Episode XI -- Ages in Chaos

The history of the next thousand years, as will quickly become evident, is truly an Age in Chaos. On the one hand, kingdoms, empires, and cultures abound, flashing onto and off the annals of history with total abandon. At the same time, the dating of these flash-in-the-pans becomes notoriously difficult. The latter problem stems primarily from the Egyptian chronology attributed to Manetho, a history which has been described by such liberal extremists as Encyclopedia Britannica, as "obscure" and "impossible." Alternatively, the  Jewish History is, by comparison, incredibly precise. There are still some disagreements among scholars, but the biblical dates are for the most part plus or minus ten years -- which for events three to four thousand years in the past, makes then virtually right on!

The difficulties arise when we attempt to reconcile the Egyptian records with the Hebrew and virtually all of the other histories of those kingdoms and empires of the second millennium which are interlocked with the flawed Egyptian chronology. This was  Immanuel Velikovsky's great challenge, and the reason for his highly notably work with the catchy title, Ages in Chaos [Doubleday & Company, Garden City, New York, 1952 -- Okay, so he used it first! Big deal!]

In any case, many of the dates used in these Annals will not adhere strictly to the mainstream party line. [Big Surprise!]  The exception is the history of the Jewish people, whose chronology stands alone and is totally independent of Egypt's. At the same time, the Jewish/Egyptian interactions in this time period will be based on a reconstructed Egyptian history, one which is derived from the research of Velikovsky (whose work in the fifties and sixties were met with considerable derision -- i.e. the scholars are still trying to stamp out the wildfires his theories generated). Thus, these Annals will also be taking some liberties with dating the various cultures, kingdoms and empires, based on their interactions with the revised history and world events.

c. 2,042 B.C.E. The  Sumerian Civilization was now a thing of the past. The rest of the world was dealing with implications resulting from Marduk's being enthroned in Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah having been destroyed, and presumably, crazed mutant refugees from Sumeria running amuck. We can also imagine the stunned attitude of the  Anunnaki  gods and goddesses as the prime jewel of the earth's civilizations bit the dust.

But despite this, several of the Anunnaki were undoubtedly active. Among then would be Ninurta (Enlil's first born son), Ishkur/Adad/Viracocha (Enlil's second son), Marduk (Enki's first born son), Ningishzidda/Thoth/Quetzalcoatl (Enki's younger son), and Inanna, the granddaughter of both Enlil and Enki. Enki, and his half sister, Ninki/Ninhursag appear to have quietly left the scene, or else taken a very low profile. Enlil appears to have been on the verge of retiring himself.

Of the five main players in the continuing drama, it would appear likely that Marduk was doing his thing in Babylon, Ishkur and Ningishzida had retreated to their alter-egos as Viracocha and Quetzalcoatl in the Americas (and far from the radioactive pollution of Sumeria), and Ninurta was left wondering where to go. Ninurta would eventually try to reclaim Sumeria, but one suspects his first task was to go and hide -- perhaps meditate on his responsibility in devastating Sodom, Gomorrah, and the prideland of Earth, a place which had once been known as E.DIN. Finally, it might have been expected that Inanna would have assumed her mantle as Kali in the Indus Valley Civilization. However, it appears Inanna was smarter than that, and parenthetically, probably a lot smarter than Marduk. Or else Inanna may have better advice than Marduk. Whichever.

A quick glance at a world map gives us a clue as to why. Sodom and Gomorrah are located at the south end of the Dead Sea (which might have been known as the Livelier-than-Thou-Sea until all manner of radiation was leased upon its unsuspecting waters). Sumeria is almost directly east, allowing the west to east flowing winds to carry the radioactive cloud and devastate the countryside.

But along that same general latitude also lies Harappa, the crown jewel of the Indus Valley Civilization, across the mountains of Iran from Sumeria. And while Sumeria received the major hit of radioactive debris, it's likely the Indus Valley Civilization received its share of the fallout as well. The same could also be said for Babylon, located on the northern fringe of Sumeria. None of these places were healthy places where one might want to raise a family, for example.

It may very well be that Inanna, with her connection to good old granddaddy Enki -- who had saved her butt on more than one occasion—may have suspected that the Indus Valley was not the place to be. At least for the next couple of millennia. Marduk, on the other hand, being pretty much on the outs with the other members of his family (not to mention almost every Anunnaki on the block) was probably not warned of the potential danger. This distinction could prove to have some very profound consequences for the future. In the interim Inanna was off to parts unknown, at least for the time being.

c. 2,030 B.C.E.  Meanwhile, back at the Palestinian sheep ranch, Isaac, first-born son of Abraham by his half-sister, Sarah, was born. Because of the precedence rules of the Anunnaki (i.e. the first born son by a half-sister), Isaac quickly supplanted Ishmael as Abraham's heir apparent. This sudden jostling in the heir apparent was due in no small part to Sarah's raising holy hell with Abraham about Hagar the Egyptian, Ishmael's mother, and her less than ultimately legitimate son. Sarah flat demanded Abraham "cast out this bondwoman and her son" [Genesis 21:10]. Abraham was loath to do this, but at age 100 was not quite up to tolerating the wrath of an enraged female and newly endowed mother. Hagar and Ishmael thus ended up departing the patriarch and began wandering the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

Obviously, Sarah does not exactly come off in this episode as Mother Superior. It's also interesting that after Sodom and Gomorrah were blitzed, Abraham had headed for Gerar (between Kadesh and Shur). There the king, Abimelech, misled by Abraham about Sarah's relationship to the patriarch, "took Sarah" [Genesis 20:2]. Abimelech was immediately informed by God that he was dead meat for this slight infringement on another man's wife. Subsequently, we are informed of Abimelech's earnest defense:  "I never laid a hand on her!"

However, one wonders if perhaps this was just biblical blarney. Had Sarah conceived by Abimelech!?  That would be a bit of blasphemy, if there ever was one. But keep in mind that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac did arrive [Genesis 21:5], and Abe might have been a bit past his prime. Meanwhile, status-greedy Sarah -- who had failed to bear Abraham a son for decades! -- was not the type to be immaculately pure! There is also the small matter of the inbreeding (she was Abraham's half sister), and the potential for some natural infertility between Abraham and Sarah.

Meanwhile, Isaac didn't do a lot (with his kin or otherwise)... other than avoiding being sacrificed by his father and acting as a filler between Abraham and Jacob. In fact, Isaac managed to come off as something of a mama's boy -- not that tough considering Sarah's personality and her major control issues. Isaac's marriage, for example, had to be arranged by Abraham sending a trusted servant to find the forty year old kid a wife.

Then in Genesis 24:67, after Sarah had died at the ripe old age of 127 years, the bartered bride arrived, "And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death."  Sounds pretty sick, alright! And note also that Isaac's wife, Rebekah, was the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, who was, in turn, the son of Milcah and Nahor, the latter being Abraham's brother. Rebekah was thus second cousin to Isaac. This was, of course, by design (of Abraham), and naturally this led to the inbreeding curse rearing its ugly little head once again. It therefore took twenty years for Isaac to get Rebekah pregnant.

Abraham, meanwhile, took himself another wife, Keturah, who managed to provide the old patriarch with another six sons, one of whom, Jokshan, had three grandsons named: Ashurim, Letushim and Leummim ("assure 'em, let's use 'em and loom 'em"). Abraham, once again proving himself the old stud, then promptly croaked at the youthful age of 175 years! What a way to go!

[Incidentally, in the process of dating Isaac and his heirs, along with the Jewish histories down to Solomon, it becomes apparent that  Sitchin's date of Abraham's birth as 2,123 B.C.E. was probably slightly off. It now appears that Abraham was born c. 2,130 B.C.E.! This number is derived in the following manner:  Assume Solomon began his reign in Jerusalem circa 963 B.C.E. This correlates with Sitchin's date, is close to  Velikovsky's 960 B.C.E. date, but is eleven years earlier than Encyclopedia Britannica's c. 974 B.C.E. Obviously, we can't please everyone!

[The Exodus, an extremely important world event as it turns out, is then dated 480 years from the beginning of the building of Solomon's Temple. The Temple construction began before the beginning of the fourth year of Solomon's reign [1 Kings 6:1 and 2 Chronicles 3:2]. Therefore, 963 - 3 + 480 = 1440 B.C.E. [Incidentally, 1 Chronicles 5:36 dates the Exodus from the time Azariah "executed the priestly office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem," following twelve priestly generations of forty years each. This would add 7 years (the time to build the temple), but would also add a portion of Azariah's forty year reign as high priest; i.e. 963 - 10 + 480 + 7? = 1440.

[Meanwhile, Hebrew tradition, based on Genesis 15:13 and Acts 7:6, attributes a stay of 400 years for the Hebrews in Egypt. Exodus 12:40-41 does indicate 430 years, but the latter may be dated from Joseph's arrival, which may have been 30 years prior to Jacob's. This works if Joseph was sold into slavery at age 10, making Joseph age 30 when he went before Pharaoh [Genesis 41:46] and 40 when Jacob arrived after 7 years of plenty and two or three years into the 7 years of famine -- in other words, just in time for Joseph's over-the-hill, fortieth birthday party! This means that Jacob arrived in Egypt in 1840 B.C.E. At the time Jacob was 130 years old [Genesis 47:9], giving him a birth date of 1840 + 130 = 1970 B.C.E.. We then note that Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born [Genesis 25:26], giving Isaac a birth date of 1970 + 60 = 2030 B.C.E.. And finally, Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born. This gives Abraham a revised birth date of 2130 B.C.E. These latter numbers deviate from Sitchin's numbers because of a 7 year error, essentially very bad math, when Sitchin dated the time of the Exodus. (Basically, Sitchin utilized Fudge's Factor to get the date he wanted.)  It must be comforting for the reader to know that the author of these Annals would never do that!

