INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

It has been proposed that the Great Pyramid of Giza is the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" symbolized in stone. This was first proposed by Marsham Adams in 1895. He said that the Egyptian Book of the Dead refers to an "ideal structure and to the passages and chambers therein, and that these passages and chambers followed precisely the order and description of those of the Great Pyramid "

Above: The dead before Osiris, the supreme judge

"The intimate connection," writes Adams, "between the secret doctrine of Egypt's most venerated books, and the secret significance of her most venerable monument, seems impossible to separate, and each form illustrates and interpenetrates the other. As we peruse the dark utterances and recognize the mystic allusions of the Book, we seem to stand amid the profound darkness enwrapping the whole interior of the building... Dimly before our eyes, age after age, the sacred procession of the Egyptian dead moves silently along as they pass to the tribunal of Osiris. In vain do we attempt to trace their footsteps till we enter with them into the Hidden Places and penetrate the secret of the House of Light (compare the ancient Egyptian name for the Great Pyramid - "Khut," or "Light"). But no sooner do we tread the chambers of the mysterious Pyramid than the teaching of the Sacred Books seems lit up as with a tongue of flame".

Marsham Adams proposed that the unique system of passages and chambers (particularly the Grand Gallery, obviously unnecessary in a tomb), has an allegorical significance only explained by reference to the Egyptian "Book of the Dead". The famous Egyptologist, Sir Gaston Maspero endorsed his thesis and added "The Pyramids and the Book of the Dead reproduce the same original, the one in words, the other in stone." Can we find meaning and answers to the mystery of the Great Pyramid by studying the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" and its relationship to the Great Pyramid?

What is the Egyptian "Book of the Dead"? It was believed by the ancient Egyptians that the "Book of the Dead" was written by "Thoth". He was the scribe to the gods and was the one responsible for speaking the words of creation and putting it into effect. It's name is not a correct description of it. It should be named the "Chapters of the Coming Forth by Day". It is mainly concerned with the state of the departed soul and its trials and existences in the afterlife. According to one of the world's experts on the "Book of the Dead", Sir Wallis Budge, it was not of Egyptian origin but its ideas were brought to Egypt by a different culture and people. Scholars speculate that these people were in existence prior to the first dynasty. There has been much speculation of who these people were but the bottom line is that no one knows. We do know that the changes in Egypt at that time were sudden and highly radical. The building of the Great Pyramid is a good example. It appeared out of nowhere from a primitive stone and flint culture and has never been repeated. Also it appears since iron has been found in the Great Pyramid and was part of the original structure, this invading culture brought the Iron Age to Egypt 2000 years earlier than scholars date it.

As mentioned above, the singular most conspicuous correspondence between the Great Pyramid and Book of the Dead is that the ancient Egyptian name for the Great Pyramid is "Khut" which means "Light" and the various stages traversed by the dead, according to the Book of the Dead, are of the deceased going from the light of the earth to the light of eternal day. It appears that the author or author's of the Book of the Dead believed this book was the Greatest of Mysteries and did not feel that everyone should have access to it. There is a statement in the Book of the Dead which reads "This is a composition of exceedingly great mystery. Let not the eye of any man whatsoever see it, for it is an abominable thing for (every man) to know it: therefore hide it." It seems that the teachings were not only to teach about the nature of the Creator and his relation to the creature, but also to teach how the creature is admitted to participate in the mysteries of the Creator.

An interesting idea was proposed by Marsham Adams in 1895 and later by Basil Stewart in the 1929 publication of the Mystery of the Great Pyramid. He suggested that a very, very ancient "common source" (a person, group, culture, etc.) before the Egyptian culture was responsible for the building of the Great Pyramid. The purpose of building the Great Pyramid was to enshrine their knowledge and understanding of the mysteries they knew for future generations. The structure like the Great Pyramid was chosen since it would remain unchanged and uncorrupted over the generations. It would withstand environmental disturbances like earthquakes, floods, etc. and not be able to be tampered with by man. Written and oral records would not be satisfactory since they can be changed and edited very easily over time. It would be more difficult to corrupt a large brick structure. The Great Pyramid is probably an excellent choice to meet these requirements. Just look at it today. Man has worked away on it, blasted it, etc. but for the most part it is still intact. Thus the Great Pyramid may enshrine the earliest known knowledge of man.

There has been much speculation about who this "original culture" was. It is also possible that is original culture may have left a written document of their teachings which have to come to us today as the Book of the Dead, but it has been corrupted thoughout the years. Like any ancient work, it would be subject to editors throughout time changing and adding to meet their beliefs and ideas.

Stewart states that "the allegory contained in the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" is merely a corrupt survival of the allegory enshrined in the Great Pyramid itself". He feels that it was paganized by the ancient Egyptians and applied to their god. Thus, The Book of the dead which is a representation of the Great Pyramid has been corrupted over the years. That does not mean the Book of the Dead is meaningless. It may be possible to siphon out the original teaching from the later additions and changes. Also we can correlate the Book of the Dead with the Great Pyramid and see where they correspond. The goal would be to discover the original teachings of this "common source" and maybe try to identify who they were. It is possible that the information encoded in the Great Pyramid of Giza may be the oldest that man possesses.

It is extremely important to note that we are not assuming that this "original teaching" is correct or indeed is the truth. It may be just be very ancient myths, ideas, superstitions, ritual, paganisms, etc. that these ancient people thought were true and just wanted to preserve. This information would be interesting to us from a historical, archeological and sociological view.

LEGENDS REGARDING THE GREAT PYRAMID

It is not surprising that there have been many myths and legends about the Great Pyramid of Giza. Even though we may not be able to distinguish which ones are true and which ones are false, it is interesting to read about some of them. Many times we find that there was an actual event that occurred in history and different myths originate from this actual event. Thus if we look at enough myths, there may be a common denominator that we can distinguish.

