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The Genealogy of Aeneas Mythical Hero or Historical Figure?
Wednesday October 18, 2023 12:00pm EST
by Anthony Adolph
The Genealogy of Aeneas Mythical Hero or Historical Figure?

The myth of Aeneas has him as a hero who escaped the sacking of Troy, carrying his father Anchises from the burning city; the hero visits Dido of Carthage and finally becomes the founder of Rome.  He is the subject of Virgil’s Aeneid and in Homer’s Iliad he recites his illustrious pedigree to Achilles:

Learn then my lineage if you will – and it is known to many – in the beginning Dardanos was the son of Zeus, and founded Dardania, for Troy was not yet established on the plain for men to dwell in, and her people still abode on the spurs of many-fountained Ida. Dardanos had a son, king Erichthonius, who was wealthiest of all men living; he had three thousand mares that fed by the water-meadows, they and their foals with them… Erichthonius begat Tros, king of the Trojans, and Tros had three noble sons, Ilos, Assaracus, and Ganymede who was comeliest of mortal men; wherefore the gods carried him off to be Zeus’s cupbearer, for his beauty’s sake, that he might dwell among the immortals. Ilos begat Laomedon, and Laomedon begat Tithonus, Priam, Lampus, Clytius, and Hiketaon… But Assaracus was father to Capys, and Capys to Anchises, who was my father.’

Author Anthony Adolph analyses all the Greek and Roman myths about Aeneas to create the biography of a character who, though heavily fictionalised, may well have been a real person. The author transports the reader on a fabulous journey in Aeneas’s footsteps through the archaeological sites of the ancient world, from Troy to Rome. He cuts through the complexities of the classical texts and academic papers, explaining what they say about Aeneas in straightforward terms. By rooting the myths in real places, he makes them more comprehensible, especially for newcomers to the story.

Rather than be daunted by Aeneas as a semi-divine, mythological figure, Adolph has approached him as any genealogist should treat an ancestor, seeking to understand him in the context of his family and the era, and builds on the growing academic view that the core of the Iliad is based on real events.

 

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Anthony Adolph

Anthony Adolph is a professional genealogist, broadcaster and writer of numerous books on ancestry and general history. Educated at St George’s College, Weybridge, he studied Medieval History at Durham University. Encouraged to pursue a career in genealogy by Sir Conrad Swan, York Herald of Arms (and later to become Garter Principal King of Arms), he studied from 1990 onwards at The Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies under Cecil Humphery-Smith, O.B.E., F.S.A., who was proud to trace his ‘pedigree of learning’ back, teacher-by-teacher, to the great Stuart antiquarian, Sir William Dugdale (1605-1686). As a freelance professional genealogist, he provides a complete range of services from one-off searches to full scale projects to trace family trees, all over the British Isles and in many countries abroad, from the United States to Greece, and investigates all aspects of surname origins, heraldry, house histories and much more. He has presented TV shows such as Extraordinary Ancestors and Gene Detectives, along with Radio 4's Meet the Descendants. He is the author of In Search of Aeneas, Classical Myth or Bronze Age Hero

 

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Mexico’s Mitla: Discovery of Lyobaa Labyrinth Entrance to Zapotec Civilization’s Underworld
Friday August 18, 2023 12:00pm EST
by Marco Vigato
Mexico’s Mitla: Discovery of Lyobaa Labyrinth Entrance to Zapotec Civilization’s Underworld

The archaeological site of Mitla, in southern Mexico, is visited every year by tens of thousands of tourists, drawn to the site by its impressive stone mosaics, ornate temples and palaces. Mitla flourished as a ceremonial center in the Postclassic period, between 900 and 1200 AD, and was with Monte Albán one of the most important centers of the ancient Zapotec civilization. Its buildings employ some of the finest stonework in all of Mesoamerica, including huge monolithic lintels and columns weighing over 25 tons each.