[On the other hand, if Encyclopaedia Britannica is correct in dating King Solomon as 974 B.C.E. (vice 963 B.C.E.), then Abraham was born 2141 B.C.E. But what's a few years among friends?]

c. 2,005 B.C.E.  Down the road a piece, the sixth dynasty of Egypt had begun with such notables as Teti, Userkare (a distant ancestor of User-friendly), Pepi I Meryre, Merenre, Pepi II Neferkare (who managed a reign of 90 years), and Nitocris (a queen! --  supposedly a female, vice a male in drag).

c. 1,970 B.C.E.  Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, grandson of Abraham, was born. Jacob was a twin, and followed his brother, Esau, out of the womb, hanging on to his heel. It was a sign of things to come. Esau became the cunning hunter, and Jacob the "plain man, dwelling in tents."  One might even think of Jacob as an intense, yet plain man. Probably plotting the whole time with his mother, Rebekah.

For when it came time for Isaac to bless Esau, his eldest son, Jacob with Rebekah's connivance masqueraded as Esau, and the blind Isaac bought it, hook, line and sinker! Jacob had already laid the groundwork prior to that time by refusing to feed Esau until Esau gave up his birthright. Esau was not excessively bright -- perhaps having spent too much time in the woods hunting for animals.

Meanwhile, "there was famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham." [Genesis 26:1]  Isaac went back to Abimelech, king of the Philistines unto Gerar -- just possibly Isaac's biological father. Undoubtedly, Isaac didn't have a clue, but Sarah might have told Isaac before her death, that good old "Uncle Abime-lech" would always take care of Isaac should the need arise. But the Lord God then instructed Isaac not to go into Egypt. Now why do you suppose he did that?  I mean, if there was food in Egypt, why not head for the granary?

If the "famine in the land" was at all like Abraham's, then the shortage of food was probably a fairly extensive even in Enlil's and Ninurta's immediate neighborhood. The fact that Sodom and Gomorrah, not to mention Sumeria, were still radiating death and famine might also have had some effect. And heaven forbid that Isaac should go where the food was and inadvertently stray into Enki's camp!

So the Lord (Enlil or Ninurta) promised Isaac all manner of good news (mostly, lots of kids through multiple generations), and Isaac stayed in Gerar. Abimelech, meanwhile, made sure everyone in his kingdom knew Rebekah was Isaac's wife and that anyone so much as touching Rebekah or Isaac would "surely be put to death."  [Genesis 26:11]  This was a wise move on Abimelech's part, inasmuch as his just thinking about bedding Abraham's wife had brought on the complete fury of the Lord! It's comforting to know that some of the biblical characters learn from past mistakes.

1,953 B.C.E.  (This is where you get one of the questions answered from the previous Episode.)  Meanwhile, Nippur, the ancient Sumerian city, the Anunnaki holy of holies, had had its great temple rebuilt and rededicated to Enlil and his consort, Ninlil. At the same time, and possibly as part of the festivities (including sack races among radiation-inspired leukemia and cancer patients), the cities of Sumer and Akkad were "officially" declared habitable again. This event, incorporating some profound astronomical meanings, was apparently an attempt on the part of Enlil and Ninurta to reestablish the Enlilite authority in the wake of Marduk's ascension in Babylon and in the aftermath of Sodom and Gomorrah. Basically, the idea went over like a pregnant polevaulter.

The date of the rededication of Nippur may be exceptionally precise, i.e. March 5, 1953 B.C.E. For according to National Geographic [December 1993], a "magic moment" occurred on this date, as an alignment of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon and Sun took place. The five visible planets lined up "like a string of pearls" near the constellation Pegasus at dawn near the first day of spring and at the approximate time of a new moon. This rare conjunction (every thousand years of so) was also considered "Day 1 of the Ancient Chinese  Calendar."  Apparently, the Chinese had progressed in their own earliest civilizations to have taken the time to look up and smell the flowers, or in this case, count the stars. It was a very notable event!

{The rarity of the event is not just having all five visible planets, the Sun and Moon all in a close encounter of the astronomical kind, but having the five "lesser lights of the heavens," i.e. the planets, visible to the common folk! And in order to be visible and in conjunction with the Sun and Moon, we're also talking about having the five planets massed together and also away from the Sun's overwhelming light. This implies dawn or dusk, on the day of a new moon. In effect, all the planets have to be on one side or the other of the Sun in order for them to be seen, and thus impress the masses with the astronomical spectacle! Anything else is an abstraction and not likely to carry a lot of weight in a primarily illiterate population -- a population in Sumeria and the Indus Valley, incidentally, which may have been wondering why their limbs kept falling off.}

This date might also have been construed by the Enki factions as the Beginning of the Age of Aries.  The importance of this astrological Age and the kick-off date of March 5, 1953 B.C.E. cannot be overemphasized. For example, the Age of Aries, according to astrology, is "ruled" by the planet Mars. This outer planet is, in turn, identified with Marduk. There is the distinct possibility that the Age of Aries was an age in which Marduk was to have wide authority upon the Earth. Marduk was, in fact, at one point dissuaded from attempting to gain control of Babylon by an appeal to his understanding that it was not yet time -- i.e. the world had not yet entered the Age of Aries.

The theory is that as the first born son of Enki, Marduk would become, based on the Ages of Aries line of thinking, the new Lord of Earth. It is unlikely, however, that Enlil and his sons were going to be pleasantly disposed to grant such a boon to Marduk. Unfortunately, after Enlil's first born son, Ninurta, had pretty well shot his wad in atom bombing Sodom and Gomorrah and destroying the Sumerian Civilization in the process, the young heir apparent's claim to the supposedly restored land was not going to be upheld for long. Consequently, in time, Anu and Enlil accepted Marduk's claim to supremacy at Babylon (at least for the time being). This bit of politicking is immortalized in the preamble to the Law Code of Hammurabi, one of the notable kings of the First Babylonian Empire.

"Lofty Anu, lord of the gods who from Heaven came to Earth, and Enlil, lord of Heaven and Earth who determines the destinies of the land, determined for Marduk, the firstborn of Enki, the Enlil-functions over all mankind; made him great among the gods who watch and see, called Babylon by name to be exalted, made it supreme in the world; and establishing for Marduk, in its midst, an everlasting kingship."

There is also the distinct possibility that Marduk made all of the above up. He has already shown us that he was capable of historical revisionism in making himself the hero of the creation of the solar system, so it's not much of a stretch of imagination to see him fabricating Anu and Enlil's abdication. On the other hand, Enlil does seem to pretty much drop out of sight at this point. Who knows?  Enlil may have taken his marbles and gone home to Nibiru for an extended vacation.

{It is worth mentioning that the Ages are not just 1/12th of 25,920 years (the Precession of the Equinoxes time frame). The constellations take up a variable portion of the sky -- something we've already encountered with respect to the Age of Leo. This, in turn, implies that the shift from the Age of Aries to the  Age of Pisces occurred around  600 B.C.E., and that we are currently completing the Age of Pisces just prior to entering the Age of Aquarius. The Ages of Pisces would be ruled by the planet Neptune -- Enki's personal fiefdom -- while the Age of Aquarius would likely be "ruled" by the planet Uranus -- which, in turn, is identified with Anu.

The implication is that Enki's rule is expected to begin circa 600 B.C.E. and end with the end of the Age of Pisces circa  2012 A.D. and thereafter for Anu to then reestablish his control. This makes sense to some degree in that 4000 years to an Anunnaki is equivalent to a one year sabbatical to a human being living only 80 or so years. Enki and Marduk, therefore, may have been given a short period to do their thing. Marduk may have simply made the flawed assumption of his being Enki's next heir and assumed Babylon was only the first in his inevitable take over of the entire Earth.

As it turns out, the drama was only just beginning! Just as Marduk was selecting wallpaper and carpet for his new temple in Babylon, the sons and daughters of Enlil and Enki were building their own empires in Assyria, Asia Minor, India, and the Americas. One of these empires was that of the Hittites in Asia Minor, under the guidance and leadership of their supreme god, Teshub (also known as Adad, and/or Ishkur, the belligerent second-son of Enlil).

The Hittites would eventually become a major world player. The Hittites, in fact, were unknown to modern man until the 19th century, when they were "discovered." Their reign was then dated from around 1800 or 1900 B.C.E. all the way until roughly 1200 B.C.E., with swatches of their culture extending into Solomon's time. (Solomon loved a Hittite woman [1 Kings 11:1].)  Asia Minor, of course, was far upwind of the radioactive clouds and in effect the last civilization in the world to catch any of the fallout.

