whatwasthepurposeofsuchafantasticmechanism?Thecluesstemmedfromthreesources:Thegearing,thegradationalmarks,andthewriting.Wherethenumberofteethinthevariousgearscouldbedetermined,itsuggestedtoProf.Pricethatthe

mechanismwasconcernedwithlunarphenomenaduringvarioussolarperiods.Thedifferentialratiosindicated tohim theMetonicCycleof theMoon (bywhichcycleof somanyMoon-monthscatchesupwithasolar-yearcycleoncein19years).Thenumbersalsosuggestedarelationshipwith theperiodiceclipsesoftheMoonduringsuchacycle.ThatsomeoftheGreekwritingspelledoutthenamesofmonthsstrengthenedhisconclusionsregardingtheMoon/Sunaspectsofthemechanism.Butthegradationalmarksonthecircumferenceofthelargerwheelsseemedtodividethegrandcycle

into twelve sectionseachof30°—30degrees, not 30days—and thewriting thereon indicated that thedivision was not into months but into twelve zodiacal sections. Indeed, the names of zodiacalconstellations,suchasLibra,Virgo,Gemini,Taurus,etc.,areinscribedonthecircumference(indicating,Imustpointout,aprogressionasintheSumerianmanner—seefig.55).Someofthelongerinscriptions,which include references to equinoxes and solstices, clearly record zodiacal phenomena. All thatsuggests functions that somehowrelate thecyclesof theMoon,andnot just theSun, to theZodiac—anenigma,amystery,byitself.Althoughthatwouldsuggestamuchwiderscopeofthemechanism’sfunctions,deSollaPriceidentified

itas“acalendricalSunandMooncomputingmechanismwhichmayhavebeenmadeabout87B.C.”—amechanismthat“evolvedasa resultofHipparchanmodifications to theArchimedianplanetarium.”Heconsidered it evidence “of the [higher] level of Greco-Roman mechanical proficiency than has beenthought...asingularartifactthatquitechangesourideasabouttheGreeks.”Hethusremainedtruetothetitleofthebook—“GearsfromtheGreeks.”

IfoundthattheseconclusionsnotonlyfailedtoanswertheHow,Why,andWhoreallydesignedandbuiltthisincredibledevice,butalsolavishedexuberantpraiseon“theGreeks”forastronomicalknowledgethecreditforwhichbelongedtoSumerviaBabylon.Isearched,invain,forthewordsSumer/Sumerianinthebook;Ididfindonebriefreferenceto“Babylonianastronomy”:

Themechanismdisplaysthecyclicalsequenceofsetsofdiscretephenomenaratherthanacontinuumofeventsinaflowingtime.InthiswayitisperhapsmoreinthespiritofBabylonianastronomyandthemoderndigitalcomputerthaninthatoftheGreekgeometricalmodels.

Figure109

Finding this small bow toMesopotamia, I sent Prof. Price a copy ofThe 12th Planet with a letterpointingouttheSumerianoriginsoftheZodiac,etc.Ididnotreceiveananswer,butayearorsolater—inMarch1982—IwasinvitedtoattendalecturebyhimattheHarvardClubinNewYork.Thesubjectofthe lecture—IsComputerGeniusaThrowback toAncientBabylonianThoughtStyles?—seemed tobeinlinewithquestionsthatIhadposedtohim.Theinvitation(fig.109)camefromasocietycalledAmericanFriendsoftheHaifaMaritimeMuseum

(aninterestingandfascinatingmuseum,avisittowhichIhighlyrecommend),andIofcourseattended.Icame armed with photocopies of illustrations from my book, showing Mesopotamian artifacts whichprovedtheSumerianoriginsofthe“ancientBabylonian”—andthusofGreek—astronomicalknowledge.The lecturewas not accompanied by any slides or other depictionalmaterial. In linewith previous

lectures and essays by him (that had been available in print), he expounded on his theme that theBabylonianswereweddedtoadullarithmeticwhiletheGreekstookoffwithfancifulgeometry.Itwasallin all rather academic, dwelling on scientific “thought styles” or philosophies that led in time to thecomputerage.TherewasnomentionofSumerortheSumerians.TheQ&Apart that followedwasverybrief,because themeetingalsohad todealwith theSociety’s

boardelections,etc.,andmyraisedhandwasignored.AllImanagedwastosay“hello”toDr.Priceafterthelecture,beforeheleft,andremindhimofmyletterandbook;hesaidYes,Hello,andturnedtotalktotheotherswhosurroundedhim.IwonderedwhetherhereallyrecalledwhoIwas.

Prof.DerekdeSollaPricepassedawaythenextyear,andmyavenueoffurthercontactswithhimthuscame to an abrupt end. Thanks, however, to two devoted fans of mine in England, one (Keith H.) aprofessional horologist and the other (Martin B.) a part-time one, I was kept abreast of importantsubsequentresearchesontheMechanism—researcheswhichonlydeepenedthemystery,fortheyshowed(amongother things) thatwhatDr.Priceconsidered tobe just two“sandwich”groupsofmovingpartswereinfactseventeenlayersofgears(fig.110)!

