Blog of international best selling author Philip Gardiner. For more see www.gardinersworld.com or www.gnosisbookdvd.com
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Film-maker claims Jesus tomb found
Well, regardless of whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jew or atheist (or anywhere in-between) you have to be fascinated with the latest news about the "discovery" of Jesus' tomb. The following is the story as outlined on ananova and it makes the point that I just did a moment ago on radio when questioned about it - that there were zillions of people called Jesus and Mary back then. It was more common than Jason and Kylie in the UK back in the 80's and 90's. And it was more common for a longer period of time. It doesn't bother me one way or the other whether it is Jesus (the Jesus) or whether it is "a" Jesus, because I don't think the man was physically resurrected anyway - although he may have been spiritually reborn like a great many other wissends. My guess is that Cameron is very cleverly using the "story" to sell his film and who can blame him, its a good story and its better than having war and darkness on the news all the time - not to mention reality tv shows and blummin celebrities! That said, he may start a war himself!
Here's the story:
Film-maker claims Jesus tomb found
An Oscar-winning film director claims to have evidence Jesus had a son named Judah and was buried alongside Mary Magdalene.
A new documentary by James Cameron claims a tomb found near Jerusalem in 1980 belonged to Jesus and his family.
Speaking in New York, the Titanic director said statistical tests and DNA analysis backed this view.
"It doesn't get bigger than this," he said. "We've done our homework; we've made the case; and now it's time for the debate to begin."
Israeli construction workers working in Jerusalem's East Talpiot district uncovered 10 limestone coffins in a tomb in March 1980.
Six were marked with the names Mary; Matthew; Jesua son of Joseph; Mary; Jofa (Joseph, Jesus' brother); and Judah son of Jesua.
Another grave marked 'Mariamene', said by producers to be of Mary Magdalene, convinced researchers of the truth of their find, Mr Cameron said at a New York news conference.
Unveiling his documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus, Mr Cameron said it was like finding a grave marked Ringo next to others marked John, Paul and George.
"Mariamene is Mary Magdalene - that's the Ringo, that's what sets this whole film in motion," he said.
The documentary asserts that tests on samples from two of the coffins show Jesus and Mary Magdalene were likely to have been buried in them and were a couple.
The film-makers used this finding to claim that the coffin marked 'Judah son of Jesua' contains the son of Jesus and Mary.
Mr Cameron's claim has been attacked by archaeologists and theologians who say the names were common among Jews at the time.
As I outlined in Secrets of the Serpent, the story of Jesus, Mary and the apostles is however based upon much more ancient astrotheological concepts and rooted in the worship of the serpent. The discovery of the actual "man" if true does not alter this, as Tutankhamun led the life of a god! But for many of us, the words "prove it" spring to mind and a great many archaeologists are already shooting it down in flames - not least because the tombs were very expensive things and were only for the most wealthy. Maybe the Jesus clan were very rich after all and he bought his passage into heaven the old fashion way?
Fantastic review of Secrets of the Serpent DVD just in from George Rideout of Sacred Space Radio
"Inspiring and shocking, in a good way. Phil Gardiner, Secrets of the Serpent is a ray of light that cuts through the darkness of illusion. One wild ride on the road to enlightenment. Phil is truly a Truth-Sayer! The music, the visuals and the words of Phil himself combine to create an experience like no other. The best thing I could possibly say is thank you for being you and doing what you do!" George Rideout, host of Sacred Space
To Order the DVD in the UK go HERE To Order the DVD in the USA go here
Forbidden Knowledge Conference Glastonbury - the line up
Forbidden Knowledge Conference Glastonbury - the line-up
All day on July 14th from 10am in Glastonbury Town Hall the Forbidden Knowledge Conference featuring top authors and researchers.
PHILIP GARDINER (Gnosis, Secrets of the Serpent, The Ark, The Shroud and Mary) http://www.gardinersworld.com/ NICK POPE (Former UK government UFO investigator - the UK's own Fox Mulder!) http://www.nickpope.net/ PAUL DEVEREUX (TV Presenter, author and expert on Leylines, earth energies and ancient sites) http://www.pauldevereux.co.uk/ TIM WALLACE-MURPHY(The world's leading authority on The Knights Templars and Rosslyn) PETER KNIGHT (Local author of the new book 13 Moons and expert of local ancient sites and mysteries) http://www.stoneseeker.net/ ANN ANDREWS (Mother of the alien abductee known as The Indigo Child) http://www.biggyboo.com/reviewjasonmyindigochild.html RAEL(Leader of the Raelian Movement who hit the headlines recently by claiming they had the world's first human clone baby - it is extremely rare to see Rael talking at this type of event so this is a MUST NOT MISS event!) http://www.rael.org Hosted and campared by Ross Hemsworth of Now That's Weird and nettalkradio.co.uk.
To book tickets in advance email michael@real2can.com or phone 07990 797979 This is a sure sell-out event and we advise people to book early. Local accommodation can be found at http://www.glastonbury.co.uk
Well, todays news is quite interesting. There is actually a modern Serpent Cult been started in the North East of England and they even have their own website! Would have been useful a few thousand years ago to the original worshippers of the serpent as outlined in the book Secrets of the Serpent and dvd. Here's what they say on their website:
The Serpent Cult is a cult started up in North Eastern England. It was created by Harry Murrell and Andrew Howson, and worships the Serpent God, true heir to all things. It gathers followers from around the globe, and will not stop until the Serpent God commands it. The current aim of the Serpent Cult is to expand it's empire across the universe and beyond. Each member is a combatant, training in sword combat, martial arts and any other things that enhance the cultists performance in combat. Becoming a true disciple takes discipline, courage and wit, but the rewards are great. Here's the link
Fascinating stuff, I wonder what they get up to?
Secrets of the Serpent Now Available as an Audio Book
Secrets of the Serpent: In Search of the Sacred Past is now available exclusively from audible.com as an audio book. I spent a day at Alchemy Werks studio in LA late last year and recorded the book. I drank bucket loads of a lovely lemon tea that Jo the engineer produced as if by magic and we watched the lovely Californian sun lower in the sky over the LA hills. It was a magical time for a poor author from Nottinghamshire and one that shall remain with me. This book I believe captures some of my emotion on the day in the voice! Not something I would want to do every day, nor could I, because it is very hard work and I admire the pro's who can do this for a living.
Serpent Worship/Propaganda and just plain nonsense
Thought I'd gather some interesting bits and pieces on serpent worship that has sprung up around the net in the past couple of years since I released my research in the book and dvdSecrets of the Serpent: In Search of the Sacred Past.