On the other hand, not all of the Anunnaki were biding their time and watching the radioactive decay clock tick. There were other beaches to be landed upon. There was, for example, Club Med!

c. 1950 B.C.E.  The first stirrings of a brand new culture began to take form in the Aegean Sea -- particularly on the isle of Crete. The dating is based on stratigraphical ceramic evidence, the field of study known by its technical term, psychoceramics, i.e. the study of crack pots. The developing Minoan Culture, as it is now known, would become famous for its magnificent palaces at Knossos, Mallia, Phaistos and Zakros, and their astounding frescos of everything from bull dancing to fishermen with a catch of fish. Particularly noteworthy was the subject matter of graceful antelopes, common life among the inhabitants, and peaceful rituals of possible religious significance.

At the same time, macho activities, war, and ego-centric heroes and gods were conspicuously absent. The vigor of subjects, the striking range of peaceful topics, and the remarkable color sense provoked one commentator to say that "Never before can such perfect works of art have been revealed so suddenly in such a perfectly beautiful island." And in addition to Crete, other islands such as Thera (also known as Santorini), Naxos, Melos, and Rhodes (on the Anatolian coast) seemed to be under the influence of the new, idealistic Minoan Culture.

Where in the world did this new slant on things come from?  There are several clues. One eighteenth century B.C.E. tablet from Mari records trade from a variety of other locales, and includes specifically lapis lazuli from Afghanistan. Lapis lazuli, of course, was/is a favorite of Inanna; and of course, Afghanistan is due north of the Indus Valley Civilization and part of Inanna/Kali's Harappan Culture (the Indus Valley is located in now what is primarily Pakistan). In addition, there is listed on National Geographic's map, "The Historic Mediterranean 800 B.C. to A.D. 1500," on the south central coast of Crete the following: "(The Fair Havens) Kali Lumenes Bay." If "Lumenes" references the gentler light of the moon (vice the sun's intense heat) and a goddess symbol from eons past, it doesn't take too great a leap of imagination to suggest that Kali (i.e. Inanna) was in Crete as their primary deity. Club Med had definitely arrived in Crete and the Aegean islands, with Inanna/Kali as the hostess goddess.

c. 1930 B.C.E.  Meanwhile, Esau, apparently oblivious to the political state of affairs, took a wife, Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. "Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah."  [Genesis 26:35]  Esau had not only forfeited his birthright, but had not married well. The Hittite's god, Ishkur, was only marginally in the camp of Ninurta, Enlil's heir, and the Hittites were just beginning to make their warlike presence felt in the rest of the world.

[Isn't it interesting that even brothers do not get along well. Of course, it has been said by some Jewish wits that if the Jews did not have some other race to war against, they would end up in a civil war. Sounds as if being a fan of Enlil has its drawbacks.]

c. 1928 B.C.E.  Shortly thereafter, Jacob acquired the blessings of Isaac through a ruse whereby the blind and dying Isaac thought Jacob was Esau. Jacob was aided and abetted by his mother, Rebekah, and cheated Esau out of both his birthright and his father's blessing. Esau, taking this very calmly, decided that immediately after an appropriate mourning for the dead Jacob, that he would kill his brother, Isaac. Seems fair. But Rebekah got word of the plan and had Isaac in his dying moments send Jacob off to get a bride from her brother in Laban. Jacob did exactly as his mother said. Rebekah, as you may recall, was not someone to be trifled with -- clearly the power in the Isaac-Rebekah match. So Jacob headed off on his next adventure, ostensibly to find a wife.

An aside:  There may be those among the readers of these Annals who are having a tough time conceiving of such things as  extraterrestrials running about in  flying saucers. However, there is a curious story recently brought to my attention which might make one rethink their position. It seems there was this fellow out backpacking in the mountains, when with nightfall approaching, he set up camp, gathering together some stones for the campfire, and even a few for his pillow. The man then fell asleep. The next thing he knew there was some sort of bright light and perhaps a flying craft of some kind. There were strange beings moving up and down on some kind of ladder between the hovering craft and the ground. Then the man saw what he took to be the commander of the vessel at the stop of the ladder, and the UFOlk commander literally spoke to him! Amazing! Is this a wild story, or what!?

But before you become too judgmental, you might want to know that the storyteller's name is Jacob, and his story is related in slightly briefer fashion in Genesis 28: 11-13.

Several factors stand out. One is that the divine beings were using a mechanical facility, a ladder. Another is the fact that by morning everything was gone -- implying a mobile craft of some kind. Thirdly, Jacob named the place Beth-El. Later Elijah was told to go to Beth-El ("the Lord's house"), where he where we would ascend to heaven. "There appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire.. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." [II Kings 2:11]  A helicopter-type device?  Perhaps. Why not?  It seems Ezekiel had a similar UFO experience [Ezekiel 1:4]:

"And I saw a Whirlwind coming from the north, as a great cloud with flashes of fire and brilliance all around it. And within it, from within the fire, there was a radiance like a glowing halo."

One NASA engineer concluded that Ezekiel's chariot was a "helicopter with a cabin resting on four posts, each equipped with rotary wings. Some two millennia earlier, the Sumerian ruler Gudea had built for Ninurta a specialized temple, in which Ninurta and two divine companions could park their "divine black wind bird" in a secure place, and which was so important that it was guarded by two "divine weapons": the "supreme hunter" and the "supreme killer" -- weapons that emitted beams of light and death-dealing rays. The "divine bird's" importance lay in the fact it was capable of "bringing together Heaven and Earth." All of which sounds like a sophisticated flying machine.

Meanwhile, Jacob's first UFO encounter occurred while he was on his way to Haran to find a wife. After designating the spot as sacred, christening it Beth-El, and vowing to stay clear of the spot for some time to come, he continued his journey until he reached a well near Haran. There Jacob saw, kissed and was conquered by Rachel, the daughter of Laban, the brother of Jacob's mother, Rebekah. It was the old story of the nephew falling in love with the niece. Of course, we all know the story of Jacob having to work fourteen years for his brides, Leah and Rachel. But then Jacob had to work even harder, as he began the laborious job of having some ten sons leap from his loins.

The end result was: guess what?  Leah, the unwanted (by Jacob), was fruitful, while Rachel, the desired, was barren. Surprise! The genetic inbreeding curse lives! In this case, it took Jacob until he was 90 years old before Rachel finally gave birth to Joseph!

c. 1900 B.C.E.  While waiting for Rachel and Jacob to finally get it together, we might note the One Thousand years from point zero mark in the South American Annals. This auspicious moment occurred during the reign of the fourth Capac. The fifth Capac was so delighted by the festivities that he introduced 1000 years as a Great Period, 100 years as a century, and 50 years as a Great Year. This may not sound like such a big deal, until one realizes that the idea has maintained its hold on the imagination of the masses for four thousand years! We still celebrate with extra gusto, millennial, century and Jubilee years (the 50 year mark).

Furthermore, in MesoAmerica, tradition tells of a man carrying the emblem of the Serpent, Votan, who was supposedly a descendant of the Guardians of the race of Can, and who came from a land called Chivim. Votan was "the first man whom God had sent to this region in order to people and parcel out the land that is now called America."  In the process, Votan created within the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, what would later be called the "Pre-Classic" Mayan Period.

Archeological evidence dates the Olmec Civilization near the beginning of the second millennium B.C.E., beginning along the Mexican gulf coast. At a site near La Venta, the art seems to reflect a tradition based in large part on the meridian transits of stars occurring on the solstices and equinoxes about the 1953 B.C.E. date. This would make La Venta the earliest "sacred center" in MesoAmerica, preceding Teotihuacan except for the legendary time when only gods were there.

The Olmecs, incidentally were the civilization responsible for carving colossal heads out of huge boulders. Heads which were decidedly Negroid. Furthermore, from the archaeological records, the Olmecs appeared to be miners -- and may have come to the New World to extract gold and other precious metals. The legends of Votan, for example, spoke of tunneling through mountains. Also, among the Olden Gods whose worship was adopted from the Olmecs by the Nahautl people, the god Tepeyolloti means "Heart of the Mountain." He was a bearded God of Caves, whose temple had to be of stone, preferably built inside a mountain.