Figure110

The first important studywas an “analysis through reconstruction” byAlanG.Bromley, a computerscientist at the University of Sydney in Australia, in collaboration with a renowned Australianclockmaker,FrankPercival.TheirdetailedreportintheHorologicalJournalofJuly1990relatedtheirunendingdifficultiesinduplicatingthegearsandtheirpreciseteeth,inattachingthisparttothatpart,infittingitallwithinthetinyspaces,andintryingtomakeitwork.Theykeptfailingincuttingteethat60°.Allalong,they“wonderedhowtheancientsdidit.”How,forexample,doyoudivideadialinto79equalparts?Howdoyoumakecontrategearsmoveinreverse?Exasperated,Prof.Bromleywrotethisinconclusion:“Idonotpretendtohavealltheanswerstohow

theAntikytheraMechanismwasmade,anymorethanIpretendtocompleteknowledgeofitsfunctionorthe mathematics of its gear work . . . The only inescapable fact is that, however it was done, theAntikytheraMechanismwasmadebycraftsmenover2,000yearsago.”

Themost thorough subsequent effortwasbyM.T.Wright,CuratorofMechanicalEngineeringat theScienceMuseuminLondon,whohaslaboredovertheMechanismformanyyears.NotrelyingonPrice’sstudyof theMechanism’sfragments,here-studied itwith the latest technologies,evenbringingover toGreeceahugeapparatusforLinearTomography.HethenattemptedtofathomtheMechanism’ssecretsbybuildinganaccurateduplicatethereof.Theresultingresearchpaper,publishedintheHorologicalJournalinMay2002,disagreedwithPrice

in various technical points, suggested that some parts were still missing, and concluded that theMechanismwasanOrrery—amechanicalmodelofthesolarsystemthatshowstheorbitsoftheplanetsaround the Sun in the correct relative velocities. Yet, though the study dwelled a lot on the zodiacalaspects of thedevice, it offerednoexplanation for theobviousparadox:Whydoyouneeda complexzodiacalmechanismtoshowhowVenusorJupiter—whichareplanets—orbitaroundtheSun?Andwhatwas the purpose of the Mechanism’s elaborate Moon/Sun relationships (which underlie eclipsephenomena)?

The fact that even the substantial researches conducted by Bromley, Percival, and Wright left keyquestionsunanswered, ledagroupofBritishandGreekscientists,withthehelpofAmericancomputerand imaging experts, to launch, under the aegis of the National Bank of Greece, The AntikytheraMechanism Research Project. Using even more advanced techniques, and testing the results byconstructing an updated model of the Mechanism, they presented their findings at an internationalconferenceheldinAthens,Greece,November30–December1,2006.TheirfullreportwaspublishedintheNovember30,2006,issueofthejournalNature.By combing the AthensMuseum’s stores of artifacts from the sunken ship and with the aid of CT-

tomography, this latest team found a fewmore tiny fragments of themechanism, established that therewere at least 30 gears, probably 32, and perhaps asmany as 37—someof them trulyminiature.Theywerealsoable to readadditional letterson thewoodenormetalparts, anddisclosed that someof theletterswereamicroscopical2millimeters(0.08inches)insize.Asbafflingasthesefindingswere,themostastoundingdiscoveryoftechnologicalsophisticationwas

thattwoconnectedgear-wheelswerepurposelyslightlymisaligned,withaningeniouspinfromonegearmoving the other gear back and forth to simulate the irregular elliptical orbit of theMoon around theEarth.That,thescientistspointedout,wasessentialifthepurposewastobeabletopredict lunarandsolareclipses.“Whenyouseethat,yourjawjustdropsandyouthink‘bloodyhell,that’sclever—that’sbrilliant technical design,’” said astronomy professor Michael Edmunds, a team leader from theUniversityofCardiffinWales.WhenitcametothequestionofWhohadsuchtechnologycenturiesB.C.,theteam’sbestguessstayed

withtheHipparchus/Rhodesislandsuggestions,althoughtheyrepeatedlystressedthattherehasnotbeenfound anything like it from either before or after times; the only much simpler geared mechanismsappeared in Europe more than a thousand years later. As toWho had the astronomical knowledgerequired for devising theMechanism, they recognized—though without elaborating—the “Babylonianlegacy.”As toWhoneeded suchamechanismandwhat for, Prof.Edmunds simply said:Wedon’tknow.Butanotherteammember’sanswerwas:“Thiswouldhavebeenimportantfortimingagriculturalandreligiousfestivals.”One is as amazed by such a ridiculous answer as much as one is amazed by the incredible

technological,scientific,andastronomicalaspectsoftheMechanism;itsexistenceinitstimeframeisas

astoundingasifoneweretoldthatJesuscommunicatedwithhisdisciplesbycellphone...Asthereaderwillfindoutbytheendofthisbook,itwasnotuntilIcompletedmyresearchfortheThe

End of Days (the concluding volume of The Earth Chronicles) that the portentous secret of theAntikytheraPredictordawnedonme.

