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[rmiller]

I am taking up a topic mentioned in a thread in another forum: Zecharia Sitchin’s books, The Earth Chronicles. The Earth Chronicles includes six books. Mr. Sitchin has also written four additional books, on related topics, as companion volumes. The books do not necessarily have to be read in order; each book covers a different aspect of the same underlying theme: that civilization on Earth was started by beings from another planet--the Anunnaki (“Those Who From Heaven to Earth Came”). Mr. Sitchin brings together information from a number of sources--Sumerian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman, the Bible, and more--which makes for very interesting reading.

I have read all these books and plan to write reviews of all of them in this thread. However, I read them a number of years ago, so I will have to go over them again before writing each review--it may be a month or so between reviews.

[EDIT - 1 January 2008
I just noticed that Mr. Sitchin has published a seventh book in his Earth Chronicles series. I have not read this one yet. I will wait until it comes out in paperback, read it, and then post a review.
]

Robert

[rmiller]

“The Stairway to Heaven” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 2 of the Earth Chronicles

“The Stairway to Heaven” covers man’s quest for immortality.

The book starts by highlighting many of mankind’s quests for immortality and also mentions several instances in which immortality was achieved. For example, early Spanish exploration of the New World was motivated in part by the quest for the Waters of Eternal Life. Alexander the Great was driven in part by his desire to achieve immortality. The Bible lists many individuals who lived extremely long lives--but who eventually died--as well as a few who did not die (for example, Enoch and Elijah). The Epic of Gilgamesh is also mentioned as another example of an unsuccessful quest for immortality. Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were mummified in imitation of the first gods/kings of Egypt who were, indeed, immortal.

After providing such background, Mr. Sitchin proceeds to ponder why so many stories--from varied cultures--involving man’s quest for immortality have so many similarities. He proposes that the Food and Water of Eternal Life were not available on Earth, but that the few individuals who were actually given Eternal life were, in fact, taken from a specific location on Earth (the Anunnaki’s spaceport) and from there transported to an off-world location. It was at the off-world location that the Food and Water of Eternal Life were given. In other words, the “Stairway to Heaven” was a metaphor for the spaceport, the means of going up into the heavens. Based on information from many of the quest stories, the location of the spaceport was indicated: in the Sinai peninsula.

In the course of the book, Mr. Sitchin presents a lot of background and supplemental material that was fascinating and new to me (although I must admit that I am not a student of ancient civilizations so have never made an effort to research many of the topics covered).

Some examples:

(i) the fact that the zodiac was first known by the Sumerians (not the Greeks);
(ii) the Egyptian pyramids were not intended as burial places (the only indication that the Great Pyramid was constructed by Khufu is, in fact, a forgery);
(iii) the presence of a structure at Baalbek (modern-day Lebanon) that includes stones much bigger than those used in the Egyptian pyramids (perhaps 1200 tons!). And there is no traces of a roadway, causeway, etc. that could have been used to transport these stones from the quarry uphill to the site.
(iv) modern-day pilgrims who wish to visit Mount Sinai (the mountain by which the Israelites encamped after their exodus from Egypt) go to the monastery of Santa Katarina on Gebel Mussa (Mount Moses). Mr. Sitchin suggests that these pilgrims are climbing the wrong mountain.
(v) many of the ancient centers of religion are located along the 30th parallel: for example, the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx, Eridu in Sumer, Persepolis in Persia, Harappa in the Indus Valley Civilization, and Lhasa in Tibet.


Regarding the Anunnaki, Mr. Sitchin points out that “ . . . neither the Akkadians nor the Sumerians had called these visitors to Earth gods. It is through later paganism that the notion of divine beings or gods has filtered into our language and thinking.” He recalls a line from the Bible: the Elohim (deities) said “Let us make Man in our image and after our likeness.” Apparently, early man was much more comfortable with the concept of extra-terrestrials than society of the present day.

In any case, for anybody with an open mind, who likes the occasional alternative-theory read, I would recommend this book. There is a lot of material there to stimulate thinking.


Robert

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Robert,

I am familiar with Stichin's thories, and quite plausible.

If we were visited by advanced civilizations in Earth's ancient past, the travelers would be considered God-like and could explain mysteries of knowledge primitive man should not have known - past on by the visitors.

I have an open mind about it and enjoy alternative theories to mainstream beliefs.

[Centaur]

An open mind should not be confused with credulity.
Craig F. Bohren, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Physics, Penn State Department of Meteorology

Here is a link to a site discussing Sitchin and his conjectures:
www.sitchiniswrong.com/

[rmiller]

“The Cosmic Code” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 6 of the Earth Chronicles


“The Cosmic Code” covers a lot of ground.

The book starts by introducing readers to the existence of a Stonehenge-like structure on the Golan Heights in the Middle East.

It introduces readers to the number 12 as a significant number: for example, the twelve sons of Ishmael, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the twelve constellations of the zodiac, etc.

Mention is made of an old Sumerian story about the very early history of our solar system: Earth and its moon were formed in the collision of two other planets.

The proposal is made that human genetics includes a “cosmic code”. Also, the suggestion is made that the Hebrew language, with its three-word syllables was designed by God, and based on human genetics, with its 22 base pairs of chromosomes (not counting the X and Y chromosomes). It is analogous to the four-letter genetic code of humans, with all words being made up of various–three-letter--combinations of the four letters: C, G, T, A. The Hebrew language is based on “root” words, which are made up of three letters–quite a departure from the mother language of Semitic languages (Akkadian).

A couple of the most interesting topics touched upon in this book are (i) codes that have been used in the Bible, and searches for additional codes, and (ii) supplemental biblical information. (Although I must admit that I have never made a point of studying the Bible or Judaism).

