Ancient Skies - Vol 19 No 5 - 1992

Magazine Overview

Title: ANCIENT SKIES
Issue: Volume 19, Number 5
Date: November-December, 1992
Publisher: ANCIENT ASTRONAUT SOCIETY
Country: USA
Theme: Ancient Astronauts, Archaeology, Ancient Civilizations, Mysteries, UFOs

Ancient Thracian Monuments

This article, authored by Veselynn Boyanov and Yaroslav Dimitrov, details an expedition to the Sboryanovo Archaeological Reservation in Bulgaria. The reservation, covering about 160 sq km, contains approximately 100 Thracian mound tombs, with only a few examined so far. The oldest monuments are considered neolithic, though potentially much older. A theory suggests a connection between ancient Thracians, Bulgarians, and ancient Egypt and Ethiopia. The disposition of the mound tombs is noted to resemble constellations, with some aligning with stars like Polux, Castor, and Rigel of Orion, pointing towards the sanctuary of Heros in the Temple of Demyr Baba.

The tomb known as Ginina Mogila (Gina's Mound), recognized by UNESCO, is described in detail. It features a dromos and three chambers, including an antechamber, side chamber, and central burial chamber with a semicylindrical vault. The walls are constructed from well-hewn limestone quadrae, and the floor is paved with large stone tiles. The central burial chamber exhibits a Doric order with semi-columns, an architrave, and a frieze of triglyphs and metopes. It also contains a sculpted decoration of ten female figures (caryatids) and a painted scene in the lunette. These elements are linked to the religious and artistic conceptions of the epoch, particularly the Great Goddess figure.

Engineer Peter Vulev identified the measuring unit of the tomb as 0.2676m, and the Sacred Egyptian Triangle (3:4:5) was used in the mound's plan. The building's axis is directed towards the sunrise point on the Winter Solstice. Similarities are drawn between Thracian cult buildings and Egyptian pyramid builders, referencing the 'Second Golden Cross-section' found in the Cheops Pyramid, the Ginina Mogila tomb, and the Pantheon in Rome.

The Temple of Demyr Baba (Iron Father) is also discussed. This temple, dated to the early Muslim culture, has a front part with a cone-shaped roof and a pentagon-shaped back part with a dome-shaped roof. It features a quotation from the Koran and Arabic texts. Color wall paintings are being restored inside, and ventilation ducts are present. The surrounding wall is built of well-shaped stone blocks, and numerous Jewish symbols, including the six-pointed star, are visible.

Another interesting feature of the complex is a block with two round holes, said to impart a vital energy charge. A spring nearby is believed to have healing qualities. The conclusion is that the zone was built by ancient Thracians for therapeutic purposes.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes-Thoth

This article by Andrew Tomas explores the history and significance of the Emerald Tablet. It posits that during the Dark Ages in Western Europe, Moorish Spain became a center of high culture, preserving and translating Greek writings. The Emerald Tablet, known in Latin as Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis, is presented as a treatise that appeared in Europe in the Middle Ages, possibly from Moorish Spain.

Albertus Magnus (1206-1280) is mentioned as a scholar who described the Tablet, narrating a legend that Alexander the Great found it in a cave in Phoenicia. The gem is speculated to have been made from green glass. The Phoenician version of the Tablet begins with the lines: "The Secret Work of Hermes. It is true, without falsehood, and most real. That which is above is like that which is below. That which is below is like that which is above."

The decipherment of the Phoenician alphabet in 1750, with its affinity to Hebrew, suggests how the Arabs might have accessed the translation. A manuscript from Dr. Sigismund Bacstrom, dating to the late 18th century, includes a Phoenician transcript. Russian historian Morozov dated the Tablet to the Middle Ages, calling it a "philosophical poem."

Scrutiny of literature before the 11th century has not revealed similar works, leading to the belief that the text originated in the Middle Ages. The Tablet became associated with alchemists and occultists.