One of the earliest legends about the Great Pyramid come from an early Arab source, a writer, Ben Mohammed Balki, who stated that the pyramids (the three Giza pyramids) were built as a refuge against an approaching destruction of mankind either by fire or by water. Another Arab historian, Masoudi ( died A.D. 967) also cites a similar legend that the three pyramids were built as a result of a dream that appeared to King Surid, in which the flood was foretold, 300 years before it occurred. It is told that he ordered the priests to deposit within the pyramids written accounts of their wisdom and acquirements in the different arts and sciences... and of arithmetic and geometry, that they might remain as records for the benefit of those who would afterwards be able to comprehend them. Another Arab writer, Ibn Abd-al-Latif, said that the Second Pyramid was "filled with a store of riches and utensils... with arms which rust not, and with glass which might be bended and yet not broken". It is interesting to note that Masoudi also stated that "the Great Pyramid was inscribed with the heavenly spheres, and figures representing the stars and planets in the forms in which they were worshiped. Also the position of the stars and there cycles, together with the history and chronicles of time past, of that which is to come, and of every future event which would take place in Egypt." Another source says that written upon the walls of the pyramid was "the mysteries of science, astronomy, physics, and such useful knowledge which any person understanding our writing can read." Is there any evidence that confirms the Great Pyramid was once covered with the above writings?

Since the original casing stones were destroyed and removed for the building of mosques after an earthquake in 1301 AD, we do not know if there was any original writing upon them. It does not seem likely since there still remains some casing stones at the pyramids lowest level and they do not have any inscriptions on them. There are several possibilities.

1) This is a completely made up legend with no basis or fact.

2) All the casing stones that had writing on them were destroyed.

3) This legend got confused like many do and the writings are actually inside the pyramid in an undiscovered chamber or passageway.

4) The legend of the writings on the exterior of the Great Pyramid got confused with the writings in the Book of the Dead? That is they wrote the above not on the pyramid, but on papyrus to preserve it, which became the Book of the Dead. Is the Book of the Dead what remains of this writing in a corrupt fashion? Basil Stewart states "we know that it (the Great Pyramid) contains no such hieroglyphic inscriptions or representations of the heavenly stars and planets such as these traditions infer. It is only when we turn to the Book of the Dead that we find the passages and chambers of its "Secret House" inscribed with such hieroglyphic texts and formulae, and adorned with mythical figures and stars. That is to say, Coptic and Arab traditions have erroneously identified the inscribed passages of the allegorical Pyramid of the Book of the Dead with the actual passages and chambers of the Great Pyramid itself."

A very interesting account is given by Josephus in his Antiquities. Josephus states that "the descendants of Seth, after perfecting their study of astronomy, set out for Egypt, and there embodied their discoveries in the building of two "pillars" (i.e. monuments), one in stone and the other in brick, in order that this knowledge might not be lost before these discoveries were sufficiently known, upon Adam's prediction that the world was to be destroyed by a flood... and in order to exhibit them to mankind...Now this pillar remains in the land of Siriad (the Siriadic, or Dogstar, land of Egypt) to this day."

There is a similar tradition ascribed to Enoch. "Enoch, foreseeing the destruction of the earth, inscribed the science of astronomy upon two pillars."

It is interesting that almost all the traditions agree that the construction of the Great Pyramid was pre-deluge, and was built to preserve knowledge, etc. They agree in the main events with only variations of detail.

LEGENDS REGARDING THE BUILDERS OF THE GREAT PYRAMID

There have been many theories regarding who built the Great Pyramid of Giza. Some proposed builders include: Seth, Enoch, Shem, Noah, Hyksos or Shepherd Kings, Melchizedek, and even Atlantians. As mentioned before, no one knows for sure. I think the key to the date of the building of the Great Pyramid and the builders will be the result of the C14 studies on relics found in the Great Pyramid. Also the recent studies of water erosion on the Sphinx and other structures on the Giza plateau is very promising. Some results put the date of the building of the sphinx and great pyramid at 10,000 BC or earlier. This is obviously long before anyone has imagined. If we date the reign of Khufu to around 3600 BC, we are talking about the Great Pyramid being constructed in a time that scholars never considered. Since the Great Pyramid has been around for such a long time, ancient people would normally attribute it to some great hero of the past like (Noah, Seth, Melchizedek, etc.) but we are talking about a time that little if anything remains to this day. This unknown culture or people that lived in a time so remote would be the "original source" we have been talking about. We assume that the origin of man was that of a stone age people and we have advanced and progressed to the present time. What if man at the beginning was very intelligent and advanced in technology. Almost every religion and culture talks about a Golden Age when man walked with God and was superior than we are now. What happened? The bible talks about Adam and Eve and the fall of man, the Babylonian stories are similar, and you can find stories like these in almost every culture. What if man knew he something was going to happen and he wanted to preserve the knowledge he knew would be lost? Is it in the Great Pyramid? To find the "original teachings", if such a thing exists, would be the goal of all religions to say the least. This hypothesis that the Great Pyramid may contain "original teachings" may or may not be true. Like any hypothesis it must be researched and tested. We feel at this point no one has discovered what it is and that is why this is an area open to further research.

BOOK OF THE DEAD (16th Century BC)

In the New Kingdom and later they were written on papyrus rolls or sometimes on leather. These rolls are known to us as the Book of the Dead. The texts often contained colorful illustrations and were sold to individuals for burial use. They are not uniform in content or arrangement and no two copies are exactly alike. Numerous authors, compilers, and sources contributed to the work. They not only differ in choice of spells, but the same spell may differ from one manuscript to another. These spells are in effect magic formulae, which enable the deceased to pass from the tests and dangers, confronted after death. Since the spells are from many different sources, no uniform idea of the afterlife may be gained. Of the copies found in Egyptian tombs, none contain all of the approximately 200 known chapters. The collection, entitled "The Chapters of Coming Forth by Day", received its present name from Richard Lepsius, German Egyptologist who published the first collection of the texts in 1842.

There are many variations of the afterlife. Here are a few:

- The deceased regains the use of his mortal body and enjoys life as before. –OR

- He joins the sun god Re (Ra) as he traverses the heavens. –OR

-He is transformed into a swallow, a serpent, or a crocodile. –OR

- He becomes the god Osiris, primeval creator of all.

EGYPTIAN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

The Pharaoh's ascent to heaven

The Pyramid Texts almost exclusively are concerned with the postmortem destiny of the King. As we mentioned above the doctrine was not systematized but we find many variations.