I found this website interesting, not because it was pretty well-researched, but because it was using the serpent as a tool for Christian propaganda yet again - as if time hadn't moved on. In this instance it is using the serpent again as an image of the devil/satan and implicating the Freemasons in the worship of the serpent, almost without mention that the serpent was a symbol of inner wisdom. Here's a few quotes: "Imagine our shock and disbelief when we stumbled on to the fact that Freemasonry adores and worships the Serpent..." "This serpent worship absolutely proves Freemasonry is Satan worship . But, Masons also consider the S erpent to be the Savior of the World!" Apparently, these naughty Freemasons are sinners of the worst kind (like there's a good one?) and they are DOOMED!: "But, Albert Pike, the most revered 33 Degree Mason of all time, has more blasphemy. Listen to him describe the Ouroboros, the symbol of the serpent devouring his own tail. "It is the body of the Holy Spirit, the Universal Agent, the Serpent devouring its own tail." [Morals and Dogma , p. 734, teachings of the 28th Degree, Knight of the Sun, or Prince Adept]
Thus, Freemasonry blasphemes both Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of the Trinity. What did Jesus Christ say about this type of situation? "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." [Matthew 12:31-32]
Bible scholars call this sin, the Unpardonable Sin. Congratulations, Masons, you have just committed the Unpardonable Sin! This is very serious, because, once a person commits the Unpardonable Sin, the Holy Spirit stops working in his heart, convicting him of sin and trying to get him to ask forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Thus, that person is doomed."
No matter what we think, and this stuff always makes me role around laughing, this is simply just another way of man building yet more hatred against another man. What good purpose does it serve? Let man believe what he wants, live and let live, turn the other cheek, love thy neighbour. Nope, it seems in the 21st century, precious little has changed and we still have Christians bombarding us with more rubbish and misunderstanding the words of the past.
I am pleased to announce that with the help of Reality Films and Real2can.com I will be interviewing and directing a special DVD with the great Tim Wallace-Murphy (author of Rosslyn and Rex Deus amongst other great books). Tim's books were used by Dan Brown for the Da Vinci Code and he has been on a great many documentaries. In this DVD I want to get to the heart of his wisdom and knowledge in a personal and frank way. More will be posted as and when, but filming will begin in April.
You can now download Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed the film from amazon! This is a new way amazon have decided to sell films and Gnosis was the very first world-wide make on demand DVD that amazon did and now its one of the very first downloadable films too!
Product Description Philip Gardiner is a best selling UK author who has been researching the world of the esoteric for over 15 years. His critically acclaimed books include: "Proof, Does God Exist?", "The Shining Ones", "The Serpent Grail" and "Secrets of the Serpent, In Search of the Sacred Past". With his new DVD, "Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed," Gardiner proposes that not only didn't Solomon's Temple exist as we know it, but in fact had a much deeper significance. Gnosis, the Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed- Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, reputed to be the source of the most esoteric knowledge in human history-has fascinated scholars, seekers and dreamers for centuries. For generations, scholars and researchers have tried in vain to discover the fabled Temple of Solomon, only to be confronted by one problem after another. From the Queen of Sheba and the arcane secrets of the Christian Gnostics to the Muslim Sufi and Hindu Avatars, Gnosis weaves a tale that is both profound and precise. Gardiner declares that the truth of Solomon's Temple has been known all along within the realm of esoteric understanding. Only one question remains: Is the world ready for the truth? Find the true secret of the Knights Templar and the mysteries of the ancients. Find the truth for yourself in Gnosis. This is the story that has been kept from the ears of mankind for too long. You cannot truly live until you have Gnosis. * Reveals the real secrets brought back by the infamous Knight's Templar * The truth at the heart of ancient Freemasonry * The truth behind the real Grail and the Da Vinci Code * Who were Solomon and Sheba? * The secret of Solomon's Temple * The ancient and sacred nature of our quantum existence Gnosis, the Secret of Solomon's Temple DVD, 57 minutes, RYE 1001
Onboard the Greenpeace ship Esperanza in the Southern Ocean - campaigning against an illegal whaling hunt - we find ourselves in an unexpected situation. The vessel we had been searching for, the Japanese factory whaling ship Nisshin Maru, has issued a distress call after a serious fire broke out on board. The blaze is thought to be under control, but tragically, one crew member has been lost.
The Nisshin Maru is now disabled and drifting 100 nautical miles from the largest Adelie penguin colony in the world. The ship is carrying approximately 1,000 tons of oil. An oil spill would be a major ecological disaster in the Antarctic, and there may be bad weather soon.
The Esperanza is now on the scene. To help avoid further tragedy, Greenpeace has offered to tow the whaling ship out of the Southern Ocean. We'll keep you posted as the situation unfolds.
The whale hunt is most likely over for the season, but the whales still face a serious threat. The government of Japan has been lobbying hard to overturn the 20 year old ban on commercial whaling, and this May the International Whaling Commission is voting in Alaska.
Now, more than ever, we need YOU to defend the whales.
Be a Whale Defender! Check out whales.greenpeace.org/us!
TAKE ACTION: Register for free on the new I GO online community site and you'll have a chance to communicate with Greenpeace campaigners on the ship, meet other whale defenders, suggest and vote on campaign ideas, see excellent videos, and keep up with the news from the front lines. You'll learn about things you can do to make a difference during this critical moment for the whales.
You don't have to be on the ship in the Southern Oceans to help save whales. Sign up, create a profile and introduce yourself in the US Whale Defenders Forum.
Whales are an amazing and irreplaceable part of the ocean world. By the 1980s, many species of whales were driven to the brink of extinction by rampant commercial whaling. Winning the ban on commercial whaling, in effect since 1986, was a major victory for marine life.
The ban on commercial whaling is under threat. The whales need us now more than ever. From now until the International Whaling Commission's vote in May, whale defenders must take action to prevent the return of commercial whaling.
Become part of the online whale defender community today, and play a role in saving the whales once and for all. I'll look for you on the US Whaledefender's Forum.
Collector accused of forging 'James ossuary' says old photos prove authenticity By Amiram Barkat
Mysterious photographs from the 1970s are to be brought as evidence to prove that the so-called ossuary of James, the brother of Jesus, is authentic. They are to be presented by attorneys for Oded Golan, the antiquities dealer charged with forging the item, which when it was made public, was dubbed "the most important archaeological discovery from the beginnings of Christianity."
The photographs, copies of which have reached Haaretz, have already been examined by an American expert and are to be submitted as evidence in court. But they do not remove doubts about the item, which touched off a storm in the archaeological world.
In December 2004, after a lengthy police investigation, the State Prosecutor's Office indicted Golan and three other Israelis for what they called the most serious case of antiquities forgery ever uncovered in Israel.
