Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt [Paperback]

John Anthony West (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1993

John Anthony West's revolutionary reinterpretation of the civilization of Egypt challenges all that has been accepted as dogma concerning Ancient Egypt. In this pioneering study West documents that: Hieroglyphs carry hermetic messages that convey the subtler realities of the Sacred Science of the Pharaohs. Egyptian science, medicine, mathematics, and astronomy were more sophisticated than most modern Egyptologists acknowledge. Egyptian knowledge of the universe was a legacy from a highly sophisticated civilization that flourished thousands of years ago. The great Sphinx represents geological proof that such a civilization existed. This revised edition includes a new introduction linking Egyptian spiritual science with the perennial wisdom tradition and an appendix updating West's work in redating the Sphinx. Illustrated with over 140 photographs and line drawings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

West updates his 1979 account of the advanced civilization of Ancient Egypt. Illustrated.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Quest Books; 2 Sub edition (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0835606910
• ISBN-13: 978-0835606912
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.8 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 88 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interpretation of Ancient Egypt that Finally makes Sense October 28, 1996

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

John Anthony West has done the world an enormous service with this bold, brilliance, beautifully written and thoroughly engaging book. He extends the work of Alsation philospher and mathematician, R.A, Schwaller de Lubicz, making it not only comprehensible to the lay reader, but the only plausible explanation for the grandeur and magnificance of ancient Egyptian culture. West is anything but a New Age flake, and he takes some fairly tough-minded positions on the absurdities of modern scholarship. Yet he has the advantage over most orthodox Egyptologists in that he can (a) write -- and write superbly -- and (b) he has a sense of humor, which makes even his most vitriolic attacks on those who persist in ascribing the monuments of Egypt to a race of egomaniacal barbarians the work of a rational giant in a world of Lilliputians. His grasp of the entire sweep of Egyptian history is extraordinary, and his ability to render even the most complex accounts of Pythagorean geometry or symbolism in the hieroglyphs is something every would be academic should take notes on. Besides all this, the book is magnificently illustrated on every page. Without any question, this is one of the best books I have ever read

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A translation of Schwaller de Lubicz, but not a light read February 21, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

When I returned from my first trip to Egypt in May, 1998, I voraciously read everything I could get my hands on. Before I read Serpent in the Sky, I had viewed John's emmy-award-winning documentary, so I was prepared for excellence in thinking and new ideas about ancient Egypt. Although John West writes with great flair and articulation, his summarizing of Schwaller de Lubicz was tough going. West makes some good points of his own, but some of de Lubicz's theories are too esoteric for me. West acknowledges he's not a mathemetician and much of de Lubicz's theories are based on sacred geometry, and was beyond my scope as well. I found that the quotations on the sides of the pages detracted from the main body of work. It's very apparent that West thoroughly loves ancient Egypt and has devoted many years to study, discussion and leading tours there. I had the good fortune to be with him on a second tour to Egypt in Nov, 1998. I enjoyed the foreword by Robert Masters regarding Sekhmet, as I had some extraordinary experiences with Sekhmet myself both while I was in Egypt and when I returned. All in all, I would recommend reading Serpent in the Sky. John still leads tours to Egypt.

49 of 53 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Opening of the Mouth January 22, 2001

By Holy Olio

Format:Paperback

J A West has nearly singlehandedly revived R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz' prolific work on the discerned symbolism of the ancient Egyptians. Those interested in learning about SdL's interpretation would find this to be a good introduction, and will also find that many of SdL's titles are back in print, though a little pricey. I have no need to learn any more about what may have been the intent of people attempting to apply magical thinking to the physical world, whether those people are long dead or my contemporaries.

The real value of this book is in a single idea from SdL's work, which is the realization that the Great Sphinx at Giza was heavily eroded by water (pp 177-179). Geologists who oppose the idea that rain caused this erosion are few in number, and their motives are suspect since they'd previously not noticed or not pointed out in public the obvious fact of water erosion. Such geologists are now limited to a slow retreat, attempting to accept water erosion without accepting greater antiquity, and the way they do this is by dreaming up new ways water erosion can do its work with great rapidity in an arid environment with essentially no rain.

One of the revolting aspects of the debate has been that the core argument gets attacked not on any lack of merit, but through damning by association. Robert Schoch doesn't attribute the Sphinx to Atlantis. Even though John Anthony West suggests such a link, the main point of disagreement between Schoch and West is that Schoch's estimate of the Sphinx' age is much lower than West's. Both put the Sphinx origin in what is known as Predynastic times.

West does a good job showing the (two) roots of the various conventional beliefs about the Sphinx, and shows the ancient documentary evidence which supports a pre-Khafre Sphinx. While Robert Schoch's "Voices of the Rocks" is a better choice, one has to read Schoch's articles (KMT, etc) to get the specifics of his views about the water erosion in any detail. West's book is a better choice for that particular narrow focus. Those with an occult or fringe interest will find that West's book is also a better choice than titles by Hancock, Bauval, Gadalla, and Sitchin.