Regarding point (i):
Writing in code was popular at the time in that region, and the Bible even attests to its inclusion of coded meanings. For example, The Prophet Jeremiah used a coding system.
Each Hebrew letter has a numeric value assigned to it. Sometimes, rather than write words with letters, they were written with numbers.

The fact that codes are incorporated into the Bible means that every letter in the bible is important; adding, removing, or rearranging words would ruin the code that is incorporated in it.

Mention is made of Jewish mysticism and the Kaballah as well as numerology (Greek Gematria).

Regarding point (ii),
Here is a passage I found intriguing:

“Not only the sections in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy recording the Teachings and Commandments, but all of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (the above plus Genesis and Numbers) have been deemed, from the very beginning, to be sacred writings. Embraced by the general term Torah, they are also known as the Five Books of Moses, because of the tradition that Moses himself wrote or authored all five of them as a divine revelation to him. Therefore, the Torah scrolls that are taken out of their ark in synagogues and read on the Sabbath and High Holidays must be copied (by special scribes) precisely the way they have come down through the ages–book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, word by word, letter by letter. An error of one letter disqualifies the whole five-book scroll.”

From other sources (or simply doing a Google search), Books of Moses Six and Seven are not canonized because of the debate around whether or not they were truly authored by Moses. (And, of course, if they were not, their inclusion would ruin the coding that is incorporated in the Bible.

A couple other interesting biblical aspects are highlighted: Israel was supposedly allotted to the twelve tribes of Israel; however, this is not strictly true. Simeon and Levi were to forfeit their domains and be dispersed among the other tribes for killing so many men when they revenged the rape of their sister, Dinah, who was not allocated territory. In fact, Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephra’im, were allocated territory to maintain the division into twelve allotments.

Hebrew is the Greek translation of the Sumerian word Ibri, which indicated a person who came from the Mesopotamian city of Nippur. That is where Abraham’s roots were. Taken literally, this would indicate that MANY more people could be considered descendants of Hebrews than simply Abraham’s descendants.

This book also comments on the fact the Book of Enoch was canonized in early Christian times. It also mentions that several books like the book of Enoch were dictated by the Nefilim to be shared with the rest of humanity as a learning tool.



Whew! Quite a lot to take in, and much additional reading to take on to pursue the many intriguing topics.


Robert

[rmiller]

“When Time Began” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 5 of the Earth Chronicles


“When Time Began” covers a lot of ground.

Essentially, it ponders several questions: Is there a point in time which is used as a reference point--a starting time--for human civilization? (Note that a physics answer is not wanted, for example, the Big Bang. Rather, the question is looking more for a philosophical/social answer.) Who established that point in time? As for the present gauges of time, who established those gauges and why? I.e. - twelve double-hours in a day, twelve months in a year, sixty seconds in a minute, sixty minutes in an hour, twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week, . . .

Several calendars are examined as well as their dependence upon solar and moon movements. For example, the Jewish calendar is probably the oldest one in existence, and uses the triple relationship between the Earth, Moon, and Sun (incidentally, the Jewish new year begins on the autumn equinox). Others, such as the Moslem calendar, use the Moon’s movements only. The common modern-day calendar uses the movements of the Sun.

Some statements of interest:

Some researchers indicate that the Sumerian zodiacal-calendrical “point zero” stood precisely between the Bull and the Twins (Gemini).

“For Mankind, Earthly Time began in 3760 B.C.; we know the exact date because, in the year 1992 of the Common Era, the Jewish calendar counts the year 5752.” In others words, the year 2240 will be the year 6000 in the Jewish calendar.”

. . .

“ . . . in Egyptian time reckoning Point Zero was circa 3200 B.C.”

. . .

“The exiling of Thoth . . . must have been an event whose repercussions were recalled far and wide, for it could not be a mere coincidence that according to Hindu traditions (that also divide Earth’s history and prehistory into Ages) the present Age, the Kaliyuga, began on a day equivalent to midnight between February 17 and 18 in 3102 BC. This date is uncannily close to the date of Point Zero of the Mesoamerican Long Count, . . . “

. . .

Point Zero of the Mayan Long Count calendar was 3113 B.C. (but nobody knows what this starting point signifies). The end of this present Age, the Fifth Sun, is A.D. 2012.



In reading this book, one question that came to mind regards time-keeping: since the days of the equinoxes (the day when the length of the day and night are equal) were and still are so important, how did early cultures determine these days? Accurate time-keeping was only a relatively recent development. In fact, one obstacle faced by early maritime explorers was the calculation of longitudes; mobile time-keeping devices were not accurate enough to allow an accurate calculation of longitude until relatively recently. So how did early civilizations determine so accurately the days of the equinoxes?

The physical arrangement of buildings is also covered; temples, observatories, and other abodes of the “gods” were oriented according to celestial indicators (i.e. - oriented such that their walls faced the equinoxes or the solstices). Structures oriented to the equinoxes are more general, they face east-west. Temples oriented according to solstices are more individual, because they depend upon the latitude, and even the altitude, of a site. Equinoctial temples include the Temple to Zeus at Baalbek, the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, and the great basilica of St. Peter’s in the Vatican. Also, the temple in Heliopolis.

Stonehenge is covered in the context of serving a religious/calendrical purpose. In trying to discern a purpose, and the architects, of Stonehenge. Mr. Sitchin examines other sites at which circular structures are found. For example, the construction of a circle of stones in ancient Mesopotamia by the king Gudea, as well as stone circles in Central and South America. One fascinating feature of the structures built by Gudea was the inclusion of the Shugalam. The Shugalam was “ . . . the place of the aperture, the place of determining.” The Hebrew term for such an opening is “ . . . Tzohar and appears just once in the Bible to describe the only aperture in the ceiling of the otherwise hermetically sealed Noah’s Ark.” The meaning is ‘a ceiling window through which a beam of light can shine in’.

