FLYING SERPENTS AND DRAGONS

By R.A. Boulay 1990 Prologue WHY WERE THE AN IENT GODS SO SHY!
" The literature and mythology of ancient cultures is filled with accounts of dragons, flying serpents, and other winged lizards. Who, then, were these flying, fire-breathing creatures that seem to have coexisted with early Man, sometimes as his benefactor but many more times as his tormentor? erhaps they were !ust fabulous creatures, the product of Man"s fertile imagination. #n the other hand, it is possible they were the manifestation of something else - of traumatic events so disturbing and deeply rooted in his past, that $nowledge of their true nature has been subconsciously suppressed and remembered only in allegorical terms. %uite a few civilizations of this world trace their ancestry to such dragon-li$e lizards or flying serpents. &n most cases, they are credited with bringing the benefits of civilization to Man$ind. 'nd (uite often they are described as his actual creator. 'ncient man portrayed these creatures as superior beings or gods, who could effortlessly move about the s$ies in their )fiery chariots) or )boats of heaven.) They usually lived in a )heavenly abode) and often descended to interfere in the affairs of Man. The earliest and the most important of cultures, that of Mesopotamia, was probably founded by these serpent-li$e gods. The colonization of this planet by these creatures is described in one of the most dramatic and significant of ancient documents. &t is the so-called *umerian +ing-,ist. -ated to the Third Millennium ./, this document provides the succession of the +ings of *umer and their successors, the length of their reigns since, what was to the *umerians, the beginning of time when their ancestors came here and )descended) to 0arth to establish a number of cities on the alluvial plain of Mesopotamia. /alling themselves 'nunna$i, these roto-*umerians are credited with the establishment of Western, if not World, civilization.

*urprisingly enough, there is considerable data on these early civilizations - the *umerian, later to be replaced by the '$$adian and the .abylonian cultures. 1rom the numerous cuneiform tablets, monuments, and artifacts that have been unearthed in recent times, it is possible to reconstruct the events which transpired in the early days of Man$ind. There is also a mass of evidence, which was originally derived from the same source, but was given a religious interpretation by being transmitted through priestly channels. &t was from this vast reservoir of ancient sources that the stories of the #ld Testament were derived. 1rom a combination of these ancient secular and religious sources, it is thus possible to piece together the story of our ancestry which lies in the coming of the alien serpent-gods or astronauts who colonized 0arth many eons ago. &t will be found that our ancestors started a colony on 0arth in order to obtain metals for their homeplanet. &n order to process and transport these metals by air freighter to the orbiting mother ship, they built five operational cities in Mesopotamia. #ne of these served as a space launch platform. The *umerian people referred to these )gods) as 'nunna$i, literally the sons of 'n, their chief god and leader. The 'nunna$i were an alien race. &n reality they were a race of sapient reptiles. They re(uired a cheap labor force and for this reason they created a primitive man. .y combining the characteristics of the native ape-man or 2eanderthal type man, with their own saurian nature, they produced the )'dam) of the #ld Testament. This 'dam was half-human and half-reptile, however, and being a clone could not reproduce himself. 's conditions began to change on 0arth and the climate dried out, it became necessary for them to modify the 'dam to better adapt it to the variable climate. The 3omo saurus was modified and given more mammalian traits. This was the .iblical )1all of Man) where 'dam achieved )$nowing) or the ability to reproduce sexually. 's a result of this genetic modification, Man lost most of his saurian appearance and nature, his shiny, luminous s$in, and scaly hide. 3e ac(uired mammalian characteristics - a soft flexible s$in, body hair, the need to sweat, and the ability to produce live young. 3e no longer ran around na$ed. 3e now had to wear clothing for comfort and protection. 1or all purposes, Man was

now a 3omo sapiens. Modern man or /ro-Magnon Man had arrived upon the scene. Man soon populated the 0arth as slaves for these saurian masters. 3e was sorely tested by the astronauts who descended to 0arth and mated with the daughters of Man. +nown in the *criptures as the 2efilim, they not only produced mixed offspring, but also conducted genetic experiments which went awry and produced many monstrous forms. This was a trying period for Man$ind, for in this era he was literally food for the gods. &t is the time of the .iblical atriarchs and the *umerian god $ings. The turmoil on 0arth was abruptly ended by the onset of a natural worldwide catastrophe, $nown as the -eluge or 4reat 1lood. 't this time, the gods retreated to their space ship, leaving behind their semi-divine offspring to perish with Man$ind in the world flood. 'fter the waters had subsided they descended once more to establish new cities on the plains of Mesopotamia. 'gain mating with Man$ind, they produced a race of semi-divine beings to rule their empire on 0arth. &n addition, a race of warrior-gods was established in the lands of the ,evant. -escendants of the 2efilim, but $nown by the name of 5ephaim, this barbaric race plagued humanity for thousands of years and were eliminated as a threat until the 1irst Millennium ./. &n ancient Mesopotamia, the gods resided in a temple atop a ziggurat, a stepped pyramid raised above the plains, and were shielded from the general public and accessible only to a few trusted priests. 3ere they ate in privacy, surrounded by curtains, so that even the attending priests could not see them dine. #ne wonders if their table manners were so atrocious that they had to be hidden even from their retainers. #r was it something more sinister? &n the #ld Testament, the overriding need for privacy is also true. -uring the event $nown as the 0xodus, the deity lived in a tent and was never seen, nor did he dine in public. *pecific instructions were given to Moses on how to prepare the food which was left on a grill near the (uarters of the deity for him to snac$ on in privacy. &t was forbidden for humans to see him. Moses was told flatly by his 4od that )you cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.) 'nd this prohibition against being seen by humans is carried to an extreme throughout

the *criptures. &t became an in!unction of not to ma$e )a graven image) or a li$eness of the deity. Thus Man is not only banned from seeing what his god loo$ed li$e but even to ma$e an image of what he thought he loo$ed li$e. Why the taboo? /ould it be that its appearance would be so foreign and repulsive that it had to be withheld from man? #ne would logically assume that if the deities were so superior and grand as the *criptures indicate, that they would be flattered and pleased to allow man to see and copy their magnificence6 #nly a privileged few were allowed to even approach the deities. &n Mesopotamia they were the demi-gods, the offspring of the mating of a god or goddess and a human. These formed the aristocracy, and were entrusted by the gods to see to their needs and to form a barrier with Man$ind. 0ven these demigods or )changelings,) as they were called, were somewhat strange in appearance and probably had certain reptilian characteristics. The fabled 4ilgamesh, for example, had something odd in his appearance that made him stand out from normal men. The .iblical atriarchs also had something unusual about their loo$s as is shown by the irrational behavior of 2oah when he was seen na$ed by his sons. 'ccording to the ancient .abylonian tradition, as reported by .erossus, the .abylonian priest writing in 'thens in The Third /entury ./, Man"s ancestry and origin can be traced to one #annes, an amphibious creature that came out of the ersian 4ulf to teach the arts of civilization to Man. .erossus called them )annedoti) which translates as )the repulsive ones) in 4ree$. 3e also refers to them as )musarus) meaning )an abomination.) &n this way, .abylonian tradition credits the founding of civilization to a creature which they considered to be a repulsive abomination. &f the tradition had been invented, a more normal attitude would have been to glorify these creatures as splendid gods or heroes. 7et the fact that they chose to describe their ancestors this way argues for the authenticity of the account. The reptilian appearance of the .iblical gods was a well-$ept secret and only occasionally is it perceptible in the #ld Testament, as for example, the obvious worship of the )seraph) or )brazen serpent) in the incident during the 0xodus. There are many more references, many of them explicit, in the mass of religious literature which forms the basis for the boo$s of the #ld Testament.

The view is now accepted that the #ld Testament went through considerable editing and selection by the priestly transcribers. .ut elsewhere in the religious literature, not sub!ect to their heavy hand, there is found a different picture. &n the 3aggadah, the source of 8ewish legend and oral tradition, it is revealed that 'dam and 0ve lost their )lustrous and horny hide) as the result of eating the forbidden fruit. The 4nostics, rivals to the early /hristians, relate that as a result of eating the fruit, 'dam and 0ve achieved $nowledge, part of which was to realize that their creators were )beastly forms.) The sad fact is that we have created 4od in our image and not the other way around. &n this way, we have hidden the true identity of our creators. Most of the world mythologies and religions refer to their ancestors as flying serpents or dragons who brought the arts and crafts of civilization to Man$ind. The oldest of /hinese boo$s, the mysterious )7ih +ing,) claims that the first humans were formed by the ancient goddess 2u +ua 9/omment: compare linguistically to 2in$hursag.; who was a dragon. The early /hinese emperors claimed to be descendants of this dragon goddess. The oldest and most famous of the 3indu classics, the )5amayana) and the )Mahabharata,) concern the intercourse of early man with the serpent-gods who were also their ancestors. /entral 'merican and 'frican mythology relate how flying serpents and dragon-li$e beings descended from the heavens to teach them the basics of civilization. The dragons and flying serpents that so permeate ancient mythology were actually large-legged lizards, who also had the ability to travel about in their airborne craft. 3ow else could the ancients illustrate this fact except by providing them with wings? 0ven the #ld Testament implies that the serpent of the 4arden of 0den was a lizard or reptile for, if he had lost his hands and feet as a result of the 1all of Man, then logically he must previously been a legged sna$e or reptile.

#a$%er 1

ARRI&AL OF THE PROTO'S()ERIANS * THE AN IENT ASTRONA(TS "

)The reptiles verily descend. The earth is resplendent as a well-watered garden. 't that time 0n$i and 0ridu had not appeared. -aylight did not shine, moonlight had not emerged.) 1ragment from the oldest $nown *umerian Tablet T30 *<M05&'2 +&24 ,&*T #ne of the most remar$able and valuable historic documents is the so-called +ing ,ist, which records the names of the +ings of *umer and the lengths of their reigns from what was to them, the beginning of history - a time in the distant past when )$ingship descended from heaven) and founded five cities in the Mesopotamian plain. &t records an interruption when )the 1lood swept over the land,) an event which we $now as the -eluge or 4reat 1lood. The +ing ,ist then resumes the narrative as )$ingship descended) once more. &t describes the $ings and their reigns down to part of the &sin -ynasty which began to rule about =>?@ ./. The +ing ,ist attributes reigns of legendary and incredible lengths to many of the rulers of the earlier antediluvian $ings. &n this sense, it affirms the enormous lifespans of the atriarchs of the #ld Testament. While these extremely long reigns and lifespans cannot be explained, there is a consistency among the secular and religious sources that indicate they had a logic of their own which has yet to be perceived by current scholarship. The +ing ,ist has received mixed reviews among scholars, but since its records of the 1ourth and Third Millennia ./ have been corroborated separately by archeological evidence, it has been accepted by many as a valuable historical document. &n his wor$ )The *umerians) rofessor *amuel 2oah +ramer, the dean of *umerian studies, endorses its value as a research tool. 3e has suggested that the +ing ,ist )if used with discrimination and understanding, provides us with a historical framewor$ of inestimable value.) M0*# #T'M&', T30 /5'-,0 #1 /&A&,&B'T&#2 #ur story does not begin with the creation of the world. &t starts with the arrival of intelligent life on 0arth - the people we $now historically as the roto-

*umerians. &t is not $nown exactly when these ancestors of ours came here or why. &t is surmised that they arrived here (uite some time before the worldwide catastrophe called the -eluge. &t was also long before the advent of modern man or 3omo sapiens. &t is generally agreed that these roto-*umerians were the origin of our Western /ivilization, and that their beginnings were in the area called Mesopotamia, literally )the land between the two rivers.) The arrival of these )gods) is reported in the records that their descendants left behind - the *umerian, '$$adian, and .abylonian cuneiform tablets. The land $nown as Mesopotamia and the cradle of civilization, lies mostly between the Tigris and 0uphrates 5ivers. #riginating in the mountains of 'rmenia in the north, the two rivers move in a gradually converging course down a wide and grassy plain to the ersian 4ulf. &n early times, the area was made up of marsh and lagoon, much as it is today. The introduction of an intensive river-canal system to irrigate and drain the plain gave rise to a dense population and to the establishment of a great culture. The lower part of Mesopotamia became a very fertile garden area which the *umerians referred to as 0--&2, or )the abode of the righteous ones.) &t was the location of, and gave its name to, the .iblical 4arden of 0den. While the southern part of Mesopotamia came to be called *umer, the area farther up the plain at the near convergence of the two rivers was later called '$$ad. The '$$adian city .'.-&,< became prominent and gave its name to the entire region - .abylonia. 'fter the -eluge, the *umerian cities were rebuilt and resettled on the alluvial plain of Mesopotamia. *ince the oldest of these date to about C?@@ ./, and was built on virgin soil, it is clear that they were not built upon the ruins of the former city. This is due to the fact that the waters of the ersian 4ulf have risen some =?@ feet since the -eluge, inundating the former cities. This will be discussed later. What reason or purpose brought these alien beings or 'nunna$i, as they called themselves, to this planet we don"t $now. .ut from their legends and myths we can deduce that it was probably for commercial purposes. 'ccording to the +ing ,ist they came here over DE@,@@@ years ago.

This document describes the activities of the antediluvian 'nunna$i as )$ingship descended from heaven) and was first established at 0ridu, the 0rech of the .ible. 3ere two $ings ruled for FE,G@@ years. 0ridu was abandoned as the capital and the $ingship was moved to .adtibira where three $ings reigned for =@G,@@@ years. Then the $ingship was moved to ,ara$ and one $ing ruled for DG,G@@ years. ' fourth city to them become the capital was *ippar where one $ing, 0nmeduranna, reigned for D=,@@@ years. This 0nmeduranna is important to our story, for, as we shall see, he was the 0noch of the #ld Testament. The $ingship was then transferred to *huruppa$ where one $ing ruled for =G,F@@ years. Thus, as the tablet summarized, eight $ings ruled over five cities for a total of DE=,D@@ years. The +ing ,ist then states laconically, the 1lood swept over the land, putting an end to all commercial and other activities. These huge numbers have been a puzzle to scholars. They are consistent throughout the +ing ,ist and therefore are not erroneous. While a rational explanation has thus far escaped historians, most researchers feel there must be some logical answer to these fanciful numbers since a parallel can be found in the enormous lifespans of the antediluvian atriarchs. &t is entirely possible that these are not 0arth years as we $now them. ' divine year or )7ear of 'n) is often mentioned in the cuneiform tablets and, although not fully understood, is probably not e(uivalent to our normal 0arth year. ' reflection of this is found in the #ld Testament H salms >@:EI where one divine day is said to be the e(uivalent of a thousand years. 9/omment: This same statement or something similar is also in the +oran, & thin$.; &t was also not unusual for the ancients to compute time by other than normal 0arth years as, for example, in the ).oo$ of 8ubilees) where a 8ubilee year is e(uivalent to ?@ regular years, that is, seven wee$ years Ha wee$ year was seven yearsI and one year added for atonement when all activities were supposed to cease. 1urthermore, there is an indication that the years of the +ing ,ist have an underlying logic as it is found in their system of enumeration. Their numerical system was sexagesimal in character but not strictly so, for they also made use of the factor of =@ as well as F. Thus the se(uence =, =@, F@, CF@, CF@@ ta$es on a special meaning in their mythology. The number F@ held a special

significance to the *umerians, for in their system of numerical ran$ it was the highest number and assigned to their chief god 'n. &f the duration of the various terms of $ingship are presented graphically, it becomes obvious that this sexagesimal system must underlie the fabulous numbers of the +ing ,ist. /alled a )shar) by the *umerians, the number CF@@ appears to have a special meaning in this list. &t can be seen that, with slight ad!ustment, the years of reign of the *umerian $ings are divisible by this number &t indicates that the term for the reign of a *umerian antediluvian $ing was presumably a shar and was renewable every CF@@ years. 9/omment: This is the period of the orbit of lanet 2ibiru.; T30 5<,&24 4#-* #1 T30 *<M05&'2 '2T30#2 The *umerians and '$$adians did not call their alien visitors )gods.) &t is in the later cultures that the notion of divine beings filtered into our language and thin$ing. They called them )ilu) or the lofty ones, from which the *emitic )ili) and )el) of the 3ebrew evolved. 9/omment: rince <tu"s name in the Mayan language, interestingly, wasJis Kochipili.; The Western word )god) has through usage come to mean superior spiritual beings, far removed from Man and incapable of defect or error. #n the other hand, Man is considered to be a blemished incomplete being, burdened with )original sin) and destined to worship and pay homage to an unreachable god. The *umerian gods were far from spiritual. They were real live physical beings capable of committing serious errors and mis!udgments. They could be called )supermen) if this term could be applied genetically to a saurian race. The *umerian gods regarded Man as a convenience and nothing more. 3e supplied their wants, $ept their cities, and provided cannon fodder for their various military ventures. The gods could be cruel and unsympathetic masters. They considered humans merely as unruly children, no more important than pets, to be governed ruthlessly and without sentiment. These accusations may seem li$e hyperbole to the reader, but we shall see, by subse(uent events, that this was indeed the case. 9/omment: This notion is hauntingly similar to the discussion of the 'rchons of -estiny by 8ohn .aines in his boo$ )The *tellar Man.); 'lthough the term 'nunna$i is used generically to apply to all the roto*umerians who came to this planet, it means literally )the sons of 'n,) their great god. &n the antediluvian period, a large group of these 'nunna$i descended from the mother ship to colonize 0arth. 'ccording to the )0numa

0lish,) the .abylonian myth of creation, C@@ of these 'nunna$i descended to 0arth while another C@@ remained aboard the space ship. These were called )&gigi) and presumably were the technicians of the space craft. T30 *02&#5 4#-* '2, T30 1'T305 #1 T30 '2<22'+& 'n, or 'nu in '$$adian, meant )3e of the 3eavens) and his name was always written pictographically as a star. 3e was the great progenitor and senior god who stood above all the other gods. 3is abode and seat of authority was in the heavens, the orbiting space ship or <5<-*'4-'2-2', literally )the chief city of the heavens.) + o,,e-%* 'nu in 4ree$J5oman was +ronosJ*aturn, the son of 'lalu or <ranusJ/aelus. *itchin writes about how 'nu and 'ntu staged a coup d"etat and deposed 'lalu and ,ilitu. 4ree$ mythology adds a curious footnote to this same story by stating that before usurping the throne from <ranus, *aturn first physically castrated his father. They are indeed ruthless creatures, these saurians6 'nd it should be noted that although lanet 2ibiru first arrived in our solar system around ?@@,@@@ 0arth 7ears ago, the *umerian +ing ,ist doesn"t start until about DE@,@@@ years ago. Thus, the intervening years before the ascension of 'nu and the start of the +ing ,ist can be deduced to e(ual the reign of 'lalu.; 3e descended to 0arth only on special occasions, in time of crisis, or for ceremonial reasons. When on 0arth he would stay in his temple, the 0-'22' or )3ouse of 'n) atop the ziggurat in <ru$, his sacred city. The word ziggurat comes from the .abylonian )za(uru) and means )to be high or raised up.) &t signifies the top of a mountain or a staged tower and such a tower provided an artificial platform on the flat Mesopotamian plain. 'nu had three children - two sons 0nlil and 0n$i and a daughter 2in$hursag. The division of authority between his two sons caused much dissension, and the senior god spent much of his time settling disputes between them as well as his grandchildren. 9/omment: 5efer to )The Aengeful .irth of ,ord 3ellespontiacus) in which it was mentioned that 'nu had to settle the dispute between rincess &nanna and %ueen 0resh$igal over the )ownership) of the $idnapped infant -umuzi, who eventually became the public lover of rincess &nanna. *ee: http:JJwww.apollonius.netJhellespontiacus.html; 02,&,, T30 /3&01 #1 T30 0K 0-&T&#2 T# 0'5T3

'lthough he was the younger son of 'n, 0nlil became the most powerful god of the *umerian pantheon next to 'n. ,iterally )The ,ord of the /ommand,) 0nlil was commander of the expedition of the 'nunna$i to 0arth. 3e had many appellations which described his authority - ,ord of 3eaven and 0arth, ,ord of 'll the ,ands, 4iver of the +ingships, rince of 3eaven, and /hief of 0arth. 0nlil was actually the archetype for the god of the Western ,ands of alestine and *yria - the )0l) of the *emites and particularly the generic )0l) or )0lohim) of the .ible. 0nlil made sure that the decrees of the gods in council were carried out against Man$ind. 3e is often depicted with bow and arrow, symbolic of the powerful weapons at his disposal to enforce his authority. 0nlil disli$ed Man$ind and only tolerated humans as necessary to provide for the welfare of the gods. &t was 0nlil, according to the *umerian story of the -eluge, who brought on the destruction of Man$ind because the noise of the boisterous humans interfered with his rest. The temple dedicated to him at 2ippur was called the -<5-'2-+& or )bond of heaven and earth,) from where he directed the activities of Man$ind. This structure is described in part in the cuneiform tablets as some type of communication or control center. 1rom his temple atop the 0$ur at 2ippur, it was said that he had )eyes that could scan the land.) The e(uipment used sounds very much li$e some sort of radar or scanning device for the tablets state that )he raises the beams that search the heart of all the lands.) 0nlil"s rule was at times turbulent. #ne day, seeing a goddess na$ed and bathing by a stream on 0arth below, he became enamored of her and descended to seduce her. The pantheon was horrified at the escapade of 0nlil since it apparently abrogated one of their basic conventions. 'lthough he was the chief god, he was exiled from the space ship and stripped of his powers. #nly after marrying and ma$ing her his chief wife did the pantheon relent and let 0nlil return to resume his authority. 0nlil named her 2inlil and gave her status e(uivalent to his own. The result of this episode was a son called 2annar who became 0nlil"s favorite. 2annar was given ran$ in the pantheon second only to him and 0n$i, and honors and lands commensurate with his position.

+ o,,e-%* &n 4ree$ mythology, 0nlil is the e(uivalent of Beus, according to *itchin, who also e(uated rince 2annar with the 4ree$ 3ermes and 0gyptian Thoth. .ecause the parents of 3ermes were Beus and Maia, it logically follows that 2inlil is the e(uivalent of Maia.; 02+&, T30 /3&01 # 05'T&#2* #11&/05 'lthough he was 'n"s first born, 0n$i was given lower ran$ than his younger brother 0nlil, who had been born to 'n by another wife who was also his halfsister. .y the laws of *umerian inheritance, 0nlil became heir to the throne. ,ingering resentment over his disinheritance and the growing competition over who would control activities on 0arth brought 0n$i into direct conflict with his brother 0nlil. 02-+& or ),ord of the 0arth) was also called 0' or )he whose house is on the water,) a tacit reference to his water place or 'bzu from where he carried out operations when he first arrived on 0arth. 0n$i was all things to the expedition: /hief 0ngineer, /hief *cientist, /hief of Mining, and more importantly, the /reator of Man$ind. 9/omment: 3ere we once again find the oceanic reference to 0n$i, or oseidon, 4od of the *eas.; 's a master engineer, he supervised the turning of the marshlands of lower Mesopotamia into a veritable paradise. 3e planned and supervised the construction of the canal system, the di$ing of the rivers, and the draining of the marshlands. &n a self-laudatory poem he boasts of ma$ing the marshlands a haven for birds and fishes, of directing the invention and use of the plow and yo$e, of starting animal husbandry, and bringing the construction arts to 0arth in order to raise the cities. 0n$i had many epithets. 3e was the 4od of Wisdom, the 4od Mining, the ,ord of the 1lowing Waters, and the ,ord of the *ea and *hipbuilding. 3e is often portrayed with a stream and fish flowing from his shoulders, symbolic of his capacity to provide navigable waters and to insure potable water to the cities of Mesopotamia. 3is home was 0-5&--<, that is, )home built far away,) a veiled reference to the fact that this was a colony. 0ridu was the first city built by the alien astronauts on 0arth and was located on the edge of the watered plain or 0-&2. 0n$i loved to go sailing or cruising on these water courses in his water craft which he called )the &bex) after the nimble goats which inhabited the surrounding mountains. &n this way, the ibex and the goat with a fish tail

became symbolic of the 4od 0n$i and appear often on *umerian seals and monuments. 's the 4od of Mining, 0n$i is often shown with a human miner holding an ingot of metal on a carrying pole. Metal was molded this way, in the form of a cylinder with a hole through the middle, in order to facilitate its being carried on a pole with a handle. 3e is also shown at times with his two sons 4ibil and 2ergal who were in charge of mining activities. .ut most important of all, 0n$i is remembered as the god who created man and who came to his defense against the capricious 0nlil. 's the creator of Man, he is often shown with the )the tree or shrub of life.) The serpent was also 0n$i"s symbol, presumably for its ability to shed its s$in and therefore achieve a sort of immortality. The depiction of the serpent was one method the ancient artisans used to represent their reptile ancestors. &t is also from the representation of the serpent coiled around the tree of life, that the )/aduceus) of the 4ree$s later evolved. 9/omment: This same symbol is used by medical practitioners even today6; 8ust as the capricious 0nlil is remembered as the god who brought on the -eluge, 0n$i is recognized as the one who saved Man$ind by his timely warning of the coming disaster to the *umerian 2oah. 0n$i"s unauthorized creation of modern man or 3omo sapiens further estranged him from 0nlil. The antagonism between the two erupted again after the -eluge among their children who $ept the Middle 0ast in a state of turmoil for thousands of years. 9/omment: 0ven up to the present day, it might be added - those people never stop fighting6; 2&2+3<5*'4, T30 /3&01 M0-&/', #11&/05 2&2-+3<5-*'4 or ),ady of the Mountain Top) was the fourth senior *umerian god. *he was a half-sister to 0n$i and 0nlil. &n earlier days 2in$hursag was of higher ran$ than 0n$i and preceded his name when they appeared together. *he was later reduced in status and practically disappeared from the pantheon as a ma!or or effective influence. 9/omment: 1rom *tichin"s wor$ we $now that 2in$hursag is the e(uivalent of the 0gyptian &sis, which in turn we $now from 4ree$ mythology is the 4ree$ 4oddess 3era, later renamed 8uno by the 5omans.;

&t may be that she was eclipsed by the rising star of &nanna or &shtar who in!ected herself in all *umerian and western affairs. &n the Western ,ands such as alestine, *yria, and ,ebanon, &shtar appeared in several forms. 's the mother goddess she displaced 2in$hursag. 3er role was that of the sex or love goddess. *he was also $nown for her militant role as the warrior goddess. 2in$hursag is also $nown by many other names such as 2&2-T& Hthe ,ady who gives ,ifeI, 2&2-M'3 HThe 0xalted ,adyI, M'M-M< HThe /reator 4oddessI, a name from whence came our word Mama. 9/omment: &n the lands of the Mayans, she was $nown as ) achamama.) &s this great, or what6?; 2in$hursag was given the antediluvian city of *huruppa$ where she reigned as the /hief Medical #fficer and /hief 2urse for the members of the expedition. 3er sacred symbol was the umbilical cord and the cutter $nife used to sever it 0n$i and 2in$hursag directed biological experiments in the laboratories atop her ziggurat at *huruppa$ and in 0n$i"s floating head(uarters which led to the creation of the first primitive man called a )lulu.) This was a hybrid mammalreptile form. This was done at the direct re(uest of 0nlil who wanted a creature able to ta$e over the burdensome wor$load now being performed by the children of 'n. 1ollowing formulas and processes provided by 0n$i, 2in$hursag produced a wor$er, but one with a ma!or failing - it could not reproduce itself. .y going a step further, and modifying this primitive being by giving it predominant mammal characteristics, 0n$i and 2in$hursag overreached their commission. &n crossbreeding the )lulu) with the wild primitive man of the period 2eanderthal Man - they achieved a new wor$er type, modern man or 3omo sapiens, better $nown as /ro-Magnon Man. 9/omment: i.e., <s.; &t was this activity that brought down the wrath of 0nlil. &n further diluting the saurian strain, he saw it as a direct threat to the survival of the reptile race. T30 2<M05&/', 5'2+ #1 T30 4#-* There was a very explicit )pec$ing order) among the astronaut-gods of the *umerian pantheon. They were assigned numerical ran$s based on a system of F@. This number represented a special, almost mystical, significance for the *umerians. 0ach ma!or god was given a numerical )name) which represented his ran$ in the hierarchy. &n this way, numbers were used as a sort of cryptography. The

numerical ran$s of the *umerian ruling deities were assigned in descending order of importance: 'nu F@ 'ntu ?? 0nlil ?@ 2inlil E? 0n$i E@ 2in$i C? 2annar C@ 2ingal D? <tu D@ &nanna =? &sh$ur =@ 2in$hursag ? 2umbers ending in ? were assigned to the distaff side. 'ccording to *umerian tradition, only males could command, a policy that caused much distress in the affairs of the Middle 0ast, for &nanna refused to accept her status and intrigued and plotted almost continuously to gain political power. The number ?@ not only represented the ran$ of 0nlil, but also his position as chief of all the activities on 0arth. 'fter the -eluge, when the younger gods challenged the authority of the older gods for leadership, 0nlil"s military aide 2inurta assumed the title of "fifty) and thereby lay claim to the mantle of leadership which apparently had been vacated by 0nlil. .esides 2inurta, there was another claimant to the leadership. Mardu$, the eldest son of 0n$i, was unran$ed in the pantheonL he also assumed the title of )fifty) as he proclaimed himself chief of .abylon. With the eclipse of the senior gods after the -eluge, there was a scramble for power among the younger gods 2annar, <tu, and &sh$ur Hwith &nanna seemingly always involvedI. &t brought much disorder to the nations of the Middle 0ast. This manifested itself in constant warfare among the cities of Mesopotamia which became pawns in the struggle of the competing gods. *0/#2- T&05 #1 T30 '2T30#2, T30 7#<2405 5<,&24 4#-* #nly the sons, daughters, wives, and grandchildren of 0nlil were given numerical ran$ in the pantheon. The sons of 0n$i did not participate, perhaps because they were assigned geographic areas and activities away from Mesopotamia after the -eluge, a precaution on the part of 0nlil to prevent

conflict between the cousins, but presumably also to retain control of Mesopotamia for his family. The *umerian gods were always depicted graphically with horned crowns. &n later days, the senior gods were represented by a horned crown sitting on an altar. When the names of the gods were written out on the cuneiform tablets they were always preceded by the pictographic symbol of a star or a )dingir.) The term )dingir) was a combination of -&2 meaning )the righteous one) and 4&5, the word for a bird or flying ob!ect. &n other words, the symbol )dingir) meant that the name which followed was that of a god who was separated from common humanity by his ability to move about by celestial chariot or craft. 0ach god had his sacred animal and symbolL these can be clearly seen on the boundary stones or mar$ers as used by the .abylonian dynasties of the *econd Millennium ./. 2'22'5, T30 ,04&T&M'T0 5<,05 #1 M0*# #T'M&' .orn of the rape of 2inlil, 2'2-2'5 HThe .right #neI was the favorite son of 0nlil. 'fter the -eluge he was assigned all the lands of Mesopotamia, *yria, and alestine. 3is sacred city was <r or )/apital /ity) and his sacred symbol was the crescent moon. This symbol so dominated the post-diluvian times that it later was adopted by &slam, !ust as the cross of *hamash was adopted by the /hristians. 3is *emitic name *&2 Hthe *inai region was named after himI is really not a *emitic name but a loan-word from *umerian *<-02 or B<-02 meaning )The Wise ,ord.) *ince *umerian names can be read forward as well as bac$wards, Buen may be the 02-B< or )The ,ord Bu) who stole the Tablets of -estiny from 0nlil and were retrieved by 2inurta with the aid of &sh$ur and weapons supplied by 0n$i. This is strongly suggested by the notable absence of 2annarJ*in from )The Myth of Bu) discussed below. &t also explains *in"s falling out of favor at certain times in the history of Mesopotamia and the challenge of 2inurta to the ran$ of )fifty.) <T<, /3&01 #1 T30 * '/0 1'/&,&T&0* <tu or )The *hining #ne) was a grandson of 0nlil and with &nanna was a twin born to 2annar. <tu"s city in antediluvian times was the space platform at

*ippar, from where the freighters laden with metals shuttled to and from the orbiting space ship. 'fter the -eluge, *ippar remained his sacred city, although he moved his space activities to the west to the land of ,ebanon, where .aalbec$ became the new space platform. &n the Western ,ands he was $nown by his *emitic name of *hamash. The city of .aalbec$ was called .eth-*hamash in the #ld Testament, or in other words the )3ouse of *hamash.) The symbol of *hamash was the four-pointed star against a dis$ with rays. ,ater, the winged solar dis$ became associated with *hamash. 3e subse(uently became $nown as the 4od of 8ustice in the .abylonian pantheon, as shown on a table, circa >@@ ./, found at *ippar. *hamash was worshiped as the *un 4od who daily traversed the s$ies and the )one from whom no secrets were hid,) probably because his space craft surveyed all that went on below. &n this tablet two horned gods in )heaven) hold divine cords which connect with the altar of *hamash below. The cords represent his connection or shuttle flight between heaven and earth. 's the divine cordholder, it was said he traversed the s$ies and )measured the bounds of the 0arth.) + o,,e-%* <tuJ*hamash was $nown in 4ree$ mythology as the *un 4od 'pollo, later renamed 3elios by the 5omans. &n 0gypt he was $nown as the 4od 3arpocrates.; *hamash was often depicted with wings indicative of his role as /hief 'stronaut of the 'nunna$i. 'n 'ssyrian relief from the palace of 'sshurnazipal && at 2imrod shows him in a winged wheel hovering over the symbolic tree of life. &t is flan$ed by two nobles and two winged astronauts each bearing the symbols of immortality - the pine cone and the )situla) or water buc$et. + o,,e-%* -runvalo Melchizede$ tal$s about the fact that the pine cone forms in the perfect 1ibonacci *e(uence. & have loo$ed at pine cones after reading that, and it is true. Thus, if the 1ibonacci *e(uence is indeed incorporated into the mathematical structure of the 4reat yramid of 0gypt, as -runvalo suggests, then this symbol of a pine cone relating to <tu could indicate this as well, because the 4reat yramid and *phinx were constructed in the first place to be )landing beacons,) so to spea$, for *pace /ommander <tu"s *inai *paceport. 'lso, it is interesting that in the boo$ )3amlet"s Mill) by 4iorgio de *antillana and 3ertha von -echend, in connection with the

discussion of the lanet 2ibiru in 'ppendix C>, the )symbolic tree) or )pu$$u) is detailed at great length. *ee also http:JJwww.apollonius.netJcosmictree.html; &2'22', ,#A0 4#--0** '2- /3&01 T5#<.,0M'+05 &2-'22' or )The .eloved of 'nu) was a twin to *hamash and granddaughter of 'nu. *ince 'nu descended to 0arth only occasionally to visit his sacred city of <ru$, &nanna convinced him to let her rule the city in his absence. ,ater she became the patron deity of 'gade !ust before its destruction. .etter $nown by her *emitic name of &shtar, she is depicted as a powerful goddess throughout the post-diluvian period, in the Western ,ands as well as in Mesopotamia. 3er sacred symbol, the eight-pointed star, is always predominant among the symbols of the ruling gods. .y virtue of her gender, &nanna or &shtar could not legally rule, yet she managed to in!ect herself into politics everywhere. #ne poem describes her descent to the nether world to try to seize power from her older sister 0resh$igal. + o,,e-%* .ecause of all the incestuous relationships among these various ran$ing gods and goddesses, it is often difficult to determine !ust who was a sister or brother of whom, or who exactly was whose grandchild. &t is my opinion, for example, that &nanna was the great-granddaughter, not merely the granddaughter, of 'nu. These genealogical problems will be analyzed in much greater detail in a future article devoted specifically to royal lineages.; 'nother myth relates how she managed to tric$ 0n$i into giving her some of the Tablets of -estiny or M0s which gave her the authority and the means to install herself as ruler of <ru$. &n the famous )4ilgamesh 0pic) she offers her favors to the hero of the epic who resoundly re!ects her advances, thereby enraging her to the extent that she tried to destroy 4ilgamesh. The image presented by the *umerian and .abylonian literature is a mixed one - that of the love goddess on the one hand, and that of the militant warrior on the other. *he not only interfered in the affairs of Mesopotamia but also dominated the pantheon of the Western ,ands of alestine, ,ebanon, *yria, and 'natolia where she was $nown under various names such as &shtar, 'shtoreth, 'starte, 'sherah, and 'nat among others.

&nanna was the prototype for both warrior and love goddesses in the Mediterranean area and later became the model for the two 4ree$ goddesses, allas 'thena and 'phrodite. + o,,e-%* This is slightly incorrect. &n 4reco-5oman mythology &nanna was $nown as 'phroditeJAenusL thus, in 0gypt as 3athor. 'thena was a different goddess entirely, a Warrior 4oddess who gave her name to the city of 'thens and the consort of the 4reco-5oman Warrior 4od 3aphaestusJAulcanJTyphon. These two warriors were $nown in 0gypt, respectively, as *e$het and tah. 1rom a 2ibiruan linguistic standpoint, they could be referred to as .aron 2inurta and .aroness .au.; &*3+<5, ,#5- #1 '2'T#,&' '2- 4#- #1 T30 #,- T0*T'M02T The youngest son of 0nlil, &*3-+<5 or )3e of the Mountain ,and) was assigned 'natolia as his domain. &sh$ur attempted some inroads into the politics of Mesopotamia, but mostly he limited his activities to trying to extend his sphere of influence and control over alestine or /anaan. + o,,e-%* -on"t forget that 'natolia was the ),and of the 'mazons and ,esbos,) the legendary ).irth 4oddesses) who revolted against the 0mperor and 0mpress, causing the 0va to have to be created by /hief Medical #fficer and 4eneticist, the %ueen 2in$hursagJ&sis. 1or additional details, see the *itchin material.; .etter $nown by his *emitic name 'dad, he was the god of thunder and lightning. 3e is often depicted holding the for$ed lightning bolt. 'dad was in all probability the 7ahweh H8ehovahI of the #ld Testament who tried to use 'braham at first, and later Moses, to extend his sphere of influence over the land of /anaan. This role is discussed below. + o,,e-%* This is flat wrong. 0nlil was the 7ahwehJ8ehovah of the .ible. 'nd this editor ta$es great issue with Becharia *itchin"s attempt in his latest boo$ )-ivine 0ncounters,) final chapter, to disassociate the 7ahweh of 8ewish tradition from the 2ibiruan antheon. To put it (uite bluntly, this was a terrible )cop-out) on *itchin"s part. 3e simply cannot have it both ways.; T30 2&.&5<'2 T'.,0T* #1 -0*T&27 /ontrol over the operations of the cities and the activities of Man$ind was exercised through a system of directives and formulas called the M0s in *umerian. The exact meaning of the word is lost in anti(uity, but it seemed to

denote a set of rules or regulations assigned to every entity and phenomenon to $eep it operating successfully. + o,,e-%* These M0s are discussed by *itchin in great detail in )The Wars of 4ods and Men,) as well as by the authors of )3amlet"s Mill), 'ppendix C>.; *ometimes they appear to be physical ob!ects that one could pic$ up and carry. ossession of the M0 gave the owner absolute control of a certain aspect of life or behavior. erhaps they were something li$e our present-day computer chip on which data and operational orders were inscribed, and were used to activate a piece of e(uipment. &n the myth )0n$i and the World #rder,) the M0s appear to control an aircraft under the command of 0n$i. &n this story, 0n$i is described as the ),ord who drives the great M0s.) The M0s were in the possession of 0n$i and were released gradually and sparingly to benefit Man$ind. #ur primary source of information on them is the story )&nanna and 0n$i) where civilization is divided into over =@@ elements, each of which re(uired a M0 to $eep it functioning. *ome F@ odd ones are readable in this myth and they include, for example, $ingship, priestly office, wisdom, peace, counsel, !udgment, falsehood, art, musical instruments, weapons, libel, prostitution, law, and the destruction of cities. + o,,e-%* This sounds li$e 'rchons of -estiny stuff again. erhaps the highest strata of 2ibiruan 5oyal *ociety are really the )'rchons of -estiny.); This myth concerns the successful attempt of &nanna to extract some of these M0s from 0n$i. 'ccording to the story, 0n$i had prepared a sumptuous feast to entertain the beautiful, but ambitious, granddaughter of 'nu. *eeing that 0n$i had drun$ too much wine and was inebriated, the opportunistic &nanna saw her chance and as$ed 0n$i for seven ma!or M0s to which he foolishly agreed. These M0s embraced the functions necessary for running a city, such as, how to manage a temple, the art of warfare and weapons, music and the arts, scribeship and mathematics, and many wood and metal crafts. + o,,e-%* -on"t forget that <tu was the secret lover of &nanna and was eventually $nown as )the god of music and song) and the inventor of the flute and the lyre. *he probably gave him the secrets of music, which she obtained from her deception of 0n$i.;

,ater when 0n$i sobered up, he realized what he had done and sent his chamberlain by swift )boat of heaven) to pursue the fleeing &nanna and retrieve the M0s. 9/omment: 5emember how she cruised all over the *irius *ector in pursuit of -u$e -umuzi and as a result set off the yramid Wars?; &nanna managed to outwit 0n$i"s messenger, however, and arrived at her adopted city of <ru$ much to the acclaim of the citizenry. &nanna boasted that, for all practical purposes, she was now a ruler for she had the official trappings and authority of a monarch. These M0s would not only confer authority to the owner but absolute power as well, by ma$ing the owner of certain M0s impregnable to weapons. This attribute is described in the *umerian story of )The Myth of Bu.) 's a god serving as retainer to 0nlil, Bu plotted a palace revolution by trying to seize control of the Tablets of -estiny that 0nlil had carelessly left unattended. &t was previously suggested that the culprit who attempted the coup d"etat was probably none other than 2annarJ*in. 's 0nlil was ta$ing a bath, Bu conceived the idea of stealing the M0s or Tablets of -estiny, contending that these divine decrees would give him control over the 'nunna$i and Man$ind and place him in command of the pantheon. Bu made good his boast and escaped with the Tablets. The pantheon was thrown into complete disarray by this alarming development. 0nlil declared that someone must retrieve the M0s to prevent Bu from usurping the authority of the gods. .ut it seemed that control of the M0s also made Bu impregnable, giving him the ability to deflect and nullify all weapons sent against him. 0xploding arrows, sounding suspiciously li$e roc$et missiles, were launched against him but were deflected by some sort of forcefield around the )mountain) redoubt that Bu had fortified. 1inally, 0n$i forged a new special weapon in his laboratory. &t was given to 2inurta, the military aid of 0nlil, who finally defeated Bu and brought him bac$ to the airship for trial. Thus ended the worst threat ever experienced by the *umerian ruling deities. + o,,e-%* *itchin ma$es this )Bu) e(ual Mardu$. *ee his boo$ )The Wars of 4ods and Men.); The presence of similar symbols of authority are mentioned in the *criptures where it is often stated that the possession of certain )divine names) conferred

extraordinary power. Were the M0s of the *umerians the same as the divine names of the *criptures? When 0noch, the antediluvian atriarch, was deified upon his ascent to the )heavenly abode,) he was given )seventy names,) according to the )3ebrew 'pocalypse of 0noch.) 'lso called the )1irst .oo$ of 0noch,) this document is believed to have originated in .abylonian 8ewry and is attributed to the 5abbi &shmael, the renowned alestinian scholar who died in =CD '-. These seventy names conferred power and authority on 0noch second only to the chief deity. The )divine names) gave 0noch the power to smite $ings, elevate the humble, subdue rulers, confer wisdom, ma$e !udgments, and )control the procession of time and the seasons.) resumably, the latter meant the authority to ad!ust the calendar when necessary, such as when worldwide catastrophe made the old calendars obsolete.

#a$%er . THE ANTEDIL(&IAN ITIES AND THEIR P(RPOSE

" )When the +ingship had come down from 3eaven, 'nu founded the five cities, gave them their names, apportioned their uses. The first of these cities 0ridu, he gave to the leader 2udimmud 9an epithet for 0n$i;.) 1rom the *umerian *tory of /reation 'ccording to the *umerian +ing ,ist, there were only five cities which held the $ingship before the -eluge or, in other words, which served as capital cities to the antediluvian 'nunna$i. The order in which they are given is the succession in which they ruled, although they were probably all built at about the same time. The reason for moving the capital from one city to the other may have been politicalL on the other hand, the shifting of the water courses due to periodic flooding and the drying up of the southern part of the Mesopotamian Aalley, as the climate changed, may have been the compelling reason for moving the capital to more northern and readily accessible cities. *trangely enough, the +ing ,ist does not mention the cities of <ru$ and 2ippur which were also built before the -eluge. These were designed as ceremonial and sacred cities, which probably accounts for their being left out of the +ing ,ist. The five cities of the +ing ,ist were strictly operational cities.

They were operational cities built by 0n$i and his engineer astronauts for the express purpose to obtain rare metals, processing them, and ferrying the ingots to the orbiting mother ship. The five cities were a cohesive group, each providing an essential function to the main purpose of the expedition. Their function is alluded to in their names, and are as follows: 05&-<, # 05'T&#2', 30'-%<'5T05* #1 02+& ,iterally )3ome .uilt 1ar 'way,) 0-5&--< was the first city to assume the directed all operations on 0arth, as he supervised the draining of the marshlands, the raising of the cities, the establishment of agriculture and animal husbandry, and generally ma$ing the land more hospitable and productive. 1rom 0ridu, 0n$i also directed the development of the mines, presumably in 'frica, the transportation of the ores, and the processing of the metals at .adtibira. 0ridu was the first city built on this planet, which probably gave our world its name - 0arth, the third planet in our solar system. The origin of the word )0arth) is un$nown and its origin lost in anti(uity, but logically and linguistically it can be traced bac$ to 0ridu. + o,,e-%* 's a trained linguist, & can also see this connection. 5emember what & have previously discussed about consonant strings and aspiration. Well, the consonant string in 0ridu M 5-, and the consonant string in 0arth M 5T H3 rarely countsI. T and - are paired consonants in linguisticsL they are formed in exactly the same way by the muscles of the mouth, but - re(uires use of the vocal cords. Try it6 #n the other hand, 0n$i"s alternative name was 0a, which !ust coincidentally happens to occur in the word 0arth. 3owever, as we $now from *itchin, our planet"s original name before the 2ibiruan arrival was Tiamat.; The name assigned to their planet by its occupants can be traced bac$ to the root 0ridu. &n #ld 3igh 4erman, 0arth is 0rdaL it is 0rthe in Middle 0nglish, 0ra in 4ree$, 0reds in 'ramaic, and 0retz in 3ebrew, to name !ust a few. &t seems that all philological roads lead bac$ to the first city built on this planet by our alien forefathers - 0ridu. .'-T&.&5', T30 M0T',* 5#/0**&24 /02T05 The name .'--T&.&5' means )city where the ores are processed.) &n the +ing ,ist it retained $ingship for the longest time of all the cities, almost half of the period of time recorded before the -eluge, which is indicative of its primary importance among the cities. *umerian )tibira) is derived from the

same proto-*umerian substrata word as 3ebrew )tubal,) which means )metal wor$er.) This relationship is seen in 4enesis wherein Tubal-/ain, the son of the atriarch ,amech, is credited with the invention of metals: )Tubal-/ain, who forged the various implements of copper and iron.) .adtibira was the first strictly operational city built by 0n$i and reflects the reason the 'nunna$i came here - to obtain and process certain metals, presumably gold and silver, and perhaps other rare metals. 9/omment: They needed this gold, as we $now, to reinforce the heat-shield around their lanet 2ibiru.; The +ing ,ist assigns the city of .adtibira to 2ugig or 2<-4&4 which means )he of the bright s$y) and was an epithet for 2annar, the favorite son of 0nlil. 'rriving by ship from the 'frican mines, the ores would be processed at .adtibira into transportable form and then would be shuttled up to the mother ship to be eventually shipped to the home planet. 1or this reason, a beacon city was needed to guide the incoming and outgoing shuttles. ,'5'+, T30 * '/0 /#2T5#, /02T05 The name ,'-5'-+' means )see the bright light) and the third city assigned the $ingship. &ts name indicates its function, that of guiding the metal freighters arriving and leaving Mesopotamia. The +ing ,ist has the city assigned to abilsag, meaning )the great protector) and it was one of the titles of 2inurta, the military aide of 0nlil who recovered the M0s from the rebel son Bu. ,ittle is $nown of this city, and li$e that of .adtibira has not been located archaeologically. 9/omment: 2inurta in 0gypt was tahL Bu or Mardu$ in 0gypt was 'mon-5a, the .aal of the .ible.; *& '5, T30 * '/0 ,'<2/3 ,'T1#5M

The fourth city built was *& - '5 or ).ird /ity.) &t was the landing platform for the space shuttles, especially those hauling metal cargo. #ne of the *umerian myths states that this city was built for the got <tu, one of the circle of seven great gods who decreed the fates. .etter $nown as *hamash, his '$$adian and *emitic name, <tu was chief of the astronauts. When the space platform and related activities were moved to the Western ,ands 9/omment: ie, *inai; after the -eluge, *hamash was placed in charge of the space city of .aalbec$ as well as the land of ,ebanon.

+ o,,e-%* This is slightly incorrect. rince <tu was the 2ibiruan *pace /ommander at the *inai *paceportL rincess-5oyal &nanna was 2ibiruan 'irfleet /ommander at the .aalbec$ 'irport, although she was under the direct command of her brother and secret lover, rince <tu. *ee: http:JJwww.apollonius.netJhellespontiacus.html.; *ince it was )the stairway to the stars,) *ippar was of ma!or import among the antediluvian cities. &ts sole $ing 0nmeduranna literally means )the ,ord whose M0s bond 3eaven and 0arth,) an allusion to his ability to control the flights between *ippar and the orbiting ship. 0nmeduranna was himself the hero of a *umerian tradition which has him transported to heaven, much the same as the .iblical 0noch who was also translated to heaven. The evidence that identifies 0noch as 0nmeduranna is found in the writings of the seudepigrapha discussed below. *3<5< '+, T30 /3&01 M0-&/', /02T05

The fifth city to be built was *3<-5< - '+, or )the place of the utmost well being.) This city was dedicated to the /hief 2urse and Medical #fficer of the 0xpedition, the 4oddess 2in$hursag. *he tended to the medical and health needs of the 'nunna$i, and to a certain extent to the needs of humans, from her temple atop the ziggurat at *huruppa$. <5<+, T30 *'/50- /&T7 #1 T30 450'T 4#- '2< <ru$ or )4reat /ity) was dedicated to the chief god 'nu. &ts temple atop the ziggurat was the ceremonial center for *umer. &t was his residence when away from his space city and on visits to 0arth, which became less fre(uent as the world became more populated. 'nu"s influence seems to have declined in the days !ust before the -eluge and his authority was ta$en over by 0nlil. *ince he rarely used his ceremonial city, 'nu turned it over to &nanna at her re(uest. 9/omment: 'nu and &nanna were lovers for a long time.; *he institutionalized her control over the city of <ru$ by obtaining the necessary controls and authorities in the M0s which she extracted from 0n$i, as we have seen. 2& <5, '-M&2&*T5'T&A0 /02T05 #1 02,&,

This was the city dedicated to 0nlil and where he ruled from his 0$ur or )house on the mountain.) 't 2ippur, 0nlil exercised supreme command over all the 'nunna$i on 0arth before the -eluge.

#ne of the hymns dedicated to him provides a graphic description of a control center bristling with communications and other electronic e(uipment scanning the horizons. 1rom the 0$ur, it was said that 0nlil"s )eye scans the land) and )his lifted beam searches the heart of all the lands.) 2ippur was rebuilt after the -eluge as his sacred city. &t is also the city where, according to the )Third .oo$ of 0noch) that the ,ord $ept his )*he$inah) or space craft, at the entrance of the 4arden of 0den until the days of 0nosh when he abruptly left for his heavenly abode, never to return except on special occasions. &t was also at 2ippur, at the 5iver /hebar, that 0ze$iel first saw the )fiery chariot) which is described so vividly in the ).oo$ of 0ze$iel.) + o,,e-%* &f you ever pass through ittsburg,Texas, have lunch or dinner at Warric$"s 5estaurant - excellent /a!un type food. They have a life-sized replica of the 0ze$iel 'irship sitting right there in the middle of the restaurant, next to where the *amoan band plays on the wee$ends. 7es, this is true6; T30 '.B< #5 1,#'T&24 ','/0 #1 02+& '.-B<, or 'psu in '$$adian, is derived from the combination of '. or ' 9/omment: ,inguistically, the . and are paired, as aspirated and nonaspirated consonants.; meaning )the father, the creator, or the great one) and B< or *< meaning )one who $nows, the wise one,) thus suggesting it was the source of all wisdom and $nowledge. The 'bzu seems to have had three different meanings to the Mesopotamians, depending on the time period or era which the tablets refer to. #riginally 'bzu was the term for our *un. &n the *umerian creation myth which deals with the formation of the universe, the 'bzu is called the )primeval one) and the )begetter) of the planets of our solar system. ,ater when the 'nunna$i had arrived here and began to set up operations, the 'bzu is clearly the abode of 0n$i located near the city of 0ridu. 'fter the -eluge, the meaning ta$es on sinister connotations. &t becomes )the deep) from whence the 4ree$ word )abyssos) and the modern )abyss,) and refers to the nether world, presumably to the ancient mines. Mining does not seem to be the main preoccupation of the post-diluvian period. While they may still have been operational, and wor$ed on a limited basis by a prison population, they had become mainly a place of detention. + o,,e-%* 1ollowing the -eluge, the *outh 'frican gold mines fell into disuse. Then the yramid Wars further complicated this situation. -u$e 2ergal

was removed from his position as 3ead anhandler and was replaced by rince 0n$i, who moved the whole operation to the ,a$e TiticacaJ2azca area of eru. This move was also forced by the fact that rince <tu, the secret lover and chief ally of rincess-5oyal &nanna in the yramid Wars, blew up the *inai *paceport to aid her struggle with the villainous .aron Mardu$ and his consort, the wic$ed .aroness *arpanit. These latter two were $nown in 'ncient 0gypt as 'mon-5a and 2ut-.ast and in 'ncient 4reece as .elus and 'nchinoe.; &t is the second meaning, that of the floating head(uarters of 0n$i, that pervades the literature relating to the antediluvian days. &n the myth )0n$i and the World #rder,) one of the longest and best preserved of the narrative poems, the 'bzu of 0ridu is described as a splendid shrine, nestled among the shade trees filled with birds and navigable canals stoc$ed with fish. &n this 0den-li$e garden, 0n$i ta$es pleasure trips over the marshland and canals in his M'4<5 type boat which he refers to as )the &bex of the 'bzu.) This ship is presumably some sort of small runabout as M'-4<5 means )ship to turn about in.) The ibex is an allusion to the wild goat of the surrounding mountains and is often used to represent the person of 0n$i on cylinder seals and statuettes. robably the most beautiful of these is the statue of the ibex peering through a shrub, found in the royal palace at <r and dated to about D?@@ ./. ,avishly done in gold and lapis lazuli, it shows a winged ibex peering through a shrub which represents the )Tree of ,ife) or immortality. + o,,e-%* ' list subscriber recently emailed me, as$ing where these)gods) go when they )die,) since ultra-hun$y 'donis -u$e -umuzi, the public lover of the troublema$er rincess-5oyal &nanna, was murdered by .aron Mardu$ during the yramid Wars. & don"t $now what happens to them. -u$e -umuzi, as far as & $now, is the only one who has ever been deprived of life. The rest of these *aurian 4ods drin$ of an elixir from a )Tree of ,ife) which confers )eternal life,) as long as they continue to drin$ it. That is why they absolutely would not allow the hybrids 'damu and 0va to get their hands on it. They did not want )us) to attain the status of )immortal gods.); 0n$i is often depicted as residing in this 'bzu or )water palace.) ' cylinder seal of about D@@@ ./ shows it as his home surrounded by water. &t was probably a sealed mobile craft as well, as indicated in the )4ilgamesh 0pic) where <tnapishtim, the .abylonian 2oah, is told to seal his ar$ thoroughly in order to ma$e it waterproof. ),i$e the 'bzu thou shall seal her,) he is told.

The 'bzu thus appears to be sealed li$e a ship and probably was submersible as well. .efore 0n$i built the first city of 0ridu, he resided in the 'bzu which apparently had descended from the orbiting space ship to settle in the swamps of Mesopotamia. resumably, it was of such a configuration that it could fly and was submersible as well. &n this respect, there is an interesting comparison to the configuration of the 'r$ of 2oah as described below H/hapter =CI. 02+& '* T30 #'220* #1 T30 .'.7,#2&'2 ,0402-* + o,,e-%* 5ead )The *irius Mystery) by 5obert +. 4. Temple. These *aurians obviously drifted in here from the *irius *ystem.; The traditions of ancient Mesopotamia recount the story of an amphibious ancestor who taught the arts and crafts of civilization to Man$ind. Written in the Third /entury ./ by the .abylonian priest .erossus, it describes the origins of civilization as his forefathers believed it. 'lthough the wor$s of .erossus have been lost, many fragments have been preserved by a number of contemporary writers such as 'pollodorus, 'le$sander olyhistor, and 'bydens, one of 'ristotle"s disciples who also wrote an 'ssyrian history of his own, now lost. The account spea$s of a group of creatures who came out of the ersian 4ulf called )'nnedoti) led by one #annes. They reportedly were amphibious creatures with the head of a man, the body and tail of a fish, yet legged li$e a man. ,ed by #annes, these creatures taught man all of the ancient $nowledge. 'ccording to the legend, #annes instructed Man how to build cities, to found temples, to compile laws, to survey the lands, and how to grow food. 3e also taught them mathematics, the sciences, and every $ind of art. 'pollodorus referred to #annes and the 'nnedoti as )Musarus.) The word )musarus) means )an abomination) in 4ree$ !ust as )annedoti) means )the repulsive ones.) &n other words, the creatures credited with founding civilization were fran$ly described by the ancient .abylonian people, who revered them, as )repulsive abominations.) &f the tradition had been invented, a more normal attitude would be to glorify these creatures as splendid gods and heroes. 7et the fact that they chose to describe their ancestors this way argues for the authenticity of the account. &t

was the .abylonian tradition that they owed their $nowledge to creatures who came up from the sea who were disgusting and loathsome to gaze upon. #f further significance is that the #annes of .erossus and 'pollodorus bears a stri$ing resemblance to the *umerian 0n$i who founded the Mesopotamian civilization and brought civilized arts and sciences to man$ind. 0n$i lived in his water palace or 'bzu located on the edge of the ersian 4ulf. 0n$i"s 'bzu was sealed and was presumably submersible. #annes was said to return to his watery abode in the evening to spend the night. 0ven the name 'nnedoti is (uite similar to the people of 0n$i - the 'nunna$i, from whence it was probably derived. The 4ree$ term may have originated with the *umerians and was later carried over as a description of a race that was both reptilian and loathsome. When our saurian ancestors arrived here to exploit the resources of this planet, they must have found the physical conditions here ideal for living, perhaps very similar to those of their home planet. What were these conditions that were so compatible to the alien race that came here hundreds of thousands of years ago?

#a$%er / PHYSI AL ONDITIONS BEFORE THE DEL(GE

" )'nd on the second day he made the firmament in the midst of the water. 'nd the waters were divided on that day.. #ne half of them went up above, and one half of them went down beneath the firmament.) 1rom The Book of Jubilees 't the time of the arrival of the alien astronauts or 'nunna$i, the climate of the 0arth was moist and stable, not running to the extremes in temperature as it is today. This was due to the enormous amount of moisture being held in the 0arth"s atmosphere, a veritable cloud canopy. This condition is described in the Book of Genesis as the )separation of waters.) &t is in this moist climate that the 'nnuna$i arrived to exploit the 0arth"s resources. They were a sapient reptile race and found conditions here very congenial to their existence for it approximated those on their home planet. + o,,e-%* We $now from *itchin that prior to the arrival of the lanet 2ibiru, the 0arth was in a different orbit around the *un. 'fter the collision of one of 2ibiru"s moonlets with the 0arth in the area of what is now the acific #cean, 0arthJTiamat was hurtled out of its previous orbit into its current one.

