The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past [Hardcover]

Zecharia Sitchin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2004

Zecharia Sitchin’s autobiographical recounting of a half century of investigative expeditions to unravel the enigmas of ancient civilizations and their gods

• Includes vivid accounts of explorations in Greece, Thera, Crete, Egypt, the Sinai, Israel, Jordan, and Mesoamerica

• Reveals behind-the-scenes findings in museums and archaeological sites

• Contains 60 color and 159 black-and-white images from the author’s personal archive, including previously unpublished photographic evidence of UFOs in biblical times

For the first time, Zecharia Sitchin, author of the bestselling The Earth Chronicles series, reveals the foundational research and adventurous expeditions that resulted in the concrete evidence for his conclusions that ancient myths were recollections of factual events, that the gods of ancient peoples were visitors to Earth from another planet, and that we are not alone in our own solar system. In the course of his investigations Sitchin also became convinced of the veracity of the Bible.

Sitchin’s expeditions take readers from the Yucatan peninsula to the isle of Crete to ancient Egypt and the lands of the Bible as he explores the links between the Old World and the New World. His adventurous exploits reveal archaeological cover-ups concerning Olmec origins in Mexico and ancient UFO artifacts in Turkey. Other quests send him through the holy sites of Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon in search of evidence of extraterrestrial gods in the artifacts and murals of these ancient civilizations. The Earth Chronicles Expeditions is a masterful historical and archaeological adventure into the origins of mankind and a “must” guidebook for all who wish to visit the numerous sites and museums covered in this book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sitchin brings ancient civilization alive as he reveals the origins of mankind on planet Earth."
(National Examiner, June 2004 )

"A fascinating theory and supportive evidence comes alive in this sequel."
(The Midwest Book Review, September 2004 )

"There's much food for thought and inspiration in these glimpses into lost history."
(

Nexus, Aug-Sept 2004

)

"The book is a historical and archaeological adventure into the origins of mankind."
(SirReadaLot.org, May 2004 )

From the Back Cover

TROY--a Greek poet’s fiction, a real place where heroes battled and died, or an arena where vengeful gods used men as pawns?

Was there an Atlantis, or was its tale an allegorical myth? Was the New World linked to Old World civilizations millennia before Columbus?

It is with a visit to the remains of Troy that Zecharia Sitchin and the reader of this book begin journeys to the mythical and legendary past, exploring the hidden evidence of Mankind’s true past and thus its future.

This is the tenth of Zecharia Sitchin’s bestselling books. The previous books, under the umbrella title The Earth Chronicles, were written by him as a reporter observing the deeds and histories of others, be they gods or men. In this book he shares with the reader his own story of searching and researching, of going to distant places to see things for himself, to personally verify evidence, to check the feasibility of trade routes or flight paths.

The Earth Chronicles Expeditions were not without danger. At times they crossed the paths with world leaders or with geopolitical events, war and peace. Some of the destinations were millennia-old ruins of royal cities; others, like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, are still the subject of daily headlines. Indeed, it is from these voyages into the past that today’s conflicts and passions can be understood.

Ranging from Mayan temples in Mexico to hidden artifacts in Istanbul, Turkey, from biblical tunnels to the mysteries of Mount Sinai, from the abode of a Sumerian goddess to Greek islands, the Expeditions’ destinations and amazing discoveries unmasked established fallacies, detected the fate of provocative artifacts, and revealed ancient connections to modern space facilities.