The majority of texts state that the Pharaoh, son of Re, brought into existence by the Great God before the creation of the world, cannot die. In other texts, they only assure that his body will not suffer decomposition. These two different ideologies have not adequately been integrated into their religious system. However, the majority of texts refer to the pharaoh's celestial journey. He flies away in the form of a bird, a falcon, a heron, a wild goose, a scarabaeus, or a grasshopper. The winds, the clouds, and the gods are bound to help him. In certain texts the King ascends to the sky by a ladder. During his ascent the king is already a god and is different in essence from human beings.

Now the goal of the Pharaoh was to arrive at the celestial abode in the East, named the Field of Offerings. Before arriving he had to undergo certain ordeals. The entrance was defended by a lake "with winding shores", and the ferryman had the power of a judge. To be admitted into the boat, the pharaoh must have completed all the required ritual purifications. He must also specifically answer questions by stereotyped formulas that served as passwords. Sometimes the King had recourse to magic or to pleading, or even to threats. He implores the gods, (Re, Thoth, and Horus) and begs the two sycamore trees between which the sun rises every day to let him pass into the "Field of Reeds".

When the pharaoh arrives in heaven, he is received in triumph by the Sun god, and messengers are sent to the four quarters of the world to announce his victory over death. In heaven, the king continues his earthly existence. He is seated on the throne and receives the homage of his subjects and still judges and gives orders.

The Great Pyramid at Giza is an awesome sight, thirty times larger than the Empire State Building(in mass), the Pyramid's features are so large they can be seen from the Moon. The oldest structure in existence, having been started 4,617 years ago, it is the sole remnant of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The Great Pyramid did not always look as "rough" as it does today. Originally it was encased with a layer of tight-fitting, highly polished 20-ton stone slabs.W.M. Flinders Petrie determined the exact dimensions of the sides of the Pyramids and he found that they were almost exactly the same length to a accuracy of 0.1 +/- inch.

The Great Pyramid is the most comprehensively studied building in the world. It sited at the northern edge of the Giza plateau. It was estimated that 2,300,000 blocks of stone, weighing between 2-70 tons each, were used in its construction, but recent computer calculations estimated the total number of slabs to be 590,712. The mortar used is of an unknown origin. It has been analyzed and it's chemical composition is known but even using today techniques it can't be reproduced.

The Pyramid contains two interior chambers and a number of interior shafts. Below is a computer generated image of the pyramid:

Facts about The Great Pyramid

The temperature inside The Great Pyramid is at a constant 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which is exactly the same at the earths internal temperature.

The side of the pyramids used to be covered in mantle slabs, 144,000 in all, and would have been visible from the mountains in Israel and the moon.

PYRAMID HISTORY - PART 4

Right: The entrance to the Great Pyramid as it appeared before it was barred-up by the Egyptian authorities. (from an old print 1912)

In the early part of the 20th century, there were no facilities in the interior parts to assist the tourist in exploring the steep and dangerous passages of the pyramid. Today there are ramps, lights, handrails, etc. I would like to quote from an account of the explorations of John and Morton Edgar in 1909. Not only is it fascinating reading, but explains the inner passageways in excellent detail.

"There is but one original entrance to the interior of the great pyramid. High up the face of the northern flank, and nearly twenty-four feet to the east of the middle line of it, a small doorway leads into the descending passage, which, like all the passages, runs from north to south. So low is the roof of this passage (barely four feet), that we required to stoop considerably, and the difficulty of progression was increased by it slipperiness and step downward inclination. A few feet further down the passage we noticed a depression in the roof, into which a rectangular, dark granite block is fitted. This is the lower end of a series of three large granite stones, named collectively the granite plug, because they completely stop up the lower end of the ascending passage.

The lower portion of the descending passage is in direct continuation of the part above, but instead of being built with masonry, it bores through the solid rock on which the pyramid is erected. It ends in a small horizontal passage which, in its turn, leads past a small ante-chamber or recess on its west side, to a large subterranean chamber. Hewn in the solid rock a hundred feet vertically below the base-line of the pyramid.

In the unfinished floor of the subterranean chamber appears the large, squarish mouth of a deep vertical shaft. We had always to avoid walking to near its edge, for the rough uneven floor of the chamber is covered with loose crumbling debris.

Directly opposite the doorway of the passage through which we had gained access to the chamber, we perceived by the light of our candles another low doorway. On investigating this we found it to be the beginning of a small-bore passage, running horizontal southward for fully 50 feet to a blind end.

(they returned back up and started there ascent up the ascending passage)

To proceed up the ascending passage, we required to stoop uncomfortably low, for like the descending passage, its roof is scarcely four feet above its floor. When, however, we reached the southern upper extremity of the passage, we emerged into a large place, where to our joy we found a level floor and abundance of room to stand erect and so relieve our aching backs. We were now at the lower end of the noblest passage in the great pyramid, which has been named the grand gallery. The grand gallery is narrow, being only seven feet in width, but with the aid of a good light its lofty vaulted roof, twenty-eight feet in vertical height, is seen sloping upward into deep obscurity, a most impressive sight. About 160 feet away from us at a level of 70 feet above us, there was the dark square opening of still another low passage. This low passage, which is only three and a half feet square, leads horizontally southwards to a small peculiarly marked apartment called the ante-chamber. From its south wall, a similar low passage leads to a large rectangular hall known as the King's chamber.

Left: Morton Edgar is here stopping to enter the King's Chamber

The King's chamber, constructed entirely of immense beautifully squared and leveled blocks of dark polished granite, is the chief apartment in the great pyramid. The granite coffer is near the west wall of the chamber, and is the only movable article of furniture in the building. Above the King's chamber there are five shallow spaces called "chambers of construction", the lowest is known as "Davidson's chamber" after its discoverer. Access is gained to these chambers by a small passage entering from the top south-east corner of the grand gallery. (these relieving chambers were built to give stability and protection to the King's chamber in the event of an earthquake). We did not get an opportunity to explore these upper chambers; and a visit to them is attended with danger.

" The Edgar brothers made measurements, observations, and recorded many details of the great pyramid. Their photo's are one of the earliest ever taken of the interior of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Not many people know of an obscure work by the famous Sir Isaac Newton entitled:

"A Dissertation upon the Sacred Cubit of the Jews and the Cubits of several Nations: in which, from the Dimensions of the Greatest Pyramid, as taken by Mr. John Greaves, the ancient Cubit of Memphis is determined".