12

NAZCA:WHERETHEGODSLEFTEARTH

In 1997 I was leading one of the Earth Chronicles Expeditions to Turkey, and I insisted—over theobjections of the tour operator—that we go to the country’s eastern part. The local people wereconcerned about the security situation, because violent clashes were taking place there between theTurkisharmyandKurdishrebels.ButIinsistedongoingthere—toseeandbeinHarran.Itwasajourneyintendedtocompleteacircuitthatbeganalmostadecadeearlierontheothersideoftheworld.Harran, in case the reader hasmissed Bible classes, is where Abraham’s God-ordained journey to

Canaanbegan,more than four thousandyears ago.Hecame toHarranwithhis father andother familymembers fromUr, the Sumerian capital in southernMesopotamia. Itwas inHarran that Rebeccawaschosen tobecome thebrideofAbraham’sson Isaac,andwhere Isaac’ssonJacobmetand fell in lovewith Rachel. All three Hebrew patriarchs and their wives, and thus all their descendants—myselfincluded—haveanancestral“umbilicalcord”toHarran.Butthatwasnottheonlyreasonforwantingtogothere.Theprincipalreasonwastovisittheremains

ofanancienttemplewhosegodtookoffandlefttheEarth—onlytoreturnfifty-fiveyearslater;agodwhofollowedtheskymap’sroute!Nowadays Harran is a sleepy town, surrounded by the remains of an impressive but crumbling

defensivewallfromIslamicandmedievaltimes(plate34),builtwhensomecrucialbattleswerefoughtthere; its few inhabitants live in adobe houses shaped like beehives, to provide some coolness in thesummerheat.Butinancient timesHarranwasathrivingcommercialcenter,famedforits templetothegodSin(the“Moongod,”whoseprincipaltemplewasinUr),andforitsscribalacademies.Outsidethetown the well where Jacob met Rachel—so local traditions hold—is still there, now protected by araisedconcreteplatform(plate35),withsheepflocksstillgrazinginthenearbymeadows.Within thewallsamound,where theancient templewas,dominates the landscape (plate36). Itwas

therethatarchaeologistsfoundfourinscribedstelasthatrecordeyewitnessreportsofthedivinedepartureandreturn.TwoofthestelaswereemplacedbythehighpriestessofthetemplewhosenamewasAdda-Gupi,and

recordtheeventsastoldbyher.TheothertwobelongedtohersonNabuna’id(plate37andfig.111),andrecord howhewas fated to become the last king ofBabylon. Itwas in a year equivalent to 610B.C.,Adda-Gupiwrote,thatthegodSin“gotangrywiththepeopleandwentuptoheaven”;itwasin555B.C.that,relenting(andgivenapromisetoberestoredtoprimacyinUritself),hereturned.Thereturnwasaneventthelikesofwhichwerelegendaryalreadyinhisdays,Nabuna’idwroteonhisstelas—

ThisisthegreatmiracleofSinthathasbygodsandgoddessesnothappenedtotheEarth—sincedaysofoldunknown;ThatthepeopleoftheEarthhadneitherseennorfoundwrittenontabletssincedaysofold:ThatSin,lordofgodsandgoddesses,residingintheheavens,hascomedownfromtheheavens—infullviewofNabuna’id,kingofBabylon.

Figure111

ThefullstoryistoldingreaterdetailinTheEndofDays, theseventhbookofTheEarthChroniclesseries,inwhichamassofotherevidenceisprovidedtoconcludethatnotonlySin(withhisspouseandchamberlain) had left; with some exceptions, it was a wholesale departure of the Anunnaki fromEarth.Indeed, thedeparturewas so comprehensive that even in Jerusalem, according to theBible (Ezekiel

8:12),itwaslamentedthat“Yahwehseesusnomore—YahwehhaslefttheEarth!”InthepreviousvolumesofTheEarthChroniclesandearlierinthisbook,thestoryhasbeentoldofthe

Anunnaki’scomingtoEarthfromNibiru,inneedofgoldtosavetheirplanet’sdwindling(ordamaged)atmosphere, and of the first “cities of the gods” established in the E.DIN—“Eden” in pre-DiluvialMesopotamia—withaMissionControlCenter,aSpaceport,BeaconCities,andaLandingCorridorfortheir spacecraft andshuttlecraft.All thatwaswipedoutby theDeluge,andwas replacedbya similarlayoutintheLandsoftheBible—aSpaceport intheSinaipeninsula, inwhosecentralplainthegroundwasfirm,flat,andsuitableforlandingsandtakeoffs;aMissionControlCenterinthefutureJerusalem;thegreatpyramidanditscompanionsinGizaasGuidanceBeacons;andthepre-DiluvialLandingPlaceintheLebanonMountains(“Baalbek”)asashuttlebase.Thesefourspace-relatedsites(seefig.16)weretoplayakeyroleintheaffairsofgodsandmennot

onlyinantiquity,butalsointhepresentandeveninthefuture.InTheWarsofGodsandMenIdescribedthePyramidWars(whentheGreatPyramidwasstrippedofitsfunctioningequipment),andtheNuclearAttackof2024B.C.,whentheSpaceport in theSinai,andSodomandGomorrah,wereobliterated.Theobviousquestion,then,wasthis:Wherewasanalternativepost-nuclearspacefacilityfromwhichtheAnunnakicouldleave?FortheanswerwehavetolooktoSouthAmerica;andwhenonegoesthere,themostamazing

ancientremainsareencountered.