Golan, 55, a Tel Aviv resident, was charged with allegedly masterminding a ring responsible for the fabrication of antiquities over a period of more than 15 years. According to the charge sheet, the group stands accused of attempting to sell items to museums and wealthy collectors for millions of dollars.
The indictment states that in 2001 or shortly before, Golan forged the inscription on the ossuary (bone receptacle) and that at approximately that same time, also forged the so-called "Joash inscription."
The ossuary was unveiled in a press conference in Washington, D.C., in October 2002. It was inscribed in Aramaic with words interpreted as "Yaakov the brother of Yeshua," alluding to the fact that the individual whose bones it held was Jesus' brother, James, mentioned in the New Testament. A geological test commissioned by the owners of the ossuary and confirming the authenticity of the find was presented at the briefing.
A panel appointed by the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), Shuka Dorfman, determined in June 2003 that the inscription on the ossuary was "added recently," while the ossuary itself was authentic.
In the defense's photographs, dated 1976, the ossuary is shown on a shelf, apparently in Golan's home. In an enlargement, the whole inscription can be seen with great difficulty. The photo was examined by Gerald Richard, a former FBI agent and an expert for the defense. Richard testified that "Nothing was noted that would indicate or suggest that they were not produced in March 1976 as indicated on the stamps appearing on the reverse side of each print."
Golan's attorney, Lior Beringer, told Haaretz that the photos support the defense's position. "The prosecution claims that Golan forged the inscription after the beginning of 2000. But here is a detailed report from an FBI photo lab that states that the inscription existed at least since the 70s," Beringer said. "It is unreasonable that someone would forge an inscription like this in the 70s and suddenly decide to come out with it in 2002," he added.
The date of the photo is also significant legally because any antiquity discovered in Israel since the passage of the 1978 Antiquities Law belongs to the state.
The IAA refused yesterday to comment on the new finds and would say only that the matter was being dealt with by the state prosecutor.
The photos join experts in Israel and other countries who have tried to disparage the credibility of the IAA panel, in what the IAA at the time described as a well-orchestrated campaign backed by interested parties. The accusation was leveled against Hershel Shanks, the editor of the Biblical Archaeology Review, published in the U.S. Shanks' identification of the ossuary brought him credit worldwide. He funded the exhibition of the ossuary in a Toronto museum, from which money poured in from thousands of visitors to the organizers, including Shanks. Shanks has told Haaretz in the past that he is motivated by the desire to get to the truth in the matter.
But it is the way the ossuary was found that seems to raise the most doubts. Golan, whose friends say his knowledge is "phenomenal," said that for years he did not realize that he had of the most important archaeological finds in the world on his shelf. When asked by Haaretz about this in an interview, he explained, "It didn't set off any bells, I am not an expert in Christian tradition."
Temples that archaeologists have unearthed in the eastern Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria are about a thousand years older than the pyramids in Egypt and the Mesopotamian civilization, experts claim.
Archaeologists Ana Raduncheva and Stefanka Ivanova said in an interview for BTA that the whole system of temples in the Rhodope region dated back to the Vth millenium B.C. This is almost 4,000 years before the Thracian people settled on these lands.
At the end of the Chalcolithic Age, the rock temples were abandoned for a large period of time. The Thracians rediscovered them about 2,500 years later, the archaeologists claim.
There's a new website for the popular radio show Now That's Weird - hosted by Ross Hemsworth of nettalkradio. Check it out! NOW THAT'S WEIRD
On Friday 23rd Feb at 9pm (GMT) I will be joining Ross to talk about this years forthcoming Glastonbury Forbidden Knowledge Conference and much more! So tune in and have a laugh.
The Skull and Crossbones The Untold Tale of the Templar Shining Ones By Philip Gardiner www.gardinersworld.com
The enigmatic image of the skull and crossbones is deeply entrenched in the minds of millions around the world as the symbol of piracy, death and even poison. It was an image that has kept cropping up in my researches, whether Masonic or Templar or even as the symbol that the Christian Jesuits found themselves being inaugurated on, and so I decided that I needed to look deeper into the mysterious rise of this peculiar image.
Whenever we see a pirate ship on television, cinema or in comic books we also see an extremely ancient symbol ? the skull and crossbones. This however, was not a symbol of death or indeed poison but instead it profoundly symbolized life in so many aspects.
Many researchers of Templar and Masonic history have pointed out the links between this symbol and the one used by the Knights Templar on their ships. If we take into account the fact that the Templars had the world?s biggest fleet in the 13th century, and that they were well known for acts that we would call today "piracy" then there is no wonder. The latter Knights of Malta were also well known for piracy and we find that these Maltese Knights were in fact the very same as the Templars ? having been formed or joined by the remnant of the dissolved Templars. These new Templars or Knights of Malta were accused on several occasions of piracy and henceforth we have tales of piracy on the high seas. There is a direct link therefore between the creation or use of the skull and crossbones by the Knights Templar and our modern day idea of it being a symbol of piracy.
But, I wondered, what explanation did the Knights Templar give for using the symbol? Where did they get it from? I found a strange tale that is told by most Templar researchers to link the symbol to them and this tale surprisingly involves the number 9, a mother earth image and a skull.
In The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln tell the tale:
"A great lady of Maraclea was loved by a Templar, A Lord of Sidon; but she died in her youth, and on the night of her burial, this wicked lover crept to the grave, dug up her body and violated it. Then a voice from the void bade him return in nine months time for he would find a son. He obeyed the injunction and at the appointed time he opened the grave again and found a head on the leg bones of the skeleton (skull and crossbones). The same voice bade him ?guard it Well, for it would be the giver of all good things, and so he carried it away with him. It became his protecting genius, and he was able to defeat his enemies by merely showing them the magic head. In due course, it passed to the possession of the order."
In another version this Lord of Sidon actually ritualistically marries the corpse.
I told this tale to several colleagues in-order to judge the response and in each case the response began with horror and disgust and ended with a lot of head scratching and bewilderment ? the reaction that the story in fact was intended to provoke.
Now such stories are naturally seen as macabre and the "hidden message" therefore still evades us ? which is the idea. But as I was to discover, what is really being conveyed in these stories, is the importance of the union or balance, which creates a state of enlightenment akin to that spoken of by the Gnostics, alchemists and mystics. [1]
But before I decided this to be the case I wanted to delve deeper and found myself in an ancient world of symbolism and secrecy. There were more nuggets of information in this text, which needed investigation and I decided that it was about time the code was broken. I turned firstly to the main character in the tale, the infamous Lord of Sidon.