I found this bit of information fascinating because I believe such an aperture was included in King Solomon’s temple too. Its purpose was to allow the admittance of the Shekinah (Divine Presence). More about the Shekinah can be learned in the Jewish book of mysticism, the Kabbalah.

In examining stone circles in Cental and South America, Mr. Sitchin comments on the similarity between the Inca zodiacal signs and the Mesopotamian one--both arbitrary divisions of the starry skies. He also comments on evidence that indicates man did not migrate from the Bering Strait and then south into the Americas. In fact, sites have been excavated that indicate human presence in the Americas well before the supposed Bering Strait crossing.

A few other bits of information that I found interesting:

The zodiacal Ages are caused by the precession of the Earth, one cycle takes about 25,920 years. Dividing this number by twelve, for the twelve constellations, means that each Age lasts 2160 years (or 360 degrees divided by 12 equals 30 degrees of arc in the sky). If this process was meant to allow an equal division of the skies among the constellations, then this simple mathematical division would be fine. However, complicating the process is the fact that not all constellations are the same size. Aries occupies less than 30 degrees of the celestial arc, while its neighbors Taurus and Pisces occupy more than 30 degrees of the celestial arc.

Which method used to determine the beginning and end of an Age will affect the date we “officially” enter the next Age, the Age of Aquarius. According to present-day astronomers, relying on observational data, we will enter the Age of Aquarius around A.D. 2600. However, if we follow a strict mathematical “power sharing” among the houses of the zodiac, then we will enter the Age of Aquarius about A.D. 2178 (2142 B.C. + 2160 years in Aries + 2160 years in Pisces).

Finally, mention is made of a calamity that befell the Near East shortly after Marduk assumed supremacy (Sitchin suggests that a nuclear device was detonated). The result was a mass migration of Sumerians to surrounding lands. In fact, Sitchin examines several possibilities that their influence may have been felt as far away as Finland and China.

[rmiller]

“The 12th Planet” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 1 of the Earth Chronicles


“The 12th Planet” is the first volume of the Earth Chronicles series. It is the reader’s first introduction to Mr. Sitchin’s proposal that human evolution and civilization has been significantly influenced by beings from another planet: the Annunaki.

The book starts by listing several enigmas from human evolution. For example, if human evolution had progressed at the same rate at which it was progressing for millions of years, then Earth should not have a civilization yet; that point should actually be one or two million years in the future. Yet here we are, a relatively advanced society that has even put a man on the moon. Why were there periods of regression and advance? Why did a period of advance occur during an ice age, an otherwise bad time for the evolution of a species? Why did so much that has influenced Man’s development seem to originate in a geographic semicircle in the highlands of the Near east, rather than in the low, flat lands, as would be expected?

“The 12th Planet” takes readers back in time, looking for the first civilization on Earth, finally identifying the Sumerian civilization, situated in Mesopotamia (present-day southern Iraq). Readers are introduced to the pantheon of Sumerian gods: Anu, Enlil, Enki, their spouses and children, etc. The succession rules of these “gods” is examined, which appear to have been important in the Bible too, for example, the preeminence given to a male offspring of a patriarch by a half-sister (i.e. - Abraham and Sarah). Note that the biblical Land of Shin’ar was the biblical name for Shumer (or Sumer, which is easier to pronounce).

“The 12th Planet” examines similarities between several old religions and mythologies: Greek, Roman, Hindu, etc. and speculates that they probably all stemmed from the same--Sumerian--sources. The 360-degree circle, the foot and its twelve inches, twelve double hours in a day, sixty minutes in an hour, seven days in a week, twelve months in a year, and so much more are vestiges of Sumerian mathematics in the modern day. The Sumerians were also the first to establish the zodiac and their associated symbols--still in use today.

Around the middle of the book, readers are introduced to the concept that ancient people were familiar with rocketships and flight through the sky; several old images are presented that include images of rockets or objects that could be taken as rockets. Readers are also introduced to several beings from the Old Testament, the malachim and Nefilim:

“The Old Testament called the ‘angels’ of the Lord malachim--literally, ‘emissaries’, who carried divine messages and carried out divine commands.”

The Nefilim were those who were cast down upon Earth, those who fell down, people of the shem (rocketships).

Readers are also introduced to the idea that our solar system includes another planet, one with a very elliptical orbit whose period is about 3600 years. The Sumerians claimed that our system was made up of twelve members: the Sun, the Moon, Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and one more planet. It was from this planet that the Sumerian “gods” came from. The twelfth planet was the home planet of the Nefilim, named Nibiru. Note that the ancient Sumerians seemed to know about the planets beyond Saturn--Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto--which were only discovered in 1781 by improved telescopes. The major Sumerian “gods” were associated with particular members--the ones listed above--of our solar system; in addition, they were associated with particular signs of the zodiac. And they always numbered twelve--not more, not less. Also of significance to all near eastern cultures was the image of the winged globe--the symbol of the twelfth planet.

Mankind’s march to civilization also occurred in periods that were multiples of 3600 years.

“It is not unlikely, then, that the Nefilim periodically reviewed (and resolved to continue) Mankind’s progress, since they could meet in assembly each time the Twelfth Planet neared Earth.”

. . .

“It was as though some on-site inspection, some face-to-face consultation possible only during the ‘window’ period that allowed landings and takeoffs between Earth and the Twelfth Planet, had to take place among the ‘gods’ before another ‘go ahead’ could be given.’"

