6:2

In the Old Testament God commanded Israel to build an extravagant place of worship. Within this place of worship, in the most sacred spot referred to as the “holy of holies”, lied the arc of the covenant. The Arc of the Covenant is supposed to hold some of the most sacred items known to Judaism, the tablets on which the ten commandments were written, Aaron’s (Moses’ brother) rod, and some of the manna from heaven. The Arc was made with the plunders the Israelites took from Egypt out of acacia wood and gold and had two winged cherubium on top. The Arc lead the way through the desert as well as through battles when the Israelites entered into Canaan.

After the exodus out of Egypt, the Arc made quite a few trips. The Philistines stole the arc after a battle and returned it seven months later. The Philistines then stole it a second time at another battle. Everywhere the Philistines brought the Arc, misfortune followed. Boils infected the people and a plague of mice fell upon the land. Eventually the Philistines returned the covenant back to its original owners. Also, throughout the years many of the Kings of Israel moved it to wherever each saw fit. The Arc disappeared for it’s final time when King Nebuchadnezzer and the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem.

Now the Arc of the covenant is almost as illusive as the Holy Grail. Some believe the Arc was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzer, therefore there never was and never will be a mystery to its location. Others believe that the Priest in charge of the Arc brought it out of its last known home, the Temple of Solomon, for safekeeping. These Priests, particularly the High Priest, whole lives revolved around the place of worship, and the correct treatment of the Holy of Holies, and most importantly the Arc of the Covenant. There is a place in Ethiopia that claims to have the Arc, and the Priests themselves delivered it to them. The problem with this is the Ethiopians will not allow anyone to see their Arc. Without tangible proof that they even have an object at all, no one can truly believe they have the biblical Arc. It also very well may still be in the Temple of Solomon. The problem with proving that theory is the Temple is now in Muslim control as a holy land and an archeological dig is not, and will likely never be approved by their community.

Only a handful of people have ever seen the Arc of the Covenant. If it was to be found, the fear of the religious community is that the most sacred object known to man would be defiled by science and its experiments. It is possible that having the Arc in a lab could bring biblical destruction or blessings upon those who house it. The truth of the story is there once was an Arc of the Covenant, but the mystery lies in if it still exists. The bible mentions that Arc one last time, in the book Revelation- the end of the world. “Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” -Revelation 11:19 NIV. Those eager to find the Arc of the Covenant may just have to wait until the end of this world as we know it.

6:1

Where is Atlantis?

Plato wrote about a wondrous land that reflected as much of a utopian society as this world has ever seen, called Atlantis. For many years this place was seen as a fantasy world derived from pure fiction. After other places that were previously thought to be of fiction, like Troy, were discovered, some began to wonder if Atlantis was once a real place as well.

Atlantis, according to legend, is the parent to modern society. Plato describes it as being west of the Pillars of Hercules, known to us as the Straight of Gibraltar. It consisted of a sophisticated people that were knowledgeable on astronomy, machinery, and had a developed written language. After Atlantis was devoured by water it is said that a few men defied death and brought civil society to an uncouth world. Atlantis yields many questions. Where is Atlantis? Who populated this advanced land? How advanced was its society? Did it even exist?

There are many hypothesis as to where Atlantis is. Nearly every place on earth has been accused of being the home of Atlantis at one time or another. The following are some of the most famous and controversial homes of Atlantis:

• The Caribbean
• Bimini Islands
• Crete
• Sardinia
• Cyprus
• Troy
• Canaan
• Santorini
• South pole

Archeology as a whole rejects the idea of Atlantis, but it wouldn’t be the first time experts were wrong concerning their field. The existence of Atlantis would answer some questions, like why there are pyramids in Egypt and South America? Why do both of these societies have hieroglyphics instead of an alphabet? Did Atlantians teach both of these societies astronomy?