TheDeluge,thegreatFlood,that“sweptovertheEarth”some13,000yearsago,destroyednotonlyallintheEdin,butalsothevitalgold-miningoperationsoftheAnunnakiinsoutheasternAfrica.ButthesamecalamitythatinoneswoopdeprivedtheAnunnakiofthegoldinonelocationopenedupforthemanevenbettersourceinanotherlocation—intheAndesmountainsofSouthAmerica.Sweeping over vastmother lodes of gold inwhat is nowPeru andBolivia, the avalanche ofwater

exposedimmensequantitiesofgoldthatneededneitherminingnorsmeltingandrefining:Nuggetsofpuregoldjustlaythere,tobefoundandretrievedinamethodcalledPlacerMining—thewaygoldwasfirstrecoveredmillennialaterinNorthAmerica,whensome30,000goldseekersswarmedintothemountainsofCanada’sYukonTerritorytopanforgoldattheKlondikeRiver.TheAnunnakiestablished theirnewgoldcenterat a sitenear the shoresofagreat lake—the largest

navigablebodyof freshwaterat thehighest elevation (some13,000 feet) in theworld—Lake Titicaca(fig.112).CalledTiahuanacu(latelyspelledTiwanaku)bythearea’sAymaranatives,itwasdeemedbytheIncasofPeru tobe theplacewhere thegreatgodofancientSouthAmerica,Viracocha,placed thefirsthumans,gavethemagoldenwandwithwhichtolocatethefutureCuzco,andgrantedcivilizationtotheforerunnersoftheIncas.ThenheleftandwasgonefromtheEarth.The first European explorer of Tiahuanacu inmodern times, EphraimGeorge Squier (The Primeval

MonumentsofPeru, 1853)was amazed to find in thewindswept andbarrenplace, at an elevationofalmost four kilometers, the remains of monumental stone structures, large carved monoliths, statuesrepresentinggiantlikeunusualmalebeings,longconduits,subterraneantunnels.Why,hewondered,wouldanyonehaulheavystoneboulders,erect immensebuildings,orcarveall that, insucha forbiddingandalmostlifelessplace?

Figure112

Hisamazementincreasedashewenttheshortdistancetothelake’sshore,wherethegroundwasstrewnwith puzzling stone ruins. Finding a promontory, he gazed around and realized that the Lake andTiahuanaculayinatopographicdepression,aonceflatvalleyastridepeaksthatrosemorethananother10,000feetaroundit.Dominating thepanoramawere twograndpeaks—IllampuandIllimani, rising to27,000and25,000feet,respectively(thehighestintheAndes).HecouldonlythinkofthecomparabletwinpeaksofArarat,thehighestintheNearEast(thoughrising

only to 17,000 and 13,000 feet), and he titled the chapter describing Tiahuanacu and its environs“Tiahuanacu, theBaalbecof theNewWorld.”Littledidhe realizehowclosehehadcome toa secrettruth.When Iwent toTiahuanacu andLakeTiticaca in 1989,myprimary “guidebook”was not one of the

varietyof tourists’ handbooks then available, but heavier yellowingvolumesof thewritingsofArthurPosnansky,aEuropeanengineerwhomovedtoBoliviaanddevotedalifetimetounravelingtheenigmasof these ruins. The Spanish chronicler Pedro deCieza de Leon,who traveled in Peru andBolivia in1532–1550,reportedthat“withoutdoubttheruinsofTiahuanacuwerethemostancientplaceofany”thathehadseeninthoselands.ArthurPosnanskyastoundedthescientificcommunitybyannouncing,inhisextensivewritingsbeginningin1914,thatTiahuanacuwasbuilt12,000yearsago.The principal aboveground structures in Tiahuanacu (there are numerous subterranean ones) are the

Akapana, an artificial hill riddled with channels, conduits, and sluices (in The Lost Realms I havesuggested that it served as ametallurgical facility) and (apart froman enigmatic carved stonegiant) astonegatewayknownastheGateoftheSun(fig.113)—aprominentstructurethatwascutandfashionedfromasingleboulder.Themain interest in the “Gate of the Sun” are the images carved on it, suggesting that it served a

calendricalpurpose,asthearrangementofthecarvedimagesonthearchwayindicates,andprobablyalsoamoresophisticatedastronomical/zodiacalfunction.ThosecarvingsaredominatedbythelargercentralimageofthegodViracocha(fig.114)holdingaforkedlightningrodashissymbol,dominatingarowofeleven smaller similar images (making twelve in all), and flankedby30 “emissaries,” fifteenon eachside(fig.115a,b)(addinguptodaysinamonth).

Figure113

Figure114

Figure115

Thesecarvingsservedmeastelltaleclues,fortheyclearlyemulatedstonecarvingsthatIhadseeninAnatolia, inHittite ruins,which represented thegodTeshub (fig. 116) andhis angelic emissaries (fig.117a)—withobvioussimilaritiesoftheGateoftheSunimages(fig.117b)totheHittiteones.Hewas,Iwrote inTheLostRealms, the god Ishkur/Adad,Enlil’s youngest son, known to theHittite asTeshub(“The god of Storms”); and it was he who was sent to set up the newmetallurgical center after theDeluge,bringingalongfromAnatoliasomeofhismetallurgicalexperts.