According to Sumerian documents, ten pre-Diluvial rulers ruled in Mesopotamia for 120 shars (432,000 years). Each rule was a multiple of 3600 years.

One puzzling aspect of Sumerian astronomy: the Sumerians listed constellations from the southern hemisphere, which created problems for historians--if earth was deemed to have been flat for the previous centuries, then there should not have been any southern skies at all!

A few more Sumerian facts:

The Sumerians considered the New Year to begin at the spring equinox, determined by the setting of a particular celestial body against the sunset--that was the exact moment of the new year’s arrival.

The Sumerians also were aware of the process of precessional, by which the spring equinox appeared in different zodiacal houses, changing about every 2160 years.

Some evidence indicates that the Sumerian zodiacal-chronological “point zero” was precisely between the Bull and the Twins--before Sumerian civilization. Other evidence goes back even further:

“A Sumerian tablet in the British Museum (VAT.7847) begins the list of zodiacal constellations with that of Leo--taking us back to circa 11,000 B.C. when Man had just begun to till the land.”

“Just as it is evident that the Sumerian astronomers possessed knowledge that they could not possibly have acquired on their own, so is there evidence to show that a good deal of their knowledge was of no practical use to them."

“ . . . who in ancient Sumer really needed to establish a celestial equator, for example?"

"Or the distances between stars?"

The Sumerians gained their knowledge from the Nefilim, who came from the twelfth planet.

Sitchin goes on to mention that the establishment of Earth’s first cities in Sumeria were according to a particular plan; in fact, in order to fit into this plan, some cities were even built on top of raised ground. In addition, after the Deluge wiped all signs of civilization off Earth, cities were rebuilt exactly where the pre-diluvial cities had been, according to an original plan, on dedicated, holy, places.

Sitchin also covers the Great Flood itself. He suggests that the Biblical story of Noah is based on a much earlier Sumerian story about Utnapishtim. In that story, Utnapishtim was instructed to construct a submersible boat--something more akin to a submarine. In addition, Utnapishtim “ . . . took along with him a ‘Boatman’ named Puzur-Amurri (‘westerner who knows the secrets’). To him the Mesopotamian Noah ‘handed over the structure, together with its contents,’ as soon as the storm started. Why was an experienced navigator needed, unless it was to bring the ark to a specific destination?” Sitchin suggests that such a navigator was necessary to guide the ark to a precise destination, the peaks of Mount Ararat, which would be the first nearby locations to re-appear from under the floodwaters when they receded.

The Great Flood is also suggested as the reason that so much human development took place in a semi-circular region in the Near East, in mountainous regions rather than low-lying fertile plains. Perhaps this pattern occurred because, at the time, the low-lying plains were uninhabitable--the plains and valleys had not yet dried out sufficiently following the Deluge to allow people to come down from the mountains and settle there.

The effects of the Flood were felt on the Annunaki as well as on Mankind. According to Sumerian texts, the Annunaki had been on Earth about 432,000 years when the Flood occurred--wiping out all their development virtually overnight. To aid Man in his re-development after the Deluge, the Annunaki taught Man about agriculture and animal husbandry.

The Nefilim also decided they would have intermediaries between themselves and Mankind--they introduced Kingship on Earth.

“A text dealing with the subject describes the situation before either tiara or crown had been placed on a human head, or scepter handed down; all these symbols of Kingship--plus the shepherd’s crook, the symbol of righteousness and justice--‘lay deposited before Anu in ‘Heaven’. After the gods had reached their decision, however, ‘Kingship descended from Heaven to Earth’.”

[Centaur]

For every credibility gap there is a gullibility gap.
Richard Cobden, 19th century English politician

[rmiller]

Jun 14, 2008 18:09:54 GMT -6 Centaur said:

For every credibility gap there is a gullibility gap.
Richard Cobden, 19th century English politician

Analysis of Sitchin and his conjectures by Rob Hafernik: www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/8148/hafernik.html

I am aware of several sites critical of Sitchin. They make some good cases. And Sitchin, too, presents some compelling material.

In any case, I hope to carry on with my stated goal of writing reviews/summaries of the Earth Chronicles books.

[rmiller]

“The Wars of Gods and Men” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 3 of the Earth Chronicles

The general purpose of this book is to examine wars of the ancient past and to explore the suggestion that most, if not all of these wars, were instigated and directed by the ancient gods--who even played active roles in them. Like the other volumes in the Earth Chronicles series, this one includes several detours and stops along the way as it seeks to corroborate known archaeological findings, ancient Sumerian writings, and history as recorded in the Bible. After examining several wars, and providing backgrounds for the major characters involved, “The Wars of Gods and Men” proceeds to give significant coverage to the war of Abraham’s time, which eventually lead to a climactic, world-altering, event--the detonation of nuclear weapons in the Near East.

“The Wars of Gods and Men” begins by briefly mentioning several ancient wars and prominent figures: the Greeks versus the Trojans, the Egyptians versus the Hittites, Yahweh versus the Egyptians during the Exodus, Sargon 1 of Mesopotamia, Hammurabi of Babylon, and more. A short summary is given of ancient Greek mythology and the similarities between the Egyptian and Greek theogony are noted. Some background is also given on the Indian theogony and the parallels are noted there too (for example, in both groups the number of major gods was twelve).

“The Wars of Gods and Men” then briefly recaps Sitchin’s theory of the Annunaki: their origins, activities on Earth, succession rules, role in shaping Earth civilization, etc.. I won’t recap all of it here, but will mention one point of interest. According to the Earth Chronicles, modern humans were genetically engineered by Enki, who combined DNA from a male Annunaki and a female human to create humans as they are today: the first “Earthling”. At first, humans were sterile, unable to reproduce, as most hybrids are. However, Enki continued to work on the Earthlings until they were able to reproduce. He did this without the knowledge or consent of his brother, Enlil.