The sudden appearance of the Olmecs might have been the result of the instability of Egypt and the Middle East. Or more specifically, the fact Mesopotamia and the surrounding civilizations were still suffering from the  Sodom and Gomorrah incident and it's aftermath of famine, induced in turn by the resulting infertility of the soils. Enki and his sons, particularly  Ningishzidda (aka Thoth and/or Quetzalcoatl) may have been branching out by importing Negroid miners from Africa for the Central American mines. The same sort of thing may have been attempted further south in the land of the Incas, for according to their traditions, in the reign of the 12th Capac: "Men of great stature... giants who were settling on the whole coast. But they provoked the Great God, who destroyed them with a heavenly blast."  That god was probably Viracocha, also known as Ishkur (to the Sumerians) and Adad/Teshub (to the Hittites). Clearly Viracocha was not tolerating excursions into his territory.

c. 1880 B.C.E.  Meanwhile, back at the sheep ranch... Joseph was born, the first son of Rachel. Great rejoicing followed, as Jacob glowed with a son by his beloved Rachel, and Joseph managed to thoroughly offend his ten older half-brothers in the first ten years of his life. The kid was oblivious!

c. 1870 B.C.E.  Joseph's brothers thoughtfully sent their sibling on an all expense, one-way trip to Egypt. The assumption is that Joseph was about 10 years old at the time, and probably not experienced enough to know not to drink the water. His coat of many colors ended up with the added color of goat's blood. (Hope it was Kosher.)

c. 1855 B.C.E.  Joseph's career at age 25 takes a detour as he ends up in prison accused of lying with the master's wife. His pathetic, bleeding heart denials and his insisting he had in fact refused to lie with the woman did not help his case. Instead, it just ended up infuriating Potiphar, his master and an officer of Pharaoh's and captain of the guard. But being a charismatic fellow, Joseph, after about three years in prison, managed to work his way up the ranks to be the head guard's personal servant.

c. 1852 B.C.E.  And just in time as two of the Pharaoh's personal servants ended up in prison and became cellmates of Joseph. Joseph immediately proved himself the true entrepreneur by going into the dream-interpretation business at exactly the right time. It was a bit tough on the baker, whose death he predicted, but the Pharaoh's Wine Steward was very impressed when he was released. But then he promptly forgot about Joseph for two long years. Joseph continued to languish in prison.

c. 1850 B.C.E.  The Pharaoh of Egypt started having some disturbing dreams.   And with his overpaid advisers  having no clue as to the meaning of the dreams, the Wine Steward suddenly recalled the accuracy of the Hebrew's dream-interpretation, and told the Pharaoh. Joseph quickly received a thorough body cleansing, new duds, and an audience before the extreme right-wing ruler. Joseph not only did a bang up job on his first gig outside of prison, but at the tender young age of thirty, found himself Egypt's Number Two Man! Wow! Talk about rags to riches! Only in show business could such things happen! And this biblical history has got to be show business! There's no other reason for it! As Tim Rice wrote (to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber): "Strange as it seems, there's been a lot of crazy dreams; and a man who can interpret could go far, could become a star."

We can also assume that the Seven Years of Plenty began about this same time.

c. 1843 B.C.E. Seven Years of Famine followed the Seven Years of Plenty. Se la vie.

c. 1841 B.C.E.  After about two years into the famine, Jacob started to get hungry, and sent his ten sons (the expendable ones) to Egypt to buy food. This is really rather amusing. Enlil's and Ninurta's "chosen people" are now going begging for food from Enki's Pharaoh and Hebrew-turned Egyptian Number Two Man. Doesn't look like Enlil/Ninurta are doing a good job of taking care of their flock. Or even the flock masters! Certainly, not like Enki who had taken sophisticated measures to ensure adequate supplies for his people! This is probably something we will want to keep in mind for the future!!

c. 1840 B.C.E. To make a very long story short, Joseph played possum with his brothers, forced them to bring Benjamin (the younger son of Rachel and Joseph's full blooded brother) to Egypt, and then brought Jacob and all of his "house" down to Egypt. Jacob was 130 at the time, and managed to live another 17 years in the land of his Lord God's half-brother and ancient rival! But it was, of course, according to Abraham [Genesis 15:13] all part of the plan to teach some esoteric, obscure lesson to the Hebrews (like, for example, improving one's discrimination and choice in which gods to worship).

c. 1836 B.C.E. The Seven Years of Famine ends, but with Joseph still on the fast-track career mode, the Hebrews are not disposed to head back to their previously famine-invested homes. Not just yet.

c. 1828 B.C.E.  The end of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, beginning of the First Intermediate Period and beginning of the Seventh through the Tenth dynasties, all of which were more or less contemporaneous! This fact suggests there was increasing chaos in Egypt with no single authority. In fact, this First Intermediate Period was known for "weak kings, Nomarchs in Upper Egypt, Asians and Libyans in delta, etcetera. It's not clear why the Old Kingdom fell into disarray, but one might suspect a continuing and unremitting famine and warlike condition in the Middle East in general. This would also probably explain why Joseph and the Hebrews were loath to return to the land of their fathers -- other than a quick visit to bury Jacob, and then dash back to the relative safety of Egypt. Things were simply not going well in the Middle East. It was still a bit too soon.

Or even in Babylon ("the gateway of the gods") -- where Marduk had made such a deal of capturing and reforming it in his own image. One might suspect he and the other gods, the  Anunnaki, were still taking some time off from the Earth-leadership scene. After all, beings who live some 4000 times as long as humans, might view two millennia as humans view a year. Thus 500 years is roughly a quarter of a year, and more like a short sabbatical or an extended holiday for an Anunnaki.

On the other hand, a strange twist of fate may have begun to operate. Marduk, being on the scene in Babylon as he tried to salvage his victory over the other Anunnaki, was probably being exposed to nuclear radiation in an insidious and not well understood way. While humans may have been dying in the area somewhat more rapidly than normal, Marduk may have grossly erred in not recognizing the danger to his own life by staying in Mesopotamia. This oversight may have come back to haunt him, and may explain a future event which will arise some time between this point in time and the time of the Eighteenth Dynasty in Egypt -- and detailed in the conclusion to this episode!

c. 1823 B.C.E. Jacob croaks, and Joseph takes the old man's body, based at his dying request, to "lie with his fathers."  [Genesis 47: 30]  Joseph, the dutiful son, does so. But then returns to Egypt, where the Hebrews are extending their stay way beyond the days of famine.

c. 1782 B.C.E.  Marduk gains a momentary respite from his woes, when a new hero, a king capable of subduing other kings and expanding Marduk's First Babylonian Empire, arrives on the scene. The moment is still relished whenever we hear Ed McMahon announce: "Heeeeerres Hammurabi!"

Hammurabi is perhaps best known for his celebrated Code of  Law. While the code's preamble lauded Marduk's new found authority [see above, 1953 B.C.E.], the code was also probably an example of things to come. For one thing, the code was one of crime and punishment instead of the earlier  Sumerian Code, the latter being a set of laws based on right behavior. Instead of telling people how to live, Hammurabi's version told them what would happen to them should they break the rules.

This is a profound difference. The Hammurabi code is a negative code, threatening punishment for transgressions (and with the determination of what constitutes a transgression left up to the "authorities"). The Sumerian code, on the other hand, was one based essentially on the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" -- not as in the case of the Hammurabi code: "Dem wid de gold makes de rules"). Hammurabi's change of emphasis might have been the result of the  Sodom and Gomorrah incident, where retribution seemed more likely to catch a person's attention than an appeal to their better nature. One might suspect Marduk wanted a code based on fear, instead of right and wrong!

At about the same time, Hammurabi of Babylon, guided by Marduk and apparently with the use of Marduk's weapons, began launching major military campaigns:

"With the Powerful Weapon with which Marduk proclaimed his triumphs, the hero [Hammurabi] overthrew in battle the armies of Eshuna, Subartu and Gutium... With the "Great Power of Marduk" he overthrew the armies of Sutium, Turukku, Kamu... With the Mighty Power which Anu and Enlil had given him, he defeated all his enemies as far as the country of Sabartu."

It is not clear where the country of Sabartu, et al was located, but the targets upon which Marduk and Hammurabi might well have inflicted themselves appears to definitely have included Asia Minor (what was becoming known as the Hittite kingdom). Thus Marduk was probably making incursions into the backyard of Ishkur/Adad, and in the process, reaffirming their thorough dislike of one another. In fact, incursions into the land at the northeast corner of the Mediterranean and the death of the first king of the Hittites worthy of the name set up the inevitable revenge motive for those years after the Hammurabi campaigns. This would eventually lead to a Hittite invasion and sacking of Babylon within a century. Ishkur really knew how to carry a grudge! But he also had the son of the slain king, Mursilis, who could also carry a grudge and who desired above all things, vengeance!

[Reminds one of a modern day head-of-state invading the same area to avenge his father's humiliation by the reigning Babylonian/Baghdad ruler!]

c. 1780 B.C.E.  This is the apparent date of the Beginning of the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, and the initiation of the Eleventh Dynasty. There were apparently nine kings, plus possibly three or four in Upper Egypt, but little is known of them. The good news was that the First Intermediate Period was over!

One would think this would occur around some great leader who pulls it all together. This, in fact, did occur. But strangely, it took nearly a century to reach that point. The nine kings, plus three or four of Upper Egypt alone, did next to nothing for some 93 years. Finally, in the midst of the a fair amount of confusion, a great king, Mentuhotep II unified Egypt. But at a heavy price!

c. 1770 B.C.E.  In the interim, Joseph died at the age of 110. On his death bed, Joseph said to his people: "I die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."   "And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence."  [Genesis 50:24-25]

One might be curious as to why the children of Israel didn't simply leave Egypt at this time, or for that matter, take Joseph's body to be buried there and then scurry back to Egypt. Egypt, after all was still lacking a strong central authority. Of course, with Hammurabi having a field day with the Hittites, and word of such events filtering down to Egypt, discretion with the children of Israel might have been the better part of valor. Hammurabi, with his divine weapons, was obviously a formidable force, and thus it was not yet time to rush into a confrontation with Marduk and his legions. And least not yet.

Unfortunately, by staying out of Hammurabi's path, the children of Israel were about to radically overstay their welcome. How and when is not abundantly clear, however, as roughly on this momentous date, we come to the end of the Book of  Genesis! (Thank God for small favors!)