Figure116

Figure117

Thathewas there, in thatpartofSouthAmerica, iswitnessedbyhis symbol, left to seebyallwhoapproach (by sea or air). It is a huge depiction of a forked lightning, enigmatically carved on a steepmountainside(plate38andfig.118)intheBayofParacasonPeru’scoastnorthwestofTiahuanacu;anditcanbeseenonlyfromtheairorfromoutinthePacificOcean.NicknamedtheCandelabra,thesymbolis420feetlongand240feetwide,anditslines,thatare5to15feetwide,havebeenetchedintothehardrockstoadepthofabouttwofeet—andnooneknowsbywhomandwhenorhow,unlessitwasAdadhimselfwhowantedtodeclarehispresence...TheGateoftheSun,whereAdad/Teshub’simageisthedominantfeature,issopositionedthatitforms

anastronomicalobservationunitwiththethirdprominentstructureatTiahuanacu,calledtheKalasasaya.It is a large rectangular structure, with a sunken central courtyard (fig. 119a), and is surrounded bystanding stone pillars. Posnansky’s suggestion that the Kalasasaya served as an observatory has beenconfirmedby subsequent explorers; his conclusion, based onSirNormanLockyer’s archaeoastronomyguidelines,thattheastronomicalalignmentsoftheKalasasaya(fig.119b)showthatitwasbuiltthousandsofyearsbeforetheIncaswassoincrediblethatGermanastronomicalinstitutionssentteamsofscientiststocheck thisout.Their reports,andsubsequentadditionalverifications,affirmed that theKalasasaya’sorientationunquestionablymatchedtheEarth’sobliquityeitherin10000B.C.or4000B.C.

Figure118

Whilethemixed(incredulousmightbeabetterword)receptionforthosedateshasnotchanged,asfarasIhavebeenconcernedeitheroneofthedatesmakessense.TheearlierdatewouldsynchronizewellwithmyconclusionsthatTiahuanacuwasthenewgoldcenteroftheAnunnakiaftertheDeluge(whichIhavedated tocirca11000B.C.).The laterdate fits the timegivenbyme for the statevisit toEarthbyNibiru’s rulerAnuandhis spouseAntu—avisit thatoffers theonly explanation for the evenmoreamazingremainsatthenearbysitecalledPumaPunku.

Figure119

PumaPunkuisanoddplace.Seeminglysituatedinthemiddleofnowhere,itisstrewnwithstoneblocksofvariedsizes,somegigantic,somesmall,somecutinmostpuzzlingshapes(plate39).Theylieaboutscatteredor inheaps,withoutapparent rhymeorreason.Therearenostandingstructures thatcatch theeye,asinthenearbyTiahuanacu.“Thereisnothingtoseethere,”tourguidessay—asminedid—astheyrefusetowastetimetotakesightseersthere.ButIinsistedongoing—asreadersofTheLostRealmshavealsodonelateron;anditisadetourfromthecustomarytouristcircuitthatismostworthwhile.Posnansky’s conclusions after some four decades of research also concerned Lake Titicaca itself; it

usedtobe,hewrote,muchlargerwithawaterlevelsomeonehundredfeethigher.SoPumaPunku,nowsomedistance from thecurrent lakeshore,wasactuallybuilt at thewaters’ edge, at the lake’s southernshore,withharborfacilities.Itsmainremainsconsistofarowoffourcollapsedstructures,eachmadeofasinglehollowed-outgiantboulder(fig.120).Howsuchchambersweresopreciselyhollowedoutofthegiganticstones,withinnercornersandotherbafflingfeaturespreciselycutout(plate40),orhowfourhugeboulderswerebroughttothesite,andwhythiswasdone,noarchaeologisthasyetfiguredout.Whatisevenmoremind-bogglingistheundisputablefactthateachsuchhollowed-outsetofchambers

wascompletelyinlaidinsidewithgoldplates,heldinplacebygoldnailsaccuratelyinsertedinprecisestraightgrooves(plate41)incrediblycutintothehardstonesurfaces.WhentheSpaniardsarrivedatthesiteinthesixteenthcentury,themysterydidnotpreventthemfrompryingloosethegoldplates,andevenextracting the golden nails, and hauling off an immense quantity of gold; it was all described by theSpanishchroniclersatthetime,andrenderedingreaterdetailinTheLostRealms.Thereisyetanothermysteryatthesite.Thearchaeologicalfindsintheplaceincludedalargenumberof

unusual stone blocks of varying sizes that were precisely cut, grooved, angled, and shaped; theircomplexity can best be described by showing some of them (from an 1892 report by the GermanarchaeologistsA.StübelandMaxUhle,fig.121).Thoughstoneremnants,bothfromPumaPunkuandfromTiahuanacu, have been constantly hauled away (mostly for use in local construction), many of theunbelievably complex cut stones still lie about in Puma Punku (plates 42, 43).One does not need anengineeringdegreetorealizethatthesestoneswerecut,drilled,andshapedbysomeonewithincredibletechnologicalabilityandsophisticatedequipment;indeed,onewoulddoubtwhetherhardstonescouldbesoshapednowadayswithoutshattering.