The Bible (in the original Hebrew) calls the god who tempted Eve Nahash, translated ”Serpent”, but literally meaning “He Who Solves Secrets” and “He Who Knows Metals.

These were other names for Enki, which implies that Enki was labeled as the serpent for his key role in giving humans the ability to reproduce (i.e. - for men and women to “know” each other).

Moving ahead in time, the early history of mankind is reviewed. Eventually, Enlil became increasingly enraged at the sexual relations between male Annunaki and human females, and the impending Great Flood became an opportunity to allow mankind to be wiped out. However, Enki gave warning to Ziusudra to build an ark and save Man. After the Flood, Enlil relented in his desire to see mankind destroyed and aided Man to replenish the Earth.

The lines of the sons of Noah are then examined:
Japhet was father of the Indo-European nations.
Ham was father of the African nation-states.
Shem, which meant “Sky Chamber”, was father of the Asian and Near Eastern nation states. He was the elder brother of Japhet, and the father of all who descended of Eber. The broad division of Mankind into three branches corroborates ancient Sumerian records.

“The Wars of Gods and Men” continues by examining the ongoing friction between the Enlil and Enki clans. It also introduces Canaan, the fourth and youngest son of Ham. The lands of Canaan were named after this son of Ham but were, in fact, illegally occupied by him. Being a son of Ham, Canaan was allotted African (Enki) domains, but on his way to those African domains after the Flood he liked the lands of Canaan so much he stayed there. However, those lands (in Enlilite domains) were actually allotted to the descendants of Shem. This situation was not tolerable to the Enlil clan for long so they took action to dislodge the illegal occupiers. The Enlilites fought the Enki-ites and eventually won. The peace accord that followed returned Shem lands to the Enlil clan; in return, Enki affirmed control of the Egyptian lands.

In addition to the rivalry between the two clans, there also seems to have been some friction within the families. For example, a rivalry between two of Enlil’s sons heated up for a time: Ninurta and Nannar. Nannar was older, and born of Enlil’s official spouse, but Ninurta was the legal heir, because he was born of Enlil’s half-sister. Nannar’s semitic name was Sin, and it is after him that the Sinai Peninsula was named (Sin’s Land).

In addition, Enlil’s granddaughter, Inanna/Ishtar, proved to be very ambitious. Her home seemed to be Uruk (the biblical Erech). Erech was considered a provincial town but she wanted it to be more prominent so, among other things, she seduced some ME’s from Enki, intending to build up its stature.

Other cities wanted prominence too, and their local deities often backed them up. The friction often escalated into wars, which became more frequent. The constant strife and lack of stability reached a point where the gods had enough. They wanted a man strong enough to provide firm leadership and perform the role of king as the sole intermediary between the gods and the people in all things mundane. Inanna picked the man: Sharru-Kin (Righteous Ruler), who became known as Sargon the Great, or Sargon I. He founded a new capital near Babylon named Agade (“United”). “We know it as Akkad–a name from which stems the term Akkadian for the first Semitic language.” Sargon consolidated many lands in Enlil territory. However, he did not take over any territory belonging to Ninurta or Enki’s clans. However, he did make a mistake in his old age: he took away soil from Babylon to found another Babylon beside Agade. This soil was supposed to be sacred and Sargon took away some to spread it as the foundation for a new Bab-Ili (Gateway of the Gods). The move infuriated Marduk, who claimed Babylon as his. After being quiet for many centuries, Marduk took this sacrilege as an excuse to reassert himself. He instigated many troubles and revolts for Sargon. The conflict of interests between Marduk and Inanna resulted in a sort of alliance between Inanna and Marduk’s brother, Nergal.

The rest of “The Wars of Gods and Men” covers the period of Abraham and his role in history, and tries to corroborate history as stated in the Bible with known archaeological findings. Originally named AB.RAM (“Father’s Beloved”), he was born in 2123 BC and his ancestry went back through the line of Shem. His father was named Terah (meaning “Oracle Priest”), a royal high-priest. Abram’s family lived in Ur when he married Sarai, but they moved to Harran (“The Caravanry”) some time afterward. They again moved, from Harran to Canaan, when Abram was 75 years old. Abram was later was renamed Abraham (Father of a Multitude of Nations”) and SARAI (“Princess”) was renamed to the Semitic Sarah.

After the brief background of Abraham, “The Wars of Gods and Men” segues into his role in the war between Marduk and his son Nabu, and the other Annunaki (the Bible describes it as a war between four kings of the east and five kings of Canaan). Among Abraham’s missions was the charge of defending the Spaceport in the Sinai peninsula from the Nabu invaders. There is even a reference to Abraham in the reign of Amar-Sin (2041 BC): the year of the military expedition, was called MU NE IB.RU.UM BA.HUL (“Year [in which] the Shepherding-abode of IB.RU.UM was attacked”. After protecting the Spaceport, and getting his nephew Lot back, he was greeted as a victor in the Valley of Shalem (Jerusalem) by Malkizedek, the king of Shalem. Abraham stressed that he had acted neither on behalf of the kings of Canaan nor against the kings of the East; he did it for Yahweh, the God Most High.

Even after this setback, Marduk did not cease his efforts to gain supremacy. Finally, to prevent the Spaceport from falling into Marduk’s hands, and to destroy Marduk and Nabu, Nergal and Ninurta launched nuclear weapons. The Spaceport in the Sinai Peninsula was completely destroyed, as were the cities Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was warned to get out of the area by Mal’akhim (meaning “emissaries”), but the radioactivity was spread by the winds and killed most life in Sumer.