The importance of Mitla as a ceremonial center was directly connected to the cult of the Dead, reflected in the ancient name of the site, meaning "Place of Tombs". In 1674, father Francisco de Burgoa spoke of the subterranean labyrinth of Mitla, believed to be an entrance to the Zapotec Underworld, or Lyobaa, located under the ruins. He described a complex arrangement of four subterranean chambers, leading into a dark abyss extending thirty leagues under the ground. According to Burgoa, all entrances to this vast cavern were sealed in the late 16th century.

  In 2022, a new geophysical survey by the INAH, UNAM and the ARX Project scanned the site of Mitla in search of subterranean chambers: The study revealed a set of large, interconnected cavities underneath the Church Group of the ancient site, in the same location claimed by tradition to conceal the entrance to Burgoa's underground labyrinth.

The research further demonstrated the existence of an earlier construction stage of the Palace of the Columns, Mitla's most iconic and best preserved ancient structure, which may help to push back in time the origins of this important ceremonial center.

Marco Vigato informs us about the latest findings of this important archaeological project.   More research is under way to confirm the extent of the subterranean passages and identify possible access points, with a new expedition planned for September 2023.

 

Marco VigatoMarco M Vigato, a native of Italy, lives in Mexico City and has travelled extensively across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, South-East Asia, North and South America. He is also a passionate photographer, dedicated to documenting the evidence of ancient advanced civilizations and sacred sites around the world. Much of his recent research has focused on the megalithic remains of ancient Mexico and Mesoamerica, leading him to the discovery of several little-known sites in the central Mexican highlands showing evidence of advanced engineering and architecture. He is currently working on a more comprehensive study of the origins and development of megalithic civilizations around the world, which will focus on cultural and historical aspects, as well as on the relationship of ancient megalithic sites with sacred geometry, astronomy, and geodesy. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. and M.Sc. in Finance from Bocconi University. | To see more, visit : www.arxproject.org  and https://donadora.org/campanas/project-lyobaa 

 

 


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Renegade Christian Relic Where is the Spear of Destiny
Wednesday June 21, 2023 1:15pm EST
by Dr Ken Jeremiah
Renegade Christian Relic Where is the Spear of Destiny

Among religious artifacts the most famous in Christianity is undoubtedly the Spear of Destiny, the Holy Lance that allegedly pierced Jesus' side as he was dying on the cross, believed to have his blood. But what happened to it? The tale of the Holy Lance involves secret societies, Christian history, the Nazis, and the occult.

Also known as the Lance of Longinus - the name given to the unnamed Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance - by the third century it belonged to Saint Mauritius, initially an Egyptian military leader who commanded the legendary Theban Legion of Rome. His soldiers were Christians and when they refused to honor Roman deities, Roman Emperor Maximianus Heculius had them all executed at some point.  When Maximianus Herculius’ daughter married Flavius Aurelius, who would later be known as Constantine I and the first Christian Emperor, Maximianus gifted the Holy Lance, taken from Saint Mauritius, to Constantine.

Dr Ken Jeremiah traces its ownership as it exchanged hands from Emperor Theodosius to Alaric the Visigoth, from Atilla the Hun to Roman Emperor Justinian; Charlemagne had it and dropped it – as did other owners, who then dropped dead, such as Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. It passed through the hands of 45 emperors until the Empire collapsed in 1806.  To keep it away from Napoleon, who desperately wanted it, the Holy Roman Empire treasures, including the Spear, were moved from Germany to Austria, and kept in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where they remained until another dictator allegedly set his sights upon it. Hitler believed if he had it, he could rule the world but eventually it was Himmler who sealed off the Schatzkammer at the Hofburg Museum…Did he swap it with a copy? How did the Spear of Destiny find its way to America and where is it now?