Newton had an obsession of establishing the value of the "cubit" of the ancient Egyptians. This was no mere curiosity. His Theory of Gravitation was dependent on an accurate knowledge of the circumference of the earth. The only figures he currently had were the inaccurate calculations of Eratosthenes and his followers. With these figures his theory did not work out.

Newton felt that if he could find the exact length of the Egyptian "cubit", this would allow him to find the exact length of their "stadium", reputed by others to bear a relation to a "geographical degree". This measurement, which he needed for his theory of gravitation, he believed to be somehow enshrined in the proportions of the Great Pyramid. Thus, he would have the necessary measurements for his Theory of Gravitation.

He used the measurements of the base of the pyramid arrived by Greaves and Burattini in his calculations. Since there was much accumulated debris at the base of the pyramid, there figures were inaccurate. Thus the false measurements of the base failed to give Newton the answer he was looking for.

Newton did not work on his Theory of Gravitation for the next several years. In 1671, a French astronomer, Jean Picard, accurately measured a degree of latitude to be 69.1 English statute miles. Using these figures, Newton was able to announce his theory of gravitation. It is that all bodies in the universe attract each other in proportion to the product of their mass and inversely proportional to the square of their distance apart.

The pyramids measurements were forgotten for the time being. In the 1800's there was a revival in looking for astronomical and geophysical values enshrined in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

PYRAMID HISTORY - PART 1

Napoleon visits the King's Chamber

It is assumed by Egyptologists that the Great Pyramid of Giza was built in the reign of the pharaoh Khufu (known as Cheops to the Greeks), in the fourth Egyptian dynasty around 2600 BC. This date has recently been questioned based on studies of water erosion on the sphinx. It may be that the Great Pyramid of Giza also is much older than previously thought.

Herodotus, in the 5th century BC, who has been called the "Father of History" wrote that Cheops never used the great pyramid as a tomb, but was buried elsewhere, "in a subterranean region on an island surrounded by the waters of the Nile". This was also confirmed by another ancient historian, Diodorus Siculus, who said that Cheops was buried "in an obscure place".

As far as we know, the first people to enter the great pyramid since the time of Khufu were the Arabs in 820 AD. Under caliph, Al mamoun, the Arabs broke into the great pyramid (since they could not find the hidden entrance) by boring into the limestone with crude instruments. After months they did manage to break in and find the descending passage. The connection of the descending passage with the ascending passage was blocked with granite plugs so they bored around these also. They finally reached the King’s and Queen’s chamber’s and found nothing (except the empty granite box called "the empty coffin". They were disappointed. No treasures, mummies, etc. were found.

There is a report by an Arab, edrisi, who died around 1166 AD. he entered the pyramid through the forced entrance made by Al mamoun and describes not only an empty granite box in the king's chamber, but also a similar one in the queen's chamber. It was uninscribed and undecorated just like the one in the king's chamber. What ever happened to this granite box in the queen's chamber is a mystery.

The earliest scholar to conduct the first scientific study of the great pyramid was John Greaves in 1637. He was professor of astronomy at the University of Oxford. He wrote the book "Pyramidographia" which was the first book ever published just on the Great Pyramid of Giza.

A Roman Catholic, Pere Claude Sicard visited the great pyramid in 1715. His account is interesting in that he describes an unusually feature of the empty coffin in the King’s chamber. He states " it was formed out of a single block of granite, had no cover, and when struck, sounded like a bell". Others have also reported about this strange melodic sound that the coffin emits when struck. Abbe Claude-Louis Fourmont visited the great pyramid in 1753 and also noted the sonorous coffin had not any inscription on it.

NAPOLEON'S VISIT TO THE GREAT PYRAMID

In the 18th century many foreign visitors came to the great pyramid. They were scholars, scientists, historians, explorers, etc. One of the most famous visitors to the great pyramid was Napoleon Bonaparte. His military expedition to Egypt in 1798 was not only military but archeological as well. He took with him engineers, surveyors, astronomers, artists and archeologists. They surveyed, measured, explored, and made drawings of the great pyramid. Their work was published in many volumes from 1809 to 1822 by order of Napoleon.

A remarkable picture of the Grand Gallery by the French architect Cecile during the Napoleonic Campaign in Egypt A.D. 1798-1801

There is an interesting note to this story about Napoleon on his visit to the great pyramid. He asked to be left alone in the King’s chamber. When he emerged, it was reported that he looked visibly shaken. When an aide asked him if he had witnessed anything mysterious, he replied that he had no comment, and that he never wanted the incident mentioned again. Years later, when he was on his deathbed, a close friend asked him what really happened in the King’s chamber. He was about to tell him and stopped. Then he shook his head and said, "No, what's the use. You'd never believe me." As far as we know, he never told anyone and took the secret to his grave. (It is interesting to note that there is an unsubstantiated story that Napoleon had hinted that he was given some vision of his destiny during his stay in the King's Chamber).

Alexander the Great also spent time alone in the King's Chamber like many famous people throughout history. What draws these individuals to this place?

An Arab who got the shock of his life on the summit When you look up at the Great Pyramid, it's apex seems to be missing. It is flap topped and not pointed like a pyramid should be. Usually, when a pyramid was constructed, the top part, or capstone (also called top-stone), was the last thing to be placed on it. It was considered the most important part of the pyramid and was made of special stone or even gold. The capstone was usually highly decorated.

An example of a capstone in the Cairo museum Was the great pyramid always without a capstone or was it stolen, destroyed, etc? No one knows but the accounts of visitors to the pyramid from the ancient past (as far back as the time of Christ) always reported that the pyramid lacked a capstone. It is possible that it was never finished. Another possibility is that capstones were sometimes made of gold and maybe the first thing looted. The only problem is that this would be a very large capstone. If you climbed to the top, you could walk around very freely on the pyramid as many have done. It is about 30 feet in each direction. Thus, this capstone would have been huge and weighed a tremendous amount. Also on the summit you would see something that looks like a mast or flagpole. Actually it was placed there by two astronomers in 1874 to show where the Pyramid's actual apex would have been if finished.