The radioactive cloud that spread over the region destroyed Sumer, which never recovered its former glory. However, as the Sumerians dispersed into other lands, bringing their knowledge and culture with them, they had a major impact on the rest of the world. The calamity marked the end of an age in more ways than one. The radioactive cloud missed Babylon, so the other gods reluctantly recognized the primacy of Babylon and Marduk for a while. However, Babylon never did achieve the glory of Sumer proper. In addition, the calamity marked the beginning of the Age of the Ram. It was also the point in time at which the gods became less active on Earth, gradually becoming virtually unknown, as if they had retreated into a self-imposed seclusion. And it marked the beginning of history as we know it via the Hebrew Bible.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Niberu on the swing back in 2012?

[Centaur]

Aug 16, 2009 20:55:09 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

Niberu on the swing back in 2012?

Indeed it is, Joe. I’ve made detailed calculations based on the formulae in the book Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus. My careful analysis confirms that Nibaru will definitely collide with the Earth, but a little earlier than some others have been expecting. I predict it will strike near W 87.5° & N 41.9° on 2012 JUL 04 at 21:31 CDT. That should make for quite a splash in Lake Michigan, and a truly magnificent Independence Day fireworks display for those watching from Chicago’s lakefront!

Be sure to make an early claim for your observing spot on the beach by placing a blanket. And don’t forget to bring your umbrella for when the lake water tumbles back down on the spectators!

Photos and descriptions of the event would be welcome additions to this thread.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

"Photos and descriptions of the event would be welcome additions to this thread."

Heh.

Luckily...

I got my 2012 bunker stocked and ready with Pizza puffs, RC cola and beef jerky.

(But... I heard on a radio program, that our Sun is part of a binary system, being paired with a brown dwarf companion. And that this brown dwarf star is swinging back...first appearing in the southern hemisphere and visible in Sagittarius...right...about....now.)

Look to the skies.

[Centaur]

Aug 19, 2009 13:39:30 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

(But... I heard on a radio program, that our Sun is part of a binary system, being paired with a brown dwarf companion. And that this brown dwarf star is swinging back...first appearing in the southern hemisphere and visible in Sagittarius...right...about....now.)

If it was said by someone on a radio program, Joe, then it must be authoritative information and most certainly true!

[rmiller]

Aug 16, 2009 20:55:09 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

Niberu on the swing back in 2012?

I finished reading Sitchin's seventh book in the Earth Chronicles series, "The End of Days" and I hope to post a review/summary soon. This book considers potential times for the return of Nibiru and the Annunaki.

2012 is the end of an Age according to the Mayan calendar, and Sitchin does examine this aspect. However, he makes a stronger case for a later date, for example, 2160 and later. 2160 is the approximate year of the end of the Age of Pieces and the beginning of the Age of Aquarius (2178, from an earlier post). Significant events in ancient history have usually occurred at the boundaries of astrological Ages. In addition, he cites several prophecies which could confirm this possibility.

More later.

[rmiller]

“The End of Days” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 7 of the Earth Chronicles

- - -

The first nine chapters of this book review much material from the other books in the Earth Chronicles series; their purpose is to establish a background for the stated goal of this book, which is to consider possible return times for the planet Nibiru, the Annunaki, and the Hebrew God Yahweh. Sitchin distinguishes between two events that feature often in prophecies: the “Day of the Lord”, and the “End of Days”. These two “days” are thought to be two separate events, due to occur at different times. Sitchin cites several historical events from different cultures, trying to identify events associated with each one, and trends by which we might calculate dates for these upcoming “days”.

First he considers the “Day of the Lord”. Sumerian texts dealing with landmark events in Mankind’s history indicate that crucial events happened in 3600-year intervals--the period of Nibiru. And at such times, the glyptical depictions of Nibiru--even in early Sumerian times--was the cross. There are many other periods throughout history that the cross, or a planet of the cross, shows up in artwork. Then it stops appearing, then it becomes a prominent symbol again, then its stops appearing, and so on. Sitchin proposes that the “Day of the Lord” was associated with the return of Nibiru to the inner solar system and that when its orbit took it across the equatorial plane of the solar system, it became “the planet of the crossing”. Its approach was indicated in artwork, jewelry, and other works by the mark of the cross. In addition, temples constructed during various periods were oriented to face an east-west axis rather than the usual southeast-northwest axis. The deviation from standard practice of the time begs the questions, Why the change? Why then?

Not only were certain times significant, but certain sites were deemed to be sacred. Many of the major nations of the times wanted to be in possession of these sites during the periods of the expected returns. Sitchin wonders why it was so important to the warring parties to be in possession of these sites at specific times whereas, at other times, nations did not fight for these sites with such apparent desperation. Sitchin speculates that the most compelling reason for these actions was the belief that these sites were landing sites (they served a space-related function) for the Annunaki and that when wars were waged with the most desperation were times when a return was expected.

In Jerusalem, when speaking of the “Day of the Lord”, biblical prophets were speaking about the return of Nibiru. Amos began prophesying about 760 BCE. Just before 600 BCE, the Prophet Habakkuk indicated that in the nearing years God was coming. Around 570 BCE, the Prophet Ezekiel indicated the day was near. And on May 19, 556 BCE, an unexpected major total solar eclipse occurred. The band of total darkness of the eclipse passed exactly over the district of Harran and it was on that day that the Annunaki “gods” left the Earth, according to Sitchin. If this unexpected eclipse was caused by the arrival of Nibiru in the inner solar system around 556 BCE, its next arrival will be about AD 2900. And with its arrival will come the return of the Annunaki, the “Day of the Lord”.