This also begins a dearth of biblical information concerning the Jews between the last verse of Genesis and the first verse of Exodus, a span of some 250 years! According to  Sitchin, however, we do have the writings of Theophilus, the second-century Bishop of Antioch. Referring to the earlier writings of Manetho, he stated that the Hebrews were enslaved by the king Tethmosis, for whom they "built strong cities, Peritho and Rameses and On, which is Heliopolis"; then they departed Egypt under the Pharaoh "whose name is Amasis." Tethmosis was most likely, therefore, the Pharaoh "who knew not Joseph" [Exodus 1:8]. These pharaohs, according to our calculations, belong to the Eleventh (the enslavement) and the Thirteenth Dynasty (the Exodus). But neither of these dynasties has the best of records which would allow us to confirm them as the critical times in the biblical history of Israel.

c. 1750 B.C.E.  Hammurabi finds out that his mentor, Marduk, does not have the secret of immortality, and the First Babylonian Empire king dies. Rumblings immediately begin on the northwestern frontier, as Mursilis began to plot his revenge. The dating is relatively obscure, but within a decade or so, the young stud will have destroyed the outposts of the Babylonian empire and sacked Babylon itself. The reward for all of this effort was that Mursilis became Mursilis I. (Adding a "I" to one's name is always adding a touch of real class.)

The Hittite Kingdom had continued to flourish in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), effectively separated from Hammurabi by the inhospitable mountains and terrain of western Turkey). Under the guidance and under the orders of their supreme god, Teshub (aka Ishkur), the Hittites were now beginning to expand their kingdom to imperial proportions. Also, aiding the Hittites in battle was the goddess,  Inanna ("Lady of the Battlefield"), to whose "Divine Power" many a victory was attributed as she "came down to smite the hostile countries."  One need only recall Inanna's undying hatred for Marduk to understand this alliance between her and Ishkur. And with both of their efforts -- motivated primarily by revenge in both case (but for different specific reasons) -- the Hittites influence quickly extended as far south as Canaan, and as far as Babylon.

It is noteworthy that while the Hittites were known to others as expert warriors who had perfected the use of the chariot in the ancient Near East, they only went to war when their gods gave the word, always offered their enemies the chance to surrender peacefully, and later received only tribute and captives, never sacking the cities or massacring the populace. This is likely due to the initial influence of Inanna -- it was certainly not one of the normal credos of Ishkur. At the same time, an exception was made for Babylon. It was sacked! Most thoroughly in fact! [And cycles being what they are, Babylon's (Baghdad's) most recent sacking included the vandalism of the Museum of Ancient Artifacts! Some things just never change.]

The "Imperial Period" of the Hittites may have extended from roughly 1800 B.C.E. to as late as 1200 B.C.E. But a significant amount of their expansionist efforts would also have been directed against the Mycenaeans, across the Aegean Sea to the west, and the Mitanni (Hurrites) to the southeast, the latter initially representing a buffer zone between the Hittites and the Babylonians.

Coincidentally, the Second Palace Period in Crete began, notorious for what has been called "the finest flowering of civilization in Crete."  This was at the time the most advanced civilization (in terms of art, quality of life, and commerce) in the world. It was the high point of European culture for millennia to come. Even Greece at its best never quite equaled the Minoan Culture at this point in time. One can only suspect it was the woman's touch (i.e. Inanna) which made the Minoan Culture unique.

Even more curious, at about the same time, the beginnings of the  Chinese Empire were making themselves known. The Shang Dynasty was centered principally around present day Peking, and along the Yellow River basin. It is highly unlikely the China Syndrome, with its strong patriarchal flair, had anything to do with Inanna, but the dates are roughly synchronous. In fact, it's anybody's guess as to which Anunnaki might have been involved in the Far East (if any). We do know that the Shang Dynasty practiced "immolation of prisoners to feed the souls of the ancestors, who were the true rulers of the society."  This ultimate in anal retentive behavior "provoked tensions in a rigid society and brought about its eventual downfall."  This criteria probably eliminates about four "gods" (Enki, Inanna, Ningishzida, Ninki), and leaves the other 200 or so Anunnaki as possible candidates.

c. 1687 B.C.E.  Mentuhotep II ascends to the throne of Egypt. He unifies Egypt, expels Asians from the delta, reopens trade with Punt (which these Annals likes to think of as Israel/Judea), and invades Nubia. In doing so, it appears Mentuhotep II was benefiting from the actions of a predecessor named Tethmosis. The latter is believed to have been the king credited by Exodus 1:8, the king who arose in Egypt and "knew not Joseph." If in fact, the kings of Egypt were attempting to reassert their control, they might have been concerned about the large population of Jews in Egypt, and their previous (and potentially continuing) loyalty to an Enlilite god. It might make sense, therefore, to subjugate the Jews and ultimately make them slaves. Sort of an early  Homeland Security action.

"Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land."  [Exodus 1:9-10]

This is when the pharaoh Tethmosis, let down the hammer on the children of Israel.

c. 1638 B.C.E.  The Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt arrived right on schedule, a time of prosperity and a golden age of arts and crafts. Obviously, there's nothing like having a large slave population to assist in that regard! This does rather limit the joys and rewards of a golden age to the poor slobs doing all of the work, but such is the way of history -- and obviously the way of modern times as well.

The Twelfth Dynasty had such luminaries as Amenemhet I, Sesotris I, Amenemhet II, Sesotris II and III, Amenemhet III and IV, and just for variety, Queen Sobekneferu. One would have thought that in a golden age of creativity, the Pharaohs could have thought of an original name!

Meanwhile, the Jews have continued to multiply -- a fact, incidentally, which would be observable only over a long period of time!   Sitchin, for example, has Thothmes I (of the 18th Dynasty) as the bad guy who sets up the Moses tale. Thothmes I's daughter, Queen Hatshepsut, is then the supposed rescuer of Moses. But Sitchin ignores the twenty two year reign of Hatshepsut and the very peaceful conditions of that period, and allows the time for the subjugation of the Jews to be a mere 12 years -- hardly enough time to notice a major change in the demographics. Sitchin also fails to acknowledge Hatshepsut's length of reign or her accomplishments in trade, peace, and keeping her nephew, Thothmes III in check for 22 years!

In any case, the Egyptians "afflicted" the Jews, and made them "serve with rigour," made their lives "bitter with bondage" and the whole nine yards. The Egyptian's "golden age" was thus apparently bought and paid for with the use of Hebrew slaves.

It's always the way. But even then, the Jews multiplied (and supposedly divided as well -- perhaps even did long division). The Egyptians, now reaching their wits end, attempted what has come down to us as "The Midwife Coup" in which the midwives were to kill all male children, but allow the daughters to live.

This didn't work either. The Pharaoh then took the next logical step:  He "charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive." [Exodus 1:22]

c. 1520 B.C.E.  Moses was born, just in time for the "all the males into the Nile party"! Bad timing on his part. Or his mother's. Whichever. In any case, mom did the old basket trick and "cast" her son into the river, albeit with a life preserver attached! Then a young princess, who had been continuing the tradition of incest breeds infertility and was woefully childless (and who was also a daughter of the Pharaoh), found the child and thus initiated the ultimate rags to riches tale.

The memory-laden reader will recall the essential ingredients of this tale in the story of Sargon I in the previous Episode (circa 2371 B.C.E.). Think of this as a remake of a classic story just for the benefit of credibility as to the uniqueness of a future ruler.

Also keep in mind one small detail in the Moses saga -- most of which we will not labor upon here in these Annals: Moses was raised as a Prince of Egypt. As such he received the best education available and in all of the most esoteric of Egyptian disciplines. This would eventually becomes very important. Particularly when he found himself in the environs of Mount Sinai.

c. 1440 B.C.E.  The Exodus! Moses was eighty years old, when he returned to Egypt from exile. His basic message was: "I have a dream."   Hmmm. Or maybe, "Let my people go."  Something like that. He spoke mostly Aramaic -- and with a heavy Yiddish accent -- and it was virtually impossible to tell what he was saying! Which is why is older brother Aaron was there. To translate!

In any case, Moses allegedly performed a host of miracles. Yeah well, far be it for me to rain on his parade -- especially the Exodus styled one as the host of Jews left Egypt -- but the so-called miracles had all of the attributes of an encounter by the Earth with another planet or comet. According to  Immanuel Velikovsky, this was Venus, and it came to within a million miles or so, and caused the miracles!

The first effect was to rain on everybody's parade, so to speak. A red dust fell on the Earth as the gravitation attraction between the two planets brought into atmospheric all manner of garbage. This first turned the river to a blood red color -- and which incidentally made it lousy for tasting. Then the dust turned to larger diameter stones, as the dust became hail. The latter became red hot as it streamed down through the atmosphere. During this time, crops were getting beaten up, fish were dying, and cattle were having a cult BarBQ whereby they were roasting themselves. All the garbage cascading down from the skies brought darkness to the land, and then as the two planets (or the Earth and a comet) approached each other ever closer, there were earthquakes, ground swells, and probably rumblings from the citizenry. The earthquake activity is important in that the Egyptians living in stone houses had a much more serious problem when their homes collapsing than did the Hebrews living in houses of wood and thatch. The death toll in the better parts of town was decidedly higher, whereas the Jews had inadvertently anticipated the lessons the early Japanese learned of building with light weight materials in an earthquake zone.