On the back of a dollar bill, you can see a pyramid with a flat top. No one has been able to explain why the Great Pyramid would have been built without a capstone. This is an interesting story associated with a visit to the top of the great pyramid. Many tourists have climbed to the top, which is not an easy journey. One such person was Sir Siemen's, a British inventor. He climbed to the top with his Arab guides. One of his guides called attention to the fact that when he raised his hand with outspread fingers, he would hear an acute ringing noise. Siemen raised his index finger and felt a distinct prickling sensation. He also received an electric shock when he tried to drink from a bottle of wine that he had brought with him. Being a scientist, Siemen than moistened a newspaper and wrapped it around the wine bottle to convert it into a Leyden jar (an early form of a capacitor). When he held it above his head, it became charged with electricity. Sparks then were emitted from the bottle. One of the Arab guides got frightened and thought Siemen was up to some witchcraft and attempted to seize Siemen's companion. When Siemen's noticed this, he pointed the bottle towards the Arab and gave him such a shock that it knocked the Arab to the ground almost rendering him unconscious. When he recovered, he took off down the pyramid shouting loudly. What kind of natural phenomena on the top of the Great Pyramid could produce such an electo-static effect? It would be interesting to conduct additional physics experiments on the top of the Great Pyramid.

ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION MADE THE PYRAMID SHINE LIKE A STAR
It was originally covered with casing stones (made of highly polished limestone). These casing stones reflected the sun's light and made the pyramid shine like a jewel. They are no longer present being used by Arabs to build mosques after an earthquake in the 14th century loosened many of them. It has been calculated that the original pyramid with its casing stones would act like gigantic mirrors and reflect light so powerful that it would be visible from the moon as a shining star on earth. Appropriately, the ancient Egyptians called the Great Pyramid "Ikhet", meaning the "Glorious Light". How these blocks were transported and assembled into the pyramid is still a mystery. Many theories have been proposed, but none of them are really feasible.

I wrote your name in the sky,
but the wind blew it away.
I wrote your name in the sand,
but the waves washed it away.
I wrote your name in my heart,
and forever it will stay.

Never Have I Fallen

Your lips speak soft sweetness Your touch a cool caress I am lost in your magic My heart beats within your chest I think of you each morning And dream of you each night I think of your arms being around me And cannot express my delight Never have I fallen But I am quickly on my way You hold a heart in your hands That has never before been given away

The illuminati Diamond

Illuminati

"Illuminati" is the name that refers to several groups, both real and fictitious. Most commonly it refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment era secret society founded in the late eighteenth century. However, in modern times it refers to a purported conspiratorial organization which acts as a shadowy hand behind the throne, allegedly controlling world affairs through present day governments and corporations, usually as a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati. In this context, Illuminati is often used in reference to a New World Order (NWO). Many conspiracy theorists believe the Illuminati, The People of The Light, or illuminated ones, are the masterminds behind events that will lead to the establishment of such a New World Order.

In rarer cases, the Illuminati refers to an elite set of enlightened individuals who may not cooperate but are uniquely empowered by their enlightenment, much like the intelligentsiailluminated classes of today are empowered by their education and intelligence. These are people who have become and have achieved a higher mystical understanding of the universe. Many secret societies and mystical traditions are concerned with this kind of illumination or enlightenment, such as the Rosicrucian Societies, the Martinists and the original Bavarian Illuminati.

History

Adam Weishaupt

This movement was founded on May 1, 1776, in Ingolstadt (Upper Bavaria), by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt (d. 1830)^{[citation needed]}, who was the first lay professor of canon law^{[citation needed]}. The movement was made up of freethinkers, as an offshoot of the Enlightenment^[2].&#160, which some believe was a conspiracy to infiltrate and overthrow the governments of many European states^[3]. The group's adherents were given the name Illuminati, although they called themselves "Perfectibilists". The group has also been called the Illuminati Order, and the Bavarian Illuminati, and the movement itself has been referred to as Illuminism. In 1777, Karl Theodor, Elector Palatine, succeeded as ruler of Bavaria. He was a proponent of Enlightened Despotism and in 1784, his government banned all secret societies, including the Illuminati.

While it was not legally allowed to operate, many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members, including Ferdinand of Brunswick and the diplomat Xavier von Zwack.^[4] Although a few Freemasons were known^{[citation needed]} to be members there is no evidence that it was supported by Freemasonry as an institution. Indeed, membership in the Illuminati, unlike that in Freemasonry, did not require belief in a Supreme Being.^{[citation needed]} As a result, atheists having only the former organization open to them, congregated disproportionately in it; this over-representation, taken along with the Illuminati's largely humanist and anti-clerical bent, likely accounts for many of the claims of atheism leveled at the alleged world conspiracy of which the Illuminati supposedly remain a part.^{[citation needed]}

The Illuminati's members pledged obedience to their superiors, and were divided into three main classes: the first, known as the Nursery, encompassed the ascending degrees or offices of Preparation, Novice, Minerval and Illuminatus Minor. The second, known as the Masonry, consists of the ascending degrees of Illuminatus Major and Illuminatus dirigens. It was also sometimes called Scotch Knight. The third, designated the Mysteries, was subdivided into the degrees of the Lesser Mysteries (Presbyter and Regent) and those of the Greater MysteriesMagus and Rex). Relations with Masonic lodges were established at Munich and Freising in 1780 by Alexander Gibson and Joseph Vincent respectively.^{[citation needed]} (

The order had its branches in most countries of the European continent;^{[citation needed]} it reportedly had around 2,000 members over the span of 10 years.^{[citation needed]} The scheme had its attraction for literary men, such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Johann Gottfried Herder, and even for the reigning dukes of Gotha and Weimar. Internal rupture and panic over succession preceded its downfall, which was effected by The Secular Edict made by the Bavarian government in 1785.^{[citation needed]}

Illuminati after 1790

Conspiracy theorists such as David Icke and Was Penre, have argued that the Bavarian Illuminati survived, possibly to this day, though very little reliable evidence can be found to support that Weishaupt's group survived into the 19th century. However, several groups have used the name Illuminati since to found their own rites, claiming to be the Illuminati, including the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) of Theodor Reuss and Aleister Crowley (England),^[5] Grand Lodge Rockefeller of David Goldman (USA), Orden Illuminati^[6] of Gabriel López de Rojas^[7] and others. (Spain), The Illuminati Order

