Customer Reviews

Uriel's Machine: Uncovering the Secrets of Stonehenge, Noah's Flood and the Dawn of Civilization

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1 star:		(8)

 

 

If you saw this book (particularly the dust jacket) on your bookseller's shelf, your original opinion might be that it is another sensationalistic work of new-age archaeology. The authors have taken certain traditions learned through their association with Freemasonry and attempted to discover any historical or scientific basis. Paleontologists will claim that the authors are practicing "voodoo science", (as though the paleontologists have never been wrong.) But the authors give you a great read, and they have certainly packed their book with enough information for you to question most of what you grew up believing about pre-history. Aware of that and still a little skeptical, my next book was "Rain of Iron and Ice" by John S. Lewis, a seriously qualified astronomer (Codirector, NASA, U. of Arizona Space Engineering Research Center), which convinced me that the hypotheses of Knight and Lomas were not only interesting and exciting, but highly plausible. I'm going to read Uriel's Machine again to see if there's anything that I missed the first time.

This is a fascinating book, much more so than "The Second Messiah", which took the authors off on something of a tangent from the study of the origins of Freemasonry that they had started with "The Hiram Key". "Uriel's Machine" brings together evidence from archaeology, ancient oral traditions, the Apochrypha, Masonic rituals and other sources to show how people living over 10,000 years ago may have been in possession of quite sophisticated knowledge of the movement of stars and other astral bodies such as comets, and how this information has come down to us by way of diverse sources including the layout of megalithic sites and the Book of Enoch. It will be interesting to see how many of their theories will be adopted in time by mainstream academia, which typically concentrates on very narrow, specialized areas of research, as opposed to the cross-disciplinary approach that the authors use. Their work in many aspects is reminiscent of the books of Imanuel Velikovsky back in the 1950's, which were almost universally denigrated by the academic community for their unorthodox ideas, but which subsequently were proved to be correct in several important areas. I was also interested to see that the authors have been able to encourage the establishment of a chair of historical research into Freemasonry at the University of Sheffield in the U.K., a step which apparently in being supported by British Freemasons, and which will hopefully help to dispel some of the more bizarre myths about Freemasonry, and bring them more into the mainstream as far as their contributions to our culture and belief systems are concerned.

I'll look forward to Knight and Lomax's next book with eager anticipation. Hopefully it will include information on what, if anything, is actually buried beneath Rosslyn Chapel, something we are all waiting to hear about with bated breath. On the other hand, if the buried material contains information on when the next comet is due to strike Earth, as the authors hint it might, then perhaps it is better left hidden!

A revised version of events in the development of human civilisation is proposed, illuminated by the latest evidence and intelligent new ideas.

Using their insider's view of Freemasonry, and several years of research, the authors analyse ancient traditions in order to expose fascinating novel insights into key stages in human history. The topics presented are thoroughly researched, and the arguments are objective, logical, structured, clearly presented and easy to follow. There is an intelligent balance of detail and relevance in the information presented.

Substantial scientific data are cited to support the case that the biblical flood was an authentic historical event, with a clearly identified cause dated to the relevant period, and global cataclysmic effects that can still readily be seen today. An impressive ancient understanding of geometry, astronomy, navigation, the measurement of time, and other sciences, is revealed in the legacy of our distant ancestors. Persuasive documentary and archaeological proof is presented, together with interesting anecdotal evidence, to suggest how pre-historic wisdom was acquired and carefully handed down by secret organisations. An intriguing series of events are described, from the knowledge taught to Enoch by the angel Uriel, through the construction of megalithic monuments, to the creation and shaping of nations and religions, and the formation of modern secret societies - even the mysterious agenda of the New World Order. The book culminates in some astonishing observations on the influence of ancient traditions on today's modern civilisation. Royal and aristocratic bloodlines are traced back to high-priests from the ancient middle-east. Their secret knowledge is guarded by an elite Masonic brotherhood, organised by some of the world's most influential people. It seems that a sacred ideology - established in a legendary ancient era when gods lived on Earth among men - may be about to return to govern the world.

Such an intriguing and though-provoking text will enrich and broaden the outlook of anyone interested in reading about popular topics relevant to history, religion, conspiracy theory, or secret societies.

Some parts of this book were riveting and I found myself convinced about several of their main ideas, relating to the astronomical uses of the ancient henge formations, the flood/comet theories, early use of writing and even the link between the ancient Jews and the Celts.

The Masonic material was far less convincing, and I noticed when this topic came up the academic footnotes tended to try up - whether or not that's important depends on your point of view on academic rigour.

There are some breathtaking assertions simply stated without any attempt at substantiation or even explanation. Despite this serious flaw, the book as a whole was fascinating and gave me a great new insight into prehistoric times. I enjoyed the deeper understanding it gave me into the structures like Stonehenge.

Definitely worth a read.

Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas have done it again. They have managed to take a very difficult topic (Prehistory) and make sense of so many mysteries that we have faced for centuries. I know that many people question anyone who can think outside of the box, especially when it comes to religion, but it is time to read the truth. Knight and Lomas are a rare bread of writers who go extremely far to reach conclusions only after they exhausted all other possible explainations. This book is fascinating, insightful and so full of incredible information that I know that I will read it over and over. Enjoy!!

The authors have attempted a work of staggering dimension covering a large geographical and historical area. There are as a result many areas where facts have been used in isolation to further the theories of the authors. If the reader is well read and is prepared to do some research a balanced view is easily maintained. This is a very good book which is valuable for the extensive bibliography alone. It is for the most part very readable and will open the mind of the reader to many areas of interesting further study. The authors have clearly put a great deal of effort into the work and should be warmly congratulated.

By now I am quite familiar with Lomas's and Knight's writing strengths and weaknesses. Reading Uriel's Machine therefore was untainted pleasure.
Knight and Lomas theorize that the Great Flood did in fact occur, and moreover was the cataclysmic event in scientific civilization. They believe that prehistoric people's were more advanced than previously thought, and science at least of astronomy originated with them.
This whole work is one archeological detective story as they lead readers to stonehenge and other megolithic sites in Ireland, Wales, and England.
They cover an enormous amount of theories and legends, including the Biblical Enoch, and Watchers. In fact sometimes reading I forgot what the central argument/thesis they put forth was, this duo has a mild tendency to digress, (usually to some connection with freemasonry), but as I stated I have adapted to this writing style and read on soaking up the knowledge they splashed across the pages.
Each chapter concludes with a conclusion(like d'uh eh haha), which is a handy synopsis of all the points they made in the chapter chiseled down to their bare bones.

This is another title by these authors I found intriquing, fascinating and educational. Want to investigate the ancient roots of science? Read this title.

This book proposes a revised version of events in the development of human civilisation, illuminated by the latest evidence and intelligent new ideas.

Through their insider's view of the Freemasons, and several years of research, the authors analyse ancient traditions in order to expose fascinating novel insights into key stages in human history. The topics presented are thoroughly researched, and the arguments are objective, logical, structured, clearly presented and easy to follow. There is an intelligent balance of detail and relevance in the information presented.

Substantial scientific data are cited to support the case that the biblical flood was an authentic historical event, with a clearly identified cause dated to the relevant period, and global cataclysmic effects that can still readily be seen today. An impressive ancient understanding of geometry, astronomy, navigation, the measurement of time, and other sciences, is revealed in the legacy of our distant ancestors. Persuasive documentary and archaeological proof is presented, together with interesting anecdotal evidence, to suggest how pre-historic wisdom was acquired and carefully handed down by secret organisations. An intriguing series of events are described, from the knowledge taught to Enoch by the angel Uriel, through the construction of megalithic monuments, to the creation and shaping of nations and religions, and the formation of modern secret societies - even the mysterious agenda of the New World Order. The book culminates in some astonishing observations on the influence of ancient traditions on today's modern civilisation. Royal and aristocratic bloodlines are traced back to high-priests from the ancient middle-east. Their secret knowledge is guarded by an elite Masonic brotherhood, organised by some of the world's most influential people. It seems that a sacred ideology - established in a legendary ancient era when gods lived on Earth among men - may be about to return to govern the world.

Such an intriguing and though-provoking text will enrich and broaden the outlook of anyone interested in reading about popular topics relevant to history, religion, conspiracy theory, or secret societies.

Don't trust anything they write about archaeology or geology until you check it for yourself in a reputable source. They get dates wrong, facts wrong, show that they don't actually know the material, etc. For instance, they ascribe the Scottish tsunami to a comet (one or more of 7) that they claim caused
>worldwide tsunami in 7640 BC. This in fact was caused by the second Storegga submarine landslide which occurred on the continental slope off the coast of western Norway, extending out into the Norwegian Basin and was almost certainly caused by an earthquake.
They write nonsense like "The earliest known buildings in the world are the megalithic structures of Europe. They are 1,000 years older than the cities of Sumer." But later they mention Catalhoyuk and state that it flourished between 7000 and 6000 BC. And of course there is Jericho, with walls and towers dating back to between 8000 and 7000 B.C.

Page 60:
"In North Wales, beds of sand and gravel with geologically recent sea shells can be found on mountains such as Moel Tryfan which is over 400 metres above sea level, showing that North Wales was briefly covered by sea water at a point in the recent past."