In this autobiographical book ZECHARIA SITCHIN shares with the reader not only his encompassing knowledge of antiquity and his field experiences, but also hitherto unseen photographs from his personal archive. In this book he also bares his inner feelings and the cord that binds him to his ancestral past.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bear & Company; First Edition edition (March 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591430364
• ISBN-13: 978-1591430360
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Zecharia Sitchin is an internationally acclaimed author and researcher whose books offer evidence that we are not alone in our own solar system. One of a handful of scholars able to read the Sumerian cuneiform tablets, he has combined archaeology, ancient texts, and the Bible with the latest scientific discoveries to retell the history and prehistory of mankind and planet Earth. His trailblazing books have been translated into more than twenty languages; his first one, an oft-quoted classic, celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its publication. A graduate of the University of London and a journalist and editor in Israel for many years, he now lives and writes in New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sitchin takes us on a personal tour of the past, May 6, 2005

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past (Hardcover)

If you aren't familiar with the controversial theories of Zecharia Sitchin, I would recommend that you acquaint yourself with some or all of his previously published work, known collectively as the Earth Chronicles, before embarking on this personal tour of many of the ancient sites that inform his work. This is not to say that you have to be a fan of Sitchin - or even agree with his ideas - in order to appreciate The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past, however, for it is a unique travel guide featuring a large number of breathtaking images of some of the world's most ancient, venerated, and thought-provoking monuments and artifacts - you will find no less than 158 black-and-white images as well as 60 beautiful, full-color photographs in these pages. The magnificence of the images is without question; Sitchin's theories about the origin and meaning of the sites and materials, however, are not. I am not going to debate the merits of Sitchin's theories in this review. Having read most of Sitchin's published works, I personally find his account of earth's past fascinating, reasonably logical, and even plausible - certainly his ideas are worthy of thought and debate, although I would not go so far as to call myself a true believer (although I probably would qualify as a fan).

This particular book is primarily aimed at Sitchin's true believers and biggest fans, which makes the narrative somewhat problematic for those unfamiliar with Sitchin's work. Having argued the merits of his radical ideas in previous books, he tends to treat his theories as facts here - and, while some of the discoveries he made on the research tours discussed here shaped his original thinking, on occasion he seemed to go looking for things that would support conclusions he had already drawn. My main point about the text, though, is this: in this particular book, Sitchin makes statements that would seem incredulous to the uninitiated: to put it all in a hopelessly oversimplified nutshell, Sitchin believes that inhabitants of a "twelfth planet" in our solar system first arrived here on earth millennia ago, basically created human life via genetic engineering, and influenced the whole of human history in the form of gods. Nine previous books explain his theories and detail the evidence that led him to make his dramatic conclusions; this book covers his research tours and breathes new life into ancient sites - it does not attempt to rehash the complicated arguments Sitchin has already documented elsewhere.

Sitchin is an accomplished scholar who has studied ancient history and archaeology all across the globe; he has an almost unparalleled grasp of ancient languages, especially that of the Sumerians and other early cultures of the Middle East; and he is also an accomplished Biblical scholar. Through his study of diverse artifacts and writings, he believes that the ancient tales of the gods, as well as the events recorded in the Hebrew Bible, were all true - that the gods and goddesses of ancient history were real. The Earth Chronicles Expeditions is the equivalent of a virtual tour for his fans, taking them to some of the most significant sites all across the globe, from the Holy Land to Troy to Mesoamerica. Here, he describes what it is like to walk among ancient ruins, view fascinating artifacts thousands of years old, experience the history of long-dead peoples through fantastic murals that survive to this day, and marvel at the poignant power of religious sites such as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

A lot of the narrative describes the problems Sitchin faced in making these research tours possible. Political and religious conflicts in the Near East made travel arrangements to such places as Syria, Egypt, and Israel over the last few decades tricky at best, and the artifacts he most wished to see were not always available for public viewing - at least not without a little finagling on Sitchin's part, although his efforts were not always successful in getting him the access he wanted. The whole work is a little self-indulgent in places, and Sitchin sometimes sees things that I do not, but The Earth Chronicles Expeditions makes for a fascinating and visually incredible excursion through time for those interested in Sitchin's theories. This, unlike the author's previous books, is very much a personal account, and as such it features some information and ideas that Sitchin has been pondering for years but felt himself unable to include in his more scholarly works. That makes this a must-read for Earth Chronicles fans.