As a Titular metropolis of Pamphylia Prima, Sidon, dates as far back as Neolithic times. In the tenth century B.C. Sidon had its own coinage that bore the head of Athena (also Minerva a serpentine, feminine deity linked with healing.) I found that Athena was indeed the patroness of the city even though its people were sometimes termed "a piratical horde" and Constantine Porphyrogenitus called Sidon a ?nest of pirates.? However the place did go on to play host to one of Alexander the Great?s garrisons for a while, which was used to subdue this piratical element for Alexander?s own purposes. Under his successors Sidon became known as the ?holy city of Phoenicia? and enjoyed relative freedom, with games and competitions attracting people from far and wide.
In 1111 AD the crusader Baldwin, who was later to become King Baldwin of Jerusalem, besieged the city and it was later to become one of the four baronies of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
It was a very commercial, and in fact, warlike city, with a powerful navy ? something the Templars looked up to and emulated.
From early on, Sidon was a rendezvous for pirates, and even the slave trade continued after the fall of slavery elsewhere.
However, by the 14th century, and following the downfall of the Templars, Sidon was on the "way out" as a player on the world market. The lack of water and resources - added to Turkish invasions - led to lack of interest. Sidon was not yet dead in the water though and flourished again briefly in the 17th century when it was rebuilt by Fakhreddine II ? the then ruler of Lebanon. Under Fakhreddine?s guidance it became a base for French merchants who used it as a staging post to further their commercial conquests. Slowly however Sidon again declined until the late 20th century when again it has risen from the ashes to become an important commercial and agricultural centre.
So this was a brief but relevant history of Sidon and its relationship to my story was remarkable. The fact that it was well known as a "nest of pirates" was startling. I considered also the link of the skull and crossbones to piracy, especially as it was linked to the Templars, and the fact that the Lord from the skull and crossbones story was Lord of Sidon.
So was this Lord of Sidon mentioned in the Templar story really a pirate? The links between Sidon are strong: Templars were highly commercial and indeed linked to slavery, so was Sidon. It collapsed in the 14th century, and so did the Templars. It had a huge fleet, and so did the Templars. In fact they were one and the same in many respects ? both feeding from one another. The leaders of Sidon were linked with the Templars and would have seen the Templar?s banking system as highly important.
As the Holy Land finally fell to the Muslims in 1291 I found mention of a Templar knight by the name of Tibald Gaudin who is thought to have carried off the famous Templar treasure. When Gaudin finally arrived at the Templar port of Sidon he was elected the next Grand Master ? or Lord. It seems that there were ample financial reserves held at the Sidon Preceptory and so the treasure of the Templars cannot have been gold or otherwise it would not have been mentioned. I am of the opinion that the treasure was the secret of the Holy Grail as I pointed out in The Serpent Grail.
If Sidon had a hidden message in the text then it was simply that the Lord of Sidon was to get the Grail from the Lady of Maraclea ? as intimated in the story quoted above ? which reveals, and rather symbolically, the means through which he could claim it.
Having now established a link between Sidon and the Templars story I wanted to move on to the other name given that caught my eye ? Maraclea.
This peculiar name I found was taken from a site that the Templars had previously held in the 13th century. I wondered whether the name had a symbolic meaning ? a name with a hidden message in the language ? why else would she be from Maraclea and not Antioch or Acre?
Initially I found the site was called Maraclea because it simply means "Clear Waters" or "Sea." But I wanted to know why the Templars had used the term and began with the standard etymological practice of breaking the word up into two parts ? Mara and Clea. Taking the first part I delved into the world of etymology once more and found some remarkable "coincidences."
Mara in Hebrew means, "bitter" and was a common alternative for Mary ? whether the Mother of Jesus or the Magdalene. In Latin it equates to mare, which is "water," "lake," "sea" and indeed linked to "horse" (female horse.) In Anglo Saxon I found that the term mara meant "greater" or "more." In Buddhism Mara is "death" or "evil one." Mara is said to tempt us like Eve and indeed it was Mara who tempted Buddha on the night before his enlightenment experience. I found this rather intriguing as in the Garden of Eden it was the serpent whom supplied the fruit of the tree of knowledge to Eve and therefore he was supplying enlightenment just like Buddha (and Eve as Havveh is equated with female serpent.)
This Mara of the Buddhists I discovered was also closely related to Rama, where ma equates to black or dark, a term associated with beauty and a term also meaning "Great Mother."
Baffled, but also excited by these etymological results and their relationship to the story of the enlightenment or ?shining? I quickly moved on to the second part of the word ? clea.
When I did look at this word I felt rather stupid as it was perfectly "clear" what it meant. Clea means simply "to clean," "to clear," "to be clear," "to be pure," "to be bright" or "to shine!"
I also noted that this lady of Maraclea, according to theologians and scholars was thought to have come from Armenia. Rife in Armenia at the time was what is known as Paulician Christianity ? a Christianity that would not be recognised by most today. I decided not to delve too deeply into this theology, but did find that this spawned the Bogomils who have been linked to, and were even called the same as the infamous Cathars or "Perfect Ones" ? i.e., "Illumined/Shining Ones" or "Pure Ones." I then noted that other meaning for clea, - which was "pure." Could it be that this link was even well known in Templar times? It certainly is today, as I was to discover when I ran across the modern day version for the new book The Ark, The Shroud and Mary - but more on this in the book.
The feeling of stupidity quickly drained away as I suddenly realised what the term Maraclea meant ? a word that has been missed by thousands of Templar historians the world over and yet is a key to unlocking the secret of this peculiar text. I ran through the variants that were now possible:
Mary Pure ? well no, that didn't work. Water Bright ? this didn?t really relate.
In fact there were numerous configurations that I could have made. In the end I landed on two that just seemed to make perfect sense and related etymologically in the Anglo Saxon for both words - without mixing up the languages. The result sent a shiver up my spine as I realised the two meanings of Maraclea. The first one was, Black-Clear or Dark-Clear.
Well this was significant in the Gnostic sense, as the contradictory nature of the words revealed the duality spoken of by the Gnostics and Manicheans ? light and dark, male and female. These were the two sides of our minds ? a revelation of our own divided consciousness. It was in fact the very same element spoken of throughout time as the generative source of all religions ? for by overcoming this duality and finding balance and union, or a neutral state, we become enlightened to our own true self and often enter a spiritual state of illumination or ?shining?.
The other meaning of the name Maraclea was equally astounding and related even more to the concept of illumination. It was 'Greater Shining'.
However, there was even more meaning in this interpretation. Standing back for a moment I wondered about the whole thing.
Here I have a Lord of Sidon, possibly a Templar knight, if indeed not a Grand Master, coming into union with the 'Greater Shining.' What could it possibly mean other than this Templar was a 'Shining One' and therefore experienced the Holy Grail of enlightenment for himself? The result of his union would be the head or skull 9 months later (although another version says 9 years,) and as I was to discover in my researches into the Temple of Jerusalem, the number 9 was of paramount importance to the Templars. The head was also definitely being used as a metaphor for this internal process, which actually involved the head or something within it. This in itself gives us a greater insight to the argued over Baphomet head that the Templars were said to have worshipped.