#bviously, then, when these 2ibiruans first arrived, they found a climate much different than what we have experienced in more modern times.; &t is no accident that all the early settlements were founded at the mouth of large river systems, where moisture was abundant. .esides the Tigris and 0uphrates, other civilizations sprang up in the 2ile delta and in the &ndus 5iver system. They were actually offshoots of the main colony in Mesopotamia. T30 M0'2&24 #1 T30 *0 '5'T&#2 #1 W'T05* 'ccording to the account of the creation of 0arth in the Book of Genesis, at one time the waters were all commingled together. Then they were divided: )4od said, ",et there be an expanse in the middle of the water to form a division between the waters," and it was so. 4od made the expanse, and it divided the water below it from the water above it.) The separation of the waters with half remaining on the surface of the 0arth and half going into the upper atmosphere is also mentioned in the Book of Jubilees. #ne of the lost boo$s of the .ible, 8ubilees, was originally written in 3ebrew as an extensive retelling of 4enesis and 0xodus. &t has been found in 4ree$, *yriac, ,atin, and 0thiopic as wellL however, the 0thiopic text is the only one that has survived in a form that is virtually complete. The Book of Jubilees ma$es it clear that as much moisture remained in the atmosphere as was found in the world oceans: )'nd on the second day he made the firmament in the midst of the water. 'nd the waters were divided on that day. #ne half of them went up above, and one half of them went down beneath the firmament.) /learly, it is asserted that as much moisture was held in the s$y, presumably as a dense cloud cover, and was contained in the seas below. .erossus in his history of .abylonia, fragments of which have been preserved by olyhistor, related that at the time of creation )the whole universe consisted of moisture) and that Beus )separated heaven and earth from one another.) This condition was universally noted. Many ancient cultures refer to a time in the far past when there was no sun as we $now it today. &n the Popul Vuh, the sacred boo$ of the ancient %uiche Maya, it is stated that there was a time when it was cloudy and twilight was upon the face of the 0arth. There was no sun yet to be seen for )the s$y and the earth existed but the face of the sun and the

moon were covered.) The dense cloud cover or vapor canopy would mean that blue s$y was seen by the ancients until after the -eluge. + o,,e-%* .oth .oulay and *itchin seem to be under the mista$en impression that only one -eluge has occurred in our planetary history. &f, however, we accept the theories of -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y in Worlds In Collision, there have been a series of )-eluges,) which were the direct results of a series of olar 'xial -isplacements. Thus, this reference in the Popul Vuh undoubtedly is referring to only one of these cataclysms. 7ou are referred to: http:JJwww.apollonius.netJpolarpivot.html; #ne of the oldest pieces of *umerian mythology, if not the oldest yet $nown, seems to echo the description of the Popul Vuh. &t is paraphrased as follows: )The reptiles verily descend. The 0arth is resplendent as a well-watered garden. 't that time 0n$i and 0ridu had not appeared. -aylight did not shine. Moonlight had not emerged.) ' stable cloud canopy also meant that the 0arth had to be watered by a different regime than it is today. The Book of Genesis bears this out: )4od had not yet sent rain upon the 0arth . . . instead a flow would well up from the ground and water the whole surface of the soil.) &t was not until the cloud cover collapsed with the event $nown as the -eluge that man saw sunlight and blue s$y. Aerification of this is also found in 4enesis which states that the ,ord introduced the rainbow after the -eluge. 5ainbows are the result of the prismatic effect of the bending of the rays of the sun through water droplets. 5ainbows can only occur after rain and re(uire the direct action of sunlight. T30 '2T0-&,<A&'2 A' #5 /'2# 7 #1 T30 0'5T3 The theory that the 0arth had a primordial vapor canopy was developed by -onald atten in his boo$ The Biblical Flood and the Ice Epoch. 3e surmises that it was in some ways li$e that surrounding Aenus today. The canopy of Aenus consists primarily of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, with some water vapor. The 0arth"s primordial vapor canopy, on the other hand, was composed mostly of water vapor, some carbon dioxide, and virtually no hydrocarbons. This cloud cover condensed out at the time of the -eluge. atten believes that plant life was luxuriant in that early period because of the proportions of carbon

dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere and the capture of long wave radiation which resulted in the )greenhouse effect.) This greenhouse effect meant that temperatures would tend to be uniform between night and day as well as between summer and winter. There had to be little circulation of the atmosphere, and this absence of cyclonic activity precluded the formation of storms and other forms of precipitation. 'lthough the surface of the 0arth was shielded from the direct rays of the *un, plant life was rich and abundant due to the proportion of carbon dioxide to that of water vapor in the atmosphere. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was probably many times higher than it is today. Two climatologists, #wen Toon and *teve #lson, in their article on )The Warm 0arth,) in Science, H#ctober =>G?I maintain that the early atmosphere of the 0arth may have contained as much as a thousand times more carbon dioxide than it does today. &n those days people obtained much of their water from underground sources, as stated in 4enesis ?: )4od had not sent rain upon the 0arth . . . instead, a flow would well up from the ground and water the whole surface of the soil.) Water was also provided by the rivers which descended from the mountains, fed by natural springs. The heavily saturated atmosphere also condensed at nightfall, thus producing a heavy dew which provided a certain amount of moisture. This also made night conditions unbearable for Man when the heavy dew was precipitated. &t may explain why caves were in wide use by early man in 0urope between F@,@@@ and =@,@@@ ./. resumably they were used for shelter as protection from wild animals, but also, by building bonfires at their entrances, they provided relief from the oppressive climatic conditions. With a canopy of water vapor, humidity even in the daytime would have been at near maximum, and temperatures would have hovered consistently at the dewpoint. With the coming of night, temperatures would have dropped slightly and dewpoint would be (uic$ly reached. 't this time, a thic$ somewhat clammy and uncomfortable layer of dew would begin to form. .y building a bonfire at the mouth of the cave, primitive man could thereby maintain the temperature above dewpoint all night and thereby increase his comfort. + o,,e-%* This is an extremely provocative and unusual hypothesis, and to my $nowledge it is uni(ue to .oulay"s boo$.; -0*&//'T&#2 #1 T30 ,'2-

-uring this early period the climate was benign all over the world. The stable and moist atmosphere was ideal for the huge vegetarian dinosaurs and other large reptile forms. 3ad the antediluvian climate remained the same, who $nows what reptilian forms would have evolved. + o,,e-%* &t is most notable that .oulay is assuming that dinosaurs and man coexisted. This is the same sort of revolutionary theory proposed by -r. Aeli$ovs$y, one that has been widely attac$ed by the scientific establishment.; &n their analysis of the reasons why dinosaurs and reptiles became extinct, 'llaby and ,oveloc$ in their boo$ The Great Extinction, suggested that if the climate had remained unchanged until the present day, there is no reason to suppose that the reptiles would have declined. They maintain that furthermore, )Mammals might still be living in nocturnal obscurity and had intelligent beings evolved - let us say beings with advanced technologies - they might well have scaly s$ins and probably long tails.) hysical conditions, however, began to change dramatically. The land began to dry out. *ince there was no cyclonic activity to produce rain, moisture had to be gotten from the ground or from spring-fed river systems. ' limited amount of moisture was also provided by the heavily saturated atmosphere which condensed at night fall. The changing climate was no longer friendly to the alien saurians. Mammals had become better adapted to the changes and were slowly replacing the reptiles as the dominant form on 0arth. The lush vegetation was declining and the 'nunna$i were beginning to suffer. ' *umerian myth called The ispute bet!een Cattle and Grain describes how the 'nunna$i originally lived off the land: )They $new not the eating of bread, $new not the dressing of garments. 'te plants with their mouth li$e sheep, dran$ water from the ditch.) *ince conditions on 0arth had changed, the 'nunna$i could not feed themselves. The myth describes how two goddesses were created in the space ship to help the 'nunna$i to obtain food - the /attle 4oddess ,ahat and the 4rain 4oddess 'shnan. The 'nunna$i could not learn to feed themselves for some reason which is not given, and the experiment proved unsuccessful. This is why the myth states further, that Man was created.

't this time, the 'nunna$i were vegetarian, and it was not until later when food became scarce that they turned to eating flesh. This is reflected in the Ethiopic "pocal#pse of Enoch, which describes how the 2efilim began to eat the flesh of animals, all the time pleading the scarcity of vegetable food. .oth religious and secular sources indicate that Man, and the serpent-gods living among them, were vegetarian and not meat eaters. 'ccording to 4enesis, Man did not eat flesh until after the -eluge. This was not true of the 2efilim and 'nunna$i who turned to eating the flesh of animals and eventually that of humans. The desiccation of the earth may have been partly caused by the numerous catastrophes of the period. 0arth(ua$es and other natural catastrophes in the antediluvian period are often alluded to in the religious literature as well as the *umerian myths. 0'5T3%<'+0* '2- #T305 /'T'*T5# 30* 0arth(ua$es and other natural catastrophes were not un$nown to early man for they are mentioned in many ancient sources, both religious and secular. The $a%%adah, the source of 3ebrew oral tradition, refers to a period of calamities that occurred in the generation of 0nosh, the second after 'dam, when the 0arth was beset by )four revolutions in nature,) presumably a reference to ma!or earth(ua$es, perhaps caused by a shift of the 0arth on its axis. #ther ancient sources reveal that, in the days of 0nosh, there were severe disruptions in the water supply, and that )the mountains became barren,) and so many people died that the corpses rotted where they lay and were not buried. *uch a shift would have an effect on the calendar as well, especially the length of the year. &n the First Book of Enoch there are several admonitions to the people against errors in the compilation of the length of the year. 0noch tells Methuselah that )the year is completed in CFE days) and not to note this correction would upset all the order of the days of celebration. &t would thus appear that, at least for a while, the length of the year was CFE instead of CF? days. 9/omment: This point is discussed at great length by -r. Aeli$ovs$y in Worlds In Collision.; 0ven the 4ree$ writer 3erodotus, in his $istories, refers to ancient perturbations of the 0arth. 3e was informed by the 0gyptian priests at the ancient city of 3eliopolis that in the preceding =@,@@@ years, )the sun had removed from its proper course four times.) &t seems that the axis of the 0arth

had been displaced four times, for the sun was said by them to have changed its usual position, twice rising in the west, and twice in the east. /uriously enough, the statement of 3erodotus agrees with the ancient religious sources which spea$ of four ma!or disturbances during the days of 0nosh. The sun"s eccentric behavior is also found in the 3ebrew oral tradition which affirms that in the era before the -eluge )the laws of nature were suspended, the sun rose in the west and set in the east.) The century !ust before the -eluge must have been one of many natural catastrophes which were a forerunner of the ma!or one to come. + o,,e-%* erhaps this )-eluge) to which .oulay seems to attribute such great significance was indeed a )ma!or catastrophe) of monumental proportions, compared to an ordinary, routine olar 'xis *hift, if one dares to call such an 'xis *hift ordinary and routine.; T30 =D@-70'5 05&#- &2 4020*&* There is a curious statement in 4enesis F which !ust precedes the account of the -eluge, that refers to a period of =D@ years. 1or generations, scholars have interpreted the verse by the ,ord to mean that man was granted a lifespan of =D@ years. The account of 4enesis says, )My spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.) This interpretation as relating to man"s lifespan seems odd, however, in view of the fact that the text deals with 4od"s intent to destroy Man$ind in the coming -eluge. &f so, then why offer Man long life? *ubse(uent statements in 4enesis do not support such an arbitrary lifespan. 'fter the -eluge, the descendants of 2oah lived longer than the limit of =D@ years. *hem lived to be F@@, his son 'rphaxad to be EGC, and his son *alah to be ECC, and so on, down to 'braham who died at the ripe old age of =N?. &saac then lived to be =G@, and 8acob =EN, and it was not until generations later with Moses, who died at =D@, that the so-called prophecy appeared to come true. 1urthermore, since the days of Moses there has been a steady decline in man"s lifespan until today when G@O is considered to be the average. #bviously, the statement in 4enesis does not apply to lifespans but to something else, whose meaning was omitted during the early formative years of

the #ld Testament. Moreover, the location of this fragment immediately before the account of the -eluge strongly suggests that it is somehow related to the universal catastrophe. This testimony is brought out in many of the ancient religious documents. 'ncient 5abbinical literature, for example, relates how 2oah had been informed of the coming catastrophe =D@ years before and told to exort the people to amend their ways. &n other words, the =D@ years was one of probation, when Man was given the choice of avoiding destruction by changing his ways. ' similar warning is pronounced in the Sla&onic "pocal#pse of Enoch, also called the Second Book of Enoch, but here the warning is given to Methuselah instead of 2oah, who is told to warn the people to mend their ways in view of the fact )that the destruction of the 0arth draws near.) Methuselah was also informed that the 0arth )will change its seasons,) in anticipation of the time of destruction. 'pparently, there would be severe disturbances on 0arth during this interim period of =D@ years. -uring this interval, conditions on the 0arth were unsettled and numerous disturbances anticipated the ma!or destruction to come. The s$ies of the period must have been terrifying, for the solar system was playing a game of celestial ping-pong. The Second Book of Enoch tells of a period of chaos !ust before the -eluge when society bro$e down, and when peoples and nations waged war against each other. references to such unrest is not limited to the religious documents but is also found in the *umerian cuneiform literature. &n the "trahasis Epic, the .abylonian account of the -eluge, Man is afflicted with plagues and other pestilence !ust before the disaster. &nterruptions in the flow of waters from the mountains caused the Mesopotamian plains to become salty and unproductive. This reduction of fresh water allowed the ersian 4ulf to bac$ up the Tigris and 0uphrates 5ivers. 's a result the waters became brac$ish, and as the epic describes it, )The fountains were stopped, so that the flood could not rise at the source. The field diminished its product. The wide-open plain brought forth saltL her bosom revolted, so that no plant came forth, no grain sprouted.)

The 0den of the .ible had become a brac$ish desolate plain. 'ccording to the epic, living conditions had become unbearable - there was mass starvation, disease became rampant, and the survivors had to resort to cannibalism. ' dwindling food supply was not the only problemL there was one of overpopulation as well. <sing the genealogy of the Book of Genesis as a source of demographics, it can be shown that there was a high population density in that area. 'ssuming there were twenty children per family, a very conservative figure considering the long life of the inhabitants and the system of polygamy, and counting only ten generations from 'dam to 2oah, the extraordinary total of over a billion people can be deduced. While this number may be mathematically correct, logically it represents an impossible census for the number of people existing at the time of the onset of the -eluge. More li$ely, it suggests that there was an extremely high mortality rate among humans.

#a$%er 0 THE OLD TESTA)ENT BEGINS AT S()ER "

)The most difficult and the most obscure of the sacred boo$s, 4enesis, contains as many secrets as words, and each word conceals several others.) *aint 8erome T30 '2<22'+& '* 501,0/T0- &2 T30 */5& T<50* &s there evidence in Western religious literature that corroborates the activities of the 'nunna$i as it is found in the numerous myths, poems, and hymns of Mesopotamia? These *umerian sources deal with the same events - the creation of Man, its subse(uent modification into a modern man or 3omo sapiens, the existence of god-$ings, the coming of the -eluge, and many of the subse(uent events of recorded history. There is a large body of religious literature besides the Book of Genesis which deals with the period before the -eluge. *ources such as the three boo$s of 0noch, the Book of Jubilees, the 4nostic teachings, the -ead *ea scrolls, the 3aggadah or the oral tradition of the 8ews, the 5abbinical writings, the wor$s of 8osephus, and many wor$s of the seudepigrapha.

Much of what is not intelligible in these ancient religious writings is explained in part in the large library of available *umerian, .abylonian and other cuneiform inscriptions. &t will be demonstrated that the *criptures and *umerian literature, regarded in a historical context, and stripped of their spiritual and mythological verbiage, support and augment each other remar$ably. 1or it is clear that *umer was the fountainhead for the events and stories of the #ld Testament and other Western religious writings. Much as .iblical apologists have tried to avoid or cloud the issue of the origin of the #ld Testament, the historical facts clearly show that its antecedents are in the valley of Mesopotamia. The *umerian culture, which can be traced as far bac$ as the beginning of the 1ourth Millennium ./, was the source of all the myths of Middle 0astern civilizations that followed, such as the '$$adian, .abylonian, and 'ssyrian people who inherited much of the *umerian culture. This culture was subse(uently transferred to the west to the lands of alestine, *yria, ,ebanon, and 'natolia. The actual language of the *umerians was superseded rather early by '$$adian, a *emitic tongue. *umerian is non-*emitic and its origins are un$nown. &t seems to have no affinities at all and to have suddenly appeared on 0arth out of nowhere. The '$$adians and *umerians later intermingled and eventually formed a fusion of the two languages. 1rom this *umerian-'$$adian milieu evolved the *emites and eventually the 3ebrews or 8ews. The 3ebrews did not invent their language or literary forms - their culture was inherited from the older Mesopotamian and /anaanite cultures. &t should be more widely realized that when those famous .iblical figures 2oah and 'braham lived, there was no such thing as a 3ebrew in existence. .oth the 8ews and 'rabs traditionally claim descendancy from 'braham who was neither 8ew nor 'rab but a resident of the city of <r in Mesopotamia. The earliest reference in the #ld Testament said to show 'braham"s alleged 3ebrew ancestry is an error perpetuated by mistranslation. &n their eagerness to prove 3ebrew anti(uity, translators have incorrectly referred to 'braham as such in 4enesis =E. The context in which this reference appears is the invasion of the eastern $ings into /anaan and 'braham"s reaction when his nephew ,ot is ta$en prisoner. 's the text goes,

)The invaders seized all the possessions of *odom and 4omorrah and all their food, and departed, ta$ing with them ,ot, the son of 'bram"s brother, together with his possessionsL he had been living in *odom. ' fugitive brought the news to 'bram the 3ebrew who was camping at the terebinths of Mamre the 'morite, $insman of 0sh$ol and 'ner, these being the confederates of 'bram.) 0vidently, 'braham H'bramI was a stranger in the land at the timeL he had !ust migrated from the city of <r in Mesopotamia. Manifestly both he and ,ot were visitors or travellers. The translation of the word )ibri) as )3ebrew) has no linguistic support. The root )br) means )to pass through or to cross.) 3ence, )ibri) as it appears in the text of 4enesis would mean one who is passing through or a visitor. &n reality, the news was brought to 'braham that his nephew, his friend and fellow-traveller, had been captured by the invaders. + o,,e-%* &nterestingly, in the 0thiopic linguistic traditions, in some of the oldest of all modern-day civilizations, the word )bir) means )dollar bill.) *ince a dollar bill passes from hand to hand, or crosses from one person to another, it is easy to see how this linguistic root-word still influences even modern languages.; The *emitic )ibri) is obviously related to the '$$adian )ibru) from whence it probably derived. &n the '$$adian version of the Gil%a'esh Epic, his friend 0n$idu, with whom 4ilgamesh shares most of his adventures, is referred to as )ibru.) The Chica%o "ss#rian ictionar# defines it as a relationship between persons of the same code of behavior and the obligation of mutual assistance. This definition fits the situation of 'braham and ,ot perfectly. 'braham"s subse(uent activities in the land of /anaan leave no doubt that he was a stranger and a visitor. 1or example, after his battle with the invading army he had to report to Melchizede$, the +ing of *alem, where he paid a tithe of ten percent of all the loot which had been recovered. + o,,e-%* This Melchizede$, +ing of *alem, is the man from whom the later #rder of Melchizede$ originatedL and his name presumably has some sort of occult significance in the pseudonym of the modern )prophet) 8ohn 4race, more popularly $nown as -runvalo Melchizede$.; ,ater, when 'braham eventually settled in the land of /anaan near 4erar, it was at the sufferance of 'bimelech, the hilistine $ing who also controlled the lands around 4erar and .eersheba. 'braham had a later confrontation at .eersheba with 'bimelech, who made it clear that he was in command of the land, bac$ing up his claim with troops led by 4eneral hicol.

'braham later had to purchase a plot of land in order to bury his wife *arahL he paid E@@ she$els of silver for this land, an extremely large amount of money for a small piece of land containing a cave. While this sum was abnormally high, 'braham as a foreigner was in no position to demur. These activities of 'braham were not the actions of a native, and 'braham lived among the /anaanites with their forbearance. &t was the custom if not the law of the land that a stranger or alien could not own landed property. This probably accounts for the high price that 'braham had to pay. T30 .#55#W0- ,0402-* #1 T30 #,- T0*T'M02T The oldest part of the .ible, 4enesis /hapters = through F, which deal with the antediluvian period, was not written down in its present form much earlier than G@@ ./. #n the other hand, most of the *umerian stories and legends were composed and published about D?@@ ./ or not long afterwards. The cuneiform tablet versions reported events that too$ place before the -eluge as well as activities !ust after the event. + o,,e-%* &f, as & hypothesize, the lanet 2ibiru were )par$ed) above our 2orth olar 'xis from about =?>@-F>@ ./0 - from the time of the 0xodus and the *antorini /ataclysm to the time of *argon"s genocidal campaign and the series of )great earth(ua$es,) as per the theories of -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y, including that entire segment of ancient history that was duplicated due to mass contemporaneous confusion and only reinterpreted in this century in the boo$ "%es In Chaos - then this part of 4enesis was written while the 2ibiruans were in this vicinity to )dictate it) to their demi-god scribes.; The uni(ueness of the events of the #ld Testament comes under critical scrutiny since there is nothing here that cannot be found in the ancient myths and literature of Mesopotamia and the land of /anaan. &f the activities of 'braham can be dated to about D=@@ ./, and his antecedents are in Mesopotamia, then all the events of the #ld Testament which too$ place before 'braham and the -eluge must have had their origin among the indigenous people. What is not often perceived is that the 8ews had at their disposal a vast store of creation and other myths wholly un$nown to us, from which they borrowed selectively. 1or instance, we $now that the 0den of the .ible was located in the river delta region of Mesopotamia, and that the story of the creation of 'dam is a *umerian account. The story of the 'r$, the -eluge and 2oah came from

*umerian accounts. &n fact, the story of the -eluge was not limited to the Middle 0ast but was universally $nown. There are also <garitic Hnorthern /anaanI parallels to the 3ebrew .ible. The story of -aniel was ta$en from a north /anaan poem dated as far bac$ as =?@@ ./. The <garit Epic of (eret deals with the capture of a bride of +ing +eret by a distant $ing. &t later became the 3elen of Troy motif. .ut more importantly, it is the source of the stories of 4enesis =D and D@ where twice 'braham had to get his wife *arah bac$ from the hands of other $ings. The story of 8ob comes from a .abylonian poem about a virtuous man named Tabu-utul-bel who was sorely afflicted for some inscrutable reason and tormented by the gods. The story of 8onah has many origins and apparently was universal, for 3ercules was swallowed by a whale at precisely the same place, 8oppa. ersian legends tell of their hero 8amahyd who was devoured by a sea monster that later vomited him out safely upon the shore. ' similar tale appears in &ndia in the epic classic Sa'ede& Bhatta where *a$tedeva was swallowed by a fish and later escapes. The story of *amson is so strange and foreign to 3ebrew lore as to indicate that it was borrowed in toto from /anaanite mythologyL in fact, his name is derived from *hamash, the /anaanite sun god who ruled ,ebanon. + o,,e-%* 's we $now, *hamash e(uals rince <tu of the lanet 2ibiru, the same )god) as the 4ree$ *un-4od 'pollo. rince <tu was in charge of the *inai *paceport and its satellite airport at .aalbec$, ,ebanon, under the command of 2ibiruan 'irfleet /ommander rincess-5oyal &nanna, the sister and secret lover of rince <tu. *ee: http:JJwww.apollonius.netJhellespontiacus.html; There are so many parallels that there is no (uestion of contemporary borrowing by the 3ebrews. 3ow then did this influence penetrate the .ible so completely? *ometime during the *econd Millennium ./, the .abylonian script, language, and literature permeated the lands west of Mesopotamia. .abylonian had become the diplomatic language of the Middle 0ast so that correspondence between princes of *yria, hoenicia, and alestine with their 0gyptian overlords were carried out in .abylonia.

+ o,,e-%* This statement is corroborated by the research of -r. Aeli$ovs$y. #ne might thin$ of .abylonian as the )0nglish of the 'ncient World.); Therefore, in order to learn the writing and language of the .abylonians, it is necessary for these peoples to study their literature and for this purpose texts were re(uired. 'mong the tablets discovered at Tel-'marna in 0gypt were copies, in the form of school exercises, of the .abylonian stories of 0resh$igal, the %ueen of the <nderworld, and the story of 'dapa, the mortal who was misled into refusing the food and water of immortality. *o it is not unreasonable to assume that many of the *umerians and .abylonian traditions, such as the stories of /reation and the -eluge, were $nown also to the 3ebrews, or at least to their leaders. When he left <r in the valley of Mesopotamia, 'braham presumably brought these *umerian traditions with him. 3e father Terah was a high priest in the government of <r and would certainly have had an intimate $nowledge of *umerian culture. &t is therefore manifest that *umerian tales of the gods of heaven and earth, the creation of Man, and the -eluge were the fountainhead from which nations of the ancient world drew their $nowledge and beliefs. T30 )&2A&*&.,0) .&.,0 &t is now generally accepted that the #ld Testament is a condensed version of events that happened in Man"s early history. &t is also evident that the .ible is the result of a long process of selection, and for that reason excludes a large amount of sacred texts and other ancient writings. Many /hristian texts or )'pocrypha) and 8ewish texts called ) seudepigrapha) were left out largely due to the fierce political and religious rivalry in early days between sects, between 8ews, /hristians, and 4nostics. &n fact, the seudepigrapha was completely lost from the transmitted heritage, documents that stem from D@@ ./ to '- D@@. The term seudepigrapha has evolved from the 4ree$ meaning )writings with false superscriptions,) but the term is used today by scholars, not because it denotes something spurious, but rather because the term has been inherited and is now universally used. What was retained in boo$s of the #ld Testament after centuries of emendation by the priesthood was a highly introspective version of the vast amount of

literature available. Manuscripts such as the three boo$s of 0noch, the Book of Jubilees and others tell a different story of the /reation, of 'dam and 0ve, and the activities of the antediluvian atriarchs. These )lost) boo$s of the .ible explain many of the puzzles and inconsistencies of the #ld Testament. The 4nostic literature was completely left out of the *criptures. .eing serious rivals to the early /hristians, the 4nostics were harassed and utterly defeated and their literature was consigned to oblivion. &n the early /hristian church the most systematic and organized 4nostic cult was Manichaeism, which spread from Mesopotamia through 'sia Minor to 2orth 'frica and the 0uropean territories of the 5oman 0mpire. &n the first four centuries, 4nosticism was so popular that it posed a serious challenge to the early /hristian church. &n the *econd /entury, Aalentinus, a ma!or 4nostic Thin$er, sought selection as ope in 5ome and almost succeeded. This mar$ed the high point of 4nosticism. 3ad he not been defeated, one wonder what that ma!or influence *t. 'ugustine, born a Manichaean, would have later done and probably changed the course of history of the /atholic /hurch. 's a result, 4nostic texts disappeared or were left uncopied, which achieved the same end. <ntil recently all that was available of 4nostic literature were the refutations to the 4nostics by the early /hristian fathers. Then in =>E?, extensive 4nostic treatises were found in earthenware !ars in 0gypt at a small town called 2ag 3ammadi. The find was as significant to .iblical research as that of the -ead *ea scrolls to alestine. &t is in the 4nostic tracts that the existence of the serpent-gods is clearly indicated. &t is 0ve who gave life to 'dam, and the serpent in the garden is a noble and virtuous creature. &t is easy to see why the Manichaeans were persecuted so avidly. 0ven so, as a religion it persisted in 0urope as late as the Thirteenth /entury. The 'lbigensians in southern 1rance were the last stronghold of the ManichaeansL however, they were exterminated by ope &nnocent &&& who organized a military crusade against them. &t was then that the &n(uisition came into being with the main mission to crush the remnants of the 4nostic heresies. Thus, as more and more ancient sources are found, it is abundantly clear that an enormous amount of information from ancient sources has been omitted from the #ld Testament. 'nalysis of these sources provides us with insight into the

stories of the .oo$ of 4enesis, and in particular the period before the -eluge which is covered by only six short chapters of the boo$. These ancient documents describe, although camouflaged in religious and symbolic terms, the organization and operation of the *umerian gods and their activities here on 0arth. T30 ,<5', 4#-* #1 T30 #,- T0*T'M02T &t is generally agreed that two traditions ma$e up the boo$s of the #ld Testament, the older or 0lohist tradition which refers to the deity in generic terms, and the riestly tradition where the deity is called 7ahweh, often called 8ehovah, somewhat erroneously, due to a mistranslation from the 4ree$ *eptuagint. The two main streams are intertwined throughout the #ld Testament and sometimes exist side-by-side as, for example, in 4enesis where there are two versions of the /reation. The deity is called )0l) Hplural )0lohim)I some of the time and )7ahweh) the rest of the time. .iblical scholars agree that the usage of 7ahweh appears to be an anachronism and may have been inserted at later times. 3ebrew )0lohim) is grammatically a plural form and is often translated as )4od) at times but also )4ods) or )divine beings) at other times, mainly because the text is often ambiguous. 4enerally, the name for the deity is )0l) which appears to be the generic term for the deity in western *emitic as well as .iblical 3ebrew. &t apparently was borrowed from the pantheon of indigenous people of the land of /anaan. Who then was this 0l who was the supreme deity of the /anaanites? + o,,e-%* This )0l) later became the &slamic )'llah.); 's the ruling god of the Western *emitic pantheon, the leading *umerian deity 0nlil was transcribed syllabically as )ilulu,) then became )ili) in '$$adian or *emitic, and later )el) in 3ebrew. 0l thus became the name for 0nlil, the supreme being in alestine and carried over into the #ld Testament. + o,,e-%* Why *itchin couldn"t see this simple fact is beyond belief. &"m not anti-8ewish, but & will say that there are a lot of 8ewish people in the publishing industry in 2ew 7or$ /ityL and probably *itchin was forced into the position he ta$es in the final chapter of i&ine Encounters !ust to sell more boo$s to his own people.;

While the rest of the world believed in many gods, the compilers and editors of the #ld Testament tried to proclaim a faith in a sole god. &n spite of these monotheistic attempts, however, there remain many instances where the .iblical narrative falls into the plural form of 0l or 0lohim. &n 4enesis, or example, when the notion to create 'dam is brought up, the words used are all plural: )'nd 0lohim HpluralI said: ",et us create man in our image and after our li$eness.") + o,,e-%* #ne thing everybody seems to forget when tal$ing about the monotheistic traditions of the 8ews, /hristians and Moslems is that that whole philosophy originated with the 3ebrews as a rebellion against the polytheistic tradition of the 4ree$s. The ancient 3ebrews did everything they could to distance themselves from the 4ree$ traditions. This was as much a sociopolitical or cultural matter as it was a religious one. 'lso, in the boo$ The Stellar )an by 8ohn .aines it is stated that the 3ebraic monotheistic tradition only arose at the time of Moses when the idea of a single 4od had to be invented by the 3ebrew priests to cover the blunder that Moses made when bargaining with the 'rchons of -estiny.; ,ater, in the garden of 0den, when the serpent is tempting 0ve, he says: )7ou are not going to die. 2o, the gods H0lohimI will $now that the moment you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be the same as the gods H0lohimI in telling good from bad.) 'gain later, after the 1all, the deity complains, )2ow that man has become li$e us HpluralI discerning good from bad.) &n other cases, the deity often addressed remar$s aside as if to other members of the celestial staff. 0ven after the -eluge, when man was trying to erect a tower in .abel, the deity remar$ed to an associate, ),et us, then, go down and confound their speech.) Therefore, notwithstanding attempts by early editors to proclaim a policy of monotheism, evidence of a pantheon has not been completely erased from the text of the #ld Testament. T30 5#.,0M #1 T30 <*'40 #1 7'3W03 'ccording to the Book of Exodus the appellation 7ahweh did not come into use until the time of Moses, for Moses is told by the deity that )& am 7ahweh, & appeared to 'braham, &saac, and 8acob as 0l *haddai, but & did not ma$e myself $nown to them by my name 7ahweh.) *cholars agree that the name 7ahweh was a later addition by priestly scribes. The tetragram 73W3 or 7ahweh became the distinctive personal name for the god of &srael and is used most fre(uently throughout the #ld Testament to represent the deity.

+ o,,e-%* #nce again you are referred to The Stellar )an by 8ohn .aines for additional details.; The origin of 7ahweh is un$nownL and while many explanations for its meaning have been proposed, the most logical seems to be that the divine name is a form of the verb )to be) or 3W3, thus meaning )the one who is.) This is manifest in 0xodus C where Moses (ueries the ,ord on his real name so that he can inform the tribes of &srael who wish to $now what to call their god: )4od said to Moses, "& am who & am," and he said, "*ay this to the people of &srael: )& am) has been sent to you.") This verse has given scholars all $inds of problems, and it is footnoted in most translations of the .ible with the caveat that it can also mean )& am what & am) or )& will be what & will be.) &ts ambiguity is probably due to the fact that it is a liturgical epithet. &t means exactly what it says: )& am the one who is or who exists.) &n ancient times, divine names were held to have intrinsic power in themselves and certain appellations could only be used by the priesthood. &n the *umerian and .abylonian pantheon only descriptive names are used. The true names of the gods are not $nown. 7ahweh or )the one who is) is probably an attempt by 3ebrew priests to substitute an innocuous name for that of the deity, thereby defusing any possible harmful conse(uences. This is also found in the 5abbinical tradition where the name 7ahweh holds certain powers, and in ancient times only a few priests were allowed to pronounce the name. + o,,e-%* 'ccording to the secret 3ermetic traditions that were recently released to the general public via the wor$s of 8ohn .aines, to utter the name of 7ahweh aloud would be to invo$e the name of the 'rchon who played the dirty tric$ on Moses. <ttering this name aloud only further empowers this 'rchon.; 0, *3'--'&, T30 10'51<, '2- T055&.,0 4#'s we have seen, in addressing Moses, the deity informed him that he had appeared to his ancestors as 0l *haddai. This 0l *haddai name appears in 4enesis no less than six times and is considered to be the descriptive title for the god of the 3ebrews.

The 3ebrew root )shadad) from which it is believed to be derived means )to overpower,) )to treat with violence,) or )to lay waste.) These meanings give the deity a fearful character, that of devastator or destroyer. &t is partly for this reason that the god of the 3ebrews is $nown as an uncompromising and vindictive god. *haddai may also be connected linguistically to the 'ssyrian word )shadu) or mountain. &n actuality, both of these meanings can be applied to the 3ebrew 4od 0l *haddai, for he is none other than the 4od of ,ightning and Thunder of the 3ittites, a northwesterm version of the *umerian god &sh$ur and the *emitic 'dad. 3e was the 'natolian mountain god and is often depicted with thunderbolts in hand. + o,,e-%* 3e is thus the Beus of the 4ree$s.; 'fter the -eluge, when the 'nunna$i redescended to rebuild the cities of Mesopotamia, the lands $nown as )the fertile crescent) were divided among the children of 0nlil. 2annarJ*in was given authority over all of Mesopotamia and the Western ,ands, except for 'natolia which was assigned to &sh$urJ'dad and ,ebanon which was allotted to <tuJ*hamash. The goddess &nannaJ&shtar moved her base of operations to ,ebanon and ruled there with *hamash. The pantheon of the ,evant consisted of three ma!or deities after the -eluge: 'dad, *hamash, and &shtar. 1rom 'natolia, the land of the 3ittites, 'dad extended his influence as far south as 8erusalem. This is illustrated in 0ze$iel =F where the origins of 8erusalem are found in the statement )your father was an 'morite, and your mother a 3ittite.) T30 ,0**05 4#-*: T30 201&,&M '2- T30 '240,* + o,,e-%* & ta$e issue with this statement. & feel that the 2efilim were the 3igher 4ods and the 'nunna$i, the ,esser 4ods.; 2ot only does the #ld Testament suggest that there were many deities but these lesser gods seem to have descended to 0arth to interfere in the affairs of Man. This is explicit in 4enesis F which states: )2ow when man began to increase on 0arth and daughters were born to them, the divine beings H0lohimI saw how beautiful were the human daughters and too$ as their wives any of them they li$es. . . . &t was then that the 2efilim appeared on 0arth, as well as later, after the divine beings had united with human daughters to whom they bore children.)

+ o,,e-%* &n the 0thiopic renditions of the *criptures, if my memory serves me correctly, these )2efilim) are thought of as )*$y eople.); The .iblical term for these lesser deities seems to have been 2efilim. &s the descent of the 2efilim reflected in the literature of Mesopotamia? /ould they be the 'nunna$i who also descended to 0arth in the antediluvian period? We shall see that these were different names for the same group of people. The term )2efilim) has given theologians and translators problems over the centuries, so much so that today it is the policy to leave the term intact in modern translations. )2efilim) is derived from the 3ebrew 21,, literally )the fallen ones) or better still )those who dropped down.) &t has been interpreted to mean )fallen angels) in the sense of those who were cast down, or the evil angels, although the text does not !ustify this conclusion. The 2oted 8ewish .iblical commentator of the =>th /entury, Malbim, claimed that in ancient times the rulers of countries in the Middle 0ast were the sons of deities who arrived on 0arth from the heavens. 3e maintains that they were the sons of pagan deities and called themselves 2efilim. 4enesis asserts that they came down to 0arth in two groups: )&t was then that the 2efilim appeared on 0arth, as well as later.) The descent of the two separate groups of 2efilim or )angels) down to Mount 3armon in northern alestine is reported in the Book of Jubilees. ' group descended in the days of 8ared in the =@th 8ubileeL later in the D?th 8ubilee, during the days of 2oah, another group came down to 0arth. *ince a 8ubilee years is ?@ regular years, this source claims that they descended to 0arth about N?@ years apart. &n the Enu'a Elish, the .abylonian account of the /reation, there is a group of 'nunna$i who also descended to populate the 0arth. These divine beings also intermarried with the daughters of Man. The so-called angels of the #ld Testament have become a general term to describe lesser deities who have been (uite active in the affairs of Man. &n .iblical 3ebrew the word often used is )mala$h)L however, other terms such as )bene elohim) or sons of god are often translated as angels. &t has been used as a cover term for any of the lesser deities coming in contact with Man$ind. These messengers got around very easily by some sort of flying deviceL hence, the representation of angels with wings, a symbol of their ability to fly. This was the only way the ancients $new how to convey this fact. The incident of

the destruction of *odom and 4omorrah illustrates the ability of these angels to fly about at will. 's events unfold in 4enesis =G and =>, several angels were briefing 'braham on the coming destruction of the cities. The traditional translation states that when they decide to visit *odom, they )set out from there and faced *odom.) The distinguished .iblical scholar 0. '. *peiser in his wor$ Genesis suggests that this translation is erroneous and that it could be more accurately rendered as )they loo$ed down upon the face of *odom.) This reading, of course, gives a completely different meaning to the incident. + o,,e-%* 7ou can tell that .oulay wor$ed for the <.*. 4overnment when he ma$es such casual statements as the )angels were briefing 'braham.); ,ater, after the angels ta$e ,ot and his family to safety outside the city, the traditional text states )led him safely outside the city.) 'gain, *peiser suggests an alternate translation of )brought them out and deposited them outside the city.) Thus, the revised text ma$es it (uite clear that the angels first reconnoitered the cities by airL then seeing the necessity to rescue the relatives of 'braham, removed them by some sort of aircraft and deposited them outside at a safe place. T30 -02&B02* #1 0-02: T30 ,0440- *2'+0* #5 50 T&,0* 'ccording to 4enesis and other documents, and long before humans ever existed, the serpent Hwe shall call him that for want of a better word, for he is obviously a lizardI lived in the garden of 0den and did all the necessary wor$ to maintain it. This .iblical serpent was not !ust a lowly sna$e. 3e could converse with 0ve, he $new the truth about the Tree of +nowledge, and he was of such stature that he unhesitatingly challenged the deity. 'dditional information of this creature is available from other sources. 'ncient 8ewish legends describe the serpent of 0den as manli$e - he loo$ed li$e a man and tal$ed li$e a man. This is further elaborated on in the 3aggadah, that vast reservoir of stories and legends which form the oral tradition of the 8ews.

The section that deals with the /reation describes the serpent who inhabited the garden before the creation of 'dam as an upright creature that stood on two feet and who was e(ual in height to the camel. 3e is given many excellent (ualities and mental abilities which are superior to that of Man. &n fact, the 3aggadah states that it was his superior mental ability that led to the ruin of Man as well as his own. The tas$ of the serpent, according to this source, included supplying the deity with gold, silver, gems, and pearls, an obviously mundane commercial tas$ for a group of supposedly spiritual beings. &t is noteworthy that again we have that preoccupation with gems, as in 4enesis which describes the products of 0den: )The gold of that land is choiceL there is bdellium and lapis lazuli.) receding Man and then later cohabiting the garden of 0den with him, the serpent was manli$e in many ways. 3e was tall and stood upright on two legs. 3e did all the wor$ of the gods, particularly the mining and agricultural wor$. 'nd above all, the serpent had an intellect superior to Man. These are all the attributes of the 'nunna$i. The term )serpent,) as applied to this creature, raises many problems. &t could best be described as a large lizard or reptile in modern-day terms. The ancients may have given a different meaning to the word serpent which today we define as a legless reptile. &n this respect, the problems are due to giving modern meaning to the translation of the ancient word. 1or example, ancient or classical 4ree$ had no word for serpent, per se. The word )dra$on) was applied to serpents as well as other fabulous sna$e-li$e creatures. &n fact, compound words based on sna$e or serpent were variations of )dra$on)L for example, the word for sna$y or twisting li$e a road was )dra$onforos.) )-ra$on$tonia) meant the slaying of a sna$e or serpent. &n the *eptuagint, the pre-/hristian 4ree$ version of the 3ebrew *criptures, the word )dra$on) is used to denote sna$es, large reptiles, and other large terrible or ferocious creatures. &n this way, the confusion of dragon and serpent led to mythological creatures who were winged, legged, and fire-breathing. The serpents of the ancient world were later represented as large lizard-li$e animals with wings to denote their ability to fly about - a metaphor for some sort of aircraft. Their ability to defend themselves by flame-throwing devices or perhaps their dangerous roc$et exhaust was transformed into the mythological appearance of a fire-breathing dragon.

&t is against this bac$ground that Man is inter!ected into the antediluvian civilization of the serpent-gods. The *umerian cuneiform tablets are more specific in this matter. The 'nunna$i or children of the serpent-gods tire of their burden of performing all the distasteful tas$s of mining and agriculture and appeal to the chief god to alleviate their suffering. &t is here that Man enters upon the scene.

#a$%er 1 THE REATION OF )AN AND THE 2FALL2 "

)& shall establish a savage. Man will be his name. Aerily, savage-man & shall create. 3e will be charged with the service of the 4ods, that they might be at ease.) *umerian /reation 0pic #ne of the oldest fragments of *umerian mythology describes conditions on 0arth as the alien astronauts or 'nunna$i arrived and before they had descended to build the cities of Mesopotamia. &t tells of a time when the face of the sun and the moon could not be seen, when the 0arth"s surface was watered profusely and the clouds descended down to the 0arth"s surface. &t was then, as the tablet states, that )the reptiles verily descend.) + o,,e-%* &f, as *itchin postulates, the lanet 0arthJTiamat was located farther out from the *un at the time of 2ibiru"s arrival in this system, in what is referred to today as )the asteroid belt,) and if only later following the collision of 2ibiru"s moonlet with what is today $nown as the acific #cean, then this could well be a description of climatological conditions on that )original 0arth.); &n the epics of Mesopotamia, Man"s creation was secondary and even incidental to the creation of the universe and to the colonization of this planet by the alien visitors. 'fter the astronauts had landed, the recovery of the swamps and the building of the cities commenced under the leadership of 0n$i. 'll the cities built had a specific purpose, seemingly to support the mining operations which culminated in the metal-processing center at .adtibira. The building of the cities, the constant repairing and rebuilding of the canals and di$es, the mining operations, all re(uired considerable effort on the part of the sons of 'n. &t is with this bac$ground that Man arrives upon the scene. Man"s creation was conceived and executed not as an end in itself or as a natural development of the civilization of Mesopotamia. 5ather, man was created as an expedient to satisfy a group of discontented aliens. Man"s purpose was to serve the godsL he

was made to ease the burden of the gods and to assume the laborious and distasteful tas$s being performed by the increasingly unhappy and rebellious 'nunna$i. Man was meant to be the breadwinner, the laborer, and the careta$er of the gods. The *criptures spea$ of the wor$ done in the garden of 0den before Man was created. &t was the serpent who performed all the wor$ that later Man had to do. .esides the farming, the serpent-gods also mined the minerals as they )supplied 0lohim with silver, gold, gems, and pearls,) thereby revealing one of the main activities of the serpent-gods before the advent of Man. 0'5,7 'TT0M T* T# /50'T0 ' 5&M&T&A0 M'2 The difficulties of their children below did not go unheeded by the gods in the orbiting space ship. 0arlier vegetation was so luxuriant that they did not have to produce much of their food, and they literally lived off the land. With the change in climate and environment, they now had to grow much of their own food. 't this they were not very proficient. #ne of the *umerian myths, The ispute Bet!een Cattle and Grain, describes the early attempts to ease the suffering of the 'nunna$i. 's the poem relates, the sons of 'n did not $now how to grow grain, to ba$e bread, nor to ma$e garments. They ate plants from the field li$e the animals and dran$ water from the ditch. 9/omment: &f this is true, can you believe it? :-I; 's long as vegetation was abundant, they had no problem feeding themselvesL but as the land began to dry out and numbers increased, they had to loo$ to other means of gaining sustenance. &t was necessary for them to grow their own food. This myth describes attempts in the )/reation /hamber) of the space ship to devise means to provide them with grain and meat. Two goddesses are created to teach them methods of growing their own food and of raising animals ,ahar, the /attle 4oddess, and 'shnan, the 4rain 4oddess. These goddesses tried to teach the 'nunna$i the arts of agriculture and animal husbandry, but with no success. Then realizing that this experiment was a total failure, the gods in council decided to ta$e a drastic step - to create a primitive wor$er. Thus, for the sa$e of the welfare of the 'nunna$i, )Man was given breath.) This myth seems to relate to a later period of the 'nunna$i, about =@@,@@@ years ago when the lands no longer supported the huge vegetarian reptiles and the desiccation of the land had brought the evolution of the meat-eating

dinosaurs and large mammals. The myth indicates that the 'nunna$i were now meat-eaters by re(uiring the introduction of animal husbandry. Thus, the gods assembled in the heavens decided that the best way to alleviate the suffering of their children on 0arth was to produce a new creature. The chief god 'n decreed that a savage be created, and )Man shall be his name.) &t would be charged with the service of the gods so that they might have their rest. *ince the previous experiments in the space ship did not turn out successfully, it was decided to commission 0n$i, wor$ing with the /hief 2urse 2in$hursag, to produce a primitive being. This new creation, called a )lulu) by the 'nunna$i, was to be the first primitive man. 0n$i and 2in$hursag conducted a number of experiments in the 'bzu, 0n$i"s floating laboratory near 0ridu, all aimed at the creation of a primitive wor$er. &n one of these myths the creation of imperfect types is described. 2in$hursag fashioned sex different varieties of individuals from )clay,) but these all turned out to be abnormal and were utter failures. The best of these was described as being wea$ and feeble in body and spirit. *he gave the creature bread to eat, but he refused it. &t could neither sit, nor stand, nor bend its $nees. They eventually gave up and decided that this creature was a complete failure. 1inally, after much trial and error, 0n$i and 2in$hursag found a wor$ing formula. *<//0**1<, /50'T&#2 #1 T30 ' 0M'2-50 T&,0 37.5&'t first there was much trial and error. 1inally a successful method was found. <sing a group of primitive female animals, presumably the apewomen, the eggs were fertilized by young astronauts, then extracted and reimplanted into the wombs of fourteen birth goddesses. This procedure is described in the "trahasis Epic, which deals with the creation of Man. The story discloses that )fourteen wombs were gathered together,) impregnated with the )essence) of the gods, and as a result, seven males and seven females were created. While the process was successful in producing a viable primitive being, it had one ma!or drawbac$ as shown by subse(uent events - the creatures produced were clones and could not reproduce themselves. The fact that both sexes were produced, seven males and seven females, suggests that the intent had been to ma$e them capable of reproduction. 1or some un$nown biological reason the process failed in this.

&n this manner, primitive man or 'dam was created, a combination mammalreptile hybrid. The procedure used by the *umerians is reflected in 4enesis where it states that the image of 4od was imposed on the )clay,) the basic genetic material !ust as in the *umerian tablets. 4od"s essence is mixed with the malleable clay of the earth - the apeman. &n the cuneiform accounts, the clay is mixed with the essence of the gods and upon this creation they )bind upon it the image of the gods.) &n both cases, it should be observed that Man is created in the image of his god. The (uestion arises, therefore, where did this genetic material come from that produced the mammal characteristics for a hybrid? 2eanderthal Man had been on the scene for hundreds of thousands of years as the result of a slow process of evolution. &t was presumably this apeman that was used in the experiments of the 'nunna$i. This apeman is described vividly in the Gil%a'esh Epic as the wild man who is )converted) into a civilized being to then become the companion of 4ilgamesh in his many adventures. /alled 0n$idu, he is a wild creature that feeds on grass and lives among the animals. &n the epic, an unhappy hunter complains to 4ilgamesh who is then $ing of the city of <ru$. 4ilgamesh is told that this creature wears no clothes, and he is covered with hair. 3e is intelligent enough to fill in the pits which the hunter had dug to catch wild animals. This wild man also frees the game from the traps. 3e lives with the animals, runs with the gazelles, and shares their drin$ing places. This wild creature is presumably the 2eanderthal that is mated with the reptilian 'nunna$i. 1rom this combination it was hoped to produce a hybrid that was more adapted to the changing environment. The desiccation of the 0arth and the changes it was bringing to the flora and fauna made it necessary to produce a primitive wor$er. The 'dam of the .ible was not the 3omo sapiens of today. 3e was what one might call )3omo saurus,) a hybrid mammal-saurian creature that was to become our ancestor and the first step in the creation of modern man. &n !ust a few years, Man had ta$en a (uantum !ump in evolution. 3e had suddenly evolved from the wild apeman to a hybrid that would become a new species $nown as /ro-Magnon Man. The hybrid that was created probably loo$ed reptilian since he was created in the image of his gods. 4enesis is very specific about this, for it states, )then 4od said "& will ma$e man in my image, after my li$eness.") 'dam was thus

created in both the image or )selem) and li$eness or )dmut) of his creator. The use of both terms in the .iblical text was meant to leave no doubt that Man was similar in appearance to the gods. &t is this li$eness, or lac$ of it as we shall see, that is at the root of many of the admonitions of the .ible and the *umerian literature. ,ater, as Man intermarried with his species, the reptile strain deteriorated, and he became more mammal-li$e and less and less reptilian in appearance. The mammal genes dominated the reptilian genes, and Man became more )human) and less god-li$e. &t explains man"s )sinful) nature and his )fall) from grace. #riginal sin was man"s deviation from the basic original reptilian or godly pattern. &t also explains why man was forbidden to ma$e any li$eness of his gods. Through biological manipulation, the 'nunna$i or 2efilim too$ an existing apeman and gave it part of their divinity, their saurian blood. *ome of the *criptures confirm the fact that biological experiments were conducted on 0arth and that some of these got out of hand. These experiments seem to have been done routinely by the 2efilim, who not only possessed advanced technical means in transportation and communications, but in the biological sciences as well. + o,,e-%* 8ohn .aines, in the recently revealed secret 3ermetic $nowledge of The Stellar )an, states that these 2efilim petitioned the )higher gods) to be granted the status of )creator gods) themselves. There was much argument among the higher creator gods about whether to allow the 2efilim to have this ability. 0ventually after much dissent and argument, they were given these powersL but they remain on the lowest ran$ of all the )creator gods) of the <niverse. We /ro-Magnons are their first product. They are charged by <niversal ,aw to )ta$e care of us.); &n the First Book of Enoch, the crimes of the 2efilim on 0arth before the -eluge are disclosed in detail. -ated to the *econd /entury ./, this boo$ had lost its importance in the Western /hurch by the 1ourth /entury '-, and only in the 0thiopic /hurch is it still considered canonical. #riginally in 3ebrew and 'ramaic, it was translated into 4ree$ and and then into 0thiopic where it was preserved and not found again by 0uropeans until the =Gth /entury. &t is the oldest of the three pseudepigraphic boo$s attributed to 0noch and parts of it have been found in the -ead *ea *crolls.

'ccording to the First Book of Enoch, the 2efilim were given the mission of bringing the beneficial arts and crafts to Man$ind. .ut what started out as a laudatory endeavor soon turned sour. The 2efilim began to teach man the martial arts, the )ma$ing of swords, $nives, shields, and breastplates.) They also taught man the forbidden sciences of )incantation, alchemy, and astrology.) .ut the worst of the crimes they were accused of was that of toying with genetics, that of )changing man into a horse of mule, or vice versa, or transferring an embryo from one womb to another.) This practice of re-implanting an embryo into another womb is (uite similar to the activities described in the *umerian creation epic. &t appears that the 2efilim or 'nunna$i were well ac(uainted with genetic manipulation and selective breeding. 3#M#-*'<5<*, T30 5&M&T&A0 M'2 #1 0-02 4enesis ma$es the point repeatedly that before the 1all, man was na$ed while he occupied the garden of 0den. &t was not until he ate of the forbidden fruit that he realized that he was na$ed and put on clothing. #ther ancient religious sources substantiate this condition of Man, but they also reveal the reason why he was na$ed. 'ccording to the 3aggadah, the bodies of 'dam and 0ve )had been overlaid with a horny s$in,) and moreover, of 'dam it was said that )it was as bright as daylight and covered his body li$e a luminous garment.) 'dam thus had the outward appearance of a reptile, with its scaly and shiny s$in. &t was for this reason that 'dam and 0ve did not wear nor did they need clothing for protection or for comfort. The Book of Genesis also ma$es it clear that 'dam did not sweat in the garden of 0den before the 1all. That was his punishment for eating the forbidden fruit, for he was told )by the sweat of your face shall you earn your bread.) 'dam did not sweat before the 1all for the simple reason that sweating is characteristic of mammals and not reptiles. 's long as they remained in the garden of 0den, 'dam and 0ve did not propagate. The *umerian tablets explain why - because they were )mules) and could not reproduce their own $ind. The incident which the .ible refers to as the )1all of Man) was his ac(uiring the ability to procreate by ta$ing on many of the traits of mammals. &t is explicit in 0ve"s punishment that she is to bear the pangs of live birth li$e a mammal. The final genetic change was done by 0n$i. &t was unauthorized and caused much dissension among the gods and remained an issue festering between 0nlil

and 0n$i. 0n$i is remembered as the /reator, the defender, and the benefactor of Man$ind. 0nlil despised Man$ind as an abomination and a deterioration of the saurian strain. 3e is remembered as a cruel and vindictive god and the one who brought on the -eluge. rimitive man or 3omo saurus was placed in the garden of 0den to grow foodL for as 4enesis says, )The ,ord planted a garden in 0den, in the 0ast, and placed there the man whom he had formed.) *ince Man was created in 0n$i"s 'bzu at his head(uarters city of 0ridu, and it being in the westernmost part of the Mesopotamian plain between the two rivers, it would appear that the fertile area east of 0ridu would be the garden of 0den. /oincidentally, the *umerians called this area 0--&2 or )the home of the righteous ones.) 'ccording to 8ubilees, 'dam and 0ve were placed in the garden of 0den to till and reap it. )3e protected the garden from birds, beasts, and cattle, and gathered fruit and food.) The duties of 'dam are described in similar terms in one of the .abylonian versions of the creation of Man: it was his duty to maintain the canals and water courses and to raise plants in abundance in order to fill the granaries of the 'nunna$i. <ntil the event $nown cryptically as the 1all of Man, primitive man cohabitated the garden of 0den with the serpent-gods, and together they did all the necessary wor$. This wor$ force, apparently, was not sufficient to do the essential wor$ and a modification was needed to ma$e the 3omo saurus more efficient. &n order to provide for a larger wor$ force, it was decided to provide the 'dam or )lulu) with a reproductive capacity. T30 1',, #1 M'2 #5 T30 /50'T&#2 #1 3#M# *' &02* The event which .iblical scholars refer to as the 1all of Man begins with 'dam and 0ve who have been placed in the garden of 0den by the deity to till and to tend it. 'mong the many delightful things to eat were the fruit from the two trees in the middle of the garden: )the tree of life and the tree of $nowledge of good and bad.) 'dam and 0ve are told, )7ou are free to eat of any tree of the garden, except only the tree of $nowledge of good and bad, of which you are not to eat. 1or the moment you eat it, you shall be doomed to death.) Then the *criptures add laconically )the two of them were na$ed, the man and his wife, yet they felt no shame.) ,ater, when they ate of the forbidden fruit, the

immediate and only result was that )then the eyes of both were opened and they discovered that they were na$ed.) #ne wonders why all this emphasis is placed on na$edness. &t is as if the expulsion of 'dam and 0ve from the garden was a dramatic way to explain how man$ind came to wear clothes. &t is obvious that the wearing of clothes was merely a manifestation of something else, the ac(uisition of )$nowing) or $nowledge. The 3ebrew stem )7-) that is used throughout 4enesis means not only )to $now) but more specifically )to experience.) 's applied to connubial relations, the stem )7-) means to $now sexually, that is, to have sexual relations. &n fact, it is applied not only to normal marital relations but also to clandestine conduct, even to homosexuality, and to sex among animals. Thus, by achieving )$nowledge,) man ac(uired some sort of sexual fortitude or prowess. The $nowledge that was withheld from man was of a more profound and serious nature than !ust being aware of his nudity. &t was something good for man, but something which the creators did not want him to have. 's long as 'dam and 0ve lac$ed it, they lived in the garden of 0den without offspring. 3aving obtained it, 0ve was condemned to suffer the pangs of childbirth. The tale of 'dam and 0ve is the story of a crucial step in Man"s evolution: the ac(uiring of the ability to procreate li$e a mammal. &n achieving this, however, Man had to forfeit some of his saurian heritage, his co-called divinity. M'2 ,#*0* 3&* *'<5&'2 ' 0'5'2/0 '2- 3&* -&A&2&T7

4enesis s$etchily describes the physiological changes that resulted from the punishment of 'dam and 0ve. 's their chastisement, 0ve will have to suffer the pain of child-bearing while 'dam will have to earn his bread by the sweat of his brow. ,ogically, it would appear that heretofore 0ve did not produce live young, nor did 'dam sweat. + o,,e-%* &n connection with this entire discussion by .oulay, you are referred for more detail to the following: http:JJwww.apollonius.netJphysiology.html; #ther religious sources reveal some of the changes that were brought about by this momentous event. &n the section on the /reation of the World, the 3aggadah explains what happened in the garden after the pair partoo$ of the forbidden fruit:

)The first result was that 'dam and 0ve became na$ed. .efore, their bodies had been overlaid with a horny s$in and enveloped with the cloud of glory. 2o sooner had they violated the command given them than the cloud of glory and the horny s$in dropped from them, and they stood there in their na$edness and ashamed.) &t is clear here that their na$edness had to do with losing their )horny s$in) and their )cloud of glory.) *imilar descriptions are found in the old 5abbinical legends. -escribing Man before the 1all, it was said that )his s$in was as bright as daylight and covered his body li$e a luminous garment.) ,ater, when 0ve ate of the apple, the immediate result according to these sources, was that )at that moment all the adornments 4od had given 'dam"s bride fell away from her, and she saw that she was na$ed.) This luminous and bright s$in was their )cloud of glory.) #ther legends state that the change brought about by the 1all was that )the brightness of his s$in, which had covered him li$e a garment, disappeared.) The na$edness that is emphasized so much in the ancient documents is related in some way to some sort of protective outer s$in that was luminous and shining, the so-called cloud of glory. Man"s na$edness was in losing this protective horny hide or s$in or, in other words, his reptilian or divine appearance. 3enceforth, Man would have to wear clothing to protect his vulnerable mammal s$in. Man would now begin to sweat as a mammal, a physiological function not intrinsic to reptiles. M'2 /50'T0- &2 T30 &M'40 #1 T30 50 T&,0 4#-* The Book of Genesis ma$es it abundantly clear that Man was originally created in the image of his god: )'nd 4od created man in his image: in the divine image created he him, Man and 1emale created he them.) *ince 'dam of 4enesis and the )lulu) of the *umerians were created in the image of the serpent-god, shouldn"t traces of this fact be found in some of the ancient *criptures? &ndeed, it is reported in the 4nostic version of the /reation of Man. #ne tract describes 0ve"s reaction in the garden of 0den:

)*he loo$ed at the tree. 'nd she saw that it was beautiful and magnificent, and she desired it. *he too$ some of its fruit and ate, and she gave to her husband also, and he ate, too. Then their minds opened. 1or when they ate, the light of $nowledge shone upon them. when they put on shame, they $new that they were na$ed with regard to $nowledge. When they sobered up, they saw that they were na$edL and they became enamored of one another. When the# sa! their 'akers* the# loathed the' since the# !ere beastl# for's+ The# understood &er# 'uch.) Hemphasis addedI Thus, a fitting description of 'dam and 0ven and their creators would be as follows: They had a scaly or horny hideL this hide was shiny and luminous as is seen in some reptilesL they did not sweat which is the province of mammalsL they did not wear clothes since they were unnecessaryL they had a pale green s$in or hide. The evidence for the color of their s$in is found in the 3aggadah which describes how 'dam was created from dust ta$en from the four corners of the world. )The dust was of various colors - red, blac$, white, and green. 5ed was for the blood, blac$ for the bowels, white for the bones, and green for the pale s$in.) 3ad 'dam been a 3omo sapiens, the color of dust used for the s$in presumably would have been pin$ or brown. 3omo saurus or reptile-man was probably much larger and taller than modern man. Many of the ancient sources refer to him as having the stature of a giant before the incident in 0den. 1or example, 5abbinical records disclose that )'dam, who had been a giant, diminished in stature to the size of an ordinary man.) The antediluvian atriarchs and the *umerian $ings were part saurian, were apparently very large men and stood out physically among the hordes of man$ind. The 5ephaim, the descendants of the 2efilim who lived after the -eluge, were also giantsL and li$e the antediluvians, their span of life seems to have diminished as the saurian blood became more and more diluted with time. M'2 1#510&T* ,#24 ,&10 T# .0/#M0 ' M'MM',

While there were two trees in the garden, only the tree of $nowledge was taboo. 'pparently, Man had access to the tree of life or immortality since it was not forbidden to him. 2ow that he had achieved the ability to procreate, the .iblical deity worried that he could also parta$e of the tree of life and thereby achieve immortality: )What if he should stretch out his hand and ta$e also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever? *o the ,ord 4od banished him from the garden of 0den, to till the soil from which he was ta$en. 3e drove the man out and stationed east of the garden of 0den the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.) 'ccording to the *criptures, there was no turning bac$ for Man. 3e had now ta$en the decisive step and achieved )$nowledge) and could start the mammal race $nown as Man$ind or 3omo sapiens. &n obtaining this, however, he had to give up long life or immortality. The two were mutually exclusive as indicated in the Book of Genesis. Man could have retained his divine form and long life but remain a mule at best, a sort of limited 3omo saurus. *eeing that Man now re(uired clothing for protection against the elements, an apparently sympathetic deity )made shirts of s$ins for the man and his wife, and clothed them.) This generous deity, however, probably had other reasons in mind, for as the 3aggadah reveals, the clothes were made of s$ins sloughed off by the serpents. + o,,e-%* 'ccording to 8ohn .aines in The Stellar )an, any race of /reator 4ods, such as these *aurians, are responsible under 4alactic ,aw to see to the well-being of the creatures that they may choose to design and bring to life. Therefore, it was re(uired procedure for these 2ibiruan *aurians to create a new )outer s$in) $nown subse(uently as )clothing) for the 'damu and 0va and all their subse(uent descendants. These 2ibiruan *aurians had no other choice.; Was this done to remind Man of his serpent origins? &t was an ironic way of impressing on man"s memory that he originated as a saurian and that he existed at the tolerance of the serpent-gods. This theme reoccurs time and time again in the later relations of Man with his saurian gods and was formalized in the ritual of circumcision. 9/omment: which was undoubtedly a socio-political and cultural rebellion against the covered male genitalia of the reptiles, as well as later on against the practices of the 'ncient 4ree$s, whose culture was greatly influenced by the 2ibiruan rince <tu, or *un-4od 'pollo of the 4ree$s.; T30 M7T3 #1 /50'T&#2 '* *002 &2 T30 T',0 #1 '-' '

While no *umerian myth has been found thus far that parallels the 1all of Man as related in the #ld Testament, there is one poem which tells of a story that is probably the source of the 4enesis account. The Tale of "dapa was found in the archives of 0gyptian $ings at 0l-'marna, as well as in the library of the 'ssyrian +ing 'sshurbanipal. #stensibly, it was universally $nown in ancient days. &t main theme, li$e that of the Gil%a'esh Epic, is Man"s s(uandering an opportunity for gaining immortality. 'dapa was a model specimen of the 3omo sapiens created by 0n$i in the 'bzu. ,i$e the 'dam of 4enesis, 'dapa had achieved $nowledge but not immortality. The tale begins with the statement: )With wide understanding, to him he H0n$iI had given wisdom, but eternal life he had not given him.) 0n$i had trained 'dapa to do specialized chores for his household: he procured food for the table, did the ba$ing, and prepared and tended the dinner table at 0n$i"s water palace. 's the story unfolds, one day 'dapa was out in his boat fishing to obtain food for 0n$i"s table, when the )southwind) came up and swamped the boat. 'dapa cursed the wind and, as the story states, )bro$e the wing of the southwind.) This is a curious phrase indeed, and in view of another *umerian poem seems to be the wing of an aircraft. &n the )#th of ,u one of the weapons unleashed against Bu and the one that finally defeated him was the )southwind.) &ts context ma$es it sound li$e an unmanned winged craft of some sort. &n 'dapa"s case he seems to have disabled it accidentally. + o,,e-%* *omething !ust occurred to me as & am typing. -oesn"t this whole boo$ read a little bit li$e a )brief) that a government official would prepare for a government agency? #ne wonders if .oulay was ordered to compile this )government report) for the -efense &ntelligence 'gency, for which he was employed.; Meanwhile, up in his )heavenly abode,) the chief god 'n is worried that the )southwind has not blown over the land for seven days,) and as$ed his vizier to investigate. When he reported bac$ that a mere mortal had disabled the southwind, 'n was furious and angrily summoned 'dapa to his space ship to give an account of himself. 0n$i, who was not only Man"s creator but (uite often his defender and benefactor, briefed 'dapa on how to act in the presence of the great god.