 

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DR. KEN JEREMIAH has written several books about religions, mummification, and spirituality, including Living Buddhas; Christian Mummification; Eternal Remains; Making Millions: A 500-Year-Old Kabbalist's Guide to Conquering Chance; Creatures Real and Imaginary in Chinese and Japanese Art: An Identification Guide; Remnants from a Distant Past, and Zen Art, Zen Writing  Daily Meditations for Improving your Craft and Finding Joy in Life


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Stellar Ingenuity and Spectacular Blunders of Humankind
Wednesday May 17, 2023 12:30pm EST
by Scott Edwin Williams
Stellar Ingenuity and Spectacular Blunders of Humankind

Since the pre-dawn darkness of mankind’s history, some Eureka moments of human ingenuity light-up and fast-forward our evolutionary track. However, let’s face it, mankind has also not been that successful, it has had some spectacular blunders. Psychology recognises humor as one of the most mature defence mechanisms humans have – the ability to laugh at themselves – and armed with this stance, we travel along the road of evolution of our species.

Early hominids came up with tools, the wheel, fire and language and … humor, and did the agricultural revolution happen because men needed beer, not food? The Egyptians certainly perfected the art of overindulging in beer, and the Romans bettered them in their symposiums with wine. Both ‘spirits’ ended up on the floor.

Following the Neolithic muscle-men jocks who went out hunting, we have the Sumerian, Egyptian and Chinese nerds to thank for writing. Who was the world’s first comic book superhero? Gilgamesh of course! The Indian mathematicians introduced zero into calculations. Rahmagupta’s Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta - understandably abbreviated to BSS - combines mathematics and astronomy and we can literally count our lucky stars for the Hindu-Arabic system. The Mayan mathematical system allowed mathematicians, astronomers, and engineers to figure out complex calculations. The enduring nature of their engineering feats speaks volumes for their mathematical ability and as a bonus it probably helped them calculate the number of hearts they cut out of chests as well.

Humankind has always feared death. The Egyptians had an obsession with death, so they paid much attention to cheating death. Mummification was not for the squeamish and the quality of life for a soul resurrected into brainless biltong, was not something to look forward to. Throw in some magical potions, charms and chants and with a heavy heart they met Anubis in the Underworld to have it weighed against a feather. In Mesoamerica lives were sacrificed to save lives. But various civilizations used varied methods: People were beheaded, drowned, garroted, burned at the stake, poisoned, crucified, and buried alive, so before we become judgmental towards the Mesoamerican penchant for human sacrifice, let us remember they gave us chocolate!

Chinese Emperor Qin Huang searched far and wide for the elixir of life and as a back-up plan had 8,000 mud soldiers armed and ready in his tomb to accompany him on his journey to the Afterlife, but his tomb is boobytrapped to blow whoever opens it to smithereens. Talking of a spectacular send-off, the Chinese invented gunpowder and a minor functionary named Wan-Hu saw the potential for rocket powered flight. Strapping himself to a chair powered by 47 fire arrows, he then had 47 assistants simultaneously light the fuses. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, there was no chair and no Wan-Hu. The sky is the limit when it comes to stupid ideas.

The Olmecs gave us ball-games, just a pity that someone’s head could be the ball; the Greeks gave us gymnasiums - although most sports were practiced in the nude and not in gyms; and the Romans gave us professional sporting arenas where gladiators chopped each other up, to the delight of the crowds. A fun day was had by all. Humans – you have got to love them!

Scott Edwin Williams takes the Mickey out of the human race’s spectacular flaws, but puts the Superman back into its greatest achievements.  Scott’s approach, flavored with scintillating wit and dark humor may not curry favor with the dogmatic, but it is served to the open-minded by an intelligent observer, who manages to evoke empathy and hope for the human spirit (and spirits).