Figure120

Figure121

The puzzle is compounded by the mystery of what purpose did these technological miracles serve;obviously, for some unknown yet highly sophisticated purpose. If it was to serve as casting dies forcomplex instruments, what—and whose—were those instruments? Or were these elaborate stonesthemselvestheinstruments—componentsinevenmorecomplexequipment?OfalltheenigmasandmysteriesonthesouthernshoresofLakeTiticaca,theeasiestformetoexplain

arethebafflinggold-platedwallsinthefour-chamberstructuralunit.Asimilargoldenenclosureexists,tothis day in the Inca capital Cuzco—it is theCoricancha, the Holy of Holies in the main temple toViracocha;andthetermliterallymeans“goldenenclosure.”(Theretoothevisitorcanseeonlythebarewallswiththeholeswherethegoldennailshadbeen—theSpanishConquistadoresstrippeditall therealso.)AsimilargoldenenclosureexistedinJerusalem—theretooitwastheHolyofHoliesinthetemplethatKingSolomonbuilt, circa950B.C.Andallof thememulated thegold-enclosedchambers inUruk,backinMesopotamia,whereAnuandAntuhadstayedduringtheirstatevisittoEarthcirca4000B.C.The“goldenenclosures”inPumaPunku,Ihavesuggested,wereconstructedforthesamepurpose—as

guest houses forNibiru’s ruler and his spousewhen they came fromUruk to visit the gold-producingcenterontheshoresoftheAndeanlake.

In4000B.C.thespaceportintheSinaipeninsulawasstillintact,availabletobeusedbyAnuandAntufortheirspacejourneysfromandtoNibiru.Notsointhecrucialtimeslot610–555B.C.,forthatspaceportwasdestroyed,withnuclearweapons,backin2024B.C.Theresultingquestionisobvious:WherewastheAnunnaki’sspacefacilityintheinterveningmillenniumandahalf?They still had the Landing Place in the Lebanon Mountains. It might have been good enough for

shuttlecraft,butwhethergoodenoughtoreachtheWayStationonMars,orasubstitutespaceportonEarth,onecannotsayforsure.ThegreatpowersofthesecondandfirstmillenniumsB.C. foughtforcontrolofthisLandingPlace.TheCanaanitecalledittheCrestofSecrets,anddetailedintheir“myths”howthegodBa’al (“Lord”) instructed the Divine Craftsman to refurbish its instruments. Later, the Phoeniciansdepicteditontheircoins—platformandready-to-launchrocketshipincluded(fig.122).Andfinally theProphetEzekiel,exiledtothenearbyareaofHarran,sawthefamedCelestialChariot—circathefatefuldateof555B.C.AsfarasthegodSinwasconcerned,havingdepartedfromHarran,hecouldhavewellusedthatclose-

byLandingPlace.HeapparentlywentjusttoMarsandnotallthewaytoNibiru,forhewasbackinhalfacentury.ButwhatandwherewasamajorspaceportliketheSinai’shadbeen,withlongstretchesofhardandflatterrain,forusebylong-distancespacecraft?WhataboutafacilitynottoofarfromthesourcesofthegoldthathadtobehauledallthewaybacktoNibiru—afacilitythatcouldthenbeusedfortheGrandDeparture, ifall theAnunnaki, leadersand rankand file,withall theirvariedcraftandequipmentandotherbelongings,weretakingoff—along,onemustassume,withthelastcargoofgold?

Figure122

Inowknowwheretheplacewas.Ihadbeentherein1994.ButIdidnotrealizewhatitreallywasuntilmy later researches reached thecrucialeventsof theDivineDeparture.Thousandsofothershavealsobeenthere.Itisknownasthepampa,thetreelessplain,oftheNazcaLines.

TheNazcaLines,calledbysome“theworld’slargestartworks,”arelocatedinadesertareabetweentheIngenioandNazcaRivers insouthernPeru.Theyrepresent,withoutdoubt,oneof themostpuzzlingriddlesofantiquity.Inavastpampa area (some200 squaremiles!) that extends eastward from thePacificOcean to the

ruggedAndesmountains, in the direction ofLakeTiticaca, “someone” used the ground as a canvas todrawonitscoresofimages;thedrawingsaresohugethattheymakenosenseatgroundlevel—butwhen

viewedfromtheair,theyclearlydepictknownandimaginaryanimalsandbirds(fig.123,plates44,45).The“drawings”weremadebyremovingthetopsoiltoadepthofseveralinches,andwereexecutedwithaunicursalline—onecontinuouslinethatcurvesandtwistswithoutcrossingoveritself.Variousattemptsto show that a hordeofworkersworking at ground level andusing scrapers could have created theseimages, have dismally failed. But anyone flying over the area invariably concludes that “someone”airbornehadusedasoil-blastingdevicetodoodleonthegroundbelow.Who was there in ancient times with such capabilities—airborne and equipped with some ray gun

gizmo? Those who scoff at the “Extraterrestrials” suggestion have tried both “natives airborne inprimitiveballoons”or“nativesscrapingthegroundinchbyinch”assolutions—onlytoendupevenmoreridiculedthanAncientAstronautsproponents.Thoughetchedonlyinchesdeeprather thanthefeet-deepcarvingofthe“Candelabra”innearbyBayofParacas,itwasprobablyattainedthesameway.Indeed,aspartof theanswertobothenigmas,I includedinmyBriefingNotes tomyEarthChroniclesExpeditiongroupgoingtoNazcaillustrationsfromotherancientsitesintheAmericasofraygunsinuse(asthisonefromTollan,Mexico in fig. 124); it is carved upon stone columns alongside giant carvings of strangewarriorlike beings—the locals nicknamed themAtlantes—each equippedwith exactly such a ray gun(fig.125).