'dapa is told how to reach the heavenly ship of 'n. &n the account, 0n$i )made him ta$e the road to heaven, and to heaven he went up,) obviously ta$ing a shuttle from *ippar, the space city. 3e is warned that he will be offered the bread of death: )thou shall not eat it.) 3e will then be offered the water of death: )thou shall not drin$ it,) warns 0n$i. 'dapa was ushered into the presence of the god 'n who as$ed him pointedly why he had bro$en the southwind. 'dapa explained that he was catching fish for his master"s table. The sea was li$e a mirror until the southwind came up and overturned his boat, thus indicating that his boat was swamped by the blast of wind from the apparently low-flying )southwind. 'n was impressed by 'dapa"s intelligence and moreover by the fact that he had learned )forbidden things,) that is, information that was privileged to the gods and their semi-divine children. 3e further (uestioned 'dapa on why 0n$i had disclosed the )plan of heaven and earth) to a worthless human li$e him. 1urthermore, 'n as$ed why 0n$i had made a )shumu) for him. The chief god wondered what to do with 'dapa now that he $new the road to the gods, since he had travelled from earth to heaven in a )shumu,) a !ourney only allowed to the gods. &n this sense, the *umerian word )shumu) obviously refers to a roc$et ship or shuttle to reach the orbiting ship in the heavens. This term is discussed later. H/hapter ==I To continue the story of 'dapa, it was decided to have him !oin the ran$s of the gods by providing him with the bread and water of life. &n this way, 'dapu would achieve immortality and become li$e one of the gods. 'ctually, it would mean reverting bac$ to his reptilian nature. This may be why he was forewarned by 0n$i who did not want his creation tampered with. When 'dapa refused the food and water of immortality, 'n wanted to $now why. 'dapa told him of the warning of 0n$i which infuriated 'n, and he sent down a messenger to chastise 0n$i. 'n finally relented, however, but it was too late for 'dapaL symbolically, Man had missed the chance of achieving everlasting life. 'dapa returned to 0arth, a trip during which he saw the wonders of space, )as 'dapa from the horizon of heaven to the zenith of heaven cast a glance, saw its awesomeness.) 'dapa was ordained a high priest at 0ridu, and he was promised that henceforth the 4oddess of 3ealing would also tend to the ailments of Man$ind. .ut what

is more more important to the story of 'dapa as a parallel to that of 'dam in 0den is that it was decided by the gods that he, li$e 'dam, would be the ancestor of Man$ind. 'n decreed that as his destiny, 'dapa would be )the seed of Man$ind.) The food and water of life are often portrayed on *umerian cylinder seals and murals. The gods are sometimes shown with a pine cone in one hand and a water buc$et or )situla) in the other hand, representing the food and water of eternal life or immortality. The sad story is that Man could not have the best of two possible worlds, mammal form and long life. &t explains why man"s lifespan shortened progressively as each generation diluted the saurian gene further. The gods were unhappy with the deterioration of the saurian traits and in the years to come would not let Man forget his choice. &t echoes throughout the chapters of the #ld Testament as )the wea$ness of the flesh.) The further Man evolved from his saurian origins, the less he remembered of it. Through a long process of selective amnesia, abetted by a secretive and selfperpetuating priesthood, Man$ind has succeeded in denying all $nowledge of his saurian ancestry. + o,,e-%* &s this a sad and pitiful story, or what? ,oo$ing bac$ on it from the Twentieth /entury, & am almost relieved that it turned out this way - in the long run. These )saurian gods) have, by now, lost complete control over our ultimate evolution as mammalian )men) and )women.) 2ever again would we ac$nowledge them as )gods) or )goddesses.) 2ow, in a way, they mean nothing to us.; T30 4020',#47 #1 M'2 &t is our thesis that our ancestors were reptile forms who came to 0arth from another planet long ago to obtain certain metals. 1inding the climate benign, they founded a colony in Mesopotamia. 's the climate changed, as shown by the demise of the dinosaurs, it became unbearable for the 'nunna$i. &t was then decided to produce a primitive wor$er more suitable to the climate. The result was a 3omo saurus, half apeman and half reptile. This creature, however, could not reproduce itself. To solve this labor problem, the 'dam or )lulu) was given dominant mammal characteristics, and the result was the first 3omo sapiens.

&n terms of evolution, modern man appeared on the scene some E@,@@@ years ago as if by magic. 3omo sapiens, or /ro-Magnon Man, was not an apeman, and so different from the form it replaced as to re(uire a (uantum !ump in the process of evolution. &t is the perplexing problem of the )missing lin$) that has baffled evolutionists for over a hundred years. &s it possible that the so-called missing lin$ will never be found? 'nd more importantly, if this missing lin$ is ever discovered, it will most li$ely be in the ruins of the ancient civilization of the valley of Mesopotamia.

#a$%er 3 THE SERPENT'GODS AND I))ORTALITY "

)Ma$e a seraph and mount it on a pole. 'nd if anyone who is bitten, loo$s at it, he shall recover.) Book of -u'bers T30 05/0 T&#2 #1 T30 *05 02T '* 0A&, .esides 'dam and 0ve, the other important denizen of the garden of 0den was the serpent. 3e is given (ualities which rival and surpass those of 'dam. 0ven 4enesis concedes the point when it asserts that )the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that 4od had made.) The 3aggadah describes the serpent as tall, two-legged and with superior mental powers. 3e was lord over all the beasts of 0den: )4od spo$e to the serpent, "& created you to be $ing over all the animals. & created you to be of upright position.") &n the 3aggadah there seems to be little doubt that he wal$ed li$e a man. &n 4enesis, the serpent was severely punished for his role in the downfall of 'dam and 0ve. 3is fate was henceforth to crawl on his belly. &n this way, 4enesis implies that at one time the serpent was a legged creature and lost his limbs as a result of the eating of the forbidden fruit. The 3aggadah is more explicit and plainly states that )his hands and feet were hac$ed off.) &n appearance, the legged-serpent must have been a fearsome creature, dominating all the animals as well as Man. &n fact, when 'dam and 0ve were expelled from 0den, they wore )shirts of s$in.) .ut since 'dam and 0ve were vegetarian during this period and Man was not allowed to eat meat until after the -eluge, these )s$ins) must have been those sloughed off by the reptiles. Many ancient sources verify this.

'ncient 8ewish legends indicate that the clothes worn by 'dam and 0ve were not only made of reptile s$ins but that they protected them from predators: )When they wore the coats, 'dam and 0ve were told, all creatures on earth would fear them.) The serpent s$ins were symbolic of the ruling race, and not only reminded 'dam and 0ve of their origin but also acted as a talisman to protect them from wild creatures. + o,,e-%* 0ven today we still wear reptile s$ins - sna$es$ins, alligator s$ins, crocodile s$ins - many of which are (uite expensive and set the wearer apart from the general multitude. 'nd the serpent, primarily the cobra, was highly revered in such ancient cultures as those of 0gypt and &ndia.; The notion of the serpent as evil is a fairly recent one, for it is one that developed during the early /hristian era. &n actuality, the .iblical serpent is often connected with godly $nowledge, healing and immortality. The 3ebrew word for the creature who tempted 0ve is )nahash) which is usually translated as serpent but literally means )he who solves secrets.) 0ven in ancient 4ree$ the word serpent posed problems in translation. &n the *eptuagint, the early 4ree$ version of the #ld Testament, the serpent is called )dra$on.) &n ancient 4reece the word )dra$on) was used for all large fearsome creatures such as serpents, large reptiles, and other terrifying animals. Thus the term )dra$on) carried over through semantic channels to the association of a large winged, legged serpent as dragon in Western literature and culture. + o,,e-%* Today the 4ree$ currency is called a )dra$ma.) &t would be interesting to investigate the etymological source for this modern term.; &n all probability, the dragons and other fabulous creatures of mythology are but distorted forms of the serpent-god. &t is a semantic problem fostered by man"s revulsion in lin$ing his ancestry to a saurian god. Two streams of understanding seem to have contributed to the legend of the serpent as evil and repulsive. The first is the master-slave relationship. Man replaced the 'nunna$i as wor$ers and began to perform all the menial and distasteful tas$s. The memory of this domination by cruel and merciless reptiles was further exacerbated by the descent of the 2efilim in the days before the -eluge. These space men intermarried and lived among Man$ind, and both *criptures and *umerian sources reveal that they were a barbarous and cannibalistic race.

.y the time of the advent of the -eluge, Man had come to despise and even to persecute these saurian offspring. 'ncient sources strongly suggest that anyone showing signs of serpent-god ancestry was hunted down and destroyed. The second ma!or factor in the evolution of the idea of them as evil was the enmity between 0nlil and 0n$i. When the lands were reclaimed after the -eluge, 0nlil saw to it that his sons were placed in charge of the lands of the Middle 0ast and that 0n$i"s sons were allotted foreign lands such as 0gypt and the &ndus Aalley. The sons of 0n$i returned to the Middle 0ast, however, and his oldest son Mardu$ seized control of .abylon and claimed the coveted title of )fifty.) 0n$i is remembered as the creator and benefactor of Man$ind and is associated with godly $nowledge, healing, and immortality - exactly the (ualities attributed to the serpent in the garden of 0den. Thus, the .iblical )1all of Man) ta$es on the character of a confrontation between 0nlil, the 0lohim of the #ld Testament, and 0n$i, the usurper serpent-god. + o,,e-%* /uriously in the boo$ The Stellar )an by 8ohn .aines, the duplicitous 'rchon of -estiny, who tric$ed Moses and subse(uently thereby became the usurper of power on this planet from the more )people-friendly) former 'rchon ruler, was $nown by the letter 7. -oes this 7 refer to 7ahweh and therefore to /rown- rince 0nlil?; The same conflict is seen in the Tale of "dapa when 0n$i prevented 'n H0nlil later came to represent 'n as he became the senior godI from tampering with his creation. There are echoes of this dissension in the Third Book of Enoch, when this atriarch was to be given godhood and immortality. The )angels) representing the older order protested that 4od was revealing divine secrets to Man. They remind him that )did not the primeval ones give you good advice when they said "don"t create man"?) To the conservative and older gods, man was considered to be an inferior animal, for time and time again he is criticized for his sweaty and dirty mammalism. &n the Third Book of Enoch man is scorned by the minor gods or angels who characterize him as )man$ind born of woman, blemished, unclean, defiled by blood and impure flux, men who sweat putrid drops.) This disgust of the angels towards their sweaty and hairy mammal cousins is reiterated throughout the #ld Testament where this disli$e is mas$ed under the imagery of the )wea$ness of the flesh.)

The 'nunna$i delighted in their reptilian appearance - their slee$, lustrous, and gleaming bodies - and mammal traits were repugnant to them. 1rom an ob!ective point of view, the elegance and beauty of the reptile form has much to recommend it. &t is difficult to see how physical repugnance to these creatures developed. The problem of revulsion is a difficult one, and better left to psychoanalysts. &t seems largely to be a learned experience, a result of what we are taught when we are young. #n the other hand, the lingering memory of the brutish and barbarous treatment by the reptilian ancestors may exist in our subconscious and contribute to the disli$e of reptiles. + o,,e-%* 'gain we can single out another difference between the cultures of the 'ncient 4ree$s and 3ebrews. &n 4reece the gods and goddesses were considered to represent the ultimate in physical beauty and perfection. 'nd as has been noted earlier, one of the primary reasons for the creation of 8udaism in the first place was a rebellion against all things 4ree$. Thus, this revulsion to *aurian 4ods may have originated at the same moment in time when Moses and his priests had to deal with the conse(uences of his pact with the )evil) 'rchon, ultimately leading to the 8udaic religious traditions and this notion of the )repulsiveness) of anything reptilian.; &MM#5T',&T7 '* '/3&0A0- .7 5040205'T&#2 &n ancient legends, Man seems to always achieve some sort of )$nowledge) yet he loses immortality. &s is as if the two are mutually exclusive. 'dam gets )$nowledge) but is banned from the garden and from parta$ing of the fruit of the Tree of ,ife. *o it is with 'dapa, who is given )$nowledge) by 0n$i but is cheated of the drin$ and food of life that would have made him immortal. Many of the adventures of 4ilgamesh are attempts to achieve immortality. 3e is denied a trip up to the heavens to plead to the gods for long life. 3e is then refused it when he reaches <tnapishtim, his grandfather. 3e finally obtains the magical plant that heals and extends life, but it is stolen from him by a serpent, no doubt an imagery of the serpent-gods. &n world mythology, the serpent has been the symbol of long life, of cure and regeneration, and of immortality. *erpents have everywhere been associated with healing. 1or example, the Mayan Chila' Bala' relates that the first inhabitants of 7ucatan were the /hanes or ) eople of the *erpent) who came across the water from the 0ast with their ,eader &tzamna who was called the

)*erpent of the 0ast.) 3e was a healer and could cure by laying on of hands and even revived the dead. + o,,e-%* 0ven today, the symbol for the 'merican Medical 'ssociation contains the image of a coiled serpent around a pole. 's for &tzamna, that is undoubtedly the Mayan name for /rown- rince 0nlil, whose son rince 2annar led the first expedition of 'nunna$i Hor #lmecsI from southern 'frica to the 'mericas. 2annar was $nown to the Mayans as the legendary %uetzalcoatl, the flying serpent god. 1or additional information, see The .ost /eal's by Becharia *itchin.; &n the #ld Testament, the role of the serpent as healer is illustrated in the incident of the )brazen serpent) or )seraph) which was raised on a pole and became a cure for the ailments of the tribes during their 0xodus from 0gypt. The duality of $nowledge and immortality, as represented by the two trees in 0den, is not generally found in ancient sources. 'side from the brief references in the Tale of "dapa, ancient literature concentrates on man"s efforts to achieve immortality and extended life. The symbolic tree of life and the magical food and drin$ were popular sub!ects among the various cultures of the Middle 0ast and often appear in their art forms. The opposite is true of the #ld Testament where immortality is all but forgotten, and the emphasis is on the sins of man caused by his downfall when he achieved $nowledge. 'n exception is found in the pseudepigraphic document called The .ife of "da' and E&e, which narrates episodes in the life of 'dam and 0ve after these two left 0den. -ated to the 1irst /entury '-, it is available in both 4ree$ and ,atin versions. &t provides a little $nown even of 'dam"s attempt to obtain some of these re!uvenative remedies. 'ccording to the text, 'dam was old and sic$ly and near the end of his life. 3e re(uested 0ve and his son *eth to return to 0den for the )oil from the tree of mercy) with which he might be anointed, relieved of his pain, and have his life extended. 't the gates of 0den, they are met by the angel Michael who refuses the plea of *eth with the argument that the magic elixir is not for man. The 3ebrew concentration on a view opposite that of the ancient secular traditions would suggest that the emphasis on )$nowing) by the early priesthood was a deliberate deviation, in order to force on their people a doctrine of )original sin) and the )fall of man) and thus achieve a large degree of control over their minds and behavior.

+ o,,e-%* 'men6; The search for regeneration, a form of immortality, has been a common theme of ancient literature and mythology. &t is a sub-theme in the Gil%a'esh Epic where, after telling his grandson that the gods had refused him immortality, <tnapishtim has compassion for his grandsonL and in order not to let him return empty-handed, he is informed of a magical plant that restores youth and vitality and where to find it. + o,,e-%* 'nd we have been loo$ing for )the fountain of youth) ever since6; Thus on his return home, 4ilgamesh follows the directions of his grandfather and manages to obtain this magical plant. 3e decides, somewhat unwisely, not to parta$e of it immediately but rather to ta$e it bac$ to the city of <ru$ and there share it with his friends. This turns out to be a mista$e, for when 4ilgamesh stops by a pool of water to bathe, the plant is stolen from him. &n order to wash the grime from his long !ourney, 4ilgamesh decided to ta$e a much needed bath. 3e foolishly leaves the magic plant on shore unattended. 's he is bathing, and much to his consternation, a sna$e or )seru) smelled the fragrance of the plant, came up through the water and carried it away. 's the serpent left, it threw off its s$in. &n this way, the story represents the regenerative ability of the serpent to extend its life by shedding its s$in periodically. &n man"s search for the panacea of long life and vitality, science has yet to provide the answer. 's a natural process, regeneration is not very developed in man and the higher mammals, being capable of regenerating only hair, s$in, nails, liver, and certain other tissues. &t is much more pronounced in the lower animals, for example, salamanders and lizards which can replace their tails, lobsters and crabs which can grow new limbs, and the flatworm which will form a number of new individuals when it is cut into pieces. While regeneration has been forbidden by the gods throughout the ages, veiled references are often found in the literature. When the sna$e stole the magical plant of 4ilgamesh and immediately shed its s$in, it was demonstrating a form of immortality. *hedding of the s$in has in this way entered the theology of the 3ebrews and /hristians in the form of the rite of circumcision. 's part of the covenant between 'braham and his god, and later reinforced by being repeated many more times to his descendants, he is told, )7ou shall

circumcise the flesh of your fores$in, and that shall be the mar$ of the covenant between me and you.) 8ust as the serpent achieves long life through sacrificing and leaving off part of himself, so man may also be saved by ritually sacrificing part of himself. The rite of circumcision also served as a perpetual reminder to man that his true origins lay in the serpent-god creator and that he existed at the forbearance of these gods. + o,,e-%* While wishing to avoid the often heated argument about the pros and cons of circumcision, it should be noted that while this was perhaps the original intent of the custom, many of the later /hristian cultures of 0urope re!ected this practice, which has by now all but disappeared from modern 0uropean life. 'mong the 8ews and Moslems it is still universal, as is it is also among many of the traditionally animist peoples of 'frica. &t is also still (uite commonplace in the <nited *tates, although more from a cultural than a religious tradition. 0lsewhere in the world, the custom of male circumcision is practically nonexistent.; #f those who achieved true immortality and !oined the gods, only two are recorded in the ancient literature. The gods made it clear that it was not granted lightly. <tnapishtim is one of the few who was given immortality. 'fter the -eluge, <tnapishtim and his wife were ta$en up into the space ship where 0nlil placed him through a ritual process: )3itherto, <tnapishtim had been but a man, but now <tnapishtim and his wife shall be unto us gods.) 3e was sent to live )at the source of the two rivers where *hamash rises,) in the land of -ilmun. <nli$e his counterpart, 2oah did not achieve immortality. The gods of the #ld Testament were much more !ealous and uncompromising gods. #ne of the atriarchs before the -eluge achieved this distinction. &t is passed over cryptically in 4enesis which states that )0noch wal$ed with 4od. Then he vanished because 4od too$ him.) 2onetheless, the three apocalyptic boo$s of 0noch provide the full story - details which were omitted from the .ible. 0noch was not only made immortal but also deified so that he became second in power to the chief deity himself. This unusual metamorphosis was done in order to provide an ob!ective magistrate who could preside over the trial of the 2efilim who had been accused of committing all sorts of crimes on 0arth. '50 ,#24 ,&10 * '2* #**&.,0?

,ongevity among the ancients is proverbial. The name of the atriarch Methuselah has been synonymous with an extra long life span. &f the ancient records, both religious and secular, are to be believed the antediluvian +ings and atriarchs en!oyed an unusual long life span. These claims are so consistent, and even allowing for exaggeration, one is forced to concede that there must be some truth in them. Tacitly, modern man is beginning to ta$e these claims seriously, for today he is toying with the possibilities that aging can be brought under control, even reversed, and that life spans can logically be extended to a remar$able degree. Theories of aging currently studied by modern science range from the concept of purely genetic control of aging to the concept of reducing environmental onslaughts on the human organism. *cientists now believe that the mechanisms that cause aging are extremely complex and variable, and rather than a single cause, may be many phenomena wor$ing in concert. Most theories of aging can be placed into two general categories: error theories and programming theories. 0rror theories are based on the premise that random events, such as environmental assaults, cause damage to the body cells. This damage accumulates over time resulting in cellular, molecular, and organ malfunction. rogramming theories are based on the assumption that aging is programmed into the cell itself and is the expected result of a purposeful se(uence of events written into the genes. #ne of the oldest theories of aging is the wear and tear theory that states that at the molecular level, -2' is continuously damaged but the body cannot repair the damage, and it accumulates, leading to molecular and finally organ malfunction. The metabolic theory argues that the faster an organism lives, the (uic$er it is to die. 9/omment: ,ive fast, die young6; /aloric restrictions appear to be the only factor repeatedly shown to alter the rate of aging in animals, and nutrition would seem to control the change in certain hormones controlling metabolism. The free-radical theory focuses on the damaging effects of free-radicals, highly unstable chemical fragments produced during normal metabolism that react and damage other molecules. 'ge-related accumulation of free-radical damage may interfere with the vital wor$ of $ey cell structures. Thus, all the various proponents of the error theory state that the body will produce faulty chemicals and proteins which will be synthesized and accumulated. This process leads to damaged cells, tissues, and organs resulting in death.

#n the other hand, the programmed senescence theory states that aging and death are due to programmed events, a result of the se(uential switching on and off of certain genes. *ome may act as a biological cloc$, such as those controlling puberty and menopause. &f aging is programmed, the endocrine or hormone system and the immune system are the two li$ely candidates which control aging. 0vents occurring in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands may be responsible for some important aging processes. The pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, secretes hormones that in turn stimulate other glands to produce hormones. &t is possible that a biological cloc$ in the hypothalamus Ha region of the brainI instructs the pituitary gland to secrete a hormone that interferes with the ability of the body tissues to respond to thyroid hormones. This theoretical hormone, referred to by some as the )death hormone,) has never been isolated. The immune system defends the body against bacteria, viruses, and other invading organisms. The thymus gland, located in the chest, is an essential component of the system. &t reaches maximum size during adolescence and declines to the point where it is barely visible at age ?@. roponents of the immune system theory believe that by reducing the body"s ability to fight infection, fend off cancer, and even repair -2' damage, the decline in the system may be the single most important event in the aging process. 's can be seen, the study of aging is yet in its infancy, although it seems to be an energetically growing discipline. <nderstanding the mechanism of aging will presumably help to eliminate diseases and disorders associated with old age and presumably lengthen the active life process. *cience is also on the threshold of ma$ing changes in the gene itself. erhaps some day we will achieve the technical sophistication of our ancestors, the serpent-gods who seem to have solved these perplexing scientific problems. &t is a most superb irony that a race of intelligent beings may really exist in our neighborhood of space who are reptilian and repulsive, and yet have founded human civilization. 7et these )loathsome) creatures must have a technology sufficiently advanced to enable them to travel between the stars. ' race that could traverse space would certainly have achieved genetic engineering and the ability to regenerate themselves and thereby achieve long and extended life.

#a$%er 4 DRAGONS AND SERPENT'GODS IN WORLD )YTHOLOGY "

)'ncient legends of the 2yoro tribe in 'frica state that the first humans came down from heaven and loo$ed li$e chameleons and founded man$ind.) <n$nown *ource T30 *05' 3 #1 T30 #,- T0*T'M02T &n the #ld Testament, explicit references to our serpent-god ancestors have been all but eliminated over the centuries through a long process of selection and editing. When allusions are found in the *criptures, they are interpreted as merely allegories. There is a strange incident related in the Book of -u'bers concerning a bronzed or brazen serpent which raises many (uestions that are never fully addressed by .iblical scholars. &n the second year of the 0xodus, after they had left the comforts of Mount *inai and were struggling across the wasteland, the tribes had a s$irmish with the +ing of 'rad in the 2egeb and prevailed after much difficulty. The incident of the .razen *erpent happened then: )They set out from Mount 3or by the road to the 5ed *ea to s$irt the land of 0dom. .ut the people grew restive on the !ourney, and the people spo$e against the ,ord and against Moses. "Why did you ma$e us leave 0gypt to die in the Wilderness? There is no bread and water, and we have come to loathe this miserable food." The ,ord sent seraph serpents among the people. They bit the people and many of the &sraelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned by spea$ing against the ,ord and against you. &ntercede with the ,ord to ta$e away the serpents from us." 'nd Moses interceded for the people. Then the ,ord said to Moses, "Ma$e a seraph figure and mount it on a standard. 'nd if anyone who is bitten loo$s at it, he shall recover." Moses made a brazen serpent and mounted it on a standardL and when anyone was bitten by a serpent, he would loo$ at the brazen serpent and recover.) &t is difficult to escape the conclusion that the meaning of the incident is obviously idolatry, an activity stringently forbidden in the *criptures. The 3ebrew word )seraph) is an unusual one and appears only a few times in the boo$s of the #ld Testament.

&n &saiah =E and C@, the )seraph) is referred to as )me ofef seraph) or literally )flying serpent) and is associated with hilistia and the 2egeb, lands which were traditionally the home of the descendants of the 2efilim after the -eluge. The .razen *erpent which was made by Moses at 4od"s command was revered in the Temple sanctuary until the 0ighth /entury ./ when, according to && +ings =G, +ing 3eze$iah, angry over idol worship, )bro$e in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made.) + o,,e-%* The 0ighth /entury ./0 would have included the year NFD./0 when, as has been noted previously, the series of cataclysms began, accompanying the departure of lanet 2ibiru from its tethered position above the 0arth"s 2orth olar 'xis.; &t is doubtful if this was the original )seraph) made by Moses about =E?@ ./ and that it survived till this time. &n either case, it demonstrates that the worship of serpent-gods was well established among the &sraelites during the period of the 8udges and +ings, and it suggests that 7ahweh had at least at one time been identified with the serpent-god. The term )seraph) has worried .iblical translators and commentators over the years. &t is translated as )fiery serpent) in the +ing 8ames versionL however, the modern tendency is not to translate it at all but to render the 3ebrew word as given. )*eraph) does not fit any convenient classification or translation. &t seems more probable that it is a borrowed word from the /anaanites who ac(uired it from their Mesopotamian heritage. The roots of the term may well be Mesopotamian. The )flying or fiery serpent) atop a pole worshiped for its healing properties symbolically represents 0n$i, the *umerian god of healing, who was often associated with the sna$e symbol. There is also a curious resemblance of the sna$e wrapped around a pole, with the later caduceus of of the 4ree$s. &n the Gil%a'esh Epic the serpent which steals the magic plant from the hero is called a )seru,) and the similarity of the words suggests a common origin. The term is also encountered in 3indu mythology which has *umerian antecedents. The 2agas, the mysterious serpent-gods who dwelt in &ndia in ancient days, were called )sarpa) or serpents. &n her studies on 3indu religion, the theosophist Madame 3elena etrovna .lavats$y asserts that the 2agas or )sarpa) of &ndia are )un(uestionably the 8ewish *eraphim as derived from serapi or sarpa meaning serpent.)

There is a little $nown ancient religious document which not only refers to the serpent-gods but also cryptically to the gods of the *umerian pantheon. 's such, this /hristian hymn probably has its origins in a *umerian prayer. /alled the Pra#er of Joseph, it is of a group called magical papyri, of 4ree$ origin and dated to the *econd /entury '-. &t starts out as a hymn of praise: )1ather of the atriarchs, 1ather of all things, 1ather of all the powers of the /osmos, /reator of all, /reator of the angels and archangels, the /reator of the redeeming names, & invo$e you.) 'fter a few more invocations, the prayer continues dramatically: )7ou who sit upon the mountain of 3oly *inai, 7ou who sit upon the sea, 7ou who sit upon the serpent-gods, the 4od who sits upon the sun god.) This paean is interesting and pertinent for a number of reasons. .esides the tacit reference to the serpent-gods, it also refers to the god who sits upon the sea. 'lthough the line is incomplete Hsuspiciously so - all the missing words are in critical places6I, it appears to be a veiled reference to the water god 0n$i and his water palace. + o,,e-%* 0n$i was e(uivalent to the 4ree$ oseidon, 4od of the *ea.; The sun god referred to is presumably <tuJ*hamash !ust as the god of Mount *inai is &sh$urJ'dad. + o,,e-%* <tu was e(uivalent to the 4ree$ *un-4od 'pollo, and &sh$ur to 'res, 4od of War.; Thus, the invocation seems to be addressed to 0nlil 9Beus;, the ruling god of the /anaanite pantheon who later became $nown as 0l in the #ld Testament. 1urthermore, the redeeming names are probably the Tablets of -estiny or the -ivine 2ames which have been e(uated with the M0s of the *umerians. *erpent-gods are not !ust found in the history or mythology of the ancient Middle 0ast. -ragons, flying serpents, and serpent-gods appear in the mythology of people throughout the world and everywhere are the creators and benevolent ancestors of man. &n some cultures there also remains the lingering memory of a serpent-race that was cruel and barbaric. *05 02T-4#-* &2 T30 &2-<* A',,07 /&A&,&B'T&#2

'ratta is often mentioned in the *umerian literature as a far-away land controlled by the goddess &nanna from her tutelary city of <ru$. 'ccording to the epic En'erkar and the .ord of "ratta, it lay beyond 'nshan Hnow &ranI and a !ourney to 'ratta re(uired the crossing of seven mountains and dreaded river +ur. &t has been suggested that 'ratta may be the same as 3arappa of the lost &ndus Aalley civilization. 3arappa, along with Mohen!o-daro, was a city of the ancient -ravidians, the legendary serpent people who preceded the 'ryan occupation of &ndia. &n the =>D@s, archaeologists made some amazing discoveries in the &ndus 5iver Aalley. The ruins of two large ancient cities were excavated, one called Mohen!o-daro was on the &ndus 5iver proper, the other 3arappa was on the 5avi, a ma!or branch of the &ndus located in the an!ab or ,and of the 1ive 5ivers. ,i$e the cities of Mesopotamia and the 2ile Aalley, they were built on the alluvial plains. 3owever, unli$e these other cities, Mohen!o-daro and 3arappa seem to have sprung up fully planned. .oth were identical in layout. While no ziggurats were found, each city had a mound ten meters high, a sort of artificial platform. These cities did not evolve from primitive villages but were completed as cities within a century or so. They were built from )scratch) as if by an outside force. &n other words, they were constructed as a colony, probably by the *umerians, and presumably by 0n$i, their chief engineer. The cities sprang up about C?@@ to C@@@ ./ and later came to a violent end around D@@@ ./ or soon thereafter, according to archaeological evidence. What has puzzled historians is that the people who lived here are not related to the 'ryans who came some ?@@ to F@@ years later and settled in the an!ab and 4angetic plain. ,i$e the ancient *umerians, the people of Mohen!o-daro and 3arappa spo$e an un$nown language. + o,,e-%* 'ssuming that the lanet 2ibiru was last in our local system from about =F@@ to N@@ ./0, then its previous visit would have been from - adding CF@@ years to each date - ED@@ to CC@@ ./0. These derived dates are close enough to the hypothetical years noted above to lead one to the conclusion that these -ravidian cities were constructed for use by the 2ibiruans during their next-to-the-last visit to 0arthJTiamat.; 'rtifacts found here also lin$ it with the valley of Mesopotamia. .utton seals from these sites are very similar in style to the cylinder seals of *umer. &n fact,

one shows a wild man wrestling two beasts, very similar to the one of 4ilgamesh standing between and strangling two lions. These two cities are probably none other than the *umerian colonies which were established after the world became inhabitable again after the -eluge. &t has been suggested by historians that these cities were the center of the -ravidian culture and inhabited by the 2agas, a race of serpent-men. + o,,e-%* &f each time the lanet 2ibiru arrives and departs from this area of our *olar *ystem, there are planetary cataclysms - or )deluges) - due to gravitational and electromagnetic abnormalities, this further supports the contention suggested above that these two -ravidian cities were founded by and for the use of the 2ibiruans during their next-to-the-last visit here.; T30 2'4'*, T30 *05 02T-5'/0 #1 '2/&02T &2-&' The 'ncient Book of 0#an, probably the oldest of *ans$rit sources, spea$s of a serpent race which descended from the s$ies and taught man$ind. Madame 3. . .lavats$y spent three years in Tibet, .hutan, and *i$$im, accumulating thousands of *ans$rit sources which were compiled into the Book of 0#an. These sources concern the ancient people called the 2agas or *arpa which were semi-divine beings with a human face and the tail of a dragon. .lavats$y believed that these *arpa are undoubtedly the *eraphim of the #ld TestamentL the *eraphim would thus have the same etymological roots as the *arpa of ancient &ndia. 3indu mythology and literature in also replete with the sexual liaisons of gods and man$ind, and of the procreation of numerous strange beings called -ravidian and -asyus. This race reportedly lived in large walled cities. They were a coarse, cannibalistic people, dar$-s$inned and flat-nosed. The 'ryans who came later ran into the remnants of these serpent peopleL they are vividly described in the /a'a#ana : )2ear .hogavata stands the place where dwell the hosts of the serpent race, a broad-wayed city, walled and barred, which watchful legions $eep and guard. The fiercest of the serpent youth, each awful for his venomed tooth, and throned in his imperial hall is Aasu$i who rules them all.) The antediluvian -ravidians had been wiped out by the -eluge. when the 0arth was repopulated, 3arappa and Mohen!o-daro became the center of the -ravidian culture.

Much of the evidence that -ravidian, -asyus, and 2agas were all different names for these people can be found in the great epics of &ndia, the )ahabharata and the /a'a#ana. .oth epics concern the early 'ryan contacts with these serpent people, some which were friendly, others hostile. -ue to the intermarriage of the 'ryans with these people, a sort of ambiance, a love-hate relationship, seems to permeate these two great epics. &n the epic )ahabharata, a group of )celestials) arrive by aerial car to attend the wedding feast of the 'ryan $ings: )The gods came in cloud-borne chariots, came to view the scene so fair. Winged *uparnas, scaly 2agas, bright celestial cars in concourse sailed upon the cloudless s$y.) These 2agas intermarried with 'ryans, producing $ings and heroes. 1or example, in the /i% Veda there are names li$e -ivodasa which indicate that there was some cross-breeding between -asyus and 'ryans soon after =?@@ ./. + o,,e-%* This date falls into the period =F@@-N@@ ./0.; Many of the ancient 3indu gods mated with humans and, li$e in *umer, produced a hybrid mammal-reptile, the semi-divine $ings which resound throughout the literature of both *umer and &ndia. The 3indu literature of &ndia asserts that divine people had descended and conducted biological experiments with apes. &n fact, 3anuman the mon$ey god, who with 5ama is the hero of the epic of the /a'a#ana, was conceived when the god *hiva gave a sacred ca$e to 'n!an, the ape. This obvious reference to a genetic experiment produced 3anuman, the super-mon$ey, very much reminiscent of the 0n$idu of the 4ilgamesh epic. + o,,e-%* 'ccording to my linguistic and mythological research, the 3indu 4od *hiva would be the e(uivalent of the 2ibiruan 0n$i, co-creator of the 'damu and 0va.; T30 3&2-< 0 &/* '.#<T T30 *05 02T-4#-* #ne of the great epics of &ndia, the /a'a#ana, is the story of *ita, the bride of a northern rince called 5ama, who is abducted by 5avana, the serpent $ing of /eylon 9the modern *ri ,an$a;.

+ o,,e-%* My hypothesis is that 5ama is 2ibiruan rince <tu H4ree$ 'polloI and that *ita is 2ibiruan -uchess 'ya H4ree$ 'rtemisI.; 5ama chases the army of 5avana across &ndia with the help of a force of mon$eys under the command of the mon$ey-general 3anuman. 5avana retreats to his island $ingdom of /eylon, supposedly safe from pursuit. .ut 3anuman builds a bridge of boulders across the straits separating the island from the mainland, and *ita is rescued by 5ama. Throughout the story, 5avana is described in barbaric terms - he )feeds on humans) and )drin$s the blood of his foe.) 3e is formidable in battle and almost defeats 5ama when he uses his special 2aga weapon, described as a )2aga-dart serpent noose,) which seems to paralyze his enemies and drain their energy and life-force. ,i$e all divine and semidivine creatures in mythology, 5avana had access to sophisticated weapons. /eylon, the island $ingdom of 5avana, is the stronghold of the 2agas. &t is described as the home of the 2agas in very ancient /hinese sources. &n one of the first literary references to /eylon, when it traded with /hina before the 'ryan occupation of &ndia, it is described as a land of strange reptilian-li$e creatures. .ecause of its gems and spices and its convenient location as an entrepot, it became popular with /hinese merchants. 1a-3sien, the /hinese pilgrim trader, disclosed that originally the island was occupied by 2agas or serpent deities with whom merchants of various countries carried on a trade. The 2agas never showed themselves to the outsiders. They simply set forth their precious commodities with price labels attached to them. The visiting merchants made their purchases according to price and too$ the things away. The other great epic of &ndia is the )ahabharata, the longest and perhaps the greatest epic poem in any language. Much older than the /a'a#ana, it consists of GG,@@@ verses. The main theme is the rivalry between two branches of the same family, the +urus. The andavas and the +auravas fight a war which culminates in the near destruction of both branches of the family at the great battle of +uru$setra. 's the story begins, +ing ari$sit of the +auravas shot a deer while hunting with bow and arrow. ursuing the deer, he as$s an ascetic if he had seen the wounded deer. #bserving a vow of silence, the sage did not answer. This angered ari$sit who then too$ a dead sna$e and placed it around the sage"s

nec$. The ascetic"s son *rnga was incensed and put a curse on ari$sit. Thus started the blood feud between the two families. *ignificantly, a third party intervenes. 'ngry over the blasphemous use of one of their own $ind, the serpent-gods enter the story. Ta$sa$a, the $ing of the serpent-people, sends sna$es who cause the death of ari$sit. The story of the blood feud is actually narrated as something which happened in the dim past. *ince the ancient $ingdom of the +urus flourished along the upper course of the 4anges in the =Eth and =Cth /enturies ./ 9/omment: 'gain within the time-period =F@@-N@@ ./0.;, the events may have ta$en place in the early days of the 'ryan invasion when there was much intercourse with the 2agas. The )ahabharata story begins with the great sacrifice of +ing 8aname!aya. 's the story is narrated by the sage Ayasa, the son of ari$sit, +ing 8aname!aya performs a ceremony to avenge his father"s death, a sna$e sacrifice called the )ya!na.) &ts purpose is to totally destroy the 2agas, the serpent-gods which supposedly could assume sna$e or human form at will, and one of which $illed ari$sit. &n the ritual, the priest invo$es the names of the serpents as they toss live sna$es into the fire. 'sti$a, the son of the serpent-$ing Ta$sa$a, intervenes and pleads with 8aname!aya to let his relatives live. The war stories and other narratives were then told as revolving tales at these sacrifices which were of long duration. &t is the view of the &ndian historian -. -. +osambi that the )ya!na) itself was not so much an account of a great war but rather it was the story of the great )ya!na) sacrifice. &n other words, it was a symbolic ceremony of propitiating their serpent ancestors while at the same time expelling them from their cultural heritage. &n the struggle between the two branches of the +urus to control the plains of the upper 4anges, there is a reflection of the wars of the sons of 0nlil and 0n$i in the area of Mesopotamia. &n the 3indu epic, the andavas seem to be the victor since they regain most of their $ingdom which had been lost earlier. *tarted with conventional weapons of the period, such as spears, swords, bow and arrow, the war escalates into the use of more powerful and sophisticated ones supplied by the gods on both sides. These weapons have all the characteristics of modern missile and nuclear systems. &n one instance, one side hurls a missile which is countered by an opposing missile in the s$y. The explosion of the two missiles as they meet

causes many deaths below on the ground. The battle has modern connotations. &t is as if one side launched a ballistic missile which was countered by a nuclear-tipped anti-ballistic missile and destroys the incoming missile, causing a deadly rain of radioactive fallout. 'fter a prolonged war, the +auravas find themselves losing and in desperate straits. &t is then that they decide to end the war through the use of forbidden tactics. &n the middle of the night, they descend on the unsuspecting sleeping andavas and slaughter most of the warriors. &ncensed by the breach of the rules of warfare and the decimation of their army, the andavas decide that they have no choice but to use the ultimate weapon, the )celestial weapon) that is capable of defeating all other weapons. The leader of the +auravas decides to discharge a similar weapon, one which apparently produces radioactivity, for he declares, )& will direct this weapon upon the wombs of the andava women.) 3e predicts that the +uru line would become extinct )for the fetus will die.) 3is warning comes true for the weapons produce sterility in all the andava women. The war between the +uru cousins finally ends in a stalemate with the near obliteration of both branches of the family. *05 02T-4#-* #5 -5'4#2* &2 /3&20*0 3&*T#57 While the serpent-god shows up in the form of the dragon in /hinese history and mythology, there is no doubt that we are dealing with the winged, legged serpent or 2aga of the 3indus. /hina chose the dragon as the national emblem for profound reasons. They believed that the /elestial -ragon was the father of the 1irst -ynasty of -ivine 0mperors and as a result the dragon"s pictorial emblem became regarded as inspiring divine beneficence to the land of /hina. 'ccording to /hinese history, 'sian dragons were present at the /reation and shared the world with man$ind. ,i$e the Western serpent, the dragon was lin$ed with the development of ManL and it was the dragon that taught him the essential arts such as how to ma$e fire, how to weave nets for fishing, and how to ma$e music. The /hinese dragon was unrivaled in wisdom and its power to confer blessings and as a result came to symbolize that most beneficent of men, the 0mperor who was believed to have dragon blood. This affinity with the dragon is shown by the imperial accoutrements: the 0mperor sat on a dragon throne, rode in a dragon boat, and even slept in a dragon bed.

'ccording to /harles 4ould in his classic wor$ on /hinese mythology, the belief in the existence and friendship of the dragon is thoroughly woven into the life of early /hinese history. The Vih (in%, the most ancient of /hinese boo$s, whose origins are cloa$ed in mystery, describes the days when man and dragon lived together peaceably and even intermarried, how the dragons came to represent the 0mperor and the throne of /hina, and how the /hief -ragon had its abode in the s$y. &n the year D=D ./, the 0mperor Tsin-*hi 3wang-Ti ordered all ancient boo$s destroyed and the persecution of learned men for a period of four years 9/omment: the first )cultural revolution)?;L and as a result of which, at one time EF@ savants were buried alive together. -uring this orgy of suppression of ancient $nowledge, the Vih (in% was considered so sacred that it was specifically exempted from the edict. + o,,e-%* &t is intriguing - although it is probably purely coincidental P?Q that the ancient ,ibrary of 'lexandria was burned to the ground around this same time-period. That library, too, housed all of the sacred and most ancient of texts from the Middle 0astern civilizations.; &n this classic, many of the ancient emperors are described as having dragonli$e features as, for example, 3wanti which 4ould dates to DF>N ./. The 0mperor 7aou HDC?F ./I is said to have been conceived by a dragon father and a human mother. 0mperor *hun, dated to DD?? ./, is described as having the countenance of a dragon. T30 *05 02T '* 4##- '2- 0A&, &2 '2/&02T 047 T The duality of the serpent as a source of both good and evil is seen in 0gyptian religion probably due to certain singular historical events. &n the #ld and Middle +ingdoms, it is benevolent and associated with the gods and immortality. ,ater, starting with the 2ew +ingdom, in particular the =Gth -ynasty, it becomes a sinister creature and an ob!ect to be hated and exorcised. + o,,e-%* &f we assume as a given that the historical revisionism of -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y is fact, then the Middle +ingdom ended around =F@@ ./0 as a direct result of the cataclysms which also spawned the 0xodus and the TheraJ*antorini 0xplosion, i.e., the arrival of the lanet 2ibiru into this vicinity. Thus began a )Millennium of the 4ods,) which lasted until about the year N@@ ./0, which is about the time of the advent of the 2ew +ingdom"s

famed =>th -ynasty, that of *eti the 4reat and 5amses the 4reat. &f 2ibiru"s departure caused additional cataclysms at that point in time, coincidentally with the genocidal campaign of *argon of 'ssyria, it is easy to see how the rulers of the late 0gyptian =Gth -ynasty and early =>th -ynasty would cease to view the )*aurian 4ods) as benevolent and start to condemn them as sinister.; #n the walls of the tombs of the earlier dynasties, the sna$e is depicted as a friendly creature which bears the $ing on his bac$ into the stellar s$y. &t is symbolic of the $ing"s being carried by the serpent-god to the land of immortality, to the land of the gods. 't about this time, the sna$e was adopted as a symbol of $ingship or godship and began to appear as the )uraeus,) the divine asp on the headdress of the pharaoh. .ut in the 2ew +ingdom after the first $ings of the =Gth -ynasty had rid the country of the hated 3y$sos, the serpent ta$es on an evil character. &t becomes an evil ob!ect to be exorcised at rituals. /alled 'pep or 'pop H4ree$ 'pophisI, it is the manifestation of the foreign barbaric 3y$sos who had invaded and occupied 0gypt for hundreds of years. + o,,e-%* 'ccording to -r. Aeli$ovs$y, the 3y$sos invaded 0gypt at the same moment in time that the &sraelites fled, i.e., around =F@@ ./0. They ruled a con(uered 0gypt until about =@@@ ./0 when +ing Thutmose & of the =Gth -ynasty expelled them forever and established the 2ew +ingdom.; 'pop was the original 3y$sos ruler and with his descendants ruled from the =Eth through the =Nth -ynasty. Many of the rulers adopted the name 'pop and in particular the last 3y$sos $ing to be defeated by 'hmose and +amose, the founders of the =Gth -ynasty. 'pop possessed many epithets and in ceremonies meant to destroy him was cursed by a number of names. The ritual is reminiscent of the )ya!na) ceremony of the ancient 3indus who called out the various names of the sna$es as they were thrown into the fire. The 0gyptian hate was deeply rooted in the memory of the cruel rule of the 3y$sos $ings who systematically destroyed 0gyptian culture and monuments. We shall see that these hated people were none other than the descendants of the 5ephaim, the offspring of the antediluvian 2efilim, who ruled the lands of the Middle 0ast after the -eluge. *05 02T-4#-* &2 'M05&/'2 '2- '15&/'2 M7T3#,#47

'mong the Mayas of /entral 'merica, sna$e symbolism was very common. Most of the serpents depicted in their art are feathered, indicating the ability to fly. The ancient Mayan boo$ Chila' Bala' relates that the first inhabitants of 7ucatan were the /hanes or ) eople of the *erpent,) who came across the sea from the 0ast led by &tzamna, a serpent-god. 3e was the most important deity in the Mayan pantheonL and as the dominant s$y-god, ruler of the heavens, he is one of the few Mayan gods not to be associated with death and destruction. &tzamna was the creator god, the one who infused the breath of life into Man. 's such, he fits the description of the *umerian god 0n$i perfectly. 0ric Thompson, the dean of Mayan studies, maintains that the term )itzem) from which the god"s name is derived should be translated as )lizard) or )reptile.) &n fact, &tzamnal, the city of the god &tzamna, literally means )the place of the lizard.) There are also many anthropomorphic forms of the god &tzamna where he is depicted as half-human and half-serpent. The benevolent serpent-god is also found in the later Mexican mythology in the 'ztec civilization which superseded the Mayan one. %uetzalcoatl is the plumed serpent-god who brought the benefits of civilization to Mexico and taught the science of astronomy and mathematics to man. + o,,e-%* *itchin correctly identifies %uetzalcoatl with the 2ibiruan rince 2annar, the 0gyptian Thoth and the 4ree$ 3ermes. This editor also includes a correlation with the 'sian .uddha.; ,egends of serpent-gods also abound throughout the mythology and religion of 'frica. To the -ogon of Mali and <pper Aolta, their ancient god created the sun and moon, then the earth from a lump of clay, and finally the first primitive beings who were twins called 2ummo, half-human and half-sna$e. + o,,e-%* 'nd as we $now, the -ogons also placed the origin of their gods in the *irian -ouble-*tar *ystem, which the 0gyptians referred to as #siris and &sis.; &n the 2yoro tribe, legends say that god sent the first human couple down from heaven when he established the world. The man had a tail and produced two maidens and a boy. These in turn bore the chameleon, the father of man$ind. #ther 'frican tribes also trace their ancestors to lizard-li$e people. To the +umbi, the first men that god created had tails. The 0we-3o tribe describes men with tails who had climbed down on a rope to 0arth. To the 8agga, their

ancestors came down to 0arth from heaven on a thread from a cobweb: the ancestor was called )the tailed one.) + o,,e-%* #f course, our modern establishment anthropologists would have us believe that our coccyx tailbones are residual bones from our apeli$e ancestors. &f they only $new . . . ;

#a$%er 5 THE PATRIAR HS6 DE)I'GODS OF THE ANTEDIL(&IAN PERIOD "

)'nd a child came out of the dead *opanim. 'nd he sat on the bed by her side. 'nd 2oah and 2ir loo$ed at him and behold, the badge of priesthood was on his chest. &t was glorious in appearance.) The antediluvian days are remembered as the reign of the god-$ings in the *umerian +ing ,ist and as the era of the atriarchs of the Book of Genesis. The sources ma$e it clear that these leaders which formed the aristocracy that ruled in these days were of divine blood, that is, they were part-saurian. ' second group on 0arth were the 2efilim or the 'nunna$i who descended to live here and to intermarry with human women. The third group to populate the 0arth was Man$ind, the 3omo sapiens produced by the 'nunna$i as a labor force to do all the menial tas$s. #f the three, we are concerned with the demi-gods, the priest-$ings of the antediluvian period which are remembered in the #ld Testament as the descendants of 'dam and 0ve. TW# ,&20* #1 -0*/02T: /'&2 '2- *0T3 The line of descent from 'dam and 0ve provided by the Book of Genesis poses many problems, for it not only lists the progeny of /ain but then adds the parallel line of *eth. &t even duplicates some of the /ainite names and approximates some of the others. &t would therefore appear that there were two separate streams of tradition but both derived from the same distant source. The original center of dissemination was manifestly in Mesopotamia. While the name Methusael is clearly '$$adian HM<T<-*'-&,& or )man of god)I, the rest of the names have nothing

in common with their Mesopotamian antecedentsL and it would seem that before they reached the 3ebrews, they had gone through a secondary center of dissemination where they were transformed with local records and traditions. There is a third list mentioned in the pseudepigraphic literature that has been neglected, presumably because it does not agree with the proposition in 4enesis that 'braham inherited the mantle of priesthood from 2oah. rovided by the Second Book of Enoch, this list of priest-$ings ends with the atriarch Melchisede$ who is transported to the heavens !ust before the -eluge. &t contains many strange and unfamiliar names that do not appear elsewhere in the *criptures. 'lso called the Sla&onic "pocal#pse of Enoch, it is dated to the 1irst /entury '- and describes 0noch"s ascent to heaven, his deification, and his return to 0arth. &t is perhaps better $nown for its line of succession which avoids 2oah and instead passes it on to his brother 2ir and then to his son Melchisede$. &n 4enesis, the line of /ain was discontinued suddenly, and presumably this change in attitude was related to the murder of his brother 'bel. /ain was exiled to the lands east of 0den where he later produced a son also called 0noch who was reportedly the builder of cities, seven in fact, all named after his sons. &t is perhaps coincidental that there were seven ma!or cities built by the *umerians before the -eluge and suggests a common source of origin. 4enesis continues the line of /ain, uneventfully, through &rad, Mehu!ael, Methusael, and then ends with ,amech. 2ot content with dropping the line here, the *criptures left behind a puzzle, a cryptic verse that has been the bane of .iblical scholars. The verse which ends the line of /ain is as follows: ),amech said to his wives, 'dah and Bellah, hear my voice, # wives of ,amech, give ear to my speechL & have $illed a man for wounding me, a boy for in!uring me. &f /ain be avenged sevenfold, then ,amech seventy-seven fold.) 4enesis then drops all mention of the /ainite line and abruptly begins the genealogy of *eth. #bviously the verse contains the clues to this sudden change of policy. &f the line was doomed, what were the reasons? The solution to this enigmatic verse which ends the line of /ain probably lies in the existence of the two, even three, parallel lines of descent. T30 /'&2-'.0, M<5-05 M7*T057 The .iblical explanation for the first recorded murder in the history of Man$ind is somehow not convincing for, according to 4enesis, /ain $illed 'bel because

his sacrifice was snubbed by the ,ord in favor of 'bel"s. ,ogically, this alone would not seem provocation enough to cause /ain to commit fratricide. &t seems more li$e a spurious explanation invented by the ancient chroniclers. The answer lies elsewhere and the wor$s of the pseudepigrapha bear this out. ' more complete and sinister version of the crime is provided in the ancient document The .ife of "da' and E&e+ When 0ve conceived and bore /ain, she said, according to 4enesis, )& have added a human being with the help of the ,ord.) &n the case of 'bel, however, the text says merely that )next she bore his brother 'bel.) 4enesis thus suggests, although obli(uely, that of the two, the birth of /ain involved the deity. 1urther clarifications of the paternity of /ain is found in The "pocal#pse of "da'* a 4nostic document of the 1irst /entury '-, wherein 'dam reveals to his son *eth that )the ,ord, who created us, created a son from himself and 0ve, your mother.) &f the deity was the father of /ain, while 'dam sired 'bel, it explains many of the events which happened subse(uentlyL for if the deity were his father, /ain would be semi-divine, part reptilian and more 4od-li$e. &t would explain his fierce and bloodthirsty nature and account for the murder of his brother 'bel. 'bout the birth of /ain, this document observes that 0ve )bore a son and he was lustrous.) This is a good description of the shiny luminous hide of the reptile gods. 'n unusual and somewhat bizarre description of the crime of /ain is also found in this document which narrates some episodes in the life of 'dam. There are two versions - the ,atin or Aita version, and the 4ree$ or 'pocalypse one. &n the Aita version, 0ve has a vision where it is )as is the blood of our son 'bel was in the hands of /ain who was gulping it down in his mouth.) The 'pocalyptic version is somewhat more dramatic, as 0ve tells 'dam: )My ,ord, & saw a dream last night, the blood of my son 'milabes, called 'bel, being thrust into the mouth of /ain his brother, and he dran$ it mercilessly. . . . 'nd it did not stay in his stomach but came out of his mouth. They got up to see what happened and found 'bel $illed by /ain.) The crime of /ain was, apparently, not only to commit fratricide but also to eat the flesh and blood of his brother. This behavior seems more reptilian than human, since /ain was sired by the deity, unli$e his brother who had 'dam as his father. /ain was therefore half-saurian. This may have been the main reason for aborting the line of /ain, to be superseded by that of *eth.