Since Atlantis was flooded by water, the obvious place to look for it is at the sea floor. Bimini Road, an underwater seemingly man-built road, is most likely the closest we have ever been to finding Atlantis. It is named as such due to its proximity to Bimini Island. This underwater secret highway was discovered in 1968, the same year that a psychic from the early 1900’s, Edgar Cayce, said Atlantis was to be found. For devout followers of psychics and futuristic predictions that evidence is all they need to hear to believe in Atlantis. For the common man, what is needed is the city that this road leads to. Some account that they have seen pyramids in the seas surrounding Bimni Island, but this has not been proved as of yet.

Another common theory is that the Atlantians were actually the Minoans. The Minoans lived in Crete, which lies east rather then west of the Straight of Gibraltar. Descriptions of Atlantis parallel descriptions of the Minoan society. They were both considered advanced and knowledgeable civilizations. There is also evidence that a powerful tsunami hit Crete, which would align with Plato’s works that say Atlantis was destroyed by water. The mystery of Atlantis will not be laid to rest until it is found. That is only possible if it truly exists, so believers may be searching for this fascinating society for centuries.

5:3

The Mayan society was mysterious society that meets its end in around 1300 AD. They were an intellectually advanced society and tracked the orbit of the planets almost 1000 years prior to Galileo’s time. Compared to Europe, they were geniuses. They prospered during Europe’s dark ages when Europe was simply trying to survive. The Mayans lived in a large area spanning Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Somehow this society managed to disappear off the face of the earth without a trace.

It is hard to find out too much of the Mayan History because when the Europeans first came to South America they destroyed much of the Maya’s records. The Mayans wrote in hieroglyphics, which covered their buildings and made up their documents. Just as our phonetic language is everywhere in our present day world, the Mayan world was surrounded by their own form of communication. The Christian Europeans saw these hieroglyphs of the to be a devilish work from a pagan society and were determined to destroy all traces of them. So their own personal records, as of yet, does not give any answers on the civilization’s demise.

Some theories of what happened to the 15 million people that made up the Mayan society include:

• Climate changes
• The people left
• Outbreak of diseases
• Warfare
• Alien abduction

Most intellectuals now agree that the most likely of these explanations is climate change. It is a common belief that the Maya caused their own downfall through their system of farming. They continuously destroyed the beautiful and rich land they occupied through slash and burn techniques. This explanation would force the people to leave their home in order to survive. It would also explain the lack of mass amounts of dead bodies. Three large droughts, lasting almost ten years each occurred within an one hundred year time frame in the Mayan territory. Draughts would have been prolonged or intensified by the harsh treatment that was already inflicted onto the land.

Some say that the Maya people simply left. They may have left because of the draughts, problems with other tribes, or problems within their own government. Disease could have also hit the society harsh enough to wipe them out. Warfare was a huge part of South American tribes at this time. It is possible that the Mayans were defeated and obliterated by a rival tribe. Some even say that Mayan carvings indicate men preparing to leave the earth in a contraption with an interior similar to that of a rocket ship. These people believe that the Mayan were advanced due to their exclusive contact with aliens. These aliens eventually abducted the 15 million Mayans and brought them to their planet. No one really knows what happened to the Mayan society. The mystery that is left is what possibly happened to 15 million people that disappeared without a trace.

5:2

Aviation has been an exciting field ever since the Wright brothers took their historic first flight on December 17, 1903. Since then the world of flying has expanded and grown beyond expectation. Flight is now used to defend the countries of the world, expand businesses, transport cargo, get to vacation sites, and visiting friends and family. This invention has helped form the world that we know and enjoy. It has exploded beyond what the Wright brothers could have ever conceived.

Amelia Earhart was an explorer of the skies in a time where few had the opportunity. She was famous for a number of things including being the first woman to receive the “Distinguished Flying Cross,” the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and setting numerous records. She expanded the horizons of aviation and captured the world with her sense of adventure.