Figure123

Figure124

WearelookingatthehandiworkoftheAnunnaki,Itoldmygroupwithouthesitation.Thedoodles—someresearchersgivethemascientific-soundingname,“geoglyphs”—arefarfrombeing

theonlyriddleofNazca.AnotherandevenmorepuzzlingfeatureoftheNazcaLinesareactual“lines”that run straight without fault. These plane stretches—sometimes narrow, sometimes wide, sometimesshort,sometimes long—runoverhillsandvales,nomatter theshapeof the terrain(fig.126,plate46).Thereare some740suchstraight“lines,” sometimescombinedwith triangular“trapezoids” (fig.127).Theyfrequentlycrisscrosseachotherwithoutrhymeorreason,sometimesrunningoverandignoringtheanimaldrawings.Whatarethey,whomadethem,how?Theseoneswereclearlynotmadewithhandheldrayguns...Various attempts to resolve themystery of the Lines, including those by the lateMaria Reichewho

settledthereandmadetheLinesherlifelongproject,failedwheneveranexplanationwassoughtintermsof“itwasdonebynativePeruvians”—peopleofapresumed“Nazcaculture”orapurported“Paracascivilization” or the likes. Studies (including by theNationalGeographicSociety) aimed at uncoveringastronomical orientations for the Lines—alignments with solstices, equinoxes, this or that star—lednowhere.Forthosewhoruleoutan“AncientAstronauts”solution,theenigmaremainsunresolved.Though thewider lines look like airport runways, onwhichwheeled aircraft roll to take off (or to

land), this isnot thecasehere, ifonlybecause the“lines”arenothorizontally level—they runstraightoveruneventerrain, ignoringhills,ravines,gullies.Theyarenot“runways”asweunderstandtheterm.Indeed,havinglookedatcountlessphotographsandhavingbeenthereandflownovertheLinesbackandforth,itseemedtomethatratherthanbeingtheretoenabletakeoff,theyaretheresultoftakeoffsbycrafttaking off and leaving on the ground below “lines” created by their engine’s exhaust. That the“celestial chambers” of the Anunnaki did emit such exhausts is indicated by the Sumerian pictographDIN.GIRforthespacebornegods(fig.128),oravisualdepictiononacylindersealofarocketshipseenintheskiesoftheislandofCrete(fig.129).

Figure125

Figure126

Figure127

Didancient-astronautpilotsusetheNazcaflatlandastheirfinalspaceport,doodlingforfunwhilekillingtimebeforetakeoffs?All I can say for sure is that the suggestion that ancient pilots were involved in the Nazca Lines’

enigmasissupportedbyyetanotherinexplicablemysteryinthatpartofPeru.Ibecameawareofitthroughareport,byamemberoftheAncientAstronautSociety,writingintheSociety’snewsletterAncientSkies.ShereportedanintriguinglandmarknotfarfromtheNazcaLines;respondingtomyrequest,shesentmeaphotograph.WhenIandmyExpeditionsgroupwenttoseeNazca,westoppedatacertainspotonthePanAmerican

Highway where an observation tower enabled visitors to take a better-than-flat look at the nearbydoodles;that,ofcourse,wasnotenough.Westayedatahotelinthenearesttown(Ica),anddroveinthemorningtoasmallairfield(actually,oneshortrunway)wheretinyfour-seatplaneswereavailabletotaketourists sightseeing from the air. The flights followed a set pattern, with the pilot acting as a guide,circlingoverthe“giant”orthe“monkey”doodleslongenoughforpicturetaking;thenarunoversomeoftheLines,andbacktotheairstrip.

Figure128

Figure129

Withonlythreepassengersperflight,ourgroupneededseveralsuchflightsbytwoalternatingaircraft.Thusgettingacquaintedwiththepilots,Ipulledouttheintriguingphotograph,andaskedwhattheyknewaboutthisfeature.Theyknewnothing.MaybeCarloswouldknow,onesaid.Carloswasathirdpilotwhohadyet to showup in the relief team.Therewas an “Aeroporto” shacknear the airstrip, servingcoldbeveragesandsellingsouvenirs.Wehavetowait,Itoldmygroup.In time,Carlosshowedup. Ishowedhimthephotograph.Yes,hesaid, Iheardof thisplace.Doyou

knowwhereitis?Iasked.Ithinkso,hesaid;Iknowthedirection.Canyoutakemethere?Iasked.We’llhavetocirclethereandlookforit,hewarnedme.Financialnegotiationswithhimandwith thepilotwhowas toberelievedfollowed.When theprice

wasagreedupon—paidinadvanceinU.S.dollars—Iaskedoneofmygroup,Frederick“Fritz”Meyer,toaccompanyme. He was a veteran pilot with United Airlines, flying on international routes to variedairportswiththeoddestlandingpatterns.Hereadilyagreedtocomealong.Theflight,lastingalmosthalfanhour,tookusawayfromtheflatpampaintotheruggedmountains—ina

southwesterlydirection,asIrecall.Thepilotflewabouthereandthere,turning,goinghigherandlower.Wewon’tfindit,Ithoughttomyself.Andthen—thereitwas!Incredibly,inthemiddleofnowhere,therewereclearandunmistakablemarkingsofcirclesand

squaresformingacross—asinamodernheliport!Adheringtothesayingthatapictureisworthathousandwords,hereiswhatwesaw(plates47,48).MycompanionFritz, theexperiencedairlinespilot,sawmuchmore in thecomplexdesignsand their

precisedetails.Hethoughtthatthewholedesignofconcentriccircles,rectangles,triangles,anddotswasnot just “a directional indicator to a certain place,” but also an identifier and provider of informationthroughtheplacementofthe“dots.”Iftheyweremodern“pointsoflight,”theirswitchingonandoffto

createvariedpatternscouldprovideapilotwithawealthofinformation.Butthesearenotmodernpointsoflight,andtheonly“airfacility”withinmilesaretheNazcaLines...