Whether provo$ed or not, /ain committed a serious crime, much more serious than !ust an error in offering a sacrifice. /ain not only $illed 'bel but ate his flesh and dran$ his blood. 1or this barbaric deed /ain was banished to the east to the land of 2od. Then as a sign that /ain came under the ,ord"s protection, he placed a mar$ on /ain, the nature of which is not described in 4enesis. &n order to protect his semi-divine progeny, the deity warned that )whoever $ills /ain shall suffer vengeance seven fold.) *trangely, this same statement is repeated in the verse on ,amech which ends the line of /ain, and obviously the two verses are related. /ain is considered by the deity to be a bad experimentL but since he is semidivine and his offspring, he cannot be destroyed but is exiled to a far land so that he nor his offspring can do no more harm. /ain is said to have married his sister 'wan at the end of the 1ourth 8ubilee or about the D@@th year of 'dam"s life. 5abbinical sources indicate that he died in his >C@th year, that is, a year before the death of 'dam. &n the pseudepigrapha, /ain was reportedly accidentally $illed by ,amech, thus fulfilling the curse of the seventh generation. T30 ,&20 #1 *0T3: 02#*3, +02#2, M'3','"0,, '2- 8'50'fter 'bel"s death and /ain"s banishment, a third son arrives on the scene. ,i$e 'bel, *eth is born of 'dam and 0veL ostensibly, the deity has decided not to intervene in the affairs of Man and allow him to produce his own offspring. *eth marries his sister, and 0nosh is born. Thus begins the line of atriarchs which continues unbro$en until the time of the -eluge. The heroes of the #ld Testament, (uite often and proudly, claim their descent from this *ethite line. Who then were these atriarchsL and since they were undoubtedly residents of Mesopotamia, what evidence is there in the *criptures and other ancient writings to lin$ them with the 'nunna$i or alien astronauts? #f the first four atriarchs, very little information is available in the #ld Testament. 0nosh means )mortal) or )human being)L and according to the *criptures, he was considered to be the first mortal or human. &t is during his era that the )faces of man became ape-li$e) according to the ancient 5abbinical sources. &t would thus appear that the human countenance became less reptileli$e and assumed mammal or ape-li$e features during the years of 0nosh. &t is perhaps for this reason that the generation of 0nosh is not treated well in the ancient sources. The 3aggadah calls it the generation of the )counsel of the

ungodly) since the contemporaries of 0nosh were accused of practicing )the arts of divination and the control of heavenly forces.) Man was beginning to show a spirit of independence and intellectual curiosity that apparently did not abide well with his reptilian masters. + o,,e-%* &t is my contention that the 2ibiruan 3ierarchy would rather have not created Man in the first place. #ne might even go so far as to state that Man was a creature necessitated by their greed and sloth. #nce created, however, Man had to be civilized and educatedL thus, these *aurian 4ods were saddled with this responsibility, li$e it or not. robably today, they"d !ust as soon hope that they are free of us forever, that we are their burden no more.; The days of 0nosh were also mar$ed with many earth(ua$es which caused untold misery. -rought and famine followed, and then there was a mass dying off of the population. 'ccording to the Third Book of Enoch* the ,ord decided to remove his )she$inah) or space craft from the area of the garden of 0den in the days of 0nosh and return to the heavens. *umerian sources reveal that at first the chief god 'n resided at <ru$, the 0rech of the .ible, but for undisclosed reasons, decided to return to his heavenly abode, never to come bac$ except on special occasions. 3e may have left because of the numerous earth(ua$es and bad conditions at the time of 0nosh. 0nosh is said to have lived >@? yearsL at the ago of >@ he begot +enon or /ainan. Meaning )metalsmith) or )craftsman,) little is $nown of +enon from ancient sources. *ince the second city built was called .adtibira or )city for metal processing,) there seems to be an association whose meaning has been lost. +enon lived >=@ years and begot Mahala"el at the age of N@. Mahala"el or )praiser of the ,ord) lived G>? yearsL nothing is $nown of him. When he was F?, 8ared was born or EF@ years after 'dam had left 0den. Thus 'dam, 0nosh, +enon, Mahala"el, as well as /ain, would all still be living at the time we enter the era of 8ared. 8ared was the first atriarch not to marry his sister. erhaps it is symbolic of the end of an era where intermarriage among siblings was not only condoned but practiced as a general custom as, for example, among the 0gyptian royal family. The days of 8ared would be, by calculation of the figures given in 4enesis, from the year EF@ '' to =EDD'' Hthat is, '' M 'fter 'dam or the years elapsed since the birth of 'damI.

William W. 3allo in his article on )'ntediluvian /ities) H Journal of Cuneifor' Studies* Aol. DC, 2o. CI suggests that 8ared or 7ered, as it is sometimes given, means )he of 0ridu.) This would place 8ared at the city of 0ridu, !ust as 0nosh was at .adtibira, and 0noch at *ippar. The days of 8ared are of ma!or significance to human history for it was then that the 2efilim first descended. 8ubilees state that )in his days the angels of the ,ord, who were called Watchers H2efilimI, came down to 0arth in order to teach the sons of Man, and perform !udgment and uprightness upon the 0arth.) The arrival of these astronauts during the days of 8ared is also reported in the First Book of Enoch and later verified by documents found among the -ead *ea scrolls. 02#/3 #5 02M0-<5'22', T30 1'A#5&T0 #1 T30 4#-* The information on 0noch in 4enesis is sparse and little mention is made of him. 0noch was =F? years old when his son Methuselah was born. 0noch then lived D@@ more years at which time )0noch wal$ed with 4od, then was no more, because 4od too$ him.) The phrase )wal$ed with 4od) has been generally interpreted to mean that he ascended to heaven during his lifetime. This cryptic phrase implies, nevertheless, of the existence of some fuller narrative about 0noch, lost or omitted from the #ld Testament. 0noch became a hero in 8ewish apocalyptic literature and two boo$s were ascribed to him, the )0thiopic) and )*lavonic) boo$s. The figure of 0noch was especially significant in the spiritual movement from which the -ead *ea scrolls originated. 3is story and writings are treated in the Book of Jubilees* and he plays an active role in the $ebre! "pocal#pse of Enoch which is ascribed to the alestinian scholar &shmael. 0noch"s ascent to heaven is actually !ust the beginning of a fabulous career, wherein 0noch became )divine) and was made chief of the heavens, second only to the deity himself. 'fter his ascent he came bac$ to his family briefly to teach his son Methuselah the wisdom he had learned and written down in heaven. 'fter a brief stay here he returned to the space craft for six 8ubilee years. -uring this period he apparently commuted between the space ship and 0arth. The apocalyptic literature mentions his residence in 0den and on Mount %atar, an unidentified place which could very well be the city of *ippar in Mesopotamia.

02#/3"* )5&*0) T# #W05 The elevation of 0noch to the status of a god is recounted in the *lavonic 0noch. 0noch himself reveals the experience: )When =F? years were complete for me, & fathered my son MethuselahL and after that, & lived D@@ years...#n the assigned day of the first month, & was in the house alone...'nd & lay on the bed sleeping...Then two huge men appeared to me, the li$es of which & had never seen on earth...'nd they stood at the head of my bed and called me by my names.) 0noch awo$e and was terrified. )Then these men said to me, ".e brave 0noch, in truth do not fear, the eternal god has sent us to you. 'nd behold, you will ascend with us to heaven today.") 3e was told to tell his sons and household that he was leaving. 3e was then ta$en up )on their wings) to the heavens. 0noch was given a tour of the space ship. &n one area he saw two hundred de!ected )angels) and was told that they were the ones who had descended, committed many crimes, and were being held for trial. 0noch"s clothes were ta$en away, and he was )anointed) and given )clothes of glory,) a symbolism to show that he was changed physically, made over li$e one of the gods. This is !ust the reverse of what happened to 'dam in the garden of 0denL he lost his )cloud of glory) and then was given clothes. &t appears from what happened subse(uently that 0noch received some form of )divinity) here at this time. Then a )pen for speed-writing) was given to 0noch, and boo$s were read to him while he copied dictation about the )marvels and secrets of heaven.) 3e remained on the ship for sixty days, then was returned to 0arth to spend thirty days to impart his $nowledge to his sons. 3e was then pic$ed up and flown bac$ to the space ship where he was to be the chief investigator for the in(uiry into the crimes of the 2efilim. The 3ebrew of Third Book of Enoch contains the testimony of 5abbi &shmael, the famous alestinian scholar, where he dreams he is ta$en to heaven and meets Metatron who appears to be the most powerful being there. )Why is your name li$e the name of your /reator with seventy names?) as$s &shmael. )7ou are greater than all the rinces, more exalted than all the angels, more beloved than all the Ministers.) 0noch answers, ).ecause & am 0noch, the son of 8ared.)

3e then describes how he was made chief of the heavens over the ob!ections of the angels. 0noch is made acting chief with all the titles and powers of office. 3e is given the )divine names,) the seventy names which confer power over the heavens and earth. These names seem to be li$e the Tablets of -estiny or the M0s of the *umerian gods. They are formulas of devices which give the owner absolute control over certain aspects and categories of life. + o,,e-%* 'gain we find similarities to the attributes of the mysterious )'rchons of -estiny).; 0noch served as Metatron Hfrom the 4ree$ )metathronos) or )the one who serves behind the throne)I for six 8ubilee years or C@@ years. 'ccording to this document, he was resettled in 0denL and while little is $nown of these C@@ years when he served as Metatron, he presumably commuted bac$ and forth between a city on 0arth and the space ship. T30 /5&M0* '2- T5&', #1 T30 /5&M&2', '*T5#2'<T* 8ubilees states that in the days of 8ared )the angels of the ,ord, who were called Watchers, came to 0arth in order to teach the sons of man.) These are the 2efilim who are described in 4enesis F: )2ow when men began to increase on 0arth and daughters were born to them, the divine beings HelohimI saw how beautiful were the human daughters and too$ them as their wives any of them they li$ed . . . &t was then that the 2efilim appeared on 0arth - as well as later - after the divine beings had united with human daughters.) + o,,e-%* My 5evised *tandard Aersion of The Bible describes it differently. 3ere is what my .ible says about this same event in 4enesis F:=-G. 9)When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of 4od saw that the daughters of men were fairL and they too$ to wife such of them as they chose. Then the ,ord said, "My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."

9)The 2ephilim were on the 0arth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of 4od came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown. 9)The ,ord saw that the wic$edness of man was great in the 0arth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. 'nd the ,ord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. *o the ,ord said, "& will blot out man whom & have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for & am sorry that & have made them." .ut 2oah found favour in the eyes of 4od.) 9&n the 8ewish and 0thiopic traditions, 2efilim means )s$y people.); There were D@@ astronauts who descended in the days of 8ared onto Mount 3ermon in northwest alestine near ,ebanon. &n the .abylonian records of creation, the Enu'a Elish* a large group of divine beings descended to 0arth. Tablet A& of the epic reveals that the 'nunna$i were (uite restless in their space ship. 3aving achieved freedom from labor with the creation of Man, they were becoming increasingly bored and restless. &t was then decided to resettle part of them on 0arth. 'ccordingly, C@@ of them descended to 0arth while another C@@ remained on the space ship. /alled the )igigi,) they were presumably the ones with specialized functions, the technicians of the space craft. The well-intentioned plans of the 2efilim or 'nunna$i appear to have changed for the worst, for soon thereafter they began to engage in a variety of activities that raised the wrath of both god and man. The Ethiopic Book of Enoch suggests that their descent was a secret and unauthorized act of a group of rebellious )angels.) )&n those days, when the children of man had multiplied, it happened that there were born unto them handsome and beautiful daughters. 'nd the angels, the children of heaven, saw them and desired them and they said to one another, "/ome, let us choose wives for ourselves among the daughters of men and beget us children." 'nd *emyaz, being their leader, said onto them, ",et us all swear an oath and bind everyone among us by a curse not to abandon this suggestion but to do the deed." Then they all swore together and bound one another by the curse. 'nd they were altogether two hundred.)

+ o,,e-%* #ne would presume that if /ro-Magnon could interbreed with the *aurians in the first place, then this interbreeding is still possible. H&t"s part of that )s$in thing) again.I 'lso it is stated only that the saurian males interbred with the mammalian females. There is no mention of saurian females plotting to secretly )fornicate with) mammalian males. This leads to the thought that the birth-process physical-mechanism would predominate from the female side, since these recorded crossbreeds were born live, li$e other mammals. &f saurian females interbred with mammalian males, they were obviously more discreet and more selective about it but probably bore their young encased in some sort of egg shell, for final incubation. *o, it seems li$e )boys will be boys,) no matter which planet you live on. &s this reassuring, or what?; -uring this time, 0noch was performing the wor$ of a scribe at a hidden location on 0arthL )no one of the children of 4od $new by what he was hidden and where he was,) notes the account, although it ma$es it clear he was among the 'nunna$i of the Mesopotamian valley. 3e is then approached by the )2efilim of 3eaven) and told to go among the )2efilim of 0arth) and apprise them of their crimes. )0noch, scribe of righteousness,) he is told, )go and ma$e $nown to the watchers of heaven who have abandoned high heaven and have defiled themselves upon the 0arth.) )0noch approached the 2efilim and warned them that, "There will not be peace with you, a grave !udgment has come upon you. They will put you in bonds, and you will not have an opportunity for rest. 7ou have shown to the people deeds of shame, in!ustice, and sin.") 's a group )they were all frightened and fear and trembling seized them.) They begged 0noch to draw up a letter of forgiveness and to petition the deity on their behalf. 0noch did as they re(uested. 't this time, the records say, 0noch was in the area of -an, near Mount 3ermon, where the 2efilim are said to have originally landed. 0noch flew up to heaven in a space craft or )fiery chariot) and in his words )the winds were causing me to fly and rushing me high up into heaven.) 3e was greeted by the deity who heard 0noch"s petition on behalf of the 0arthbound 2efilim. The deity was angry and not disposed to be merciful, mainly because it was not proper for a mortal to intercede for the 2efilim. &t !ust was not done in the scheme of things. 5ather it was more fit and proper for them to intercede on the behalf of Man$ind.

3e chastised them thoroughly, )for what reason have you abandoned the high, holy eternal heaven?) 3e contended that they had been spiritual beings )possessing eternal life but have defiled yourselves with women and li$e them producing blood and flesh which will die and perish.) &t seems that their offspring were more mammal than reptile, and again we see that e(uation, contrasting eternal life and the physiology of the 'nunna$i with that of mortals of blood and flesh. .ut the plans of the 2efilim on 0arth went awry, and they produced creatures (uite unli$e their reptilian forbears. The )divine) race was becoming diluted, and the mammalian genes appeared to dominate the reptilian strain which became recessive. This factor may have been the main reason which led to the experiments in genetic engineering, one of the ma!or crimes levelled against the 2efilim. &n order to redress the unforeseen and unwarranted dilution of the saurian strain, the 2efilim began experiments in changing the genetic codes, hoping in this way to reestablish their strain as the dominant one. These experiments apparently got out of control, for one of the accusations against the 2efilim was to practice )alchemy) by )changing a man into a horse or mule or vice versa, or transferring an embryo from one womb to another.) #ther cryptic references indicate that these experiments also involved animals, for )they began to sin against birds, wild animals, reptiles, and fish.) Monsters of all sorts were producedL these in turn oppressed man$ind in the years before the -eluge. The 2efilim then turned to cannibalism, not a great change morally to a race used to human sacrifice. The increase in human population and the catastrophes of the period produced extreme food shortages. The religious literature relates how )the giants consumed the produce of all the people until the people detested feeding them. *o the giants turned against the people in order to eat them.) The gods in heaven were incensed over these activities and swore to eliminate the offspring of the 2efilim which caused havoc on 0arth. The deity directed the )avenging angels) to, ) roceed against the bastards and the reprobates and against the children of adulteryL and destroy the children of adultery and expel the children of the

Watchers from among the people. 'nd send them against one another so that they may be destroyed in the fight.) The "thrasis Epic version of the creation describes a condition of famine and desperation !ust before the -eluge. The land had become barren because of the drought. eople roamed about in despair due to disease and illness. The dead were everywhere and, as the tablets reveal, each family )devours) the other, and then finally eat their own young. + o,,e-%* 's horrible as this may sound, it is not uncommon. ' mid-D@th /entury famine in Aietnam resulted in parents eating their own young children.; The actual trial of the children of god is not described in the boo$s of 0noch, yet there was a decision handed down for 0noch to transmit to them. )3e testified about the Watchers who had sinned with the daughters of manL he testified against them all,) relates the boo$ of 0noch. The verdict is given, and in 0noch"s words, )8udgment is passed upon you. 1rom now on you will not be able to ascend to heaven unto all eternity, but shall remain inside the 0arth, imprisoned all the days of eternity. .efore that, you will have seen the destruction of your beloved ones.) There are two parts to the verdict: the 2efilim will be imprisoned in the earth, and secondly their offspring will be destroyed. Their imprisonment in the 0arth is reflected in the Mesopotamian epics where some of the 'nunna$i suffer a similar fate. &n the *umerian epic escent of Ishtar to the -ether World* some of the 'nunna$i live in the nether world where they are visited by the goddess &shtar. 9&nannaJ3athorJ'phroditeJ,a$shmi; &t is a )land of no return,) a land of dar$ness and misery, where the )prisoners eat clay for bread and drin$ muddied water for beer.) 02#/3 '* M0T'T5#2 '2- 02M0-<5'22' 0noch went to heaven in a fiery chariot according to the 3aggadah, and here he was changed physically and made divine as the first step in becoming chief of the heavens, second only to the deity himself. The $ebre! Book of Enoch describes his ascent to power over the ob!ections of the angels. 'pparently, the deity did not trust the angels and brought 0noch up to the heavens to straighten

things out. Three of the ministering angels as$ the ,ord )what right has this one to ascend to the height of heights?) The ,ord replies, )& have chosen this one in preference to all of you, to be a prince and ruler over you in the heavenly heights.) 3e is given the name Metatron and the title rince of the -ivine resence. These titles and powers of 0noch have made it difficult for .iblical scholars to try to fit him into the doctrine of monotheism. 0noch or Metatron is placed in charge of the heavenly staff and given access to all parts of the heavenly abode or ship. 0noch also assumes control over all the vehicles, roc$ets, and other technical e(uipment. &n modern terms, Metatron is the /hief 0xecutive #fficer answerable only to the resident or the /hairman of the .oard. The similarities between 0noch and 0nmeduranna, the *umerian $ing, is so stri$ing as to indicate that the stories about 0noch and the stories of the legendary god-$ing of *ippar come from a common source. While the .iblical records preserve a partly expurgated narrative of 0noch, many of the original mythological motifs of 0noch continued to exist in the oral tradition until they reached their present form in 8ewish pseudepigrapha, medieval legends, and mystical literature. .oth 0noch and 0nmeduranna were the seventh ruler before the -eluge, 0noch being the seventh atriarch in the line of *eth, and 0nmeduranna the seventh antediluvian $ing of the *umerian +ing ,ist. #ften called a priest-$ing in the boo$s bearing his name, 0noch ruled both on 0arth and in the heavens. 0nmeduranna ruled at *ippar, the space port of the antediluvian gods. 3is name 02-M0--<5-'22' means )the ,ord of the M0s that connect heaven and earth,) or in other words, the $ing who controls the Tablets of -estiny that control the flights between heaven and 0arth. This may be why 0noch is given so much importance among the atriarchs because he was in charge of *ippar, the space port and the *umerians" most important city. 'ccording to 8ubilees, 0noch made incense offerings on Mount %atar. ,isted as one of the four sacred places on 0arth, along with the garden of 0den, Mount *inai, and Mount Bion, %atar is otherwise not identified in the religious literature, except that it is referred to as the )mountain of the east.)

*ince the reference point of this entry in 8ubilees is Mount *inai, the mountain of the east would be in the general direction of Mesopotamia. &t would logically be the ziggurat at *ippar, the artificial mountain where 0nmeduranna was priest-$ing. T30 M7*T05&#<* ,'M0/3, T30 *#2 #1 M0T3<*0,'3 Methuselah, the son of 0noch, is given little coverage in 4enesis. 3is son ,amech, however, is the sub!ect of an historical mystery. &n both the /ainite and the *ethite tradition, ,amech is the son of Methuselah. 4enesis devotes much space to explaining the activities of the line of /ain, and then drops the line altogether. %uite cryptic in nature, there is some meaning here that has been lost to anti(uity. 'ccording to this lineage, ,amech had three sons - 8abal, 8ubel, and Tubal/ain. 3is wives were 'dah and Billah. 3e was thus the first admitted polygamist, and the father of the founders of nomadism, the musical arts, and metalwor$ing. ,amech is the seventh generation according to the /ainite lineage and the numbers N and NN seem to play an important part in his poem in 4enesis: ),amech said to his wives, 'dah and Billah, hear my voice, # wives of ,amech, give ear to my speechL & have $illed a man for wounding me, a boy for in!uring me. &f /ain be avenged sevenfold, then ,amech seventy-seven fold.) The reference to $illing a boy and a man, leading to a curse to the NNth generation, has been a puzzle to scholars for centuries. Who then were these people who were so important as to bring such drastic retribution to ,amech? The answer may be found in the 3aggadah which provides details of the slaying of /ain. &n the story, ,amech was reportedly old and blindL and when he went hunting, he was led by his son Tubal-/ain, who would tell his father when game came into sight, so that ,amech could shoot at it with his bow and arrow. #nce he aimed at some horned creature which Tubal-/ain thought to be a beast. &n fact, it was /ain bearing the )sign of /ain,) a horn in the forehead, according to the 3aggadah, but more probably a pair of horns on the head. ,amech $illed him and in despair, he struc$ out inadvertently $illing his son Tubal-/ain. 1anciful as the story goes, it accounts for the $illing of a man and a

boy, both of which were not !ust ordinary people. /ain"s slaying was serious since he was half-reptile and protected by the gods as one of their own. .y the days of ,amech, the 'nunna$i or 2efilim had become the bane of man$ind. The hatred for these barbaric ancestors may have led ,amech to murder /ainL and while it may have been applauded by man$ind, the gods were certainly not pleased. There is an echo of this in the treatment of Melchisede$, the grandchild of ,amech, who was ta$en away by the 2efilim to prevent his being $illed by the people. 's riest-+ings, the atriarchs were considered to be allies and friends of the gods, presumably because they themselves were part saurian. 5eptile vestiges must have made them easily recognizableL and these characteristics, possibly a patch of scaly s$in on the chest or face, or perhaps the remnants of reptilian features on the countenance, would be considered by humans as the so-called )badge of shame.) This may have been why 2oah was so upset when seen na$ed by his sons. T30 ,'M0/3 #1 T30 ,&20 #1 *0T3 &t would seem that there were two different traditions of the antediluvian atriarchs that originated from the same source. Why the two ,amechs were so different is an interesting puzzle that see$s a solution. erhaps some of this confusion can be traced to the events of the time. 0noch appears to be the last of the atriarchs beloved and trusted by the gods. 3e went up for the second time in >GN '' H7ears 'fter 'damI in our calculations, to become Metatron and preside over the trial of the 2efilim. The 2efilim reportedly descended during the days of 8aredL and since he was born in EF@ '', the troubles caused by them were between EF@ '' and >GN ''. &n 2oah"s time a second group descended and again caused many problems for humanity. While there is no evidence that Methuselah, as a priest-$ing, was not trusted by the gods, the minimum amount of publicity he receives in all the ancient documents indicates he was not very popular. 2either was ,amech, for in the Sla&onic Book of Enoch, Methuselah passes the mantle of priesthood to 2ir, thereby bypassing the generation of ,amechL and what is more significant, s$ipping over 2oah, his eldest son. #f this ,amech, 4enesis ? has this to say: ),amech was =GD years old when he begot a son. 3e named him 2oah, which is to say "This one will bring us relief from our wor$ and the toil of our hands, out of the very soil which the ,ord had placed under a ban." 'fter the birth of

2oah, ,amech lived ?>? years and begot sons and daughters. 'll the days of ,amech came to NNN years, then he died.) The *criptures seem ambivalent when it comes to ,amech, torn between the evil-doer of /ain and the laudable one of *eth. What is not often perceived is that while the atriarchs had prodigious lifespans, they dovetailed to such an extent that, according to the chronology of 4enesis, the total elapsed time adds up to no more than =F?F years. &n fact, if this chronology is used, at the time of ,amech"s birth in the year GNE '', all of the atriarchs were still alive, 'dam and /ain being the first to die in >C@ and >C= '', respectively. Therefore, the events of the days of 8ared, when the 2efilim first descended, through the generations of 0noch, Methuselah, ,amech, and 2oah, up to the -eluge, were probably no more than N@@ or G@@ years. The ends of the lifespans of ,amech and Methuselah coincide with the onset of the -eluge, leading one to believe that they both died in that catastrophe. M0T3<*0,'3 '2- T30 5&0*T-+&24* 2&5 '2- M0,/3&*0-0+ 'lthough he was the longest lived of the atriarchs - >F> years - little is $nown of Methuselah. 3e is mentioned in Pseudo1Eupole'us, a fragmentary source of the 1irst /entury ./, attributed to the 4ree$ writer 0upolemus, who is believed to have drawn his $nowledge from the wor$s of .erossus and olyhistor. 'ccording to 0upolemus, Methuselah obtained $nowledge from )the angles and passed this to man$ind.) This may refer to the $nowledge that was passed by 0noch to his family on his first return to 0arth. ,i$e 0noch, Methuselah must have commuted freely between 0arth and the space ship. &n a story from the -ead *ea *crolls, ,amech was worried over the strange appearance of his new son 2oah and as$ed his father Methuselah to see 0noch for an explanation. Methuselah apparently had no problem in reaching 0noch who was at that time in the orbiting space ship. Methuselah was also warned of the coming catastrophe. The *lavonic 0noch reveals that D@@ years before the event, he is told that )destruction of the 0arth is drawing near.) 't the same time, he is told to summon 2ir, the second son of ,amech, and to brief him on the coming disaster, )then & will preserve the son of your son ,amech, his first 2oah.)

While Methuselah"s grandson 2oah is well $nown in the *criptures as the hero of the -eluge, there are very few references to his second grandson 2ir, the son of ,amech, nor is there much information of 2ir"s son Melchisede$. .oth are considered to be riest-+ings in the tradition of the atriarchs. When 0noch left to return to the space ship after instructing his son Methuselah, the mantle of priesthood was passed to him. Then the 0arth was plunged into dar$ness. Methuselah and his brothers, with the sons of 0noch, built an altar and sacrificed sheep and oxen to propitiate the gods. &t seemed to wor$L at least there was a respite of ten years before the world was disturbed again. 8ust before Methuselah died, the deity told him to transfer the priesthood to 2ir. 1or some reason, the generation of ,amech is passed over. Methuselah was also to brief 2ir on the coming destruction of the world by earth(ua$e and rising waters, and by )the great storages of the waters of heaven that will come down to 0arth.) resumably, this refers to the collapse of the cloud canopy encircling the 0arth. &t is at this time that 2ir"s wife *opanim, who had until then been sterile, suddenly conceived with child. *he claimed that 2ir nor any other man had slept with her, suggesting that the father was probably a 2efilim. 2ir was not convinced of her innocence and banished her from his sight. ,ater, as she was about to give birth, he visited herL suddenly she died at his feet. They wrapped her in burial garments and placed her on the bed while they left to prepare her burial. They returned to the house to the surprise of their life. *opanim had produced a child, and as the *lavonic 0noch states: )'nd a child came out from the dead *opanim, and he sat on the bed at her side. 'nd 2oah and 2ir came in to bury *opanim, and they saw the child sitting beside the dead *opanim, and wiping his clothing. 'nd 2oah and 2ir were very terrified with a great fear because the child was fully developed physically, li$e a three-year-old child. 'nd he spo$e with his lips, and he blessed the ,ord. 'nd 2oah and 2ir loo$ed at him and behold, the badge of priesthood was on his chest, and it was glorious in appearance.) 2oah and 2ir dressed the child in priestly garments and gave him the name Melchisede$. 2oah suggested to 2ir that the presence of the child be $ept secret from the people for they would not understand and put him to death. This )badge of priesthood) that he bore on his chest and that made him so uni(ue

that he was immediately recognized as part divine was none other than the )mar$ of the 2efilim,) probably a patch of scaly lustrous hide. This sign of divinity, a patch of scaly s$in, is also mentioned in the 3indu classics. &n the )ahabharata* one of the demi-gods +arna is born of the sun god *urya 92ibiruan e(uivalent as yet unidentified; and an 0arth mother. 's such he is born )clad in a coat of armor, li$e a divine being.) +arna ma$es a pact with the gods to give up his divine armor in order to obtain a sophisticated weapon. 'fter accepting the celestial weapon, +arna begins to $eep his end of the bargain. 3e begins to cut off the )armor) from his body with sharp tools. )The gods, the mortals, seeing +arna cut off part of his own body, roared with approbation, because no sign of pain was visible on his face, or were any scars left on his body.) 8ust as the 3indu sun god was +arna"s father, the same may have been true of Melchisede$. Melchisede$, also called 'donizede$ H8oshua =@I, means )My ,ord is Bede$.) Bede$ was the 3ebrew name for the 5oman sun god 8upiter 9M 0nlilJBeusJ#siris;. 2oah probably also carried the )mar$ of the 2efilim) as we shall see. ,ater 2ir was informed that soon a great catastrophe would envelope the 0arth and destroy man$ind, but his son Melchisede$ would not perish. ' messenger appeared later to ta$e Melchisede$ away, for he said, )when the people find out about the child, they will seize him and $ill him.) Melchisede$ was ta$en aloft to his new home, the ship orbiting the 0arth. T30 M0,/3&*0-0+ 5&0*T3##The tradition of the priesthood of Melchisede$ is entirely dropped from the #ld Testament, and instead it is vested in 'aron, brother of Moses, later to be replaced by the tribe of ,evi or ,evites. The priesthood of Melchisede$ was $ept alive, however, by the Mormons who gave this tradition precedence over all other priest in the *criptures. The higher priesthood of the Mormon /hurch, or more correctly the /hurch of 8esus /hrist of ,atter--ay *aints, is called the Melchisede$ riesthood. 'aron and ,evi are given less importance, for the lesser priesthood is called the 'aronic riesthood of which the ,evitical riesthood is but a sub-division. The Book of )or'on traces the origins of the Melchisede$ riesthood bac$ to the days of 'braham, to the person of that name who was high priest and +ing

of *alem Hlater 8erusalemI to whom 'braham paid homage and a tithe of ten percent. T30 *T5'240 ' 0'5'2/0 #1 2#'3

4enesis asserts that )2oah found favor with the ,ord . . . 2oah was a righteous manL he was without blame in that age. 2oah wal$ed with 4od.) The only other atriarch who )wal$ed with 4od) was 0noch who became deified in his lifetime. 'lthough 2oah was not deified or made divine in the religious literature, his *umerian counterpart <tnapishtim was made immortal and sent to live with the gods. 1or some reason the 3ebrew priesthood decided not to immortalize 2oah. ,i$e his nephew Melchisede$, 2oah was physically different. &n the lost Book of .a'ech* scraps of which have been recovered in the -ead *ea *crolls, 2oah was so physically different when he was born that ,amech appealed to his father Methuselah, who in turn as$ed 0noch, whether or not 2oah had been conceived by the 2efilim. Methuselah was told that 2oah was not from one of the divine beings but was from his own son ,amech. What then is this physical difference that so disturbed ,amech? Was this the difference that caused such consternation to 2oah and his sons after the -eluge? 4enesis > ma$es much of the incident after the -eluge when 2oah, drun$ from too much wine, collapsed in a drun$en stupor in his tent. 3am entered and saw his father na$ed and told his two brothers, who proceeded to bac$ into the tent with a cloth and covered the na$ed 2oah. 1inding out that his son 3am had seen him na$ed, 2oah loses all sense of reason and puts a curse on 3am and his son /anaan. #ne wonders about this irrational reaction. Was it because 2oah wanted to hide the vestiges of his reptilian past? The sensitivity of 2oah in being seen na$ed can only mean that he bore the )sign of the 2efilim.) 8ust li$e his nephew Melchisede$, it may have been a large badge-li$e area of scaly s$in or hide on his chest. 5elations between humans and the 2efilim and their offspring were so severely strained !ust before the -eluge that open warfare had actually bro$en out, and

any vestige of reptilian ancestry in man was considered to be a )badge of shame.) Melchisede$ was whis$ed away by the deity in order to prevent the people from $illing him.

#a$%er 9 THE REPHAI)* WARRIOR'GODS OF THE WESTERN LANDS "

)The offspring of the alliance between the angels and the /anaanite women were the giants, $nown for their strength and their sinfulness. They have many namesL sometimes they go by the name 5ephaim.) The 3aggadah 'fter the -eluge a race of semi-divine warriors inhabited the lands of the ,evant. /alled the 5ephaim, they were apparently installed as the defenders of the Western ,ands and the space facilities at the beginning of the Third Millennium ./. 't this time they owed their loyalty to the $ings of Mesopotamia, especially to 2annarJ*in who was the legitimate overlord of these lands. When their cities in the Trans!ordan and elsewhere were destroyed by the eastern $ings who invaded in the D=st /entury ./, the 5ephaim lost all fealty to legitimate authority and became an independent martial force in the Western ,ands. They then became a formidable and uncontrollable force that dominated and plagued the people of these lands for the next thousand years. &t was the 5ephaim who built the impregnable glacis-type fortifications whose ruins are found all over the ,evant from 0gypt to 'natolia. &t was their descendants, called the 3y$sos, who occupied 0gypt for over four hundred years and under the .iblical name 'male$ites, prevented the 3ebrew tribes under Moses from entering the land of /anaan. + o,,e-%* The historical revisionism of the Aeli$ovs$ian *chool also e(uates the 3y$sos with the 'male$ites, but traditional historians place these two events F@@ years apart. This is an interesting )slip of the tongue,) so to spea$, by Mr. .oulay. &t adds more credibility to his entire theory, because there is nothing inherently contradictory between this information and the Aeli$ovs$ian scenario. -r. Aeli$ovs$y states that the 3y$sos were the same people as the ,ate /haldeans, or 'ssyro-.abylonians, all of whom came from Mesopotamia in the first place.;

<nder various regional names such as 'na$im and hilistine, they controlled the lands settled by the 3ebrew tribes for the period $nown as that of the 8udges. 's a political and military force, they were finally destroyed by the combined efforts of the 8udean +ings *aul and -avid, in combination with +amose and 'hmose, the first $ings of the 0gyptian =Gth -ynasty. The history of the 5ephaim is, as we shall see, interwoven with the destiny of the 3ebrews from the days of 'braham until those of *olomon. + o,,e-%* -r. Aeli$ovs$y also synchronizes the beginning of 0gyptian -ynasty =G with the period of *aul and -avid. %ueen 3atshepsut herself becomes the %ueen of *hebaL the ,and of unt, the ,and of &srael. This is amazing. 'n establishment scientist could attac$ .oulay"s theory on this ground alone. 'lso, the giant 4oliath was a hilistine. #bviously 4oliath was a 5ephaim hybrid.; T30 W'55&#5 4#-*: T30 50 3'&M &n =>D>, archaeologists excavating at 5as *hamra on the coast of *yria a few miles north of the modern city of ,ata$ia found a library of clay tablets dating to the =?th-=Dth /enturies ./. This site turned out to be the location of the ancient city of <garit, a main commercial stop on the trade route from northern Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean. + o,,e-%* -r. Aeli$ovs$y also based much of his historical revisionism on the 5as *hamra Tablets. To put this into some sort of time framewor$, the 0xodusJ3y$sos &nvasionJ*antorini /ataclysm occurred in =F@@ ./0. 'dd to that, DN@@ years for a date of EC@@ ./0, the beginning of our recorded history when the lanet 2ibiru departed for the #ort /loud. Their return in =F@@ ./0 generated these cataclysmic events. The )giants) that were living in the Middle 0ast between EC@@-=F@@ ./0 would have been left over from the previous 2ibiru erihelion. The eriod of the 8udges would correspond to the years =?@@-==@@ ./0, and by =@@@ ./0 +ing *olomon was on the throne of &srael. 'bout C@@ years later, the lanet 2ibiru once again made its last return to the #ort /loud.; *everal of these tablets refer to an enigmatic people called the )rpum.) These tablets have been called the 5ephaim Texts because of the close analogy with the 3ebrew term )rpm) or 5ephaim. The tablets concern a summons to attend a great ban(uet being given at an unspecified place to honor their great chief god 0l. &t describes how the

5ephaim prepare their horses and chariots, and after travelling for two days, arrive the next day at the site of the feast. ' great number of animals are slain for the ban(uet, and vast (uantities of wine are supplied. This ban(uet lasts for seven days. &n these tablets, the heroes are referred to as the )5ephaim of .aal,) but they themselves are also considered to be deities since they are occasionally called )ilnym) or gods. + o,,e-%* .aalJ.elJ.elusJ.alder e(uals .aron Mardu$ of the lanet 2ibiru.; The noted .iblical scholar 'drian /urtis in his boo$ 2%arit 3/as Sha'ra4 has suggested that these 5ephaim of the <garit tablets should be distinguished into three categories: =. The 5ephaim of the 0arth or the )rpians.) These appear to be the elite charioteers who came to the ban(uet. D. The 5ephaim of #ld or )rpim (dmyn) or the royal ancestors. They were probably the antediluvian 2efilim. C. The 5ephaim who are gods or )rpum ilnym) or the heavenly 5ephaim. These are presumably the 'nunna$i who remained in the space ship, sometimes called the )&gigi.) &t is the 5ephaim of the 0arth which concerns our researches here. They are the descendants of the 2efilim, and their assignment was to protect the Western ,ands as a semi-divine race of professional warriors. TW# T3#<*'2- 70'5* #1 -#M&2'T&#2 The 5ephaim were people indigenous to the land of /anaan in the Third Millennium ./. They first appear in 4enesis =? when, in the days of 'braham, they are listed as one of the native peoples of /anaan. &n the year D@FG ./, when 7ahweh concluded a covenant with 'braham at 3ebron, he catalogued the people of the land as follows: )To your offspring, & give this land, from the river of 0gypt to the great river, the 5iver 0uphrates: the +enites, the +enizzites, the +admonium, the 3ittites, the erizzites, the 5ephaim, the 'morites, the /anaanites, the 4irgashites, and the 8ebushites.)

't this time, the 5ephaim are listed as one of the ma!or nations of the land. *ome F@@ years later, at the time of the 0xodus, when the &sraelites were about to cross the 8ordan 5iver into /anaan, -euteronomy N lists the seven nations of /anaan as the 3ittites, 4irgashites, 'morites, /anaanites, erizzites, 3ivites, and 8ebushites. The 5ephaim are conspicuous by their absence. &t would seem that in the intervening years they were wiped out as a nation or as a cohesive political force. 's we shall see, many of the 5ephaim and their cities of the Trans!ordan were destroyed in the days of 'braham. The remnants settled in the western and southern part of alestineL as a scattered people, they were still a powerful force to contend with and were $nown under various local names such as 'na$im, 'male$ites and hilistines. T30 W'55&#5-/,'** #1 4&'2T* The *criptures ma$e it clear that the 5ephaim were the descendants of the 2efilim and that they were giant ferocious warriors who dominated the Western ,ands for two thousand years with their superior iron weapons and chariots and that their fortress cities were virtually impregnable. They are described as giants in the Book of -u'bers when, during the 0xodus, Moses decided to send scouts north into the land of /anaan to reconnoiter the land before any serious penetration would be attempted. The twelve scouts returned with a very pessimistic report: )They went into the 2egeb and came to 3ebron, where lived 'himan, *heshai, and Talmai, the 'na$ites . . . 3owever, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very largeL moreover, we saw the 'na$ites there . . . 'll the people that we saw in it are men of great sizeL we saw the 2efilim there - the 'na$ites are part of the 2efilim - and we loo$ed li$e grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have loo$ed to them.) + o,,e-%* The word )'himan) is suspiciously similar to the word )'hriman,) which may be the 3indi linguistic e(uivalency for rince 0n$iJ'gni.; 1orty years later, as the &sraelites attempted again to enter /anaan, this time by ta$ing the roundabout way through the Trans!ordan, they again encountered the 'na$ites.

+ o,,e-%* 'ccording to historians at &sraeli universities, the term )forty) something was a collo(uial of the period when the *criptures were written. )1orty) meant merely )a lot.) Thus, they wandered for forty years actually means they wandered for a long time. &t rained for forty days and forty nights means it rained a lot. #ne might even extend this collo(uialism into more recent times. 'li .aba and the 1orty Thieves could mean only 'li .aba and his big gang of thieves.; 's they s$irted the land of Moab, they were told not to harass the Moabites or to engage them in war. The land they were told was )formerly inhabited by the 0min, a people great and numerous and as tall as the 'na$ites. ,i$e the 'na$ites, they are counted as 5ephaim, but the Moabites call them 0min.) Thus, the 'na$im or 'na$ites are e(uated to the 2efilim and the 5ephaim, the former being their name before the -eluge and the latter the term they were $nown by after the catastrophe. The 5ephaim and their cousins were a fierce martial race, giant in stature, e(uipped with iron weapons and war chariots. When the average inhabitant of the Western ,ands was about ? to ?.? feet tall 9about =.? meters;, the > and =@ foot 9C meters; 5ephaim must truly have been an imposing sight. 'fter the &sraelite reconnaissance team returned from /anaan, they reported to Moses that the 'na$im they saw were giant peopleL )we loo$ed li$e grasshoppers to them,) they declared. +ing #g of .ashon, reportedly the last of the 5ephaim in that area, was described as a huge man whose bedstead was > cubits long and E wide. ' cubit was measured by the length of a man"s forearm and varied slightly among the ancient people. <sing a cubit of =G inches 9E?.?E centimeters;, the bedstead would be =C.? feet by F feet 9E.=? K =.G? meters;. ' cubit of =? inches 9CG centimeters; would ma$e it == by ? feet 9C.CG K =.?E meters;. The hilistine 4oliath who fought -avid was six cubits and one span tall, according to the *criptures. .y the above calculations, by would be ten or eight feet tall 9D.EF-C.@G meters;, depending on the size of the cubit used. 4oliath and his brothers were called )rph) or 5ephaim in 3ebrew, although traditionally the term has been translated as giant. The famous *amson was probably also a 5ephaim. While the #ld Testament dotes on his fabulous accomplishments, his size is not given. &n the 3aggadah, however, he is called a )rph) or giant.

.orn near .eth *hemesh in ,ebanon, his name is clearly related to 3ebrew )shemesh) which means *un or the god *hamash 9M rince <tuJ'pollo, the *un 4od;. 3is mother was reportedly impregnated by )7ahweh"s envoy,) one of the demi-gods. *amson refused to marry one of the 3ebrews and instead chose a hilistine woman, presumably because she was one of the 5ephaim. 8udges =E describes one of his exploits which sounds very much li$e the parties of the 5ephaim at <garit. When he was at Timnah, a town near .eth *hemesh, it is said that )*amson staged there a party for seven days because that is what the elite fighters used to do.) 3e is undoubtedly repeating the exploits performed by his ancestors at <garit. *amson"s home was !ust a few miles from .aalbe$ or .eth-*hemesh, the sacred place where the Mesopotamian gods met and feasted in the Eth and Crd Millennia. + o,,e-%* 's we $now from the *itchin material, .aalbe$ was the 2ibiruan 'irfleet 3ead(uarters, commanded by rincess-5oyal &nanna under the higher command of her brother and secret lover, 2ibiruan *pace /ommander rince <tu.; 's warriors, the 5ephaim were an awesome force. They had a variety of iron weapons that outclassed their opponents. Their large composite bow was said to outrange any other bow. &n the *econd Millennium, their iron chariots terrorized the countryside. rotected by their glacis-type fortifications, their cities were invulnerableL from these citadels they often burst forth and ravaged the surrounding countryside. 't the time of 'braham, the fortifications of the 5ephaim were strategically located along the +ing"s 3ighway in the Trans!ordan to protect the lands from the north, east, and south. The invasion of the eastern $ings in D@G? ./ and the destruction of these fortified cities mar$s the end of their loyalty to established authority. They migrated to the west and built new fortified cities patterned after the glacis-type design. This military class was $nown in the #ld Testament by a variety of names, depending on where they lived and their tribal associations. They did not mix with the other indigenous people and were given native names such as 0min by the Moabites, Bamzummin by the 'mmonites, and 'vvim by the people of the 2egeb. #riginally occupying ,ebanon and the Mount 3ermon area, they spread north to coastal *yria and to the Trans!ordan where they built a string of fortified

cities. &n the western part of alestine, they became allied and intermarried with the /aphtorim, who had come over from /rete and settled in the coastal areas, later to be $nown as hilistines and hoenicians. + o,,e-%* 'lthough they are not physically 5ephaim nowadays, what used to be called hilistines are the modern-day alestinians. erhaps, however, the warli$e bent of the alestinians can be genetically traced bac$ to their ancestor hilistines.; Those that lived among the native people were generally called 'na$im or 'na$ite, named after their ancestor 'na$. 3ebron was their capital city. ' particular group of 5ephaim settled in the 2egeb and the *eir area and became $nown as 'male$ites, or descendants of 'male$. These became the scourge of the 3ebrews during the 0xodus. T30 4,'/&*-T7 0 1#5T&1&/'T&#2 0xcavations at 8ericho have revealed that it is one of the oldest cities in the world. &t was occupied continuously, with occasional interruptions and destructions since circa G@@@ ./, until about =?@@ ./ when it was destroyed for a final time, never to be rebuilt. 1or our purposes here we are concerned with the .ronze 'ge period. 'rchaeological remains show that 8ericho flourished as a ma!or city from about CD@@ until about DD@@ ./ when there was an abrupt brea$ in occupation. 't this time, the strongly fortified city was destroyed by a heat so intense that the bric$s of the walls encircling the city were burnt red right through the center. The site was rebuilt and reoccupiedL but after D@@@ ./, an entirely new system of defense was introduced here - the glacis or scarp-type of fortification. This system of defense is not only found at 8ericho but also all over alestine, northern *yria, and even in the delta of 0gypt. &ts invention is usually attributed to the 3y$sos. The system of defense consists of a steeply sloping scarp of soil surfaced with bric$, tile, or plaster, surrounded by a stone wall and a moat. 't the top of the sloping scarp or glacis is another wall. Thus at 8ericho, a reconstruction of the defenses shows a stone revetment ten feet high 9C.@G meters; and a plastered slope at an angle of C? degrees running to a height of C? feet 9=@.NN meters; above the revetment. #n its crest there is a high wall of bric$L this bric$ wall thus stands bac$ from the stone wall at the bottom of the slope a distance of F?

feet 9D@ meters;. ' cross-section of the defense fortification reveals its formidable appearance. 'fter D@@@ ./, many of the cities of the west were defended this way. &t meant that there was a common culture or organization which bound all these cities together. This common bond was the military engineering genius of the 5ephaim. This type of defense was found at .eth-*hean, *hechem, 4ezer, Megiddo, 3azor, *aruhen, and many other cities in alestine. They are also found in 'natolia and northern *yria at 'lala$h, +archemish, and <garit. They also appear in 0gypt in the -elta region. The glacis defenses, curiously enough, do not appear in Trans!ordan where an important civilization is $nown to have flourished between the DCrd and DDnd /enturies, when a long line of fortified cities existed along the main north-south road $nown as the +ing"s 3ighway. These cities were destroyed at that time never to be rebuilt for a thousand years. Moving westward, these 5ephaim learned from this experience and rebuilt their cities in such a way as to prevent such a wholesale destruction again. 't the same time they lost their loyalty to the *umerian $ings, refuted established authority, and became maveric$ troops, roaming the lands as bands of armed warriors. &t was much li$e the roving $nights of the =Eth /entury 'in 0urope, who had lost all fealty as the feudal system bro$e down, and terrorized the lands of northern 1rance. *ecure behind their impregnable glacis-type defenses, the 'na$im of the =>th through the ==th /enturies ./ terrorized the surrounding lands. These forays are described in the Book of Jud%es+ ,eaving their citadels in their war chariots, they ravaged the countryside and pillaged at will. 'ny organized effort at resistance was (uelled immediately. They reinforced their dominance of the land by $eeping control over the manufacture and the use of iron. The First Book of Sa'uel reveals how there was no smith to be found in all the land of &srael, and any repairs to metal tools such as plowshares and sic$les had to be done by the hilistines and their allies the +enites who were s$illed in metalsmithing. &n this way, the 5ephaim remained in control of the lands of 0gypt and alestine for centuries. T5'2*8#5-'2, 3#M0 #1 T30 0'*T052 50 3'&M

When the $ings of Mesopotamia invaded alestine in D@G? ./, they passed by way of -amascus, then followed the +ing"s 3ighway which ran south to 0lath on the 4ulf of '(aba. This route brought them up against the citadels of the 5ephaim, a sort of Maginot ,ine that stretched the length of the Trans!ordan to protect the land of alestine from such an incursion. The power of the invading $ings, numbered as much as G@@,@@@ according to the 3aggadah, must have been overwhelming indeed, for they not only crushed these fortified cities but they never were rebuilt and the land remained unoccupied for a thousand years. The account in 4enesis gives their route as follows. 0ntering the Trans!ordan from the north, they first defeated the 5ephaim at 'shteroth-+arnaim. 3eading south, they then swang west to destroy the Buzim at 3am, the citadel that protected the crossroad over the 8ordan to Megiddo and the *ea. 5eturning to their original route, they then defeated the 0min at *haveh+iriathaim in southern Trans!ordan. *uccessfully penetrating the 'rabah, they then swang over to destroy the 'male$ites in the area of +adesh. 'lthough only a few cities are mentioned in the 4enesis account, there were presumably many others destroyed. The identification of these people is provided by the .iblical account which gives the route of the &sraelites F@@ years later. 't this time, they encircled alestine to enter the 8ordan Aalley by the same route as ta$en by the invading $ings, except they did it from the south. -euteronomy D states that the land of 'mmon was )formerly inhabited by the 5ephaim, whom the 'mmonites called Bamzummin, a people great and numerous, and as tall as the 'na$ites.) They had been wiped out as a nation earlier and their land resettled by the 'mmonites. The Buzim of 4enesis and the Bamzummin of -euteronomy are one and the same people. &n the 8ewish Midrashic literature the name Bamzummin means )great masters in war,) and the people were reportedly the offspring of the alliance between /anaanite women and the 2efilim of old. The 0min are also referred to in -euteronomy. &n spea$ing of Moab, it states that )it was formerly inhabited by the 0min, a people great and numerous and as tall as the 'na$ites. ,i$e the 'na$ites, they are counted as 5ephaim, but the Moabites call them 0min.)

'fter the &sraelites had s$irted the lands of Moab and 'mmon, they came to the country of *ihon. 't that time, the eastern part of alestine or the Trans!ordan was divided as follows: from the Wadi Bered at the bottommost part of the -ead *ea to the 5iver 'rnon stretched the land of Moab. &ts capital was *haveh-+iriathaim, the fortress capital of the 0min destroyed some centuries earlier. 2orth of the 'rnon and up to the Wadi 8abbo$ lay the land of the 'mmonites where the Bamzummin lived and were widespread as far as the 8ordan 5iver where their capital at 3am was destroyed in the same invasion. <pon crossing the 8abbo$, the &sraelites challenged the 'morites led by +ing *ihon who had made 3eshbon his capital. 2orth of these lands were the $ingdom of #g of .ashon whose capitals were 0drei and 'shtaroth. 'shtaroth+arnaim had been the first ma!or city of the 5ephaim to be challenged and destroyed by the invasion. The $ingdom of #g comprised .ashon and the Mount 3ermon region and extended to the 8ordan 5iver in the west. *alcah was at its eastern extremity and -an in the northwest. &n -euteronomy, #g is called the last of the 5ephaim, and particular mention is made of his huge stature as shown by the size of his bedstead which measured nine cubits long and four cubits wide. &t was captured by the &sraelites and put on display in the city of 5abbah. + o,,e-%* &t is incredible, isn"t it, to realize that the inferior forces of the *apien /ro-Magnons too$ it upon themselves to rid this planet of all vestiges of the sordid *aurian past. 2o wonder they felt so elated when they captured the bed of the last $ing and put it on public display6; The ease with which 8oshua captured the lands of Trans!ordan indicates that they were scantly populated by the remnants of the 5ephaim. 3owever, it was not always so. 't a .ronze 'ge site near .ab 0dh--hra !ust above the coastal plain east of the ,isan Hthe tongue of the -ead *eaI, archaeologists found evidence of a dense civilization that flourished from CC@@ ./ until about D=@@ ./ at which time it was destroyed by a conflagration that is reflected in the ruins. The area seems to have been abandoned. ' vast cemetery found here attests to a very large population during the .ronze age, the time when it was occupied by the 5ephaim.

These people used the charnel-house type of burial, consisting of a circular well-built mud and bric$ structure, sometimes lined with stone. The charnel house was usually placed in a section of slope cut horizontally so that part of it was below ground and the upper part protruding above the surface. &t is estimated that there are at least D@,@@@ of these burial chambers in the area. 'nywhere between =D and =? burials were made in each tomb. These burial chambers seem to have all been abandoned at about the same time. .efore the inhabitants left, they burned a number of bodies inside. Most of the mortuary buildings contained a large deposit of ash near the doorway, indicating that this was the last event that occurred before the tombs were sealed. &t remains a puzzle to this day. &n view of the ease of the advance of the invading $ings in D@G? ./ through a series of formidable defenses of the 5ephaim, and the evidence that the area remained unresettled for a thousand years, would suggest that the invaders used some $ind of weapons that contaminated the land. The contamination of the dead in Trans!ordan would explain the reason for burning the bodies and sealing the tombs, and why the area remained relatively uninhabited for a thousand years thereafter. &t may have ta$en that long for the poisoned land to recover and for the memory of the holocaust to be erased from the minds of the native population. &t explains why the 5ephaim moved westward and settled the lands there. 30.5#2, M0T5# #,&* #1 T30 '2'+&M *hortly after 'braham arrived in the land of /anaan in D@>D ./, he went to 0gypt where he stayed for a while only to return to /anaan suddenly in D@GF, the year before the invasion. 't .ethel, he split his forces and while ,ot too$ part of the army to the valley of *iddim, 'braham retired to the areas south of Mamre in the 3ebron area. With the help of the 'na$im generals 0sh$ol, 'ner, and Mamre, 'braham pursued the departing invasion army. Who, then, were these allies of 'braham? They are identified in the Book of Joshua as 'na$im. +iryat-'rba was the ancient name for the city of 3ebron, and it was the )metropolis of the 'na$im.) +iryat-'rba meant the )city of 'rba) and was named after the father of the 'na$im. When the &sraelite spies went up and scouted /anaan during the 0xodus, they came to the region of 3ebron which they said was inhabited by 'himan,

*heshai, and Talmai, all called children of 'na$. These sons are described as 2efilim and were of extraordinary stature and power. The names of the sons of 'na$ do not appear elsewhere in the #ld Testament, probably because they are not of *emitic origin. &t is noteworthy, however, that in the list of the 3y$sos $ings who ruled 0gypt, one bears the name of *heshai. ,i$e the 'male$ites, the 'na$im are vilified by the 3ebrew *criptures. The 'male$ites had prevented the &sraelites from entering directly into /anaan after their flight from 0gypt. When the &sraelites finally settled in /anaan some forty years later, they were told, according to 8oshua ==, that the 'na$im had been eliminated from the lands of 8udah and &srael. )8oshua moved at the time to wipe out the people of 'na$: from the 3ighlands, from 3ebron, from -ebir Hfrom all the people of &srael and from all the 3ighlands of 8udah6I. 'long with their towns, 8oshua utterly destroyed them. 2one of the people of 'na$ were left in the land of the .ene &srael. #nly in 4aza, and in 4ath, and in 'shdod did they remain.) The claim was somewhat premature, however, for during the next E@@ years, the period e(uated to that of the 8udges, the 'na$im and their 'male$ite and hilistine allies controlled and ruled the land and caused the 3ebrew tribes much difficulty. 2o reason is given for such a blan$ policy towards the people of 'na$, and the excoriation is strongly similar to the curse against the 'male$ites. The 'na$im appear to have bloc$ed the occupation of the &sraelites mainly in the mountainous regions of the west. These were the citadels of the hilistines. T30 50 3'&M #1 W0*T052 ',0*T&20: T30 3&,&*T&20* 'ccording to .iblical tradition, the land of the hilistines comprised five fortified cities which dominated the surrounding lands as far as .eersheba and -ebir. Their main cities of 'shdod, 0$ron, 4ath, 4aza, and 'sh$elon had withstood all the efforts of the &sraelites to dislodge them after the 0xodus and in the ensuing period sub!ected the tribes to continual harassment with their chariots bursting forth from their citadels. These hilistines are called 'na$im in 8oshua ==L in 8eremiah EN they are referred to as the remnants of the 'na$im. Who, then, were these hilistines who were supposedly part of the 'na$im?