Strange also then that 9 Knights set up the Templars and 9 years later return to Rosslyn Chapel with supposedly the Holy Grail tucked away in a bag. But, I decided maybe I should take another look at the number 9, which is a reversed P ? something, which would soon become strangely more relevant.
I decided in this instance to just take a look at language rather than numbers and so consulted the Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson.
'Nine days' Wonder ? Minor marvels, things that cause great sensations for a short time and then pass into limbo? Kittens, puppies, and other young animals have their eyes closed for a number of days [9] and then open them and see the light?.'
Amazingly this is mirrored in folktales, myth and legend and therefore in the significance of the number we have here a period of 9 months where the female is pregnant (and thus rebirth); 9 months or years for the Lord of Sidon to receive his prize; and 9 days before the new born animals see the light ? it all made complete sense.
So, the skull and crossbones is linked to the number 9 and again, enlightenment and the Holy Grail ? which are both seen as good, pure and holy. Indeed, was not the Holy Grail said to be the giver of all good things, just like the head in the Templar tale, "guard it Well, for it would be the giver of all good things." If this Greater Shining were truly the Holy Grail then it would bring him good things for sure.
"It became his protecting genius." Others have found this part of the text very strange, however I understood what it meant immediately, and for confirmation I looked up the meaning in a standard dictionary and found perfect corresponding evidence for the Greater Shining.
Genius, inborn faculty. (L.) L. genius, the tutelary spirit of any one; also wit, lit. "inborn nature." Allied to genus.
So, this "Greater Shining," this "head," became his inborn faculty or inborn nature. The two were the same.
There is a subtle underground symbolism going on here. The Lord of Sidon (a Templar) mates with the Lady of Maraclea (a Cathar) and we have an inborn nature called genius. Suddenly the Skull and Crossbones symbol, as explained in the Templar text is revealed before our eyes.
At this point it crossed my mind that I had only gone back to the Templars. I wondered just how far back in time I could possibly go with this skull and crossbones image?
The earliest reference to the actual skull and crossbones I could discover was the Templar reference. However, taking the image as symbolic, which is what it indeed was, then we are looking for the shape ? a skull or head with a diagonal cross or saltaire below.
Amazingly, I found this in Ancient Egypt and on the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Carrying a staff or sceptre was, in ancient Egypt, a symbol of universal power. The Flail was used to beat animals (or indeed people) into submission and shows authority like the sceptre ? hence their interchangeable nature. The crook was a shepherd's tool, used to pull stray animals by the neck without hurting them. Here we have an image of push and pull. This shepherd aspect of the king is as old as Mesopotamia and possibly beyond.
These two symbols reveal the two opposites of the duality spoken of by the Gnostics, the push (positive/male) and pull (negative/feminine). Anyone therefore that mastered these symbols had mastery over the self and the enlightened connection or ?shining?.
Tutankhamun was seen with these devices held upon the chest in the diagonal cross form, making a replica of the skull and crossbones in form, whereas many other Pharaohs held them outwardly away from each other.
When dead, the king becomes Osiris, and I find that this same image is seen upon Osiris and is therefore his symbol ? a symbol of the ultimate universal power and borrowed by his earthly representative the Pharaoh.
The symbolism now becomes open to see.
Osiris is the archetypal resurrecting god ? a symbol of regeneration, akin to the power of the Templar in the text. So the Templar is symbolically the same as Osiris on Earth. No wonder that Christ is called the "good shepherd" ? as was Osiris who was called the "good god."
So here I was tracing back the image of the skull and crossbones back into ancient Egypt and even Mesopotamia. It should have been no surprise, as this is the home of the ancient and original Shining Ones. And yet, amazingly there was more to come. I turned my gaze even more laterally and found another symbol related entirely to both the skull and crossbones and the Egyptian influence.
This separate and more obscure image also closely resembled the skull and crossbones and over it a ?holy war? has raged for decades.
The symbol is now commonly known as the Chi-Rho ? so-called because it is composed of the Greek letters chi (X) and rho (P).
The war over these two letters is fought between Christians and historians; between fundamentalists on both sides and yet both sides are missing the point.
The Christians claim that the Chi-Rho form the first two letters of Christ (Cristos) and the historians claim that the symbol can be found hundreds if not thousands of years before Christianity and was therefore usurped by them. I needed to look into this to discover the origins, meaning and why it so resembled the style of the skull and crossbones.
An identical symbol to the Chi-Rho has been found inscribed on rocks dating from 2,500 BC Sumeria, and was interpreted as "a combination of the two Sun-symbols" ? symbols of the ancient shining ones. It was also used on the coins of Ptolemeus III from 247-222 BC, as well as being an emblem of the Chaldean sky/sun god and has the definition ?Everlasting Father Sun? (From An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols.)
According to Sir Flinders Petrie - the Egyptologist - the monogram Chi-Rho was the emblem of the Egyptian god, Horus, thousands of years before Christ and is therefore a link between Horus the saviour, and Christ the saviour. I had already noted on several occasions the links between these ancient characters and so this was highly believable and conclusive. [2]
To others it is in this second century B.C. where the secret of the monogram lies with the Greek Ptolemy?s who are said to have "borrowed" it from the Africans. In this scenario the Greeks called their version of Horus, Herecles or Hercules and applying the Greek Xpnc (Chres) to him. This suddenly gave the ancient Horus the title of Lord, Chrestos, and inevitably "Christ." This, if true, shows again the direct link between Horus, the Chi-Rho monogram and Christ.
Indeed many European scholars have actually identified Heracles or Hercules as none other than an emblem of Jesus Christ. I had to bear in mind that the name Heracles, is related to Hero and Hu, which means, "shining," but are also related etymologically to Christ, showing that these titles of the Messiah are directly derived from the word Heru which is of African origin and can be found the world over as a word for the sun.
But there were even more links, as I discovered. The Greek title Christ is, like Heru, also derived from an Egypto-African word Karast, and Kristos or Christos is the KRST (Karast). Karast is a person who is anointed (enlightened or shining) as a Heru (Hero) during his or her own lifetime. It is only when deceased that one receives the great term "a KRST" or Ausur. This Ausur is none other than Osiris, the same Egyptian god I found with the skull and crossbones symbol with the flail and sceptre.