The author, Andrew Tomas, made a discovery that seven years after Jean Champollion deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics in 1921, he conducted an expedition to Egypt. During this expedition, a collection of papyri was found in Thebes, including a papyrus in Greek written during the reign of the Ptolemies. These "alchemical manuscripts," acquired by the State Museum of the Netherlands in 1828, are now part of the Leiden Papyrus. Kurt Seligmann's History of Magic states that the earliest recorded copy of the Emerald Tablet is found in the Leiden Papyrus, discovered in Egypt in 1828.

This finding validates the Tablet's Egyptian origin and its legacy from Hermes. Herodotus is cited as stating that Thoth-Hermes came to Earth from the stars in 17,570 B.C. Sanchuniathon is mentioned as describing Hermes constructing a "skyship." The text suggests Thoth-Hermes was a cosmic civilizer who contributed to the founding of ancient Egypt.

Further discussion involves the "alchemical writings" found at Thebes in 1828, which embodied the Egyptian rendition of the Emerald Tablet. Professor Marcellin P.E. Berthelot's work is referenced. Dr. Nicholas Zhirov, a Professor of Chemistry, considered the Tablet's postulates scientific, particularly the first proposition regarding the similarity between the infinitely great and the infinitely small, and the concept of the unity of the Cosmos. The lines about the sun and moon are interpreted as symbolic of positive and negative polarity, and the instruction to "separate the earth from the fire" is seen as a description of atom splitting.

The article concludes by questioning if Hermes had studied the Tablet of Hermes when he lived in Egypt and if the "hermetically sealed" containers allude to a concealed vault of Hermes with its treasures.

Babylonian Venus Observations

Dr. Stuart W. Greenwood discusses observations of Venus by ancient civilizations, focusing on the Mayan Dresden Codex and Babylonian records. He notes that Venus once had an atmosphere with partial cloud cover, unlike its current state of complete cloud cover.

The Dresden Codex indicates that Venus was invisible for 90 days when behind the Sun (Superior Conjunction), contrasting with today's period of about 50 days. This difference is attributed to the planet's past partial cloud cover. The Mayan records show different lengths for the periods of visibility as Morning Star and Evening Star.

Babylonian astronomical documents, when deciphered, suggest intervals of visibility and invisibility. One document indicates an 8-month and 5-day period as the Morning Star, followed by 3 months of invisibility, then another 8-month and 5-day period as the Evening Star, and finally 7 days of invisibility. This results in a synodic period of approximately 587 days.

While the Mayan records show variations, the Babylonian interpretation suggests equal periods for Morning and Evening Star visibility. However, other interpretations of Babylonian data indicate that Morning Star visibilities averaged 240.2 days, and Evening Star visibilities averaged 249 and 4/9 days, showing a closer resemblance to the Mayan data.

The article suggests that these ancient observations, particularly the Babylonian data, invite further examination to understand the recent history of Venus. The author thanks Dr. Lynn Rose for providing data and interpretations.

Announcements and Events

20th Anniversary World Conference - August 1993: The conference will be held at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, from August 1 to 5, 1993. Confirmed speakers include Erich von Daniken, Gene M. Phillips, Zecharia Sitchin, Brad Steiger, and others. A special lecture by Erich von Daniken is highlighted, along with an audience participation session. Mr. Alfred D. Bielek will share his story about the "Philadelphia Experiment" involving the USS ELDRIDGE.

Member Expedition to Guatemala and Honduras - 1993: Reservations are open for a two-week expedition from May 6 to 19, 1993, covering sites like Tikal, Copan, and Quirigua. The price includes hotels, transportation, meals, site admissions, and airfare. Single occupancy is extra, and international airfare via American Airlines is available.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Ancient Skies strongly promotes the ancient astronaut theory, presenting archaeological findings and historical texts as evidence of extraterrestrial influence on human civilization. The articles on Thracian monuments and the Emerald Tablet of Hermes-Thoth highlight ancient achievements and knowledge that are interpreted as potentially originating from or being influenced by advanced, non-human intelligence. The magazine also engages with contemporary research and theories, as seen in the discussion of Babylonian Venus observations and the announcement of its 20th Anniversary World Conference, which features prominent figures in the ancient astronaut field. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of exploring and publicizing evidence that supports the ancient astronaut hypothesis, encouraging readers to "Come Search With Us!"