Cultural effect

The Bavarian Illuminati have cast a long shadow in popular history thanks to the writings of their opponents; the allegations of conspiracy that have coloured the image of the Freemasons1797, Abbé Augustin Barruél published Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism outlining a vivid conspiracy theory involving the Knights Templar, the Rosicrucians, the Jacobins and the Illuminati, during the course of which Barruél blamed all of what he regarded as the disasters of his times such as the French Revolution on the said groups.^{[citation needed]} A Scottish Mason and professor of natural history named John Robison started to publish Proofs of a Conspiracy Against all the Religions and Governments of Europe in 1798. Robison claimed to present evidence of an Illuminati conspiracy striving to replace all world religions with humanism and all nations with a single world government. have practically opaqued that of the Illuminati. In ^{[citation needed]}

More recently, Antony C. Sutton suggested that the secret society Skull and Bones was founded as the American branch of the Illuminati.^[8] Others think Scroll and Key also had Illuminati origins.^{[citation needed]} Writer Robert Gillette claimed that the Illuminati ultimately intend to establish a world government through assassination, bribery, blackmail, the control of banks and other financial powers, the infiltration of governments, mind control, and by causing wars and revolution to move their own people into higher positions in the political hierarchy.^{[citation needed]}Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, claimed they intended to spread information and the principles of true morality. He attributed the secrecy of the Illuminati to what he called "the tyranny of a despot and priests" referring to the governments and religious beliefs of the time.^{[citation needed]}

Both sides seem to agree that the enemies of the Illuminati were the monarchs of Europe and the Church; Barruél claimed that the French revolution in 1789 was engineered and controlled by the Illuminati through the Jacobins, and later theorists even claimed that the Illuminati were responsible for the Russian Revolution of 1917, although the order was officially defunct prior to 1789.^{[citation needed]} Few historians give credence to these views; they regard such claims as the products of over-fertile imaginations.^{[citation needed]}Conspiracy theorists highlight an alleged link between the Illuminati and Freemasonry.^{[citation needed]} They also suggest that the United States' founding fathers—some of whom were Freemasons—were rife with corruption from the Illuminati, and that the symbols of the All-seeing Eye and the unfinished pyramid in the Great Seal of the United States are an example of the Illuminati's ever-present watchful eye over Americans.^{[citation needed]}

While Weishaupt's group did not survive into the 19th century, several groups have since used the name Illuminati to found their own rites, claiming to be the Illuminati. Groups describing themselves as Illuminati say they have members and chapters throughout the world.^{[citation needed]}

According to Principia Discordia, the Bavarian Illuminati were revived or rediscovered in the 20th century under the leadership of Mordecai Malignatus.^{[citation needed]}

The British writer David Icke also claims that the Illuminati secretly manipulate world events, citing bloodline connections between the British Royal Family, the Windsors and Mountbattens, and United States Presidents and, he says, a connection to the Illuminati.^{[citation needed]}

The idea of a secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati is currently deep-rooted in popular culture. The Illuminati were for example used in the fiction novel by Dan Brown called Angels & Demons. According to Brown the Illuminati was originally founded by scientists, amongst others Galileo Galilei, who had become infuriated with the refusal of the Catholic Church to accept their work, merely condemning their research as heresy. Interestingly enough, the poet John Milton is also included by Brown.

Reaching the Eternities

“The whole premise of this Egyptian religious system was do the right thing and when you get to the gates, you’ll have eternal life.”
—Photographer Kenneth Garrett

Twelve centuries after the Giza Pyramids were built, a gifted general named Horemheb took the throne and had his tomb carved into a slope in the Valley of the Kings. On a mural inside he offers wine to Osiris, god of the underworld, at far left. Such scenes were meant to assist the deceased ruler through the tests and trials that stood between him and eternal life.

Ancient Marvels
Photograph by Kenneth Garrett

Pyramid building in Egypt reached its zenith during the 4th dynasty (about 2575-2450 B.C.), when, over a period of some 80 years, crews of Egyptian laborers constructed the tombs of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure (front to back). Excavations near the pyramids are beginning to reveal how this ancient society assembled, fed, equipped, and managed tens of thousands of laborers to carry out one of the largest building projects in the history of humankind.

Image from national geographic channel!

House of the Dead

Momadouh Taha, an archaeologist on Zahi Hawass’s team, examines pottery in the tomb of Weser-Petah, who one inscription identifies as overseer of the officials. Because of his importance Weser-Petah’s tomb is much larger and more elaborate than most in the builders’ cemetery. A false door was carved in the rock of the hillside to allow his ka, or spirit, to come and go in the afterlife. The cemetery shows that while the builders labored to ensure the immortality of their pharaohs, they were also concerned about their own.

CLEOPATRA!

Daughter of the Pharaoh

Cleopatra VII was born in 69 BC in Alexandria, which was then the capital of Egypt. Her father was Egypt's pharaoh, Ptolemy XII, nicknamed Auletes or "Flute-Player." Cleopatra's mother was probably Auletes's sister, Cleopatra V Tryphaena. (It was commonplace for members of the Ptolemaic dynasty to marry their siblings.)

There was another Cleopatra in the family -- Cleopatra VII's elder sister, Cleopatra VI. Cleopatra VII also had an older sister named Berenice; a younger sister, Arsinoe; and two younger brothers, both called Ptolemy. The family was not truly Egyptian, but Macedonian. They were descended from Ptolemy I, a general of Alexander the Great who became king of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC.

Ptolemy XII was a weak and cruel ruler, and in 58 BC the people of Alexandria rebelled and overthrew him. He fled to Rome while his eldest daughter, Berenice, took the throne. She married a cousin but soon had him strangled so that she could marry another man, Archelaus. At some point during Berenice's three-year reign Cleopatra VI died of unknown causes. In 55 BC Ptolemy XII reclaimed his throne with the help of the Roman general Pompey. Berenice was beheaded (her husband was executed, as well).

Cleopatra VII was now the pharaoh's oldest child. When her father died in 51 BC, leaving his children in Pompey's care, Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy XIII inherited the throne.