Couldthelocalpilotsexplainit?No.Is itmarkedonanyairmap?No.It isanenigmathat isyet toberesolved,amysteryyet tobeexplained.But that it ispartof thegreaterNazcaLinesmystery,of that Ihavenodoubt.Forallthis—Lines,doodles,heliport-likemarkings—thereisonesingleplausiblesolution:Nazca

wasthelastspaceportoftheAnunnaki.ItservedthemaftertheoneintheSinaiwasdestroyed—andthenitservedthemfortheFinalDeparture.

POSTSCRIPT:PROPHECIESOFTHERETURN

Theinevitableconclusionfromallthatmustbethat,fromatleast610B.C.throughprobably560B.C.,theAnunnaki godsweremethodically leaving planet Earth,” Iwrote inThe End ofDays, the concludingvolumeofTheEarthChroniclesseries.ItssubtitleisArmageddonandPropheciesoftheReturn;andasstatedinapreviouschapter, itwasonlywhenIhadarrivedat thoseconclusions that theenigmaticfogenvelopingtheAntikytheraMechanismbegantolift.TheDayoftheLordofbiblicalprophecies,IconcludedinTheEndofDays,wasadaywhenasolar

eclipsewas tooccur; andwas it just a coincidence that aprincipalpurposeof theMechanismwas topredictlunarandsolareclipses?OneoftheclearestmarkingsintheMechanismthatmaythrowlightonitstimeandpurposeisabroken

partwithgradationsandapointer,accompaniedbywriting(fig.130).Identifyingthewritingasmonthnames,Dr.PriceconcludedthattheMechanismwasdesignedtocorrecttheGreekcalendarof365daysinasolaryeartothecorrect365.25days(whichwecorrectbyaddingaleapdayeveryfouryears).HeconcludedthatthePointerwasemplacedsoastomarkaveryspecificdate.Coulditbethedateof

somemajoreventfromwhichtheMechanism’scountbegan?

Figure130

Withmeticulousandmethodicaldetail,Dr.Price reached inhisbook theconclusion that thePointermarkedadatein586B.C.(whichhedeemed“beyondanarchaeologicalpossibility,”havingbeenoftheopinionthatthemechanismwasmadeinthefirstcenturyB.C.).But as I was researching for The End of Days, it became evident that crucial events in the first

millenniumB.C.werepredicatedoncelestialphenomena,andfirstandforemostonsolareclipses; andoneofthemostsignificantoccurredin584B.C.—adatethat,withallthecalendricalchanges,adjustments,andrevisionsovertwoandahalfmillennia,canbeconsideredtobetheverysolareclipseindicatedontheMechanism.Thatcelestialomen,itwillbenoted,occurredrightwithinthecrucialdepartureperiodof610–560B.C.AccordingtoDr.Price(GearsfromtheGreeks,p.19),ifthequarter-dayadjustmentisappliedtothe

gradationswith thePointer, it suggests that thepredictedFUTUREdates canoccur in intervalsof120years.Startingin86B.C.,whentheMechanismwasset,itmeansthatthePredictorpointedtodatesinA.D.34,A.D.154,andsoon,Dr.Pricewrote.This timetable, when extended into our present time, results in a celestial omen predicted by the

MechanisminA.D.2074.IsthisadateintherealmofPropheciesoftheReturn?Oneought to read inTheEndofDays not justmyconclusions,but alsowhatSir IsaacNewtonhad

calculated,toappreciatethattheAntikytheraMechanismwasagiftbytheCraftsmanoftheGodstoallthosewhobelievethatbiblicalprophecieswillcometrue.

AbouttheAuthor

ZechariaSitchin(1920-2010),aneminentOrientalistandbiblicalscholar,wasborninRussiaandgrewupinPalestine,whereheacquiredaprofoundknowledgeofmodernandancientHebrew,otherSemiticandEuropeanlanguages,theOldTestament,andthehistoryandarchaeologyoftheNearEast.Agraduateof theUniversityofLondonwithadegree ineconomichistory,heworkedasa journalistandeditor inIsraelformanyyearspriortoundertakinghislife’swork--TheEarthChronicles.

OneofthefewscholarsabletoreadtheclaytabletsandinterpretancientSumerianandAkkadian,Sitchinbased The Earth Chronicles series on the texts and pictorial evidence recorded by the ancientcivilizationsof theNearEast.Hisbookshavebeenwidely translated, reprinted inpaperbackeditions,convertedtoBraillefortheblind,andfeaturedonradioandtelevisionprograms.