The anointing, in the physical sense, (as the anointing also applies in the spiritual sense,) derived from the body or cadaver being anointed with spices, oils, and resins to preserve it. The body is then wrapped in bandages, placed in a coffer, which is then placed upright to symbolise resurrection. It was believed that in the plural, the Herus (Heroes) or Krst?s (Christs) would rise again to save the world as fully divine beings and thus become the ?once and future king.? It seems then that this tradition came out of Africa, through Egypt and into Greek and Christian legend and brought with it the original symbols of Osiris.
So, amazingly we have a link between the Chi-Rho and the symbol of Osiris ? god the father of Horus or Christ. No wonder that a philological and historical war rages and that Christianity refuses to accept this remarkable link.
So, I wondered, what do the Christians believe this Chi-Rho to derive from? Well, I found that it goes back to Constantine and was an amazing propaganda device to establish the new Roman, and therefore to become, Catholic Empire.
The story goes that Constantine had a vision before a great battle and was told that with the symbol of the Chi-Rho, which they called the Labarum, he would gain victory ? "By this sign, you will conquer." Using the new Labarum as his battle standard, which would relate to everybody, Constantine took the field and the Empire was ?born again.? In fact, the Christians had been using this symbol secretly as a sign of their faith and Constantine (or somebody who advised him) simply picked up on the fact that this symbol and the whole saviour process was as ancient and widespread as I am outlining here ? and according to some ? it was used to plunder the treasuries of the pagan temples. Amazingly, on the coinage during and after Constantine?s death, we see the Laburnum or Chi-Rho, underlined with the serpent ? a symbol used throughout time and especially by the Gnostics for wisdom and the enlightenment process.
Strangely, just as the biblical term, Elohim, is a plural word used for God, and in reality means the "Shining Ones," the X part of the monogram is also plural (X=10) and is the number of Yahweh. Chi also has another meaning ? "Great Fire" or "Light" or even "Shining." The P (Rho) part is more difficult but has been related to "Pen" (pen means, "head") in etymology thus implying that the loop on the top of the P is a head, in the very place that a skull would be on the skull and crossbones. [3]
I found that the symbol of the skull and crossbones then, stretches back over thousands of years and relates entirely to the ancient Shining Ones ? and directly to Osiris, the Egyptian version of the original Shining Father incarnated on earth. Not only that, but geographically it goes right into the heart of original Shining territory.
But, I again had questions: Why the X? I believe that the X marks the spot in more ways than can be imagined. It is the crossing point of the two dual energies and it is the centre where the true enlightenment is supposedly engaged ? where the two opposites meet - something Gary Osborn eruditely points out in our books together. With the upright world axis running through the X we also have a dividing line, but it is also a six-pointed symbol and is akin to the Star of David or Seal of Solomon, which is also an ancient symbol with much the same meaning. The six points are important, as they reveal the seventh point and most holy ? the centre of the X.
I was tempted to look into the infamous Skull and Bones secret society of Yale University so famously joined by Bush Senior and Junior, as well as many other extremely powerful individuals, but decided I was straying too far into the world of conspiracy theories that had little or no substance and so I left well alone. However, as I was to discover with the Jesuits, who swear an oath upon the symbol of the skull and crossbones, I found that the Freemasons also have this symbol and utilize it without too much knowledge of its origin ? or so we are led to believe. However, what was intriguing was the degree that utilized the symbol ? the Knights Templar.
In the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Virginia, USA, there is an anteroom with a large portrait of the Colonial period Grand Master Lafayette wearing the Templar Apron bearing the skull and crossbones. The same apron images have also been found elsewhere, such as Michigan, Detroit and Jackson and I am sure that these are not the only ones, as several members have also pointed out to me that they too have seen the aprons.
According to Masonic history the apron can only be dated back to the late 18th century and to the revisions carried out by Thomas Smith Webb where he pointed out that ?The flap black, and a skull and cross bones embroidered in silver thereon.?
On another apron is described by Cornelius Moore in 1859, "An Apron of black velvet of a triangular form, trimmed in silver lace. On the top or flap is a triangle, with twelve holes perforated through it; in the centre of the triangle is a cross and serpent; on the centre of the apron is a scull and cross bones, and at equal distance from them, in a triangular form, a star with seven points; in the centre of each star a red cross." (From The Craftsman and Freemasons Guide, 1859.)
The reasoning behind having this skull and crossbones on the Masonic apron, is revealed in a story with which I began ? the story about a Lord of Sidon . . .
Philip Gardiner is an international best selling author of numerous books - including Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed, The Ark, The Shroud and Mary and Secrets of the Serpent: In Search of the Sacred Past. He has several highly acclaimed DVD's out, available from amazon and other retail outlets. His website is www.gardinersworld.com
Notes 1 For more on this see Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon?s Temple Revealed by Philip Gardiner, New Page Books, 2006 and the DVD from Reality Entertainment 2006 2 For more on this see Secrets of the Serpents: In Search of Our Sacred Past by Philip Gardiner, Reality Press, 2006 ? a book and DVD. 3 One thing is sure, Rho stood for "Pater" or "Patah" (the Egyptian god Ptah), which is ?Father.? Together they therefore make ?Shining Father? (Dyaus Pitar) ? which later became the Roman "Jupiter" (Hu Ptah=father sun) ? the Roman version of the Greek father-god Zeus.
Ever notice the similarity in the way people act? Patterns of behavior that repeat certain characteristics and involve similar lessons to be learned? The author presents theoretical personality patterns as guidelines for recognizing and understanding some of the basic patterns of awareness we deal with every day, in ourselves and in others. When we view various stages of growth as patterns, we can deal more effectively with side effects each patterns produces with less emotional involvement and stress.
The challenge. . .to recognize and consciously alter our own ego behavioral patterns that block expression to our talents and abilities.
Written in Lansün?s inimitable style that appeals to both the mind and the mystic in all of us, it will add insight and spice to your view of yourself and others.
You?ll read with relish. . .and occasionally a little ?pickle? when it hits close to home.
Review by Philip Gardiner of www.gardinersworld.com
"Well, I have now finished this book after taking way too long to read it. In fact, I wanted to let the words settle in my mind before moving on because this book is very gentle and yet often profound. I can see obvious traces of Carl Jung in here with certain understandings and even the Dalai himself, but in truth this is an individual book that will be most welcomed by many people who are trapped in one level or another of the patterns that this book represents.. . .this book is very gentle and yet often profound. . . .people will see themselves in there . . .like a mirror. I would highly recommend it to everybody, both young and old, for even if you are well-versed in psychology and therapy you will still have a good laugh at some of the funny comments and humorous writing techniques."
Discount Online www.newagepublications.com
Incidentally, if they tune in to www.newagepublications.com the discount price is $17.00 for Patterns and $14.00 for Dream book.