Amelia Earhart’s mystery centers around the date she disappeared, July 2^nd 1937. The accomplished aviator had set an ambitious goal: she was going to circumnavigate the globe. Circumnavigating, according to Mr. Webster, is to go completely around (as the earth) especially by water. To make this trip she was to follow close to the equator flying her custom-built Lockheed Model 10E Electra. She attempted this feat twice, the first ended quickly after she crashed in Hawaii. For the second attempt she decided to reverse her original flight pattern. The second trip was not without mishaps either. She became ill in present day Indonesia after being forced to stop due to monsoon weather. Some needed repairs were made at this time on long distance instruments that had been acting up. After these issues were taken care of she continued on with her dangerous flight.

Pictures of her at her next landing site, Lae, New Guinea, revealed a woman who still looked sickly. When Amelia and her personal navigator, Fred Noonan, left their last documented location they had already traveled an amazing 22,000 miles. They were three-fourths the way through their landmark flight and had only 7,000 miles remaining. The travelers were so close yet so far. On July second they made a few radio transitions claiming to be near their destination, but they never arrived. After their disappearance President Roosevelt sent a search team. The huge search team consisted of 40,000 men divided into 10 ships and 65 airplanes. A total of $4 million was spent to find the 39-year-old aviator and her navigator.

There are many theories on Amelia’s disappearance including:

· She safely landed on a island and lived there until her death

· She committed suicide by driving her plane into the ocean

· She was captured by the Japanese and became one of the voices of Tokyo Rose

· She was really on a spy mission

· The plane ran out of fuel

No trace of the world’s heroine was ever found. Amelia and her plane’s final resting place is still a mystery, fascinating aviation junkies all over the world.

5:1

Each culture around the world has its own legends. Many include creation theories, explanations of natural phenomenon, and even mysterious monsters, each with their own distinct mannerisms. To some, these monsters are not just made up stories adults pass on to children, but real life beasts that they have their own personal encounters with. Some of these creatures include

• El Chubacaba- South America
• Big Foot- North America
• Yeti- Himalayas
• Champ – on Lake Champlain
• The Loc Ness Monster- Scottish Highlands

Each monster has its own supporters as well as people who dedicate themselves to prove that they do not exist.

These legends of monsters have not died away because each year people report seeing them. The Loc Ness Monster, also known affectionately as Nessie, is said to be a gentle creature that resides in the Scottish Highlands in Scotland. She has been made famous through movies, books, and personal reports. Many people have searched the Loch for proof of the creature using modern technology. Every crack and crevice has been searched, and no monster was ever revealed. The only proof that has ever existed are indistinct photos taken primarily by tourists.

Some say that Nessie is really an ancient animal, the last of an extinct water reptile known as a plesiosaurs. The personal accounts of eyewitnesses seem to describe an animal much like the plesiosaurs. The main issue with this theory, besides the obvious of plesiosaurs being extinct, is the how cold the Loch is. Reptiles thrive in warm climates because they are cold-blooded. Many scientists believe Nessie was not a plesiosaurs. Still others insist that a plesiosaur managed to sneak into the Loch when it was briefly connected to the ocean and became trapped once the pathway retreated.

Is it possible that the human eye can see what it wants to see? Or that it interprets information based on a bias of previous information? One team did an experiment and set an ambiguous object up in the Loch to see if people thought it was Nessie. The majority of the people who saw the object reported, and were personally convinced that they had personally witnessed the Loch Ness Monster. This situation where there was no way they saw Nessie lessens the credibility of other sittings. Is there something lurking in the Loch? That all depends on who you ask.

4:3

Amazingly enough there is even scientific evidence that supports the theory of the December 21^st 2012. That means that this date is no longer just a science fiction special, applicable to more then just those fascinated, or even convinced of the occurrences of paranormal activities. Doomsday is now open for real debate to scientists and realists everywhere.

Recently scientists have discovered that once about every 25,800 years the earth undergoes what geophysicists call a “polar shift”. A polar shift takes place when the magnetic fields within the earth change from their regular alignment, causing the entire mantle to move thus the poles themselves move out of position.