 

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 Scott Edwin Williams is an optimistic smartass, writer, humorist, and history nerd. His fascination with humanity’s lightbulb moments began as a child while watching the first moon landing. The rest is… history. Scott splits his time between writing and making learning fun for his students. His offbeat style is the result of his obsession with the past, coupled with a deep love of the absurd. What else would you expect from an Australian who claims descent from a chicken thief and a bigamist? He lives in Sydney, Australia. He is the author of Lightbulb Moments in Human History From Cave to Colosseum

 

 

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Rejoice: The Love Affair of Egypt’s Golden Couple Akhenaten and Nefertiti
Tuesday February 21, 2023 4:00pm EST
by Dr Colleen Darnell
Rejoice: The Love Affair of Egypt’s Golden Couple Akhenaten and Nefertiti

“The noblewoman, great of praise, lady of charm, united with joy! That Aten rises is to give to her praise; that he sets is to double her love. The great king’s wife, his beloved, mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt, lady of the Two Lands, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, given life forever and ever,” reads an inscription in the tomb of Mahu. Perhaps Akhenaten recited to Nefertiti: “I shall kiss [her] in the presence of everyone, that they might understand my love. She is the one who has stolen my heart—When she looks at me it is refreshment.”

The blurring of distinctions between ritual and daily life through acts of tenderness seen so prominently in the art of Akhenaten and Nefertiti is not always confined to royalty, as one learns from a genre of ancient Egyptian literature that has been rightly called “love poetry.”  Reading these poignant compositions makes the men and women of ancient Egypt come to life—these poems were recited, and it is easy to imagine a love-struck teenager courting their beloved with these very texts. 

Akhenaten and Nefertiti are the cynosure of love: a god and goddess whose union maintains the world itself, and two people whose love catapults them into the heavenly realm. 

In this February month of love, Dr Colleen Darnell discusses not only the great love affair of Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti and the intimacy displayed between the golden couple and their children, but also the genre of Love Poems in Ancient Egypt

 

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Dr. Colleen Darnell is an Egyptologist and the former Marilyn M. and William K. Simpson Associate Professor of Egyptology at Yale University who has published widely in pharaonic history, religion, and literature. Her most recent book, co-authored with her husband Professor John Darnell is Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth (St. Martin's Press, 2022).  In 2018 she published (also with John Darnell), The Ancient Egyptian Netherworld Books, the first complete English translation of the hieroglyphic texts within the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. In Imagining the Past: Historical Fiction in New Kingdom Egypt, Dr. Darnell identified four stories that belonged to a genre of historical fiction written by the ancient Egyptians themselves. In 2013, she curated an exhibit at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, "Echoes of Egypt: Conjuring the Land of the Pharaohs," that examined Egyptian revival motifs from antiquity to the present.  She directed the Moalla Survey Project, an archaeological expedition in Upper Egypt that made several important discoveries, including a second millennium BC Nubian cemetery and a late Roman settlement.


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Wonderful Things: Waking Tutankhamun
Friday December 16, 2022 9:00am EST
by Ted Loukes
Wonderful Things: Waking Tutankhamun

“Wonderful things”, the words spoken by Howard Carter on November 26, 1922, when Lord Carnavon asked him what he was seeing as he gazed upon the interior of Tutankhamun’s tomb for the first time. The words express the endless astonishment felt in the presence of this 3,300 year old treasure, which still captures the imagination today.

Who was the boy king, behind the dazzling golden death mask, that has come to epitomize Egyptian archaeology? His father, Akhenaten, was dubbed a heretic, his mother, possibly the most beautiful Nefertiti, but little is known about the boy who became king at the age of nine and died at the age of 19.  His successors, Ay, who married his widowed queen, and step-sister, Ankhesenamun, followed by the general, Horemheb, almost completely erased his name from history, until the discovery of his tomb by Carter.

It took Carter over 10 years to catalogue the more than 5,000 artifacts found in the tomb. It was only three months later on February 17, 1923, that he unblocked the doorway to the innermost burial chamber and came face to face with the shrines surrounding Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus. The lid was only raised on February 24, 1924, revealing three more coffins. The last lid of the golden coffin was only raised in October 1925, revealing the now famous golden mask. But the implication was greater, for it covered the mummified face of the king!

