Rating: Summary: Intelligently written/very-well researched ¿ overall great Review: Hancock and Bauval have contributed an excellent up-to-date account of the mysteries that involve the Sphinx and nearby pyramids. The conclusions they draw are very logical. I learned a great deal about the Sphinx and pyramids from this book.
Rating: Summary: Trace back our origins Review: The authors have done a great work of research here. Based on astronomy and archeology, with some hints at astrology and metaphysic knowledge, Mr Hancock and Mr Bauval take us trhough a journey in time, trying to get back to the origins of the always mystical and eningmatic Pyramids and Sphinx. Although the title lays on the cat-headed monument, they indeed spent a lot of time and pages of this book dealing with the pyramids and their main details. Through this book you will be able to learn about the constant attempts they and many other researchers have made to go deeper in the study of the Sphinx, in concrete, to try and find the secret chambers that lie beneath the monument, and how all of those attemps have been met with a burocratical "no" from the different administrators of the site. The authors also have managed to come up with a coherent theory about the building of the pyramids. Although they do not affirm that the Giza monuments were built in 10,500 BC, their research and evidence presented in this book leds you to your very own conclusion that they might actually have been built 8000 before what "traditional" egyptologists claim. Finally I should say that this book is not an easy read. The first 2 3rds of it are simple and deal with much of astronomy and some politics (they are everywhere, aren't they?) The last half of it is about egyptian mythology and how it fits in the context of the pyramids, the constellations and the authors findings, this part requires a very concentrated read. In all, a must for all the searchers of the truth out there, very helpful at coming at your own conclusions. Get it now.
Rating: Summary: Raises many questions Review: I have read numerous books dealing with ancient puzzles and mysteries. All of those books and including this one, raises more questions than it answers. If you cannot rely on traditional scientist to tell you the whole truth, without distortion, how can you trust these authors ? To cross check many of the statements of fact put forward by the authors would be beyond the ability of 99% of the readers of this book (myself included) and other books of similar genre, hence the alleged statements of fact or theories raised will remain a unproven or uncorroborated unless the authors do more than footnote and cross reference to prove their allegations. However, Hanncock, I think, has debunked all of the theories put forward by egyptologists regarding the building of the pyramids. That in itself raises the very disturbing questions of how the pyramids were built. I enjoy Hanncock's books, whether they be read as scientic research or "X files " type novels. Regardless, many of the "facts " we believe to day will be disproved in the future. Who knows ? Maybe Hannock and Co are right.
Rating: Summary: A book that needs to be read Review: A well written book . This book shows the connection with astronomy and how far back Egypt really goes. An absolute must read!
Rating: Summary: Not as exciting a "Fingerprints of the Gods" Review: I read this book after having read "Fingerprints of the Gods" and although the topic and story are fascinating, I found it lacking. The writing is not as gripping and more scientific - at times I felt like I had to really force myself to read some sections. However, the story of the sphinx (whatever that may be....) is fascinating and wish more research could be done by scientists of different kinds of genre to find out more!
Rating: Summary: I liked it Review: Oh, it was a fine book. I recomend it. Man, I was there and it's far out. I was inside of the sphinx. I've got a pitchure. I still can't find Orion in the sky! What is that piece of wood in the star shaft? Oh man, I was there. I think I always shall be. But those pesky kids selling the postcards wouldn't let up. I ate at Pizza Hut.