As for the "chosen" being the ones who died, the reality was that it was just the unlucky ones. But in a world where no one believed in coincidence, those who died had apparently been "chosen." Later, of course, using the concept that the "chosen" is the first born son, the translators took the word to mean the first born. The translators were wrong. As for the women who died, supposedly the patriarchy didn't concern itself a great deal and thus doesn't mention their casualties.

The description of the event in Exodus is rather detailed, and in fact should help to fix the date in Egyptian history, by finding an equivalent description from the Egyptian annals. However. On the one hand, there is no hint, none of the slightest suggestions of any kind in the reigns of such pharaohs as Ramses II, Thothmes III or his son Amenhotep II, or any of the other kings of Egypt sometimes identified by Egyptologists as the Pharaoh of the Exodus to suggest anything occurring which parallels the biblical description. This is either an incredibly effective media control on the parts of these pharaohs of whom we have a detailed and exhaustive record of the events of their reigns, or somehow the entire slave population of a nation one day up and leaving was not an event sufficiently worthy of the Six O'Clock News. The reality is that none of those excuses hold up under scrutiny.

On the other hand, there exists a papyrus (referred to by mainstream Egyptology as the Leiden Papyrus) which is attributed to an Egyptian sage named Ipuwer of the 12th or 13th Dynasty, at about the time of the end of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, and the beginning of the Second Intermediate Period. This sage wrote something called by later so-called scholars: Admonitions of an Egyptian Sage from a hieratic papyrus in Leiden. This which we will call the Papyrus Ipuwer has a host of phrases which have a certain familiarity with those from Exodus. This similarity is detailed in the web page entitled  Comparative Religions, which the reader now has leave to browse through. We'll wait for you.

Now that you're back, we'll continue. (You took long enough!)

The Bible obviously gives Moses credit for performing all of the so-called miracles, but note that the Pharaoh's advisors were unimpressed, knowing perhaps as much as Moses that it was natural albeit extraordinary occurrences. Probably all were aware of the imminent astronomical encounter, and the possibility of some serious problems.

We can, however, give Moses credit for knowing of the impending events, and gambling that such might be a time to take advantage of any resulting confusion and chaos in order to leave the country with the primary workforce of the nation. Inasmuch as his gamble paid off, he was rewarded with being responsible for everything from the miracles to the invention of sliced bread. This is typical of cult leaders who predict most everything, and when a few predictions occur, they take full credit and use the highest forms of public relations to make themselves really look good.

Lest one assume we have thoughtlessly degraded Moses and his "miracles," we might note the fact that the Pre-Columbian traditions of Central and South America describe a similar catastrophe,  as well as the ancient records of China during the reign of Emperor Yahou. [And trust me, I did not make up the Emperor's name!]  All of these traditions from either ends of the Earth tell of much the same results -- only there were no slave populations taking their leave in the midst of chaos in the other locales. On the other hand, the Chinese in particular became avid astronomers from the time of Yahou onwards, thinking it might be nice to know if similar events were to be forthcoming in the future. It's called "learning from history."

In any case, after "sojourning" for some 430 years, the Jews fled Egypt. Curiously, they were in a great hurry and "took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptian jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and rainment."  [Exodus 12:34-35]

Let's see if we got this right: They were in too much of a hurry to finish making bread, but had time to "borrow" the Egyptians' silver and gold! Obviously, they never "returned" the gold and silver. But one might also ask why the gold and silver were so important. Interestingly, it was very likely more than just greed. Moses, a student of the Egyptian mysteries, knew what he was doing!

In any case, some 600,000 souls went east on foot. Early on, they encountered the pillar of fire and other amazing phenomenon, caused undoubtedly by the two planets growing ever closer, and resulting in electrical discharges between their respective magnetospheres. The Jews were then saved from the Pharaoh and his pursuing army by a "parting of the Red Sea." It was Hollywood at its best!

The Red Sea is, of course, not red, but blue. On the other hand, with all of the red dust, hail and brimstone falling from the sky, it was very likely quite red at the time Moses and the gang arrived. But more importantly, according to earlier Jewish literature, the Red Sea was not so much "parted" as it was moved aside! The very close approach of the other planet could easily have moved the waters of the Earth about -- it certainly created a flood in Emperor Yahou's China which took over nine years to drain! Furthermore, it should be noted that stragglers of the Jewish population perished with the Pharaoh's army. The Red Sea parting was not a controlled event. Instead, it was something of which Moses and the troops took advantage of, but who can not be held accountable for its instigation.

Incidentally, in the exhaustive research necessary to complete these Annals, a little known, obscure, extremely rare document was encountered in which a small portion of the dramatic events were written down in considerably more detail. It seems as if at the moment Moses and the Hebrews had their back to the sea and the Pharaoh and his army were bearing down on them, Moses became somewhat concerned and turned to God to ask for help. God responded by saying:  "Moses, I've got some good news and some bad news."  Moses responded by saving he preferred the good news first. God then explained how he was going to cause a pillar of fire to hold back the Pharaoh's army, then part the Red Sea, allow the Hebrews to escape across the sea, and then when the Pharaoh came after them, let the waters sweep back in and drown the Pharaoh's army. Moses thought about the plan, and decided it had all the drama and spectacle of the best Hollywood movie and decided he really liked the idea. But then he asked what the bad news was. Then God, obviously concerned about the implied consternation he might cause, said, "First, you have to file an Environmental Impact Statement!"  It appears God performed the miracles first, and then Moses had forty years wandering in the wilderness in order to finish the official paperwork on the project. Just kidding.

Actually, it's pretty well established that the primary reason the Hebrews spent forty years wandering in the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula (roughly the size of Switzerland or a combination of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island -- not exactly a humongous parcel of land) was that Moses refused to take his wife's advice to stop and ask directions from someone.

Nevertheless, Moses, after a few activities in the Sinai -- of which we will defer discussing until the next Episode -- managed to find his way into Jordan, across from Jericho. There he handed the reigns of government over to Joshua, and then climbed Mount Nebo, before retiring to the Bahamas. Or sunny Santorini in the Aegean Sea -- there is some scholarly dispute over which.

c. 1398 B.C.E. Joshua, quick to make a name for himself, promptly charged into Palestine like a lion in heat. He did a quick gig at Jericho, causing the walls to fall down and initiating the great debate as to whether it was really the trumpets or whether it was Memorex. Joshua continued to conquer city after city, gaining fame and a reputation for serious punitive damages to those who opposed him. The inhabitants of Gibeon took the clue and made peace with Joshua and the children of Israel.

c. 1388 B.C.E.  Adoni-zedec, king of Jerusalem, however, was not willing to throw in the towel. He quickly joined forces with Hodam, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, and forged the great Amorite Alliance -- which after their astounding defeat, became known as AA. The Amorites then met Joshua coming down from Gilgal, and were quickly "discomfited" -- a polite way of saying the Lord "slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon." Whereupon the Amorites fled, and Israel  chased them, smoting them at Azekah and Makkedah.

Curiously, between Beth-horon and Azekah, "great stones from heaven" fell upon the hapless Amorites and "they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword."  This incredible slaughter was, apparently, not enough. Joshua was not finished with his smoting and the children of Israel avenging "themselves upon their enemies."  Oh no! Joshua had to go and ask the Sun to stand still upon Gibeon and the Moon in the valley of Ajalon! This Joshua was a blood-thirsty little devil! He just needed more light to keep up the slaughter.

But interestingly enough, the sun did in fact stand still and the moon stayed! We can say without equivocation that "the  sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it."  The latter is, of course, one of the earliest examples of massive understatement. Assuming of course, that it is to be taken literally. Which we fully intend to do within these Annals.

No kidding, these quotes from Joshua 10:10-14 are to be taken literally! One might recognize, of course, in Joshua 10 the habit of the Lord God (Enlil, or possibly Ninurta by this time) to take credit for items far beyond his control. Nevertheless, it was on that basis Joshua was allowed to first capture the five Amorite kings, invited his "captains of the men to war" to put their feet on the kings' necks, and then smote them, slew them and hanged them on five different trees.

However. The events of that day were a great deal more significant than Joshua requesting additional daylight for his Amorite slaughtering, bloodletting, and vengeance. Reports of the event came flooding in (pardon the pun) from China, where Emperor Yahou described an immense wave "that reached the sky" and which fell upon China, thoroughly drowning the surroundings, the valleys filling with water. Yahou set about draining the valleys, only to have his minister in charge fail after nine long years. The minister's son, Yu, succeeded him, finished the job, and as his reward was made emperor of China after King Shun, the first successor to Yahou. Yu even became the founder of a new and notable dynasty called by his name.

Yahou claimed the sun had not set for ten full days, whereas in the Andean annals and those of MesoAmerica, the story is an event where the sun rose at dawn, only to again quickly set in the east, and then after a very long night, rise again in the east. This makes sense in that a long day in the Middle East -- with Joshua doing his smoting thing -- would correspond to dawn in the Americas. In fact the sun and moon would have not simply stopped, but slipped back slightly, a fact easily noticeable with the sun near the horizon in the Americas, but not particularly significant in the overhead sky with no frame of reference to see any slight retrograde motion.