+ o,,e-%* 's we $now from the research by Becharia *itchin, the 'na$im of The Bible are the same beings as the 'nunna$i of the *umerian records.; 4enesis =@ states that the hilistines were descended from the /aphtorim or /retans who settled in the coastal areas displacing the native 'vvim. &n fact, one curious reference in the Book of "'os indicates that the deity brought the ancestors of the hilistines from /rete and settled them in /anaan, !ust as he brought the &sraelites out of the land of 0gypt. &n this sense they appear to be a )chosen) people. These /retans intermarried with the 5ephaim, producing a race of fierce warriors who came to be $nown as hilistines to the 3ebrews. Their territory overlapped with that of 'male$ites in the south and 'na$ites in the westL at time, the *criptures seem to confuse the names of these three groups of people. The hilistines were also related or at least allied with the people of the northern coastal cities later to be $nown as hoenicia. This is indicated in 8eremiah EN when he prophesies the fate of the hilistines: ).ecause for the day is coming to destroy all the hilistines, to cut off from Tyre and *idon every helper that remains. 1or the ,ord is destroying the hilistines, the remnant of the coastland of /aphtor. .aldness has come upon 4aza, 'sh$elon has perished. # remnant of the 'na$im, how long will you gash yourselves?) The hilistines occupied the western hill country as early as the time of 'braham. 'fter the destruction of *odom and the other cities of the Aalley of *iddim, 'braham and his family settled near .eersheba. &n order to live here, they had to pay tribute and ma$e a treaty with 'bimelech, the +ing of the hilistines, who apparently controlled the area at the time. 'braham had to purchase land rights and obtain permission to live there. 'fter the pact was sealed, )'bimelech, and hicol, /hief of his Troops, left and returned to hilistine country.) This statement ma$es it clear that the hilistines did not live here yet they controlled the land: it is also evident that the appearance of 'bimelech"s /hief of Troops meant that they had a large military force on hand to enforce their claims. T30 'M',0+&T0-37+*#* 0%<'T&#2 The 0xodus is believed to have occurred in the middle of the =?th /entury ./, at the time of natural disasters that spoiled the end of the Middle +ingdom in

0gypt. &t was a period of chaos which made it possible for Moses to lead a ragtag army of refugees out of to try to reach the land of /anaan. + o,,e-%* This period of chaos, which included the TheraJ*antorini /ataclysm and the olar 'xis *hift, occurred not during the =?th but the =Fth /entury ./0. *ee "%es in Chaos by -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y. This )'ge of /haos) was caused by the return of the lanet 2ibiru for its last perihelion, which continued until about N@@ ./0.; The complete collapse of government and military power in 0gypt allowed the 'male$ites to penetrate the land easily from their position in the 2egev. &n their attempts to enter the land of /anaan, the refugees under Moses ran into this irresistible force of professional warriors. They too were on the move, but in a westerly direction. ' pitched battle at 5ephidim and numerous s$irmishes convinced Moses that they could not penetrate this formidable army. The 'male$ites moved into the delta of 0gypt and occupied it almost unopposed by a disintegrating government and disorganized army. <pon leaving 0gypt, the &sraelites entered the Wilderness of *hur and appeared to be headed for the land of /anaan by the most direct route. &t was )the =?th day of the second month) after leaving 0gypt that they camped at 5ephidim. &t is here that they ran into the main body of the 'male$ite horde. 'lthough Moses claimed it as a victory, it was a costly one for they were hard-pressed and very close to defeat. This was but one of a series of battles with the 'male$ites. The migrating force led by Moses was harassed continuously by the descendants of the 5ephaim as it is recounted in -euteronomy D?: )5emember what 'mele$ did to you on your !ourney, after you left 0gypt how, undeterred by fear of 4od, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear.) The ferocity of the attac$s of the 'male$ites closed the direct approach to /anaan at 5ephidim. 7et they were to be bloc$ed once more before they decided to turn south and try a more indirect route into alestine. &t was then that a curse was placed on the 'male$ites, as pronounced in 0xodus =N:

)& will utterly blot out the memory of 'male$ from under the heaven ... The ,ord will be at war with 'male$ throughout the ages.) The barbarity of the 'male$ attac$s is described in the wor$s of the 3aggadah. This battle apparently too$ place after the 'male$ites had captured the cities of the delta of 0gypt. 3ere they had obtained the archives where the 3ebrews had lived and had obtained the tables of descent for the 3ebrews, the names of their chiefs and the different families. The 'male$ites appeared before the &sraelite camps and taunted the 3ebrews by name to come out, to ma$e peace with them and to transact business. Those who too$ the bait and answered the call were slaughtered and their bodies horribly mutilated. + o,,e-%* &sn"t it absolutely amazing how much horror and slaughter and bloodshed that there has been in the history of this planet?6; 1orced bac$ into the desert, the &sraelites spent forty years before they could enter /anaan by the indirect route through the Trans!ordan. + o,,e-%* 's has been noted, the term )forty) something, as in E@ years, was merely a contemporaneous collo(uialism that meant )many years) or )a long time.); *ettling among the 5ephaim and their allies, the 3ebrew tribes remained at the mercy of the 'male$ites and their allies for the period of E@@ years, $nown as the time of the 8udges. + o,,e-%* &t is stated in The Bible that the period of time between the 0xodus and the completion of the Temple of *olomon at 8erusalem was EG@ years. 3owever, when the exact year-by-year chronology of this period is analyzed, it becomes apparent that this EG@-year period was only a rough estimate. #nce again you are referred to "%es in Chaos by -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y, as well as the treatise June 56* 789 BCE: " )athe'atical "nal#sis of "ncient $istor# by this editor, published in The Veliko&skian: " Journal of )#th* $istor# and Science* 'ugust =>>E.; The 'male$ites were not !ust a loose confederation of nomadic tribes, as has been suggested by most .iblical commentators. There are many .iblical references which dispute this view. The most significant are the following.

't one time H2umbers DEI, it was predicted of &srael that )their $ings shall rise above 'gag.) This statement ma$es it clear that 'gag, who was the last 'male$ite $ing, was of such high stature that later $ings of &srael would be measured against him. This would certainly not be said of !ust a tribal chief. *econdly, when this 'gag was captured by *aul, he was referred to as )'gag, the +ing of the 'male$ites.) H= *amuel =?:GI This 'gag was not only a person of high stature but a $ing as well. &f 'gag was such a powerful $ing, then it follows that he must have led a great nation. ' third reference reveals that *aul besieged and defeated the 'male$ites at a place called )the city of 'male$.) H= *amuel =?:?I ,ogically such a powerful prince leading a great nation must have had a large city as his capital. This evidence does not describe a group of disorganized nomadic tribes. &t shows that the 3ebrew tribes were up against a very powerful nation. T30 5<,0 #1 T30 37+*#* +&24* &2 047 T The country that the 3y$sos con(uered was a helpless land, one devastated by natural calamity. 'fter the loss of the haraoh and his army, there was no resistance in 0gypt and the invaders moved into the delta area with no opposition. 1rom there they spread south, con(uering the cities and nomes 9sic; and placing puppet $ings to rule the provinces. 'lthough the #ld Testament attributes the destruction of the 0gyptian army to their pursuit of the fleeing 3ebrews, it is more probable that it was destroyed attempting to stop the inflow of the 3y$sos. #ccupying the 2ile Aalley, the 3y$sos built a fortress capital city at 'varis, traditionally placed in the delta, but more probably located in the Wadi 0l'rish, also called the .roo$ of 0gypt, which was the historical boundary between 0gypt and alestine. The 3y$sos capital was strategically placed to defend the approaches to 0gypt from the east, the direction of invasions in the past. &n fact, since the 3y$sos or 'male$ites were spread throughout alestine as well as 0gypt, the location in the Wadi 0l-'rish was a natural one and enabled them to control alestine as well as 0gypt. The 3y$sos or )foreign $ings) are not mentioned in the #ld Testament by that name, yet archaeologically there is evidence of their occupation everywhere in alestine and *yria - their uni(uely designed fortress cities. This glacis-type

defense occurs in the delta of 0gypt, throughout the land of /anaan and as far north as 'natolia. Truly, the people $nown as 3y$sos mush have been $nown in the #ld Testament by another name. Much of the information available on the 3y$sos comes from 8osephus who in his "%ainst "pion (uotes the 0gyptian historian Manetho on the character of these people and the effects on the native 0gyptian culture: )There came, after a surprising manner, men of ignoble birth out of the eastern parts, and had boldness enough to ma$e expedition into our country, and with ease subdued it by force, yet without hazarding a battle with them. *o when they had gotten those that governed us under their power, they afterwards burnt down our cities, and demolished the Temple of the 4ods, and used all the inhabitants after a most barbarous manner.) 8osephus then relates how they appointed a $ing whose name was *alatis who made his capital at Memphis. 3e collected tribute from both the upper and lower regions of 0gypt and left garrisons at strategic places that gave him control over the whole land. 8osephus also states that fearing an invasion from the 0ast by the eastern $ings, he founded the fortress city of 'varis to protect against this potential threat. ,ogically, it would be east of the delta where it could protect the approaches to 0gypt. The 3y$sos are credited with introducing the war chariot to warfare, new types of swords, and the strong composite bow. With their superior weapons and their ruthless nature they were able to impose their will on the 0gyptians for E@@ years, a period which e(uates with that of the 8udges in alestine. ,&10 &2 ',0*T&20 'M#24 T30 'M',0+&T0* With certain native peoples as allies, the 'male$ites controlled /anaan with an iron hand. The *criptures reveal that the 3ebrew tribes had to settle and live among the 'male$ites who inhabited and controlled the plains of 8udah. &n other areas, they often attac$ed and harassed the 3ebrews, sometimes in con!unction with other people. 'ccording to the Book of Jud%es* they !oined Moab against the &sraelites to capture the city of 8erichoL at another time, they fought battles with the 3ebrews who lived in the valley of 8ezreel. *ince most of the cities of /anaan were in the hands of native people, the migrating 3ebrews were forced to settle in the less desirable areas between the

cities. 3ere they were vulnerable to periodic raids from all directions. Most of the tribes expressed frustration because the cities and lands which had been assigned by 8oshua were still under control of the native people. Thus, the tribe of Menassah lived among the fortified cities of .eth-*hean, -or, &blean, Megiddo, and Tanach which remained in /anaanite hands. the tribes of 0phraim, Bebulon, 'sher, and 2aphtali could not seize the cities in their assigned lands - those of 4ezer, 2ahalal, 'cco, *idon, 3elbah, 5ehob, and .eth-'vath, for example. The five cities of the hilistines remained uncon(uered, as well as all the land of ,ebanon from Mount 3ermon to 3armath. .ehind their impregnable fortifications, the 'male$ites would bide their time and then periodically burst forth from their citadels and raid the land in their iron chariots. #ne of their favorite tactics was to wait until the crops were ripe for harvest, and then they would drive their cattle ahead of them and, )-estroy the land"s produce . . . They would leave no means of livelihood sheep, ox, or don$ey . . . They would enter the land to devastate it. *o &srael became utterly destitute.) 1or over four hundred years the 'male$ites and their allies ruled this way, the 3ebrew tribes never $nowing when the ferocious sons of the 5ephaim would brea$ out of their cities and attac$ the settlers. 1rom their capital city at 'varis they could explode into the 2egev and devastate that area at will. 8osephus describes the citadel of the 3y$sos which *alatis built east of the delta. &t was a city: )3e made very strong by the walls he built around it, and by a most numerous garrison of DE@,@@@ armed men whom he put into it to $eep it. 3ere *alatis came in summer, partly to gather corn and pay his soldiers their wages, and partly to exercise his armed men and thereby terrify foreigners.) &t has been somewhat puzzling to historians how the 3y$sosJ'male$ites could have maintained control over the lands of 0gypt and alestine for such a long time. &t can be easily explained, however, by their ruthless nature and military ability, and their policy of $eeping the people of the lands they occupied impoverished and weaponless. + o,,e-%* &t should once again be emphasized at this point that traditional historians who deride the Aeli$ovs$ian *chool do not e(uate the 'male$ites

with the 3y$sos, because traditional establishment historians separate these two peoples by a period of F@@ years. &t is unclear to this editor whether 5. '. .oulay was a Aeli$ovs$ian follower or arrived at his conclusions independently of the Aeli$ovs$ian *chool.; &n the First Book of Sa'uel it explains how the 'male$ites and hilistines controlled the supply and use of iron: )There was no smith to be found in all the land of &srael, for the hilistines had said to themselves, "The 3ebrews might ma$e swords or spears." *o all &srael would go down to the hilistines to repair any of their plowshares, mattoc$s, axes, or sic$les. *o at the time of the battle of Michmash neither sword nor spear was available to any of the soldiers who were with *aul and 8onathan.) With their chariots, iron weapons, and composite bows, the 'male$ites and hilistines were virtually unbeatable against an enemy who best could muster stone age weapons. &n the first battles of *aul and -avid against these formidable foes, the only weapons that were available to the 3ebrews were clubs, stone slings, simple bow and arrow, and stone-tipped spears. &t was not until much later, when they could capture and seize sufficient iron weapons, that the tide turned and the &sraelites began to drive the 'male$ites from the land. 50A#,T &2 047 T '2- ',0*T&20 The 0gyptian puppet $ing *e$enenre who ruled from Thebes started the revolt against the 3y$sos $ings. 't that time, they ruled from 'varis and left puppet $ings throughout 0gypt to carry out their wishes. The revolt was carried on by his sons +amose and 'hmose who recovered the lands of 0gypt. The war of +amose against the last 3y$sos $ing 'pophis is preserved on a stele which was first erected at +arna$. &t describes his attac$ on the river fortress 'varis and how he seized hundreds of ships, some of which contained )produce of 5etinue.) +amose boasts that he had )made 'pophis see a miserable time,) and then adds that )the rince of 5etinue, wea$ of arms, who planned many things in his heart, but they have not come to pass for him.) 5etinue is usually identified as the land of alestine. Thus the rince of 5etinue who seemed to be allied with +amose was probably none other than *aul who at that time was besieging the 'male$ites at 0l-'rish. +amose was able to reoccupy all of 0gypt except their citadel at 'varis. 3is successor 'hmose completed the defeat of the 3y$sos with the help of the &sraelites. 'hmose not only drove out the 3y$sos but also pursued them to *aruhen, a fortress city on

the border of the land of their allies, the hilistines. 'fter a six-year siege, 'hmose destroyed this stronghold and the remnants of the 3y$sos. We can read a direct account of these events in the biography of one of his officers, who with 'hmose attac$ed 'varis and destroyed it, and then moved on to *aruhen where he besieged the city. The *criptures also describe battles against the 'male$ites at the Wadi 0l'rish and other places on the border of 0gypt. &n the First Book of Sa'uel* *aul was advised by the prophet *amuel to go forth and destroy the 'male$ites. )*o *aul summoned the army and mustered it at Telaim - two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of 8udah. Then *aul went to the city of 'male$ and lay siege at the Wadi. *aul defeated the 'male$ites from the Wadi toward *hur on the border of 0gypt. 3e captured 'gag, $ing of 'male$, alive and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.) + o,,e-%* #ne wonders what the 2efilim and 'nunna$i, watching these events from their par$ed lanet 2ibiru, thought about this wholesale slaughter of their saurianized brethren and $insmen.; The account maintains that the city was besieged from a wadi. There is only one river bed HwadiI in southern alestine or northern 0gypt, and that is the Wadi 0l-'rish which forms the traditional boundary between 0gypt and alestine. at certain times of the year it is a full-fledged riverL there is strong evidence that in ancient time it was flooded most of the year. &n the *criptures, the Wadi 0l-'rish is often referred to as !ust )the Wadi.) *aul fought the 'male$ites from )the Wadi toward *hur on the border of 0gypt.) The wilderness of *hur is that area between the Wadi and 0gyptL it was the first wilderness the &sraelites entered after the *ea of assage. Thus the city of 'male$ had to be 0l-'rish !ust as the city of the 3y$sos was 'varis. &t is strange that scholars have not noted the close philological association of 0l'rish and 'v-aris. + o,,e-%* -r. Aeli$ovs$y certainly noticed this philological relationship. /onsidering the intransigence of establishment scientists to modify their chronological philosophies, it is not strange at all to this editor that they have not noted this fact. *ince traditionalists place the 3y$sos F@@ years further bac$ in time than the 'male$ites, there would be no need for them to note it.;

The last 3y$sos $ing was called 'pop or 'pophis H4ree$I. The 'male$ite $ing captured by *aul at the Wadi was called 'gag. The similarity of the two names is so remar$able as to re(uire further elucidation. The explanation can be found in the way early 3ebrew was written. 0arly 3ebrew shows a stri$ing resemblance between the letter 4 or )gimel) and the letter or )pei.) 2o other 3ebrew letters were so much ali$e. 0ach letter is an obli(ue line connected to a shorter, more obli(ue line and is similar to the number N. The size of the angle between the two obli(ue lines constitutes the only difference. *ince the vowels in early 3ebrew are interchangeable, 'gag can easily become 'pop. &t thus appears that the last 3y$sos $ing and the 'male$ite $ing 'gag were one and the same person. &t is a $nown fact that the 0ighteenth -ynasty, which began the era of the 2ew +ingdom in 0gypt, started with 'hmose and the expulsion of the 3y$sos. &t is also true that the first 3ebrew $ing was *aul who, with -avid, presided over the extinction of the 'male$ites. lacing these monarchs in the same time period, rather than hundreds of years apart, solves many of the chronological puzzles in both 0gyptian and .iblical history. This alteration is necessary to understanding the history of the Middle 0ast from the time of the -eluge to the days of the 8udaean +ings. + o,,e-%* That is precisely the contention of -r. Aeli$ovs$y. 3owever, ma$ing *aul the contemporary of 'hmose automatically forces a F@@-year period of historical duplication in the histories of 0gypt and 'ssyriaJ.abylonia, as well as a short D@-year period of duplication in the history of 4reece following the .attles of Thermopylae and the 0urymedon. 'll of these duplications and )ghost correlations) are discussed and delineated in meticulous detail in the aforementioned treatise June 56* 789 BCE: " )athe'atical "nal#sis of "ncient $istor# by your editor 5oberto *olRrion. 1or information on how to obtain a copy of this treatise, which was published by &vy ress .oo$s of 1orest 3ills, 2ew 7or$, please send email.;

#a$%er 10 THE DEL(GE AND OTHER PROBLE)S OF HRONOLOGY "

)The myth of the great flood is recorded in 'merica from the 0s$imos and 3are &ndians in the north of 2orth 'merica to the 'raucanians in the south of *outh 'merica.)

/'<*0* '2- 0110/T* #1 T30 -0,<40 The catastrophic event which resulted in the inundation of the 0arth was so devastating that it is remembered in all the cultures of the world. The 8udaeo/hristian religion is probably uni(ue, for it blames the sinful nature of man. &n 4enesis the reason given for the -eluge was the moral depravity of man: )'nd 4od saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted their ways on earth.) &n the *umerian epics, it was brought on by the caprice of the gods. The Gil%a'esh Epic is silent on this point and merely states that it was decided by the gods in counsel. ' more detailed explanation is provided in the fragmentary "trahasis Epic where Man$ind is blamed because he is noisy and deprives the gods of their rest: )0nlil held a meeting. 3e said to the gods, his sons: ".ecause of their noise & am disturbedL because of their tumult & cannot get any sleep.") The inundation that engulfed the 0arth has been described in numerous sources. robably the best $nown and most vivid description is contained in 4enesis: )'ll the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the sluices of the s$y bro$e open.) The *umerian account seems to support this description. &n the Gil%a'esh Epic* the underworld footings collapsed, the di$es gave way, and a tempest swept the land. &n the wor$s of the seudepigrapha it was prophesied that )the great storages of the waters of heaven will come down to 0arth.) 1rom these accounts, therefore, the dynamics of the catastrophe can be described as twofold. 1irst, there was a heavy sustained downpour that lasted for wee$s, even months, and secondly, gigantic tidal waves generated by earth(ua$es swept the lands. &n the wor$s of the 3aggadah, the cloud cover is given as the ma!or source of water. These ancient 3ebrew legends refer to the -eluge as a union of water from the firmament above with the water issuing from the 0arth. Therefore, the (uestion arises, by itself would the collapse of the vapor canopy provide enough rain to engulf the world lands?

&t has been estimated that if the atmosphere were composed of pure moisture and suddenly condensed, it would amount to no more than C@ feet 9=@ meters; of water, certainly not enough in itself to inundate the 0arth. 3owever, the oceans of the 0arth hold more than D@@ million cubic miles of water. The sudden movement of this mass of water would be enough to drown about three-(uarters of the present surface of the planet and in some cases as deep as C@,@@@ feet 9=@,@@@ meters;. The tidal movements, in addition to the condensation of the clouds, would certainly provide enough water to drown even the largest continent. ' number of theories have been advanced to explain the event which triggered the catastrophe, from planetary near-misses by the planets Mars or Aenus to a shifting of the 'ntarctic icemass. + o,,e-%* That last sentence indicates that .oulay was well aware of the theories of -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y, because only -r. Aeli$ovs$y discusses near-misses by Mars and Aenus. &n the *itchin material the shifting of the 'ntarctic icemass is blamed, and this editor personally never felt that *itchin was correct about that. &n my opinion, the )-eluge) was caused by a olar 'xis *hift engendered not by Mars or Aenus but by the arrival or departure of the lanet 2ibiru - )3yperborea).; 5abbinical legends suggest it was a cosmic event which also caused changes in the positions of the stars. &t states that two stars were removed from from the constellation leiades, and these were replaced by two stars from the constellation of the .ear. The legends also suggest there were other changes among the celestial spheres during the year of the -eluge, involving the sun and the moon, although these changes are not specified. + o,,e-%* This is most interesting. leiades or not, there are two important but mysterious stars in the *irius *ystem, *irius ' and *irius .. This removal of a star could refer to the explosion of the red giant *irius . and its collapse into an invisible brown dwarf neutron star, events which are closely related to the capture of the lanet 2ibiru by this solar system.; Whatever the cause, it was significant enough in intensity to divide the history of Man$ind into two great periods. The antediluvian era is $nown as the time of the gods: the )golden age) in many mythologies. What had been achieved by man and god was washed away by the disaster.

&t is generally accepted that the end of the &ce 'ge had liberated huge (uantities of waterL this may also have contributed to the increased flooding of the 0arth. The date of the end of the &ce 'ge has been arbitrarily placed at various dates, generally around =@,@@@ ./. There is evidence, however, that it could have occurred as recently as E@@@ ./. &n his boo$ Worlds in Collision* Aeli$ovs$y introduced evidence to show that 2iagara 1alls, which was created at the end of the &ce 'ge, may be only N@@@ years old or less. This was deduced by geologists studying the gradual wearing down of the roc$s of the bed of the falls, creating today what is a horseshoeshaped contour. 't the rate of the yearly erosion, and even allowing for an increased rate in earlier days, they suggested that 2iagara 1alls were created about E@@@-?@@@ ./. + o,,e-%* Mystery solved - he has read -r. Aeli$ovs$y"s boo$s.; 0vidence from all over the world indicates that the antediluvian sea level was much lower than it is today. ,ower sea levels would mean that the old coastlines would be different. &f the continental shelf had been the original coastline of the continents, world seas would have been =?@ to D@@ feet 9E? to F? meters; lower than they are today. The continental shelf is of sedimentary origin, indicating that it had existed as the coastline for a very long time. The collapse of the cloud or vapor canopy would in itself have supplied a part of this water, perhaps as much as C@ feet. .ut the mechanism which caused the vapor canopy to collapse and brought on the -eluge may have also ended the &ce 'ge or 4lacial eriod as well. The melting of the glacial ice and the cloud precipitation could have raised world sea levels to what they are today. The waters over the continental shelf of 0astern 2orth 'merica varies in depth up to F@@ feetL but most of this is about D@@ feet deep. ' drop in the sea level of D@@ feet would expose most of the continental shelf. The same is true of the ersian 4ulf, where a drop of =?@ to D@@ feet would uncover most of the land and leave a much smaller gulf, more li$e a large river in width. Thus, the original *umerian cities built in the antediluvian ear would presently be under the ad!acent waters of the 4ulf. &n other words, the cities now being excavated in Mesopotamia were actually built on virgin soil and not on the ruins of previous cities. ' /35#2#,#47 1#5 T30 05&#- 15#M '.5'3'M"* .&5T3 T# T30 -0'T3 #1 *#,#M#2 Hall dates are ./0 - .efore /ommon 0raI

D=FN - 'braham is born at <r in Mesopotamia. D=@F - Terah and 'braham leave for 3aran. D@>> - act of the ? +ings of /anaan with the 0astern +ings. D@>D - 'braham leaves for /anaan. D@>= - 'braham goes to 0gypt. D@GF - 'braham returns from 0gypt. D@G? - &nvasion of the 0astern +ings. -estruction of the Trans!ordan citadels. /apture of +adesh. ,ooting of *odom. 'braham gives chase, rescues ,ot. D@GD - &smael born of 3agar the 0gyptian. D@FG - /ovenant with 0l *haddai. D@FN - /ities of the *iddim Aalley destroyed. -ead *ea formed. &saac born. =>>D - 'braham dies and deeds all to &saac. =GGN - &saac dies at =G@ years old. =GNN - 8acob goes to 0gypt. =GF@ - 8acob dies in 0gypt at =EN years old. =EEN - Moses leads rabble out of 0gypt. =E@N - 8oshua invades /anaan with &sraelites. =@D= - *aul becomes first +ing of 8udahJ&srael. =@== - -avid as $ing. >N= - *olomon begins his reign. >C= - *olomon dies and $ingdom divided. + o,,e-%* &n essence, there is nothing inherently incorrect with this chronologyL however, it is slightly )off) here and there. 1or instance, the reign

of *olomon actually began in the year >>? ./0, rather than DE years later. 'ssuming that the rest of the chronology were fairly correct, then all dates earlier than the reign of *olomon would have to be pushed bac$wards by DE years as well. That would put the date for the 0xodus at =EF= ./0. The temple of *olomon was begun in his fourth year, which was said to be the EG@th year after the 0xodus. >>? - E M >>=, O EG@ M =EN= ./0, which is only =@ years )off) from the former date. 3owever, it is the contention of this editor that the catastrophe that set off the 0xodus, the 3y$sos &nvasion of 0gypt and the TheraJ*antorini /ataclysm should be correctly placed at the year =?GG-GN ./0.; T30 -'T0 #1 T30 -0,<40 '* '.#<T E@@@ ./ There have been many attempts to date the catastrophe $nown worldwide as the -eluge, but so far none has proven to be generally acceptable. *ince *umer is considered to be the origin of Western /ivilization, archaeological evidence in the Mesopotamian plain would seem to present the best evidence in establishing the date of the -eluge. The cities of ancient *umer should provide a true and consistent record of the origin of these cities as found in the layers of silt laid down by the great flood. .ut these silt layers are not consistent. 2ear the ancient city of <r, archaeologists have dug down and found a layer of eight to eleven feet 9D-E meters; of clean silt between settlements. 't *huruppa$, a two-foot layer was found but for a later period. The strata of clean clay at <ru$ was found to be five feet deep, but again for a later period. &t is evident that if these several strata are actually flood deposits, they still do not represent one and the same inundation since they occur at at different points in the stratagraphic se(uence. &t would seem, therefore, that a common strata of virgin soil would have to be located deeper. The first cities of *umer inhabited after the -eluge were 0ridu, <ru$, and 2ippurL therefore, evidence of the first settlement should be found at these sites. 0ridu was considered by the *umerians to be the oldest city in the world and for this reason was probably the city which gave 0arth its name. &ts historicity is due to its being the head(uarters of 0n$i, from where he conducted all operations to establish a civilization. *ince it was the first city rebuilt after the -eluge, excavations here should provide evidence to the age of the *umerian civilization.

'rchaeologists digging at this site came upon a temple dedicated to 0n$i which appeared to have been rebuilt many times over. -igging deeper into the strata, excavators came upon a cross-section of the beginnings of Mesopotamian civilization. 't a stratum e(uivalent to D?@@ ./, archaeologists found the rebuilt ruins of 0n$i"s temple, than again at the level e(uivalent to C@@@ ./. -igging further, they came upon the foundations of the first temple dedicated to 0n$i. &t rested on virgin soilL nothing had been built here before. Time had been rolled bac$ to CG@@ ./. &t is then that civilization began in *umer. The date of the -eluge would then logically be sometime !ust before this date or about E@@@ ./. The origin of *umerian culture at about this time has been confirmed by artifacts found at <ru$. The earliest $nown text found in Mesopotamia was at the ruins of <ru$ and is dated to about C?@@ ./. &t is a tablet with small pictures, or pictographs, undecipherable but of a type which preceded cuneiform writing. 'llowing for several hundred years for the plain to drain and the land to recover, in order to rebuild the cities, it also postulates a date of about E@@@ ./ for the -eluge. The -eluge is remembered world-wide as a catastrophe that wiped out civilization and started a new era for Man$ind. Many cultures date their beginnings from this time. The 8ewish calendar counts time from an enigmatic beginning in CFN= ./ or )the years that have passed since the counting of years began.) &t is generally accepted that the 1irst 0gyptian -ynasty began about the middle of the 1ourth Millennium ./, after a chaotic period of C?@ years, which separates the human $ings from the semi-divine $ings of the 'rchaic eriod. 0lsewhere, the 1ourth Millennium is also mar$ed as the beginning date from which time is rec$oned, as for example, in Mesoamerica where the #lmec calendar begins in the year CCNC ./. *cholars agree that the $ey to establishing the time of events in .iblical times hinges on fixing the time of the 0xodus. Many dates have been proposed, but they either contradict explicit statements in the #ld Testament or they do not fit in with $nowledge of the 0gyptian dynasties of the period. .asically, the problem is correlating the 0xodus with current and subse(uent events in 0gypt. #nly a few so-called absolute dates exist for Mesopotamia and 0gyptL and when these are examined closely, they are not that absolute. The main anchor for 0gyptian chronology is based on the rising of the star *irius during the reign of *esostris &&& of the =Dth -ynasty. This astronomical event is identified as

=GND ./ and from this date predecessors and successors were given )absolute) chronological identifications. 'nyone writing on the ancient Middle 0ast is li$e a mountain climber tethered to a whole line of climbers at the head of which he hopes there is someone with his pic$ firmly anchored in roc$. <nfortunately, the fixed points provided even by astronomy are not all that firm, and from time to time whole chains of carefully calculated data slither down into oblivion. #n the other hand, if the dates derived from the .ible are used to erect a chronology from 'braham to the 8udaean $ings, a period of about a thousand years, there arises the problem that nowhere in this millennium do the events coincide with the traditional 0gyptian chronology. &t is as if the two civilizations lived side by side without any contact. #bviously, something is amiss in this scheme of things. &t can be shown, however, that dates derived from explicit information in the #ld Testament indicate that the early 8udaean $ings existed at the same time as the =Gth -ynasty and that the 0xodus coincided with the fall of the Middle +ingdom in 0gypt. *criptural evidence places Moses and the 0xodus in the middle of the =?th /entury ./L other .iblical events occurring before and after the 0xodus show the correctness of this date. ' mid-=?th /entury date provides a sound benchmar$ to establish the time of events in the days of 'braham which relate to the destruction of *odom and 4omorrah and the other cities of the *iddim lain, to the expulsion of the 3y$sos from 0gypt and the supporting role of *aul and -avid, and to the identification of the %ueen of *heba as %ueen 3atshepsut of the =Gth -ynasty. The chronology of these .iblical incidents can be corroborated by both 0gyptian and Mesopotamian data. + o,,e-%* This is straight out of -r. Aeli$ovs$y"s boo$ "%es in Chaos+ 't this point in his boo$, .oulay presents a table of dates, comparing the chronologies of &srael, 0gypt and hoenicia from the reign of *aul through the death of *olomon. 0ssentially he is using the raw data from the Aeli$ovs$ian *chool, data which this editor attempted to refine in the treatise June 56* 789 BCE: " )athe'atical "nal#sis of "ncient $istor#* mentioned earlier in this serialization.; T30 -'T0 #1 T30 0K#-<* '2- #T305 0A02T*

&n order to establish the date of the 0xodus, we must refer to the pertinent .iblical references. &n = +ings F it is stated that the 0xodus too$ place EG@ years before the fourth year of *olomon"s reign, when he began to build the Temple. This year would be >FN ./, considering he ruled from >N= to >C= ./. The chronology may oscillate a few years due to the uncertainty of the end of *olomon"s reign and the division of the $ingdom. We have chosen a middle date. &f the temple was built in >FN ./, we arrive at =EEN ./ as the date of the 0xodus, that is, >FN plus EG@ years. *ince the so!ourn in 0gypt lasted EC@ years according to 0xodus =D, this would place the entrance of 8acob into 0gypt in the year =GNN or =EEN plus EC@ years. 'n analysis of the information in 4enesis suggests that the patriarchs were in /anaan for D=? years before entering 0gypt. This figure is derived as follows: 'braham entered /anaan at the age of N?L &saac was born to him at age =@@L &saac was F@ at 8acob"s birthL 8acob was =C@ when he stood before the haraoh. Thus D=? years HD? O F@ O =C@ M D=?I elapsed from 'braham"s entrance into /anaan and 8acob"s into 0gypt. 'dding the D=? years to =GNN ./, we thus arrive at the date of D@>D ./ as the time 'braham and ,ot left 3aran for the land of /anaan. The establishment of the time of the reigns of the +ings of 8udah is also critical to any attempt to synchronize &sraelite and 0gyptian chronology. *aul is believed to have ruled from =@D= to =@== ./, -avid from =@== to >N= ./, and *olomon from >N= to >C= ./. This provides us with a time scale for the period of over =D@@ years which encompass the birth of 'braham and the death of *olomon. ' =?th /entury date also fits in well with information found in the Book of Jud%es+ 0A&-02/0 15#M T30 05&#- #1 T30 8<-40* 'n earlier or later date for the 0xodus would contradict information in 8udges. 1or example, one of the later 8udges was called 8ephthah who had to deal with a powerful 'mmonite $ing who claimed the land of Trans!ordan with had been seized and occupied by the &sraelites for many years. The $ing wanted the land of his ancestors returned to him )because &srael seized my land, when they came up from 0gypt.) 3e warns, )return them now peaceably, and & will go.) 8ephthah then describes the route they too$ in the 0xodus and how *ihon would not let them pass through his territory and attac$ed themL thus, the &sraelites captured the territory of the 'morites from

'rnon to 8abbo$, and he added, )While &srael inhabited 3eshbon and its dependencies, the 'roer and its dependencies, and all the cities on the ban$s of the 'rnon, some three hundred #ears ... , why did you not liberate them within that time?) *ince 8ephthah lived about ==@@ ./, the event of the invasion of the &sraelites must have been about =E@@ ./, that is ==@@ plus C@@ years. The invasion of Trans!ordan occurred after the period of wandering or E@ years from their departure from 0gypt. When totalled the figure is in agreement with the proposed date of =EEN ./. The Book of Jud%es also provides the reign of the various 8udges between the death of 8oshua and the rise of *aul as the first $ing. This period when the &sraelites were led by various 8udges also adds up to a period of about E@@ years. &n 8udges C through =D, the reign of each 8udge and intervening lawless periods, starting with #thneil and ending with the rule of the hilistines is given as C?@ years. 'dding C?@ to the inauguration of the rule of *aul, we have =@D= ./ plus C?@ years or =CN= ./. 'n additional C? or E@ years must be added for the period of rule under 8oshua, providing a date span of =E@F to =E== ./ as the year of the &sraelite occupation.

#a$%er 11 THE S7Y' HARIOTS AND BOATS OF HEA&EN * THE &EHI LES OF THE AN IENT ASTRONA(TS "
)When the angel brought ,ot and his family and set them outside the city, he bade them run for their lives, and not to loo$ bac$, lest they behold the she$inah which had descended to wor$ the destruction of the cities.) - The 3aggadah *ince the 'nunna$i were an advanced civilization, able to traverse the vastness of space to reach this planet, to colonize it, and exploit its resources, and transfer these metals by freighter to their orbiting ship, surely there must be some evidence in the religious and secular literature that refers, at least obli(uely, to the s$yborne vehicles used by these ancient astronauts. The obvious allusion which comes to mind is the )fiery chariot) of 0ze$iel. &t is graphically described several times in the ).oo$ of 0ze$iel) so that it cannot be

dismissed as merely an aberration of the text or even a hallucination of the prophet. + o,,e-%* 'n inventor"s life-size replica of the 0ze$iel 'irship is on permanent display in Warric$"s 5estaurant in ittsburg, Texas, a few miles south of &nterstate 3ighway C@, in case you are ever passing through 2ortheast Texas and would wish to see it - as well as have lunch or dinner in this wonderful /a!un restaurant. The replica now on display is the second rendition. The first model actually flew for a short distance before crashing. The second model has never been flown. This )sculpture) loo$s much li$e a gigantic hangglider.; 0ze$iel is not an exception for these aerial machines appear throughout the *criptures, although they are usually interpreted in religious and mystical terms. &t is indicative of the mind-set of these translators that they refuse to recognize them for what they are. + o,,e-%* &t should be noted that one who did not understand the principles of air travel could not have $nown to interpret them in any other way than by )religion) or )mysticism.); &n 0ze$iel"s case it is called a fiery chariot, as if somehow this term is more acceptable, perhaps because it has mythological connotations and is the most innocuous way of dismissing a troublesome reference. 2owhere have .iblical scholars translated or referred to the various appearances of these unusual vehicles as aircraft, airships, or even space ships. 'long this vein it is interesting to note that the land-loc$ed 3ebrews referred to the airships as )chariots) while the sea-going 0gyptians called them )boats of heaven. What is not commonly perceived is that there are numerous references to airborne craft in the *criptures, but their appearances have been mas$ed through theological interpretation and in many cases !ust plain false translations. There are various names used for the vehicles of the ancient astronauts, and we shall try to identify them and separate them by function. The space capsule or personal housing of the gods is referred to as either a )she$inah) or as a )$abod) in the *criptures. &n the boo$s of 0xodus and 0ze$iel, the personal craft is called a )$abod,) while in the wor$s of the seudepigrapha and the 3aggadah the craft is called a )she$inah.) The terms seem to be

interchangeable since both rest on a larger vehicle or booster platform called )cherubim.) To leave the orbiting space ship or to travel about on 0arth, the composite craft or command capsule and the booster platform was sufficient, although the capsule could independently travel by itself for short distances, as seen in the case of 0ze$iel. &n order to leave the 0arth"s gravity and reach the orbiting space ship, the command capsule was mounted on a larger booster roc$et called a )shem) in the #ld Testament and )shumu) in the *umerian literature. The personal command capsule - the )she$inah) or )$abod) - has ta$en on a special significance among the ancient peoples of the Middle 0ast, since it was considered to be the actual residence of the godsL and each civilization revered the cone-shaped ob!ect in different ways according to its own traditions. This cone-shaped command capsule is the )beth-el) of the 3ebrews, the )betyl) of the /anaanites and hoenicians, the )ben-ben) of the 0gyptiansL and the 4ree$s $new it as the )omphalos.) 's we shall see, the composite roc$et vehicle of the ancients was also the source of the 0gyptian legend of the hoenix bird that rose in fire out of its own ashes. T30 #5.&T&24 M#T305 *3& : T30 30'A02,7 '.#-0 There are many indications in the *criptures, particularly in the $ebre! Book of Enoch* that the so-called )heavenly abode) was organized as a large city in space or more significantly as an orbiting mother ship. This boo$ describes the trip of the prophet &shmael to the heavenly abode where he meets the patriarch 0noch who proceeds to give him a guided tour of the ship. While this boo$ is written in spiritualistic terms, whose purpose is to create an atmosphere of awesome ma!esty, when one strips away the theological verbiage, what emerges is the description of a large complex space ship. There are seven )heavens) or dec$s to the space ship. 0ach dec$ has seven )palaces) arranged in concentric circles with guards stationed at the entrances of each circle of rooms. The obvious comparison would be with that of the entagon .uilding in Washington. The center of the ship was called the )'rabot) and was the residence of the chief deity. &t is here that the )she$inah) or dwelling of the deity is located. &t sets on a platform called )cherubim.)

Aarious functions are assigned to managers called rinces, who appear to be chiefs of various operational activities associated with the spacecraft. )5i$biel) is the ) rince of the Wheels,) who is in charge of the )wheels of the chariot) or )she$inah.) )3ayli-el) is the ) rince of the 3oly /reatures) or )hayyot.) *ince the term is derived from )3ayel) meaning an army, these are presumably the soldiers or guards. )5ibbi-el) is the ) rince of the /herubim,) the platform on which rests the )she$inah.) )#panni-el) is the ) rince of the #pannim,) and these seem to be the mechanics, for it is their responsibility to maintain the craft: )3e polishes their platform, he adorns their compartments, he ma$es their turnings smooth, and cleans their seats.) When the composite craft leave the heavenly abode or space ship, there is an impressive ceremony called )%edussah,) which is apparently a syllogism for a launch countdown. T30 %<0-<**'3 #5 5#/+0T ,&1T-#11 When the *he$inah leaves, the personnel of the heavenly abode participate in a ceremony called the )%edussah.) &n the words of the $ebre! Book of Enoch* there is a )cosmic commotion at the singing of the %edussah,) which sounds very much li$e the countdown and frantic activity which accompany the launch of a roc$et vehicle. &t is said that )all the pillars of the heavens and their bases sha$e and the gates of the palaces of the heavens of 'rabot (uiver.) .efore this spirited activity begins, )brilliant starry crowns are put on the heads of the angels and princes.) These are obviously protective devices or headgear for protection against the deafening noise and brilliant glare of the blast-off. The participants are warned that when the proper procedure is not followed, an accident or tragedy can happen, for they are told that when they )do not follow the proper order of the %edussah, devouring fire goes out from little fingers of the holy ones and destroys the ministering angels.) They are warned that the exhaust of the roc$et can be (uite dangerous, for as the *he$inah moves )a fire precedes him as he goes devouring all those around him.) There is an interesting reference in the 3aggadah, the oral tradition of the 8ews, which describes where the *he$inah went on one of its trips after leaving the space ship. &n the section which describes the destruction of the cities of *odom and 4omorrah, the *he$inah is credited with dropping out of the s$y and blasting these cities. This source describes how the *he$inah of the ,ord had )descended to wor$ the destruction of these cities.) 8osephus in his "nti;uities of the Je!s seems to support this, for in his description on the destruction of these cities, he states

that )4od cast a thunderbolt upon the city, and set it on fire,) suggesting that the space ship destroyed the cities with some form of missile or beam weapon. T30 /#M #*&T0 * '/0/5'1T: /#MM'2- /' *<,0 '2.##*T05 ,'T1#5M Throughout the #ld Testament, the vehicle of the deity is called a +abod Hoccasionally $ebod, $avod or $ebodI which is, as we shall see, another name for the *he$inah, the term which is used for the fiery chariot of 0ze$iel. + o,,e-%* 's has been stated, in linguistics the vowels )don"t count.) 2ote that in the above terminology only the vowels change from one rendition of the word to the other, except for the often interchangeable consonants . and A, as is )3avana) or )3abana) de /uba.; When 0ze$iel stood beside the /hebar /anal near 2ippur one summer day, a tempestuous wind bore toward him an incandescent cloud. 's the cloud neared, four glowing creatures became visible in the lower part, li$e humans in their erect posture, with legs and hands, but unli$e them in having four faces and four wings. The creatures were arranged in a s(uare and were not connected at their wingtips to each other. They gave the impression of a unity as they movedL and facing in every direction, always went in the direction they faced, without needing to turn. 'midst them was a flashing torchli$e apparition. The prophet noted that below and alongside each creature was a high complex wheel, rimmed with eyes, that moved in unison with the creatures. 'bove their heads was a dazzling iceli$e expanse. 's they neared, he grew aware of the terrific noise made by the wings in motion. Then as the wings slac$ened and the apparition came to a halt, the prophet heard a sound from above the expanse. 3e saw a sapphire throne standing upon the expanse, upon which a brilliant figure sat, all bright and fiery, and encased in a rainbow-li$e radiance. 0ze$iel realized he had seen the )+abod of the ,ord.) ' remar$able analysis of the technical details furnished by the Book of E0ekiel was made by 8osef 1. .lumrich in his boo$ The Spaceships of E0ekiel* wherein the 2'*' engineer graphically describes the composite vehicle as a cone-li$e capsule which sat on a booster platform. 3e suggested that this platform was composed of four roc$et units with each unit having retractable rotor blades and retractable arms.

The appearance of the spacecraft at the /hebar /anal at 2ippur is also significant since 2ippur was the space control center before the -eluge. The second appearance of the chariot to 0ze$iel was at 8erusalem, and the consistency in the details concerning both appearances appears to rule out the possibility of any errors in transcription. 't 8erusalem, 0ze$iel is told to: )"4et up and go out to the plain and there & shall spea$ to you." *o & got up and went out to the plain, and there was the +abod of the ,ord waiting - li$e the +abod & saw by the /hebar /anal.) 0ze$iel then describes how the +abod rose from its platform and flew over the city, then returned to the landing platform of cherubim: )The +abod of the ,ord went forth off the threshold of the house and halted upon the cherubim. The cherubim raised their wings and rose off the ground. & watched them depart . . . the +abod of the ,ord above and upon them.) &t seems that while the personal craft or command capsule could fly independently, it needed the larger vehicle or booster platform to travel greater distances, and to move freely about the 0arth. The +abod also appears numerous times to Moses and the &sraelites during the time of the 0xodus. 1or example, when they left the area of the 5ed *ea and were !ourneying into the wilderness of the *inai, the people were grumbling and dissatisfied. 'ccording to 0xodus =F, Moses and 'aron tried to appease them with the news that they would soon see the )+abod of the ,ord.) ).y evening you shall $now that it was the ,ord who brought you out from the land of 0gypt and in the morning you shall behold the +abod of the ,ord. . . . Then as 'aron spo$e the people turned toward the wilderness and there, in a cloud, appeared the +abod of the ,ord.) When the spacecraft stayed among the &sraelites, it was $ept in the Tent of Meeting, a sort of temporary shelter or garage. While the term +abod seems to have no antecedents and has not been identified semantically, the word *he$inah means literally )a physical dwelling or resting place.) &n spite of this *emitic meaning, it has been translated as )glory) in the *criptures and given a mystical interpretation to mean a spiritual presence rather than a physical one. &n fact, a complete +abbalistic literature has arisen over this spiritual meaning. The *criptures and the seudepigrapha do not support this meaning, however, for everywhere it is mentioned it is described

clearly as a physical dwelling or personal vehicle used by the deity. .oth the +abod and *he$inah rest on a booster platform called )cherubim.) /herubim is another interesting word that has received theological interpretations. The origins or roots of the word are un$nownL customarily, it is translated as a group of winged celestial beings or special $ind of angel. ' source in the Enc#clopedia Judaica has suggested that the 3ebrew word cherub or )+eruv) could be a metathesis or inversion of the letters for chariot or )re$huv.) This ma$es much sense, and this view is supported by the *criptures where the word cherub is sometimes e(uated to an aerial chariot as in the Second Book of Sa'uel+ &t is also repeated in salm =G: )3e bowed the heavens, and came downL thic$ dar$ness was under his feet. 3e rode on a cherub, and he flewL he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.) 'ccording to the medieval philosopher *aadiah 4aon of the 1irst /entury '-, probably the greatest scholar of .abylonian 8ewry, the *he$inah is identical to the )$avod ha-shem,) a phrase usually translated in religious terms as )ma!esty of his name.) &n modern terms )$avod ha-shem) would mean )the chariot of the shem)L and this term, as we shall see, also has spacecraft connotations, for it is none other than the main roc$et booster. T30 M'&2 5#/+0T .##*T05: T30 *30M #1 T30 30.50W* '2*3<M< #1 T30 *<M05&'2* 4enerations of scholars and translators have sought to give the reference to )shem) in 4enesis == only an allegorical meaning, for Man$ind wished to ma$e a )name) or reputation for himself by building a tower to the s$y. The .iblical tale of the Tower of .abel as related in 4enesis deals with events that followed the repopulation of the 0arth after the -eluge, when some people )!ourneyed to the east, and they found a plain in the land of *hinar, and they settled there.) The land of *hinar, of course, is the land of *umer, and the plain is the one between the two rivers of Mesopotamia. 'ccording to 4enesis, the people said: ),et us build a city, and a tower whose top shall reach the heavensL and let us ma$e us a name 9shem; lest we be scattered upon the face of the 0arth.) This pro!ect did not sit well with the deity, however, and he immediately came down to investigate.

)'nd the ,ord came down to see the city and the tower which the children of 'dam had erected. 'nd he said, ".ehold, all are as one people and one language, and this is !ust the beginning of their underta$ings. 2ow, anything which they shall scheme to do shall no longer be impossible for them.") + o,,e-%* The ),ord) is a )!ealous god,) you recall. #ne wonders what this ),ord) thin$s of the !oint 'merican-5ussian cooperation on the beleaguered *pace *tation Mir.; The deity then decided to ta$e action and informed some colleagues who are not identified: )"/ome, let us go down there and confound their language, so that they may not understand each other"s speech." 'nd the ,ord scattered them from there, upon the face of the whole earth. 'nd they ceased to build the city, therefore was its name called .abel, for there did the ,ord mingle the 0arth"s tongue.) This chapter in 4enesis, however, raises more (uestions than it answers. Why did the ancient residents of .abylon exert themselves )to ma$e a name) and why was this )name) to be placed upon a tower or ziggurat whose top would reach the heavens? &t is puzzling why the ma$ing of a name or reputation could counteract the effects of man$ind"s being scattered all over the world, and why the ,ord was so upset over raising this name that such a feat would afterwards ma$e anything possible for man. #bviously, something has been left out of the text. The answers to these (uestions becomes clear when one reads )roc$et ship) instead of )name) for the 3ebrew or *emitic word )shem.) The story thus deals with the concern of man to build a tower so as to erect a roc$et ship in order to fly over the people land li$e gods, even to try to reach the orbiting space ship in order to meet the gods and perchance achieve immortality. This could not be tolerated by the godsL only they were permitted to have and to operate roc$et and space vehicles. The 3ebrew word )shem) is derived from the '$$adian *emitic term )shumu) which curiously enough is used in the Gil%a'esh Epic in a case that seems to parallel that of the Tower of .abel. 's the $ing of the city of <ru$, 4ilgamesh was sad and depressed over the thought of dying. 3e loo$ed over the city walls and saw dead bodies floating in the river below. 4ilgamesh feared that this, too, would be his fate, being part

mortal. 3e then decided to see$ immortality, and he set his sights on reaching )the land of the living) or the cedar land of ,ebanon. 4ilgamesh confided in his companion 0n$idu that he planned to enter the cedar land in order to set up his )shumu) in the )place where shumus have been raised & would raise my shumu.) 0n$idu informed him that this land was under the sovereignty of <tu and that he must see$ his permission, which 4ilgamesh proceeded to do. <tu or *hamash was the chief of the cedar land, the land where the space platform was located. &t becomes clear that to translate )shumu) as name or reputation ma$es little sense. ,i$e in 4enesis, man would imitate the gods and erect a roc$et ship to reach them, since they held all the secrets, especially those of long life. ' similar use of the word )shumu) is seen in the Tale of "dapa+ 'fter he is summoned to heaven by the chief god 'n and a flight where he has seen the marvels of the earth and s$y, the chief god wants to $now who provided a )shumu) for him so that he could reach the )heavenly abode) or orbiting space ship. The use of the word )shumu) here clearly means a shuttle which too$ him from the earth to the heavens. The *hem was apparently the main booster than carried the *he$inah or +abod, the command capsule, when it was necessary to leave the 0arth for the orbiting space ship. resumably, the main booster returned to 0arth and stood on the launch pad at .aalbec$ ready for the next mission. *uch a large booster was not necessary for the composite craft H*he$inah and /herubimI to leave the space ship and return to 0arth. &n such a case only a bra$ing capability was re(uired to slow the re-entry of the spacecraft. The personal space capsule or command module apparently had its own propulsion system, for it could rise from the booster platform or cherubim and move freely about for short distances, as illustrated in the incident of 0ze$iel"s chariot at 8erusalem. This command capsule was the personal dwelling of the ancient astronauts, and as such its design and conformation became the symbol or representation of the home of the gods throughout the Middle 0ast, in Mesopotamia, in the ,evant, and in 0gypt and 4reece. T30 /#MM'2- /' *<,0 #5 T30 -W0,,&24 #1 T30 4#-*

The victory stele erected by 2aram-*in of the '$$ad -ynasty, of the mid-DCrd /entury ./, is supposed to represent his victory over a local people. &t depicts 2aram-*in wearing the horned headdress of a god and trodding triumphantly over a prostrate enemy. 3e faces a large conical ob!ect which is dominated by the star symbol of *hamash. 2aram-*in had invaded a )mountainous land,) in one of his wars of con(uest. &n an inscription he boasts of destroying the cities of this )mountain land.) This land was ,ebanon as we shall see H/hapter =FI, and the conical ob!ect signified the space facilities at .aalbec$. This conical ob!ect was considered to be the dwelling place of the gods and became the ob!ect of reverence throughout the Middle 0ast. /alled )betyl) by the *emitic peoples, a corruption of )beth-el) meaning the house of the god, it appears in various forms. #n a coin from .yblos, the hoenician seaport, the cone-shaped ob!ect is set up in a sacred enclosure for veneration. ' similar ob!ect was sacred to people all over the Middle 0ast as the residence of the local god. To find the origins of the word )baetyl) or )betyl) as used as the home of the gods, we must loo$ into the legend of the hoenix, the legendary bird that arose in flames from the *un *tone at the Temple of the *un at the /ity of 'n in the delta in 0gypt, called 3eliopolis by the 4ree$s.

#a$%er 1. THE PHOENI8 BIRD AS SY)BOLI9ING A RO 7ET LA(N H "

)When it has lived ?@@ years, it builds itself a nest in the branches of an oa$. &n this it collects spices, and of these materials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath. 1rom the body of the parent bird, a young hoenix issues forth. When this has grown up, it lifts its nest from the tree and caries it to the city of 3eliopolis in 0gypt and deposits it in the Temple of the *un.) - #vid in his )eta'orphoses This fabled bird, which arose from its own ashes and thus became a symbol of regeneration, first became $nown to Western culture through the travels of 3erodotus, when that famous 4ree$ historian visited 0gypt about E?? ./. 't the ancient religious center of 'nnu, $nown to the 4ree$s as 3eliopolis, 3erodotus was told of a sacred bird which came from the 0ast bearing its father

embalmed in a ball of myrrh, and buried him in the Temple of the *un at the city of 'nnu. The 0gyptians called it the ).enu) bird, but it is better $nown by its 4ree$ name of hoenix. 'dditional details of the hoenix were supplied by the 5oman writers Tacitus, liny, and #vid who also visited 0gypt and reported further that the hoenix built its nest on the *un *tone at the Temple, where it perished in flames. &t then rose out of the ashes to leave 0gypt and not to return for ?@@ years. 3erodotus was told that the bird resembled an eagle in size and shape, with golden and red plumage. 0arly 0gyptian depictions, as far bac$ as the D?th /entury ./, show the ).enu) bird as a magpie. &n later dynasties it appears as a heron with two long feathers growing from the bac$ of its head. 's we all $now, legends are built around a $ernel of truth that eventually becomes distorted with time. 's each generation adds to the story, it becomes so encrusted that little is left of the former truth. &n certain cases, however, li$e that of the hoenix bird, sufficient ancient sources are available to enable us to trace its origin bac$ to prehistoric times, and to discover the core of truth which precipitated the legend. The first available 0gyptian reference to the ).enu) bird is from the times of the #ld +ingdom when it is first noted inscribed on the walls of the burial chamber of the pyramid of <nas, the last $ing of the ?th -ynasty, circa DE@@ ./. /alled the yramid Texts, these carved inscriptions are a collection of spells and directions which gave the dead $ing all the information he needed for the trip to the afterlife and how to achieve it. Most authorities agree that the yramid Texts reflect the belief in a stellar cult that would re(uire the deceased $ing to !ourney to the stars. #ften he is pictured astride a serpent heading for a star constellation. 3is !ourney is an imitation of the *un 4od himself, who was said to be able to traverse the s$y in his )boat of heaven.) 'n inscription found on the walls of the burial chamber of this $ing, describes the *un 4od as rising from the *un *tone or ).en-.en) *tone. &t states, )# 'tum, the /reator, you became high in the s$y, you rose up from the .en-.en *tone, in the Temple of the .enu in the /ity of 'nnu.) 't this time, the D?th /entury ./, also $nown as 'tum-5a, 'tum had become the dominant sun god and had supplemented 5a who had dominated the pantheon in the early days of 0gypt.

+ o,,e-%* This is a bit vague, as a result of the spelling of the word )'tum.) &n 0gypt there were )'mon-5a) and )'ten-5a.) #ne assumes that 'ten-5a is meant here, but the worship of 'ten-5a was connected with the much-later reign of '$hnaton in the 2ew +ingdom. Becharia *itchin e(uates 'mon-5a with Mardu$J.aal, and it is this editor"s assertion that -u$e -umuzi e(uals 'ten-5a.; The so-called yramid Texts were later adopted by the commoners and painted on their wooden coffins. They thus came to be called the /offin Texts, and eventually they were transcribed to papyrus becoming $nown as the .oo$ of the -ead. /ollectively, the three sets of texts are usually referred to as the .oo$ of the -ead. 7ou might say that it was their e(uivalent of a do-it-yourself manual on how to reach the gods in heaven and thereby achieve immortality. T30 *<2 T0M ,0 '2- T30 *'/50- *T#20 The hoenix bird has since its beginning been associated with the practice of sun worship in 0gypt. This is noted in the coloring of the hoenix, its miraculous birth, and its connection with fire, all symbolic of the *un itself. These characteristics, however, lend themselves to a more interesting explanation, as we shall see. The inner sanctum of the *un Temple at the /ity of 'nnu was the most sacred of all places. &t was the home of the *un *tone which the 0gyptians called the ).en-.en.) Mounted on a truncated pyramid, the ).en-.en) was a s(uare stone platform upon which was set a pyramid-shaped stone or pyramidion, giving the appearance of stubby obelis$. &t was on this stone that the hoenix or .enu bird alighted. 's far bac$ as prehistoric times, the *un *tone was revered as the dwelling of the *un 4od. 'bout D@@@ ./, a new version of the *un *tone appeared in 0gypt - the pyramidion was placed on a tall s(uare column and it became $nown as the obelis$. #belis$s were erected by all subse(uent pharaohs. The capstone of the pyramids themselves were said to be pyramidions, and venerated as the physical dwelling of the *un 4od. The dead $ing buried inside the pyramid was believed thus to be under the direct protection of the god himself. This pyramidion, which was used as the capstone on obelis$s and pyramids, became the most sacred fetish of the 0gyptians. The strange feature of the hoenix legend is that it originated elsewhere and was assimilated into 0gyptian sun worship by the priests of 'nnu at 3eliopolis.

