Rating: Summary: Entertainingly speculative and a good read. Review: As an archaeologist I enjoy reading modern views of ancient mysteries. Hancock is an excellent writer and could probably convince most people that the earth was flat if he wished it. Although I disagree with Hancock's placement of the Ark of the Covenant, The Sign and the Seal is a great source for the early history of the Ark and Ethiopian mythology. His tale reads like a detective story and a great adventure rolled in one
Rating: Summary: An appealing non-fiction mystery--highly recommended. Review: Imagine the most important artifact in the entire history of mankind. Now suppose that this artifact has been lost for 2500 years. Finally, imagine yourself sitting in a comfortable chair with a small, intimate group of friends while an eloquent, apparently reliable, journalist describes his systematic, sometimes dangerous travels to find this ultimate physical link between man and God. This is what Graham Hancock has achieved in this story of his contemporary search for the Biblical Ark of the Covenant. Hancock starts with rumors of an Ethiopean connection, ties in evidence from the Bible itself and makes seamless connections with historical references and searches for the Ark. The quest and the writing are personal. Whether Hancock is visiting a museum, interviewing a relevant expert, or riding in a boat or a jeep through a war zone, he sustains the kind of moment by moment suspense of a fine mystery. Did he find what he was looking for? Now, that would be telling. I have read this book three times, have loaned it to several friends who have later returned it with high praise, and I keep it on a shelf reserved for a handful of favorite volumes.
Rating: Summary: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK was more believable Review: This book was a chore to get through. Hancock conures up a wild theory, does nothing to prove it, then treats it as an established fact in the next chapter.(Try reading a book called THE GOLD OF EXODUS instead, much better written and infinitely more fun.)
Rating: Summary: Yes Virginia the Ark is in Ethiopia Review: Grahm Hancock is a modern investigative journalist/author that is in a class all by himself. So you didn't know there were black Jews in Ethiopia since the time of Solomon. You didn't know the Templar's found these 'lost jews'. You didn't know 'til this day the 'church of Ethiopia' which is a misture of Old Temple Jewish customs and early Coptic Christian customs actual has a temple dedicated to housing THE ARK taken from Solomon's Temple. If you like religious works this is one you will love. BUY IT NOW
Rating: Summary: More than it seems.... Review: G.H. although his ideas are derided happens to "hang" with the very people that would supposedly call him crazy or "wild". As a matter of fact these people openly deny his ideas and research indirectly, when as I have come to realize, they have taken his research to heart and cannot admint to doing so. Not all scientists, as some theologins (sp), do not always adhear to the dogma of thier professed "religion". Anyone who has STUDIED G.H's and other's research and theories on these various subjects (pyramids, ark, atlantis) can obviously see something is missing and things are not always as they seem. "Conventional wisdom" has always bored me.
Rating: Summary: The book SIGN AND THE SEAL : THE QUEST... is a good read Review: A good book, but Graham Hancock failed to mention the gold ark (2.5c-1.5c-1.5c), gold table (2c-1c-1.5c), gold altar (1c-1c-2c), gold candlestick, gold breastplate, gold ephod, gold censer, and brass laver; stored inside the brass altar (5c-5c-3c), located beneath Lieutenant-Colonel William Hawley's "Helestone [Heelstone] lion head, calf head, man face, eagle wings", at the bottom of Inigo Jones' "Stone-Heng [Stonehenge] Restored trench", described in Hawley's Diary at Stonehenge on 24th May 1923; the same located at Easternmost bottom of WA3607 broad cut (9ft wide) trench: BEGINNING at mapped WA3606 (Stonehole "B"); THENCE deepening Northeast; THENCE crossing Easternmost Posthole "A", cross-section C6 right triangle, and Heel Stone 96 circular ditch (containing the twenty-four elder Carboniferous Limestone fossils; Aclisina, Aviculopecten, Bellerophon, Caninia cornucopiae, Chondrites, Cleiothyridina roissyi, Composita, Conocardium, Delepinea (Daviesiella) destinezi, Euphemites, Girvanella, Hapsiphyllum (Zaphrentis) konincki, Linoproductus, Megachonetes papilionaceous, Michelina grandis, Mourlonia, Murchisonia, Palaeosmilia, Plicochonetes, Rhipidomella michelini, Schellwienella cf. S. crenistria, Straparollus, Syringopora, Zoophycos); THENCE East to below Hawley's "Helestone [Heelstone] lion head, calf head, man face, eagle wings", at DI's refraction seismic station 96 (sledgehammer source) of 1st April 1985. Other than Graham Hancock not mentioning the gold ark, gold table, gold altar, gold candlestick, gold breastplate, gold ephod, gold censer, and brass laver, stored inside the brass altar, located beneath Lieutenant-Colonel William Hawley's "Helestone [Heelstone] lion head, calf head, man face, eagle wings", at Easternmost bottom of Inigo Jones' "Stone-Heng [Stonehenge] Restored trench", described in Hawley's Diary at Stonehenge on 24th May 1923, the book "SIGN AND THE SEAL : THE QUEST FOR THE LOST ARK OF THE COVENANT" is a good read about one replica (Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Axum, Ethiopia) of the twenty-four replicas circulating round about the world.