Having examined the “Day of the Lord”, Sitchin then contemplates the “End of Days”. First, he considers the Mayan calendar. The long count of the Mayan calendar began August 13, 3113 BCE and the present age ends with the 13th Baktun, which is 144,000 days. Counting from 3113 BCE yields (13 x 144,000 =) 1,872,000. Dividing this number by 365.25 = 5125 years. Then add these years to 3113 BCE yields AD 2012. This is the commonly-accepted year for the end of the Mayan long count (December 21 or 23, 2012, depending upon which correlation is used). However, Sitchin believes the required time should be a cyclical one, not a linear one, which disqualifies the Mayan calendar from consideration for determining the “End of Days”.

Next, he considers Hebrew history and zodiacal time. The “End of Days” was said to have began timing from the 25th day of the Hebrew month Kislev in 167 BCE. In 164 BCE, the Maccabees recaptured the Temple and reconsecrated it. This occurred on the 25th day of Kislev and is still celebrated today by Jews as the holiday Hanukkah. In 160 BCE, they regained full control of Jerusalem. Note that the year 160 BCE corresponded to the year 3600 in the Olden Nippurian calendar which the Hebrews of the time used (and today’s Jews still use). Simply using this calendar to plot the “End of Days” would be invalid too because, again, this system is a linear time unit, but prophecies call for a cyclical time unit.

This suggests that zodiacal precession is the necessary time unit to consider when contemplating the “End of Days”. Ancient tablets often used the number 12,960,000, which is 6000 zodiacal ages. Manetho and Berossus both divided the Earth’s history into phases, and the grand total time was 2,160,000 years--exactly 1000 zodiacal ages. In addition, major events in Earth’s, and Mankind’s, history usually occurred at the change of the zodiacal ages. If the end of the Age of Pieces--around AD 2178--is some measure to go by, then we have about 160 years to go. In fact, even Isaac Newton attempted to calculate the “End of Days” based upon the Book of Daniel. He calculated three possible ranges, encompassing the period 2060 - 2374. It is interesting to note that this range does include the time of the end of the Age of Pieces and the beginning of the Age of Aquarius.

For now, information seems to indicate that the “End of Days” is a cyclical event and is associated with the precession of the zodiac. If so, the “End of Days” would coincide with the end of the Age of Pieces--around AD 2178.

[Centaur]

Dr. Michael S. Houser has updated his website that rationally debunks this Sitchin silliness. Of course there will always be people who choose to only read and believe what they want to believe, and it’s the ever present credulous multitude that allow hucksters like Sitchin to profit. The purveyors of nonsense count on people like that to keep spreading their gospel. And in the case of this thread, it’s been continuing for years. Perhaps the inexhaustible faithful are counting on an exalted place in Nibiru heaven. Having an open mind frequently has merit, but one should not allow his brains to spill out. Here again is the link to Houser’s website: www.sitchiniswrong.com/index.html

[rmiller]

“The Lost Realms” by Zecharia Sitchin
Book 4 of the Earth Chronicles


“The Lost Realms” looks at the ancient history of Central and South America, examining the similarities between the histories of the original inhabitants and those of the Near East, to show how the ancient development of the Americas fits into the overall theory of the other books in the Earth Chronicles--that the extraterrestrials (Anunnaki) who taught Mesopotamian Man also taught ancient American Man.

Sitchin presents several stories and legends from the ancient inhabitants that are surprisingly similar to those from the Near East. For example, before the colonization of the New World by Spain, the people of Central and South America had legends of a Deluge, just like the people of the Near East:

“ . . . the Mexica-Nahuatl timetable correlates events and times with a scientific and historical accuracy that ought to make everyone stop and wonder. It dates the deluge, at the end of the First Sun, to about 11,600 B.C.”

This date is very close to the date indicated by Sumerian records: 11,000 B.C.

In addition, they stated that the Fourth Sun was the Age of the Black Headed People. The Fourth Sun began around 3500 B.C. This is about the time Sumerian civilization began, and they called themselves the Black Headed People.

People of the ancient Americas, too, had stories of a day in which the Sun appeared to stand still. They, too, divided the stars of the sky into twelve constellations that are surprisingly similar to those of the Near East. Even the symbol of the cross had significance to them. And numbers that were significant in Mesopotamia were also important in the Ancient Americas: 7, 12, 52, 260, 360, etc.

Even several of their deities had names strikingly similar to those of ancient Sumer, for example, “ . . . Itzamna, the god of the Itzas–a great olden god who had waded ashore from the sea, and whose name meant “He Whose Home is Water.” This is the same name given to the olden Sumerian god Ea.

In addition, Sitchin examines several longstanding enigmas that are barely plausible according to conventional theories, but do fit in better to a theory that proposes there was interaction between the Old and New Worlds long before conventional beliefs hold. For example, predecessors of the Aztecs appear to have been proficient miners, while the Atztecs themselves had no knowledge of iron. How could this be? In addition, the wealth of gold that the Spanish explorers found in the New World was the result of efforts by previous civilizations of the area. Present inhabitants did not maintain mining activities that could have supported the quantities of gold and silver that were found. In fact, to the Aztecs, gold was a gift or the property of the gods. They never used it as a commodity, as money. So who would have made such efforts to mine such quantities of gold and then stop? And why?

In addition to the mining of gold, more puzzling is the discovery of tin in Mesoamerica. Tin is not found in its native state; it can only be made by a complex process of refining ores--ores that are absent in Mesoamerica.