The South American version also specifies the time of the event to be in the third year of the reign of the fifteenth Capac Titu Yupanqui Pachacuti II, about 1390 B.C.E.: "when good custom were forgotten and people were given to all manner of vice," "there was no dawn for twenty hours" (i.e. sunrise was delayed for twenty hours). Finally, there is archaeological evidence which points to the conquest of Jericho between 1400 and 1385 B.C.E. [J. Garstang, The Story of Jericho]

Another event of significance may also be tied to the sun standing still:  the volcanic eruption on the Greek Island of Thera (also known as Santorini -- Moses' retirement home according to some theories). This explosion, which still holds the world record for volcanic eruptions, occurred circa 1500 B.C.E. in the Aegean Sea about 70 miles north of Crete. The timing of the Thera eruption is in dispute, with some theories arguing for a date as early as 1628 B.C.E. However, others have determined from sediments in the Black Sea (the extent of the volcanic debris from Santorini) a date of 1362 B.C.E.

In effect, the Thera eruption appears to coincide with the Sun Standing Still date of circa 1388 B.C.E. The explosion left Thera as a crescent moon shaped island and a few smaller islands of crumbling, sedimentary rock. Thera, according to archaeologists, was tied in with the advanced culture of Crete at the time, and the eruption was probably linked with the decline of the Cretan civilization, from then until about 1250 B.C.E., with warlike hoards sweeping through Greece conquering the peaceful island and last the bastion of overt goddess-worship in the world.

The dating of the destruction of Knossos has been set at between 1450 and 1380, and is often attributed to invasion by the Mycenaean people from the Greek mainland. These invaders then supposedly "adopted many aspects of the Minoan Civilization."  However, it is probably much more likely that the world shaking events destroyed Knossos, and the Mycenaeans simply attempted to take advantage. It's a bit sad but the Minoan culture had no wars and no fortresses (but did have flush toilets). And yet, it all went down the drain with the events of 1388 B.C.E. and the subsequent invasion by the patriarchal war-mongers, a subset of the much earlier Kurgan Invasions.

The strange thing about the Thera volcanic explosion, unlike the Pompey event in 79 A.D. (when Vesuvius blew its top and encased the inhabitants of Pompey in lava-rock), was that there were no bodies or skeletons found on Thera dated to the event. In fact, the homes were furnished, the vases of food neatly packed away, as if the residents had left for the weekend. But there were no apparent victims. One might suspect they had had some kind of warning, and left for a few days, just in case.

For those technically oriented readers; it must be admitted that the sun and moon stood still only in the sense of their relative motion about the Earth. In effect, the earth ceased its rotation. More accurately, the earth continued to rotate as before, but the relatively thin layer of the continental crust slipped on the earth's mantle. This, of course, caused earthquakes and in all likelihood, mountain building, as the continental crust was not exactly designed to slip on the earth's mantle. The crust also represents a "handle" for the gravitational attraction of another heavenly body to attract, but without having any effect on the spherically symmetric rotating bulk of the earth. And as the body moved further away, it released its hold and the crust quickly caught up with the rotating mantle.

It also appears that there were some frictional losses involved and the number of days in the year may have been increased from 360 to 365.24 days per year, but otherwise the earth continued to spin merrily along. [And if you're a real die-hard, feel free to read the more extensive  web page on the subject!]

"Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled." [Psalms 46:1-3]

The aftermath of the world shaking events (literally) surrounding the Exodus and the sun and moon standing still included:

• 1) The children of Israel picking up their marbles (and the Egyptians' gold and silver) and heading home; taking the long scenic route through the Sinai Peninsula and a few days watching the walls of Jericho come crumbling down -- a major, one-time tourist attraction,

• 2) The Minoan Culture of Crete, Thera and other islands (the original Club Med) being sufficiently devastated that it would be extremely vulnerable to invasion and thereafter unable to recover,

• 3) The collapse of the Harappan Culture and the Indus Valley Civilizations,

• 4) The end of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, with the Thirteenth through the Seventeenth Dynasties representing little more than itinerant kingdoms and minor fiefdoms, and

• 5) The apparent opportunism of certain war-like cultures to run rampant over most of the previously civilized world.

The latter groups include a little known group called the Hyksos, also known as the "Shepherd Kings." These nebulous creatures were invaders from the east who, in the time of "King Tutimaios," marched into Egypt unopposed. Not too surprising, considering the state Egypt was in after the Exodus and loss of their slave population.

Who the Hyksos were has never been clear... to scholars. [Presumably the Hyksos knew who they were.]  Egyptologists and the like have likened the Hyksos to everyone from the Phoenicians to Bedouin sheikhs from Asia. Our view is they were the Amalekites of Jewish history  fame. For not only did the Hyksos invade Egypt, conquering it without any appreciable resistance, but they also encountered the children of Israel going the other way and thoroughly harassed the newly freed slaves [Deut. 25: 17-19]. And that was just for starters.

The Hyksos, aka Amalekites, were included among the foes through whom a passage had to be forced in going into southern Palestine from Kadesh [Num. 14: 43-45]. They also attacked Israel at Rephidim where they were utterly defeated by Joshua [Exodus 17: 8-16]; they were part of the coalition which Eglon, king of Moab, used to oppress Israel [Judges 3: 13]; they were included among the hordes of nomadic raiders defeated by Gideon [Judges 6: 3,33]; and they were condemned to annihilation by Samuel [1 Samuel 15]. Ultimately, the Amalekites were made the object of a perpetual curse [Exodus 17: 14-16], Num. 24: 20, and Deut. 25: 17-19].

Obviously the Amalekites were not known for their grace and charm. But as the Hyksos they also incurred the long-standing hatred of the Egyptians as well. [Nobody likes them very much!]  The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Dynasties of Egypt were considered those of the Hyksos, and the Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt (contemporaneous with the Hyksos Dynasties) was primarily concerned with a war of liberation against them. The Egyptian annals might not have included as many condemnations or perpetual curses as the Hebrew annals, but the Hyksos were apparently as thoroughly disliked as anyone. And by as many other cultures as possible. Given this clue, one might conjecture the origins of the Hyksos/Amalekites. [I mean, when everyone thoroughly dislikes someone, you've really got to know a bit more about them.]

For example, it is unlikely that our old  Anunnaki friend, Marduk, had turned over a new leaf and began seeking the title of Mr. Congeniality. Just because his favorite king, Hammurabi, had proved unable to achieve immortality, and Babylon had been unable to avoid being sacked, this was no reason for Marduk to cease his imperialistic ambitions. After all, Babylon had merely been sacked, not destroyed -- there was still a formidable presence to be developed in the 250 years from Hammurabi to the current events. Furthermore, there are many indications the "gods" were aware of the possibility of some major events occurring around this time, based on their ability to observe the heavens and make predictions on any forthcoming close encounters of the planetary kind. Thus Marduk may well have been biding his time, and preparing to take advantage of whatever came down. It was an early example of the Chinese concept that "in chaos there is opportunity."

Accordingly, we might identify the Hyksos and Amalekites as hailing from Babylon, or at least being inspired and/or directed by Marduk. Thus this combination of Hyksos (hated by the Egyptians), Amalekites (hated by the Israelites), and Babylonians (hated by the Hittites) -- all under the control of Marduk (hated by most of the Anunnaki) -- pretty well sets him up as the "god" all of the other "gods" would like to see taken down. Need less to say, it was not going to be a simple process. Just inevitable.

There is also the question as to whether or not Marduk had made an error in overestimating his capability to capture and hold the additional strongholds from Asia Minor to Egypt. Perhaps Marduk was not totally in possession of his faculties, maybe ever so slightly senile. While still a relatively middle aged Anunnaki, Marduk might have been suffering from his exposure to the radioactive remnants of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Marduk, after all, had no place to go once he charged into Babylon at the end of the Third Millennium. Even his father, Enki, probably had disowned him by this time. Thus Marduk had become trapped in a less than ideal location, fallen to the effects of the radiation (and quite possibly without his even being aware of it), and was now developing a bit of a stagger. Marduk was becoming, in a word, vulnerable. His destiny was, as they say, written.

c. 1350 B.C.E.  The aftermath of the events are also evident in other cultures. The Mycenaean so-called grave circles, for example, are believed to date from approximately this time. The curious thing about the circles are that they are very large, beehive-shaped structures of heavy roughly rectangular stones. But curiously, there were no burial signs inside. Instead, the structures looked more like ancient bomb shelters, as if the Mycenaeans were getting ready for the next time red hot rocks rained down upon their hapless heads. Seems to have been a reasonable precaution for a race not into the esoteric mysteries, but definitely into Pre-Spartan warlike tendencies.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the impressive city of Chavin de Huantar arose in northern Peru between the coast and the Amazon basin. The city was virtually built overnight, with no apparent prior gradual development, and promptly flourished at an elevation of some 10,000 feet -- the idea obviously being to avoid those pesky walls of water from the sea as in Yahou's China! Chavin de Huantar boasted an area of some 300,000 square feet which had been flattened and terraced and made suitable for the construction of complex structures. The whole design was carefully and precisely laid out according to a preconceived plan that took into consideration the contours and features of the site.