Secrets of the Serpent Now Available as an Audible Book
Secrets of the Serpent: In Search of the Sacred Past is now available exclusively from audible.com as an audio book. I spent a day at Alchemy Werks studio in LA late last year and recorded the book. I drank bucket loads of a lovely lemon tea that Jo the engineer produced as if by magic and we watched the lovely Californian sun lower in the sky over the LA hills. It was a magical time for a poor author from Nottinghamshire and one that shall remain with me. This book I belive captures some of my emotion on the day in the voice! Not something I would want to do every day, nor could I, because it is very hard work and I admire the pro's who can do this for a living.
Many of you will now know of the rave new band Soul Path (see www.soulpath.info) and their wonderful enchanting music. Well they just did an interview with Kala at Explore Your Spitit on the radio, you can listen here!
I highly recommend listening - these are set for big things. In fact they are currently recording a new video for release with their first single and it's gonna be amazing I can tell you. These are good, honest, sound people and I fully back their wonderful music which comes not just from the heart - but the very heart of the universe.
I recently watched Concert for George (2002) with lots of brilliant musicians such as Jeff Lynn, Paul McCartney and others, just wonderful. They all played music by George - one of my all-time favourite musicians. These are my favourite lyrics, because they mean a lot to me both in personal life and in general with the earth and our history.
Isn't it a pity Now, isn't it a shame How we break each other's hearts And cause each other pain How we take each other's love Without thinking anymore Forgetting to give back Isn't it a pity
Some things take so long But how do I explain When not too many people Can see we're all the same And because of all their tears Their eyes can't hope to see The beauty that surrounds them Isn't it a pity
Isn't it a pity Isn't is a shame How we break each other's hearts And cause each other pain How we take each other's love Without thinking anymore Forgetting to give back Isn't it a pity
Forgetting to give back Isn't it a pity Forgetting to give back Now, isn't it a pity
So right and I have been as guilty as the next man! Nobody can say they are free of this and nor should they - for by accepting that we fall short of what Christians call the "glory of God" then we start to learn something about ourselves - and therein the discovery of the true self can arise.
The renowned author, researcher and broadcaster, Paul Devereux has been confirmed as a speaker at the Glastonbury Forbidden Knowledge Conference on July the 14th at the Glastonbury Town Hall starting at 10am.
Tim has been confirmed as a speaker at the Forbidden Knowledge Conference in Glastonbury on 14th July. He's a great speaker and his books are gems of inspiration and highly researched.
First Americans Arrived Recently, Settled Pacific Coast, DNA Study Says
This will be interesting to a lot of people! I know Crichton Miller will be interested due to the navigational skill of ancient man. Take a look and see:
First Americans Arrived Recently, Settled Pacific Coast, DNA Study Says Stefan Lovgren for National Geographic News
February 2, 2007 A study of the oldest known sample of human DNA in the Americas suggests that humans arrived in the New World relatively recently, around 15,000 years ago.
The DNA was extracted from a 10,300-year-old tooth found in a cave on Prince of Wales Island off southern Alaska in 1996.
The sample represents a previously unknown lineage for the people who first arrived in the Americas.
The findings, published last week online in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, shed light on how the descendants of the Alaskan caveman might have spread.
Comparing the DNA found in the tooth with that sampled from 3,500 Native Americans, researchers discovered that only one percent of modern tribal members have genetic patterns that matched the prehistoric sample.
Those who did lived primarily on the Pacific coast of North and South America, from California to Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of South America (see map).
This suggests that the first Americans may have spread through the New World along a coastal route.
Brian Kemp, a molecular anthropologist who sequenced the DNA, said the discovery underlines the importance of genetic research in understanding human migration.
"I think there's a lot of information in these old skeletons that's going to help us clarify the timing of the peopling of the Americas and perhaps where Native Americans originated in Asia," said Kemp, a research associate at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
On Your Knees Cave
When and how the first people came to the Americas has been a subject of intense debate.
The prevailing theory has been that the first to arrive descended from prehistoric hunters who walked across a thousand-mile (1,600-kilometer) land bridge from Asia to Alaska.
This migration probably occurred at least 15,000 years ago?the oldest human remains discovered so far are 13,000 years old?but some scientists have proposed that the first Americans arrived up to 40,000 years ago.
The Alaskan tooth was discovered in a cavern called On Your Knees Cave, named by the explorer who first crawled inside it.
Using material taken from the tooth, Kemp isolated fragments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed down from mothers to their offspring, and Y chromosome DNA, which is passed from father to son.
From a genetic database of 3,500 Native Americans, Kemp found 47 individuals in North and South America who exhibited the same genetic markers as the caveman. Some of the samples were drawn from living people and others from ancient bones.
He then compared the tooth DNA with the matching, modern samples and tracked the mutations that had occurred in that DNA over time.
By measuring the rate of mutation, Kemp found that so-called molecular evolution?the process by which genetic material changes over time?had taken place two to four times faster than researchers believed mtDNA could evolve.
That, Kemp said, suggests people entered the Americas within the last 15,000 years, because the DNA has evolved too fast for the arrival to have occurred any earlier.
"I would say that humans were probably not here much before that date," said Kemp. "A 15,000-year-old entry is [also] much more consistent with the archaeological record."
Genetic Markers
All of the mtDNA lineages among Native Americans are associated with five founding lineages believed to have originated in Asia.
But the caveman DNA turned out to be an independent founding lineage.
Of the 47 samples that matched the tooth DNA, 4 were from descendants of Chumash Indians living along California's central coast.
"The distribution of people exhibiting this [genetic] type today are all distributed in the western Americas," Kemp said.
"More or less the individuals are smack down the coast. It's a very neat western distribution."
John Johnson, an archaeologist and ethnohistorian at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History in California, collected the Chumash DNA samples.
To Johnson, the matching of the Chumash samples to the On Your Knees Cave man is indirect evidence of an ancient coastal migration that may have occurred very rapidly.
"We're interested in who were those first people to arrive here at the Pacific coast," Johnson said.
"I believe the Chumash descended from a very early coastal migration that resulted in the distribution of people down to the tip of South America."
Fishing Cultures?
But where did these coastal migrants come from?
DNA samples of people living in Japan and northeast Asia show some of the genetic mutations found in the cave-tooth and Chumash samples.
"I think that's a clue that there could be a genetic connection," Johnson said.
He said the Chumash ancestors may have been skilled fishers before they arrived in the Americas.
"Your techniques for exploiting coastal resources are easily [transferable] and something that maybe can allow you to migrate more quickly than people who are hunters and gatherers, who must get used to new environments as they move into uncharted territory," Johnson said.
"I think that may have allowed a more rapid migration along the Pacific margins of the Americas."