Since his discovery Tutankhamun’s mummy has suffered several scientific analyses and scans, even linking his DNA to his family.  Questions needed to be answered – was the King murdered as there was certainly motive for it?

The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb also sparked questions about the curse of the tomb, as well as the more recent controversy regarding the elimination of the names of the Egyptian archaeologists and workers who participated in the excavation.

Ancient Origins author and tour leader, Ted Loukes discusses the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, as well as the history of the boy king in this Interview, as a prelude to the tour he will be leading to Egypt from 24 February to 10 March 2023.

 

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Ted Loukes is an independent researcher in the field of ancient civilisations. Born in the sixties, he has been on a voyage of discovery for over forty years, questioning man's origins by digging through ancient texts, inscriptions, myths and legends. He moved to South Africa in 1990 and set up home in Johannesburg, appropriately just a few kilometres from the Cradle of Humankind. His particular fascination with Ancient Egypt began in 1972 with a visit to the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition, held at the British Museum. His book Moses and Akhenaten: Brothers in Alms grew from a single page blog post to a two and a half year project that incorporated two field trips to Egypt itself. He is also the author of Forty Days in Egypt in the Time of Corona, the result of getting stranded as the world went into lockdown.

 


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What Business Can Learn From Ancient Bushmen
Wednesday October 26, 2022 1:00pm EST
by Coenie Middel
What Business Can Learn From Ancient Bushmen

DNA studies of the Bushmen date to over 22, 000 years. Somehow, this culture found a balance between sustainability, their environment, hunting, gathering and living, that made them unbelievably successful and enduring. All aspects of life are interconnected, not considered in isolation but as part of the whole. The world is believed to be an integral whole and indigenous knowledge incorporates all aspects of life - spirituality, history, cultural practices, social interactions, language, and healing.

Join Coenie Middel as he discuss the balance between indigenous knowledge, modern science and technology. Doing more, with less and sharing how businesses can learn from the wisdom of the Kalahari Bushmen. “I am not saying that we should trade our modern life for something simpler or tech-free, however, what can we as business owners and bigger organizations draw from the ancient wisdom of the Kalahari Bushmen?”

In Bushmen culture there is no gender-inequality. In fact all things all equal in nature, including plants, animals and humans.  Decisions are taken by mutual consensus, as there are no leadership hierarchies.  There is no place for egotistical behaviour, as they live in harmony with their environment and a collective memory is passed on to younger generations.

Burn-out has just been recognized as a major mental health threat by the World Health organization. The Bushmen’s diet and relaxed lifestyle has protected them from stress-related illnesses. Although their culture is over 22,000 years old, the Bushmen are masters at adaption and incorporate sustainability into their survival secrets.

 

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As the founder of Middel & Partners one of the most inspiring accountancy practices in the world, Coenie Middel expanded his business interest and creates virtual reality, augmented reality and mobile apps and games through his media and technology companies. He is the chairman of companies Middel & Partners, Talent Plantation, MocapSA, Dondoo Studios, Createcinteractive, Tixsa, Left Post Productions, Oxyg3n. He spent months living with the Bushmen, learning their skills and secrets.

 

 


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The Women of Mycenae Clytemnestra, Cassandra, Elektra
Thursday August 25, 2022 9:00am EST
by Jennifer Saint
The Women of Mycenae Clytemnestra, Cassandra, Elektra

In Homer’s epic Iliad, except for Helen, the women in the Trojan War are mostly relegated to backstage roles, as opposed to the heroic deeds of the warrior kings. Whether the Trojan War was fictional or not, history tells of Bronze Age queens, who were as fierce as their male counterparts in battle and even more competent in ruling their kingdoms in the absence of kings.  Personified in fictional characters, the scope of a Mycenaean queen (Clytemnestra), a Trojan princess and prophetess (Cassandra) and a Mycenaean princess (Elektra) draws the curtain to reveal the psyche and circumstances of the hardships, drama and heartache these women had to endure during the war and the conniving tactics they had to apply to survive post war traumas.

