The Dying God: The Hidden History of Western Civilization (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: rosy cross, divine phallus, magical papyri, David Livingstone, The Dying God, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a stunning book that casts modern civilization in a new and troubling light." -- Henry Makow: savethemales.ca

Product Description

Western societies are governed by an elite who employ the façade of democracy to disguise their oligarchical rule. They exploit the media and universities to foster an idyllic myth of progress and "freedom", to create the patriotic notion that Western societies represent the pinnacle of centuries of intellectual evolution.

In reality, these modern secular states were brought about, beginning in the eighteenth century, by the subversive activities of secret societies, most notably the Illmuninati.

According to their own accounts, however, their activities represent a centuries-long struggle to make supreme the cult of the Kabbalah, which they believe was originally revealed to early humanity sometime before the Flood, on the continent of Atlantis.

There have been numerous attempts to verify these claims, by authors like those of the Holy Blood Holy Grail, as well as Graham Hancock, and most recently, Dan Brown and his Da Vinci Code. Because scholars shy away from these subjects, an unsuspecting public has been duped into absorbing much of the outlandish claims of these writers.

While their claims are often outlandish, the occult nevertheless has had a formative influence on the development of Western history. So critical has been the role of these occult philosophies, that it is impossible to understand the history of the West without a careful consideration of them.

The Dying God reveals a hidden history of occult influence throughout the ages, which begins in Babylon, in the sixth century BC, with the advent of the Kabbalah, developed by heretical Jews, who were known to the ancient world as Chaldean Magi. They sought world domination through the worship of Lucifer, who they revered as the first great rebel, identifying him with an ancient dying-god of fertility rites known as mysteries.

The Greek philosophers were not the first "free-thinkers", but the first to formulate these ideas, which were then preserved through the "mystery schools" of the Roman Empire.

It was the heretics of Islam who transmitted this tradition to the crusading order of the Knights Templars, whose influence was first felt through the emergence of the heresies of magic, astrology and alchemy, and linked with the cult of the Holy Grail.

Beginning with the Renaissance, the continuing program of these secret societies marked a steady onslaught of propaganda against the power of the Church, culminating in the Enlightenment and its revolutions, by which the Illuminati secured the formation of the secular states of France and America, thus firmly establishing the control they have wielded ever since.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 460 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc (June 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595231993
• ISBN-13: 978-0595231997
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #713,914 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Historical Candy, May 22, 2005

By	N J Pinney (Prescott, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

I got on to this book through a recommendation from Henry Makow who writes good essays that appear on the rense.com site. Can't quite share Henry's enthusiasm.

The book has an ambitious scope but lacks the kind of rigor I expected from a serious historical outline, e.g. "...Masons were said to have built Noah's Ark..." (Said by whom and when?). I found this kind of dead end frequently throughout the book.

It covers a lot of ground but in the end seems to be a lot of brief historical snapshots with no particular strong point of view to hold them all together. Its like a sing-song recitation by a first year history student.

In parts, the writing itself, unfortunately, is not very good in that it lacks clarity and rambles.

The last chapter, "Lucifer" doesn't seem to be making any kind of a point about Lucifer but writes about the Enlightenment and the Illuminati. But even though that was an opportunity to clarify just who the Illuminati actually are today, it was left hanging. Some contemporary analysts equate the New World Order elite and the Rothschilds to the Illuminati. Livingstone could have addressed this and didn't.

Judging by comments in other reviews there is a good deal of interest in the New World Order, and missinformation about it. From my research, I have little doubt that the Rothschild/Rockefeller cabal is at the tip-top and that some Western heads of state, even though apparently freely elected (now questionable), function as their hand picked gofers. Whether one can call this the Illuminati or not really doesn't matter and can be diversionary. The results are, as we are starting to see now, drop by drop, a diminishing of our national sovereignty, more of a police state, and a globalist economic leveling forboding a reduction in U.S. living standards. Are you ready for this? Even more painful dislocations will be on the way. With all the politically correct emphasis on "diversity", that would be erased in the realization of The New World Order.