“It might be kind of like a crossing over of the galactic equator. When you go below the south [pole] or north [pole], magnetic currents will spin in opposite directions, it might be there is a field reversal effect once you pass through this galactic equator”

Daniel Pinchbeck explains. For a change like this to occur the magnetic fields would have to be affected by a powerful alignment, one like that the Mayan Calendar say will take place at the end of 2012. The probability of this occurring during the alignment of the earth, sun, and the black hole is greater in the minds of scientists now that they believe that earth is overdue for a polar shift. Albert Einstein was a major supporter of polar shifts in the mid 1950’s and is only now getting notable credit for the theory. A change of global proportions like this would occur in the case of a polar shift, and will result in climate and geographical change. If species are to have a chance at survival, dramatic evolutionary mutations will become necessary.

It is more likely that the shift will take place slowly rather then all at once. It is a true mystery because there has never been a pole shift within human history. If it is already starting to take place, like many scientists believe, it could very well be the cause of global warming. Another reason some believe it is already underway because the earth’s magnetic field has been increasingly decreasing. This may be a result of a pole shit. The theory of polar shifting was discovered merely by accident while scientists were discovering a new theory to the time, sea floor spreading. Rocks upon the sea floor are like a written record for history. While studying sea floor spreading scientists revealed that the polarity of the rocks on the floor were reversed.

There are many signs that point to an inevitable doomsday. Many are unconcerned, or uninterested. There is nothing we can do about doomsday if it is geologically based, so these unconcerned individuals may be the wise ones, not wasting their time on what may or may not occur. Truly only time will reveal the destiny of mankind. All we can do now is enjoy each day and live it as it is our last, because according to many, it very well may be.

4:2

Many prophetic devises all over the world predict that the end of our world will occur in December of 2012. These other devices include

• I Ching
• Merlin
• Syblline Oracle
• Mother Shipton
• Web bot

Each one has proved over time to be accurate, as well as having origins all over the world.

One theory was developed by Terence McKenna, and is based on one of the oldest prophetic devises known to man; a sacred book from China called the I Ching. The I Ching accapable of yielding surprisingly appropriate answers for questions asked. When consulting the I Ching, a person seeking guidance asks a question, throws up three coins six times, and records the results as solid or dashed lines. There are 64 possible outcomes, called hexagrams, which McKenna mapped onto a pointed graph, then converted into a timeline. The timeline follows the ups; like the discovery of the new world, and downs; like the fall of the ancient Roman Empire, throughout all 4,000 years of recorded history. The 64 hexagrams repeat 64 times starting during the Shang dynasty, when the I Ching was created, and ends on December 21^st 2012. Could this theory, which was entitled “Timewave Zero” by McKenna, and could very well mark the end of written history.

Another ancient prophet of doom was a Welch man from England. His name is know to any adult who grew up on stories of the Knights of the Round Table, the heroic King Arthur, and his wise warlock friend, Merlin. True history has mostly been lost to common man through these stories, but there are still a few researchers who know the real Merlin, an oracle whose name translates to ‘wild prophet of the woods,’ famous for his horrific prophecies of end times. Like many prophets, he predicted the discovery of the New World’s first colony. Merlin’s prophecy stands out among others because he predicted the Virginian colony by name His prophecy specifically says “Virgins will land on Virgin soil.” Merlin’s prediction says that the planets will go out of their normal orbit, which is what would happen in a solar system compounded by polar shifts. Polar shifts are an amazing scientific phenomenon that I will go into in my next post.

In book four of the Syblline Oracles the last generation is predicted to start in the year 2000. Web bots, a technological prophetic device, predict global tragedy to take place in the 2012. Mother Shipton’s, an English oracle, prophecies reflect the image of our technologically advanced world;

“When pictures seem alive with movements free
When boats like fishes swim beneath the sea,
When men like birds shall scour the sky
Then half the world, deep drenched in blood shall die”

These prophetic devices may not give the exact date of December 21st like the Mayan calendar does, but it does point to the same time period. This makes for an intriguing collection of coinciding circumstances.