Also curious is that images of the Olmecs, which seem to have been the oldest of the civilizations in Mesoamerica (and who started the Long Count at 3113 BC.), depict them with negroid features. Furthermore depictions also exist of “Bearded Ones”, with Semitic Eastern Mediterranean features.

Moving his attention from Mesoamerica to South America, Sitchin then looks at some ancient history of the Incas. Again, there are many similarities: for example, Cuzco means “Navel of the Earth”, a term that was also used for the Near Eastern cities Nippur, and then Jerusalem. And it was divided into twelve wards (again, the number twelve appears significant). It was built with huge stones, often having complicated shapes, but machined so precisely that not even a razor blade could fit between them. They were fashioned by unknown means, because chisel marks are not found on the stones. Plus, they were brought from another location, across difficult terrain. These unknown methods of construction, machining, and transportation raise the same questions as for the structures in the Near East: How and Why?

Knowledge of the equinoxes and the solstices seems to have been very important to the Incas too. Their ancient building incorporated several features for determining the days of the equinoxes and the solstices. They also seem to have been aware of the fact of the precession of the Earth and the need to adjust their calendar periodically because of it. In fact, archaeoastronomy confirms, from the structures at Machu Picchu and Cuzco, an age of over 4000 years old.

Also puzzling, on an ancient diagram, a globe representing Earth is marked “Pacha Mam”, or Mother Earth. It would seem that the Incas knew to depict the Earth as round. But how did they know? The Sumerians knew and often depicted this accordingly. Furthermore, there are seven dots below the Earth symbol. The Sumerians often did this because they referred to Earth as seven.

In fact, the Inca Dynasty was not the first in the area. The Inca Dynasty began about 3500 years after the beginning of the dynasty that first built those amazing stone structures.

“Before the Incas and the Chimu and the Mochica, a culture named by scholars Chavin flourished in the mountains that lie in northern Peru. . . “

Every legend in the Andes points to Lake Titicaca for the Beginning. The orientation of temples and structures in the area indicates a time when the Earth’s obliquity was about 24 degrees, 8 minutes. That means it was laid out about 3172 BC. These megalithic structures belong to the Age of Taurus, the era between 4000 BC and 2000 BC. The huge stones remaining at Tiahuanacu, as the place has been called, were the remains of a civilization that disappeared before that of the Incas began. The civilization that raised these structures had no infancy and passed through no period of growth. Like the Olmec civilization in Mexico at the same time, it arose suddenly and with no apparent prior gradual development. In fact, the calendar of the Incas indicate a Beginning in the Age of the Bull.

In fact, there is a structure in the area called the Kalasasaya which indicates an even earlier presence. Assuming some of the stones of the Kalasasaya were meant to mark the solstices and equinoxes, measurements indicated that the Kalasasaya was constructed that indicate an obliquity of the ecliptic of 23 degrees, 8 minutes, 48 seconds, not the present-day 23.5 degrees. This would indicate that the Kalasasaya was built circa 15,000 B.C. Who was in the area at that time that could transport and machine stone to such a degree?

Another curiousity is the discovery of stone busts which depict white men, nobly clad, wearing headbands or turbans. Their facial features identify them as Indo-Europeans.

“These Indo-Europeans have not been traced in Mesoamerica or Central America, and we must assume that they came across the Pacific straight to South America. If legends be the guide, they preceded the two waves of African ‘giants’ and Mediterranean Bearded Ones, . . . ”

Also puzzling is the appearance of bronze in this area. Although gold was supposedly the only metal known by the Incas, bronze has been found in some structures. Yet bronze is a difficult alloy to produce; it is produced by mixing the proper proportion of copper and tin. However, tin, as mentioned earlier, is a complex metal to create. So somebody at that early age knew that ores containing tin were plentiful in the region around Lake Titicaca, they knew the difficult metallurgical processes to extract the tin, and they knew how to combine tin with copper to then produce bronze. But who? And why?

In fact, Lake Titicaca aptly takes its name from the very metal for which it was famous. Whoever, gave it its name was very literal--a trait shared by people of the Near East, who also gave literal names. Titicaca takes its name from one of two islands that lie off the Copacabana peninsula.

“Titi in the Aymara language was the name of a metal—either tin or lead, according to linguists. Titikalla, we suggest, meant the ‘Rock of Tin’. Titicaca meant ‘Stone of Tin’. And Lake Titicaca was the lake that was the source of tin.”

Sitchin then briefly ties in the development of tin production in the New World to the supply of tin in the Old World: for a period, tin was scarce in the Near East, and then it appears to have become plentiful again. He suggests that the source of this new tin was the New World, specifically, the region around Lake Titicaca.

Overall, “The Lost Realms” is a very compelling read. IF there is any truth to Sitchin’s theory of extraterrestrials called the Anunnaki, who have had a presence around the Earth for many thousands of years, it would make everything fit together nicely. For example, he suggests that the habitation of the Americas originated in Central America, and spread to North and South America from there--not, as conventional theories hold, by people migrating from Asia across a frozen Bering Strait. The proposal is not as strange as it sounds; it has been gaining ground among researchers and it would explain why pre-Columbus American civilizations were more advanced in Central America and tended to get less-advanced the farther away they were from that region. Even if his theory is not entirely correct, there must have been more interaction around the ancient world than currently held by conventional theory: tin in Mesoamerica, bronze in the Andes, sophisticated stone works around the world, common concepts of constellations and languages, images of different races, the possession of similar calendars, etc. --the various civilizations certainly weren’t completely isolated from each other.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I appreciate all views, interpretations and opinions of various writings, beliefs and theories.

But, in agreement with the author of this review, I am going to lock the thread...and we can all enjoy without criticizing.