Obvious nonsense, but some people might believe it. They get it from a 1971 Creationist book, which in turn quotes (although we aren't provided with a quote) Geikie, A, Textbook of Geology', with no date. Sir Archibald Geikie's book cited here might be "A Class-Book of Geology", 3rd edition, MacMillan and Co.:
London, 1892 (p.179-180).
et's look at something a bit more recent:
The Need for Earth Heritage Conservation by the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee wrote about this:

"Moel Tryfan, Gwynedd. This is a historically important site, 400 metres above sea level, that consists of sand and gravel containing fossils of sea-shells. It was cited as evidence for the biblical flood by the Diluvialists. Subsequently it was interpreted as a glacial deposit carried from the sea bed by an Irish Sea ice sheet during the last ice age, about 23,000 years ago. This has a bearing on the dimensions of the last Irish Sea ice sheet, the extent to which it may have depressed the Earth's crust, and the degree of crustal 'rebound' after glaciation. It is a subject of ongoing research."

There are many more errors in the book. For instance, there were no 'grooved ware people', the Ainu are clearly not Caucasian (genetic evidence shows they are related to their neighbours), agriculture is older than Lomas and Knight state, their comments on Stonehenge seem to include elements they've made up, etc. A classic example of bad science.

The authors of this book seem to be trying to create a history to support the documents that they wish to believe are accurate. It is largely based on the premise that the Freemasons and their rituals and documents date back to ancient history, rather than the 1717 date commonly used, or even the 1590 date given in "The Origins Of Freemasonry: The Scottish Century 1590-1710" published by Cambridge University Press. Instead they claim their information dates back to the Knights Templar and then back to the Jerusalem Church in the time of Jesus and James.

One of the problems with their argument is that they are using written evidence to build a picture of a time before there was writing. If you take their date of 200 B.C.E. for the writing of the Book of Enoch; it is still over 7,000 years after the events they are trying to reconstruct.

Given that we don't even know the author of the Book of Enoch which was written a little over 2,000 years ago, what makes them think that the writer has such detailed knowledge of events over 3 times further in the past? And for that matter wouldn't earlier sources be even better? They don't seem to think so, as they only use writing from over 2,000 years before their source (i.e. Babylonian, Akkadian, and Sumerian) as supporting their source, rather than the other way around.

We have had writing, and historians documenting most of the intervening period between today and the writing of the Book of Enoch, but that was not the case for the period between the writer of the Book of Enoch and the events they are describing. Writing is estimated to have been invented around 3,000 B.C.E., which leaves over 4,000 years between the events and when they could have first been documented. To make matters worse, the idea of writing down an accurate history only dates back to Herodotus in 440 B.C.E.; which still leaves more than 7,000 years between the events in question and the unknown writer and their uncorroborated writing.

As part of their evidence for the age of the Freemasons, the authors cite that "the rituals of Freemasonry contained a great deal of historical information, despite the fact that the United Grand Lodge of England continues to insist that their rites are simply invented nonsense." It is not clear exactly what weight this gives their argument, since it would be natural to use a historical basis from to create the rituals in order to make them appear more authentic. Age is often used as a symbol of status as far as civilizations, countries, and organizations are concerned, and that is why using a historical or biblical base would be used.

If you want to avoid the Freemason debate, then the best way to judge this book is on how they present the material from more traditional sources. From very early on in the book, the historical and scientific merit is questionable. The authors clearly decide to pick and choose bits and pieces of other people's work and patch them together to try to make them support their theories. For example, they quote W.L. Strauss and A. J. E. Cave's `Pathology and Posture of Neanderthal Man' from 1957 where it states "If Neanderthal Man could be reincarnated and placed in a New York subway - provided that he were bathed, shaved, and dressed in modern clothing - it is doubtful whether he would attract any more attention than some of its other denizens." Later in the same chapter when they draw heavily from James Shreeve's "The Neanderthal Enigma", they somehow forget to note that Shreeve said that that idea of the very statement they quoted before was shattered by the `Eve' hypotheses which they are using.

The authors are also not accurate with their dates. From what I read, they date the age of the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations to about 3,000 B.C.E., but both are considerably older than that. Even when an older date would help their argument they don't necessarily get it correct. For example, the ice-age kiln discovered in Europe which they claim to be 26,000 years old is actually 29,000 - 30,000 years old.

The authors also get some things wrong. When discussing the Kennewick Man, discovered in Washington State in 1996, they consistently refer to him as a Caucasian but this is not correct. The Kennewick Man is a Caucoid, which would likely make him similar to the Ainu. They do discuss this, but they continue to call them Caucasians when they are not. It is true that it was reported this way in the papers and on TV, but for what is supposed to be a scientific argument to misstate this is simply unforgivable.

I gave up on this book after finding too many inaccuracies. I have read a lot of ancient history and some anthropology so for those areas I know they made a number of wrong statements. Since they were incorrect in the areas in which I had prior knowledge and could easily go back and check, I can only believe that they are equally inaccurate for areas which I don't have a background. If you are looking for a book to support your belief in the Freemason's history, then you will probably enjoy this book, but if you are looking for a book that investigates man's prehistory then I would recommend Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs, And Steel."