Queen of Egypt

Cleopatra was 17 or 18 when she became the queen of Egypt. She was far from beautiful, despite her glamorous image today. She is depicted on ancient coins with a long hooked nose and masculine features. Yet she was clearly a very seductive woman. She had an enchantingly musical voice and exuded charisma. She was also highly intelligent. She spoke nine languages (she was the first Ptolemy pharaoh who could actually speak Egyptian!) and proved to be a shrewd politician.

In compliance with Egyptian tradition Cleopatra married her brother and co-ruler, Ptolemy XIII, who was about 12 at the time. But it was a marriage of convenience only, and Ptolemy was pharaoh in name only. For three years he remained in the background while Cleopatra ruled alone.

Ptolemy's advisors - led by a eunuch named Pothinus - resented Cleopatra's independence and conspired against her. In 48 BC they stripped Cleopatra of her power and she was forced into exile in Syria. Her sister Arsinoe went with her.

Cleopatra and Caesar

Determined to regain her throne, Cleopatra amassed an army on Egypt's border. At this time Pompey was vying with Julius Caesar for control of the Roman Empire. After losing the battle of Pharsalos he sailed to Alexandria, pursued by Caesar, to seek Ptolemy's protection. But Ptolemy's advisors thought it would be safer to side with Caesar, and when Pompey arrived he was stabbed to death while the pharaoh watched.

Three days later Caesar reached Alexandria. Before he entered the city, Ptolemy's courtiers brought him a gift -- Pompey's head. But Pompey had once been Caesar's friend, and Caesar was appalled by his brutal murder. He marched into the city, seized control of the palace, and began issuing orders. Both Ptolemy and Cleopatra were to dismiss their armies and meet with Caesar, who would settle their dispute. But Cleopatra knew that if she entered Alexandria openly, Ptolemy's henchmen would kill her. So she had herself smuggled to Caesar inside an oriental rug. When the rug was unrolled, Cleopatra tumbled out. It is said that Caesar was bewitched by her charm, and became her lover that very night.

When Ptolemy saw Caesar and Cleopatra together the next day, he was furious. He stormed out of the palace, shouting that he had been betrayed. Caesar had Ptolemy arrested, but the pharaoh's army -- led by the eunuch Pothinus and Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe -- laid seige to the palace.

In hopes of appeasing the attackers Caesar released Ptolemy XIII, but the Alexandrian War continued for almost six months. It ended when Pothinus was killed in battle and Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile while trying to flee. Alexandria surrendered to Caesar, who captured Arsinoe and restored Cleopatra to her throne. Cleopatra then married her brother Ptolemy XIV, who was 11 or 12 years old.

Soon after their victory Cleopatra and Caesar enjoyed a leisurely two-month cruise on the Nile. The Roman historian Suetonius wrote that they would have sailed all the way to Ethiopia if Caesar's troops had agreed to follow him. Cleopatra may have become pregnant at this time. She later gave birth to a son, Ptolemy XV, called Caesarion or "Little Caesar." It has been suggested that Caesar wasn't really Caesarion's father -- despite his promiscuity, Caesar had only one other child - but Caesarion strongly resembled Caesar, and Caesar acknowledged Caesarion as his son.

After the cruise Caesar returned to Rome, leaving three legions in Egypt to protect Cleopatra. A year later he invited Cleopatra to visit him in Rome. She arrived in the autumn of 46 BC, accompanied by Caesarion and her young brother/husband, Ptolemy XIV. In September Caesar celebrated his war triumphs by parading through the streets of Rome with his prisoners, including Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe. (Caesar spared Arsinoe's life, but later Mark Antony had her killed at Cleopatra's request.)

Cleopatra lived in Caesar's villa near Rome for almost two years. Caesar showered her with gifts and titles. He even had a statue of her erected in the temple of Venus Genetrix. His fellow Romans were scandalized by his extra-marital affair (Caesar was married to a woman named Calpurnia). It was rumored that Caesar intended to pass a law allowing him to marry Cleopatra and make their son his heir. It was also rumored that Caesar -- who had accepted a lifetime dictatorship and sat on a golden throne in the Senate - intended to become the king of Rome.

On March 15, 44 BC a crowd of conspirators surrounded Caesar at a Senate meeting and stabbed him to death. Knowing that she too was in danger, Cleopatra quickly left Rome with her entourage. Before or immediately after their return to Egypt, Ptolemy XIV died, possibly poisoned at Cleopatra's command. Cleopatra then made Caesarion her co-regent.

Cleopatra and Mark Antony

Caesar's assassination caused anarchy and civil war in Rome. Eventually the empire was divided among three men: Caesar's great-nephew Octavian, who later became the emperor Augustus; Marcus Lepidus; and Marcus Antonius, better known today as Mark Antony.

In 42 BC Mark Antony summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus (in modern-day Turkey) to question her about whether she had assisted his enemies. Cleopatra arrived in style on a barge with a gilded stern, purple sails, and silver oars. The boat was sailed by her maids, who were dressed as sea nymphs. Cleopatra herself was dressed as Venus, the goddess of love. She reclined under a gold canopy, fanned by boys in Cupid costumes.

Antony, an unsophisticated, pleasure-loving man, was impressed by this blatant display of luxury, as Cleopatra had intended. Cleopatra entertained him on her barge that night, and the next night Antony invited her to supper, hoping to outdo her in magnificence. He failed, but joked about it in his good-natured, vulgar way. Cleopatra didn't seem to mind his tasteless sense of humor - in fact, she joined right in. Like Caesar before him, Antony was enthralled. Forgetting his responsibilities, he accompanied Cleopatra to Alexandria and spent the winter with her there.

The Greek writer Plutarch wrote of Cleopatra, "Plato admits four sorts of flattery, but she had a thousand. Were Antony serious or disposed to mirth, she had at any moment some new delight or charm to meet his wishes; at every turn she was upon him, and let him escape her neither by day nor by night. She played at dice with him, drank with him, hunted with him; and when he exercised in arms, she was there to see. At night she would go rambling with him to disturb and torment people at their doors and windows, dressed like a servant-woman, for Antony also went in servant's disguise... However, the Alexandrians in general liked it all well enough, and joined good-humouredly and kindly in his frolic and play."