Kemp, meanwhile, said rapidly advancing DNA technology will help scientists piece together the story of the first Americans.
"No expert in morphology could look at the bones and say this person resembles a Tierra del Fuego person. It was only the DNA that could seal the case," Kemp said.
"This really highlights the importance of adding a molecular component to the study of these really ancient remains."
With the forthcoming book and DVD - The Ark, The Shroud and Mary, I thought I'd pop some links and acknowledgments on for people to do their own research!
Firstly I'd like to acknowledge the great many people who helped me write the book and make the DVD. Graham Phillips was very kind and allowed me to use material he had found in his book The Templars and the Ark of the Covenant - thanks Graham! Gary Osborn (co-author on Serpent Grail and Shining Ones will forever be one who influenced me and opened my eyes more to the metaphysical elements of specifically the hypnagogic and his work deserves full credit (which for my fault entirely I missed in The US version of Gnosis and has been prepared for future runs - sorry again! The kundalini aspect is Gary's concept fullstop). Graham Hancock - for the marvellous work he did in The Sign and the Seal. Stuart Munro-Hay - thanks to your spirit! My Sufi friend and Brother Juan - whatever your real name may be. To Dr John Jay Harper for his further deep insights into the Shaman of our past and clarification on all things kundalini. Warren Croyle - my friend and guide in many things. Michael Bourne - for being a brick! Steve, Julie and Mike of Soul Path for creating enchanting music from the heart of the universe. The great Ian Wilson and his books on the Shroud. Crichton Miller for his insights into the ancient mind. Hamish Miller for making contact with Mother Earth! My friends at the university for helping with the electrical elements and my psychologist friend for the insight into the physical brain and mind. Astrid my wonderful editor, Michael and Laurie of New Page - consumate professionals. And to all those numerous people who have spoken kind words and helped me along the way.
On July 14th we will be holding a special Forbidden Knowledge Conference in Glastonbury. Some great speakers being lined up for the event and lots of great people involved. Myself, Ross Hemsworth (of nettalkradio) and Graham Robertson are organising the event so if you'd like to book tickets or have a stall then let us know at info@philipgardiner.net or ross@nettalkradio.co.uk and we'll reserve them for you. The event will be all day and its a great place to hold it of course!
Has the Temple of Solomon finally been found? This latest news article claims that "the" Temple is found, but not necessarily the Temple of Solomon. The Temple was without doubt built, but the Temple of Jerusalem. To attribute this to Solomon himself (if he existed in reality) is stretching it too far. Pinpointing the new location here shown for the Temple is however a great step forward if this new discovery is confirmed. For more on the Temple see my book Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed
Study of ancient cisterns pinpoints sacred site, ? Muslim Dome of the Rock outside confines Posted: February 11, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern
Using maps created in 1866 by a British explorer and passages from the Jewish Mishnah, an Israeli archaeologist and professor at Hebrew University says he has pinpointed the location of the sacred Jewish Temple, twice built and twice destroyed in ancient times.
While popular consensus places the Temple, built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. and rebuilt by Jews who returned from Babylon in the 5th century B.C., on the site of the present Muslim Dome of the Rock, Prof. Joseph Patrich says archaeological remains show its exact location ? and the consensus is wrong.
According to Patrich, the Temple, its corresponding courtyards, chambers and gates were oriented in a more southeasterly direction, sitting diagonally on what is the modern Temple Mount. The difference in orientation and the placement further eastward varies from the east-facing orientation of other scholars who believe the Temple was closer to today's Western Wall.
However, that difference is why, Patrich says, the Temple did not sit over the rock believed by Jews to be the site where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac and where Muslims believe Muhammad ascended into heaven.
Patrich's siting of the Temple is derived from information collected by British engineer Sir Charles Wilson in 1866 on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Wilson mapped a series of ancient cisterns below the present Temple Mount platform. One of those, Patrich says, preserves a vestige of the Temple that stood until it was destroyed by Rome in A.D. 70.
The cistern mapped by Wilson, approximately 15 feet wide, 170 feet long and 45 feet deep, was located near the Temple Mount's southeast corner. It was oriented in a southeasterly direction with branches extending north and south.
Patrich's reconstruction of Temple in 1st century A.D., facing northeast. Courtesy Hebrew University. (Drawing by Leen Ritmeyer)
"Until now no one has ever thought that the location of the cistern on the Temple Mount and its unique shape were derived from the shape and location of the altar and sanctuary," Patrich told YNetNews.
According to the archaeologist, this cistern is the only one found on the Temple Mount that corresponds to descriptions in the Jewish Mishnah ? the rabbinic oral tradition compiled in the 3rd century A.D. ? of daily purification and sacrificial duties carried out by the priests on the altar in the Temple courtyard.
The Mishnah says water was drawn by a waterwheel mechanism from a cistern and held in a large basin, or laver, for daily purification by the Temple's priests before they ascended the nearby ramp to the altar to offer sacrifices.
Patrich's reconstruction of Temple in 1st century A.D. overlaid on modern Temple Mount. Octagonal feature is Dome of the Rock. Diagram is oriented east up. Courtesy Hebrew University. (Drawing by Leen Ritmeyer)
Patrich believes the placement of the waterwheel and laver can be reconstructed from Wilson's map of the giant southeast-trending cistern and from that, the location of the altar and the Temple itself.
Patrich's siting has the Temple further east and south of locations proposed by other scholars and diagonal, rather than perpendicular to the Temple Mount's eastern and western walls. It also leaves the rock in the Dome of the Rock outside of the confines of the Temple itself.
Patrich said his research on the Temple's location is strictly academic, and political connotations should not be attributed to it.
The fact is that there is no evidence whatsoever proving this to be THE Solomon's Temple, but instead all the evidence suggests that it is the Jerusalem Temple - something I pointed out in the book Gnosis.
Archaeologists Uncover 3 Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagi
11:15 Feb 11, '07 / 23 Shevat 5767. (IsraelNN.com)
Japanese archaeologists uncovered three ancient Egyptian sarcophagi at a location about 30 miles south of downtown Cairo, announced the director of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities on Saturday.
Zahi Hawass said two of the finds were significant in that they dated from the ?Middle Kingdom?, around 2,000 BCE. One of the two was inlaid with black glass and contained in a colorful exterior box dedicated to a man named Sabak Hatab. The second one was apparently built for a woman named Sint Ayt Ess.
The third sarcophagus dated back to the ?New Kingdom?, around 1,500 BCE, was colored black and decorated with images of four sons of an Egyptian god.
Excavations in the Saqqara necropolis, as it is called, have been taking place for decades. Teams from Poland, Italy, Germany, France and Egypt were joined by the most recent group, the Japanese, in the late 1990s.