The legends ma$e it clear that the hoenix bird came from the direction of the 0ast, some say 'rabia, others 'ssyria, and that it flies to the *un *tone in 0gypt to repeat its flaming performance. *ince the 0gyptians were very parochial in their view of the world, the land of 'rabia could very well be any place east of the delta region. T30 M&--,0 0'*T 3#M0 #1 T30 3#02&K &n the lands of alestine, *yria, and ,ebanon, the *un *tone was also revered as the swelling of the *un 4od. &t was not only pictured as a stubby obelis$ but (uite often as an upright conical stone. 't .yblos, the oldest of the hoenician cities which dates to at least C?@@ ./, the 0gyptian gods were worshiped side by side with those of the /anaanite pantheon. *ome of these sanctuaries contained a sacred chapel, an example of which is shown on a coin from .yblos of the 5oman 0mperor Macronus H'- D=NI which evidently represents a shrine many centuries old. &t shows a sacred enclosure containing a conicalshaped dwelling of the *un 4od. The *un *tone was called a )baetyl) or )betyl) by the *emitic peoples, and its functions are similar to the pyramid-shaped stone found in 0gypt. ).etyl) is a *emitic version of the 3ebrew term ).eth-el) meaning the swelling or abode of 4od. &n alestine, the worship of the *un *tone or .etyl goes as far bac$ as the Gth Millennium ./. -igging in the ancient ruins of 8ericho, archaeologists found at its lowest level, carbon dated to neolithic times of about N@@@ ./, a temple where at its center an oval stone stood upright on a stone pedestal. These )betyl) stones were found all over the lands of alestine and *yria. 't .eth-*hean, an altar and betyl were found and dated to the mid-=Eth /entury ./. Most of these )pagan) shrines were destroyed by the 3ebrews after the division of the +ingdom of *olomon, but many still remain in the more isolated areas, such as in southeast alestine near 'rabia, in the land of the 2abateans. 1ound at high places, these altars appear as stone bloc$s or stubby obelis$s and were believed by the natives to be inhabited by their chief deity -ushara. 't Mada"im *alih, in northwest 'rabia, the 2abateans left a necropolis of family tombs, many of whom have betyls or sacred stones. &n fact, the .lac$ *tone at Mecca called the )+aaba,) the most sacred of &slamic shrines, is believe to have fallen from the s$ies. &t is also referred to as a betyl. + o,,e-%* There are several peculiar legends circulating about the origin of the +aaba stone.;

T30 30,&# #,&* &2 ,0.'2#2 .esides the one in 0gypt, there is another famous 3eliopolis nearby, in ,ebanon at a place now called .aalbec$. *ince anti(uity, it has been a city sacred to the *un 4od. The #ld Testament calls it .eth-*hemesh or the )'bode of the *un 4od,) *hemesh or *hamash being the *emitic name for the *umerian *un 4od <tu. The land of ,ebanon, $nown to the *umerians as )the cedar land) was under the aegis of the Mesopotamian sun god. 't .aalbec$, the 4ree$s erected a splendid temple to their *un 4od 'pollo or 3elios. &t is also here that the 5omans built a magnificent temple to their *un 4od 8upiter. This temple was the largest they erected anywhere in the world, including 5ome, indicating the importance they attached to this location. 0ven today, six of its mighty columns still stand, each FD feet high and eight feet in diameter. + o,,e-%* This editor has been to .aalbec$, ,ebanon. &t is an impressive sight indeed.; .ut what is remar$able about this temple is that it is built on a massive threetier stone base that must have been here long before the 4ree$s and 5omans. &t is raised C@ feet above the ground, and is paved with perfectly hewn and fitted stones ranging from =@ to C@ feet long and F to > feet wide. The base for this platform was constructed of cyclopean bloc$s of stone CD feet long, =C feet wide, and =D feet thic$. 0ach slab of stone is estimated to weigh ?@@ tons Hfor comparison, the largest stone in the 4reat yramid is D@@ tonsI. ' fourth stone lies in the (uarry nearby, readily shaped and cut except for a portion of its base. &t is ND feet long with a cross-section of =F by =F feet, estimated to weigh over =D@@ tons. The stone was apparently intended to extend the size of the platform but operations seem to have suddenly ceased and the wor$ was never completed. *uch a massive stone platform was obviously designed either to hold an immense weight, or for some operation that must have applied tremendous pressure on the ground, such as that exerted by a large roc$et motor. The ,ebanese *un 4od *hamash who made him home base at .aalbec$ was in many ways similar to the 0gyptian sun god. ,i$e the 0gyptian 5a who appears with the sun disc over his head, *hamash is always shown with a sun disc, containing a four-pointed star and four radiating spo$es. 'nd !ust li$e 5a, he is

often depicted with the head of an eagle. *ome scenes also show him holding the symbols of immortality. When <tu or *hamash left .aalbec$, one of his destinations was ostensibly the /ity of 'nnu in 0gypt where his bright arrival and departure in flames became the core of the legend of the golden and red hoenix bird. 1or thousands of years throughout the whole Middle 0ast, the betyl or *un *tone became a sacred fetish revered as the physical dwelling of the sun god. &ts conical or pyramidion shape was their attempt to represent the dwelling of the sun god, that is, the command or personal capsule of the first stage of a composite roc$et. &n 0gypt, the origin of the *un *tone is partially remembered in the ancient hieroglyphic sign used to represent the /ity of 'nnu or 3eliopolis. &t is shown as a bolt aimed at the s$y. T30 4500+ #M 3',#* '* ' .0T7, '2- 40#-0T&/ M'5+05 0ven the 4ree$s who came much later adopted the conical-shaped stone as a sacred dwelling of their *un 4od 'pollo. /alled an )omphalos,) it was the most sacred ob!ect at every oracular site. The *un 4od 'pollo, who later became one of the most important gods of the 4ree$ antheon, originally came from 'sia Minor, from &onia. 3is cult first appeared on the &sland of -elos from where it leap-frogged to -odona on mainland 4reece. &n fact, the &sland of -elos was considered so sacred that it was inviolate in all the 4ree$ wars. 0ven the ersians respected its sanctity and bypassed it. + o,,e-%* This editor has toured the &sland of -elos. &n our times, it is invaded daily by boatloads of camera-toting tourists.; &n his $istories* 3erodotus called -odona the oldest of 4ree$ oracles and archaeologists have traced it bac$ to about D@@@ ./. &t was the first cult center to 'pollo on the mainland. 's -odona declined in importance, -elphi replaced it as a cult center. ,i$e -odona, it also had a half-egg stone called an omphalos. 3erodotus said that the omphalos here was wrapped with cord, one end of which was held by the ythia or priestess as she (ueried the sun god in the stone. 'ccording to the 4ree$ mythologist 5obert 4raves, the sacred stone at -elphi was also called

)baetylos) by the 4ree$s. 3e refers to it as a cone-shaped pillar, periodically anointed with oil, and wrapped in raw wool on special occasions. &t was the residence of a good, and was said to have fallen from heaven. H&n 4ree$ mythology, .aetylus was a son of the *$y 4od <ranus.I While the term )omphalos) means the human navel in 4ree$, its use here seems to be that of )the navel of the 0arth.) .esides being the residence of the *un 4od, the omphalos was also a geodetic mar$er. &t is interesting to note and pertinent to this sub!ect, that if a line is drawn through the oracular sites of -odona, -elphi, and -elos, and continued towards the mainland it runs right through 8erusalem. ,i$e the 4ree$ sites, 8erusalem has often been referred to in ancient documents as )the navel of the 0arth,) such as in 8ubilees G as well as 0ze$iel. &t seems that there was some sort of geodetic grid connecting sacred places in ancient times. *hamash was also $nown as the god of !ustice and measurements. 3e is shown in one instance with two gods overhead holding cords connected to an altar which bears his sacred symbol. Therefore, it seems that the term )omphalos) was applied to the conical stone for its geodetic meaning, that is, as the geodetic point of a master grid. #n the other hand, the term )baetylos) was used to mean the residence of a god and referred to in use as an oracular device. &n summary, the hoenix bird rising in flames became symbolic of the lift-off of the roc$et craft of the ancient astronauts. #riginally shown in conical configuration, an imitation of the command capsule, it later became angularshaped under the 0gyptians who used it as a capstone on pyramids and obelis$s. .aalbec$ in ,ebanon appears to be the original home of the hoenix bird where a gigantic stone platform is all that remains of what was probably the main base for the chariots of the gods.

#a$%er 1/ WAS NOAH:S AR7 A SA( ER'SHAPED S(B)ERSIBLE! "

)The ship that thou shall build, her dimensions shall be to measure. 0(ual shall be her width and her length. ,i$e the 'bzu thou shall seal her.) - *umerian 'ccount of the 'r$ T30 <2<*<', -0*&42 #1 2#'3"* '5+ The 'r$ of 2oah is usually depicted in illustrations as an ancient sea-going ship with rounded hull, pointed prow and stern, with a $eel running the full length of the ship. #n its dec$ a cabin is shown running the length of the ship. This is pure fantasy, of course, based on current designs of the late Middle 'ges in 0urope. We have absolutely no idea of exactly what the 'r$ loo$ed li$e. There are only two descriptions of the ship in ancient literature, neither of which is very satisfactory from naval engineering standards, since they are completely unseaworthy designs. The #ld Testament describes it as a rectangular box with straight sides, no bow, no $eel or hull. &n fact the 3ebrew word used for the ship is that of a box or container. 3owever, the 3ebrews can be excused for their preposterous interpretation since they were a land-loc$ed people and had little, if any, experience with ships. .ut that is no excuse for the description of the 'r$ in the *umerian account of the -eluge. There is is depicted as a cube, if the translators are to be believed. This is not very convincing in view of the fact that the Mesopotamians were a sea-going nation. *umerians and later peoples were well ac(uainted with the principles of ship building and seaworthiness. 'll *umerian cities had access to the sea and sea-going ships are often described at anchor at these *umerian ports. #bviously, there is something amiss in the *umerian accounts or in the translation and interpretation of the text that is provided. 1or a sea-going people to describe the 'r$ as a cube is completely nonsensical. T30 '5+ &2 4020*&* The information in the #ld Testament that is available concerning the configuration of 2oah"s 'r$ is derived from 4enesis F. There are scraps of information from other religious sources. The complete text of 4enesis which provides the description of the 'r$ is as follows:

)Ma$e yourself an ar$ HboxI of gopher woodL ma$e it an ar$ with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall build it: the length of the ar$ shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Ma$e a s$y light for the ar$, terminating it within a cubit of the top. ut the entrance in the side of the ar$, which is to be made with lower, second, and third dec$s.) The ar$ is called )teba) which means a box, chest, or compartment in 3ebrew. &t is described as a rectangular box with a flat bottom and straight sides, C@@ cubits long, ?@ wide, and C@ high. *ince a 3ebrew cubit was =G inches 9E? centimeters;, its dimensions were E?@ feet long 9=FD meters;, N? feet wide 9DN meters;, and E? feet high 9=F.D meters;, and as such was said to displace EC,C@@ tons. While the 3ebrews had a perfectly good word for ship, for some reason they chose to call it a box or chest. This box of 2oah was not a seaworthy craft and as described was merely a rectangular box without $eel, bow and aft braces, and other essentials re(uired of sea-going ships. This rectangular box of 2oah would have tossed and pitched uncontrollably in stormy seas, and surely would have turned turtle time and time again, ma$ing a complete !umble of the occupants. erhaps the 3ebrews called it a box or chest rather than a ship because they were a land-loc$ed people and $new nothing of sea or river navigation, much less ship design and construction. The 3ebrew chroniclers may have felt that the word for container would be more understandable to their pastoral people. &t indicates that the flood legend was undoubtedly manipulated and modified by the early 3ebrew priests to suit their purposes. The story of the great flood was $nown world-wide and in the Middle 0ast can be found in the Gil%a'esh Epic which is believed to have been written down about D@@@ ./, from *umerian accounts which go bac$ to the days of a $ing called 4ilgamesh who ruled in the DGth or D>th /entury ./. The earliest part of 4enesis was not written down much earlier than =@@@ ./, and apparently is a version of the *umerian account which circulated in Mesopotamia and the ,evant in '$$adian or *emitic form. &t indicates that the #ld Testament story went through a number of changes and emendations until it became part of the Book of Genesis+

This )box) of 2oah had three dec$s and numerous unspecified cells or compartments. &t had a door on its side and an opening below the roof line to let in light. The phrase )ma$e a s$y light for the ar$, terminating it within a cubit of the top) has been interpreted by many .iblical scholars to mean that 2oah was to construct an opening for light completely around the ar$. The craft was built of %opher wood, an expression that is completely unidentified. The word has no *umerian or '$$adian origins and is a complete mystery since it appears nowhere else in the *criptures. &n view of the following evidence, we suggest that it does not refer to a natural wood but that it may be a treated wood, made waterproof by an impregnation process much li$e today"s pressure-treated lumber. T30 5#.,0M* W&T3 T30 -0*&42 #1 T30 *<M05&'2 '5+ The oldest $nown story of the -eluge is found in the Gil%a'esh Epic where <tnapishtim is told to build a ship in order to survive the coming catastrophe. The *umerian name of the hero is Biusdra, as it is used in the "trahasis Epic* the original account of the -eluge. <tnapishtim is the '$$adian or *emitic name for the hero and as such is the hero of the Gil%a'esh Epic* the better $nown *emitic version of the -eluge story. &n the *umerian account, the word used is )magurgur) or )very great ship.) &n the '$$adian or *emitic version of the epic, it is also called a great ship of )elippu rabitu.) <nli$e the three dec$s of the ar$ of 2oah, the ar$ of <tnapishtim has seven dec$s and is then divided into nine sections or compartments. &t had a door and some sort of window as well. Traditional translations reports the craft as being an exact cube, with the height, length, and width each being =D@ cubits. *ince the '$$adian cubit was D@ inches 9EF centimeters;, the craft would be a perfect cube D@@ feet 9ND meters; on each side. 'gain we have that nagging problem of unseaworthiness. While scholars have insisted on translating the configuration of the 'r$ of <tnapishtim as a perfect cube, common sense tells us that this design is completely impractical. ' cube would be highly unstable and roll incessantly in stormy seas. The occupants would really be scrambled up6 With its human and animal cargo, it would seem that stability would be the uppermost factor in the design and construction of the craft.

&n his study The Gil%a'esh Epic and <ld Testa'ent Parallels* the noted scholar 'le$sander 3eidel brought up the problem of interpretation where certain scholars believe that a circular design of the ar$ would be much more practical and that the text lends itself easily to this interpretation. Their views, however, have been summarily dismissed by other scholars. &t is not clear in the text that the figure for the width of the ship of D@@ feet applies to the diameter or the radius of the craft. &f the latter is true, then the ship would be E@@ feet 9=EE meters; in diameter and D@@ feet in height or thic$ness. 1urthermore, the *umerian account does not mention a cube but merely states that )e(ual shall be her width and her length.) This certainly applies to a circular design as well. &f a circular design is postulated, then the nine compartment would radiate li$e spo$es from a wheel, in the form of pie-shaped sections. ' streamlined ellipsoid design, such as found in modern submersibles would certainly have made more sense and provided stability in the tempestuous seas for which it was intended. The *umerian account also reveals that the god *hamash 9 rince <tu, 2ibiruan *pace /ommander; played a $ey but unidentified role in its construction as well as advising <tnapishtim when to launch the ship. *ince 0n$i was the *umerian 4od of *hipbuilding and logically the advisor on ship construction, by all tradition he should have been the one dealing with <tnapishtim, rather than *hamash, the god and chief astronaut who was in charge of roc$et and space vehicles. This divine assistance is also noted in the ancient religious document The Ethiopic Book of Enoch* where the 'r$ is said to have been designed by the deity and built by a group of angels which presumably are the engineer astronauts of *hamash. The circular shape of the 'r$ with a row of windows along the top and designed by the /hief 'stronaut *hamash would in all probability result in an oval or saucer shaped craft. There is also evidence that the 'r$ of <tnapishtim was propelled by some sort of fuel rod as part of a propulsion system, thus ma$ing it maneuverable and able to maintain stability in the stormy seas it was intended for. + o,,e-%* #nce again we perhaps need to be reminded that 2oah"s physiology and brain were no different from the physiologies and brains that

we have today. &f a modern person can be trained to maneuver a submarine, then 2oah and his family could have been so trained as well.; T30 *<M05&'2 <2T&24 #,0* #5 1<0, 5#-* When the *umerian craft was being built and waterproofed and before it was completed, certain items called )punting poles) were loaded aboard. <tnapishtim describes how )& provided punting poles and stored up a supply.) 'pparently these were of paramount importance for they were loaded while the construction was going on and before the 'r$ was finished. #nly then were the food, supplies, and personnel brought aboard. &t is (uite puzzling why <tnapishtim would re(uire punting poles, such as those used by current day river boats to cross shallow waters. This was a closed and sealed craft and again we see the traditional translation and interpretation as illogical. This strange item also appears earlier in the epic at the time that 4ilgamesh had to cross a dangerous area called the )sea of death,) in order to reach his grandfather <tnapishtim who was reportedly with the gods. While this dangerous )sea) which he had to cross has been interpreted as a watery area, it may very well have been a metaphor for a !ourney through that vast sea of air called the atmosphere, that had to be traversed to reach the gods. 1or this trip, 4ilgamesh had to procure =D@ of these punting or thrusting poles. These could be used only once and were consumed as they were used. 0ach pole was good for only one thrust and then became contaminated and had to be thrown away. 1or want of a better name, they have been called )punting poles,) no doubt influenced by modern day river craft, but the meaning is not clear and basically the term means a thrusting stic$ or rod. &n modern terms we would describe them as fuel rods since they were associated with the propulsion system of a ship. &n this sense, they could be either fuel rods inserted into a nuclear reactor in order to control its energy output or, more probably, tubes or rods filled with solid propellant used in some sort of roc$et propulsion system.

#a$%er 10 THE RADIOS OF THE AN IENTS

"
)There & will meet you, and & will impart to you - from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on top of the 'r$.) - &nstructions to Moses &t is implicit that the gods must have had some means to convey their wishes from the heavenly ship to their representatives below - the $ings, priests, and generals who carried out their wishes. /onversely, these officials needed to contact the gods and each other on occasion for instruction and guidance, particularly when they were afield on one of their numerous expeditions. 3ow then did they communicate with each other? .asic needs would re(uire at least three types of communications e(uipment: permanent fixed transmitters, field or regional stations, and some sort of portable communicator. 'll of these communication e(uipments and devices are found in the ancient literature and art forms. .efore the -eluge, ,ara$ in Mesopotamia had served as the main communications centerL however, it was now under the waters of the ersian 4ulf. *ince it was decided to move the space facilities to the Western lands, it became necessary to establish a main communication and administration center. <r-*alem, later to be called 8erusalem, is referred to throughout the *criptures as )the navel of the 0arth,) attesting to its role as both a main geodetic center as well as a communications center. &t broadcast throughout the Western lands providing instructions and guidance to the distant colonies of the Mesopotamian empire. owerful transmitters are suggested in salm D> which is called )3ymn to the 4od of *torm,) a veiled reference to the god 'dad. + o,,e-%* 'dad M &sh$ur M 3orus M 'res M Mars M 'ria M Mitra M Ae M erun M #g.; This religious source indicates that 8erusalem broadcast instructions north to the space complex at .aalbec$ and south to the alternate space complex established at +adesh, also $nown as Mount *inai. &t states: )The voice of the ,ord is powerful... The voice of the ,ord brea$s the cedar, The ,ord brea$s the cedar of ,ebanon...The voice of the ,ord sha$es the wilderness...The ,ord sha$es the wilderness of +adesh.) While 8erusalem was the central administrative center for the Western lands, there were other places in the land of /anaan and *yria which were considered

to be holy or sacred and where the patriarchs contacted their god. These were the regional or field stations. They also dotted the landscapes of Mesopotamia and are mentioned in their literature and seen in their artistic depictions. T30 500- 3<T* '2- #T305 1&0,- *T'T&#2* When 'braham and &saac so!ourned in the Western lands, they would halt occasionally and )set up an altar) where they would offer a sacrifice and communicate with 7ahweh and receive further instructions. /ertain places li$e *hechem and .ethel were considered to be sacred by the native population long before the 3ebrews arrived. These were apparently the field stations or regional transmitters where communications facilities were available to the privileged few, the aristocracy. &n Mesopotamia, reed huts were scattered throughout the land and appear (uite often in paintings and engravings on cylinder seals and pottery. This is presumably the reed hut that was used by <tnapishtim when he was informed of the coming -eluge. &n the epic story of 4ilgamesh, when the gods had decided to bring on the -eluge and destroy man$ind for his foibles, only one god remained sympathetic to man - his creator and benefactor 0n$i. 2ot wishing to see his creation destroyed, 0n$i decided to forewarn <tnapishtim so that he could ma$e preparations and build a ship. &n the epic, 0n$i addresses the wall of the reed hut, )5eed-wall, reed-wall6 Wall6 Wall6 5eed-wall, listen6 Wall, pay attention6 Man of *huruppa$, son of <baratutu, tear down the house. .uild an 'r$.) This verse of the epic has baffled scholars as to its meaning, of why the god would spea$ to the wall of a reed hut in order to pass information to the *umerian 2oah. <nderstandably, this was !ust not a pastoral reed hut. 0n$i would logically at this time be where the gods had !ust met in counsel to decide man"s fate, probably in the orbiting space ship. <tnapishtim was presumably listening to the broadcast at a reed hut or radio receiver below at his home city of *huruppa$ in Mesopotamia. These reed huts which were scattered all over Mesopotamia and the ad!acent lands are shown on numerous cylinder seals and paintings. They all have the strange feature in common of antenna-li$e pro!ections on the roofs with round

eye-li$e ob!ects attached. These antenna later became stylized as gateposts with streamers and became a symbol of the goddess &shtar who seems to have had some association with these reed huts or radio stations. + o,,e-%* &shtar is the ,evantine e(uivalent of &nanna, 2ibiruan 'ir /ommander at .aalbec$.; These reed huts were also portable and could be moved from place to place when re(uired, as shown on a cylinder seal depicting one being transported by boat. 'nother example of the portable or mobile radio station was the 'r$ of the /ovenant built by Moses specifically to contact 7ahweh during the days of the 0xodus. T30 '5+ #1 T30 /#A02'2T '* ' #5T'.,0 T5'2*M&TT05 -uring the 0xodus, Moses and the &sraelites needed a form of communication to $eep in touch with 7ahweh. + o,,e-%* +eep in mind that 7 was the treacherous 'rchon of -estiny who used Moses unwittingly to seize control of the planet from the other, more popular 'rchon, resulting eventually in the plot by rince 2annar to stage his unsuccessful coup d"Stat.; &t was only after they had been soundly defeated at 5ephidim and retreated to Mount *inai and +adesh to regroup under 8ethro, when it was decided that, since they could not enter /anaan by the direct route, they would have to go around by a longer and more indirect route that would ta$e them another CG years. + o,,e-%* 's has been noted elsewhere, the 3ebrew expression E@something to describe size or length was a collo(uialism that meant )a lot) or )a long time.) Thus, this wandering for E@ years simply means that they wandered for a long time. *imilarly, the rains that caused the 1lood of 2oah were said to have lasted )E@ days and E@ nights.) Thus, they lasted a long time. 0ven in more modern times, this literary tradition has been employed, as in )'li .aba and the E@ Thieves,) obviously a reference to )'li .aba and his large gang of thieves.);

Meanwhile, a means of communication was needed to pass orders down when the deity was not among the &sraelites in the Tent of Meeting. &t seems that 'dad H7ahwehI expected to stay at Mount *inai and direct Moses from there. + o,,e-%* This is a careless mista$e on .oulay"s part. 0arlier in this boo$ he has already e(uated 7ahweh with 0nlil.; Moses was given instructions on how to build the 'r$ of the /ovenant and schematic drawings as well. The fact that Moses built the 'r$ from drawings supplied by 7ahweh on Mount *inai is clearly stated in the *criptures when he is told, )2ote well and follow the patterns for them that are being shown you on the mountain.) The box itself was of acacia wood with gold plating. The cover, however, was the $ey to the device. The cover was to be fashioned of solid gold with a cherub at each end facing one anotherL solid gold was an excellent choice since it was a good conductor of electricity. &t was also specified that the cherubs and the cover must be made in one piece, probably to ensure good electrical contact. The cherubim were to have wings outstretched, facing each other and shielding the cover with their wings, thus forming an antennae. There is no description of what these cherub loo$ed li$e, but in view of the 0gyptian origin of Moses and his associates, it must have loo$ed something li$e a winged sphinx. The cover was to be placed on the box after depositing the tablets provided by 'dad. &t is significant that it was only after the 'r$ was constructed that the tablets were provided to Moses. The tablets presumably were an integral part of the device and contained the power source necessary to activate the receivertransmitter. Moses is told then, )There & will meet you, and & will impart to you - from above the cover, from between the two cherubim that are on top of the 'r$ of the act.) This was the form of communication used as they travelled through the wilderness for the next CG years. 'ccording to 2umbers N, Moses )would hear the Aoice addressing him from above the cover that was on top of the 'r$ of the act between the two cherubim.) The power source and transmission device was incorporated into the two tablets of )stone) upon which was inscribed the Ten /ommandments. When Moses bro$e the first set of tablets upon descending Mount *inai because he

was angry at the sight of the &sraelites worshiping a golden calf, it defeated the whole purpose of the 'r$. Moses had to go bac$ a second time in order to have another set fashioned. erhaps this explains the forty days he spent there - it may have ta$en that long to fabricate a second set or to get the replacement parts. + o,,e-%* &t too$ him a long time, in other words. 'lso, remember in the 2ew Testament that 8esus went into the wilderness and fasted for E@ days. 3e fasted a long time.; T30 -'2405* #1 T30 '5+: &T* #W05 *#<5/0 't first only Moses, 'aron, and his two sons were allowed to approach the 'r$ because of its inherent dangers. This was demonstrated when an accident $illed the two sons of 'aron. They were hit by a sudden and unexpected discharge of electricity from the 'r$ for as ,eviticus states, )and fire came forth from the ,ord and consumed themL thus they died before the ,ord.) The #ld Testament does not give the full story, however, and we must loo$ to the 3ebrew oral tradition for further details on this event. &n the 3aggadah, it relates how )from the 3oly of 3olies issued two flames of fire, as then as threads, then parted into four, and two each pierced the nostrils of 2adab and 'bihu, whose souls were burned, although no external in!ury was visible.) This obvious electrical discharge proved to be a real threat to anyone who dared to enter the tent in order to service the deity. Thus in order to prevent further casualties, Moses was told in ,eviticus to warn 'aron: )Tell your bother 'aron that he is not to come at will into the shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the 'r$, lest he die.) This statement ma$es it clear that it is the 'r$ of the /ovenant that is dangerous and not something else in the Ten of Meeting such as the vehicle or $abod of the deity. -ue to the inherent dangers of the 'r$, it was decided to train a group of priests - the tribe of ,evi - to care for and to handle all contacts with the 'r$. 1rom there on, only a fixed, clearly defined group of initiates, who wore protective clothing, and followed the proper safety procedures, were allowed access to the 'r$. The instructions for fabricating these garments is very detailed and specific, allowing for no margin of error, indicative that its protective nature was woven into the fabric of the material.

The 'r$ was extremely dangerous and even the ,evites must have approached it with trepidation and a certain fear of not returning from the Tent alive. The Tent of Meeting containing the 'r$ was $ept at a safe distance from the &sraelite camp. When travelling, the 'r$ was carried by the ,evites and preceded the body of people. &n 8oshua C, they are instructed to $eep a safe distance, )there shall be two thousand cubits, do not come near it.) Two thousand cubits is roughly one $ilometer, the distance considered as a safety buffer zone. &n 2umbers, the story is related of how a group of D?@ members of the tribe of +orah were annihilated by the destructive power of the 'r$. When the &sraelites were resting near +adesh after their second and final defeat in /anaan, D?@ members of the tribe of +orah were directed to bring copper pans for presenting incense, and to appear at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. *uddenly, )a fire went forth from the ,ord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering incense.) The victims appeared to have been completely incinerated for the priests were told to remove )the charred remains, and scatter the coals.) &ronically, their copper pans which had attracted the electrical discharge were hammered into sheets and used as plating for the altar. *ince the incident happened right after their second defeat at 3ormah, it may be, as the 3aggadah seems to suggest, that the tribe was eliminated for showing cowardice at this battle. The 'r$ also appears to have emitted dangerous radioactivity. 2umbers =@ relates the incident when Marian, the sister of Moses, was )stric$en with scales) at the entrance to the Tent, an affliction that sounds very much li$e radioactive poisoning. *ubse(uent associations with the 'r$ seem to confirm the radioactive character of the instrument. 'fter the 0xodus, and after the tribes had settled in /anaan, in the days of 0li the rophet, the 'r$ was captured by the hilistines and brought to their cities in the hill country of western alestine. The First Book of Sa'uel describes how the hilistines suffered from plagues for seven months. Those who came too close to the 'r$ received sores and tumors and their hair fell out, classic symptoms of radioactivity poisoning. &t was passed from one hilistine city to another until finally, in disgust, they returned it to the nearest &sraelite community and abandoned it at +ireath 8earin. *eventy local people who became too curious and approached the 'r$ were also $illed.

'fter that, the 'r$ ac(uired a deadly reputation and dur to its dangers remained untouched and unmoved until much later when -avid decided to return it to 8erusalem. &n this attempt, one of the men tried to steady the 'r$ as it began to topple from the wagon carrying it. 3e was $illed outright by a discharge from the 'r$. This appeared to be the last activity of the 'r$, and this last discharge probably neutralized the power source, for the 'r$ remained inactive in the days that followed. + o,,e-%* #ne can presume it remained inactive, but one does not $now for sure? +ing *olomon built his temple in order to have a permanent place to house the 'r$. &t remained there until about ??@./0 when it was hurriedly removed from 8erusalem in advance of the invading ersians. &t was ta$en to 0lephantine &sland in the 5iver 2ile south of the Aalley of the +ings, where it was protected for about D@@ years. Then it was moved down the 2ile to +hartoum and from there down the .lue 2ile 5iver to ,a$e Tana, 0thiopia, where it was housed on an island in the la$e. ,ater a temple was built at 'xum, 0thiopia, home of the %ueen of *heba, to permanently house the 'r$. *upposedly it is still there to this day. This editor has visited the Mariam /hurch of the 'r$ of the /ovenant. Then, there was nothing but a loc$ed door preventing access to the 'r$ and its official careta$er-priest. Today, there is a chainlin$ fence around that church, and the church yard is patrolled by armed guards wielding machineguns. erhaps this 'r$ is still activeL and as the lanet 2ibiru approaches once again, )4od) is trying to communicate to the )priests.) erhaps this careta$er-priest at 'xum )heard something,) prompting the 0thiopian 'rmy to decide to start guarding the 'r$ more carefully. &t ma$es one wonder...; T30 #5T'.,0 /#MM<2&/'T&#2 -0A&/0*: T30 T05' 3&M #5 '2&M'T0- &-#,* When the $ings of Mesopotamia were away from their home city, particularly when they were afield on one of their numerous military expeditions, they re(uired some sort of mobile or portable communications to $eep in touch with their home base and to receive instructions from the gods. 1or this purpose they too$ with them the temple images or statues of the gods. These statuettes were believed to be the active residence of the deity. They were of different size and composition. 8oan #ates in her definitive wor$ Bab#lon* remar$s that these animated statues which were carried off to war by the $ings and priests, were fashioned and repaired in special wor$shops in the city and had to undergo an elaborate and highly secret ritual of consecration which endowed them with )life,) and enabled them to spea$.

This ritual probably consisted of embedding a radio receiver and transmitter, as well as a power source, inside the statuette. 'braham and his father Terah are reported to have operated a wor$shop which fabricated these statuettes. 'lthough 4enesis is silent on this activity, it is fully discussed in the boo$s of the seudepigrapha. Terah and 'braham were described as members of the priesthood, the elite class that ruled the city of <r. 'ccording to 8ubilees, 'braham came from a family of high priests. 3is father Terah had learned the sciences from his father 2ahor, for it was said that )he HTerahI grew up and he dwelt among the /haldeans, and his father taught him the researches of the /haldeans in order to practice divination and astrology according to the signs of the heavens.) ' more explicit story emerges from the "pocal#pse of "braha'* a 1irst /entury '- document transmitted in *lavonic through .yzantine channels and therefore not available to western scholars until the late Middle 'ges. &t provides much information on the early days of 'braham. + o,,e-%* To those reading this on the Web, this use of the word )channels) undoubtedly refers to )hands) or )sources) and not to the modern concept of )channeling.); 'ccording to this account, 'braham"s father was an idol ma$er as well as an astrologer. 3e manufactured idols for the temples and for sale to ordinary citizens and travellers. These idols were of different value and (uality, depending whether they were made of stone, wood, iron, copper, silver, or gold. &t was one of 'braham"s assigned tas$s to ta$e some of these statuettes and sell them to merchants from 0gypt at a stall !ust outside of town. *oon after, 'braham had a falling out with his father over these idols and providentially, the wor$shop of Terah was struc$ by lightning and burned to the ground. When Terah and 'braham left for 3aran and thence to the land of /anaan, they presumably had in their possession a number of these idols - statuettes with certain devices or power pac$s implanted. These were probably the teraphi' or portable communicators of the #ld Testament accounts. 't Tepe 4awra in upper Mesopotamia, archaeologists have found dozens of socalled cult statues which have been dated to about C@@@ ./. The )cult) ob!ects fit the description of the animated idols of the *umerians.

These large-eyed pagan idols or portable statuettes had concave eye soc$ets where some fist-sized ob!ects were inserted, probably crystal li$e power pac$s which activated the communicators. These power pac$s have been described as )stones,) evidently the ancient word for large crystals. T30 T05' 3&M #5 #5T'.,0 5'-&# *0T* The teraphi' of the #ld Testament were figurines or idols, of different size, which according to .iblical accounts were used for divination, that is, they answered specific (uestions which were posed to them, as in 0ze$iel D=, Bechariah =@, and 8udges =N and =G. The etymology of the word teraphim is obscure and its meaning is un$nown. ' source in the Enc#clopedia Judaica has suggested that it may come from the 3ittite word tarpis which means )animated spirit.) &n view of the 3ittite influence in the land of /anaan, this derivation is probably true. The teraphim plays a significant role in the life of 'braham. &ts usage can be traced for a thousand years, through the days of &saac and 8oseph, thence to 0gypt where they presumably fell into the hands of Moses. 5eferences to the teraphim reappear in the days of 8oshua and his successor +enaz. .y this time, about =E@@ ./, they had become inactive and were considered to be merely pagan relics or curiosities. 1rom the days of 'braham, down to the days of Moses and before the 'r$ of the /ovenant, the teraphim was apparently used to communicate with the deity. &t was by this means that 0l *haddai or 'dad directed 'braham to go to /anaan and thence to 0gypt, and later during the days of the invasion of the eastern $ings. + o,,e-%* 2ote that this date comes less than D@@ years after the last theorized arrival of 2ibiru in =?GN ./0.; The teraphim were of various sizes - small enough to hide under a saddle as in the case of 5achel, yet some were large enough to imitate a person sleeping under a blan$et as in the case of -avid which fooled the assassins sent by *aul. The first explicit reference to the teraphim is in 4enesis C? which deals with the incident of 5achel when she attempted to steal her father"s idols. These may have been part of the cache that 'braham left at 3aran with his cousin ,aban !ust before he left for the western lands.

8acob and 5achel obviously $new of the value of the teraphim, and from the lengths that ,aban went to retrieve them he may have also guessed their purpose, although he obviously did not $now how to use them. The existence and significance of these idols must have been imparted to 8acob by his grandfather 'braham before he died. This can be shown by the following calculations. 'braham died at the age of =N? in the year =>>D ./. 8acob was born of &saac when he was F@ years old or in the year D@@N ./. Thus 8acob was =? years of age when 'braham diedL 'braham had sufficient time to brief his grandson 8acob of the existence and the import of these devices and their storage at 3aran. + o,,e-%* *ince .oulay is incorporating the Aeli$ovs$ian reconstruction of history into his own overall chronology of events, it is to be assumed that the above dates are at least )in the ballpar$.); 8acob"s so!ourn to 3aran to live at ,aban"s house was probably predicated on his obtaining the devices and returning them to the control of 'braham"s family. 5achel was obviously in on the plot, and it may have ta$en all these years that 8acob suffered at the hands of ,aban to find out where the teraphim were hidden. The incident as related in 4enesis reads li$e a story out of fiction. 8acob had been forced by ,aban, under one pretext or another, to serve him for twenty years. 1inally, 8acob and 5achel, ta$ing advantage of ,aban"s absence, left secretly ta$ing with them the idols or teraphim of ,aban. Much fuss was made over these idols by ,aban when he realized that 8acob had left. 3e chased after 8acob and finally caught up with the fleeing culprit. ,aban was incensed over 8acob"s secret departure but seemed more concerned over the theft of his idolsL )you had to leave because you were homesic$ for your father"s house, but why did you have steal my gods,) he complained. The account mentions only those hidden by 5achel in a camel cushion which she was sitting on. When ,aban tried to search it, she pleaded that she not be disturbed since it was that time of the month. ,aban searched everywhere but could not find the teraphim. While only this teraphim was mentioned in the account, there must have been many more in 8acob"s possession which somehow he managed to hide from the prying eyes of ,aban. #n the way bac$ to /anaan, 8acob and his household stopped at *hechem, a site sacred to the indigenous people. 't *hechem, he ordered all the alien gods

which they had obtained at 3aran. These must have been numerous and they were buried at a terebinth Hoa$I at *hechem. 8acob must assuredly have $ept his, yet he was concerned that no one else be allowed to bring one bac$ to his homeland. /ontrol and use of the device was a tightly held secretL it would appear that only he and 5achel were privy to the real purpose of the teraphim. erhaps 8acob wanted to assure himself a plentiful supply of statuettes as well as their power pac$sL in any case, the cache remained buried at *hechem for generations and until the days of +enaz. Many years later, these idols and their )stones) or power pac$s were unearthed by the followers of +enaz, the successor to 8oshua. When 8acob went to 0gypt at the age of =C@ in the year =GNN ./, he probably too$ along the communication devices and these were passed down until Moses ac(uired them several hundred years later and used one to contact 7ahweh or 'dad on the first visit to Mount *inai. + o,,e-%* Thus, when 8ohn .aines in The Stellar )an discusses the idea that Moses used an )occult) method from the )mystery schools) to contact the 'rchon 7, he may have been indirectly referring to the use of these primitive )tricorders.); T30 /57*T',* #1 +02'B: #W05 '/+* 1#5 T30 T05' 3&M The document which relates what happened after 8oshua died and which defines the succession of leaders through +enaz, Bebul, and finally -eborah is the so-called The Biblical "nti;uities of Pseudo1Philo because their attribution to hilo of 'lexandria in the 1irst /entury '- is in (uestion. hilo describes how the tribes were hard-pressed by the hilistines after the death of 8oshua and they sought a leader. +enaz was elected and proceeded to (uestion each tribe of its sinful behavior in the belief that their troubles were caused by their straying from the Mosaic ,aw. The confessions ranged far afield but the one which is most interesting for our point of view is that of the tribe of 'sher who confessed that, )We have found the seven golden idols whom the 'morites call the sacred nymphs, and we too$ them along with the precious stones set upon them and hid them. 'nd behold now they are stored beneath the summit of Mount *hechem. Therefore send, and you will find them.)

+enaz immediately sent a group of men to find them, had them removed and brought to him. These stones were described as crystal and prase in color, that is, clear and light-green. )'nd these are the precious stones,) he was told, )that the 'morites had in their sanctuaries, the value of which cannot be estimated.) These crystals which had been attached to the idols were also light-emitting. +enaz was told that )for those entering by night the light of a lamp was not necessary, so brightly did the stones shine forth.) These clear and light-green crystals had been embedded in the idols of the 'morites H/anaanitesI presumably in the hollow eye soc$ets. The crystals were alien to the 3ebrews who presumably did not $now their purpose except as adornments on the pagan idols. &t is a truism that what one does not understand, one fears and destroys. +enaz found out, however, that these stones or crystals were virtually indestructible. 3e tried to destroy them several ways: first by fire, but then they only (uenched the flames. Then he tried to split them with an iron sword but they only dented the blade. 1inally in desperation they were offered on an altar to the deity and, according to the account of hilo, they were removed mysteriously during the night by an angel. These crystals of +enaz which emitted light and were virtually indestructible were embedded in the idols ta$en from the cache found at *hechem under an oa$. resumably they were the ones that were buried by the household of 8acob several hundred years earlier. These crystals still emitted light after all this time and therefore were active to a certain extent. The stones by themselves were not very useful for they served to activate devices such as the teraphim, the .iblical portable radio receiver and transmitter. .y the time of the days of +enaz, the late =?th /entury ./, and the beginning of the (uiet period $nown as the -ays of the 8udges, the stones had become mere curiosities. +nown to be associated with the idols of the native /anaanites, they were treated as merely pagan religious artifacts. T30 *T#20* T3'T &,,<M&2'T0 The crystals of +enaz were also described as shining brightly at night so that it was unnecessary to use a lamp. *uch a power pac$ was probably used by 2oah for illumination in the 'r$ during the long period of =?@ days that his sealed ship was at sea. 'ccording to the 3ebrew oral tradition as revealed in the 3aggadah, the 'r$ was illuminated by a precious stone which served to brighten the inside of the ship and made night seem li$e day.

' similar source of power is mentioned in the Book of )or'on, the holy boo$ of the /hurch of ,atter--ay *aints. When the tribe of ,ehi left 8erusalem about F@@ ./ for their trip to the )promised land,) they built eight ships for the !ourney. These were sealed li$e the 'r$ of 2oah and in order to see in the dar$ened interior, the vessels were given sixteen small stones, two for each ship, which were )white and clear, transparent as glass.) These stones )shone forth in the dar$ness) during the CEE days they were at sea and before they finally reached the shore.

#a$%er 11 THE FABLED LAND OF DIL)(N "

)&n -ilmun the raven utters no cry, the lion $ills not. The wolf snatches not the lamb, un$nown is the grain-devouring bear. The sic$-headed says not "& am sic$-headed," the old woman says not "& am an old woman," the old man says not "& am an old man.") - #ld *umerian oem -ilmun has probably aroused more curiosity than any other place mentioned in the cuneiform records of Mesopotamia. Many boo$s have been written about this land of mystery, probably second only to that of 'tlantis. <nli$e 'tlantis, however, there are many recorded references to -ilmun which assures us that it was a geographic location somewhere in the Middle 0ast. -ilmun was a land intimately associated with *umer and '$$ad, and !ust li$e Meluhha H'fricaI and Magan H0gyptI supplied their cities with many economic necessities either through tribute or by commercial exchange. -ilmun was also a sacred or holy land often called the residence of the gods, a sort of garden of 0den, often referred to as )the land of the living,) that is, the land of immortality. -espite the references to -ilmun in Mesopotamian literature and myths, its location is still in dispute among scholars. We $now for sure that -ilmun was not !ust a literary fiction for it is mentioned in economic texts as early as the DEth /entury ./ and as late as the 1irst Millennium ./. 5ecent theories identify it as the island of .ahrain in the ersian 4ulf. This was proposed by 4eoffrey .ibbey in his study .ookin% for il'un+ This identification, however, relies heavily on the inscription of *argon of 'ssyria, circa ND@ ./, who asserted that among the $ings paying him tribute were

)<peri, $ing of -ilmun, whose abode is situated li$e a fish in the midst of the sea where the sun rises.) -espite the discrepancy on the sunrise, the statement of *argon has been ta$en to mean that -ilmun was an island and that the sea was the ersian 4ulf. + o,,e-%* 'ssuming that this statement is correct, then this )+ing of -ilmun) was still around at the time of *argon. This is further proof that the lanet 2ibiru was still )par$ed in orbit) in )the 2orth /ountry) of )3yperborea) before the last departure se(uence began in earnest, culminating in the events of the year FGN ./0. The correct placement of *argon was crucial to the completion of -r. Aeli$ovs$y"s historical reconstruction.; #thers li$e *amuel 2oah +ramer, as in his boo$ The Su'erians* have placed it in the &ndus 5iver Aalley based on the references that it was located where the sun rises, that is towards the east of *umer. This theory is based largely on the *umerian -eluge myth which states that the *umerian 2oah was given immortality and transplanted to the )mouth of the rivers) and to )the place where the sun rises.) &n both instances, the geographic placement of -ilmun seems to be contingent on the statement that it was in the west toward the rising sun. ' more recent analysis by Becharia *itchin in his boo$ The Stair!a# to $ea&en identifies the *inai peninsula as the ,and of -ilmun HTilmunI. The difficulty in locating the land of -ilmun is due largely to modern translations of the *umerian and '$$adian texts where arbitrary interpretations are given to the original texts. ' ma!or source of information on this land are the accounts of the travels of 4ilgamesh. Two epics are often mentioned in this respect, the famous Gil%a'esh Epic which is in twelve cuneiform tablets, and the lesser $nown but complete poem called Gil%a'esh and the .and of the .i&in%+ T30 ,'2- #1 &MM#5T',&T7 '2- T30 4'5-02 #1 0-02 -ilmun was loo$ed upon by the *umerians as a blessed paradise that was intimately related to *umer on a religious or spiritual level. The land of -ilmun is described in the myth Enki and -inkhursa% as a bright, clear, and pure land, called the )land of the living) where there is no illness and death does not exist. -ilmun is thus a land of immortality.

The land is in charge of 0n$i who orders <tu to bring up fresh water from the ground, thereby turning it into a paradise, a divine garden green with fruit-laden fields and meadows. &t is a veritable garden of 0den. 'lthough it is not mentioned by name in the myth Gil%a'esh and the .and of the .i&in%* it obviously refers to this land where no one got sic$ or died. &n this story, 4ilgamesh sets out to a distant land to fell and bring bac$ some of its famous cedars, and to ma$e a )name) or )shumu) for himself. 3e is told by his friend and co-adventurer 0n$idu that <tuJ*hamash is in charge of the land and that 4ilgamesh must first secure his permission and support. )My master, if you would enter the "land" inform <tu ... The "land" it is <tu"s charge, the land of the felled cedars, it is the valiant <tu"s charge.) + o,,e-%* Aaliant rince <tu was *aurian *pace /ommander, the 4ree$ 'pollo, the 5oman 3elios, the 3indu 5ama, the &ncan Tamendonare, the *lavonic Aarpulis.; To obtain immortality, 4ilgamesh would !ourney to this cedar land in order to set up a shumu, and for this he re(uired the permission of <tu, the chief astronaut. )& would enter the "land" and would set up my shumu, in the places where the shumus have been set up, & would raise my shumu.) While the *emitic term )shumu) is traditionally translated as )name,) it presents difficulties in understanding the text. 's we have noted before, the term )shem) which is used in the #ld Testament is the same as the )shumu) of the *umerians. &n the incident of the tower of .abel, man wanted to erect a )shem) to reach the gods !ust as 4ilgamesh wished to do. 's previously discussed, the shem of the .ible is also used in con!unction with the +abod or vehicle of the .iblical 4od. The $abod is called the )$abod ha-shem) or more correctly )the chariot of the shem or roc$et.) &n the epic Gil%a'esh and the .and of the .i&in%* he must defeat the monster 3umbaba Hsometimes called 3uwawaI which appears to be a mechanical device that guards the cedar land from intruders. 'lthough the land 4ilgamesh !ourneys to is not mentioned as -ilmun, it is a paradise land, a land of cedars, and one controlled by <tu or *hamash. &n the Gil%a'esh Epic he also ma$es a !ourney to a distant cedar land where he hopes to achieve immortality. 3e meets and destroys a monster called

3umbaba who protects the cedar forest. 3umbaba is described as a fearsome monster: )his roaring is li$e that of a storm, his mouth is fire, and his breath is death.) The two epics involving the adventures of 4ilgamesh to a distant cedar land, under the control of <tu or *hamash, and guarded by a mechanical monster are obviously related and may actually be part of the same story. T30 *T5</T<50 #1 T30 4&,4'M0*3 0 &/ Many scholars have noted the dis!ointed condition of the story that is narrated in the twelve cuneiform tablets that ma$e up the so-called Gil%a'esh Epic+ The most complete version available is the one in *emitic '$$adian, composed in the Middle .abylonian eriod about the =Cth /entury ./. Most translations follow this traditional twelve tablet format. 1ragments of this epic have also been found in other forms or languages such as #ld .abylonian *emitic, 3ittite or northwestern *emitic, and in the original *umerian as well. *ome of these fragments date as far bac$ as D@@@ ./, confirming the view that the exploits of 4ilgamesh were well $nown all over the Middle 0ast in the Third Millennium ./. #ther versions of the 4ilgamesh epic, and stories of the exploits of this legendary $ing, were current in *umerian and '$$adian literary form when the Middle .abylonians produced their form of the epic. These *emitic .abylonians considered themselves the bearer of *umerian culture and civilization, and it appears reasonable to assume that they simply combined the contemporary texts into one continuous story which over a period of time became an epic in itself. The fact that it is a compilation of many 4ilgamesh stories is obvious in its structure. Tablet & deals with the birth of 4ilgamesh, his deeds, and the creation of 0n$idu as 4ilgamesh"s friend. Tablet && continues this association as they leave for the cedar forest which is guarded by the monster 3umbaba. &n Tablet &&& they obtain permission from *hamash to enter the land under his control. &t is continued in Tablets &A and A, where 4ilgamesh has dreams of what seems to be the glare and noise of roc$et launch. They then battle the monster 3umbaba.

Tablet A& appears to be a complete brea$ in the story, that, is, unless it can be related in some way to 4ilgamesh"s purpose of reaching the gods and re(uesting immortality. This tablet describes how &shtar tries to seduce 4ilgamesh, and is re!ected. *he as$s the gods for revenge and is given permission to send a divine weapon called the ).ull of 3eaven) to destroy 4ilgamesh and 0n$idu. 4ilgamesh and 0n$idu destroy the heaven-sent weapon, however. + o,,e-%* #urs is a )!ealous god,) the .ible tells us. This !ust goes to show you females are the same, no matter what their planet of origin: if one tries to seduce you, watch out6 &t is fascinating to see how often these *aurian )gods and goddesses) try to ta$e revenge on one another and various citizens of Tiamat6 'nd lest we forget, &shtar was a regional name for rincess-5oyal &nanna, *aurian 'ir /ommander and incestuous lover of her brother and boss, rince <tu.; The story is continued in Tablets A&& and A&&& where the gods decide that someone must pay and 0n$idu is condemned to death. 4ilgamesh delivers a long eulogy. Tablet &K finds 4ilgamesh on a !ourney to reach his grandfather <tnapishtim, the *umerian 2oah. 3e approaches the mountains of Mashu and meets the guards, the people with a stinging weapon. 3e is instantly recognized as semidivine and allowed to pass. 3e passes through the mountain by tunnel and arrives at a place of bright crystal, the city of .aalbec$. 3is re(uest is turned down by *hamash. Tablet K starts with his meeting with *iduri, the so-called .armaid, who tells him how to ma$e a !ourney across the )seas of death,) apparently a metaphor for the hazardous trip to the heavens. *iduri has been identified by many scholars as another name for &shtar, and if this is the goddess herself, it explains the position of this tablet in the epic. *he apparently helps him to reach <tnapishtim but at the price of becoming her lover. 1or this trip, 4ilgamesh must secure many )punting poles) or fuel rods which are used !ust once and discarded. 3e reaches his grandfather who is evidently in the orbiting space ship. &n Tablet K&, <tnapishtim tells him the -eluge story. *ince 4ilgamesh cannot be granted immortality, he is told how to secure a magic plant which will re!uvenate him. 4ilgamesh obtains it, but it is stolen by a sna$e on his return to <ru$.

Tablet K&& is a complete brea$ with the storyL in this Tablet 0n$idu is alive and about to enter the nether world. &t is obviously based on the myth called Enkidu and the -ether World+ There are many stories which relate in some way to the Gil%a'esh Epic+ Many of these have been found only in fragmentary form, such as the one dealing with Gil%a'esh and the Bull of $ea&en* and another called the eath of Gil%a'esh+ &t is obvious that the epic is a composite or selected summary of many stories dealing with the experiences of the hero. *<MM'57 #1 T30 4&,4'M0*3 *T#57 .y putting the various stories together, we can reconstruct the exploits of 4ilgamesh. 3e was born semi-divine but yet he feared that he was not immortal. 3e sought to reach the gods since only they could grant it. ' companion is created for him by the gods ta$ing a primitive man and putting him through a )civilizing) process of sexual activity with a goddess. 'ccompanied with this friend and a contingent from the city of <ru$, he decides to !ourney to the land of ,ebanon, also called the )land of the living,) the paradise of the gods, the cedar forest, and the home base of *hamash. *ailing up the 0uphrates, the ship is wrec$ed in a storm and only 4ilgamesh and 0n$idu continue the trip. resumably following the trade route from Mari, through Tadmor, and down to -amascus, they approach the mountains of ,ebanon through the eastern entrance. 3ere they meet the guards who are e(uipped with stinging type weapons but are allowed to pass because of 4ilgamesh"s semi-divine appearance. They encounter the mechanical monster 3umbaba which guards the mountain approaches and destroy it. They pass through a tunnel for twelve double-hours and finally reach light and the city of .aalbec$. 4ilgamesh is refused a shumu or roc$et by *hamash to reach the gods in the orbiting space ship. &shtar comes to his assistance if he will become her lover. she provides a shuttle for him and he reaches the space ship and meets his grandfather <tnapishtim, who relates to 4ilgamesh the story of the -eluge. 2ot to let his grandson go home empty-handed, he tells him of a magic plant that will re!uvenate 4ilgamesh. The hero obtains the plant on the way home but has it stolen by a sna$e which then sheds its s$in. 'rriving at <ru$ empty-handed, 4ilgamesh reneges on his promise to &shtar who becomes incensed and sends a divine weapon to destroy 4ilgamesh and

0n$idu. They manage to disable it. The gods in council decide that someone has to pay for this and 0n$idu is condemned to die. 0n$idu is sent to the 2ether World, 4ilgamesh eulogizes his friend, and in a later story 4ilgamesh manages to rescue 0n$idu from the underworld. ,0.'2#2 '* T30 ,'2- A&*&T0- .7 4&,4'M0*3 There is only one cedar land in the Middle 0ast worthy of the name. &n ancient times it covered all of ,ebanon as well as part of *yria. &n fact the Gil%a'esh Epic refers to it as the )forest that runs for ten thousand leagues.) When 3umbaba roared it is said that )it shoo$ the land of *aria H*yriaI and ,ebanon.) -espite these specific references to the land of ,ebanon, it has been ignored by scholars. This cedar forest where 3umbaba roamed is called the )home of the gods, and the throne base of &rnini.) &rnini is another name for the goddess &shtar who seems to have used -ilmun as a home base. &shtar was also $nown under the name of *iduri, the so-called .armaid who helped 4ilgamesh to reach the gods. &n his adventures 4ilgamesh reaches the mountains whose name is )mashu,) which guards the entrance to the place where *hamash )comes and goes.) The word M'-*3< has not been understood by scholars who seem to have overloo$ed its obvious meaning, that of )the place of the HspaceI ship.) M' is the *umerian term for boat or vehicle, as we have seen in Magur as a river boat, and *3< applies to a geographic place or location as in the city of *huruppa$. 4ilgamesh is met by the scorpion men, that is, sentries with a stinging type weapon, who immediately challenge him. 4ilgamesh is instantly recognized by the sentries as one of their own $ind for )the one who has come to us, his body is the flesh of the gods.) They notice that he is partly divine, that he has vestiges of a reptilian hide. The scorpion men who guard the *umerian paradise correspond to the )cherubim with the fiery revolving sword) who were stationed at the eastern entrance to the garden of 0den to guard the tree of immortality and to prevent 'dam and 0ve from re-entering. 'dam and 0ve were expelled from the garden of 0den according to 4enesis, and sent )east of 0den) and that entrance guarded by the cherubim. 'fter the -eluge the land of the gods had been moved to ,ebanon from the delta area of the Tigris-0uphrates. &t explains why 'dam and 0ve were expelled )east of 0den) and that entrance guarded by the cherubim. &t is pertinent to note that

-amascus is due east of this entrance to the land of ,ebanon. -amascus is the oldest continuously occupied city in the world and claims that it was founded by 'dam and 0ve after they left 0den. 4ilgamesh travelled through a series of tunnels in the mountains to reach the home base of *hamash. The path he too$ was called )harran *hamash,) or the road to *hamash. 'fter going for twelve double-hours, he saw light at the end of the tunnel and finally bro$e out into the open where he saw an area of bright crystal and colored stones. &t was .aalbec$, the *pace /ity. Much of the remainder of the text is missing. When 4ilgamesh finally reached <tnapishtim, he related the story of the -eluge and how he was made immortal and sent to live in -ilmun. &n the #ld .abylonian version of the epic, <tnapishtim was given immortality by 0nlil after the -eluge and tas$ed with repopulating the world. &n conventional translations, he was sent to a distant land, to the land of -ilmun which was )in the east) and at the )mouth of the rivers.) The distant land at the mouth of the two rivers has been interpreted to mean the delta of the Tigris and 0uphrates, the location of the antediluvian garden of 0den. #thers, notably +ramer, have suggested the delta of the &ndus 5iver as more probable. 'lthough the delta of Mesopotamia was the 0din of the *umerians and the 0den of the #ld Testament before the -eluge, it was decided after the catastrophe to move it to a more secure place, less accessible, and not sub!ect to the caprices of nature, especially to periodic flooding. Thus the sacred place of the gods was moved to ,ebanon and the space city established there. This is clear in a more recent and accurate translation of these crucial words. ' different translation of the phrase in (uestion appears in the recent translation of the epic by 8ohn 4ardner and 8ohn Maier in their boo$ Gil%a'esh+ Their suggested translation is )the source of the rivers) rather than )the mouth of the rivers.) #f course, this gives a completely different meaning to the passage, for the delta of Mesopotamia or any other delta cannot be the land of -ilmun. ' search for the place in the Middle 0ast where two rivers originate in the same area leads us bac$ again to ,ebanon, particularly to .aalbec$, for it is there that the #rontes and ,itanni rivers begin, one flowing north and the other south. ' *umerian version of the adventures of 4ilgamesh verifies this interpretation of the passage. /alled Biusudra in the early *umerian version, <tnapishtim is

sent to live in )the land of -ilmun, the place where the sun HshamashI rises.) ' translation of this passage states that he went to live in )the land Hor mountain landI of crossing,) where the sun or shamash rises. The )land of crossing) appears to refer to the place where shamash too$ off and landed each day, in order words, where he crossed over from 0arth to the heavens. The phrase )land of crossing) can also be translated as )the mountain land of crossing) since the word lends itself to either definition. again, this rules out the flatlands of the delta regions. -&,M<2, T30 ,'2- W3050 T30 *<2 H*3'M'*3I 5&*0* *upposedly situated where the sun rises, scholars have located it in the direction of the east or dawn. The word for sun is )shamash) and the passage could also be read as )where *hamash rises,) thus firmly placing it in the land of the cedars. 1urther evidence that -ilmun should be sought in the west rather than the east is contained in the statement of *argon the 4reat who ruled about DC@@ ./. + o,,e-%* This is a different *argon than the one mentioned earlier.; *argon boasted that )the *ea ,ands three times & circled, -ilmun my hand captured.) &t indicates that -ilmun had to be near the *ea ,ands, which was the Mesopotamian term for the Mediterranean *ea coast. The cities of the *ea ,ands were none other than the coastal cities of ,ebanon, later to become the hoenician ,eague. 1urthermore, *argon"s statement would indicate that the cities of the *ea ,and were actually part of what he called -ilmun. -ilmun had to be near Magan H0gyptI and Meluhha H'fricaI according to the epic where 0n$i conducted what appears to be an inspection trip of the lands which he controlled, that of Magan, Meluhha, and -ilmun. -ilmun is, in fact, often associated commercially with the lands of Magan and Meluhha which dictates that its location had to be in the west near 0gypt rather than somewhere far distant in the east. The route ta$en by 4ilgamesh to the land of *hamash is provided in Gil%a'esh and the .and of the .i&in%+ &t also indicates a !ourney to ,ebanon. 1or the trip, he had mobilized an expedition from his city of <ru$. since they planned to depart by water they built a )Magan ship,) that is, an 0gyptian type river boat, since they were going part of the way by water. This type of ship precludes

passage by the ersian 4ulf and up the coast since it would re(uire a more seaworthy ship able to survive the open sea. 4ilgamesh and his group must have planned to sail up the 0uphrates as far as possible and then ta$e the overland trade route to the west. Mari would be the choice since it was the transfer point with the trade routes to the Mediterranean. &t went to almyra Hancient TadmorI and then divided, with one route going southwest to -amascus and the other west to 3oms H3imsI at the northern entrance to ,ebanon. 0ither route led to the land of ,ebanon or -ilmun, for !ust as today they are the two ma!or routes into the mountain land from the east. + o,,e-%* 's a linguist and historian, almyra has always been one of my favorite words6; 4ilgamesh"s expedition was ill-fated and the ship foundered in a storm in the river 0uphrates and all hands were lost except 4ilgamesh and 0n$idu. The heroes of the epic continued their !ourney on foot and finally reached the land of *hamash or the mountains of Mashu, the )place of the space craft.) 'lthough 4ilgamesh too$ the most direct route to .aalbec$ through the mountain pass near -amascus, it is noteworthy that at the northern entrance to the valley of ,ebanon there sits the ruins of an ancient city $nown as +adesh, which guarded this entrance. &ts origin is lost in anti(uity, although +adesh is the *emitic term for )sacred city) and the reason for its holy appellation has been lost. -&,M<2, /#MM05/&', 4&'2T #1 T30 '2/&02T W#5,-ilmun was not only an earthly paradise - the famous garden of 0den, the meeting place of the gods, the land of well-being, and the home grounds of 0n$i, *hamash, and &shtar - it was also one of the richest and most powerful countries in the ancient world. To !udge from the economic documents, -ilmun has a long commercial history that extended for at least two thousand years. The ships of -ilmun anchored at the doc$s of the Mesopotamian cities alongside those of 0gypt and 0thiopia since at least the mid-third Millennium ./. 's early as the days of the '$$ad -ynasty, -ilmun is mentioned as a place on the coast of the Mediterranean. *argon the 4reat, circa DC@@ ./, boasted that he had traversed the mountains and encircled the *ea ,ands and captured

-ilmun. *ince the *ea ,ands were on the Mediterranean, -ilmun must have been nearby, if not actually part of this complex. Much has been made of the location of -ilmun as an island as was indicated by the account of *argon &&, the 'ssyrian ruler of the 0ighth /entury ./, who announced that, )& brought under my control .it-&a$in on the shore of the .itter *eas as far as the border of -ilmun. <peri, +ing of -ilmun, whose abode is situated, li$e a fish, thirty double-hours away in the midst of the sea of the rising sun, heard of the might of my sovereignty, and sent his gifts. + o,,e-%* &t has not been made clear exactly what a )double-hour) is. 0arlier & assumed that =D double-hours meant a DE-hour period. This reference to C@ double-hours would therefore indicate a period of two and a half days. /an someone enlighten this editor in this regard? Than$s6; The account of *argon && undoubtedly refers to the Western ,ands and to the coastal cities of hoenicia which were still a commercial power in the 0ighth /entury ./, although their influence had waned since their heyday from the =Eth to the >th /entury ./. + o,,e-%* This is (uite revealing, since, as we $now, the *aurian lanet 2ibiru was )doc$ed) at )3yperborea) from =?GN till FGN ./0.; 't that time, Tyre dominated the league of cities and, in fact, the title +ing of Tyre was synonymous with that of +ing of hoenicia. ,ocated on an island offshore Has 'lexander the 4reat was distressed to find when, to capture it, he had to build a causeway from the mainlandI, it exercised control over the commercial cities of 'radus, .yblos, *idon, and '$$a. #riginally part of the 0gyptian 0mpire, the hoenician cities became independent with the fall of the Middle +ingdom in the disasters of the mid=?th /entury ./. Tyre retained its independence until ?GF ./ at which time it fell to 2ebuchadnezzar of .abylon after a siege of thirteen years. Thus the account of *argon && reveals that he claimed control over the area from .it-&a$in, an unlocated city but believed to be 8ericho, near the .itter *ea, which can only be the -ead *ea, as far as the borders of ,ebanon or -ilmun.