Several universal themes such as human sacrifice, rape, slavery, murder, loss of loved ones, abdicating power, revenge and meddling gods emerge as the women had to battle misogynism, male privilege and domestic violence in their male dominated worlds. It was a time of transition when age-old fertility goddesses had to step aside for vengeful warrior gods, reflected in the day-to-day existence of the living.

Their stories are set against the backdrop of the curse on the House of Atreus, ancestor of Agamemnon, where human sacrifice still taints the descendants; the fickle god Apollo who blessed a Trojan princess with prophesy, but also cursed her to know the downfall of her beloved city and royal family, and not being believed, the common fate of rape and slavery of the conquered women and the vengeance of a daughter whose name is immortalized in a psycho-analytical term describing the root of matricide. Like their men and husbands, the women were not all pure and virtuous, but fallible as even the fickle gods did not set examples of morality. Yet they displayed the spiritual bravery and had their voices heard in trailblazing acts of defiance.

Author Jennifer Saint introduces each of these women, Queen Clytemnestra, Princess Cassandra and Princess Elektra, to the audience telling the Bronze Age narrative from a royal woman’s perspective.

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Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. She read Classical Studies at King’s College in London and was a high school teacher for 13 years. Jennifer Saint is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her debut novel, ARIADNE, was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2021 and was a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards Fantasy category in 2021. ARIADNE tells the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur from the perspective of Ariadne - the woman who made it happen. In her latest novel ELECTRA, (2022) she tells the spellbinding story of three of the women, Queen Clytemnestra wife of Agamemnon and sister to Helen of Troy; Princess Cassandra of Troy, prophetess and later slave and Princess Elektra, daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, who avenges her father’s death by committing matricide. Jennifer lives in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two children.

                                 


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Petroglyphs of Pohnpei Legacies of the Motherland of ancient Mu
Wednesday July 13, 2022 9:00am EST
by Carole Nervig
Petroglyphs of Pohnpei Legacies of the Motherland of ancient Mu

There were hundreds of shapes and symbols on the phallic rock, some familiar, but the majority not. These new motifs were certainly more complex than the glyphs upon the well-known rock outcrop nearby. Most of the designs were sophisticated, completely unlike the simple yet elegant stick figure petroglyphs found throughout Polynesia. Until this moment of discovery, there were no other known petroglyphs on Pohnpei and exceedingly few in all of Micronesia.”

While residing on the small Pacific island of Pohnpei in the 1990s, author Carole Nervig discovered that a recent brush fire had exposed hundreds of previously unknown petroglyphs carved on gigantic boulders. This overgrown megalithic site, now called Pohnpaid, was unknown even to Pohnpei’s state historic preservation officer. The petroglyphs were unlike others from Oceania, so Nervig began investigating and comparing them with petroglyphs and symbols from around the world.

Carole discusses how the archetypal symbols of the Pohnpaid petroglyphs have exact counterparts in other ancient cultures and universal motifs throughout the world, including the Australian Aborigines, the Inca in Peru, the Vedic civilization of India, early Norse runes, and Japanese symbols. She provides evidence that Pohnpaid is closely related to--yet predates--neighboring Nan Madol and shows how Pohnpaid was likely an outpost of the sunken Kahnihmueiso or a tribute by its survivors or descendants to honor it demise.

Discussing the archaeo-astronomical function of the Pohnpaid stones, Carole examines how many of the glyphs symbolize celestial phenomena and clearly reveal how their creators were sky watchers with a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, geophysics, geomancy, and engineering. She shows how the scientific concepts depicted in the petroglyphs reveal how the civilization of Mu and/or its descendants, had a much deeper understanding of the living Earth than we do.

Combining archaeological evidence with traditional oral accounts, Carole reveals Pohnpaid not only as a part of a geodetic network of ancient sacred sites and portals but also as a remnant of the now submerged but once enlightened Motherland of Mu.

