Ancient Skies - Vol 21 No 5 - 1994

Magazine Overview

Title: ANCIENT SKIES
Issue: Volume 21, Number 5
Date: November-December, 1994
Publisher: ANCIENT ASTRONAUT SOCIETY
Country: USA
Tagline: "Come Search With Us!"

This issue of ANCIENT SKIES, the Official Logbook of the Ancient Astronaut Society, delves into various aspects of ancient history and potential extraterrestrial contact. The cover story, "SPACESHIPS OF ANCIENT EGYPT" by Robin Collyns, explores ancient Egyptian texts that suggest the presence of advanced technology and flying vehicles.

Spaceships of Ancient Egypt

Robin Collyns' article highlights the Egyptian Book of the Dead, specifically references to 'great winged discs' in Edfu, which he suggests could be descriptions of manufactured spacecraft. He also quotes from the Papyrus of Nebseni and the Papyrus of Nu, which speak of 'shining eyes of Horus' and deities traveling in celestial 'boats' and journeying from Earth to Heaven. The association of Osiris and Isis with 'Canis Major' is also noted as potentially significant.

Collyns speculates that these ancient 'sun boats' might have been solar-powered spacecraft. He references calculations by scientists A.N. Pirri and R.F. Weiss regarding high-energy lasers for launching spacecraft and the concept of the 'solar wind' for propulsion. He draws a parallel to NASA's development of a 'space yacht' and its potential propulsion by solar wind.

Further connections are made to ancient Indian legends of aerial craft powered by solar energy. The article also mentions a strange substance excavated in Kashmir in 1965, which defied explanation and could be related to storing solar energy or sophisticated technology. Japanese scientists' development of a substance that stores solar energy is also noted.

The Papyrus of Nu is cited again, describing a 'serpent' on a mountain, thirty cubits long, covered with flints and shining metal plates, which Collyns interprets as a metaphor for an elongated spaceship.

Ancient Egyptian Artifacts and Theories

The article continues by discussing findings at Saqqarah, Egypt. In 1980, Dr. Lawrence Kennedy reported seeing a hieroglyph of a 'cigar-shaped' spaceship in a Third Dynasty tomb. In 1898, a 4,000-year-old Sycamore wood carving of a model airplane, now in the Cairo Museum, was found in a tomb of the Ancient Empire. This model features a reverse dihedral wing and a vertical tail fin, and Dr. Khalil Messiha of the Museum suggested it could represent a real airplane.

Dr. J.O. Kinnaman's explorations in Egypt and Palestine, conducted with Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, are mentioned. They reportedly discovered a hidden vault in the Great Pyramid containing what appeared to be sophisticated technical objects, including an anti-gravity machine and thousands of crystal prisms, speculated to be from Atlantis. Metal insignia, possibly worn by pilots, were also reportedly found.

Willie Semple's article in the Rosicrucian Digest recounts Dr. Kinnaman's belief that the world is not ready to understand such ancient knowledge.

Research by Danish electrical engineer Frede Melhedegaard suggests that some Egyptian hieroglyphics may represent stylized electronic circuits and depictions of instruments and motors.

Micro-organisms and Ancient Tombs

The issue explores the theory that the so-called 'curses' protecting ancient tombs might be the reactivation of lethal micro-organisms. These micro-organisms, potentially artificially developed by Egyptian scientists, could have been dormant for thousands of years and reactivated by oxygen upon opening the tombs. This is supported by the symptoms shown by individuals who perished after opening tombs, which were suggestive of a lethal infection. The article references Marcus Terrentius Varro's writings from 39 BC, which described invisible creatures causing dangerous diseases. The discovery of 250 million-year-old dormant bacteria reanimated in 1973 is also cited as evidence for the longevity of such organisms.

Sophisticated Sciences in Early Egypt

Polymer chemist Joseph Davidovits theorized that the 'smooth shell' of limestone casing on Egyptian pyramids might be artificial, composed of a geopolymeric binder. The Dendera Zodiac is presented as evidence that ancient Egyptian culture could be twice as old as generally accepted, suggesting a possible colonization of Egypt by Atlanteans around 11,000 to 9,000 BC.

Book Review: Alien Identities

Dr. M.C. Fox reviews Richard L. Thompson's book, "Alien Identities: Ancient Insights into Modern UFO Phenomena." Thompson, a Ph.D. in mathematics, compares UFO literature with the Vedic literature of India, arguing that the contemporary UFO enigma is not new but has ancient roots. He posits that the universe is not merely reductionist and mechanistic but contains intelligent patterns and purposes.

More on the Period of Rotation of Venus

Dr. Stuart W. Greenwood comments on the period of rotation of Venus. He suggests that the planet's synodic period of 584 days, during which it completes four revolutions around its axis while completing one around the Sun, is significant. He notes that Venus always turns the same face to Earth at Inferior Conjunction. Greenwood proposes that this information could help test whether significant changes have occurred in Venus's atmosphere. He discusses the possibility of Venus once having an atmosphere more like Earth's, with partial cloud cover, which would have made it harder to distinguish against the Sun's glare. He references Mayan codices that show shorter periods of Venus visibility, suggesting a less hostile ancient atmosphere.

Paleocontact Ideas in the Middle Ages

Dr. Matest M. Agrest discusses the medieval scholar Rabbi Moshe Ben Nackhman-Ramban (1194-1270) and his interpretation of Genesis VI, 4. Ramban suggested that the 'Nephilim' were 'Messengers fallen from the sky,' implying paleocontact. Agrest notes that this idea was dangerous for the ruling ideology of the time, comparing it to Giordano Bruno's fate for asserting the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations. Agrest expresses his belief that Ramban hid this idea as a 'secret' and that it is crucial for humanity to understand it.

The article includes a note from the author thanking Rabbi Edward M. Friedman and Rabbi Prof. B. Visotzky for their assistance in finding texts related to Ramban's commentaries. It also provides English translations of interpretations of Ramban's 'secret' from the books 'Keter Shem Tow' and 'M'eerat Oinoim', which suggest Ramban did not explicitly remember the 'Nephilim secret' but had considered it a deep cabbalistic idea for chosen ones.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently explores the ancient astronaut hypothesis, suggesting that ancient civilizations possessed advanced knowledge and technology, possibly influenced by extraterrestrial visitors. Themes include the interpretation of ancient texts as descriptions of spacecraft and alien encounters, the potential for ancient civilizations to have understood advanced sciences like electronics and propulsion, and the re-examination of historical and astronomical data (like Venus's rotation) through the lens of paleocontact. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these possibilities, encouraging readers to consider alternative interpretations of history and scientific data.