3e had sub!ected the coastal cities and particularly Tyre which lay )in the midst of the sea.) Mainland -ilmun was not claimed by *argon && for the simple reason that it had been devastated fifteen centuries earlier. + o,,e-%* The next chapter of this boo$ is titled )The *pace /ity and 1acilities -estroyed.) &t is to be assumed here that .oulay will describe the destruction of the *inai and .aalbec$ *paceports, events that transpired at the behest of rincess-5oyal &nanna and her loverJco-conspirator rince <tu during their struggle with .aron Mardu$ and .aroness *arpanit to recover the stolen M0s which had precipitated the yramid Wars, all of which is discussed in great detail by *itchin in )The Wars of 4ods and Men.); The economic significance of the cities of -ilmun, especially Tyre, is revealed in the 0bla economic accounts of the late Third Millennium, where its name served as a royal standard for gold, which is usually referred to as )gin-dilmun) or )dilmun she$els.) &n his account of 0bla, ettinato in The "rchi&es of Ebla reported that the she$el in the trade accounts of 0bla is always written with the *umerian term )gin) and accompanied by the word )dilmun,) thus indicating that the unit of weight and purity was set by and originated in -ilmun. 'll $inds of products flowed from the ports of -ilmun since it was an entrepTt, that is, a trans-shipment point for goods from 0urope, 'frica, and the lands of the Mediterranean. + o,,e-%* &t was also from -ilmun that -u$e -umuzi, under the command of +ing 2ergal and %ueen 0resh$igal, the 'frican 4old /onsortium /0#s, dispatched all his $idnapped )slave-laborer 'damus) to their horrible fate in )The <nderworld) gold mines of *outh 'frica, probably in and around what is $nown today as )The 5uins of Bimbabwe.) *ince the lanet 2ibiru is doc$ed precisely above the 2orth ole, it cannot be seen by anyone positioned below the 0(uator. Thus, when one travelled to )The <nderworld,) )3eaven) would seem to )disappear from view.); Thus the goods which arrived in Mesopotamia in the boats from -ilmun were as varied as the lands they came from - copper, gold, lapis lazuli, ivory and ivory products such as inlaid tables, figurines, combs and boxes, furniture, semi-precious stones, cedar and other timbers, and agricultural delicacies such as dates and onions.

&n her boo$ Bab#lon 8oan #ates reports that in the ruins of 3ammurabi"s .abylon, circa =NG@ ./, there was unearthed a house of one official called 0a2asir who was an )ali$-dilmun,) that is, a -ilmun trader, who dealt mainly in copper and copper products. 3e apparently was a middle-man in the trade of copper from -ilmun. While the literary evidence seems to indicate that there were two -ilmuns, they were actually part of the land today $nown as ,ebanon. There was a mainland -ilmun, that of the .e$aa Aalley and the home of the space port at .aalbec$, and across the mountains the coastal plain of -ilmun with its commercial cities. The mainland of -ilmun ceased to be a paradise and space port of the gods in the reign of 2aram-*in, the demented despot of the '$$ad -ynasty, when he invaded and destroyed these lands in DDD? ./. 'lthough the mainland territory was laid waste and avoided by everyone for over a thousand years, the coastal cities continued to flourish as independent city-states under the aegis of 0gypt and later as the hoenician ,eague. T30 /#'*T', /&T&0* #1 ,0.'2#2 The coastal area of ,ebanon was inhabited by /anaanites who later came to be called hoenicians by the 4ree$s. The first of these cities to step on the threshold of history was the city of 4ubla H.yblos to the 4ree$sI where its history goes bac$ to C?@@ ./. .yblos and later the other cities of Tyre, *idon, .erytus, and 'radus emerged under the control of 0gypt about DN@@ ./ when they were noted exporting cedar wood, olive oil, and wines to 0gypt. 0vidence of trade with 0gypt goes bac$ to pre-dynastic times and continued uninterrupted for many centuries. The mountainous land provided wood for the palaces, temples, and boats of the haraohs. The F@-foot 9about D@-meter; funerary barge of the haraoh +hufu or /heops, circa D??@ ./, which was found in =>?E hermetically sealed in a limestone crypt at the foot of the 4reat yramid of 4izeh, was constructed of ,ebanese cedar wood. /anaanite pottery was found in the tombs of the 1irst -ynasty, about D>@@ ./, and rich offerings to the Temple at 4ubla were made by the haraohs of the *econd -ynasty. 0gyptian pectorals and !ewelry were also found at 4ubla. &n his history of ,ebanon, hilip +. 3itti observes that at this ancient city, the /anaanite temple of .aal stood side by side with the 0gyptian temple of &sis. /anaanite princes not only too$ pride in decorating themselves in the 0gyptian style but also called themselves )sons of 5a,) the chief 0gyptian solar deity.

+ o,,e-%* 's we $now from *itchin"s wor$, .aal refers to .aron Mardu$ and &sis to %ueen 2in$hursag. #nce again it is unclear here whether this )5a) refers to 'mon-5a, the e(uivalent of .aron Mardu$, or to 'ten-5a, the hypothetical e(uivalent of -u$e -umuzi.; 's a nation, hoenicia emerged about =E@@ ./. *idon first dominated her sister cities, but eventually Tyre too$ the lead, and by the time of the 3ebrew $ings, the title +ing of Tyre began to mean +ing of hoenicia. &n the days of 3iram, the forests had yet to be denuded, and the lumber and agricultural products of ,ebanon flowed out to the world through its numerous seaports. With the expulsion of the 3y$sos or 'male$ites by the !oint forces of 'hmose and *aul, the land was divided between the three leaders. 0gypt retained a strip of land along the coast all the way to hoenicia which gave her control of the coastal highway. *olomon too$ over alestine, *yria, and to a certain extent the lands to the west. 1or example, he built a fortified city at Tadmor which controlled the rich trade route across the desert from Mari on the 0uphrates. The area of ,ebanon, from <garit in the north to hilistia in the south, came under the control of 3iram, $ing of Tyre. 3iram also inherited the mantle of responsibility for what remained of the sacred sites of ,ebanon and the city of .aalbec$. 'lthough -ilmun is not mentioned by name in the *criptures, there is much information on the littoral city of ,ebanon. The evidence that 3iram held a special position in the religious and political affairs of the time is reflected in the Book of E0ekiel* where he is considered to be semi-divine and have special relations with the deity. &n 0ze$iel DG the prophet relates in a diatribe against the enemies of &srael that )no secret is hidden from him.) 'pparently 0ze$iel expressed the view of his day that while 3iram had been a good friend of *olomon, his descendants failed 8erusalem in her hour of need. 0ze$iel begins, ).ecause your heart is proud, and you have said, "& am a god, sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas." 7et you are but a man, and no god, though you consider yourself wise as a god. 7ou are indeed wiser than -anielL no secret is hidden from you. .y your wisdom and understanding you have gotten wealth for yourself.)

0ze$iel continues his accusations and reveals 3iram"s divine status and the reasons for his downfall. 3e is here repeating the words of the deity: )7ou were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 7ou were in 0den, the garden of 4od. 0very precious stone was your covering. ... #n the day that you were created they were prepared. With an anointed guardian cherub & placed you. 7ou were on the holy mountain of 4od, in the midst of the stones of fire you wal$ed.) 0ze$iel is referring to the raised platform at .aalbec$ - )the holy mountain) and the brilliant roc$et exhaust - )the stones of fire.) &t is also the land of the garden of 0den and the guardian cherubim. + o,,e-%* #ne can ta$e issue with .oulay"s fast-and-loose use of the term )4arden of 0den) for -ilmun or ,ebanon. The original )garden) at )0din) was where the first *aurian *paceport was located and was the site for the genetic cross-breeding experiments carried out by *aurian /hief 4eneticist %ueen 2in$hursag and her brother, Maritime /ommander rince 0n$i.; 0ze$iel continues, )&n the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence and you sinned. *o & cast you as a profane thing from the Mountain of 4od and the guardian cherub drove you out from the midst of the stones of fire.) &t is apparent that the garden of 0den is now located in the area controlled by 3iram. The cherubim who acted as the guardian of 3iram at the Mountain of 4od is reminiscent of the cherubim with the fiery revolving sword or the scorpion-men who guarded the cedar forest, the land of *hamash. There is also strong evidence that the land of unt, the fabled land which the 0gyptians referred to as )god"s land,) )the divine land,) and the )land of incense) was also the land of ,ebanon. The ,and of unt was intimately associated with 0gyptian history and religious tradition and, when written in hieroglyphics, does not have the symbol for foreign land, which indicates that the 0gyptians considered this land to be historically part of 0gypt. %ueen 3atshepsut of the =Gth -ynasty made a trip to this fabled land which she describes in detail on the reliefs of the walls of her temple near Thebes. The reliefs state that upon her arrival to this land by ship, she is met by the royalty of the ,and of unt who in(uired whether she arrived by )the ways of heaven

or by the sea.) &t was legendary in the ,and of unt that the gods, or those favored by the gods, could arrive to this land by either seaship or airship. + o,,e-%* 's -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y has so brilliantly shown in "%es In Chaos* %ueen 3atshepsut of 0gypt was the legendary 0thiopian %ueen of *heba. The .iblical visit by the %ueen of *heba to the land of +ing *olomon is reflected in 0gyptian )ghost history) as the visit by %ueen 3atshepsut to the ,and of unt. #ne is referred to that boo$ for additional details. &f, however, 0gypt still controlled a portion of the coastline from what is now ort *uez northward to modern .eirut, then this ,and of unt would have not been considered a foreign country to them at the time.; ,0.'2#2, 4'5-02 #1 T30 M&--,0 0'*T .ecause of its geographic location and integrated borders, ,ebanon has always en!oyed a certain degree of natural protection from outside excursions. rotected by mountains on three sides and the sea in the west, it avoided much of the tribulations of invading armies from the east. .eing considered as the sacred or holy land also gave it a certain modicum of protection. &ts religious tradition as the land of the gods was a safeguard, but it also was the cause of her demise. 4eographically, ,ebanon has four regions: the coastal plains, the coastal mountain range, the central plateau or valley, and the interior mountain range. The coastal plain is a narrow fertile area, at times !ust a ribbon where the mountains come down to the sea, widening to about eight miles 9about =D $ilometers; at the most. &t is the site of a number of principal seaports which became the hoenician city-states. The coastal mountain range, called the ,ebanon Mountains, runs the entire length of the country, averaging about C? miles wide 9about ?F $ilometers; in the north and six miles 9=@ $ms.; in the south. The eastern mountain range, or 'nti-,ebanon Mountains, forms the eastern boundary of the country. 't its southern end it is anchored by Mount 3ermon, the country"s highest pea$ at >,@?? feet 9about C,@@@ meters;. &ts name means )sacred,) and it is the site of the descent of the 2efilim before the -eluge. + o,,e-%* The above statement is a perfect example of how once we $now all the facts about this hidden history, each new detail always falls precisely into its place.;

The .e$aa plateau is sandwiched between the two mountain ranges, and it is a fertile undulating plain about N? miles long 9=D@ $ms.;, and from six to ten miles wide. &t owes its fertility mostly to the ,itani 5iver which originates near .aalbec$, and flows south to empty in the Mediterranean near *idon. .aalbec$ is also the watershed for the #rontes 5iver which flows north and exits into the Mediterranean near ancient 'ntioch. &n the south, the plain is separated from the 8ordan Aalley by a range of hills whereas in the north it opens into the *yrian plain at 3oms. The ,ebanon landscape is today considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world. + o,,e-%* This editor has been to .eirut on numerous occasions before the horrible warfare bro$e out in the late =>N@s. 't that time .eirut was my favorite city in the world. &t was - and hopefully still is to a certain extent - one of the most beautiful cities in the world in one of the truly most beautiful countries in the world.; The land is full of spar$ling gushing springs, the climate is moderate, and the lands are luxuriant. &n 8uly, normally the hottest month of the year, the daily average at .eirut if GN degrees 1 9C@ degrees /; while in -amascus !ust ?@ miles 9G@ $ms.; away to the east it is >F degrees 1 9C? degrees /;. The coastal plain receives CC inches 9GC cms.; of rain a year, twice that of the corresponding coast of /alifornia. + o,,e-%* .eirut is situated at the same approximate north latitude as -allas and 'tlanta, and this editor can affirm that the climate of .eirut both in summer and winter is extremely mild by comparison. &n the winter, one can sunbathe and swim on the beaches of .eirut in the morning and be snow-s$iing in the mountains that same afternoon - a perfect vacation spot6; &n the past, ,ebanon must have been a veritable paradise. &ts mountains were covered with cedar and other hardwoods, and teeming with wildlife, li$e panthers, bears, and wolves. &ts fabled city of .aalbec$ overloo$ed a luxuriant fertile valley watered by the two rivers and numerous springs. &ts wealth was enhanced by the bustling commercial seaports on the coast. .esides lumber it exported agricultural products li$e wheat, olives, and incense. &t was famous for its purple dye which gave the coastal area its name. The 0gyptians called it the )land of incense) for it was a ma!or source of fran$incense and myrrh.

,ebanon was a natural selection by the *umerians after the -eluge to be the site of the new 0den, the paradise of the gods. &ts remoteness and protected borders also enhanced its value as a private resort and the location of the new space port. The lands were assigned to <tuJ*hamash, the chief astronaut, with the city of .aalbec$ as his head(uarters. /alled .eth-*hemesh in the .ible, it was literally the 3ouse of *hamash. 3is activities in the land of ,ebanon are graphically described in the myth Enki and the World <rder+ )The hero, the bull who comes forth out of the cedar forest, who roars lion-li$e. The valiant <tu, the bull who stands secure, who proudly displays his power. The father of the great city, the place where <tu ascends, the great herald of the holy 'n. The !udge, the decision ma$er of the gods, who wears a lapis lazuli beard, who comes forth from the holy heaven, <tu, the son born of 2ingal, 0n$i placed in charge of the entire universe.) <tu or *hamash is described as being )in charge of the entire universe,) and since we $now he had no administrative or political function, it presumably is assumed as a metaphor of his ability to move about at will and survey the $nown universe from the air. &t is from .aalbec$ that he )roars li$e a lion) and )proudly displays his power,) referring to the noise and commotion of the roc$et launchings at the space port. ' *3#5T 3&*T#57 #1 -&,M<2 E@@@ ./ - The lands resettled after the -eluge. C?@@ ./ - ,ebanon becomes the new garden of 0den. The space city established at .aalbec$ by 0n$i. The /hief 'stronaut *hamash ma$es his home base here. *o does &shtar. .yblos emerges as a ma!or port. + o,,e-%* *pace /ommander rince <tu had his personal residence in )3yperborea,) indicating that he must have shuttled bac$ and forth from the .aalbec$ 'irport and *inai *paceport to the doc$ed lanet 2ibiru. 'ir /ommander rincess-5oyal had her primary residence at her )*hangri-,a) palace in the ),and of &ndra)L she and her lover-boy -u$e -umuzi regularly shuttled bac$ and forth between ,ebanon and &ndia.; D>@@ ./ - 4ilgamesh ma$es his trip to the cedar land and the land of *hamash in pursuit of immortality. 3e reaches the space city and &shtar fashions a roc$et for him. 3e reaches <tnapishtim in the orbiting space ship.

DN@@ ./ - 0gypt has control over the coastal cities. D?@@ ./ - The -ilmun standard for gold is used by 0bla and other cities. DC@@ ./ - *argon the 4reat boasts of sub!ecting the land of cedars and the coastal cities. DDD? ./ - 2aram-*in invades ,ebanon, destroys the space city at .aalbec$ and devastates the .e$aa Aalley. The lands are poisoned by radioactivity and remain unoccupied for centuries. *pace city is never rebuilt. + o,,e-%* 's we $now from *itchin"s The .ost /eal's* 0mperor 'nu and 0mpress 'ntu ordered rince 0n$i to rebuild the new spaceport complex at 2azca and Machu icchu, eru. The trident of 0n$iJ oseidon is still visible on the cliffs at 2azca, on the approaches to the new spaceport.; D@G? ./ - &nvasion of the eastern $ings of the Third -ynasty of <r. ,ebanon is scrupulously avoided. The alternate space complex at Mount *inai H8ehel 3alalI is destroyed by <r-2ummu. =EEN ./ - 0xodus from 0gypt of 3ebrew tribes under Moses. 0nd of the Middle +ingdom in 0gypt. 5ise of the independent city states of hoenicia. >F> ./ - 3iram as +ing of Tyre and the hoenicians allied with *olomon and helps build the Temple and the alace. ?GF ./ - 0nd of the domination of the hoenician cities as Tyre is captured and destroyed by 2ebuchadnezzer. + o,,e-%* The last three dates in the above chronology are incorrect. The 0xodus is actually dated at =?GN ./0. *olomon built his Temple between the years >>?->>= ./0. 'nd 2ebuchadnezzer ascended the Throne of .abylonia in ?GE ./0 and did not completely con(uer the ,evant until ?FF ./0.;

#a$%er 13 THE SPA E ITY AND FA ILITIES DESTROYED "

)3e 92aram-*in; defied the word of 0nlil, crushed those who had submitted to 0nlil, mobilized his troops ... ,i$e a bandit who plunders a city, he erected large ladders against the house, to destroy the 0$ur li$e a huge ship ... 'gainst the house that was not a mountain, where cedar was felled, he forged great

axes, sharpened double-edged "axes of destruction." ,evelled it down to the foundation of the land.) - *umerian oem )The /urse of 'gade) The next two chapters concern the activities in the Western ,ands during the Third Millennium ./ when repeated invasions by the eastern $ings resulted in the destruction of the space facilities and the devastation of the lands of ,ebanon, alestine, Trans-8ordan, and the *inai. The agents of this destruction were the $ings of the '$$ad -ynasty and the Third -ynasty of <r. T30 * '/0 /#M ,0K M#A0- T# T30 W0*T Today, the climate of alestine is harsh and dry. There are many indications that it may have been much different ?,@@@ years ago. 5esearches based on pollen spectra and profiles obtained from all of alestine reveals that rainfall was much more abundant in the Third Millennium ./. 5esearch at Tel 'viv <niversity has shown that rainfall at that time had a different pattern. 5ain probably originated from warm fronts pushed into alestine by the western winds all the way from the 'tlantic #cean, whereas present-day thunderstorms originate over the eastern Mediterranean. This phenomenon would result in summer rains and subse(uently a greater annual rainfall. This would explain the abundant vegetation as shown by pollen distribution and particularly the wider distribution of the deciduous oa$ in the past. &t supports the statements in the #ld Testament that refer to alestine as )a land of mil$ and honey.) The devastation of the lands by invading armies, subse(uent overpopulation and overgrazing, and shifting weather patterns probably all played a part in changing the lands of the ,evant to the semi-arid land that it is today. The land of ,ebanon, in particular, was lush and munificent. To this new garden of 0den the space facilities were moved and a city built to serve as the head(uarters of the new launch platform and support facilities. &t became the .iblical garden of 0den and the *umerian )land of pleasant living.) The old space platform at *ippar was now under the waters of the ersian 4ulf. *o was ,ara$, the control and communications center. &t was moved to <r*alem, later to become $nown as 8erusalem. 'n alternate launch site and control center was established at 8ebel or Mount 3alal in the northern *inai or what is $nown .iblically as Mount 3oreb or Mount *inai.

' fortified support complex was located at the group of oases near +adesh.arnea to protect the eastern approaches to the space complex. The /hief 'stronaut <tu, who previously had ruled *ippar, the space city, now reappeared in the land of ,ebanon under his *emitic home of *hamash. 5eferences to the three main sites of the space complex are found in the Book of Jubilees although they are couched in religious terms. 'ccording to this source, there were three places on 0arth sacred to the ,ord. These all fell into the allotment of lands assigned to *hem after the -eluge. erhaps this explains why *hem was favored above all the other sons of 2oah. 8ubilee lists these sites as: The garden of 0den, also call the 3oly of 3oliesL Mount *inai in the midst of the wildernessL and Mount Bion in the midst of the navel of the 0arth. &t is clear from this passage the three sites were all fairly close to each other and were not spread out over the vast expanse of the Middle 0ast. 8ubilees says that they were )created as holy places one facing the other.) With theological verbiage aside, the reference to the garden of 0den is ,ebanon, whose capital city of .aalbec$ was )the dwelling of the ,ord.) Mount *inai is on the border of the wilderness of the *inai and served as the alternate space complex. Mount Bion is one of the three pea$s that ma$e up the city of 8erusalem. &ts massive stone platform later became the location of *olomon"s Temple and is now occupied by the &slamic shrine called the -ome of the 5oc$. 's the )navel of the 0arth,) 8erusalem served as the head(uarters and administrative center for the western space facilities. <5-*',0M, T30 * '/0 /#2T5#, '2- /#MM<2&/'T&#2* /02T05 ,ong before the days of the 3ebrew $ings, 8erusalem had been considered to be a sacred city by the native people of the land of /anaan. /alled *alem or <r*alem H/apital /ity of *alemI, it encompassed three pea$s: Mount Bophim in the north Hnow called Mount *copusI, or literally the )mount of the observers,) Mount Bion in the south which meant )mount of the signal,) and in the center Mount Moriah or the )mount of directing.) Mount Bion is presently occupied by the Moslem shrine called the -ome of the 5oc$ and is reputedly the place where *olomon built his temple. The Moslem shrine is built on a fashioned roc$ ?N feet long and EE feet wide. 't present,

four to six feet are above the floor, with caves and passageways reportedly underneath. &n a way, the monolith stone is similar to the stone platform at .aalbec$, although (uite smaller. The three pea$s of *alem were some sort of control center similar in function to that of ,ara$ or 2ippur in ancient *umer. &n the *criptures 8erusalem has been called the )center of the 0arth) and the )holy mountain.) Mount Bion has been referred to as being )in the midst of the navel of the 0arth.) 5emar$ably, 8erusalem was not a city sacred to the &sraelites before the days of -avid. &t is only mentioned once in the Torah, the first five boo$s of the #ld Testament, and it is not until later in 8oshua =@ that the name is encountered. 'ctually, *hechem, a city north of 8erusalem, was regarded by the ancient 3ebrews as sacred with the shrine located at nearby Mount 4ezerin. &ts holy status is reflected in its use as the storage place of the teraphims, the sacred idols or communications devices. &n turn, this role may also be due to some as yet un$nown reason for its importance, perhaps even as a regional radio with a permanent apparatus to contact the gods. &n *olomon"s time, the temple was built upon the monolith roc$ at Bion which was at that time considered to be sacred. .y then, however, its original use as a landing and launching platform was lost in the dim past, although it retained its holy status. + o,,e-%* 's we $now from *itchin"s The .ost /eal's* after the destruction of the *inai *paceport during the yramids Wars, the *pace /ity was moved to Machu icchu and the *paceport to the lain of 2azca in *outh 'merica. Thus, +ing *olomon was able to build his temple on the )Mount of 4od,) so to spea$.; &n the days of -avid, the stone was used only as a threshing floor, but -avid must have suspected its holy status when he purchased it to build the temple. &t was also near the roc$ at Bion that 8acob observed the angels going up and down a ladder or stairway to the heavens: )3e had a dream: a stairway was set on the ground, with its top reaching to the s$iL and the angels of 0l were going up and down on it ... 8acob awo$e from his sleep ... *ha$en, he exclaimed, "3ow awesome is this place6 This is none other than the abode of 0l, and that is the gateway to heaven.")

/oincidentally, the phrase )gateway to heaven) is the same terminology used by 4ilgamesh to describe the land of *hamash in the story about his trip to the land of cedars where the gods too$ the shuttle to the orbiting mother ship. W3050 W'* M#<2T *&2'& ',*# +2#W2 '* M#<2T 3#50.? When Moses too$ refuge in the land of Midian to escape the displeasure of the haraoh, he met 8ethro and settled near Mount 3oreb. The land of Midian was in northeast 'rabia on the eastern shore of the 4ulf of '(aba. 1rom here the Midianites spread north into the *inai and into Moab and the land west of 0dom. The Midianites called themselves )the sons of the serpent,) and apparently were descendants of the 'nunna$i who were assigned the tas$ of defending the installations at Mount *inai and +adesh. *ince 8ethro is clearly associated with the holy mountain and appears to be its high priest, it seems that Moreb would be in the eastern part of the *inai, perhaps in the general area of Midian. +adesh-.arnea is also in that general area. Mount 3oreb would be reasonably close to +adesh since this was the staging area used by the &sraelites for the two years before their tre$ into the wilderness. 8ebel 3alal, a flat--topped mountain !ust west of +adesh-.arnea, appears to have been the historical Mount *inai or 3oreb. The location of Mount *inai in an area which is the con!unction of *inai, *eir, aran, and +adesh is strongly indicated in -euteronomy CC at the time that Moses is recapitulating the events of the 0xodus !ust before he died: )The ,ord came from *inai. 3e shone upon his people from *eir. 3e appeared from Mount aran, and 3e came from Meribath-+adesh, while lightning flashed from his right hand.) &n this remar$able statement, Moses !uxtaposes these four locations as if they are all the same place. &n this respect, it is pertinent that the goal of the invading eastern $ings some F@@ years earlier was a place called 0l- aran in the northern *inai. Thus, Mount 3oreb, Mount *inai, and Mount aran appear to be names for the same mountain or perhaps complex of mountains in the northern *inai which served as the alternate space center after the destruction of .aalbec$. +adesh and its complex of oases were part of this networ$.

The main evidence that Mount *inai was fairly close to the +adesh oasis is provided in the statement from -euteronomy =, where the distance between the two is stated in travel time: )&t is eleven days from 3oreb to +adesh-.arnea by the Mount *eir route.) &t must be assumed that the &sraelites were moving fairly slowly in their 0xodus from 0gypt since their rate of movement was determined by their floc$s of sheep and cattle who had to forage as they travelled. &n view of this restriction it would ta$e about eleven days to travel from Mount or 8ebel 3alal to the complex of oases at +adesh, which is about thirty miles away. There is an interesting legend in the oral tradition of the 8ews on how Mount *inai was chosen as the place of the deity. /alled )The /ontest of the Mountains,) it describes how Mount Tabor, Mount 3ermon, and Mount /armel fought among each other for the honor to be the resting place of the )*he$inah of the ,ord,) in other words, the landing place for his space vehicle. The dispute was settled by a voice from heaven which told them: )The *he$inah shall not rest upon these high mountains that are so proud, for it is not 4od"s will that the *he$inah should rest upon high mountains that (uarrel among themselves. 3e prefers the low mountains, and *inai among them, because it is the smallest and most insignificant of all.) Mount Tabor is =,>CG feet high, 3ermon is >,@?? feet, and /armel is =,N>= feet. Mount 3alal is D,>>E feet high. The mountains in the southern *inai, Mount Musa and Mount 0$aterina which are traditionally identified as Mount *inai are N,E>N feet and G,FFG feet respectively. This height alone would of course eliminate them from the legend. &n addition, they have not been associated with the ancient religion of the /anaanites. Mount Tabor, /armel, and 3ermon were all sacred to the ancient people of /anaan. &n the *econd Millennium ./, these three mountains formed a trilogy of places sacred to .aal, where ancient shrines to this god were located. The fact that these three mountains were considered by the 3ebrews to be the location of their holy mountain shows the /anaanite elements in the 3ebrew religion at the time. The legend states that a low mountain was selected to be the resting place of the space craft. Mount 3alal near +adesh is a low mountain with a flat top that not only fits the legend well but is well suited by virtue of its shape as a launch and recovery pad.

T30 *&42&1&/'2/0 #1 T30 +'-0*3 /#M ,0K The area around +adesh-.arnea seems to have been of ma!or importance in ancient days. &t appears to be one of the goals of the invading $ings in the year D@G? ./. 'fter defeating the fortresses of the 5ephaim in the Trans-8ordan, they then crushed )the 3orites in the hill country of *eir, near 0l- aran, which is on the edge of the wilderness. They swang bac$ to 0n-Mishpat Hnow +adeshI and subdued all the territory of the 'male$ites, and also the 'morites who dwelt in 3azazon-Tamar H0n-4ediI.) They must have by-passed +adesh to stri$e their main target - the space complex at Mount *inai H0l- aranI. Then they swang bac$ to destroy the fortifications and space support facilities at +adesh. /ontinuing north, they then destroyed the citadel of 0n-4edi which protected the Aalley of *iddim from the south. The name +adesh-.arnea H+adesh means sacredI is usually applied to a whole complex of oases fed by natural springs in that area. &t was heavily fortified in early times. 5emains of numerous fortifications in the area date to about D@@@ ./, at which time they appear to have been destroyed never to be rebuilt. The area of Mount *inai and +adesh was of ma!or significance to the 3ebrews since it was a staging area for them during the days of the 0xodus. &t was from here that they were told to send scouts into /anaan to survey the land and report on the state of the native defenses. The scouts did not run into the main body of 'male$ites for by that time they had passed into 0gypt. They mingled with the inhabitants of the area as far north as 3ebron. What they found and reported to Moses was discouraging - the land was inhabited by 'na$im, who li$e the 'male$ites were fierce warriors. They presumably saw also the glacistype fortresses of the 'na$im. 't +adesh the news was badly received by Moses who now realized that his small disorganized army could not con(uer the remnants of the 5ephaim. 1rom here, a group of the tribal leaders decided to attempt a foray into the land of /anaan and they were soundly defeated at 3ormah. This mar$ed the end of their attempts to penetrate directly into /anaan. 'fter two years at the +adesh oasis, the &sraelites sent a delegation to the $ings of 0dom and Moab for permission to pass unopposed through their land to the Trans-8ordan. They were refused permission, and the 3ebrews had to ta$e the long roundabout way by that of the 5ed *ea.

&n the eleventh month of the E@th year, Moses addressed his people from Mount 2ebo !ust before crossing the 5iver 8ordan, as stated in -euteronomy D: )Thus after you had remained at +adesh all that long time, we marched bac$ into the wilderness towards the 5ed *ea ... and s$irted the hill country of *eir a long time ... The time that we spent in travel from +adesh-.arnea until we crossed the Wadi Bered was CG years, until that whole generation of warriors perished from the camp.) The #ld Testament is strangely silent on those CG years that the &sraelites spent in the wilderness from +adesh to the entrance to the Trans-8ordan. &t is obvious that there are some missing boo$s to the #ld Testament, such as those mentioned elsewhere - the .oo$ of the Wars of 7ahweh, and the .oo$ of 7asher. Whether omitted on purpose by the priestly scribes or !ust lost in anti(uity, these omissions relate to critical periods in the history of the 3ebrews. Their recovery would solve many of the puzzles of the #ld Testament. W0*T052 /&T&0* #1 T30 T3&5- M&,,022&<M ./ The commercial city of 0bla dominated the Western ,ands during this period and much is $nown about it due to the archives found at Tell Mardi$h. These tablets provide a history of its activities from about D??@ to DD?@ ./, at which time it was utterly destroyed. &n the DFth /entury ./, it dominated all commerce in the west if not in the entire Middle 0ast. 't this time, wea$ dynasties ruled in Mesopotamia, ma$ing it possible for cities li$e 0bla to obtain and retain a strong sense of independence. .ecause of its strategic location astride the trade routes from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean, 0bla became a commercial power with influence over most of the cities of the Middle 0ast. &t was a big plum that was not be ignored by the rulers of Mesopotamia, who by tradition lay claim to this whole area. The archives of 0bla reveal many commercial and trading relationships as, for example, a special affinity to the city of Mari on the 0uphrates, the entrepTt for goods going from Mesopotamia to the west. .esides trade treaties, the two cities cooperated in various academic matters such as in the training of scribes, a very important profession at the time. 'nother text recovered was found to be a geographical list of cities trading with 0bla - .yblos, *idon, 'shdod, Megiddo, 8affa, /archemis, and many others not located. These lists provide a catalog of viable cities of the era.

#f particular significance in this commercial relationship is a list of cities mentioned in 4enesis - *odom, 4omorrah, 'dmah, Beboyim, and .ela. 'll are listed on a single tablet precisely in the same order but with -amascus added. The repetition of the cities as found, in the same order, would seem to imply a special relationship among the five cities, perhaps a trading consortium or a commercial alliance. 0bla"s importance in the panorama of the Middle 0ast is attested to by the use of )en) to denote the $ing. &t reveals a special status and close relations with <ru$ insofar as only the $ings of <ru$, the sacred city of 'n, were allowed to use this prestigious title. #ther sovereigns of Mesopotamia were called )lugal.) The oldest reference to 0bla in cuneiform literature of Mesopotamia dates to the period of the '$$ad -ynasty, DCCE - D=?E ./. *argon the 4reat, the founder of the dynasty, boasts of having con(uered 0bla. 3e did not despoil the city since it survived his reign. ' hundred years later, his grandson 2aram-*in was not satisfied with sub!ecting the cities of the West but destroyed them as well. 'ccording to the archaeologist ettinato, the &talian 0xpedition of =>NE, which unearthed the royal palace of 0bla, he found that there was )undoubtedly trace of a huge conflagration and that 2aram-*in of '$$ad was considered responsible for its fiery destruction.) 4enerally called the 0arly .ronze 'ge, from C@@@ to D@@@ ./, this period came to an end by widespread destruction. The city of 'i was completely destroyed in DD@@ ./ and remained a pile of stones for a thousand years. ,i$ewise, 8ericho was burned by a great conflagration at about this time. 8ust as 8ericho protected the lower end of the 8ordan Aalley, .eth-*han controlled the approaches in the north, dominating the valley at its widest, and guarding the highway which connected it with the seacoast. 't the western end of this route, the citadel of Megiddo stood guard. The fortress of .eth-*han is of more than passing interest for it is important for another reason. The name .eth-*han means the )Temple of the *erpent 4od,) and numerous representations of serpents were found here. &t may have been the center of the serpent cult which was widespread at that time in alestine. &n the Third Millennium, a large population occupied lower Trans-8ordan near the -ead *ea. ' huge cemetery found at .ab 0dh--hra reveals hundreds of shaft-type tombs used for group burial. 'n estimate of the size of the cemetery

indicates it could contain at least D@,@@@ of those shaft tombs. The area suffered devastation about DD@@ ./ and remained a wasteland for over a thousand years. *'54#2 T30 450'T '2- T30 5&*0 #1 T30 '++'- -72'*T7 0xcept for the exploits of 4ilgamesh, one of the $ings of the city of <ru$, little is $nown historically of the first half of the Third Millennium ./. The citystates of Mesopotamia were ruled by a succession of wea$ $ings and details of the reign of these ruler is not $nown until the advent of *argon who founded what is called the '$$ad -ynasty about DCCE ./. *argon was not born of a legitimate $ingL his antecedents are a mystery, and his name has become legendary to later generations who referred to him as *argon the 4reat. &t is possible that he was the son of a priestess and a *umerian god on an escapade to 0arth. 3is origin is described in the biographic poem )The ,egend of *argon.) )*argon, the mighty $ing, $ing of 'gade am &. My mother was a changeling, my father & $new not. My changeling mother conceived me, in secret she bore me.) *argon then describes how he was set adrift in the 5iver 0uphrates in a bas$et of reeds sealed with bitumen, and later found by a water-carrier who raised him as his own son. *argon then reveals how he wor$ed as a gardener and came to the attention of the goddess &nanna H&shtarI who granted him her favors and made him $ing of the city of 'gade. The word )changeling) is sometimes translated as priestess because its meaning is not certain. &t was the term, however, applied to the issue of a god and an earthling. .ecause of their divine blood they were considered to be members of the aristocracy and as a race of semi-divine $ings and priests ruled the *umerian empire. *argon first became cup-bearer to the $ing of +ishL then for some un$nown reasons +ish fell out of favor with the gods and *argon became $ing of 'gade. The transition is described in the historiographic poem )The curse of 'gade) which strongly hints that *argon was assisted by certain gods who conveniently cleared the road for him by destroying +ish and <ru$. )'fter the frowning forehead of 0nlil had $illed 9the people of; +ish li$e the .ull of 3eaven, after he had ground the house of <ru$ into dust, li$e a giant

bull, after in due time, to *argon the +ing of 'gade from the lands above to the lands below, 0nlil had given him lordship and $ingship.) The ).ull of 3eaven) was a euphemism often used in the *umerian legends for one of the special weapons used by the deities. &t appears graphically in the legend of 4ilgamesh, for example, when he and his companion 0n$idu managed to destroy the ).ull of 3eaven,) a weapon sent by the goddess &shtar. 1rom the inscriptions preserved of *argon we $now that he con(uered all of northern *yria as far as 'natolia and up to the borders of ,ebanon. &t also provides the first recorded reference to 0bla in cuneiform: )*argon the $ing prostrated himself in prayer before -agon H0nlilI in Tuttul Hnow modern 3itI. 3e gave him the upper regions: Mari, &armutu, and 0bla as far as the forest of cedar and the mountains of silver. 0nlil did not let anyone oppose *argon.) There are several points of interest in *argon"s claims. 3e con(uered Mesopotamia and the upper valley and the lands to the west, up to the borders of 'natolia Hthe mountain of silverI and that of ,ebanon Hthe forest of cedarI. 0lsewhere, he describes how he captured the cities of littoral ,ebanon and the .e$aa Aalley, as indicated in the self-laudatory poem )The ,egend of *argon) where he boasts: )The *ea ,ands three times & circled. -ilmun my hand captured.) The cities of the coast of the Mediterranean were apparently captured by *argon, cities which were usually referred to as the *ea ,ands in the literature of Mesopotamia. 'lthough *argon entered the sacrosanct valley between the mountains, he apparently caused no damage and was satisfied merely to place his brand on the land of -ilmun. *argon con(uered the $nown world from 0gypt to &ndia and became $nown as a military genius, an imaginative administrator and builder, and one of the most remar$able political figures of the ancient 0ast. ,ater legends and chronicles celebrating the exploits of *argon suggest his con(uests may have included the lands of 0gypt, 0thiopia, and &ndia as well. <nli$e the rulers that followed, *argon preferred to con(uer and rule his vast empire, one that encompassed the entire $nown world. This is manifest in the archives of 0bla which reveal that the city seemed to thrive under the administration of *argon but was later destroyed by his grandson 2aram-*in.

<pon the death of *argon, the $ingship went to his son 5imush who too$ over an empire torn by revolt and rebellion. 5imush ruled for nine years during which time he tried to subdue the Mesopotamian cities which had become rebellious. 3is short reign suggests a violent death and reportedly he was $illed by his servants. Manishtushu became regent and ruled for =? years and was mostly preoccupied with trying to recover the distant colonies which had become mutinous. 3e too appeared to have died in a palace revolt. &t is not clear if 2aram-*in $illed his father in order to assume the mantle of $ingship but in view of his subse(uent activities it seems highly li$ely. 5uling from DD?E ./ to DD=G ./, 2aram-*in subdued the rebellious cities of Mesopotamia and recovered the lost colonies. <nfortunately, his overriding ambition and ruthlessness did not bode wellL and although he tried to recover the empire of his grandfather *argon, he did so at a terrible price. 3e not only destroyed the space facilities at .aalbec$ but devastated the lands of ,ebanon as well, and poisoned the land so that it was uninhabitable for a thousand years. 3e boasted of how he destroyed the cities of the west li$e 0bla. 2aram-*in proclaimed himself a god and assumed all the trappings of godship, having himself represented wearing a horned headdress, the symbol of a god. 3e also placed the )dingir) or star symbol before his name, a usage that was restricted to the gods. 3is policies brought down the '$$ad -ynasty and the lands of Mesopotamia were devastated and lay chaotic for a hundred years. 2'5'M-*&2, T30 +&24 W3# W#<,- .0 ' 4#'s forceful a figure as his grandfather, 2aram-*in became the sub!ect of many traditions, some complimentary, but most not very flattering. 3e is remembered as the $ing who caused the destruction of the city of 'gade and the end of a dynasty. 3e extended the borders of the empire ruthlessly, describing himself as )$ing of the four (uarters,) which evidently meant lord of the whole civilized world as it was then $nown. 3e also called himself )/on(ueror of 'rman and 0bla) and boasted that he was the first to destroy these cities. The claim has a ring of truth to it for when archaeologists unearthed 0bla in =>NE, then found evidence of a huge

conflagration and the city was destroyed at about this time. The ruins of 'rman have yet to be located. There are three main sources which provide most of the information we $now of 2aram-*in and his career: =. ' stele which he erected at *ippar, later found at *usa, which shows him climbing a mountain over the prostrate forms of his enemies. 3e faces a large conical ob!ect on top of a mountain with the star of *hamash overhead. 2aram*in wears the horned headdress of a god. The conical ob!ect he faces is a symbolic representation of the command capsule, as previously discussedL it was the dwelling of the gods. D. ' *umerian composition $nown as )The ,egend of 2aram-*in) which related of his expedition to a mountain land where he destroyed a rebellious city, but also lost his whole army in the process. C. ' rather long HDG@ linesI *umerian historiographic poem )The /urse of 'gade, the 0$ur 'venged,) which was composed soon after his death, perhaps as an exculpation for his destructive policies and his sacrilegious behavior in the plunder of the sacred 0$ur, which led to the gods placing a curse on 2aram*in and his city of 'gade. 'll three of these sources appear to be related to the expedition of 2aram-*in to the land of ,ebanon and his destruction of the space city at .aalbec$. -0*T5</T&#2 #1 T30 )0+<5) #5 T30 5#/+0T T#W05 '2'**0M.,7 .<&,-&24 'T .'',.0/+ The narrative of )The /urse of 'gade) begins with the rise of *argon to power with the support of &shtar, who made 'gade her tutelary city. With 0nlil"s help, according to the author, the empire of *argon flourished until the advent of 2aram-*in to the $ingship. *oon after he assumed power, the gods deserted the city and &shtar removed her sponsorship, leaving the city wea$ and impoverished. 't first, 2aram-*in accepted his fate with humility, but after seven years of this contrite behavior, he consulted the oracle of the 0$ur and apparently was repulsed. 3is humility turned to defiance and he mobilized his army and attac$ed the 0$ur, desecrated its holy places, and devastated the land.

'ccording to the legend, this brought down the wrath of 0nlil who unleashed the barbaric tribes of the surrounding hills that spread devastation throughout the land of Mesopotamia. The $ey to understanding this story is the identification of the )0$ur) of 0nlil whose violation was so serious as to bring down the wrath of the gods who had been called in council. The 0$ur has traditionally been e(uated to the temple of 0nlil atop the ziggurat at 2ippur, his sacred city, according to usual translations and interpretations. This identification, however, raises many difficulties with the text, for nowhere in the text is the city of 2ippur mentioned or even suggested. The *umerian term 0-+<5 is composed of the letter or symbol 0, meaning )house or home) and +<5 the word for )mountain or hill.) .esides being used to denote a natural land formation, it is also applied to an artificial mountain such as a ziggurat or to any large man-made edifice. Today"s s$yscraper would fit the description of the term 0$ur very well. There is no indication in the text that the 0$ur referred to is the one in the city of 2ippur and it has been assumed from the beginning that it was this temple of 0nlil that was violated. The text clearly states that the 0$ur was located in a forested land, one of boxwoods, cypress, and cedar. There are no forests in the Mesopotamian alluvial plain, particularly near 2ippur, yet this critical fact has gone unnoticed by translators and commentators ali$e. The cuneiform text ma$es certain statements that clearly rule out Mesopotamia and rather point to the land of ,ebanon, and the city of .aalbec$. The actions of 2aram-*in, according to the text were as follows: )3e defied the word of 0nlil, crushed those who had submitted to him 90nlil;, mobilized his troops.) &t is obvious that 2aram-*in is completely alienated from the *umerian pantheon, and in particular its chief 0nlil, who had blessed *argon"s con(uest of 0bla and -ilmun. The poem then describes the assault of 2aram-*in on the 0$ur of 0nlil: ),i$e a bandit who plunders a city, he erected large ladders against the house, to destroy the 0$ur li$e a huge ship ... against the house that was not a mountain, where cedar was felled. 3e forged great axes, sharpened double-edged axes of destruction.) The so-called great )axes of destruction) presumably refer to some sort of large-scale destructive weapon. The destruction of the 0$ur was complete and so widespread were the effects that if affected the whole land, even that of

Mesopotamia. The forests of the land of the 0$ur were completely devastated as )2aram-*in cast into the fire cedar, cypress, zabalum-tree, and boxtree. &ts giguna-trees, he pulverized.) The destruction of the land was complete, the 0$ur destroyed, and its content looted and sent to 'gade. The structure on the stone platform at .aalbec$, the artificial mountain or roc$et assembly building and launch structure were destroyed. This is described further in the poem: )The people now saw its cella, the house that $new no light, the '$$adian saw the holy vessels of the gods, its great lahama of the dubla, who stood at the house.) The terms )lahama) and )dubla) are un$nown and left untranslated since they do not fit any $nown meaning. The context of their usage indicate they refer to something on the 0$ur itself, such as a large roc$et booster that stood in the )cella) or inner room of the edifice. )/ella) is the usual term used for the most sacred inner sanctum of a temple or palace, that is, the holy of holies. 'lthough the poem is in '$$adian *emitic, it is very probably that these un$nown terms are borrowed terms from the original *umerian. &n the case of )-ubla,) -< is the *umerian term for )bond or connection,) and .,', a form of .', means )crossbeam) as applied to buildings of structures. Thus, -<.,' may be the framewor$ or )bonded crossbeams) that refer to the structure for the standing roc$et vehicle, which in this case would be the )lahama.) The term )lahama) also lends itself to *umerian definition. ,' means bright or light, 3' or +' is the word for the mouth or to spea$, and M' is the common term used for ship or craft. Thus, ,'3'M' probably means )the ship whose mouth spea$s loudly and brightly) or, in other words, a roc$et vehicle. Thus, the epic poem )The /urse of 'gade) actually discloses that the 0$ur was not !ust a temple atop a ziggurat at 2ippur but was the actual roc$et tower building sitting on the launch platform at .aalbec$. The forested lands that were devastated by 2aram-*in were those of ,ebanon. + o,,e-%* &t should not fail to be mentioned here that this account of the destruction of the .aalbec$ *paceport is vastly different than that proposed by Becharia *itchin in )The Wars of 4ods and Men.); &n the poem, 2aram-*in had consulted an oracle, probably &shtar herself, where he re(uested access to the sacred lands, much in the tradition of 4ilgamesh, and was refused admission. &t may be that at that time he decided to invade and seize the lands. &n )The ,egend of 2aram-*in) there is a similar situation

where 2aram-*in is turned down by an oracle so he decides to mobilize his army and invade the )mountainous land) and destroy the )rebel city.) The use of special large-scale destructive weapons is suggested by the reference to the double-edged axes of destruction. &n )The ,egend of 2aram*in) a similar weapon called )the floodwind) is used and it also causes massive damage and ends the war. 'ccording to )The /urse of 'gade) the weapons of 2aram-*in, )levelled it down to the foundation of the land ... he tore up its mestrees, the raining dust rose s$y high. 3e struc$ down its doorposts, cut off the vitality of the land.) + o,,e-%* The expression )mes-trees) obviously is a reference to the M0s of the *aurian 4ods, the theft of which from 'nu by Mardu$ set off the yramid Wars, as described by *itchin.; *wift retribution came to 2aram-*in. 0nlil convened the gods in a special meeting, according to the poem, and the seriousness of the affair is shown by the pantheon that decided his fate: 0n$i, &nanna H&shtarI, *in, 2inurta, &sh$ur H'dadI, and <tu H*hamashI, all ma!or gods who made the $ey decisions of the pantheon. + o,,e-%* Translated into 4ree$ mythological terminology, this array of gods consists of, in the order as stated above, Beus, oseidon, 'phrodite, 3ermes, AulcanJTyphon, 'res and 'pollo.; &t was first decided to lay waste all of Mesopotamia but they relented and punished only the city of 'gade. The destruction of the city was so thorough that even to this day the site of the city has not been found. The destruction spread to the rest of Mesopotamia, however, and it lay in a devastated and chaotic condition for a hundred years. &t may have been caused by a cloud of radioactive fallout from ,ebanon, seeing that Mesopotamia is in the direction of the prevailing winds. The poem describes conditions of hunger and disease, and it relates how the ones )who slept on the roof died on the roof,) apparently as a result of exposure to the fallout from the radioactive clouds. The other *umerian poem called )The ,egend of 2aram-*in) concerns an expedition of his to a distant land where he destroyed the people of a )rebel city) located in a mountainous land. 2aram-*in did battle with the troops of this land who numbered several hundred thousand.

&n three successive years, 2aram-*in sent out a huge army to capture the mountainland: =G@,@@@ were sent the first year, =D@,@@@ in the second, and F@,@@@ in the third year. .ut not one of them returned alive. The armies appear to have been destroyed by a )floodwind weapon) which resembled the )axes of destruction) mentioned in the other poem. &t is not clear who initiated the doomsday weapon, 2aram-*in or the defenders of the mountainland. &n any case, the results were devastating to the land of ,ebanon and apparently to the civilization of Mesopotamia as well. The lands of ,ebanon were scrupulously avoided for the next thousand years. The legends of the hero 4ilgamesh were certainly $nown to 2aram-*in Land in his over-riding ambition, he probably tried to emulate him, as well as duplicate the achievements of his grandfather *argon. &n declaring himself a god, it showed that there was apparently no limit to the excessive ambition of the egomaniac 2aram-*in. #ne hundred and fifty years later, another eastern $ing invaded the Western ,ands for basically the same reasons as 2aram-*in, to seize or destroy the space facilities which were now located in the northern *inai in the +adesh area, having been moved from .aalbec$. -isaster struc$ again for the Western ,ands, but it also brought down the invading $ing as well. 'fter the death of 2aram-*in, there were a few minor $ings of the dynasty, but they ruled over a ruined land and could not stem the onslaught of the 4utian tribes which descended from the surrounding mountains. The lands stayed in the hands of the 4utian hordes for about a hundred years, a time when there was no central authority in Mesopotamia. #ne <tu-3egal is credited with the expulsion of 4utians and the reorganization of the cities under the Third -ynasty of <r. 3e was overthrown by a deputy, one <r-2ammu, who also attempted to resurrect the glory of the old empire.

#a$%er 14 THE )O(NT SINAI'7ADESH SPA E FA ILITIES DESTROYED "

)<nto our $ing 90nlil has given; the mighty udug-weapon which reduced the enemy land to dust, which devastated the rebel lands ... *o also has the

shepherd <r-2ammu shattered the mountainland and overlaid it with poison ... 5avaged the city of the evil one, and turned it with a mighty destruction into a haunted place. *o also has the shepherd <r-2ammu caused his fiery gas to blow into the house of the rebel land.) - *umerian /uneiform Tablet #f all the patriarchal narratives of the .ible, 4enesis =E is uni(ue in being set in a context of world history. &t describes an invasion from the east in the year D@G? ./ and the role of 'braham in defending the land of /anaan. &t is part of a vast panorama of history from the birth of 'braham in D=FN ./ until D@FN ./ when *odom and 4omorrah and the other cities of the Aalley of *iddim were destroyed. This ended a dispute over control of the Western ,ands and the space facilities. This time frame coincides with the end of the 0arly .ronze 'ge, surmised as between D=@@ and D@@@ ./, mar$ed by large scale destruction of the cities of the ,evant. -uring these years, the Third -ynasty of <r rose to prominence in Mesopotamia and, according to traditional chronology, ruled from D==E ./ to D@@E ./. &n order to reflect the !uxtaposition of the activities of <r-2ammu and 'braham, it has been necessary to ad!ust these years by ten, for no other Mesopotamian $ing of the era fits the .iblical bac$ground so well. + o,,e-%* 3ere it is obvious that .oulay is employing the mental logic of the Aeli$ovs$ian *chool.; 'braham was born in the city of <r in lower Mesopotamia in D=FN ./, at the time when the land was still under the control of the 4utian hordes. 'bout the year D=@>, the 4utians were overcome by <tu-3egal of <ru$ who drove them out of Mesopotamia. #ne of his governors usurped the throne and seized control in D=@D ./. This was <r-2ammu who ruled for =G years according to the *umerian +ing ,ist. <r-2ammu and the subse(uent $ings adopted the name of the god *in as their patron, suggesting the assistance of this deity and his priesthood. + o,,e-%* *in refers to rince 2annar-*in, or 3ermes, or Thoth, the 2ibiruan )4od of Magic.); 'braham and his father Terah were high priests serving the deities of 'dad 9 rince &sh$ur, the 4ree$ 'res, the 2ibiruan )4od of War); at the city of <r. The change in $ingship placed them in a dangerous positionL and in D=@F, they wisely migrated to 3aran in northern Mesopotamia, a city on the edge of the 3ittite lands controlled by 'dad.

+ o,,e-%* &t will be noted in passing that the )3ittites) or )'male$ites) were in fact the )ghost correlations) of the 'ssyrian and .abylonian -ynasties from +ing it$anas of +usarra in =@?@ ./0 until the ersian /on(uest by /yrus The 4reat in ?=> ./0, a few years following the death +ing 2ebuchadnezzar The 4reat, $nown in 3ittite )ghost correlation) as +ing 3attushilis &&&.; The first invasion of alestine by <r-2ammu was in D=@@ soon after he consolidated his position among the cities of the valley of Mesopotamia. The invasion is only implied in the .oo$ of 4enesis, but it is described in the "nti;uities of 8osephus. 't this time, <r-2ammu forced a treaty and an assurance of fealty on the cities of the Aalley of *iddim: *odom, 4omorrah, 'dmah, *eboyim, and Boar. These cities were at that time located in the valley now covered by the northern part of the -ead *ea. + o,,e-%* This contradicts *itchin, who places *odom and 4omorrah more southerly and closer to the Mount *inai *pace /omplex, commanded by rince <tu 'pollo.; 1or twelve years, as reported in 4enesis, the pact held firmL in the thirteenth year the cities rebelled and refused to pay tribute. &n the fourteenth year, the eastern $ings invaded the lands. The rebellion was apparently fomented by 'dad 9 rince &sh$ur, &mperial /onsort of %ueen 2in$hursag, or &sis, or 3era;, for in D@>=, a few years before they rebelled, 'braham was sent to /anaan and then to 0gypt, apparently to set up defenses against what was sure to be an invasion from the east. The year before the invasion, 'braham returned from 0gypt with a princess as a bride and presumably a detachment of troops. 'braham went to .ethel near 'i where he divided his forces: ,ot too$ his troops east to defend the city of *odom in the Aalley of *iddim. 'braham deployed his forces south to the 'na$im 9'nunna$i; fortress city of 3ebron where he gained valuable allies of the 'na$im. Thus, the grand strategy of 'dad was to defend the land and particularly the space complex in the northern *inai. The strategy was threefold: =. ' string of fortresses of the 5ephaim in the Trans-8ordan defended the approach $nown as the +ing"s 3ighway. They were believed to be impregnable.

D. The approach through the 8ordan Aalley was protected by the armies of the five cities of the lain, reinforced by the army of ,ot. *everal ma!or citadels li$e .eth-*hean and 8ericho also bloc$ed this approach. C. The third possible invasion route was through the lands west of the Aalley, through 8erusalem. &t was protected by the forces of 'braham, supplemented with an 0gyptian contingent and the 'na$im, or 5ephaim, allies at the fortress of 3ebron. + o,,e-%* &f rince &sh$ur 'dad, 'braham and ,ot were attempting to defend the *pace /omplex from attac$, then obviously they were allied against the forces of rincess-5oyal &nanna 'phrodite, the 2ibiruan )4oddess of the 'ir 1orces,) and her chief ally, her commander-lover-brother rince <tu 'pollo, 2ibiruan )4od of *pace.) This would automatically imply that rince &sh$ur 'dad"s forces were being assisted by the massive military might of -u$e 2ergal 3ades and -uchess 0resh$igal ersephone, the /0#s of the 2ibiruan 4old Mining /onsortium in *outhern 'frica, the )<nderworld of the 4ods.) <ltimately, as we $now from *itchin, this coalition lost these ) yramid Wars.); The disposition of 'braham"s forces south of 8erusalem and north of the *inai reveals that he was guarding much more than !ust the cities of the Aalley of *iddim. 3is main preoccupation seemed to be the security of the space complex at Mount *inai and +adesh-.arnea. The following year, the eastern $ings under the leadership of <r-2ammu invaded the Western ,ands. This must have been a formidable army. revealed in the 3aggadah as numbering G@@,@@@, they easily penetrated the Trans-8ordan and destroyed the fortifications of the 5ephaim. The rapidity with which they passed through this heavily defended area strongly indicates the use of special mass destructive weapons supplied by their deity *in 9 rince 2annar 3ermes Thoth;. + o,,e-%* Thus, <r-2ammu"s forces and rince 2annar *in were allied with those of rincess-5oyal &nanna and rince <tu, not to mention those of deposed 0mperor 'nu and 0mpress 'ntu themselves.; 'braham belatedly engaged the enemy at -an, north of the *ea of 4alilee, and again near -amascus where he liberated ,ot and his men, and retrieved most of the booty from the rear train of the hastily departing army.