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Carole Nervig has spent more than four decades researching Micronesian traditional culture and oral history as well as the sacred sites of Micronesia and Hawai’i. She first moved to Micronesia as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1969. In the 1990s she discovered a previously unknown megalithic site, Pohnpaid, on the Micronesian island of Pohnpei. Creator of the Nan Madol Foundation, she now lives in Ecuador. She is the author of The Petroglyphs of Mu. Pohnpei, Nan Madol and the legacy of Lemuria.

 

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The Royal Lineage Of Jesus, Izates Manu King Of Edessa, King Of The Jews And Contender For Emperor Of Rome
Wednesday June 22, 2022 9:45am EST
by Ralph Ellis
The Royal Lineage Of Jesus, Izates Manu King Of Edessa, King Of The Jews And Contender For Emperor Of Rome

The Bible tells Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary, who was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and he grew up as the son of a simple carpenter in Galilee. Yet he became revered as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savour and a whole new religion was built up around him. There is more than enough evidence within the Gospels and Talmud to demonstrate that Jesus’ family were actually wealthy, educated and influential characters within Judaean society. But since these texts have obviously been manipulated and amended, one must look beyond this deliberate obfuscation to uncover the truth.

In about 4 AD, a royal Parthian family of Edessa (modern Sanlurfa), was exiled to Rome and finally settled in Bethanya [Bethany], in eastern Syrio-Judaea – the village Jesus entered upon his return to Judaea according to the Bible.   Queen Helena and her son Izates Manu VI brought with them into exile 500 cavalry and 100 relations and retinue, a history which tallies with Josephus’ accounts of the 'biblical family' (of Jesus of Gamala) maintaining their own military forces. Members of this exiled royal family were not only directly related to Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt, but also to Emperor Julius Caesar of Rome, and to King Phraates IV / Agbarus V of Parthia (or Persia). In other words, this family was hugely influential, relatively unknown, suddenly impoverished and, in addition, uniquely related to all three of the major empires of this era.

A prince of this family could also have been a threat to the rule of the Roman emperors and the Parthian kings, because it was possible that this new prince (Jesus/ Izates Manu, with his sister-wife Mary Magdalene from Bethany) could have united the entire Roman and Parthian empires into one single, united kingdom. This was a family that would have been deemed worthy a visit by the Parthian Magi – who were seeking a royal heir - and likely to have educated its sons in Egypt – Joseph and Mary, Jesus Biblical birth parents fled to Egypt. This was indeed a family that could have made Herod (the tetrarch) fear for his position, sufficient for him to want to eliminate all the male (royal) children of Syrio-Judaea.

What was the political landscape of Rome, Parthia and Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth? Who were his ancestors, including his parents, and does he fit the profile of a royal contender for the throne of Rome, eventually occupied by Vespasian – why was Jesus, the King of Edessa written out of history? Many questions sparking many debates are: Did he marry Mary Magdalene and who was she? Why would the son of a carpenter be bedecked in a royal purple cloak and what about his capability to perform miracles for example feeding the multitude of 5,000 with a few fish and loaves of bread? Is there actually a likeness of him?

Ralph Ellis started as a software engineer, but moved into the equally technical spheres of mineral surveying, aviation, and palaeoclimatology, but always maintained and built upon the archaeological interests and research of his father. As a historian, Ralph has toured the Mediterranean for more than three decades searching for secular similarities and parallels between the apparently disparate disciplines of history and theology. And the research has been very fruitful with many new fundamental discoveries being made, mostly in Egypt, resulting in 13 books. Ralph has also sought to understand the design of the megalithic monuments from a purely scientific and engineering viewpoint. Nevertheless, his lateral analysis of the likely possibilities for the design of these great monuments is still very novel and highly provocative. He has also launched a series of lectures under the banner of Ralph Ellis Illumination on YouTube and his own channel Patreon.

His latest book: Shards of Illumination is a compilation of questions and answers most asked on his

Facebook page.


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