Chavin de Huantar also included a Bull God (despite the absence of bulls in the Americas until brought over by the Spaniards!). The Bull God can be identified with Ishkur/Adad/Viracocha (and Teshub to the Hittites and Cassites). "He of the Far Mountains" was depicted with the metal tool and forked lightning.

"Sometime in those remote days, Ishkur/Viracocha placed his symbol of the forked lightning, for all to see from the air and from the ocean, on a mountainside in the Bay of Paracas -- the very bay the Hapgood teams identified on Piri Re'is' map, the bay that was probably the anchorage harbor for the ships carrying the tin and bronze from Tiahuanacu to the Old World. It was a symbol proclaiming to gods and men alike:  THIS IS THE REALM OF THE STORM GOD!"  --  Zecharia Sitchin

Aside: [The Phoenicians in  600 B.C.E. circumnavigated Africa in search of gold for the Egyptian king Necho (thus emulating a feat performed for King Solomon four centuries earlier). In 425 B.C.E. under a leader named Hanno they sailed around West Africa to establish gold and slave supply bases. An extant map of Piri Re'is, a Turkish admiral, with a date of A.D. 1513 correctly shows the Andean mountains of South America, including the Amazon River flowing eastward, and the South American Pacific coast from Ecuador through Peru to midway in Chili. Scholars have concluded that "the evidence presented by the ancient maps appears to suggest the existence in remote times... of a true civilization of an advanced kind"; more advanced than Greece or Rome, and in nautical sciences ahead of 18th century Europe. They also recognize the Mesopotamian cultures circa 4000 B.C.E. included descriptions of Antarctica.

Also, in Ptolemy's Map of the World, a mythical land, Tierra Mitica, is shown extending from the tip of southern China beyond a peninsula called the Peninsula of Gold, all the way southward to a continent we now call Antarctica. The shape of Tierra Mitica, however, conforms to the shape of the western coast of South America where it juts into the Pacific (and where the Andean legends placed their prehistoric landings). Ptolemy's maps also included a name for a place in the midst of Tierra Mitica, Cattigara. The latter has been identified as one of the principal centers of gold metallurgy in the whole South American continent -- and located next to Chavin de Huantar!]

Finally, the Olmecs constructed Teotihuacan (the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, etcetera), as well as establishing other great "ceremonial centers" elsewhere in Mexico. The site was, of course, the "Place of the Gods" as early as 4000 B.C.E. (during the Fourth Sun era).

For the architecturally inclined, the peaks of the two pyramids are at the same elevation with the Pyramid of the Moon being built on ground some 30 feet higher than that of the Sun's pyramid. This is also true of the Second and the Great Pyramid at Giza (Egypt). The Pyramid of the Sun, with a base of 745 feet, coincides neatly with the Egyptian Great Pyramid's base of 745 feet; but the Mexican version has a lower angle of 43 1/2o (vice the Great Pyramid's 52o). [It is noteworthy that only the three Giza pyramids have an angle of 52o. Pharaoh Zoser's attempt at Sakkara was also at 43 1/2o, while Pharaoh Sneferu attempted a 52o angle, only to have it collapse in mid-construction. He then changed the angle to 43 1/2o, leaving what is now known as the Bent Pyramid. Also, according to legend the pyramids were built by pharaohs, but the Giza pyramids were built by the gods.]

For the mathematically inclined, 52o can be obtained by giving the pyramid a height (H) equal to half the side (S), divided by p (pi) and multiplied by four. In the case of the Great Pyramid of Giza, this corresponds to [754 / (2 p) = 377 / (3.14159) = 120 x 4 = 480 feet). The angle of 43 1/2o is obtained by the same formula, except one multiplies by 3 instead of 4. The Pyramid of the Sun uses the 43 1/2o angle initially, but then is stepped in four times, before reaching a height of 250 feet.

For the inexplicably inclined, in A.D. 1971, a secret passageway was discovered under the Pyramid of the Sun. Some of the flooring was covered with thick sheets of mica, a silicone whose special properties make it resistant to water, heat, and electrical currents. The type of mica, however, can only be found in its natural state in Brazil, four thousand miles to the southeast.

c. 1250 B.C.E.  The Minoan Culture bites the dust, as warlike hoards overrun the island of Crete. The last bastion of the goddess-worshipers fall. This probably constituted a major falling out between  Inanna and Ishkur, inasmuch as the Mycenaeans were probably another Ishkur project. Certainly, the Mycenaeans had all the style and grace of the Kurgan invaders of millennia past, and all of them were belligerently patriarchal. Inanna was pretty much left without a country. But she would once again meet Ishkur -- in new guises in the future -- at a great battle along the western Turkish coast.

c. 1230 B.C.E.  Following Marduk's opportunistic stretching of his domain to include harassment of the children of Israel's travel plans on departing Egypt, and the installation of the Hyksos dynasties in Egypt, the whole ball of wax began to come undone. In a word, it was Assyria! I'm serious. It really was Assyria. Assyria was centered about Ninevah, Nimrud and Ashur, along the Tigris River northwest of Babylon. And Assyria was no friend of Babylon, Marduk, or life insurance salesmen.

As to who was calling the shots in Assyria, we might derive a small clue from the king who had extended the Assyrian empire throughout Mesopotamia (including Babylon) to the Aramus Mountains in southeastern Turkey, on the edge of the waning Hittite Empire. The time period of his reign was roughly 1244 to 1208 B.C.E., and the King's name was Tukulti-Ninurta I! Apparently, the "god" who had pushed for the early version of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was back in the game!

This rather sudden reversal at the hands of Tukulti-Ninurta I undoubtedly resulted in Marduk departing Babylon and running for the last bastion of his power, the Hyksos and Amalekites, who were still incurring the undying hatred of whole races. In Egypt, Marduk put on his guise as the great god Ra, and tried to lick his wounds. Unfortunately, for him, licking was not going to be enough.

In Wallis Budge's The Egyptian Book of the Dead, an interesting story is related. It is "The Legend of Ra and Isis." This can also be read as: "Marduk and Inanna at the OK Corral".

"Now Isis [Inanna] was a woman who possessed words of power; her heart was wearied with the millions of men [perhaps those lost at Crete, Indus Valley, etc.], and she chose the millions of the gods, but she esteemed more highly the millions of the khu's. And she meditated in her heart, saying, "Cannot I by means of the sacred name of God make myself mistress of the earth and become a goddess like unto Ra  in heaven and upon earth?"

According to this written so-called "legend," which was included in the annals of the 18th Dynasty (c. 1000 B.C.E.), Ra "had grown old, he dribbled at the mouth, his spittle fell upon the earth, and his slobbering dropped upon the ground."  [Radiation damage?]  Isis/Inanna took Ra's spittle, kneaded it with earth, and formed a sacred serpent in the form of a spear. She then laid it upon the ground where Ra routinely walked. After Ra was bitten by the snake, "the flame of life departed from him, and he who dwelt among the cedars was overcome."  Our boy was suddenly in very serious shape, and the other "gods" in his retinue had no clue as to what to do. Eventually, Isis/Inanna came to the rescue -- supposedly -- but demanded first that Ra tell her his name before she would cure him. This latter was critical in that Ra had said that anyone knowing his name would have the words of power which would cause them to have dominion over him. Unfortunately, Ra was really hurting, and consented. It had all the ramifications of Esau handing over his birthright to Jacob in order to avoid imminent starvation. But in Ra's case, it was quite possibly a much more serious matter.

"I consent that Isis shall search into me, and that my name shall pass from me into her. Then the god hid himself from the gods, and his place in the boat of millions of years was empty."

Isis/Inanna did cure Ra/Marduk, but she had gained her final prize, revenge and dominion over him. "Isis, the great goddess, the queen of the gods, who knew Ra by his own name."  It would also appear that Marduk was also finished with his status in the Anunnaki hierarchy -- his place in the boat of millions of years was empty. Marduk's involvement in mankind may very well have ended at this point in time, and only his name was used in the later Babylonian empire, circa 687 to 538 B.C.E.

With his death, it was also time for the Hyksos of Egypt and the Amalekites of southern Israel to meet their makers as well. But this portion of the tale, we will defer until the next Episode, when we begin to address the two primary, all-important questions raised by these Annals, and at the same time, discover the answers to the following questions:

1.         Who helped King Saul of Israel against the Amalekites, and who helped Ahmose I of Egypt against the Hyksos?

2.         Who was the Queen of Sheba, and where did Queen Hatshepsut go when she visited the Land of Punt?

3.         What wiped out the Western Chou Dynasty of China circa 770 B.C.E.?

4.         What was likely to happen when the planet Nibiru returns to the heavens (the asteroid belt) region circa 800 B.C.E.?

But more importantly, what knowledge did Moses take out of Egypt, where did he obtain it, what did he do with it, what does all of this have to do with the  Ark of the Covenant, what part will Solomon and the Queen of Sheba play in the drama, where does the island of Elephantine in Egypt fit into all of this, how do the Essenes, Mary, and Jesus take advantage of the remnants of the information, and how in the world are we going to tie in the  Knights Templar into this final answer to one of the all important questions raised by these annals?

And what prey tell is the second, all-important question to be answered before these Annals end?