&t is puzzling why the invaders did not stop and fight the small forces at 'braham"s disposal and preserve their loot and prisoners. 3ad the invading army stood its ground, it would easily have defeated the army of 'braham. 1or some unstated reason, however, the army was in a headlong flight bac$ to its native land. <r-2ammu is $nown to have gotten ill on an expedition to a foreign mountainland and died soon after his return to his capital city of <r. &t is possible that he did succumb to the effects of his own weapons, perhaps chemical toxicity or radioactive fallout. + o,,e-%* &t can also be surmised that <r-2ammu"s )hasty retreat) was the result of military-style intelligence fore$nowledge of the nuclear-type blast that was going to be set off by *pace /ommander rince <tu 'pollo to destroy the *pace /omplex, and he and his troops were getting out of the line of fire, so to spea$.; *hulgi then became $ing and a (uiet period seems to have come over the land of /anaan. -uring this interim period, 'braham apparently bro$e relations with 0gypt, as shown in the treatment of 3agar, his 0gyptian wife, and their son and heir &shmael. The cities returned to the aegis of the eastern $ings and reaffirmed their loyalty to the -ynasty of <r. /onsidering 'dad"s inability to defend them successfully against the might of the Mesopotamian power, it seems to have been a logical move. &n the person of 7ahweh, 'dad is portrayed in the #ld Testament as a vindictive and vengeful god. This his revenge on the cities of the lain should have been no surprise. + o,,e-%* This is clearly a gross mista$e on .oulay"s part, and one wonders if he cleared up this error of correlation in his new and revised edition, which was published in the fall of =>>N. 0arlier in this boo$, .oulay stated that 7ahweh was /rown- rince 0nlil Beus, with which & agree completely. 3ere, however, he e(uates 7ahweh with 'dad, or rince &sh$ur 'res.; &n D@FN ./, seeing that he could not retain their loyalty, he unleashed mass destructive weapons on the cities of the lain that also ruptured the valley floor, resulting in the formation of the inland sea. '.5'3'M, 3&43 5&0*T '2- 40205', #1 '-'-

The family bac$ground of 'braham is given but brief mention in 4enesis which states laconically, )Terah too$ his son 'bram, his grandson ,ot, son of 3aran, and his daughter in law *arai, the wife of his son 'bram, and they all left <r of the /haldeans to move to the land of /anaan. .ut when they reached 3aran, they settled there.) #bviously, 4enesis is no help in obtaining information on the early life and activities of 'braham in the city of <r where he was born and raised. 2onetheless, there are other sources that fill in the omissions of 4enesis, such as that of 8osephus in his "nti;uities of the Je!s* The Book of Jubilees* The Book of the "pocal#pse of "braha'* and the oral tradition of the 3ebrews as recorded in the 3aggadah. 'ccording to 8ubilees, 'braham came from a long line of high-priests which served the local deities of the cities of Mesopotamia. 3is grandfather 2ahor learned about the special priestly $nowledge from his father for, )2ahor grew up and dwelt in <r among the /haldeans, and his father taught him the researches of the /haldeans in order to practice divination and astrology according to the signs of the heavens.) 2ahor"s son carried on the family traditionL he in turn was assisted in his priestly duties by his 9grand;son 'braham. Thus, it is recorded that at least four generations served in the priesthood of the city of <r. 8ubilees mentions how 'braham in his F@th year differed with his father and burned down the temple which contained the idols. 3is brother 3aran dashed in to save the idols but perished in the fire. &t was for destroying the temple, according to this source, that Terah and his family were forced to leave <r. The real reason for the migration, however, lies in the political turmoil of the times, and it may be that the temple they destroyed was that of 0nlil or 92annar; *in. robably the most detailed and fascinating story of 'braham"s early life is found in The Book of the "pocal#pse of "braha'+ The Sla&onic "pocal#pse of "braha'* as it is sometimes called, is dated to the 1irst /entury '- and probably originated in 3ebrew in alestine. &t was completely lost to the Western /hristian /hurch until the 0leventh /entury '-, having been preserved in #ld *lavonic. + o,,e-%* &t is an intriguing thought to contemplate that this apocalyptic document was finally discovered in the 1irst /entury /0, the century of 'pollonius of Tyana. #ne wonders exactly who discovered this valuable historical document6;

&n this document, Terah is described not only as an astrologer but also an idolma$er. With his son"s help, Terah ran a wor$shop that manufactured idols for the temples of the Mesopotamian cities as well as for sale to private citizens for home use. These were made of different materials - stone, wood, iron, copper, silver, and gold, with their value determined by the substance and wor$manship. These idols were presumably the teraphim of the #ld Testament and the animated idols of the *umerians that, with devices embedded in the statue and power pac$s inserted in the eye soc$ets, acted as communicator radio sets. 'braham"s father was !ust not an ordinary priest for, according to the 3aggadah, he )was a rince and magnate in the house of the $ing.) The $ing was presumably <tu-3egal, and thus the fate of Terah and 'braham was intimately connected with the fortunes of this ruling house. '.5'3'M ,0'A0* #2 ' M&**&#2 1#5 '-''braham left 3aran for the land of /anaan when he was N? years old. Thus, he remained in 3aran for =E years, from D=@F to D@>D ./. 'lthough the *criptures are silent about these years, events elsewhere were rapidly moving to a conclusion. &n <r, the ambitious <r-2ammu was consolidating his newly won position by gradually subduing the other cities of Mesopotamia. #nly then did he turn his attention to the Western ,ands. The story is narrated in 4enesis: )1or twelve years they had served /hedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. &n the fourteenth year, /hedorlaomer and the $ings allied with him came.) The pact between the /anaanite $ings and the *umerian $ings, presumably led by <r-2ammu, was therefore enacted fourteen years earlier in D@>G ./. 'ccording to 8osephus, this treaty was the result of an incursion by the $ings of Mesopotamia who were )con(uerors and imposed a tribute on $ings of the *odomites who submitted to this slavery twelve years.) The earlier invasion had occurred during the years that 'braham was at 3aran. 3e must have witnessed these events that saw the policies of <r-2ammu ta$e fruition. &t is $nown from the *umerian +ing ,ist that the 4utian hordes ruled Mesopotamia for >= years after the destruction of 'gade. Then for seven years the $ingship was established at <ru$ under tutelage of <tu-3egal. The +ing ,ist then cryptically states that )<ru$ was smitten with weapons and its $ingship carried off to <r.) 5arely does a $ingship change hands in this

manner in the +ing ,ist. When a city or enemy is )smitten with weapons,) it usually refers to unusual widespread destruction such as by non-traditional weapons, that is, the special weapons of the gods. <tu-3egal of the unfortunate city of <ru$ left a memorial of his exploits on a clay tablet wherein he praises the gods &sh$ur H'dadI and <tu H*hamashI for their help in defeating the 4utians and returning the $ingship to <ru$. 'dad and <tu were gods of the Western ,ands, that is, 'natolia and ,ebanon respectively. Were these the gods that Terah and 'braham served? &f so, they were forced to leave <r when <r-2ammu established his capital in their home city of <r. + o,,e-%* This is slightly confusing, as is so much of the interpretation of these crucial events. 3ere it would seem that rince &sh$ur and rince <tu were allied with one another. .ecause of the romantic emotionalism of )The yramid Wars,) perhaps alliances fre(uently changed.; <r-2ammu had the support of 2annar H*inI and the whole priesthood loyal to himL this is shown in the affinity of the $ings of this dynasty to attach his name to theirs, for example, 'mar-*in, *hu-*in, and &bbi-*in. 0ven from the abbreviated version of 'braham"s activities as provided by 4enesis, it is (uite obvious that he was not !ust an ordinary nomadic chief. 3e could mobilize a sizable number of troops on short notice and engage a formidable invading horde. There must have been more to the migration than !ust a vague impulse to settle and populate a new land. Thus, in the year D@>D, the fifteenth year of his stay in 3aran, 'braham received his marching orders. 4enesis states tersely that 7ahweh appeared to 'braham and told him to ta$e *arah and ,ot and )all the possessions that they had ac(uired, and all the persons they had obtained in 3aran,) and set out for the land of /anaan. The statement leaves open the (uestion of the size of his contingent, and )all the persons they had obtained in 3aran) could have been a considerable number of people. ,eaving with his entourage, 'braham proceeded to the area south of *hechem, a site which plays a significant role in the later activities of the 3ebrews. )'braham travelled in the land as far as the site of *hechem, by the terebinth Hoa$I of Moreh,) says 4enesis. /ustomarily, Moreh is translated as a personal name, but its original meaning is )guiding) or )oracular.) &n the .oo$ of 8udges the )moreh) at *hechem is referred to as the )soothsayer terebinth.) &t was apparently a place where one could contact the gods.

'.5'3'M 50T<52* 15#M 047 T T# *0T < -0102*0* 't .ethel, 'dad told 'braham to go to 0gypt where, according to 8ubilees, he remained for five years. Was 'braham"s visit there a mission for 'dad to secure their help in the coming hostilities? ,ittle is $nown of these years, although 8osephus implies he moved in the highest circles since he taught the 0gyptians many sciences they did not $now. 'braham also too$ an 0gyptian wife, a rincess and daughter of the haraoh, the usual practice when a treaty is struc$ between allies. This is not the action of a common nomad and reveals 'braham"s aristocratic status and verifies the statement in the 3aggadah that his father Terah was a rince and )magnate) in the house of the ruler of <r. 3agar, 'braham"s bride, was apparently 'dad"s choice to start a dynasty under 'braham in the land of /anaan. This is evident in their first child &shmael being made the heir apparent at the time. &t was not until later that a change of fortune caused 'dad to initiate a new line of descent under &saac. 'braham must have had advanced $nowledge of the coming invasion from the east and sought 0gyptian assistance in the form of an armed force. &n the year D@GF, 'braham returned to /anaan and immediately proceeded to .ethel where he had had previous communications with 'dad. This conference too$ place about a year before the invasion. &n view of subse(uent events, it seems that the cities of the lain must have abrogated their treaty with <r at this time, probably at the instigation of 'dad, with the promise to provide them with the necessary protection. 'braham was entrusted with the tas$ of setting up defenses. 't .ethel, 'braham was told to divide his forces. ,ot too$ part of the army eastward to the Aalley of *iddim and deployed them before the city of *odom to protect it from a direct assault through the 8ordan Aalley. 'braham led his own forces and 0gyptian troops southward to 3ebron, at that time a strong citadel of the 'na$im, or 5ephaim 9'nunna$i;. 3ere he received support from the 'na$im generals Mamre, 0sh$ol, and 'ner. &t is noteworthy that 'braham did not deploy his forces north of 8erusalem which is the logical place to defend that city. #bviously, he was protecting

some place south of 8erusalem and 3ebronL and as events developed, it became evident that 0l- aran in the northern *inai was the target of the invading army. The third possible approach to the *inai was through the Trans-8ordan. 'dad and 'braham relied heavily on their formidable 5ephaim allies, which controlled that mountainous region which was the location of the main trade route $nown as the +ing"s 3ighway. rotected by a string of fortified bastions, this area was believed to be impenetrable. 3ence, as the fateful year D@G? ./ approached, 'braham had strategically deployed his forces. With his 0gyptian, 'na$im, and 5ephaim allies, his position seemed impregnable. Where was the Aalley of *iddim where *odom and 4omorrah were located and which played a ma!or role in the defenses of 'braham? ,#/'T&#2 #1 *#-#M '2- 4#M#55'3 *odom and 4omorrah and the other infamous cities of the Aalley of *iddim which were destroyed in the days of 'braham have never been physically located, although tradition places them under the waters of the shallow or southern part of the -ead *ea. ' second false assumption which we will address here is the age of the -ead *ea, that it is hundred of thousands of years old and that it existed in this form since recorded time. There is no *criptural or other evidence to support both suppositions. To the contrary, all indications are that the cities were located in the northern part of the -ead *ea and that this sea dates no further bac$ than the days of 'braham. The five cities seem to have been a cohesive group. *odom, 4omorrah, 'dmah, Beboyim, and Boar or .ela were often lin$ed together geographically as though they were neighbors in the Aalley of *iddim. The five cities were also associated commercially, as implied in 4enesis when they rebelled as a group against the authority of the $ings of Mesopotamia and refused to pay tribute. They are also mentioned as a group in the 0bla tablets, strongly indicative that they were a trading consortium of alliance. The area covered by the -ead *ea is an extension of the 8ordan Aalley as it would have continued into the Wadi 'rabah were it not contained south of 8ericho for an area of some ?@ miles 9G@ $ms.;. *ince the la$e is a continuation

of the valley, what are the characteristics of this important geographical feature which so dominates the land of alestine? Today the valley through which the 8ordan 5iver flows extends F? miles 9=@@ $ms.; between the *ea of 4alilee in the north and the -ead *ea in the south. The valley is between three and =E miles wide, while its river bends and twists in many loops as to complete an overall run of D@@ miles 9CD@ $ms.;. The river itself is about >@ to =@@ feet 9D?-C@ meters; wide and three to =@ feet 9=-C meters; deep except in flood at springtime. &t falls a distance of ?>@ feet between the two bodies of water, providing for the swift current of the river. 'fter a torturous descent of D@@ miles, it loses itself completely in the -ead *ea from which there is no outlet. 3istorical evidence indicates that it was not so at the time of 'braham. The 8ordan Aalley at that time extended all the way from the *ea of 4alilee, through what is now the -ead *ea, then called the Aalley of *iddim, and exited into the Wadi 'rabah. &t may have continued south emptying into the 4ulf of '(aba. The valley was extremely fertile. &ts lush vegetation made it a veritable garden of 0den as suggested in 4enesis when ),ot loo$ed about and saw how thoroughly watered was the whole 8ordan plain, all the way to Boar ... li$e 7ahweh"s own garden, or li$e the land of 0gypt.) The Aalley of *iddim is thus compared in its green luxuriance to the garden of 0den and the 2ile Aalley. &n .iblical times, part of the valley of the 8ordan was called )The Thic$et) or )8ungle of the 8ordan) where lions and other animals were so numerous as to be a threat to travellers and sheep herders of the area. &ts many advantages - abundance of water, rich vegetation, and strategic location - made the Aalley of *iddim a natural site for many large and prosperous cities. The 8ordan-*iddim valley controlled the ma!or trade route from ,ebanon and the Mediterranean ports in the north, with the land of 0gypt and the 5ed *ea ports to the south. &t was probably for these reasons that the valley was so heavily defended with citadels li$e 8ericho, .eth-*hean, .eth2imrah, and 0n-4edi, protecting the vital approaches of the north and west. #n the eastern side, a natural mountain barrier was supplemented by a number of fortified cities of the 5ephaim. &n the southern part of the Aalley of *iddim, the bitumen pits formed a natural obstacle. T30 #5&4&2 #1 T30 -0'- *0'

4eological and historical evidence indicates that the lower 8ordan Aalley in the past was much different from what it is today. The -ead *ea did not exist at the time of 'braham. &n fact, studies of the accumulation of the salt content of the -ead *ea place the la$e no older than F,@@@ years. The sub!ect is discussed by Aeli$ovs$y in his "%es In Chaos+ %uoting the .ritish 4eographic 8ournal, Aeli$ovs$y contends that if the accumulation of salt HsodiumI and other sources of accretion brought in by the 8ordan 5iver were ta$en as a basis of computation for the age of the -ead *ea, its age would be less than F,@@@ years or even ?,@@@ years. &n the .iblical story of the invasion of the four $ings from the east, it specifically states that the area now occupied by the -ead *ea used to be called the Aalley or Aale of *iddim: )'ll the latter Hthat is, the defending $ingsI !oined forces in the Aalley of *iddim - now the -ead *ea.) The phrase )now the -ead *ea) was apparently added by the chronicler to identify the area of conflict. The 8ordan 5iver evidently flowed through the Aalley of *iddim and exited into the Wadi 'rabah. &t watered the valley and provided for its luxuriant conditions. The 3aggadah observes that the fertility of the valley was due to a networ$ of canals which later became the bases for the -ead *ea. &t was a wellirrigated land, for according to 4enesis, ),ot loo$ed about and saw how thoroughly watered was the whole 8ordan plain, all the way to Boar.) &t is generally agreed that Boar was in the southernmost part of what is now the shallow part of the -ead *ea, somewhere near the ,isan or tongue of land which !uts out into the sea. &t was to Boar that ,ot retreated in order to escape from the oncoming destruction of *odom and 4omorrah. *ome catastrophic event must have caused the geological fault which runs through and underlies the area to displace, the ground sin$ing in the process, and forming a seal to allow the accumulation of water from the inflow of the 8ordan 5iver. 8osephus in his "nti;uities asserts that the la$e was formed after the destruction of *odom. When the eastern $ings invaded alestine, )they pitched camp at the Aale called the *lime its for at that time there were pits in that placeL but now, upon the destruction of the city of *odom, that Aale became the la$e 'sphaltitis, as it is called.) ,a$e 'sphaltitis was the 5oman name for the -ead *ea.

,#/'T&#2 #1 T30 1&A0 /&T&0* #1 T30 A',,07 #1 *&--&M The five cities which were destroyed in the Aalley of *iddim are given as *odom, 4omorrah, 'dmah, Beboyim, and Boar or .ela. These cities were not only lin$ed geographically but also commercially and seemed to be a trading consortium. 0xcept for Boar, they were all located in the northern part of what is now the -ead *ea. When 'braham and ,ot separated their forces, 4enesis ma$es it clear that ,ot too$ his troops to the east, that is, the northern part of the valley. 's 4enesis expressed it: )*o ,ot chose for himself the whole 8ordan plain, and set out eastward ... and settled among the cities of the plain, pitching his tent near *odom.) 0astward could only be in the direction of 8ericho, the city which mar$s the northern edge of the present -ead *ea. 0ighteen years later when the cities were destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion, 'braham observed the results from a mountain top near 3ebron, only fifteen miles away. The disaster occurred at dawn. That morning 'braham hurried to the mountain top and as 4enesis says, )'s he loo$ed down toward *odom and 4omorrah and the whole area of the plain, he could see only smo$e over the land rising li$e the fumes from a $iln.) 3ebron is due west from 0n-4edi and the central part of the -ead *ea. The area of destruction witnessed by 'braham must have been the area in the northern and central part of the valley. 'braham loo$ed towards the lain and no mention is made of a body of water. &n fact, nowhere in the account of the invasion of the eastern $ings nor in the destruction of the cities is any reference made explicitly or implied to the existence of a body of water that could be interpreted as an inland sea. W3# W'* T30 '/T<', ,0'-05 #1 T30 &2A'-&24 '5M7? 'ccording to 4enesis, the invading $ings were 'mraphael, +ing of *hinar, 'rioch, +ing of 0llasar, /hedorlaomer, +ing of 0lam, and Tidal, +ing of 4oyim. ersistent historical research through the years has not been able to associate these monarchs with $nown Mesopotamian regents either through linguistic affinities or chronological associations.

+ o,,e-%* This lac$ of historical mention of these $ings in Mesopotamia once again reflects the problems pointed out by -r. Aeli$ovs$y in his reconstruction of ancient history in his "%es In Chaos series.; *hinar of course is *umerL the land of 0llasar is not identifiedL 0lam is the eastern neighbor of *umer and traditionally its rivalL 4oyim is the same as the 3ebrew word for )nations) and presumably means he led a polyglot group. 'ccording to the 4enesis account, /hedorlaomer was the leader of the invading group. 'lthough it ma$es /hedorlaomer the leader of the invasion, there are many uncertainties arising from the 4enesis text and the writings of 8osephus, the only other religious source of the invasion. 3e calls them 'ssyrian $ings and lists them in the following order: 'mraphael, 'rioch, /hedorlaomer, and Tidal. &t would seem he listed them in what he considered their ran$ of importance. &t is also pertinent that the opening sentence of 4enesis =E which provides the account of the invasion also lists them in the same order as 8osephus with 'mraphael given first and /hedorlaomer third. With that introductory statement, 4enesis adds that the cities of the valley had served /hedorlaomer for =D years, and that /hedorlaomer and the allied $ings invaded in the =Eth year. 4enesis gives their battle order in the Aalley of *iddim as /hedorlaomer, Tidal, 'mraphael, and 'rioch. The next reference in 4enesis =E mentions 'braham"s victory over /hedorlaomer and the $ings allied with him. *o while the 3ebrew chroniclers explicitly state that the invasion was under the leadership of the +ing of 0lam, it is not completely clear that this was actually so, and one is forced to believe that somewhere along the line someone tampered with the text. We are faced with the fact that 'mraphael, by virtue of being the +ing of *hinar H*umerI would logically be the choice to head the expedition. 'pparently something is amiss in the 4enesis account, and it may be that the 3ebrew chroniclers purposely diluted the role of the +ing of *umer for reasons of their own, presumably political. The relations of the *umerian cities with that of 0lam were often tempestuous. 0lam was a traditional rival and a persistent threat to the cities of Mesopotamia. .y virtue of the assignment of the lands after the -eluge, 0lam was assigned to 2inurta, the chief military aide of 0nlil.

+ o,,e-%* The forces of .aron 2inurta were used extensively in the war to recover the M0s from .aron Mardu$ and .aroness *arpanit and restore the legitimate 0mperor and 0mpress to the throne. &n my opinion, .aron 2inurta is reflected in 4ree$ mythology as the 4od Typhon or Aulcan and in 0gyptian mythology as the 4od tah. 3is &mperial /onsort was the .aroness .au, the 4ree$ 'thena, the 2ibiruan )4oddess of War.); &n the *umerian +ing ,ist, 0lam is not listed as one of the cities receiving the $ingship and stood out of the pale of legitimate cities. #nly the cities of Mesopotamia that were under the aegis of 2annarJ*in were allowed to become capital cities. The only reference to 0lam in the +ing ,ist is not a happy oneL one of the early $ings of +ush is reported to have )smote the weapons of the land of 0lam.) &t is possible that 'mraphael had to come to terms with the city of 0lam so as not to leave this powerful adversary at his bac$ in Mesopotamia when he too$ an expedition far away to the Western ,ands. 'mraphael and /hedorlaomer would thus be co-leaders of the expedition as suggested by the .iblical accounts. #f the dynasties of Mesopotamia that could have produced the invasion $ing, the Third -ynasty of <r seems the most probable. &t is generally agreed that the '$$ad -ynasty was much too early to coincide with the days of 'braham. &n the interim period after the fall of the '$$ad -ynasty, the land of Mesopotamia suffered severe disruptions and depredations at the hands of the 4utian hordes who had descended from the surrounding mountains. These intervening yeas can be eliminated as producing a candidate for our purpose since the 4utian $ings were not strong enough to consolidate the cities of Mesopotamia much less mount an invasion to the west. + o,,e-%* #nce again we see problems with the chronology. &t is unfortunate that -r. Aeli$ovs$y died before he was able to record his theories on the period preceding the critical year of =?GN ./0. 'nd as one who myself long ago attempted to sort out the Mesopotamian chronology prior to that date, & can state that this research is extremely difficult because of the lac$ of coherent, interconnected historical data. .iblical history is much clearer in its historical framewor$, but it lac$s the supporting lin$s to other histories and is hampered by the fact that the 3ebrews called the $ings of 'ssyria and 0gypt by names other than their real ones in use in the countries from which they ruled. ' modern analogy can be made here: what we refer to as )0gypt) is $nown by its own 'rab citizens as )Misr,) which is of no linguistic relation to the word 0gypt.;

&t was one of their puppet $ings, one <tu-3egal, who rebelled and finally rid the country of the 4utian occupation. &n turn, he appointed a military governor at <r, later to assume the throne name of <r-2ammu, who usurped the authority of <tu-3egal and seized control of the Mesopotamian states thereby founding what is $nown as the Third -ynasty of <r. This dynasty was followed by the 1irst .abylonian -ynasty, and it is generally agreed that this dynasty is much too recent to be co-existent with the days of 'braham. &n this respect, the Third -ynasty of <r has been the choice of most scholars. 'ccording to the *umerian +ing ,ist, the $ings which followed the defeat of the 4utians were as follows: <tu-3egal who ruled at <ru$ for N.? yearsL the $ingship was transferred to <r where <r-2ammu reigned for =G yearsL his son followed and ruled for EG yearsL then his son 'mar-*in ruled for > yearsL his son *hu-*in ruled for > yearsL &bbi-*in then reigned for DE years and ended the dynasty which has lasted for =@G years according to the +ing ,ist. The reign of <r-2ammu is believed to have begun in D=@C ./ and the dynasty ended in =>>? ./. #f these $ings of the Third -ynasty of <r, one is sought who fits the re(uirements based on explicit statements in 4enesis =E: )1or twelve years they Hthe $ings of the Aalley of *iddimI had served /hedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. &n the fourteenth year, /hedorlaomer and the $ings allied with him came ... and invaded alestine.) Therefore, our analysis re(uires a $ing who reigned at last fourteen years, preferably a little longer. This would allow sufficient time for the monarch to invade the Western ,ands, impose his will on the cities of the valley for thirteen years, and invade again to subdue the rebellious cities. The second re(uirement is that there be a period of disintegration before his reign. 3e would need several years to pacify and regain control of the city states of Mesopotamia before he could turn his attention to reclaiming the distant cities, the colonies of *argon the 4reat which had become independent during the chaotic period of the 4utian rule. The third factor concerns a $ing who would die on a foreign expedition and be brought bac$ hastily by his troops thereby aborting the invasion to a certain degree. &n summary, these parameters re(uire a $ing who ruled for at least =E years, preferably a little longer, whose reign came at the end of a period of chaos and

disintegration of the empire, and who died suddenly and unexpectedly while on an expedition to the distant mountain land. There is only one ruler of the Third -ynasty that meets all these re(uirements, and that one is <r-2ammu, the founder of the dynasty. T30 5&*0 '2- 1',, #1 <5-2'MM< <r-2ammu ruled =G years according to the +ing ,ist. 3is short reign was due to his dying prematurely on an expedition. &t is estimated that he overthrew <tu-3egal in D=@C at which time he moved the capital city to <r. The return of the $ingship to the legitimate *umerian $ings after the hundred years of rule by the barbarian 4utians is described in a biographical poem about <tu-3egal where in he describes how he went before the shrines of the gods &sh$ur H'dadI and <tu H*hamashI and re(uested their help in dislodging the 4utians and expelling them from the lands of Mesopotamia. The moon god 2annar H*inI is strangely absent from this poem and his omission is (uite significant. The fact that <tu-3egal did not suffix his name with that of *in as did the subse(uent $ings of the dynasty may be a clue to his character - his overriding ambition and supreme ego which brought on his downfall. *ubse(uent rulers of the dynasty, such as 'mar-*in, *hu-*in, and &bbi-*in, were careful to attach the deity"s name to their own, indicating not only the continuing support of the moon god and his priesthood, but also a careful and discreet precaution not to suffer the fate of <r-2ammu. *umerian cities were ruled by different aristocracies and priesthoods, which owed loyalty to a tutelary deity which supposedly protected the city from harm and supported the $ing in his many military ventures. Thus, the rise of a new $ing and the transfer to another city also meant a struggle in the ruling aristocracies which also resulted in a ma!or change in the pantheon. The life and actions of 'braham are set against this political bac$ground, for Terah and 'braham served the ruling $ing of the city of <r who was at that time <tu-3egal. &n D=@F, when Terah and 'braham left <r for 3aran, the struggle for political control was coming to a climax. The support of Terah for <tu and 'dad was becoming increasingly dangerous. ' few years later they left <r, and <tu-2ammu made his move and seized control of the government and moved his capital city to 'braham"s native city.

'fter he had subdued the other cities of Mesopotamia and consolidated his power he turned his attention to trying to recover the lost colonies. &n the year D@>>, he sent or led an expedition to the cities in the west and re-established *umerian control over the former empire that had become independent and rich during the past hundred years. 3e subdued the cities of the Aalley of *iddim and forced a treaty on them securing their loyalty and tribute for the next twelve years. -uring these (uiet years, <r-2ammu turned his attention to internal affairs. 2ow that the empire had been recovered and tribute was pouring in, he was able to rebuild the roads and regain some of the former glory of the empire of *argon. &n a cuneiform tablet he boasted of his outstanding achievements during this period. 'ccording to his self-proclaimed deeds, available to us through copies provided by later scribal schools, <r-2ammu succeeded in codifying the laws which had been suspended during the hundred years domination by the 4utians. These laws antedate the /ode of 3ammurabi and were the first code of laws $nown anywhere in the world. <r-2ammu is also credited with building the great ziggurat at <r upon which was dedicated the temple to the moon god *in. + o,,e-%* &t appears that here we have a chronology problem again, as in many traditional accounts 3ammurabi is placed (uite a long time before the D=st /entury ./0. Much additional chronological research still needs to be done to straighten out all of these seemingly conflicting timeframes.; Then for some reason, not provided by historical documents, the cities of the west refused to pay tribute and rebelled against the authority of their eastern masters. The instigator was presumably 'dad whose influence over the Western ,ands was (uite strong. 1rom 'natolia he ruled a 3ittite empire that extended as far south as 8erusalem. 3e certainly must have considered the cities of the Aalley of *iddim as his sphere of control, although eastern $ings would certainly challenge this claim, for according to the division of the lands after the -eluge, the Western ,ands had been assigned to *in. Thus, in the year D@G?, <r-2ammu led a mixed army of G@@,@@@ men to the west. 3e had several purposes - to seize or destroy the space facilities at Mount *inai and +adesh which had come under the control of 'dad, to punish the cities of the valley who had rebelled, and to destroy the warrior god race, the 5ephaim, who had also refuted their traditional allegiance to the east and thus presented a serious military threat to the empire.

4enesis is (uite uni(ue in that it provides a description of the expedition of <r2ammu to the west, and delineates the route ta$en by the invaders: )&n the fourteenth year, /hedorlaomer and the $ings allied with him came and defeated the 5ephaim in 'shteroth-+arnaim, the Buzim in 3am, the 0min in *haveh+iriathaim, and the 3orites in the hill country of *eir, near 0l- aran, which is on the edge of the wilderness. They then swang bac$ to 0n-Mishpat - now +adesh - and subdued all the territory of the 'male$ites, and also the 'morites who dwelt in 3azazon-Tamor.) .y passing the land of ,ebanon and the 8ordan Aalley, the army too$ the route $nown as the +ing"s 3ighway which ran the length of the mountainous land of Trans-8ordan. The passage through this area is also described by 8osephus who called them the offspring of the 2efilim: )These $ings laid waste all *yria, and overthrew the offspring of the 2efilim.) -estroying this line of fortresses, the army headed for their main target which apparently was 0l- aran and +adesh in the northern *inai )on the edge of the wilderness.) &t has been generally accepted that 0l- aran was the main goal of the invading army, although the strategic of commercial importance of this city has not been fully explained. *winging north through the 'rabah, they attac$ed and reduced the citadel of 0n-4edi, formerly called 3azazon-Tamor, which protected the southern approaches to the Aalley of *iddim. The $ings brought their armies south to face the oncoming threat, or in the words of 4enesis, )Thereupon, the $ing of *odom, the $ing of 4omorrah, the $ing of 'dmah, the $ing of Beboyim and the $ing of .ela - or Boar - marched forth and engaged them in the battle of the Aalley of *iddim.) The battle was en!oined near an area of asphalt pits. 3ere the $ings of the cities of the valley were soundly defeated. Many escaped to the surrounding hills, others were mired in the tar pits and cut down. ,ot and his men were ta$en prisoner. )2ow the Aalley of *iddim was one bitumen pit after another. The $ings of *odom and 4omorrah flung themselves into these in their flightL others escaped to the hills. The invaders seized all the possessions of *odom and 4omorrah and all their food, and departed, tal$ing with them ,ot, the son of 'bram"s brother, together with his possessions.) &t is clear that the invaders did not intend to lay waste the rich commercial cities as they had done with the cities of the 5ephaim. The cities were much too

valuable as subservient commercial cities paying tribute to the city of <r. #n the other hand, the indulgence of the invaders may have been due to the haste in which they left the land of alestine. 'fter utterly defeating the defending troops, they looted the cities and too$ many prisoners, including ,ot. 0xiting through the 8ordan 5iver Aalley, they were attac$ed by the forces of 'braham at -an near the *ea of 4alilee. 'braham fought them again near -amascus. 's a result of these engagements, he liberated ,ot and the other prisoners and recaptured the loot ta$en from the cities of the lain. The army of <r-2ammu at no time stopped and faced the enemy for reasons un$nown, preferring to forfeit their hard-earned gains from *odom and 4omorrah. &n military travel procedure, the supply train, captured booty, and prisoners usually trail the main body of troops. &t is clear that 'braham came into contact with the rear guard of the departing army and at no time did he face the main body of troops. W37 -&-2"T '.5'3'M /#215#2T T30 &2A'-05*? &t is mystery why 'braham remained at 3ebron with his 0gyptian and 'na$im 9'nunna$i; allies. Throughout the whole episode - the invasion through Trans8ordan, the destruction of 0l- aran and +adesh, the battle of the Aalley of *iddim - 'braham did not engage the enemy. Military strategy would dictate that he move his army south as the invaders entered the valley. 3e would then have been in a position to execute a classic pincer movement, bottling the valley at both ends. 'braham plainly expected the defense line of the 5ephaim to hold the invaders or at least to slow them down. ,ater, he probably assumed that ,ot and the armies of *odom and 4omorrah could defend the narrow valley. &t is also possible that 'braham expected a thrust up the 2egev towards 8erusalem and waited at 3ebron for the attac$ that never came. .elatedly he may have realized his mista$e and chased after the departing armies. &t is more probable that the awesome power demonstrated by the invaders gave 'braham reason for pause and he realized that he did not have the resources to meet the enemy head on. The invaders moved (uic$ly and resolutely up through the 8ordan Aalley after looting the cities. They did not tarry and apparently bypassed other fortifications in the area such as 8ericho. &n fact, the exit through the 8ordan

Aalley and up to -amascus seems more li$e a headlong flight to return to their homeland as rapidly as possible. 4enesis observes that at this time 'braham decided to commit the troops under this command. )' fugitive brought the news to 'bram the 3ebrew, who was camping at the terebinths of Mamre the 'morite, $insman of 0sh$ol and 'ner, these being confederates of 'bram. When 'bram learned that his $insman ,ot had been captured, he called up his retainers, born into his household, in the number of C=G, and gave chase as far as -an.) The size of 'braham"s pursuing army of C=G is unreasonably small, and the number may actually refer to the leaders or chieftains of armed groups or tribes. 3ebron was a stronghold of the 'na$im and while the assistance of these confederates or allies is not clear, their inclusion in the text would suggest that they supported 'braham in his pursuit of the invaders. These were large and fearsome warriors and presumably e(uipped with iron chariots. 'braham and his 'na$im cavalry caught up with the rear guard of the army of <r-2ammu at -an. ' second s$irmish was fought near the city of -amascus and they managed to recover most of the booty and prisoners. &t is strange that <r-2ammu did not stand and fight. They would easily have defeated the small force of 'braham, yet they allowed him to seize their war prizes without a strong stand. 0vidently, they were in no mood to fight and were in a precipitous haste to leave these lands and return home. &t may be that the reason for their rush home was to convey the ill <r-2ammu bac$ to his capital. The translation of a cuneiform tablet provided by 8. A. +innier Wilson in his boo$ The /ebel .ands provides the story of the expedition of <r-2ammu and his death in a foreign land. The tablet describes how he fell ill in )the mountain land) and was swiftly ta$en bac$ to <r where he was laid on a funeral bier at his palace in <r. The people of Mesopotamia were in shoc$, for this was not supposed to happen in the cosmic scheme of things. The tablet complains how the $ing had been )abandoned on the battlefield li$e a crushed vessel.) 'lthough he had served the gods well, so went the complaint, they failed to stand by him in his time of need. <r-2ammu may have been the victim of his own ambition. &n a tablet commemorating the death of <r-2ammu it is implied that he used mass destructive weapons whose use may have bac$fired and caused his death. 3e boasts of using )the mighty udug weapon) which is said to have )reduced the

enemy land to dust,) and to have )overlaid it with poison.) There are references to a )fiery gas) which blew into the )house of the rebel lands.) These are all symptoms and conse(uences of nuclear and chemical warfare weapons. <r-2ammu not only caused his own sic$ness and death but devastated the lands of Trans-8ordan and the northern *inai which caused them to remain unoccupied for hundreds of years. The cities of the Aalley of *iddim had a short respite. The death of <r-2ammu and the change of $ingship, with the resultant disorganization, probably allowed them to continue their independent ways. .ut their doom was sealed. 0ighteen years later the cities were destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion that also ruptured the geological fault that underlies the 8ordan Aalley, causing the ground to sin$ and seal off the effluence of the 8ordan 5iver. Thus, the -ead *ea was formed. T30 %<&0T 70'5* D@GE - D@FN, '2- T30 /#M&24 *T#5M With the death of <r-2ammu, his son *hulgi became $ing of <r. 3e ruled for EG years, bringing in a period of relative peace and prosperity for *umer. *hulgi relentlessly expanded the limits of the empire over 0lam and 'nshan to the east and the Bagros Mountains to the north. *hulgi assumed divine status and used the dingir or star symbol before his name, !ust as <r-2ammu had done. 3aving subdued the land to the east and north, a ruler of *hulgi"s ambition would certainly not have left the western provinces unsubordinated. The *criptures do not reveal any political or military activity for this period, and it appears that the cities of the Aalley of *iddim had returned to the aegis of the Mesopotamian $ings and en!oyed prosperity under the tutelage of *hulgi. 'fter the events of D@G?, 'braham and his retinue settled among the 5ephaim at Mamre near 3ebron. 3ere he complained in an exchange with 7ahweh or 'dad that he had no offspring to continue the family line. 'dad promised him a male heir and soon &shmael was born of his 0gyptian wife in the year D@GD, three years after the invasion of <r-2ammu. 't this time 'dad had apparently planned to perpetuate the line of 'braham through the 0gyptian side, thereby indicating continued cordial relations with 0gypt. + o,,e-%* #nce again, for un$nown reasons, .oulay mista$enly e(uates 7ahweh with 'dad, rather than correctly with /rown- rince 0nlil.;

1ourteen years later &saac was born of *arah, his second wife. 3agar was abruptly banished with the heir apparent &shmael to the wilderness. &n the intervening years, 'dad must have changed his attitude and relations towards 0gypt. The year before the destruction of *odom, 'dad made a new covenant with 'braham - this time choosing &saac to perpetuate the line of 'braham. There is also a strong indication that 'dad himself was the sire of &saac. What caused the rift with 0gypt and the start of a new dynasty under &saac is not $nown, but the actions presumably were associated with the destruction of the cities of the valley the following year. The shift from &shmael to &saac is described in 4enesis where the change of heart of 'dad is described in his announcement to *arah, that at the age of >@, she is to conceive and bear a son who will be the new heir. &t is apparent that 'dad wishes to ma$e a new start without the aid of his 0gyptian allies. #f this arrangement, 'dad informs 'braham, )& will bless herL moreover, & will give you a son by her andL when & have blessed her, she shall give rise to nations.) Ta$en literally, it means that 'dad will be the sire of the son by *arah. &t was the policy of the *umerian deities to mate with human women for the specific purpose of providing trusted personnel to run the empire, the aristocracy of $ings, generals, priests, and other important functionaries. &t was their way of assuring a race of demi-gods they could trust to carry out their wishes and be a barrier between them and ordinary humans. 'dad was merely following the usual practice of the gods of *umer. &t explains 7ahweh"s special concern for &saac and his son 8acob in the #ld Testament. 's a sign of loyalty and a way to identify his supporters, and to remind them that they are directly descended from a reptilian god, the shedding of the fores$in, in the rite of circumcision, was introduced at this time. *ymbolically, it represented the reptile"s sloughing of his s$in and the act of renewing his life. &t is also perhaps significant that at the time that 'dad was telling 'braham of his new son and heir, he also disclosed his plans to destroy the cities of the valley. + o,,e-%* 's has been noted earlier in this commentary, the rite of circumcision could have been motivated for entirely different reasons. erhaps it was a human act of rebellion against the covered genitalia of the 2ibiruan *aurians, who loathed the ),u,u) human males, since as a result of the process

of circumcision, the glans penis of the ,u,u is always exposed to the air of Tiamat.; T30 -0*T5</T&#2 #1 *#-#M '2- 4#M#55'3 &n the 4enesis account, three angels appeared to 'braham at Mamre to bring the news personally from 'dad. The cities, they warned, would be destroyed unless 'braham could provide sufficient reason for not doing so. The angels flew over the cities in reconnaissance, )the men set out from there and loo$ed down upon the face of *odom.) The messengers conducted an aerial survey of the cities presumably to warn any friends and allies of 'braham. ,ater, two of them went to *odom to retrieve ,ot and his family. These were )brought out and deposited) outside the city and warned to flee to the hills lest they be caught in the coming destruction. ,ot and his family retreated to Boar in the southern part of the valley, but warned that they were not safe even there, decided to head for the mountains. The description of the destruction is provided by 4enesis and some added details from 8osephus and the 3aggadah. 4enesis says, )The sun rose upon the earth as ,ot entered Boar. Then 7ahweh rained down upon *odom and 4omorrah sulfurous fire from 7ahweh in heaven. 3e overthrew the cities and the whole lain, with all the inhabitants of the cities and the vegetation of the ground.) &n this account )sulfurous fire) came down from heaven. 8osephus adds more information with the statement that the ,ord )cast a thunderbolt upon the city and set it on fire with its inhabitants.) &n the 3aggadah, this thunderbolt comes from the *he$inah, the aerial chariot of the ,ord: )When the angels had brought forth ,ot and his family and set them outside the city, he bade them run for their lives, and not loo$ behind, lest they behold the *he$inah, which had descended to wor$ the destruction of the cities.) ,ot and his family had been warned not to loo$ behind them lest they be blinded by the flash of the explosion, probably nuclear in nature. The space ship of 'dad or 7ahweh had descended from the s$y to fire a mass destructive type weapon to destroy the cities as well as the vegetation of the lain. The force of the explosion or explosions was so great as to rupture the geological fault underlying the Aalley of *iddim, dropping the valley floor and sealing the fault, thereby creating a large inland sea.

't the time of the holocaust. 'braham was at 3ebron where he climbed the highest point at dawn to witness the event. 3ebron is only =? miles 9DE $ms.; from the valley, and from his vantage point 'braham must have had an excellent view of the whole event: )'s he loo$ed down toward *odom and 4omorrah and the whole area of the lain, he could see only smo$e over the land rising li$e the fumes from a $iln.) Was it a mushroom-shaped cloud that 'braham witnessed, a nuclear holocaust that destroyed the cities of the lain? 'dad is the prime suspect as the culprit who destroyed the Aalley of *iddim. The $ings of the Third -ynasty considered these cities too valuable to destroy and preferred to bring them under their control and to collect tribute. #n the other hand, 'dad had good reason to destroy the cities. + o,,e-%* rince &sh$ur 'dad was allied with /rown- rince 0nlil during )The yramid Wars.) Thus, even though .oulay is failing again to e(uate 7ahweh with 0nlil, at least there is nothing contradictory about which side of the war is underta$ing this destruction.; 3e had failed in his attempt to protect the cities from the depredations of the eastern $ings. 3e also failed to secure the space complex at Mount *inai and the support complex at +adesh, or to prevent their destruction. *eeing that they could not depend upon 'dad or his resources to protect them from the eastern $ings, and being practical commercial entities, the cities apparently decided to revert to the aegis of the eastern monarchs. 'dad and 'braham had bro$en relations with 0gypt, or perhaps it was the reverse - the 0gyptians bac$ing down from what they considered to be a bad alliance. 'dad or 7ahweh was $nown throughout the #ld Testament as a vindictive and vengeful god. This appears to have been his last great act of vengeance. &t also appears that <tu deserted 'dad at this time. 't first occupying ,ebanon, <tu presumably shifted his space activities to the Mount *inai complex after the destructive expedition of 2aram-*in. 2ow with both space complexes destroyed, he had no base of operations in the west and presumably returned to his home in Mesopotamia. This is indicated in the 3aggadah where it comments that one of the reasons that the cities of *odom and 4omorrah were destroyed was because they worshiped the sun and moon gods. &t thus appears that these cities had

transferred their allegiance to *in, the moon god, and *hamash, the sun god, from that of 'dad, $nown as the thunder god of the Western ,ands. + o,,e-%* 'll of this is somewhat confusing, contradicting the account by Becharia *itchinL and it will be interesting to your editor to compare the revised version of .oulay"s boo$ with the account given here. 'nd once again, let it be noted that following the destruction of the *inai *paceport facilities, by whoever did it, and your editor supports the idea that it was accomplished by rince <tu at the behest of 'ir /ommander rincess-5oyal &nanna, the new space facilities were moved to the lain of 2azca in modern-day eru.; The ruin of the Aalley of *iddim was the last of many devastations in the lands of the ,evant. 0arlier the cities of 0bla and 'rman and the land of ,ebanon had been destroyed. Then the cities of the 5ephaim in the Trans-8ordan, the Mount *inaiJ+adesh complex and the defensive citadels of southern alestine. 2ow the five cities of the Aalley of *iddim disappeared in a fiery cloud and the land eventually flooded to become the -ead *ea. There was little of value left in the Western ,ands.

E$;logue IS THERE REALLY A )ISSING LIN7! "

Man is a puzzle in the evolutionary chain. The scientific theories of evolution explain the general course of events that cause life forms to develop on 0arth, but evolution cannot account for the emergence of 3omo sapiens or modern man. 1or almost a hundred years, anthropologists and other scientists have been searching for the so-called missing lin$, in order to bridge the enormous evolutionary gap that exists between the ape-man or 2eanderthal Man and modern man or /ro-Magnon Man. The appearance of 3omo sapiens happened virtually overnight in terms of the millions of years that evolution re(uired. There is no evidence of intermediate stages that would indicate a gradual change from 3omo erectus, the ape-man, to modern 3omo sapiens. While the hominid of the genus 3omo is a product of evolution, 3omo sapiens is the product of a sudden revolutionary event.

The first being considered to be truly manli$e is 'ustralopithecus who existed in 'frica some five million years ago. Then it too$ eons to produce the first primitive man or 3omo erectus. 'bout one million years ago he appears on the scene and is called 2eanderthal Man. Then suddenly and inexplicably some C?,@@@ years ago, a new race of men appeared from nowhere - 3omo sapiens or thin$ing man which we call /roMagnon Man. 3e loo$ed very much li$e modern man, so much so, in fact, that if he were dressed properly, he could pass unnoticed on the street of any city in 'merica. The *umerians who arrived here before 3omo sapiens existed provide the explanation of the sudden appearance of modern man. 3e seems to have been developed through two creative stages. Man was first conceived as a slave wor$erL at this time, he was mostly reptilian in appearance and nature, probably only one-third mammal. The second change increased his mammal nature so that he lost his scaly s$in and hide and could reproduce himself. 3e developed soft s$in and hair and now re(uired the use of clothing for comfort and protection. This is metaphorically called )the 1all of Man) in .iblical terms. T30 50 T&,&'2 ' 0'5'2/0 #1 T30 '2/&02T*

The atriarchs of the #ld Testament and the *umerian antediluvian $ings and priests were all part saurian, being the children of the mating of a reptile god and an earthling. This was also true after the -eluge when the $ings were also semi-divine. robably the best illustration of this duality is found in the person of 4ilgamesh. 't the beginning of the epic, 4ilgamesh is created by the mother goddess as two-thirds divine, being the son of a male earthling and a female goddess. *argon the 4reat was also a )changeling,) as they were called, and was the son of a god and a priestess. They would definitely have had a reptilian appearance and, in certain respects, visibly reveal vestiges of their origin. This is shown in the adventures of 4ilgamesh when, in his venture to the land of *hamash 9 rince <tu;, he is challenged by the guards at the gates of the mountain stronghold. 4ilgamesh is instantly recognized by the saurian guards )as one of us,) since )he has the flesh of the gods.) 3e is allowed to pass unhindered since he is one of the aristocracy.

&t is also manifest in the myth Gil%a'esh and "%%a+ &n this story, the city of <ru$ was attac$ed by 'gga, the ruler of +ish. 'gga"s envoy re(uested 4ilgamesh to surrender his city with his army. 3owever, when 4ilgamesh presented himself atop the city wall for 'gga and his army to see him in person, 'gga calls off the siege for no apparent reason, and 'gga"s army is put to flight. #bviously, there is something in the appearance of 4ilgamesh that has satisfied 'gga and frightened his army. ,i$e 'gga, 4ilgamesh was part-saurian and apparently the code of chivalry of the day prevented further action against another member of the aristocracy. What it is about 4ilgamesh that is recognizable as saurian is never stated. #stensibly his appearance is described in the first part of the poem where the details of his birth are provided. The tablet begins with the statement that 4ilgamesh is two-thirds divine, being the progeny of a goddess and a priest. The next four lines seem to be devoted to describing his appearance. 1or some reason, however, they have been mutilated. Were these lines deliberately defaced by later officials and priests in order to hide the true appearance of 4ilgamesh? erhaps it is these reptilian traits that caused such consternation in 4enesis when 2oah is seen na$ed by his sons. The reaction is so completely illogical and baffling that it can only be assumed that 2oah was hiding something about his appearance from his sons. erhaps it was a )badge of priesthood) such as was on his brother 2ir, or other traces of reptilian ancestry such as patches of scaly hide. T30 /5#**#A05 #1 50 T&,0* '2- M'MM',* When the space men arrived here, they found conditions much to their li$ing and very similar to those of the mother planet. The reptiles were the dominant forms of life on land and of these, dinosaurs represented the culmination of their evolution. These creatures were far from being slow, stupid, and maladapted beasts. Many were fleet of footL all were highly evolvedL and in their time each of them was adapted supremely well to the conditions in which they lived. They dominated the /retaceus eriod mainly because the climate was benign all over the world, and what is more important, it was stable. &t provided conditions that were ideal for the reptiles for the simple reason that these were the very conditions into which the reptiles had evolved.

3ad the climate not changed and cooled, mammal forms may not have emerged as the dominant form. &n their boo$ The Great Extinction* 'llsby and ,oveloc$ contend that if the climate had remained unchanged until the present day, there is no reason to suppose that the reptiles would have declined. 'nd if )intelligent) beings had evolved, that is, beings with advanced technologies, they suggest that these beings might well have had scaly s$ins and long tails. When the desiccation of the 0arth made conditions difficult to perform essential functions such as food gathering, construction, and mining, the alien astronauts naturally turned to an established 0arth form, one that could be modified and given some of their characteristics. Was such a cross-breeding of two species an impossible feat in genetic engineering? robably not, since nature seems to have handled the problem without much difficulty. *cientists today are convinced that there were indeed )cross-over) creatures in existence at the end of the /retaceus eriod, such as warm-blooded reptiles and cold-blooded mammals. 't this time dinosaurs seem to have evolved into warm-blooded creatures. &n The $ot1Blooded inosaurs* 'drian -esmond ma$es the argument that dinosaurs had be to warm-blooded to survive. The nervous system of dinosaurs had to be complex to account for their agility, speed, and balancing ability. The intricate manipulation of the fingers alone re(uired a well-developed center of coordination as well as huge eyes to oversee the operation. &n order to maintain a high energy output for long periods, the dinosaurs re(uired a high energy metabolism to provide them with the sustained energy needed to remain on their feet carrying such enormous bul$ weight. + o,,e-%* &t was also the contention of -r. &mmanuel Aeli$ovs$y that certain of the dinosaurs were warm-bloodedL however, it is news to this editor that certain mammals used to be cold-blooded.; T30 #5&4&2 #1 T30 *T#5&0* #1 4020*&* &t is often expressed by .iblical commentators that the 3ebrew legends of the story of /reation of Man and his -ownfall are original, since they have yet to be discovered in Mesopotamian or other ancient literature or legend. We have seen, however, that the 1all of Man or the achieving of )$nowing) or sexual $nowledge by 'dam and 0ve is a more recent version of the tale of 0n$idu in the 4ilgamesh 0pic. 0n$idu was first created from clay by the gods as a wild man, and then, in order to ma$e him more suitable as a companion for

4ilgamesh, was put through a )civilizing) process where he engaged in a sexual orgy with a reptile goddess. This process made him into a complete or modern man. Thus, in both the *umerian and the .iblical accounts we find that sexual metaphor, where obtaining sexual $nowledge changes primitive man into a modern man. The Tale of 'dapa is also related to the story of 'dam in another way, that of immortality lost. 8ust as the guardian angel with )the flaming sword) $ept 'dam from approaching and parta$ing of the fruit of the Tree of ,ife or &mmortality, so 'dapa $nowingly refused the food and drin$ of long life when he was offered immortality by the /hief *umerian god. &t is echoed in the story of 4ilgamesh who was thwarted in his attempt to achieve immortality in the cedar land. ,i$e the angel with the flaming sword, 4ilgamesh encountered guards with a stinging weapon at the entrance to the land of immortality. The priestly sources who compiled the boo$s of the #ld Testament had many legends and stories at their disposal to choose from and what was selected and included in the *criptures was a composite of the legends of their day, but modified to suit their priestly purposes. &t is also evident, that to enhance and perpetuate their grasp on the 3ebrew tribes, they riddled the stories with the concept of sin and guilt. 0vidence of man"s origin in the serpent-gods was expurgated wherever possible. .ut where the priesthood had no control over the content of the material, evidence of man"s origin comes through clearly. 0lsewhere in world mythology and history, the origin of man is not lost nor is it discounted. &n /hina, the most ancient of boo$s relates how dragons were the benevolent ancestors of man$ind and taught him all the arts of civilization. &n 3indu literature, the serpent-gods are explicitly mentioned as Man"s true ancestors. 0lsewhere, the flying serpents, dragons, and the feathered sna$es are recorded as our beneficent creator. The real story of Man"s evolution and history is his alienation or estrangement from these origins. 5ecorded history is the story of the struggle of man to rid himself from the bondage of the children and the descendants of these serpent-

gods, who plagued man from the time of the -eluge, about E@@@ ./, down to the days of the 3ebrew $ings or =@@@ ./. + o,,e-%* &t is the contention of this editor, in other writings, that this )cutoff date) should be moved up even further to about N@@ ./0.; W3'T -&- T30 '2/&02T 4#-* ,##+ ,&+0? The space travelers found our antediluvian 0arth much to their li$ing because it approximated conditions on their home planet. The climate was warm and stable, and more importantly, there was little cyclonic activity. The carbon dioxide and the moisture level of the atmosphere was high within the cloud canopy. These conditions led to luxurious plant growth and giant animal forms. &t was the era of the vegetarian dinosaurs. The coming of the 'nunna$i coincided with the end of this period as the 0arth began to dry out and the meat-eating dinosaurs and small mammals appeared. The reptile gods needed moisture and warmth, and it was probably the reason why civilizations were founded at the mouth of great river systems - the 2ile delta, the &ndus river valley, and the Tigris-0uphrates system. The steady drying out of the climate brought discomfort to the 'nunna$i, and they were forced more and more to live in an artificial environment - their orbiting space ship. While on 0arth, they lived a great deal of the time in a personal capsule which simulated this artificial environment. The home planet of our ancestors was probably also covered with a vapor layer of clouds. #n such a rather steamy planet, it would be necessary to $eep cool, and intelligent life there would li$ely evolve as amphibious and be at home in water as well as on land. &t explains the .abylonian legend of #annes coming from the sea. &t also explains 0n$i"s residence in a water palace which appears to have been submersible as well. Their space ships would probably contain giant water tan$s both for ease of living conditions and for protection from radiation on long space flights. Their form was remar$ably adapted to space travel. *cientists have theorized that the reptile form would be ideal for travel through space on long voyages. 'ble to hibernate or slow down their metabolism for long periods and immersed in a water or li(uid environment, they could thereby survive the perils of space travel which have a deleterious effect on mammal forms.

5adiation has been the ma!or obstacle of space travel for Man. -oses of radiation emitted by solar flares would be fatal to space travelers, for one solar flare could emit G@@ to =@@@ 50Ms Ha measurement of radiationI over a DEhour period. Man would receive a fatal dose all at once since the life-time limit for exposure by humans to radiation is C@@ 50Ms. *pace scientists have proposed that for protection against these immense doses of radiation, the astronauts would retreat to large tan$s of water or li(uids during solar storms. &n appearance, the serpent-gods were tall, at least G to =@ feet 9D.? to C meters;, and wal$ed on two feet. They had a tail li$e a reptile, and a tough hide somewhat li$e a lizard but with a large amount of horny or scaly s$in. Their hide was generally lustrous and smooth, somewhat li$e a chameleon, and probably varied in different hues of green and gray. Their natural condition was to go around na$ed, but they wore clothing such as cloa$s as a sign of ran$ or godship. .ecause of their need for moisture, they could not stand the direct sun which made their s$in dry and uncomfortable. Their face was somewhat flat with chin whis$ers or a goatee somewhat li$e a walrus or ibex. They had short horns on their heads which they considered to be a sign of divinity. 3umans were repulsive to them because they were hairy, had soft s$ins and bony limbs. They were particularly upset by man"s pungent smells and excretions. The gods did not eat coo$ed foods at first, but later depended on man to supply these needs. They did not need fires or stoves to $eep warm. 0arly man or 'dam was not too dissimilar from his creator, except he was smaller, had no facial hair nor horns. 3e was more agile and dexterous with his hands. 3e too ate raw food and ran around na$ed. The sons of the serpent-gods, the 2efilim of the .ible, which descended before the -eluge and mated with human women also dabbled in genetic engineering. Many strange and monstrous forms were produced and gave rise to the ancient legends of centaurs, griffins, satyrs, and all the ogres and fabulous creatures of mythology. These were all destroyed by the -eluge, but their memory lingers on in the ancient legends of man$ind. The patriarchs, god-$ings, priests, generals, and other members of the aristocracy which ruled Man before the -eluge and after as well, were also part saurian. They displayed certain characteristics which set them apart from ordinary people - large patches of scaly s$in referred to as )the badge of priesthood,) and probably had horns and chin whis$ers.

The 5ephaim or warrior gods, the descendants of the antediluvian 2efilim, who protected the Middle 0ast later, were large and fearsome warriors and probably exhibited many of the characteristics of their forebears. 's they intermarried with humans, the saurian traits diminished, although they seem to have retained their huge size. W302 -&- T30 *05 02T 4#-* ,0'A0, #5 '50 T307 *T&,, 3050? The period before the -eluge was the heyday of the gods. World mythology refers to this period as the 4olden 'ge when the gods are said to have ruled on 0arth. The -eluge is a watershed in the history of Man$ind. &t ended the 4olden 'ge and started the rule of Man. The !unior gods seemed to have remained for some time after the -eluge and directed the activities of Man$ind. Man was used as a tool in their family s(uabbles. &t led to widespread destruction all over the world. The millennium following the -eluge mar$ed the end of many great civilizations ostensibly by means of weapons of mass destruction. 'fter the DEth /entury, the influence of the gods seemed to have waned. The reign of *argon the 4reat, from DCCE to DDNG ./, was mar$ed by restraint and moderation. While he reclaimed all the Western ,ands, there was no destruction and cities li$e 0lba and *odom thrived under his patronage. &t is with the rise to power of his grandson 2aram-*in in DD?E ./, that we see unrestricted use of power and vast destruction. 2aram-*in was also the first *umerian $ing to proclaim himself a god and adopt all the trappings of a deity. *uch behavior would certainly not have been tolerated by the senior gods, and his reign seems to mar$ the end of their control over the activities of Man$ind. The unrestrained behavior of 2aram-*in and later *umerian and '$$adian $ings attest to the fact the orbiting space ship probably left before the DCrd /entury, leaving behind the !unior gods and the hybrid forms li$e the 5ephaim or warrior-gods of the Western ,ands. The sightings of strange saucer-li$e ob!ects H<1#sI throughout the centuries would indicate either their space ships have reappeared at intervals or that they may have been here all this time but hidden from human eyes. &f they have been here for centuries, where would they find a place that is secure, away from prying eyes, and far from population centers?

&t is also possible that seas and la$es hide the entrance to these underground bases which may be more widespread than we realize. 1or example, the strange activities in the 'tlantic #cean in the area $nown as the .ermuda Triangle with the reported sighting of underwater )saucers) may be related to the entrance of such an underwater base. ' 450'T /<,T<5', *3#/+6 Man$ind is probably not yet ready for the truth. The average man and woman need their fantasies - the myths and religious stories that ma$e life so simple and uncomplicated. erhaps one of these days we will be shoc$ed into accepting the truth, when our ancestors return to see how their )children) are faring. Man has been conditioned for millennia to deny the truth of his ancestry and as a palliative we have developed a convenient form of amnesia. + o,,e-%* -r. Aeli$ovs$y also discussed this )/ollective 'mnesia) in Worlds In Collision+; We have accepted the interpretation of history propagated by a selfperpetuating priesthood and academia. 2onetheless, the truth can only be delayed so long. 0ventually Man$ind will have to learn the truth about his origins and face the fact that his gods and ancestors were reptiles, truly monsters by any of our current definitions. There will be a great cultural shoc$ as we have never seen before6