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Earth Chronicles, destined to be his best work yet., April 24, 2004

By 

Ed Albert (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past (Hardcover)

Sitchin, the scientist, the archeologist, the Sumerian expert, is one of the leading figures in alternative archaeology and science in general. Earth Chronicles is the pinnacle of his erudite career.

I have been a fan of Sitchin for years and have read most of his books, but "The Twelfth Planet was my favorite of all. He lays it all out; from Biblical text, ancient Sumerian writings and obscure writings, to reveal that in ancient times UFOnauts from other worlds did indeed visit and influence our ancient civilizations greatly. Then he wrote `Earth Chronicles," destined to be his best work yet.

These days, and especially the last 30-40 years, a "new wave" of scientists and non-scientists alike has risen with the intention of re-examining what we as a species consider "knowledge", knowledge about what we are, and where we come from. Sitchin, being one of the few people in the world who can actually read Sumerian, has spent his life examining our origins, and his conclusions have little to do with apes descending trees and miraculously evolving into humans.

In the "12th planet", his most famous of his all together 12+ books, he suggests that we are actually the creation of an alien race which landed on earth more than 450 millennia ago, and who created us as slave labor for their purposes on this planet back then. From then on, and through a myriad inter-developments and influences, we developed to what we are today.

Sure, this sounds controversial, and to most people content with swallowing mainstream teachings for "facts" this might seem as pure science fiction. You would have to read this book before you term it as such though.

"Earth Chronicles" is an exhausting book too, as the author uses literally 100s of quotes on original translations he's made in order to make his argument and this isn't just any argument, you understand...

Sitchin isn't just another quack with a theory, he is an eminent Orientalist, respected Biblical scholar, expert Sumerian archeologist, and recognized leader in revealing the real truth in the enigmas of ancient civilizations and history especially related to Sumerians, Hebrews, their Gods, and cultures in the middle-east. The unpublished photographic evidence alone is worth the read and the price. times. Were ancient Gods visitors to Earth from another planet? Are we not alone? Have others influenced our civilization and evolution? This read is an adventure, an eye opener, a thrill, an education, and fun as hell! A tour guide to our future with beacons from the past.

If you read this excellent book, you will know that it is indeed the truth. Two well-respected American Astronauts have come forward to proclaim they had seen evidence of the Roswell UFO crash and stated they know the cover-up is real. You be the judge. Read this book.

You ever wondered why we are the only species on this planet that definitely does not fit in with its environment? Or why we have so many gray areas and disagreements about where we originate from and how? Or why the word "anthropos" (a Greek word) means "the creature that always looks up"? Or even why the root word of the word "earth" comes from the ancient Sumerian (the word e.ri.du) and means "a home far away"?

If you are open minded and looking for those books begging for its pages to be turned...look no further. I just read a copy of Edgar Fouche's best-selling 'Alien Rapture,' which also blew me away. Fouche was a Top Secret Black Program 'insider', whose credibility has been verified over and over. And it's going to be a movie! Want to be shocked, check out Dr. Paul Hill's 'Unconventional Flying Objects' which NASA tried to ban or the bestselling "Alien Agenda."

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most worthwhile travel journal to share, December 5, 2004

By 

Monte Farber & Amy Zerner (New York, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past (Hardcover)

I have had the honor and privilege of visiting Mayan sites with Mr. Sitchin and reading "The Earth Chronicles Expeditions" made me wish that I could have journeyed with him and his intrepid band of "fans" on all of them. This book is the next best thing and I treasure it and thank Mr. Sitchin for writing it. I, too, am an author and though, like Mr. Sitchin, I've devoted my life to my work and believe in its value with all my heart and soul, his work is far more important in the scheme of things than almost any books ever written. You cannot consider yourself an educated person without reading all of the books by Zecharia Sitchin and this is a great first book to read. Then try either "The 12th Planet" or "Genisis Revisited" and I know you'll be as eager to read all of them as I was. There is nothing like his work in all of the millions of books that have ever been published. I envy those reading and being astounded by his meticulously researched books for the first time. Enjoy!