Rating: Summary: A very interesting read. Review: After reading through some of the other reviews of this book I question whether any of the poor reviews even finished reading this book. It is an excellent read and seems to have exhausted every clue given about the Ark and its whereabouts. He takes you on an adventure while presenting the facts which gives you a sense of "being there". Take this book on its own merits. Many call Graham Hancock a "pseudo-scientist" which is a typical respite for someone who trys to present a view directly in contrast to their agenda or beliefs. Let us remember that Some times "The Majority" only means all the fools are on the same side". Secondly this book is NOT science. There are no experiments to be performed only historical data to be collected, and he does so in a very exhaustive way. This author has come a long way from his first books in presenting his information. I highly recommended this book as well as The Fingerprints Of The Gods by the same author.
Rating: Summary: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK was more believable Review: This book was a chore to get through. Hancock conures up a wild theory, does nothing to prove it, then treats it as an established fact in the next chapter. (Try reading a book called THE GOLD OF EXODUS instead, much better written and infinitely more fun.)
Rating: Summary: Fantastic Biblical Journey Review: ...is when people say it's "unlikely" that the Ark is in Ethiopian or that "it's just not" the same as the Holy Grail simply because they BELIEVE it's not. Hancock went through a lot of trouble to research this thing (whether you find his methods thorough or not) and he has basically "thrown down the gauntlet." If you think he's wrong, take up the challenge and do your own research to SHOW where he's wrong; it makes you look like an idiot when you say he's wrong just based on the power that you BELIEVE it's so. ("Myths aren't based on any kind of reality, not because I've done extensive research to prove that this is ridicuous, but because I BELIEVE it's ridiculous and I said so. That should satisfy anyone that this is an impressive rebuttal to Hancock's thorough research.") Who are YOU?!? No, your mere belief that Hancock is wrong is not enough for me to take your review seriously. Try actually pointing out a fact or two that makes me think, so that I can investigate and SEE that he's wrong. Thanks.
Rating: Summary: Interesting insight into the history of the Ark Review: Graham Hancock postulates that the Ark is a divine tool. What kind of tool can cut stone, elevate the stone slabs into a 70 foot monument with a massive weight over 500 tons; collapse of the walls of Jericho; spread cancerous tumors to the Philistines; strike unrighteous men dead (Nadab and Abihu and 256 princes of Israel), and give King Uzziah leprosy? The Ark has intelligence. Cancer can be caused from Gamma radiation. The gamma particles destroy DNA sequence in the chromosomes causing mutation, leading to cancer. Nuclear generators can cause water to boil and turn turbines generating vast amounts of electric current. Man has never created a device that can reduce the effects of gravity. To what purpose would God place such a powerful tool within the hands of man? Could the Ark kill from a great distance? If it could, they didn't know how to make it do that. They always brought the ark to the battlefield within close proximity of the threat. They marched it around Jerico for it to have effect. If the power is due to radioactive materials inside, then lead would stop emminations. If "sparks" got through anyway, it would mean imperfections in the lead box allowed the sparks to come out. However, if God wanted to use the ark to cut the Dome of the Rock mosque off of the temple hill, he probably knows how to make it reach out to that location. Why did Nadab and Abihu die? Nadab and Abihu died for disobedience. God told them not to touch the ark. They touched it. If they couldn't obey that simple commandment, then their lives were forfeit. What was the strange light they offered to the Lord? I didn't read about the strange light, so I'm not familiar with this gift. Could it be refilling the radioactive material inside the ark? We all know that radiation can cause cancerous tumors. Why didn't the Ark always protect the House of Israel from its enemies in battle? Did the Lord direct the commands of war from the Ark? The inconsistency of the Ark to protect the armies of Israel lead Hancock to believe the Ark was a tool not the visage of a divine personage.
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