Finally, "rousing himself from sleep, and shaking off the fumes of wine," Antony said goodbye to Cleopatra and returned to his duties as a ruler of the Roman empire. Six months later Cleopatra gave birth to twins, Cleopatra Selene and Alexander Helios. It was four years before she saw their father again. During that time Antony married Octavian's half-sister, Octavia. They had two daughters, both named Antonia.

In 37 BC, while on his way to invade Parthia, Antony enjoyed another rendezvous with Cleopatra. He hurried through his military campaign and raced back to Cleopatra. From then on Alexandria was his home, and Cleopatra was his life. He married her in 36 BC and she gave birth to another son, Ptolemy Philadelphus.

Meanwhile, back in Rome, Octavia remained loyal to her bigamous husband. She decided to visit Antony, and when she reached Athens she received a letter from him saying that he would meet her there. However, Cleopatra was determined to keep Antony away from his other wife. She cried and fainted and starved herself and got her way. Antony cancelled his trip, and Octavia returned home without seeing her husband.

The Roman people were disgusted by the way Antony had treated Octavia. They were also angry to hear that Cleopatra and Antony were calling themselves gods (the New Isis and the New Dionysus). Worst of all, in 34 BC Antony made Alexander Helios the king of Armenia, Cleopatra Selene the queen of Cyrenaica and Crete, and Ptolemy Philadelphus the king of Syria. Caesarion was proclaimed the "King of Kings," and Cleopatra was the "Queen of Kings."

Outraged, Octavian convinced the Roman Senate to declare war on Egypt. In 31 BC Antony's forces fought the Romans in a sea battle off the coast of Actium, Greece. Cleopatra was there with sixty ships of her own. When she saw that Antony's cumbersome, badly-manned galleys were losing to the Romans' lighter, swifter boats, she fled the scene. Antony abandoned his men to follow her. Although it is possible that they had prearranged their retreat, the Romans saw it as proof that Antony was enslaved by his love of Cleopatra, unable to think or act on his own.

For three days Antony sat alone in the prow of Cleopatra's ship, refusing to see or speak to her. They returned to Egypt, where Antony lived alone for a time, brooding, while Cleopatra prepared for an invasion by Rome. When Antony received word that his forces had surrendered at Actium and his allies had gone over to Octavian, he left his solitary home and returned to Cleopatra to party away their final days.

Cleopatra began experimenting with poisons to learn which would cause the most painless death. She also built a mausoleum to which she moved all of her gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, ebony, ivory, and other treasure.

In 30 BC Octavian reached Alexandria. Mark Antony marched his army out of the city to meet the enemy. He stopped on high ground to watch what he expected would be a naval battle between his fleet and the Roman fleet. Instead he saw his fleet salute the Romans with their oars and join them. At this Antony's cavalry also deserted him. His infantry was soon defeated and Antony returned to the city, shouting that Cleopatra had betrayed him. Terrified that he would harm her, Cleopatra fled to the monument that housed her treasures and locked herself in, ordering her servants to tell Antony she was dead. Believing it, Antony cried out, "Now, Antony, why delay longer? Fate has snatched away your only reason for living."

He went to his room and opened his coat, exclaiming that he would soon be with Cleopatra. He ordered a servant named Eros to kill him, but Eros killed himself instead. "Well done, Eros," Antony said, "you show your master how to do what you didn't have the heart to do yourself." Antony stabbed himself in the stomach and passed out on a couch. When he woke up he begged his servants to put him out of his misery, but they ran away. At last Cleopatra's secretary came and told him Cleopatra wanted to see him.

Overjoyed to hear Cleopatra was alive, Antony had himself carried to her mausoleum. Cleopatra was afraid to open the door because of the approach of Octavian's army, but she and her two serving women let down ropes from a window and pulled him up. Distraught, Cleopatra laid Antony on her bed and beat her breasts, calling him her lord, husband and emperor. Antony told her not to pity him, but to remember his past happiness. Then he died.

The Death of Cleopatra

When Octavian and his men reached her monument Cleopatra refused to let them in. She negotiated with them through the barred door, demanding that her kingdom be given to her children. Octavian ordered one man to keep her talking while others set up ladders and climbed through the window. When Cleopatra saw the men she pulled out a dagger and tried to stab herself, but she was disarmed and taken prisoner. Her children were also taken prisoner and were treated well.

Octavian allowed Cleopatra to arrange Antony's funeral. She buried him with royal splendor. After the funeral she took to her bed, sick with grief. She wanted to kill herself, but Octavian kept her under close guard. One day he visited her and she flung herself at his feet, nearly naked, and told him she wanted to live. Octavian was lulled into a false sense of security.

Cleopatra was determined to die - perhaps because she had lost Mark Antony, perhaps because she knew Octavian intended to humiliate her, as her sister Arsinoe had been humiliated, by marching her through Rome in chains. With Octavian's permission she visited Antony's tomb. Then she returned to her mausoleum, took a bath, and ordered a feast. While the meal was being prepared a man arrived at her monument with a basket of figs. The guards checked the basket and found nothing suspicious, so they allowed the man to deliver it to Cleopatra.

After she had eaten, Cleopatra wrote a letter, sealed it, and sent it to Octavian. He opened it and found Cleopatra's plea that he would allow her to be buried in Antony's tomb. Alarmed, Octavian sent messengers to alert her guards that Cleopatra planned to commit suicide. But it was too late. They found the 39-year old queen dead on her golden bed, with her maid Iras dying at her feet. Her other maid, Charmion, was weakly adjusting Cleopatra's crown. "Was this well done of your lady, Charmion?" one of the guards demanded.

"Extremely well," said Charmion, "as became the descendent of so many kings." And she too fell over dead.

Two pricks were found on Cleopatra's arm, and it was believed that she had allowed herself to be bitten by an asp (a kind of poisonous snake) that was smuggled in with the figs. As she had wished, she was buried beside Antony.

Cleopatra was the last pharaoh; after her death Egypt became a Roman province. Because Caesarion was Julius Caesar's son and might pose a threat to Octavian's power, Octavian had the boy strangled by his tutor. Cleopatra's other children were sent to Rome to be raised by Octavia. Cleopatra Selene married King Juba II of Mauretania and had two children, Ptolemy and Drusilla. No one knows what happened to Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus.