tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71977875196492023692024-03-12T17:50:16.353-04:00The Westford Knight, the Newport Tower, and Related SitesA blog dedicated to discussion of exploration of North America before ColumbusDavid Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-62025532124338219002023-02-21T11:36:00.000-05:002023-02-21T11:36:22.036-05:00In justification for issuing his Papal Bull banning Catholics from becoming Freemasons in the mid-1800s, Pope Pius IX accused the Knights Templar of secretly being Johannites—that is, worshipers of John the Baptist rather than of Jesus. Pius, believing that Freemasonry evolved from the Templar order, ascribed the same belief to Freemasonry.
I first researched the Templar/Masonic connection to Johannism while writing Thief on the Cross, released in 2013. I learned that the Dead Sea Scrolls spoke of a prophecy during the time of Jesus which declared that there would be two messiahs rather than one—Jesus and John the Baptist, with John the Baptist (not Jesus) being the one chosen eventually to sit at God’s right hand. Apparently the Templars, having learned of this prophecy, began to worship John the Baptist. You may recall that the Church turned on the Templars in 1307, accusing them of heresy. In particular, the Church accused the Templars of worshiping a head known as Baphomet. Was this an accurate charge? In particular, were the Templars—as Johannites—worshiping the head of John the Baptist, beheaded in the first century by King Herod? (Baptist … Baptism … Baphomet?) And is that the reason the Freemasons—even today known as “John’s Brothers”—venerate John the Baptist and reserve his June 24 birthday for special occasions and ceremonies?
A decade later, I am revisiting that research. Specifically, the Mandaean people of southern Iraq and Iran recently have been displaced by ugly wars in their region. The Mandaeans are the only known sect of Johannites in the modern world. Due to their displacement, Mandaean sacred texts have come to light. These texts—including eye-opening passages describing Jesus as “the evil usurper”—offer fresh insights into Johannism. One tantalizing possibility is that Mary Magdalene may have been a Mandaean priestess. In fact, she and John the Baptist may even have been husband and wife.
As part of this research, I am taking a fresh look at Leonard da Vinci’s paintings. As Dan Brown famously wrote, da Vinci was purportedly part of a secret society intimately tied to the Templars (some even say he was a Templar Grand Master). I have been focusing in particular on the five depictions of John the Baptist I have found in da Vinci’s paintings. They all feature the so-called John gesture, in which John the Baptist is pointing to the heavens with his forefinger, as if to say, “I am ascending.” Here is one example:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64C4Oi8iVsya9qJl8g7v-5FzolzF5H1USB_NwA2EmrWY3zS9MYGlEyCkc-MdR6lnf7epuTDNHb6PZmfgQn0uBW-e7z6hGM8Va5BCtGetWCBQe3jxDfjRjfw1q62mHWSFHjS3LVPHYxJ4dZ7b3Xb4hLKiqnYqyLbjjopqWtro9JuYr55nm1a9AcmcG/s666/JohnBaptist.DaVinci.png.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64C4Oi8iVsya9qJl8g7v-5FzolzF5H1USB_NwA2EmrWY3zS9MYGlEyCkc-MdR6lnf7epuTDNHb6PZmfgQn0uBW-e7z6hGM8Va5BCtGetWCBQe3jxDfjRjfw1q62mHWSFHjS3LVPHYxJ4dZ7b3Xb4hLKiqnYqyLbjjopqWtro9JuYr55nm1a9AcmcG/s320/JohnBaptist.DaVinci.png.jpg"/></a></div>
Even da Vinci’s students seem to have carried on this tradition. Here is a sculpture by Giovanni Fransesco Rustici, who was living with da Vinci during the time of this work:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6xg6RhV7O9WUCfQkgjGr7bXo-83IDjOIV3am9yabNZc8tXl1rvkd7nvSygLbSecBylgi4d6ckS7dhWQ6ocpLjv7BihfhZRIYOT_4Zm621bklB0dsxHLVxhbrOykbc_p21s0S3SlaLcwV_e9EK8YstuTPlMdDL-9s4fz1GKL_OUMcLyOgmVg2Js0x/s615/JohnBaptist.Rustuci.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6xg6RhV7O9WUCfQkgjGr7bXo-83IDjOIV3am9yabNZc8tXl1rvkd7nvSygLbSecBylgi4d6ckS7dhWQ6ocpLjv7BihfhZRIYOT_4Zm621bklB0dsxHLVxhbrOykbc_p21s0S3SlaLcwV_e9EK8YstuTPlMdDL-9s4fz1GKL_OUMcLyOgmVg2Js0x/s320/JohnBaptist.Rustuci.png"/></a></div>
I have been thinking about this gesture, wondering what else could it mean? David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-26059076350184106732021-12-07T15:05:00.000-05:002021-12-07T15:05:46.285-05:00NEWPORT TOWER WINTER SOLSTICE. A group of us will be heading down to Newport, RI on Sunday, Dec. 19 to view the Tower solstice illumination. There is a “starburst” illumination at around 8:00 AM and then the main alignment (image below) begins around 8:45 and ends at 9:15.
Long-range weather looks good, but things could change as the day approaches. Message me if interested.
David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-79373288871821081312021-07-23T16:00:00.002-04:002021-07-23T16:00:35.651-04:00<p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t often weigh in on the Oak Island mystery, though I do regularly watch the Curse of Oak Island show. There are plenty of capable and qualified researchers working on this mystery, and I prefer to focus on less well-known historical enigmas. However, as a Templar historian, I do sometimes uncover things relevant to the Oak Island mystery. I did so recently, something which, unless it somehow turns out to be invalid, ties the Templars to Oak Island with a high level of certainty: coconut fibers.</span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coconut fibers have long been associated with the flood tunnels at Oak Island. As the theory goes, the fibers were used to prevent blockage of the box drains in the beach area of Smith’s Cove; these drains fed the flood tunnels, part of the booby-trap system used to protect the treasure buried underground in what has come famously to be known as the Money Pit. Coconuts, of course, are not native to Nova Scotia. And it is absurd to think they had floated up the coast of the Eastern Seaboard, as I have heard one archeologist suggest. Yet there they were.</span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">I stumbled upon a research report compiled by Les MacPhie reporting on samples of the Oak Island coconut fiber having been subjected to carbon-dating by commercial laboratories. (A copy of the online report can be found here: </span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oakislandtours.ca%2Fuploads%2F5%2F0%2F8%2F8%2F50887171%2Fb09_oak_island_carbon_dating_compiled_by_les_m_july_2006.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1C5s36OsHBM09xYXHocxPg3MGURebdwcyVvLFckZaDihzy2AnLBqMgeSU&h=AT1wFrsuKxLGvTD1XCwNkUI-9li3FCUpbfkw50vGdMuL5xkphvS3S_p74o6NMUeDj4LFU-yWnI5XrXk_zggrqVKIdTt18J73L5jvdXo27GdyDFoog29O1U7nYkwZCFTNSoH7crySB6tBhLyN&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1IfI5JaEyv_scuifWk1K9pG-s-skA_mgR6vx0mnou1KoGbs7ndYVO6rX0jFVflwoWl25kkvCzlMvDHwX4NhEr-Ob0FbuKRi5Fev23p4cN8sTjgM0ASgCWJ1Z1lV2TvrIxqk2DvmH3lv3KRcclDVvsdNgc" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.oakislandtours.ca/.../b09_oak_island_carbon...</a></span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"> . The second page of the report is reproduced below.) According to the report, a 1990 test by Beta Analytic yielded a date of 1180 AD, +- 60. A second test in 1996 by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute yielded the remarkably similar date of 1185 AD, +- 35.</span></p><p><a aria-label="No photo description available." class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10159552337047372&set=pcb.10159552352697372&__cft__[0]=AZUdpwURBdYgBmqQ9hvqSg1tnthbEoT03jSYllwyt8mkle6RALy_22JYopj7pDhbAUt2zNVIttcptirVK3sCTiOV6KaVzJJcXxWi2bVa-mYA-eF40oduxM4jEaj_k0VbMhc&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"></a></p><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 248.991px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 248.991px; left: -0.653409px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 250.298px;"><img alt="" class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm" height="329" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://scontent-bos3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/191506483_10159552337057372_1511782646624459303_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=g1obzNH_az4AX8HgW4M&_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.xx&oh=6498ca3b7677bd4f5adf5fe07794f6b8&oe=6100CB2F" style="border: 0px; cursor: move; height: 248.991px; inset: 0px; position: absolute; width: 250.298px;" width="331" /></div></div></div><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">These dates jumped out me, being almost an exact match to the 1179 date of a purported Templar voyage to Oak Island (continuing on to the Catskill Mountains of New York) as described in the so-called Cremona Document, first extensively written about in 2017 by historian Zena Halpern. See The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond, by Zena Halpern (CreateSpace 2017). See also The Scrolls of Onteora—The Cremona Document, by Donald A. Ruh (Lulu 2018). According to Halpern, the Templars deposited some or all of their treasure on Oak Island at a place labeled on a map (see below) of the island as “Le Voute en Bas de Terre,” or “The Vault Beneath the Earth” (left arrow). The map itself was labeled “Les Isle des Chene,” or “The Island of Oaks” (right arrow). (Note that this map displays a date of “1347” [not shown], perhaps indicating that it was drawn during a return visit by the Templars, subsequent to their original 1179 arrival.) This map has been regularly featured on the Curse of Oak Island show. </span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><a aria-label="May be an image of map" class="oajrlxb2 gs1a9yip g5ia77u1 mtkw9kbi tlpljxtp qensuy8j ppp5ayq2 goun2846 ccm00jje s44p3ltw mk2mc5f4 rt8b4zig n8ej3o3l agehan2d sk4xxmp2 rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 q9uorilb mg4g778l btwxx1t3 pfnyh3mw p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x tgvbjcpo hpfvmrgz jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso pmk7jnqg i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of du4w35lb lzcic4wl abiwlrkh p8dawk7l i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 j9ispegn kr520xx4 tm8avpzi" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10159552335717372&set=pcb.10159552352697372&__cft__[0]=AZUdpwURBdYgBmqQ9hvqSg1tnthbEoT03jSYllwyt8mkle6RALy_22JYopj7pDhbAUt2zNVIttcptirVK3sCTiOV6KaVzJJcXxWi2bVa-mYA-eF40oduxM4jEaj_k0VbMhc&__tn__=*bH-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"></a></p><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4" style="font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div class="do00u71z ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; height: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 248.991px; position: relative;"><div class="pmk7jnqg kr520xx4" style="font-family: inherit; height: 248.991px; left: -24.9574px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 298.92px;"><img alt="" class="i09qtzwb n7fi1qx3 datstx6m pmk7jnqg j9ispegn kr520xx4 k4urcfbm" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://scontent-bos3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/223291258_10159552335722372_6246147269508719551_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=suSzmMBV4yMAX9Qi6wP&_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.xx&oh=ddfb54eb87b02c88997a0c26e1ed72f4&oe=61006AD1" style="border: 0px; cursor: move; height: 248.991px; inset: 0px; position: absolute; width: 298.92px;" /></div></div></div><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">All of the above is available in the public record. What I was not aware of was the fact that coconuts are not native to the Americas. As of the twelfth century, coconuts were grown only in India, eastern Africa, Southeast Asia, and perhaps also Panama, but on the Pacific coast only. </span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCoconut%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3rGiolIZQ-7n_MMIhOYVjjDelHVq0VrocUMpqoywT_N7pFqyjaqhpSMmk%23Origin&h=AT0ye0IBaBwEY9p_VhBU-4vRJYsaCHqUTQVGIviENjAJvrhACUAzaR567eh0gPWDKJ-i5PH73_HlbIjfFWJ-FDZhL8BBwY_tEj8x92BmKihUUeDdNJRIKYoiVeNhAFLunHTJOXcmdPhNlp4p&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT1IfI5JaEyv_scuifWk1K9pG-s-skA_mgR6vx0mnou1KoGbs7ndYVO6rX0jFVflwoWl25kkvCzlMvDHwX4NhEr-Ob0FbuKRi5Fev23p4cN8sTjgM0ASgCWJ1Z1lV2TvrIxqk2DvmH3lv3KRcclDVvsdNgc" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut#Origin</a></span><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The Templars, it should be noted, were purported to have traveled extensively to Ethiopia (on the east coast of Africa) in the late twelfth century. See Graham Hancock, The Sign and the Seal (Touchstone 1992), at pages 103-117.</span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">This, to me, was eye-opening. Someone brought the coconut fiber to Oak Island from one of these remote locations. Who, other than the Templars, had the wherewithal to do so in the twelfth century?</span></p><p><span style="color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; white-space: pre-wrap;">For anyone with an open mind, this evidence is difficult to shrug away.</span></p><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="stjgntxs ni8dbmo4 l82x9zwi uo3d90p7 h905i5nu monazrh9" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="l9j0dhe7" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="bp9cbjyn m9osqain j83agx80 jq4qci2q bkfpd7mw a3bd9o3v kvgmc6g5 wkznzc2l oygrvhab dhix69tm jktsbyx5 rz4wbd8a osnr6wyh a8nywdso s1tcr66n" style="align-items: center; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); color: var(--secondary-text); display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; justify-content: flex-end; line-height: 1.3333; margin: 0px 16px; padding: 10px 0px;"><div class="kb5gq1qc pfnyh3mw c0wkt4kp" style="background-color: white; color: #65676b; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 7px;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-89440329672878328992021-07-07T18:41:00.000-04:002021-07-07T18:41:08.218-04:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;">My “Romerica” book focuses on dozens of Roman-era artifacts,
coins and stone structures scattered around New England and the Ohio River
Valley. In the book I speculate that these objects may be related to the Roman
Ninth Legion, which mysteriously disappeared from the historical record after helping
put down the Bar Kokhba uprising in Jerusalem in 135 AD. Since the book came
out last November, I have learned of two new sites which add additional support
to the possibility that Roman-era explorers came to America around the second
century.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">First, a site in the Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia
appears to be an ancient iron smelting operation. I recently visited this site,
known as the Arkfeld Farm. The owner has done meticulous work documenting his
finds and has brought in outside experts to help with testing and dating the site.
Here is a picture of what he believes to be part of the remains of the smelting
operation:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1ygv0SoXjow4HaR-TLvmM9omeS1CRkqTv9pDuClA8NGuP-VmYGyzdFw8QrK6zRr1x6ixdveJsVfOStQOWGMvFMlD6gv-JZBc_lwikJ9255XY70AT-HwoqlbAyWsdRkHXLsuVXtGFEyI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="417" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1ygv0SoXjow4HaR-TLvmM9omeS1CRkqTv9pDuClA8NGuP-VmYGyzdFw8QrK6zRr1x6ixdveJsVfOStQOWGMvFMlD6gv-JZBc_lwikJ9255XY70AT-HwoqlbAyWsdRkHXLsuVXtGFEyI/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span> </span>From the
site, he had three different samples tested at the University of Washington using
Optically Stimulated Luminescence testing. He tested a brick, a mortar/cement
sample, and a piece of slag (a byproduct of iron smelting). The results are as
follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brick Date: 10 AD +-160<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Slag Date: 30 BC +-700<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mortar Date: 150 AD +-100<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span>Furthermore,
the owner has documented similarities between this site and an iron smelting
site dating to the Roman era located near Hadrian’s Wall at the England-Scotland
border. In what may be a crucial piece to this puzzle, Hadrian’s Wall was built
and patrolled by the Roman Ninth Legion. (Note that there is no known evidence
of Native American iron smelting operations in North America.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Second, an inscription along the
shoreline in York Harbor, Maine appears to date back to the Roman era. The inscription,
evidencing considerable aging, consists of two lines of Roman letters.
According to one source, the lettering reflects a version of the Roman alphabet
not used after the 4<sup>th</sup> century AD. (Images below are 1) photograph
of inscription and 2) “chalked-in” version, both from 1968.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibb1NOcr7pyCM6mLbNdDuo8EwQ8ZUI51pRfurSeQa0Hezvq_JAvuy3x9ON34EViGoMUFkgOqMraS5Mh6Jkc3lq-biPca9ji_98F3ANjOJfULba17mcJqvEWFIr198W5kSJrWerxmsB-E/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="496" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibb1NOcr7pyCM6mLbNdDuo8EwQ8ZUI51pRfurSeQa0Hezvq_JAvuy3x9ON34EViGoMUFkgOqMraS5Mh6Jkc3lq-biPca9ji_98F3ANjOJfULba17mcJqvEWFIr198W5kSJrWerxmsB-E/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><ul><ul><li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-L-rIg7krOe0dLhw9Vip62XwEts4nnCkCjXcVAFtKwH4LHIkn86-7855uKk7Wy4UHPiSEez8Txy5NIvTlhyBAl-9dQkafjRcKsEexMFDF_qD_8eXcUKK9Nv9cYbrJb0RnNCNL9dkFMM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="485" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-L-rIg7krOe0dLhw9Vip62XwEts4nnCkCjXcVAFtKwH4LHIkn86-7855uKk7Wy4UHPiSEez8Txy5NIvTlhyBAl-9dQkafjRcKsEexMFDF_qD_8eXcUKK9Nv9cYbrJb0RnNCNL9dkFMM/" width="320" /></a></li></ul></ul></ul></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span>The script
appears to be an excerpt from Virgil’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aeneid</i>,
written c. 19 BC, and translates to: “There is far off at sea and facing a storm-beaten
shoreline, a reef often wholly submerged, and pounded by the towering breakers.”
Some commentators suggest the reef in question refers to nearby Boon Island,
where mooring holes 2-3 inches in diameter and 1 foot deep have been found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span>Both these
sites appear to add corroboration to the assertions made in “Romerica” that
Roman-era explorers made their way across the Atlantic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-35220612809244337202018-09-17T18:20:00.001-04:002018-09-18T16:26:42.645-04:00Columbus and the Templars<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Was Columbus
using old Templar maps when he crossed the Atlantic? At first blush, the
navigator and the fighting monks seem like odd bedfellows. But once I began ferreting around in this dusty corner of history, I found some fascinating connections. Enough, in fact, to trigger
the plot of my latest novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Swagger
Sword</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To begin
with, most history buffs know there are some obvious connections between
Columbus and the Knights Templar. Most prominently, the sails on Columbus’ ships
featured the unique splayed Templar cross known as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cross </i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">pattée</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(pictured here is the Santa Maria): <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhpW31I_423_FmiDPmCY4IHW4DrSJgksLfi-YOM2SlB_gARba6NFld8HSoijYijDA6_iRutOeegNXot3Z9msg4uQovjOfKzTtXUP9MnWeQqwavNSiQdE_qE80vYsVxSAeOpUOK-SMlBY/s1600/SantaMaria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhpW31I_423_FmiDPmCY4IHW4DrSJgksLfi-YOM2SlB_gARba6NFld8HSoijYijDA6_iRutOeegNXot3Z9msg4uQovjOfKzTtXUP9MnWeQqwavNSiQdE_qE80vYsVxSAeOpUOK-SMlBY/s1600/SantaMaria.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Additionally,
in his later years Columbus featured a so-called “Hooked X” in his signature, a
mark believed by researchers such as Scott Wolter to be a secret code used by
remnants of the outlawed Templars (see two large X letters with barbs on upper
right staves pictured below):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPlxoNOrzSnRphulXCwh7gXN3Qesu3vnB-ihtlVDFqVCtIiVwAOsv3TGa9qqR3s-WXY90XBqL2KC9uCesFMThZe-0CrC4_bQcmd_jRcX3Ez_w_d-50LU7tr7HWpa0-3rvgzwksuPuR9w/s1600/Columbus.Sigla2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPlxoNOrzSnRphulXCwh7gXN3Qesu3vnB-ihtlVDFqVCtIiVwAOsv3TGa9qqR3s-WXY90XBqL2KC9uCesFMThZe-0CrC4_bQcmd_jRcX3Ez_w_d-50LU7tr7HWpa0-3rvgzwksuPuR9w/s1600/Columbus.Sigla2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Other connections
between Columbus and the Templars are less well-known. For example, Columbus
grew up in Genoa, bordering the principality of Seborga, the location of the
Templars’ original headquarters and the repository of many of the documents and
maps brought by the Templars to Europe from the Middle East. Could Columbus
have been privy to these maps? Later in life, Columbus married into a prominent
Templar family. His father-in-law, </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bartolomeu Perestrello</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> (a nobleman and accomplished navigator in his own
right), was a member of the Knights of Christ (the Portuguese successor order
to the Templars). Perestrello was known to possess a rare and wide-ranging collection
of maritime logs, maps and charts; it has been written that Columbus was given
a key to Perestrello’s library as part of the marriage dowry. After marrying, Columbus
moved to the remote Madeira Islands, where a fellow resident, John Drummond, had
also married into the Perestrello family. Drummond was a grandson of Scottish
explorer Prince Henry Sinclair, believed to have sailed to North America in
1398. It is, accordingly, likely that Columbus had access to extensive Templar maps
and charts through his familial connections to both Perestrello and Drummond. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another
little-known incident in Columbus’ life sheds further light on the navigator’s
possible ties to the Templars. In 1477, Columbus sailed to Galway, on the west
coast of Ireland, from where the legendary Brendan the Navigator supposedly set
sale in the 6<sup>th</sup> century on his journey to North America. While
there, Columbus prayed at St. Nicholas’ Church, a structure built over an
original Templar chapel dating back to around the year 1300. St. Nicholas’ Church
has been compared by some historians to Scotland’s famous Roslyn Chapel,
complete with Templar tomb, Apprentice Pillar, and hidden Templar crosses.
(Recall that Roslyn Chapel was built by another grandson—not Drummond—of the
aforementioned Prince Henry Sinclair.) According to his diary, Columbus also
famously observed “Chinese” bodies floating into Galway harbor on driftwood,
which may have been what first prompted him to turn his eyes westward. A granite
monument along the Galway waterfront, topped by a dove (Columbus meaning ‘dove’
in Latin), commemorates this sighting, the marker reading: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On these shores around 1477 the Genoese sailor Christoforo Colombo
found sure signs of land beyond the Atlantic.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNei1GdpAluZTaulfzbttx8JmOkqUWD0t1QYKlxunBX7cpzlMRl006rvKdK9SQXXlqDlALxeKQGiHqODp6B_240szOHoxIFhmc3_7kVYUmM3HSXu-k4fw-uLpRfzmc9npbgiFsLDP6zCw/s1600/Columbus.GalwayMonument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNei1GdpAluZTaulfzbttx8JmOkqUWD0t1QYKlxunBX7cpzlMRl006rvKdK9SQXXlqDlALxeKQGiHqODp6B_240szOHoxIFhmc3_7kVYUmM3HSXu-k4fw-uLpRfzmc9npbgiFsLDP6zCw/s320/Columbus.GalwayMonument.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fact, as
the monument text hints, Columbus may have turned more than just his eyes
westward. A growing body of evidence indicates he actually crossed the north Atlantic
in 1477. Columbus wrote in a letter to his son: “</span><span lang="VI" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: VI;">In the </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">year 1477, in the </span><span lang="VI" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: VI;">month of
February, </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I navigated
100 leagues beyond Thule [to an] island which is as large as England. W</span><span lang="VI" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: VI;">hen I
was there the sea was not frozen over, </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">and the tide was so great as to rise and fall</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: VI;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">26</span><span lang="VI" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: VI;"> bra</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">cci</span><span lang="VI" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: VI;">as</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.” We will turn later to the mystery
as to why any sailor would venture into the north Atlantic in February. First,
let’s examine Columbus’ statement. Historically, ‘Thule’ is the name given to
the westernmost edge of the known world. In 1477, that would have been the
western settlements of Greenland (though abandoned by then, they were still
known). A league is about three miles, so 100 leagues is approximately 300
miles. If we think of the word “beyond” as meaning “further than” rather than
merely “from,” we then need to look for an island the size of England with
massive tides (26 braccias equaling approximately 50 feet) located along a
longitudinal line 300 miles west of the west coast of Greenland and far enough
south so that the harbors were not frozen over. Nova Scotia, with its famous
Bay of Fundy tides, matches the description almost perfectly. But, again, why
would Columbus brave the north Atlantic in mid-winter? The answer comes from
researcher Anne Molander, who in her book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Horizons of Christopher Columbus</i>, places Columbus in Nova Scotia on
February 13, 1477. His motivation? To view and take measurements during a solar
eclipse. Ms. Molander theorizes that the navigator, who was known to track
celestial events such as eclipses, used the rare opportunity to view the eclipse
elevation angle in order calculate the exact longitude of the eastern coastline
of North America. Recall that, during this time period, trained navigators were
adept at calculating latitude, but reliable methods for measuring longitude had
not yet been invented. Columbus, apparently, was using the rare 1477 eclipse to
gather date for future western exploration. Curiously, Ms. Molander places
Columbus specifically in Nova Scotia’s Clark’s Bay, less than a day’s sail from
the famous Oak Island, legendary repository of the Knights Templar missing treasure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Columbus-Templar connections detailed above were intriguing, but it wasn’t
until I studied the names of the three ships which Columbus sailed to America that
I became convinced the link was a reality. Before examining these ship names,
let’s delve a bit deeper into some of the history referred to earlier in this
analysis. I made a reference to Prince Henry Sinclair and his journey to North
American in 1398. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Da Vinci Code</i> made
the Sinclair/St. Clair family famous by identifying it as the family most
likely to be carrying the Jesus bloodline. As mentioned earlier, this is the
same family which in the mid-1400s built Roslyn Chapel, an edifice some historians
believe holds the key—through its elaborate and esoteric carvings and
decorations—to locating the Holy Grail. Other historians believe the chapel
houses (or housed) the hidden Knights Templar treasure. Whatever the case, the Sinclair/St.
Clair family has a long and intimate historical connection to the Knights
Templar. In fact, a growing number of researchers believe that the purpose of
Prince Henry Sinclair’s 1398 expedition to North America was to hide the
Templar treasure (whether it be a monetary treasure or something more esoteric
such as religious artifacts or secret documents revealing the true teachings of
the early Church). Researcher Scott Wolter, in studying the Hooked X mark found
on many ancient artifacts in North American as well as on Columbus’ signature, makes
a compelling argument that the Hooked X is in fact a secret symbol used by
those who believed that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and produced children.
(See <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hooked X</i>, by Scott F.
Wolter.) These believers adhered to a version of Christianity which recognized the
importance of the female in both society and in religion, putting them at odds
with the patriarchal Church. In this belief, they had returned to the ancient
pre-Old Testament ways, where the female form was worshiped and deified as the
primary giver of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is
through the prism of this Jesus and Mary Magdalene marriage, and the
Sinclair/St. Clair family connection to both the Jesus bloodline and Columbus,
that we now, finally, turn to the names of Columbus’ three ships. Importantly,
he renamed all three ships before his 1492 expedition. The largest vessel’s
name, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Santa Maria</i>, is the easiest
to analyze: Saint Mary, the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pinta</i> is more of a mystery. In Spanish, the
word means ‘the painted one.’ During the time of Columbus, this was a name attributed
to prostitutes, who “painted” their faces with makeup. Also during this period,
the Church had marginalized Mary Magdalene by referring to her as ‘the
prostitute,’ even though there is nothing in the New Testament identifying her
as such. So the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pinta</i> could very well
be a reference to Mary Magdalene. Last is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nina</i>, Spanish for ‘the girl.’ Could this be the daughter of Mary
Magdalene, the carrier of the Jesus bloodline? If so, it would complete the set
of women in Jesus’ life—his mother, his wife, his daughter—and be a nod to
those who opposed the patriarchy of the medieval Church. It was only when I
researched further that I realized I was on the right track: The name of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pinta</i> before Columbus changed it was the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Santa Clara</i>, Portuguese for ‘Saint
Clair.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, to put a
bow on it, Columbus named his three ships after the Virgin Mary, Mary
Magdalene, and the carrier of their bloodline, the St. Clair girl. These namings
occurred during the height of the Inquisition, when one needed to be extremely careful
about doing anything which could be interpreted as heretical. But even given the
danger, I find it hard to chalk these names up to coincidence, especially in
light of all the other Columbus connections to the Templars. Columbus was
intent on paying homage to the Templars and their beliefs, and found a subtle
way of renaming his ships to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Given all
this, I have to wonder: Was Columbus using Templar maps when he made his
Atlantic crossing? Is this why he stayed south, because the maps showed no
passage to the north? If so, and especially in light of his 1477 journey to an
area so close to Oak Island, what services had Columbus provided the Templars
in exchange for these priceless charts? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is this research,
and these questions, which triggered my novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Swagger Sword. </i>If you appreciate a good historical mystery as
much as I, I think you’ll enjoy the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Swagger-Sword-Templars-Columbus-Cover-up-ebook/dp/B07HCRNYVN/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=250BJ348VK92YRS5KV55">https://www.amazon.com/Swagger-Sword-Templars-Columbus-Cover-up-ebook/dp/B07HCRNYVN/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=250BJ348VK92YRS5KV55</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-63375051684380473482017-11-25T16:13:00.001-05:002017-11-25T16:32:13.033-05:00Newport Tower Research Updates<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Developments in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Newport</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Tower</st1:placetype></st1:place> Research<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There have been two recent developments I wanted to share.
The first adds credence to the theory that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Newport</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Tower</st1:placetype></st1:place>
was NOT built as a Colonial windmill, and the second points to the builders as
members of the 14<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> century Prince Henry Sinclair party.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cartography<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Renowned anthropologist and researcher Dr. Gunnar Thompson
recently passed away, but before he did he posted to his website ( </span><a href="http://marcopoloinseattle.com/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">http://marcopoloinseattle.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> ) a
number of maps of the <st1:place w:st="on">Narragansett Bay</st1:place> area
which he had been researching. The first, a map dated 1569 by Gerhard Mercator,
is shown here [cropped for clarity]:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSBzMhlqdwURuUDkzYkYx_meOdnyZB007IjpRf8FWkHGhPoQqniYCYpSdVt5hlMDutNwLdTS5Xtkn8XEsyBujPF56BGmQgdUS4il-DoIlYqf7IBrxeJ4ZthLe7kNkTIL7Bpzfdi3Z7lE/s1600/Mercator.NewportMap.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="513" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSBzMhlqdwURuUDkzYkYx_meOdnyZB007IjpRf8FWkHGhPoQqniYCYpSdVt5hlMDutNwLdTS5Xtkn8XEsyBujPF56BGmQgdUS4il-DoIlYqf7IBrxeJ4ZthLe7kNkTIL7Bpzfdi3Z7lE/s400/Mercator.NewportMap.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The map clearly displays a European settlement at the northeastern
end of Narragansett Bay, labeling the settlement “Norombega” and describing the
settlement (not shown) as the capital city of the <st1:place w:st="on">New
World</st1:place>. Apparently, as of 1569, there was known to be a
well-established European presence in the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:city>
area. (<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:city>
is located on the eastern side of the bay, south of where the settlement is
drawn.) Recall that the failed <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roanoke</st1:place></st1:city>
colony was not established until 1585. And this 1569 also predates the Elizabethan-era
expedition to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:city>
orchestrated by John Dee as proposed by researcher Jim Egan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The conclusion that the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:city> area had been settled in pre-Colonial
times is further buttressed by a 1635 map drawn by William Wood, shown here:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recall that Plymouth Colony was settled in 1620 by the
Pilgrims. And note the label “New Plymouth” located east of <st1:placename w:st="on">Plymouth</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype>
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cape Cod</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bay (you may need to zoom in)</st1:placetype></st1:place>. What is curious is that at the
northeastern part of <st1:place w:st="on">Narragansett Bay</st1:place>, where
Mercator marked Norombega, there is a settlement labeled “Old Plymouth” on this
map (again, zoom in). The first Colonial settlers did not arrive in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Rhode Island</st1:place></st1:state> until 1936, after this map was
drawn, so this “Old Plymouth” cannot mark a Colonial settlement. Again, as we
saw with the Mercator map, there seems to be a memory of some kind of ancient European
settlement in the <st1:place w:st="on">Narragansett Bay</st1:place> area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, these maps don’t prove that the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Newport</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Tower</st1:placetype></st1:place>
is pre-Colonial. But they do show strong evidence of a pre-Colonial settlement
in the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:city>
area. It is entirely possible that the Tower is part of that settlement.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: inherit;">Native American Oral History<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So if the Tower predates the Colonists, who built it?
Readers of my books know that I believe the leading candidate to have done so was
Prince Henry Sinclair and his party in or around 1399. (Sinclair ruled Scottish
lands near <st1:city w:st="on">Edinburgh</st1:city> as wells as Norwegian lands
in the <st1:place w:st="on">Orkney Islands</st1:place>; his family also had a
longstanding relationship with the outlawed Knights Templar.) In previous
posts, and in my books and lectures, I have outlined the various reasons for
this. But, until recently, I had never asked the one group of people who were
actually here when I believe the Tower was built: The Native Americans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In June of 2015, Pocasset Wampanoag Tribal Chief Daryl
“Black Eagle” Jamieson joined a group of us at the Tower. When asked, Black Eagle replied that, according
to what had been passed down to him by tribal elders, the Tower had been build
by Henry Sinclair and the Knights Templar. He pointed out that whoever built
the Tower must have had an alliance with the Native Americans in the area
(ruling out the Colonists and also the Elizabethan-era British), else the
Native Americans simply would have driven them off long before the Tower could
have been completed. (A more complete excerpt of Black Eagle’s response is set
forth below.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My sincere thanks to Black Eagle for his candor and his
willingness to help us solve the mystery of who built this amazing Tower.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Black Eagle comments June, 2015:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">“The Narragansett history is that the people that built this
Tower are people that came here with red hair... They were red-haired people
building here and they were allowed to build here—allowed... To me, the only
person that could have came here and gotten away with that is somebody that was
brought here by another native tribe... They would have had to have had some
kind of alliance... The only ones that I know that had that alliance were Henry
Sinclair when he came and met with the Micmacs.* The Knights Templar. They were
the only legitimate people that could have come here and built this with the
permission of the natives.”</span></div>
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*It is believed the Prince Henry group made an alliance with the Micmacs of Nova Scotia before coming south to New England.</div>
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David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-38615394881959458622017-03-29T11:11:00.002-04:002017-04-24T19:31:28.222-04:00Westford "Stone Sanctum"?Visited an intriguing site in Westford, MA this weekend with Scott Wolter and his wife Janet. The site is comprised of a series of white rocks arranged in a specific pattern that appears to be ceremonial. The arrangement looks like a dandelion after it has turned white, with a stem (in this case 8 white rocks arranged in a row) leading to an orb (in this case a circle of white rocks). In the center of the circle is a large white boulder. The arrangement is oriented<span class="text_exposed_show"> west to east, in the traditional layout of a Christian church (assuming the path to be the nave, the circle to be the apse, and boulder to be an altar). The arrangement is normally under water, but is visible now due to last summer's drought. The site has a number of features which make me think it is ceremonial: the orientation, the use of white rocks, its proximity to water, the church-like layout, and the use of 8 steps (8 being a sacred number to many groups). It is also close to where we think the Prince Henry Sinclair group would have traveled before climbing Prospect Hill to the Westford Knight site. Thanks to Wayne Wagner for calling this to my attention. He heard about this from Cori and Bill Ryan. Photo credits: Cori Ryan, GoogleEarth.</span><br />
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UPDATE 4/24/17: After bringing several Native American tribal elders to view the site, we now believe it may be a "women's circle" where women gathered monthly (they may have waded out in the shallow water to do so). If so, the site would likely predate the late 1600s, after which few Native Americans lived in Westford. The layout--a pathway leading to a circle--may represent the birth canal and womb, with the alter in the center perhaps representing the child. This would be similar to other Goddess fertility sites around the world which also use the "stick and ball" or "balloon" design to symbolize the birth canal and womb.<br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVclSx6wIhCaRjm2eSTYq-mnRkc5XRQaHwCsgVxKFOmagC9DjvnmTVbSbf_-BkZIezZf_4lVYRukjTCJfeYDqgKkaJrQJr_IYdVUXuyIC75IT3sXnytU7NybDsOeDpwbg6NKeWbpfak8E/s1600/GrassyPond.GoogleEarth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVclSx6wIhCaRjm2eSTYq-mnRkc5XRQaHwCsgVxKFOmagC9DjvnmTVbSbf_-BkZIezZf_4lVYRukjTCJfeYDqgKkaJrQJr_IYdVUXuyIC75IT3sXnytU7NybDsOeDpwbg6NKeWbpfak8E/s320/GrassyPond.GoogleEarth.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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</span><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span>David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-57160031735853747102017-03-15T18:43:00.000-04:002017-03-15T18:43:11.289-04:00America's Stonehenge Revisited<div class="post-header">
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I originally posted this discussion a few years ago, focusing on the fascinating summer solstice sunrise alignment connecting America's Stonehenge (North Salem, NH) to Stonehenge England and then to the Phoenician homeland of Lebanon. I now want to update: It turns out that the alignment continues, as we theorized, to the ancient Phoenician homeland at a site located in the Golan Heights in what is now Israel. The site is called Israeli Stonehenge and is also known as <em>Gilgal Refaim</em>, the Wheel of the Giants. Its various "spokes" and "wheels," mark the celestial and astronomical events of the year. It is, like its namesakes, essentially, a stone calendar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzttogD0AzCn3VtilWLdY0kMo39_2wOVtZF79NdRXvpn81QBHcSOV1rWuDX4I6oGuAzAjSKrZ252xCBprURlpuEaCBpScpW-moIUQxfDJ_xyej_YFUiRvwMcGTGnicV99bEYEEyWdi1XI/s1600/Israeli.Stonehenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzttogD0AzCn3VtilWLdY0kMo39_2wOVtZF79NdRXvpn81QBHcSOV1rWuDX4I6oGuAzAjSKrZ252xCBprURlpuEaCBpScpW-moIUQxfDJ_xyej_YFUiRvwMcGTGnicV99bEYEEyWdi1XI/s400/Israeli.Stonehenge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The mound in the center is fifteen feet tall,
and the outer circle is over 500 feet in diameter. Incredibly, the site aligns to within 1/6 of 1 degree along the summer solstice sunrise line connecting America's Stonehenge to Stonehenge England. Not bad for sites separated by 6,000 miles!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">I think what happened was that the ancient seafaring Phoenicians, being sun worshipers, built these ceremonial sites as they sailed westward to trade for tin (in southern England near Stonehenge) and copper (northern New England and Great Lakes regions), both of which were needed in vast quantities during the Bronze Age. The summer solstice was the most important day of the year to sun worshipers (being the sunniest), which is why the sites are aligned on the sunrise of that day. How did they do it? The same way they navigated the oceans: through their knowledge of astronomy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[Original post reprinted below]</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU_67r7zDxvDf109qJt7AnaheDKprmbZOJTPnL5DoCNQ9qXp-TjhRUSViPfaPKJX89Jn7uYgtI3lil2g_GU6zLBgGXDEN16WMVOecx2qZ6RDKhDS44fgqqPH1x-8toGcmvCHXmny3iEs/s1600/AmStone.SumSolsSunrise.StonehengeArch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU_67r7zDxvDf109qJt7AnaheDKprmbZOJTPnL5DoCNQ9qXp-TjhRUSViPfaPKJX89Jn7uYgtI3lil2g_GU6zLBgGXDEN16WMVOecx2qZ6RDKhDS44fgqqPH1x-8toGcmvCHXmny3iEs/s320/AmStone.SumSolsSunrise.StonehengeArch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Happy to see H2's "America Unearthed" show did such a good job with the America's Stonehenge episode that aired this weekend (and will re-air over the coming weeks). Some of the episodes have been disappointing, but this one did a good job summarizing the evidence and describing why many people feel the ancient Phoenicians build the New Hampshire site, perhaps 3500 years ago. The son of the owners of the site, Kelsey Stone, has done some fascinating work showing how the summer solstice sunrise illumination links the site to Stonehenge in England and also to the Phoenician homeland of what is modern Lebanon. Standing at the center of the NH site, and looking directly into the summer solstice sunrise, one's line of sight would pass directly through one of the arches at Stonehenge, England. Attached are images showing this phenomenom, courtesy of Kelsey Stone (on the top image, the bottom line is simply the east-west line; the upper line is the summer solstice sunrise line). The line of sight, extended, eventually would also pass through Lebanon, presumably where some ancient Phoenician temple or monument would have been erected. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzttogD0AzCn3VtilWLdY0kMo39_2wOVtZF79NdRXvpn81QBHcSOV1rWuDX4I6oGuAzAjSKrZ252xCBprURlpuEaCBpScpW-moIUQxfDJ_xyej_YFUiRvwMcGTGnicV99bEYEEyWdi1XI/s1600/Israeli.Stonehenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-87026588738568283362016-04-28T13:14:00.002-04:002016-04-28T13:14:50.880-04:00Update on Tucson Lead ArtifactsThose who read my novel <em>Powdered Gold </em>will recall the controversy over the Tucson lead artifacts discovered in the 1920s. Scott Wolter and other geologists have examined them and concluded that, based on the geology, the artifacts are at least many hundreds of years old, validating their 8th Century AD dating. But some Latin scholars have analyzed the inscriptions and concluded they were lifted from modern Latin textbooks by a hoaxer. Recently an expert on medieval Latin studied the artifacts and has declared them to be genuine:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2017332-tucson-artifacts-suggest-europeans-made-it-to-new-world-in-8th-century-expert/">http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2017332-tucson-artifacts-suggest-europeans-made-it-to-new-world-in-8th-century-expert/</a><br />
<br />
In my mind, this pretty much resolves this issue, making these artifacts some of the most important pieces of evidence of early exploration of America.<br />
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David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-49102164932953734162015-11-10T16:45:00.001-05:002015-11-10T16:48:18.110-05:00Masons, Druids and Washington, DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">The American patriot
Thomas Paine, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Common Sense,</i>
wrote also about the Freemasons, though less famously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Freemasonry, he stated, “<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">is derived and is the remains of the religion
of the ancient Druids, who, like the magi of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Persia</st1:country-region>
and the priests of <st1:city w:st="on">Heliopolis</st1:city> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Egypt</st1:place></st1:country-region>, were
priests of the sun.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never before
associated Masonry with the Druids, but the idea of the Masons, Druids and
Egyptian priests being connected through sun worship makes sense to anyone who
has toured the Masonic House of the Temple in Washington, D.C.—the building is
full of Egyptian iconography and symbolism, highlighted by the pair of giant
marble sphinxes flanking the structure’s entryway.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a data-ved="0CAcQjRxqFQoTCIbw6rXnhskCFQZbGgod7XAMhw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCIbw6rXnhskCFQZbGgod7XAMhw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scottishriteomaha.org%2FPortfolio_Embed-v2_news.asp%3FTN%3D8302013105858&psig=AFQjCNGl1WYhJuxDnwP8yBlHg_lMg9oS-A&ust=1447277584202891" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;"><img src="http://www.scottishriteomaha.org/assets/2013_biennial_session_washington,_dc/House%20of%20hte%20Temple%20sphinx.jpg" height="244" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 66px;" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "garamond"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "garamond"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">If
the Freemasons truly did derive from the Druids as Paine argued, and if the
Masons truly did design Washington, D.C. in such a way as to imbed their
secrets within that design as so many modern observers have suggested, then
shouldn’t there be evidence of Druidic influence in the city’s layout?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It turns out there is, in a stunningly
obvious way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><span style="font-family: "garamond"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Pennsylvania Avenue</span></st1:address></st1:street><span style="font-family: "garamond"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Maryland Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> radiate out from the
Capital building in a northwesterly (<st1:state w:st="on">Pennsylvania</st1:state>)
and southwesterly (<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maryland</st1:place></st1:state>)
direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The angle in which they do is
approximately 20.5 degrees off of due west, a seemingly random angle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Importantly, each avenue connects the Capital
building with a crucial D.C. landmark—<st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Pennsylvania
Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> leads to the White House, and <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Maryland Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> to
the Jefferson Memorial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, again, is
there anything significant about the placement of these roads/structures?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Obviously there is, else I would not have
bothered with this blog post.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">As readers may know, the sun-worshipping
Druids marked and observed not only the equinoxes and solstices, but the
cross-quarter days as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
cross-quarter days fall between an equinox and solstice, and occur in early
February, May, August and November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
many ways they are the most accurate way to mark the seasons—the height of
summer occurs in early August and the height of winter in early February.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the pastoral communities of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">British</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Islands</st1:placetype></st1:place> that were home to the Druids,
these days also mark important events in the calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, Samhain in early November was
the traditional time to slaughter livestock for consumption during the winter
months, while Beltane in early May was the time to drive cattle to their summer
grazing lands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">So do the Freemasons
observe these cross-quarter days?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
Thomas Paine is correct, logic would argue that modern Masons should follow the
practices of their Druidic antecedents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As with many things with the Masons, the answer to this inquiry is
hidden in plain sight. Pictured below is a Masonic Royal Arch banner,
commemorating the Royal Arch degree—I will not get into this too deep other
than to say the Royal Arch degree’s importance is reflected in the fact that it
is the only degree in Freemasonry which is a prerequisite to becoming a Master
Mason.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "garamond";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">Note the four symbols
portrayed on the four crests that surround the central Royal Arch degree
insignia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clockwise from upper left we
have an eagle, a lion, a man and a bull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those familiar with astrology will recognize the signs of Scorpio (the
eagle being a symbol, along with the scorpion, of Scorpio), Leo, Aquarius (man being the water carrier) and Taurus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
signs, in turn, directly correlate to the four cross-quarter days:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imbolc occurs at the height of Aquarius (that
is, at the precise midpoint of Aquarius’ Zodiacal cycle), Beltane at the height
of Taurus, Lunasa at the pinnacle of Leo, and Samhain at the apex of
Scorpio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it appears Paine was correct
in his assertion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Masonic ritual marks
and celebrates the cross-quarter days just as the Druids did before them.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">So, back to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Washington</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">D.C.</st1:state></st1:place>
and our seemingly-random layout of the White House and Jefferson Memorial
vis-à-vis the Capital building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Savvy
readers will not be surprised to learn that on Beltane the sun sets on the
horizon directly above the White House along <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Pennsylvania Avenue</st1:address></st1:street> (White House
pasted into image):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">Similarly, on Imbolc the
sun sets down <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Maryland Avenue</st1:address></st1:street>
atop the Jefferson Memorial (also pasted into image):<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond";">In conclusion, it seems
that Paine was correct in his assessment that Freemasonry derived from the
religion of the ancient Druids, as evidenced by the Masonic-inspired Druidic solar
alignments prevalent in the layout of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Washington</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">D.C.</st1:state></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></div>
David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-79292150639916138372015-01-26T19:24:00.001-05:002015-01-26T23:49:23.312-05:00America Unearthed, Hooked X & Westford KnightIn anticipation of next Saturday's season finale of H2's "America Unearthed" series, starring forensic geologist Scott Wolter, I wanted to post some images of and information regarding the so-called Hooked X (or Forked X) mark found this past summer on the Westford Knight carving. This Hooked X mark will be prominently featured in the finale.<br />
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Here are some images:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLKfmW47-R6N0rdz4u5YPPbYj_dIEV2jTg72qnR8HZcMA_JmuH7Ca36Lxko7sCzxeC2VcJlCgh0ScLSRm2EwDLXJSmsGNH00_4QjuoNfn60xLJIUyrGd6rcWJRRneAX5YvNbOd1pKTzM/s1600/HookedX.WestfordKnight.Lit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLKfmW47-R6N0rdz4u5YPPbYj_dIEV2jTg72qnR8HZcMA_JmuH7Ca36Lxko7sCzxeC2VcJlCgh0ScLSRm2EwDLXJSmsGNH00_4QjuoNfn60xLJIUyrGd6rcWJRRneAX5YvNbOd1pKTzM/s1600/HookedX.WestfordKnight.Lit.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ91K5Iznq1hBI3PlXw_W2G6suAbQ3jdkdziWgy06QYl6wRq7yrwYz636jY9idI9aj_RB3GkhbvNs_tNpx-lvsxjibqkEUsqO5WwPdVkahazrzz0HpXal1Qy4kIEvcx3ry_VSXTShCpPI/s1600/HookedX.WestfordKnight.Lit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ91K5Iznq1hBI3PlXw_W2G6suAbQ3jdkdziWgy06QYl6wRq7yrwYz636jY9idI9aj_RB3GkhbvNs_tNpx-lvsxjibqkEUsqO5WwPdVkahazrzz0HpXal1Qy4kIEvcx3ry_VSXTShCpPI/s1600/HookedX.WestfordKnight.Lit2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvm42_y9h2bzZtEv-4Ggk4SrAvoo-OWt99E-Q9rt1GupNdEZx8-ZE7jNWjzbwpnKb4lpArN3g3l59P1LQ_fu5XAXdWOYt710xr9m29BizUef31ryc8ND4-SmeI_WH8llLa8ZV_UAW0sA/s1600/HookedXArrowed.WestfordKnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvm42_y9h2bzZtEv-4Ggk4SrAvoo-OWt99E-Q9rt1GupNdEZx8-ZE7jNWjzbwpnKb4lpArN3g3l59P1LQ_fu5XAXdWOYt710xr9m29BizUef31ryc8ND4-SmeI_WH8llLa8ZV_UAW0sA/s1600/HookedXArrowed.WestfordKnight.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Kp9W77XG8ASF6S5lVbFsjZsKmXDor1uwkMB4GdDVdqx3Zxa49_4rRG4uIhstOe3pNODm2ufECK86cm99yUBCczA8aXXYPF_aGlwWQLdKWRHL0OZPPc4JUWLYVIJEhFoAq12IOT5A6W0/s1600/HookedX.WestfordKnight..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Kp9W77XG8ASF6S5lVbFsjZsKmXDor1uwkMB4GdDVdqx3Zxa49_4rRG4uIhstOe3pNODm2ufECK86cm99yUBCczA8aXXYPF_aGlwWQLdKWRHL0OZPPc4JUWLYVIJEhFoAq12IOT5A6W0/s1600/HookedX.WestfordKnight..jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[orientation is off 90 degrees on this last image]</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU325lNTK6-k0sQ8zDCXWyJhELUmnyiRqoaeKYSP6eA8-0_URvhC3JZYhxWhu6C-k7jPmOBhDhVk8TQcJNZPTSyO7zNy06QUKsAC69YI8OJ2Xs4afmiALPUvrZTzdcaWd4sHlCbhOx3ss/s1600/WestfordKnight.Rubbing.HookedX.Arrowed.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU325lNTK6-k0sQ8zDCXWyJhELUmnyiRqoaeKYSP6eA8-0_URvhC3JZYhxWhu6C-k7jPmOBhDhVk8TQcJNZPTSyO7zNy06QUKsAC69YI8OJ2Xs4afmiALPUvrZTzdcaWd4sHlCbhOx3ss/s1600/WestfordKnight.Rubbing.HookedX.Arrowed.bmp" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrow showing location of Hooked X mark on rubbing of Westford Knight</td></tr>
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Most readers, I think, will be able to make out the Hooked X mark as well as round dots marks equally spaced both to the left and to the right of the mark These dots may serve as word separators. The location of the mark is consistent with a "signature" of the carver, located near the bottom corner of the carving.<br />
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No doubt that critics will attempt to downplay the significance of this mark and/or argue it is a hoax of some kind. Regarding the possibility of hoax, I will note that the likelihood is negligible for two reasons:<br />
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1. The weathering of the Hooked X mark (see below).<br />
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2. The fact that the mark appears on a plaster cast made of the Knight many years before Scott Wolter began his research on the Kensington Rune Stone and first identified (and popularized) the Hooked X rune as an important clue to the Rune Stone's origin.<br />
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I also want to observe that, in reading some of the reviews of "America Unearthed," some skeptics seem unwilling to concede that even a single artifact analyzed on the show evidences even the possibility of pre-Columbian exploration of America. Let me state that another way: In these critics' minds, there is a 100% chance that 100% of the artifacts are fakes/hoaxes. I'm sorry, but that is not the world I live in. The world I live in is gray, where parts of history are unknown. This is not to say that every AU episode makes a compelling case, but the idea that every episode and every artifact is 100% flawed is untenable to me and, quite frankly, makes the critics look close-minded and agenda-driven.<br />
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I am happy to answer any questions, but I will not allow posts that are in my judgment uncivil.<br />
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Finally, here is an earlier post from 10/7/14 that I have copied and pasted in this post for easy reference:<br />
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In late June I posted some images of what appear to be a Hooked X or Forked X on the Westford Knight carving. On August 31 researcher Jerry Lutgen, along with geologist Scott Wolter, came to Westford to photograph and examine the mark. I won't try to describe Jerry's work other than to say he uses digital imaging to create 3D images and models of the carvings he studies. Here is a color image of the Hooked X mark:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8iu0FLQlkFajj1OITsBBQML9L6V4-Wu2CBMms1PSqGRLEzHHMAVJx_7rp0OlKmNFacHvKGL62kx_sU-W1aoWPKIOM2aFm30ivDrYpmKkjEEWzMdTI7cfLaEa-ZLXqoPmyIxIXyVoXdI/s1600/Knight.X.Color.Lutgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8iu0FLQlkFajj1OITsBBQML9L6V4-Wu2CBMms1PSqGRLEzHHMAVJx_7rp0OlKmNFacHvKGL62kx_sU-W1aoWPKIOM2aFm30ivDrYpmKkjEEWzMdTI7cfLaEa-ZLXqoPmyIxIXyVoXdI/s1600/Knight.X.Color.Lutgen.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></div>
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As Jerry explained it to me, because the rock is not a flat surface, the thing to focus on here is the comparative depth of the lines in question, not their absolute depth. What we are looking for is a consistency in the relative depth of the lines in question (this consistency shows a man-made origin rather than a naturally occurring one). <br />
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Looking at the X (you may need to zoom in), the "hook," and the 2 "word separator" dots on either side, we see that the upper left stem, the lower left stem, the upper right stem, the "hook" stem and the left dot all contain light blue "punch" marks within the green-colored surface. The lower right stem and the right dot are solid green amid the yellowish/orange-colored surface. <br />
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Looking at the color chart on the right of the image, we see that all the carved lines/dots in question are approximately one to one-and-a-half color gradations in depth--in other words, carved or punched at a relatively similar depth. Again, this points to a man-made origin.<br />
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We can next compare the Hooked X mark with the sword portion of the carving:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW-pTy5OYNaj1pp2S5N_EakVLgFt3uz1lAY-iC_F9fqrLl4Dzh0HgJa3KOoVgSy-nipTJwbw1pEG737A1aJI5tqrLUMufuOTgOgJh1sKY0lRau2f0LxIALsNU0R_CzWmKLrAcwxzae2U/s1600/Knight.Sword.Color.Lutgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW-pTy5OYNaj1pp2S5N_EakVLgFt3uz1lAY-iC_F9fqrLl4Dzh0HgJa3KOoVgSy-nipTJwbw1pEG737A1aJI5tqrLUMufuOTgOgJh1sKY0lRau2f0LxIALsNU0R_CzWmKLrAcwxzae2U/s1600/Knight.Sword.Color.Lutgen.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
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This sword area is a relatively flatter surface, and we see that the punch marks are mostly light green amid a yellowish surface (around the pommel) or dark green amid a light green surface (near the cross-guard). Again, we have a carved/punched depth equal to approximately one color gradation.<br />
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Scott Wolter has not reviewed all the data yet, but he and I had a long telephone conversation on September 26 and his preliminary conclusion is that it is 85-90% likely that the mark is indeed a man-made Hooked X carved at a time contemporaneous to the sword carving. As I understand it (and Scott has not reviewed this post), this conclusion is based on the following factors:<br />
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1. The orientation of the mark is perfectly consistent with the orientation of the rest of the carving.<br />
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2. The "word separator" dots are equally spaced on either side of the mark and positioned similarly to separator dots in other runic carvings.<br />
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3. The carving depth is consistent within the Hooked X itself and also consistent as between the Hooked X and the sword (see above).<br />
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4. The weathering profile within the Hooked X mark is consistent with the weathering within the sword carving.<br />
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5. It is extremely unlikely that a Hooked X mark and a pair of separator dots, all appearing in the proper orientation, would somehow naturally form on the face of the Westford Knight carving.<br />
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When I asked Scott why this only added up to 85-90% certainty, he laughed and said that his only hesitation was that finding a Hooked X on the Westford Knight carving was simply "too good to be true."David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-18812763538557072492014-12-03T16:58:00.002-05:002014-12-03T16:58:50.206-05:00Narragansett Rune Stone, the Vinland Map, and CoincidenceI'm not a big believer in coincidence. With that in mind, I'll throw this out there and let people react to it:<br />
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1. In 1959 a wealthy banker by the name of Paul Mellon purchased the famous Vinland Map, purportedly for a million dollars, and donated it to Yale University. The map, if authentic, dates to the early 1400s.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-BlHkjBawjcYBfTp4qL3LV37dh814VK9tbNgORwVihj3SI89XYrKgHHmwuqW4WZdDMdyBiImaaKT3OZJ9LZu6yKdkIl5XNdS8UuXuAE0wMENf9HABH1GcxNuW4DfTH8ytEBsUKjGdc8/s1600/VinlandMap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-BlHkjBawjcYBfTp4qL3LV37dh814VK9tbNgORwVihj3SI89XYrKgHHmwuqW4WZdDMdyBiImaaKT3OZJ9LZu6yKdkIl5XNdS8UuXuAE0wMENf9HABH1GcxNuW4DfTH8ytEBsUKjGdc8/s1600/VinlandMap.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. In 2012, the Narragansett Rune Stone disappeared, taken from Narragansett Bay. The artifact was later recovered through the efforts of RI state law enforcement officials. According to the Providence Journal, the individual responsible for taking the multi-ton boulder from the bay was Timothy Mellon, the son of the above-named Paul Mellon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAopbf54ikTj1Imij1jQpifAhEispKpX8X9iF4W7ZaWyPuaZ58X_4c3KboC742_cWaItIvsDOGn-ofezElxVphZ0B2D0e43EQg_q36AY3nI49MfBXMeIqiQJ22G2Hh01_lC3T3DT_ueU/s1600/NarragansettStone.Carving.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAopbf54ikTj1Imij1jQpifAhEispKpX8X9iF4W7ZaWyPuaZ58X_4c3KboC742_cWaItIvsDOGn-ofezElxVphZ0B2D0e43EQg_q36AY3nI49MfBXMeIqiQJ22G2Hh01_lC3T3DT_ueU/s1600/NarragansettStone.Carving.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Both the map and the rune stone play important roles in the debate regarding early exploration of North America. So is this just a coincidence?David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-26714314036148816102014-11-13T14:17:00.000-05:002014-11-13T14:17:11.588-05:00Oak Island PetroglyphI have been watching, and enjoying, the History Channel series, "The Curse of Oak Island." This week (11/11/11) they examined a petroglyph in the shape of an 8-sided star. I have dug around and found an image of this from Edward J. Lenik's book, <em>Picture Rocks </em>(University Press of New England 2002), at page 29. This is also known as the Bedford Barrens glyph:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxCnfNnOn1KQx6T_oioJvt6-Rn8vyiTI-nX1-8lSBVrsay7QBt6U6uMW2OH4C7Rg9ouspwtE2f09zG3GGvMErVQCDm0hVxUURMTls3R89WgrR35M1aIrVWaPF1oQ-mC3aRIC0U_Pr1mA/s1600/OakIslandPetroglyph.LenikDrawing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxCnfNnOn1KQx6T_oioJvt6-Rn8vyiTI-nX1-8lSBVrsay7QBt6U6uMW2OH4C7Rg9ouspwtE2f09zG3GGvMErVQCDm0hVxUURMTls3R89WgrR35M1aIrVWaPF1oQ-mC3aRIC0U_Pr1mA/s400/OakIslandPetroglyph.LenikDrawing.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-63346635550668880382014-10-30T13:15:00.000-04:002014-10-30T13:15:13.375-04:00Templar Ruins and the Newport TowerWhile in Scotland recently, I visited the ruins of St. Anthony's Chapel in Holyrood Park. This chapel is believed to have been built by the Knights Templar in the 1300s. I was struc<span class="text_exposed_show">k by the architectural similarities between the chapel and Rhode Island's Newport Tower, also believed by some (including myself) to have been built by the Templars. Note especially the window shape/design and the arch design.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw1KpiijwDxzk04RVDyfB-4l1qTfEHBpnhuDrIOdK2_Bp5PIwERGHlld3YT0So5sf7hrKhP-S5BkdZrWcOxHEuftJlrRVxhOQKGpg446XWF9n0VZ-06W54kkmIwSngT0oVKWozJobRIE/s1600/NewportTower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw1KpiijwDxzk04RVDyfB-4l1qTfEHBpnhuDrIOdK2_Bp5PIwERGHlld3YT0So5sf7hrKhP-S5BkdZrWcOxHEuftJlrRVxhOQKGpg446XWF9n0VZ-06W54kkmIwSngT0oVKWozJobRIE/s1600/NewportTower.jpg" height="320" width="258" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVA0M1H8ouGq47jHi1enVSVJy4FHTjt3tdzOv9K88VjCwGXmZ4R_hymhmJFCgzIOuLdRhyHHtHykE8pT035K-uwXCRro7WZ03W3eybYORGVEd4YU3VjR9llA0NtB_o7s9bmFVi6bKZQU/s1600/StAnthonys.Window.Scotland.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyVA0M1H8ouGq47jHi1enVSVJy4FHTjt3tdzOv9K88VjCwGXmZ4R_hymhmJFCgzIOuLdRhyHHtHykE8pT035K-uwXCRro7WZ03W3eybYORGVEd4YU3VjR9llA0NtB_o7s9bmFVi6bKZQU/s1600/StAnthonys.Window.Scotland.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span>David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-22075887494150082132014-10-25T18:52:00.002-04:002014-10-25T18:57:48.984-04:00Rosslyn Chapel & Westford KnightOne of the pieces of evidence often cited in proving the authenticity of the Prince Henry Sinclair journey to North America in 1398 (and the related Westford Knight carving) is the existence of various North American flora carved on the walls and ceiling of the iconic Rosslyn Chapel. The Chapel was built in 1456 by Henry Sinclair's grandson, William Sinclair, and the thought is that William possessed drawings of flora from his grandfather's journey.<br />
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I have often seen maize and aloe mentioned as two such North American plants. But on a recent trip to Scotland our Rosslyn Chapel tour guide pointed out a third plant, trillium, pictured here:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg702byRG9SAO0x56KigSpwcsQsFgFm8tr9e8QiH4klAbKwwwSavc1rA29NiMpqFeMLMrFb7FX8YwujCMwk0Wj707qmnIAOUNPSJc-fem580wgR84f1S1uAOb_Sv138mXzIeQevcVLV3iY/s1600/RoslynChapel.Trillium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg702byRG9SAO0x56KigSpwcsQsFgFm8tr9e8QiH4klAbKwwwSavc1rA29NiMpqFeMLMrFb7FX8YwujCMwk0Wj707qmnIAOUNPSJc-fem580wgR84f1S1uAOb_Sv138mXzIeQevcVLV3iY/s1600/RoslynChapel.Trillium.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is an image of trillium from Wikipedia:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4MTg1MPsCOGXS1Ks9xJMTOggb1aGHxbp-hRTO1TenB-nIDri874DSpsYGdNzwc0U4f_a1ENLalv6XkcJ26seURDuYANGZiAGtaLSx5NQrln8vfXNi0ZdwiUsoNkvbtQU-TkllJhuZx4/s1600/Trillium.cernuum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4MTg1MPsCOGXS1Ks9xJMTOggb1aGHxbp-hRTO1TenB-nIDri874DSpsYGdNzwc0U4f_a1ENLalv6XkcJ26seURDuYANGZiAGtaLSx5NQrln8vfXNi0ZdwiUsoNkvbtQU-TkllJhuZx4/s1600/Trillium.cernuum.jpg" height="315" width="400" /></a></div>
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To be more particular, this is trillium cernuum. This plant is native to eastern Canada and New England--in fact, trillium is the official flower of the province of Ontario. It is not found in Europe. According our tour guide, a botanist the Chapel retained confirmed that the carving was, indeed, North American trillium.<br />
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To state the obvious, someone from Scotland must have been to North America and seen trillium prior to 1456.David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-41592765730737158732014-10-23T11:34:00.000-04:002014-10-23T11:39:59.721-04:00Westford Knight--Head?This post is, admittedly, less than scientific. But for years I have been visiting the Westford Knight carving and have never really clearly seen the "head" of the Knight. The sword is clear, but for the head and body and shield I sort of have to squint my eyes and use my imagination. Then last week I received a bunch of photos and, voila, there he was, staring up from the rock. Here is the image, plus a drawing (very rough, sorry) showing what it is I see:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iWCf3YxJPQqPoRf-Vx21FxzaPyNeiXf5PwHYPuovTtIy5Syvag7dQTO-vRxgFNRURyL3FZGYbo6CegYDMcF7rc5UYCWxEG0EI9YYaJeCJ53TVZGJIRXMZ10P3AzxbIjZlvudPVbm4QI/s1600/Knight.WithHead.Lutgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iWCf3YxJPQqPoRf-Vx21FxzaPyNeiXf5PwHYPuovTtIy5Syvag7dQTO-vRxgFNRURyL3FZGYbo6CegYDMcF7rc5UYCWxEG0EI9YYaJeCJ53TVZGJIRXMZ10P3AzxbIjZlvudPVbm4QI/s1600/Knight.WithHead.Lutgen.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEr-ec1ogo4TW0tgLHd0pduxEeAz-JZe3Z1jtT7vljRJAkU0lGssdAvKPs57AMVe3ZPSOnHMcyZ6cO7uQ7aVNt4lMdSzqTyE4TlY4TC2ur9Me6HSK2f69QXvCT0j30yoDvu3aFlreV-7g/s1600/Knight.WithHeadCircled.Lutgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEr-ec1ogo4TW0tgLHd0pduxEeAz-JZe3Z1jtT7vljRJAkU0lGssdAvKPs57AMVe3ZPSOnHMcyZ6cO7uQ7aVNt4lMdSzqTyE4TlY4TC2ur9Me6HSK2f69QXvCT0j30yoDvu3aFlreV-7g/s1600/Knight.WithHeadCircled.Lutgen.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1ijJ7_wN7IKhDasBdJoUnGEhVYw0GRzyTCTBKQhBwEgFhITFZbSC3r4WWYJz1NsJSxRn0Q5Mg2xsGeXRdDA3ModA8D6OOFLFEincEWRld-pXzJ5s320XZw4PQEOvN_G-1MAriDhVojQ/s1600/Knight.WithHeadDrawn.Lutgen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1ijJ7_wN7IKhDasBdJoUnGEhVYw0GRzyTCTBKQhBwEgFhITFZbSC3r4WWYJz1NsJSxRn0Q5Mg2xsGeXRdDA3ModA8D6OOFLFEincEWRld-pXzJ5s320XZw4PQEOvN_G-1MAriDhVojQ/s1600/Knight.WithHeadDrawn.Lutgen.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Comparing this to the rubbing and some of the older drawings and photos, this head is in the same spot as the other renderings, but this head is turned a bit to his right whereas the head in the rubbing appears to looking straight up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EUWEqPwgSeek-rKoV1T2uNidwYpl2YqGbP4grlQXC3n7TuU3vHrtpk3uiCvxr1NVvGFm0jZk6kMOCqz31CcXt7ab8_q-4LQCNP2aI52TmUjJGlU3VxnTMDfhu8FfONK4R5GjZbQncTo/s1600/WestfordKnight.Rubbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EUWEqPwgSeek-rKoV1T2uNidwYpl2YqGbP4grlQXC3n7TuU3vHrtpk3uiCvxr1NVvGFm0jZk6kMOCqz31CcXt7ab8_q-4LQCNP2aI52TmUjJGlU3VxnTMDfhu8FfONK4R5GjZbQncTo/s1600/WestfordKnight.Rubbing.jpg" /></a></div>
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Again, not a scientific analysis but I have had a lot of questions about this so I wanted to share this image.David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-88257163323903215422014-10-11T13:17:00.000-04:002014-10-11T13:18:07.037-04:00Brody new novel: "The Oath of Nimrod"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtjucTb0qJFy1nGo1rS9sX8SOZYHa016LLMbH_Oe6YEQyDYwBdq2Hh1crGRL1zZhGQnI2rcN_k-N1KmODulYtwnnrvkhVZ7Fn2dp_KZIzs8wi39m2vo1tLd3dfjTf9j2869MImh0QXTY/s1600/OathOfNimrod.finalfrontcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtjucTb0qJFy1nGo1rS9sX8SOZYHa016LLMbH_Oe6YEQyDYwBdq2Hh1crGRL1zZhGQnI2rcN_k-N1KmODulYtwnnrvkhVZ7Fn2dp_KZIzs8wi39m2vo1tLd3dfjTf9j2869MImh0QXTY/s1600/OathOfNimrod.finalfrontcover.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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In <span style="font-family: inherit;">September</span> the 4th novel in my "Templars in America" series came out. This is a continuation of my exploration, using actual sites and artifacts, of the untold history of North America. Site/artifacts included in this book include America's Stonehenge, the Bat Creek Stone, the Grave Creek Tablet and burial mound, the Vinland Map, the Narragansett Rune Stone, Judaculla Rock, the Newport Tower, the Westford Knight, and Burrows Cave.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In "The Oath of Nimrod," protagonists Cam and Amanda return
for another adventure, this one triggered by hundreds of giant human skeletons
unearthed in burial mounds across <st1:place w:st="on">North America</st1:place>
in the 19th century. A secret CIA brainwashing program in the 1960s known as
MK-Ultra and a mysterious blood oath made by blindfolded Freemasons also fuel
the plot.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">The book is available on Amazon (link below) as well as on Kindle and Nook:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oath-Nimrod-MK-Ultra-Smithsonian-Templars/dp/0990741303/ref=asap_B00NSXQE38_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413036115&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Oath-Nimrod-MK-Ultra-Smithsonian-Templars/dp/0990741303/ref=asap_B00NSXQE38_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413036115&sr=1-1</a></span></span></div>
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David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-64377910876268789732014-10-07T13:50:00.003-04:002014-10-07T14:06:35.744-04:00Update: Hooked X on Westford Knight CarvingIn late June I posted some images of what appear to be a Hooked X or Forked X on the Westford Knight carving. On August 31 researcher Jerry Lutgen, along with geologist Scott Wolter, came to Westford to photograph and examine the mark. I won't try to describe Jerry's work other than to say he uses digital imaging to create 3D images and models of the carvings he studies. Here is a color image of the Hooked X mark:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8iu0FLQlkFajj1OITsBBQML9L6V4-Wu2CBMms1PSqGRLEzHHMAVJx_7rp0OlKmNFacHvKGL62kx_sU-W1aoWPKIOM2aFm30ivDrYpmKkjEEWzMdTI7cfLaEa-ZLXqoPmyIxIXyVoXdI/s1600/Knight.X.Color.Lutgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8iu0FLQlkFajj1OITsBBQML9L6V4-Wu2CBMms1PSqGRLEzHHMAVJx_7rp0OlKmNFacHvKGL62kx_sU-W1aoWPKIOM2aFm30ivDrYpmKkjEEWzMdTI7cfLaEa-ZLXqoPmyIxIXyVoXdI/s1600/Knight.X.Color.Lutgen.jpg" height="271" width="400" /></a></div>
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As Jerry explained it to me, because the rock is not a flat surface, the thing to focus on here is the comparative depth of the lines in question, not their absolute depth. What we are looking for is a consistency in the relative depth of the lines in question (this consistency shows a manmade origin rather than a naturally occurring one). <br />
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Looking at the X (you may need to zoom in), the "hook," and the 2 "word separator" dots on either side, we see that the upper left stem, the lower left stem, the upper right stem, the "hook" stem and the left dot all contain light blue "punch" marks within the green-colored surface. The lower right stem and the right dot are solid green amid the yellowish/orange-colored surface. Looking at the color chart on the right of the image, we see that all the carved lines/dots in question are approximately one to one-and-a-half color gradations in depth--in other words, carved or punched at a relatively similar depth. Again, this points to a manmade origin.<br />
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We can next compare the Hooked X mark with the sword portion of the carving:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW-pTy5OYNaj1pp2S5N_EakVLgFt3uz1lAY-iC_F9fqrLl4Dzh0HgJa3KOoVgSy-nipTJwbw1pEG737A1aJI5tqrLUMufuOTgOgJh1sKY0lRau2f0LxIALsNU0R_CzWmKLrAcwxzae2U/s1600/Knight.Sword.Color.Lutgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqW-pTy5OYNaj1pp2S5N_EakVLgFt3uz1lAY-iC_F9fqrLl4Dzh0HgJa3KOoVgSy-nipTJwbw1pEG737A1aJI5tqrLUMufuOTgOgJh1sKY0lRau2f0LxIALsNU0R_CzWmKLrAcwxzae2U/s1600/Knight.Sword.Color.Lutgen.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
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This sword area is a relatively flatter surface, and we see that the punch marks are mostly light green amid a yellowish surface (around the pommel) or dark green amid a light green surface (near the cross-guard). Again, we have a carved/punched depth equal to approximately one color gradation.<br />
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Scott Wolter has not reviewed all the data yet, but he and I had a long telephone conversation on September 26 and his preliminary conclusion is that it is 85-90% likely that the mark is indeed a manmade Hooked X carved at a time contemporaneous to the sword carving. As I understand it (and Scott has not reviewed this post), this conclusion is based on the following factors:<br />
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1. The orientation of the mark is perfectly consistent with the orientation of the rest of the carving.<br />
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2. The "word separator" dots are equally spaced on either side of the mark and positioned similarly to separator dots in other runic carvings.<br />
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3. The carving depth is consistent within the Hooked X itself and also consistent as between the Hooked X and the sword (see above).<br />
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4. The weathering profile within the Hooked X mark is consistent with the weathering within the sword carving.<br />
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5. It is extremely unlikely that a Hooked X mark and a pair of separator dots, all appearing in the proper orientation, would somehow naturally form on the face of the Westford Knight carving.<br />
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When I asked Scott why this only added up to 85-90% certainty, he laughed and said that his only hesitation was that finding a Hooked X on the Westford Knight carving was simply "too good to be true."David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-84115294364048229792014-10-01T13:01:00.000-04:002014-10-01T13:09:59.961-04:001325 Date on Newport Tower?I visited the Newport Tower last Friday to investigate claims that the date "1325" appears on the Tower and is its likely date of construction. I came away unconvinced.<br />
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Researcher Gary Gianotti identified two different locations on the Tower which he believes contain the 1325 date. First, on a capstone of a northern-facing pillar (see pair of light-colored rectangular rocks; capstone in question is the one to the right):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F0xV-TEbOkEc7LttXkmARBZx2mf9oGUc6862X8z2r130m5GTygdgnTdW-J4Fa9_OvIUDCo95zqy17tq9ApADydIyz9RIZv8NpEYicbqXFeVcAF3Sm0qpiWK9U1trmt5hRqXc_tOlAF4/s1600/NewportTower.1325Pillar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2F0xV-TEbOkEc7LttXkmARBZx2mf9oGUc6862X8z2r130m5GTygdgnTdW-J4Fa9_OvIUDCo95zqy17tq9ApADydIyz9RIZv8NpEYicbqXFeVcAF3Sm0qpiWK9U1trmt5hRqXc_tOlAF4/s1600/NewportTower.1325Pillar.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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We visited at night and were able to bring a latter inside the fence to closely examine the capstone. We wet it down and examined it using low-angle light, which tends to best highlight carvings in stone. While I could see a "1" mark and part of what might be a "3" next to it, I did not see the "2" or "5". That is not to say the date did not at one point exist--I simply can not see it now. <br />
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In addition, a second smaller stone on the inside of this pillar contains some carvings that Mr. Gianotti believes reflect the 1325 date.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH3KszSpNjojnHSU4OGUAQJxWlgvpB9vJRZZoW2JZJl7vvASS4FT3Bqb1tsNIKix1edzt1TP6BJ6O7XRSs9ecD0l2aJXPlbZGwLQak_YIRWTZuYV1AnZ684lhmJtfhR7ad6-igu9W25s/s1600/NewportTower.1325SmallStone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPH3KszSpNjojnHSU4OGUAQJxWlgvpB9vJRZZoW2JZJl7vvASS4FT3Bqb1tsNIKix1edzt1TP6BJ6O7XRSs9ecD0l2aJXPlbZGwLQak_YIRWTZuYV1AnZ684lhmJtfhR7ad6-igu9W25s/s1600/NewportTower.1325SmallStone.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Again, after wetting the stone and examining it with low-angle lighting, I could see what may be a series of 3 dates one atop the other; the top one I believe reads 1826 and the bottom one 1848; I did not see the 1325 date on the middle one as Mr. Gianotti does.<br />
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Mr. Gianotti also has identified what he believes to be Anglo-Saxon runes on the right side of this smaller stone, which if validated may provide clues to the Tower's origin.<br />
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I commend Mr. Gianotti on his research, and look forward to investigating more of his findings.<br />
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I was joined on this investigation by past and/or present NEARA Board members Steve DiMarzo, Rick Lynch and Jim Egan.<br />
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[Photos courtesy Gary Gianotti and Steve DiMarzo.]David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-6199143426382339732014-06-25T13:49:00.002-04:002014-06-25T13:49:13.688-04:00Hooked X on Westford Knight Carving?As part of the Westford Knight preservation project, Westford firefighter David Christiana, along with Shane Greenslade, recently thoroughly cleaned the Knight carving. While examining it, they noticed a small carving a few inches to the east of the blade of the sword that may be a mark commonly referred to as the Hooked X or Forked X. The carving appears to be weathered and at a depth comparable to the sword carving. On either side of the X can be found single dots (perhaps to frame it or mark it). Image attached, both with and without overlay (courtesy David Christiana). Anyone have any insights or comments?<br />
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David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-51672983693608784332014-03-26T13:55:00.000-04:002014-05-16T10:50:47.037-04:00Rebuttal to David K. Schafer’s Westford Knight Report<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<u>Rebuttal to David
K. Schafer’s Westford Knight Report<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
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For a number of years, a “report” or “survey’ has been
floating around the internet, purportedly written by a David K. Schafer,
Curatorial Assistant for Archaeology at Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology
and Ethnology, in which Mr. Schafer questions the validity of the so-called
Westford Knight carving in Westford, Massachusetts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to take a few minutes to respond to
this report since, like many things on the internet, it seems to have taken on
a life of its own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A link to a summary
of the report can be found here: <a href="http://www.ramtops.co.uk/westford.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.ramtops.co.uk/westford.html</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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First, although the summary of Mr. Schafer’s report has been
cited dozens of times, I can find no evidence the actual report exists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there is such a report, it has never been
published or even posted on the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the summary, which first appeared in 1998, states that the
report “will be published in the Massachusetts Archaeological Society Bulletin
as well as some regional publications,” 16 years have now passed; I think it
safe to conclude that this was an erroneous statement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, the summary states that this was
a “preliminary” report—presumably more research was needed before the report
could be finalized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(In fact, nowhere in
the summary does it confirm that Mr. Schafer even visited the site—he may have
been working from photographs.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally,
based on private correspondence I have seen, Mr. Schafer acknowledged in 2004
that his report was written in a “tongue in cheek” manner and was never
intended to be made public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, what
has been circulating on the internet is a summary of an unpublished
“preliminary” report posted by a third-party who claims to be an acquaintance
of Mr. Schafer, a report that Mr. Schafer apparently later distanced
himself from.</div>
<br />
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Second, many critics of the authenticity of the carving rely
on Mr. Schafer’s statement that “the flat bedrock [upon which the Knight is carved]
would have been buried under 1-3 feet of soil” during the 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
century because the bedrock is located in what would have then been a hardwood
forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What Mr. Schafer failed to note
is that the bedrock in question abuts an ancient Native American trail running
up Prospect Hill in Westford and cutting through any such forest—it is entirely
possible that frequent use of this trail would have exposed the bedrock and
prevented the soil buildup described by Mr. Schafer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Schafer was apparently unaware of this
trail, which changes the area topography and presumably would have changed his
analysis. </div>
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Third, Mr. Schafer concluded with “the simple fact that the
town historian has evidence that the ‘T’ was made by two local boys in the
late-19<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> [sic] century.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This conclusion may be ‘simple’ but it is hardly a ‘fact.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is apparently true that two local boys added
to the carving in the late 1800s by inscribing a “peace pipe” to the area near what
many believe to be the face of the Knight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But this “peace pipe” was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">carved</i>
into the bedrock rather than <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pecked</i>
into the bedrock as was the case with the rest of the carving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More to the point, Mr. Schafer failed to acknowledge
(probably because he was unaware) that the carving was written about in the
town history as a mystery of unknown origin in 1873—at a time when the oldest
of the local boys in question was only a toddler. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See Elias Nason, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts</i> (B.B. Russell, 1874), at
page 542.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dates simply don’t work
for Mr. Schafer’s conclusion. In fact, the 1873 reference and a later 1883 reference describe the carving as a mysterious historical oddity even then, and postulate the images were carved in the past "by some Indian artist." Ibid. Since the Native Americans were all forcibly removed from Westford and surrounding areas in the late 1670s, any such Native American work would presumably have to predate that decade.</div>
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Fourth, Mr. Schafer acknowledges that the sword area of the
carving (what he calls a “T”) is manmade using some kind of punching or pecking
technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He does not, as some opponents
of the carving’s validity assert, claim that the entire carving is comprised only
of natural striations in the bedrock.</div>
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In conclusion, it is time that scholars, researchers and
members of the media stop relying on Mr. Schafer’s so-called report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The report is flawed, factually inaccurate,
incomplete and not intended for publication; it has no place in the ongoing and