Rating: Summary: A Quest for the Hidden Truth Review: You would better start with "The Orion Mystery: Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids" by Robert Bauval. Graham Hancock did so at his time, and - ended up with their common work beautifully named "The Message of the Sphynx". There is no wonder: the subject of the Bauval's book was so fascinating that attracted the attention of many, and probably that inspired both of them to go on, and give a closer look at the most intriguing mystery of the civilization. The main point of the book is the considerably greater antiquity of the Sphynx, the Giza pyramids, and some other monuments that can be found at Giza. Luckily some geologists, after providing the in-field research, have supported the hypothesis of the older Sphynx. What is more important, however, is that the monuments at the time of their construction were porobably correlated with some astronomical bodies. And the picture logically built by the authors shows that there much likely existed an ancient civilization, which is much older than the Egyptian one, that possessed a great deal of astronomical and mathematical knowledge that even perhaps helped them millenia ago understand what a star precession is, how it works, and how it may help them with leaving a message for future generations. One may find it difficult to believe in such a wisdom of an ancient people, the most common question that arises is "Where is the hard evidence?". "Right at Giza. Just have look at the Sphynx and the three pyramids", the authors would probably reply. One still may be left in doubt, but the fact remains: the pyramids were build with an incredible precision, the one that seem to be hardly possible even for the modern day construction industry, and there was very likely a definite plan of locating those pyramids, the meaning of which is though never yet clear. These days more theories on constructing the pyramids and linking them to some astronomical knowledge emerge, some of them readily support the conservative points of view of the mainstream Egyptology and Archaeology. The hypothesis of Bauval and Hancock, however, has no less rights for existing than any conservative one, since it is very strong logically, it is scientifically supported, it is very thought-provoking, and - it may be true, since no one has ever proved the opposite. The truth is still somewhere out there, and we would only hope it will be revealed one day, though those stories of holding some secret investigations inside the Great Pyramid, hidden investigating the unnumbered underground chambers at Giza, keeping secrets of the hidden chamber in the Khufu Pyramid discovered by Gantenbrink, and not letting the scientists supporting the alternative theories continue their researches at Giza, those stories leave us with less optimism and less hope for a soon breakthrough in gathering knowledge about the ancient civilizations that existed in the territory of Egypt millenia ago.
Rating: Summary: The Sphinx in alignment with the Stars Review: This book, like others of it's kind, stretch the imagination beyond what we know today or have assumed to be true. This book claims that the Sphinx goes back in history even further than the oldest proposed dates of the Pyramids at Giza. Through computer animation, the Sphinx has been shown to point directly at the Leo star constellation as far back a 10,500 b.c. If you examine the neck of the Sphinx, you will see water damage that was either caused by a great flood or torrential rains that were not known to exist, prior to 8000 b.c. Stones that were used to build the Sphinx are said to weigh over 200 tons. Currently, there are only 3 or 4 cranes in the world that can lift this amount of weight. It is estimated that it would take 1800 men to move blocks this size and it is still unknown how the blocks would have been cut with such accuracy. The organization of the stars in alignment with the Pyramids at Giza and even in the surrounding areas is astonishing. This book is an excellent and detailed view of the star configuration theory, but you should also read "The Orion Mystery" as a follow-up resource. These books compliment each other wonderfully and will make you question the real origins of mankind and our relationship to the heavens. The easy way out is to view ancient technologies as having been developed by an alien civilization...but a more thought provoking challenge, is to examine these civilizations as having been built by our own ancestors, by as yet undiscovered technology.
Rating: Summary: Recognition and Respect for Hancock's Work Review: I have been watching this guy, for a long time, now. Many people try to discredit him, because they cannot handle the truth. However, I believe that one day Hancock will be fully recognized for his Search for The Truth. In Fact, I dare-say THE SPHINX is THE KEY to unlock the past and Future of humankind. Perhaps, it is time for Punctuated Equilibrium. I was especially interested in pages 210-211....
Rating: Summary: Interesting but dry Review: This book presents well thought out explanations for they pyramids, Sphinx, and other Egyptian monuments. The book bases most of its conclusions on astronomical data and alternative interpretations of Egyptian texts. Any reader should be forewarned that the book relies heavily on math. Even though the book is well illustrated, I found the presence of so much math and astronomical data to be overwhelming and not in the least bit interesting. Many of the Egyptian texts presented don't translate very well to English, and the authors often present 3 meanings for 1 word or phrase. I thoroughly enjoyed "Fingerprints of the Gods", but this book doesn't really go far enough. At the end (and this gives a lot away), we find that the authors do believe the pyramids were completed around 2500bc (as conventional Egyptian history holds). There really isn't anything here that is revolutionary.
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