important debate regarding the validity of this historic artifact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Much has been written about the Westford
Knight—those who continue to rely on Mr. Schafer’s report rather than seek out more
legitimate sources are being either intellectually lazy or intentionally biased.</div>
<br />
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In place of Mr. Schafer’s report, I offer an analysis of the
Westford Knight carving compiled by Joseph A. Sinnott, the former Massachusetts
State Geologist for twenty-two years who also served as the Director of the
Massachusetts Underwater Archeology Board:</div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“After a lengthy and
detailed study of the rock outcropping in the field it is my considered opinion
that a pecked and etched image of an historical event has been employed on the
bedrock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can discern the outline of a sword,
a sailing vessel, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natural or
glacial markings such as striations, grooves, polishing and weathering are all
apparent on the rock but do not diminish the stature of the image placed there
at a much later date.”</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>[Letter dated October 14, 1999, addressed to Massachusetts Historical Committee.]</div>
<br />
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As Mr. Sinnott states, the carving on the bedrock displays
a historical event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is up to modern
researchers and scholars to determine exactly what that event was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To do so requires the use of legitimate
source material.</div>
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David S. Brody</div>
March 26, 2014David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-84006705447820662562014-03-23T18:18:00.001-04:002014-03-23T18:18:31.214-04:00"The American Templars" film released<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;">“The American
Templars,” a full-length "indie film" based on my <span style="font-style: italic;">Cabal of the Westford Knight</span> novel, has been
released and is available for purchase on Amazon, here:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Templars-Kevin-Cirone/dp/B00IZ03YO6/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=14TG51HXP761EXN163S0">http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Templars-Kevin-Cirone/dp/B00IZ03YO6/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=14TG51HXP761EXN163S0</a></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7hrB8WE32d7szkBXObCHr5NUNGNh5dw7C7wlotfisfsFtD8dTt89MPVrUy8ih2XwRc_LTpcJNFtqU71F6ajeeoQNSssnhYuaf7OMyiFDDbe0BAuuGW5lTulMTYK6E9pqMZyaWNDIebc/s1600/AmericanTemplars.LOGO.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7hrB8WE32d7szkBXObCHr5NUNGNh5dw7C7wlotfisfsFtD8dTt89MPVrUy8ih2XwRc_LTpcJNFtqU71F6ajeeoQNSssnhYuaf7OMyiFDDbe0BAuuGW5lTulMTYK6E9pqMZyaWNDIebc/s1600/AmericanTemplars.LOGO.tiff" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14pt;">In the next few weeks Amazon will also offer rental and download options. The film has been modified and enhanced based on feedback from the October
screening. Viewers should not expect a Hollywood-quality production, but
this is a fun, action-packed movie and a great way to spend two
hours. Some violence and adult language.</span></span></div>
</div>
David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-7601477990157395592014-02-04T12:37:00.000-05:002014-03-29T18:20:59.340-04:00Bat Creek Stone and America UnearthedI've received a number of queries asking for my reaction to the America Unearthed episode featuring the Bat Creek Stone ("Lost Relics of the Bible").<br />
<br />
Overall, I thought it was one of the series' best episodes. Scott for the most part stuck to science and did a good job introducing the Bat Creek Stone as an important artifact. However, I would have liked to have seen three points expanded upon (yes, I know it is only an hour episode but there is so much repetition in this series that there is plenty of time to dive deeper into the investigations):<br />
<br />
1. It could have been made clearer that the stone would have needed to be in the ground for many decades (centuries?) in order for the residue to wash away from the grooves--that is why Scott thinks it is ancient. Water would have penetrated the mound and slowly "bathed" the stone and cleaned out the grooves. Again, this would have taken many years, which points to the artifact's authenticity. (My guess is that Scott made this point but it was lost in the editing process.)<br />
<br />
2. I would have liked Scott to have talked about the artifacts and bones found in the burial mound beneath the carved stone. The Cherokee tribal leaders have asked the Smithsonian to return the bones and artifacts so the tribe could test them but, last I heard, the Smithsonian was claiming they had been lost. I am not big into conspiracies, but this type of thing makes people wonder if there is some kind of cover-up going on. I'm surprised Scott didn't pursue this angle.<br />
<br />
3. I would have also liked to see a stronger rebuttal directed at the naysayers who, inevitably, accuse the Smithsonian field agent who found the stone (John Emmert) of perpetuating a fraud or hoax, apparently in order to impress his boss. Here is a quote from one skeptic:<br />
<br />
"John W. Emmert, a Smithsonian agent who conducted the 1889 excavation, forged the stone by disguising Paleo-Hebrew text copied from the 1870 Masonic text in order to create 'Cherokee' writing so he could impress his boss, Cyrus Thomas, by discovering pre-Columbian Native <br />
writing."<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.jasoncolavito.com/1/post/2014/02/review-of-america-unearthed-s02e10-lost-relics-of-the-bible.html">http://www.jasoncolavito.com/1/post/2014/02/review-of-america-unearthed-s02e10-lost-relics-of-the-bible.html</a><br />
So, instead of simply copying from other Cherokee script (examples of which existed as early as the 1810s), Emmert found a Masonic text, took from it Paleo-Hebrew writing, disguised it by turning it upside down, and then tried to pass it off as Cherokee... I'm sorry, my head hurts. Why go through such a convoluted process? And why would Emmert attempt to impress his boss with an artifact that was, frankly, unimpressive? (Remember, Emmert never claimed the artifact was Hebrew; in fact, his field notes show the carving drawn upside down.) He reported finding a stone carved with Cherokee writing in a Cherokee burial mound. Yawn. Hardly the type of discovery that leads to a promotion.<br />
<br />
More to the point, nobody (including the Smithsonian) questioned the authenticity of the find until almost a hundred years after its discovery--only after Hebrew experts flipped the stone 180 degrees and concluded the script was Hebrew rather than Cherokee did anyone begin to question Emmert and his motivations. And does anyone else see the irony of the Smithsonian questioning its own employees? Should we thus assume other Smithsonian employees have also altered historical artifacts?<br />
<br />
Regarding the naysayers, I am continually amazed by how zealously some critics attack Scott and his research. I do not agree with all of Scott's conclusions, but I do feel many of them are valid or at least merit further investigation. But the critics (easy enough to find through a Google search) have almost a visceral reaction every time Scott reaches a conclusion that runs contrary to accepted dogma. I understand that some of this criticism is borne of jealousy (one vociferous critic has repeatedly and unsuccessfully auditioned to play a host role similar to that played by Scott in America Unearthed). But there is an emotional, quasi-irrational aspect to these criticisms as well, with name-calling, personal attacks and intentional distortion of Scott's words.<br />
<br />
I had some personal experience with one of these naysayers a couple of years ago. As part of the early planning for the show that would become America Unearthed, Scott asked me to travel to Tennessee with a film crew to investigate the Bat Creek Stone and do some interviews (Scott had to be at a wedding and could not go himself). One of the people we interviewed was an archeology professor from the University of Tennessee. He opined that the Bat Creek Stone was a fake. When I asked if his opinion would change if the artifacts found in the burial mound were tested by a reputable lab and the results showed the bones in the mound dated back to the first century AD and DNA showed a Middle-Eastern origin, he answered 'no.' When I asked why, he said that since he <em>knew</em> there were no explorers here before Columbus, any testing that showed otherwise must be flawed. He suggested that, in my scenario, somebody would have had to have somehow rigged the test. Nothing like making the evidence fit your theory!<br />
<br />
I fear many others are equally close-minded, ignoring compelling evidence as they cling to their "Columbus first" dogma like a small child unwilling to let go of his or her belief in the Tooth Fairy.David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-24148222349631971642014-01-27T17:03:00.002-05:002014-01-27T17:16:56.810-05:00Summary of Artifacts/Sites in Brody NovelsI often receive inquiries from readers wanting to know if a certain artifact or site is discussed in one of my novels. For example, "Do you investigate the Newport Tower in any of your books?" So I thought I would take the time to summarize which artifacts/sites/subjects are discussed in my 3 "Templars in America" novels (in no particular order):<br />
<br />
CABAL OF THE WESTFORD KNIGHT<br />
<br />
Westford Knight Carving (aka the Westford Sword)<br />
Westford Boat Stone<br />
Westford "Encampment Site" Foundation<br />
Newport Tower<br />
Narragansett Rune Stone<br />
Spirit Pond Rune Stones<br />
Kensington Rune Stone<br />
Scott Wolter<br />
Hooked X Rune<br />
Dotted R Rune<br />
Noman's Land Rune Stone (aka No Man's Land Rune Stone)<br />
Tyngsboro Map Stone<br />
Machias Bay Petroglyphs<br />
Oak Island Money Pit<br />
America's Stonehenge<br />
America's Stonehenge's Sacrificial Stone<br />
Bourne Stone<br />
Lake Memphremagog Artifacts<br />
Stone Holes (some call Anchor Holes or Mooring Holes)<br />
Zeno Narrative and Zeno Map<br />
Roslyn Chapel<br />
Delta of Enoch<br />
Tetragrammaton<br />
Kilmore Church Stained Glass Window<br />
Royston Cave Carving<br />
Touro Synagogue<br />
Touro Cemetery<br />
Mary Magdalene<br />
Merovingians<br />
Freemasons<br />
Knights Templar<br />
Cistercians<br />
Bernard de Clairvaux<br />
Biblical Figure, Enoch<br />
Judge Samuel Sewell<br />
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow<br />
<br />
THIEF ON THE CROSS<br />
<br />
Burrows Cave Artifacts<br />
Michigan Tablets (aka Scotford-Soper Relics)<br />
Bat Creek Stone<br />
Ohio Decalogue Stone<br />
Catskill Goddess Stone<br />
Catskill "In Camera" Stone (aka Latitude Stone)<br />
Prince Madoc Legend<br />
Mandan Native Americans<br />
Dry Stone Mural<br />
Notre Dame Basilica (Montreal)<br />
Notre Dame Basilica "Trigrammaton"<br />
Delta of Enoch<br />
Talpiot Tomb<br />
Bon-Secours Chapel Cornerstone<br />
Vinland<br />
L'Anse Aux Meadows<br />
Icelandic Sagas<br />
Cave-in-Rock<br />
King Juba II<br />
Queen Cleopatra Selene<br />
America's Stonehenge<br />
America's Stonehenge's "Baal" Stone<br />
John the Baptist<br />
Johannism<br />
Mary Magdalene<br />
Essenes<br />
Leonardo da Vinci's "Virgin of the Rocks"<br />
Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa"<br />
Leonardo da Vinci's "St. John the Baptist"<br />
Book of Mormon<br />
Freemasons<br />
Knights Templar<br />
The Newport Tower<br />
<br />
POWDERED GOLD<br />
<br />
Tucson Lead Artifacts<br />
Mustang Mountain Rune Stone<br />
Los Lunas Decalogue Stone<br />
Mary Magdalene<br />
The Toltecs<br />
The Aztecs<br />
Notre Dame Basilica (Montreal)<br />
Chichen Itza Bearded White God<br />
Quetzalcoatl<br />
Cistercian Monastery, Tarragona Spain (14th Cent. Painting)<br />
Coptic Christian Fragment<br />
Dead Sea Scrolls<br />
Kilmore Church Stained Glass Window<br />
Grand Canyon (artifacts and hieroglyphs)<br />
Mfkzt<br />
David Hudson<br />
White Powdered Gold<br />
Serabit al Khadim<br />
Ark of the Covenant<br />
Manna<br />
Moses<br />
Sigmund Freud<br />
Baghdad Battery<br />
America's Stonehenge<br />
Stonehenge England<br />
America's Stonehenge's "Baal" Stone<br />
Walt Disney's "Little Mermaid"<br />
Georges de la Tour's "Magdalene with the Smoking Flame"<br />
"In Hoc Signo Vinces" Stone (Newport, RI)<br />
The Newport Tower<br />
Book of Mormon<br />
Roslyn Chapel<br />
Azazel<br />
Bezaleel<br />
Freemasons<br />
Knights Templar<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7197787519649202369.post-82260242454918683582014-01-07T16:16:00.001-05:002014-01-07T16:16:27.946-05:00Rock Bottom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNBHOVhHT4roN9giPm1GZaGMQnVsZbN88Nc8R3wzVJaQYpDjj8WCkeNHAHcYSYfFTnLpGpIzcXNiiuIGISIxb-z6F-Jn5TaJRtbELxLIdooiCFW9S5QmuDevB4mgQDS1018T8diwBwC8/s1600/RockBottom.KarlaAkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNBHOVhHT4roN9giPm1GZaGMQnVsZbN88Nc8R3wzVJaQYpDjj8WCkeNHAHcYSYfFTnLpGpIzcXNiiuIGISIxb-z6F-Jn5TaJRtbELxLIdooiCFW9S5QmuDevB4mgQDS1018T8diwBwC8/s1600/RockBottom.KarlaAkins.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
I spend a lot of time with fellow researchers in the woods, examining rock formations and carvings. Sometimes we get a bit overzealous and misinterpret natural formations as manmade. This image (courtesy of Karla Akins) made me laugh. Entitled "Rock Bottom," I wonder if it is naturally occurring or instead was carved by some early explorers looking for a way to disrespectfully "moon" their enemies ;-)<br />David Brodyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04623785833025125583noreply@blogger.com0