Other historical secret societies are noted: Masons, Rosicrucians, Priory of Scion, etc. While that is of almost romantical interest, one should not loose sight that todays real operative secret societies and groups (the MOSSAD and CIA aside), are the Bildbergers, the Skull and Bones, and in recent past years, the Trilaterals. The Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), while not a secret society, operates to an extent behind the scenes like one. (Re the Masons-there was a strong Masonic component in our founding fathers, and since they were Deists lets not tar them with the Lucifer brush.)

Its best to be clear now and not romantic about who the powers are that be.

It hasn't really been conclusively shown one way or the other that the heads of the cabal, the secret societies, or the lower ranking minions are Lucifer driven. There may be some moral justification, however misdirected, felt by the elitists, for a one world government. But how could the draconian mass population reduction, which is a sine qua non in their plan, and the murder and "suiciding" of people, that are in the way, ever be justified on moral grounds? Likewise the lying, the new wars, and torture effectuated by Bush and Blair-how justified? So it's credible that there is a Luciferian influence at work here-covered by the fig leaves of the Christian Right and Zionism. Whether Bush himself is a consciously practicing Luciferian is somewhat doubtful. My guess is that he thinks of himself, as advertised, as a Christian, but is an extremely dumb and deluded one, yes, maybe even evil, however politically clever. After all, historically, much evil has been perpetuated under the Christian banner.

There may be another book for this.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Demanding, flawed but amazing and very important, June 24, 2006

By	James Brooks (Worcester, VT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book attempts a truly prodigious feat; a historically detailed revision of the philosophical and religious history of western civilization. The determined reader will find that it largely succeeds, and will be rewarded with an extremely provocative new vision of history, Christianity, the foundations of science, the true meaning of the "Enlightenment", and the amorality of our rulers.

However, the reader will have to help by connecting pieces and maintaining the narrative. You'll also have to separate the wheat from the chaff. Every page is jammed with information but precious little summation. The early chapters brim with Mr. Livingstone's impressively broad and detailed scholarship of the ancient western world. With a wealth of examples he explains the development and spread of "the dying god" cults in every nook and cranny of the ancient western world.

He also offers an intriguing alternative history of the early Hebrews based on contemporary accounts from many sources and some deductive reasoning. I found it compelling, but you can reject it and still get the import of the book.

His heretical history of Greek culture appears to be well founded and consistent with contemporary accounts and the influence of the Kabbalists elsewhere in the ancient world. Livingstone introduces us to Plato as his contemporaries knew him and explains the significance of his baneful influence.

The emergence of Gnosticism and the Pauline neo-Platonic corruption of Christianity appear along the way, making a good deal more historical and theological sense than any other interpretation I have read.

The book doggedly follows its subject through the centuries, packing facts and stories into long sentences like sardines in a can. If it were written a conventional style it would probably be twice as long. I recommend reading it very slowly. Give yourself time to watch for, and think about and savor, the profound implications and connections of Livingstone's mountain of evidence. It can be pretty startling.

About halfway through it, my constant irritation with Livingstone's odd prose turned into a kind of admiration. He seemed to be refusing to paint the broad and generalized picture for the reader, letting the density of the evidentiary trail produce the overall picture by itself. Only from his commentary on specific points do we glean the full outline of his overarching vision.

I highly recommend reading David Livingstone's Amazon blog before reading the book. The articles there elegantly state Livingstone's overall point in a way the book does not. They also address the connection to the present day more thoroughly. I hope they portend a new book on the horizon. David Livingstone is onto something deep here.

If you want to understand the roots and self-image of our ruling elites, the 'initiated' who are released from the bonds of morality and Mosaic Law, this book is indispensable. If you're willing to work with a book, this one would make a great summer reading project!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Daring look at history of Western civilization, November 1, 2002

By A Customer

A daring and comprehensive look at the darker origins of Western civilization. The author exposes many of the more obscured areas of history and suggests how and, moreover, why they have remained so hidden. Seemingly mundane and disparate details of history are infused with the rich and strangely-connected world of the occult, mystical and symbolic that bind them. Especially focused on the links between the ancient and later eras. The arguments presented in this book lingered in my mind long after I'd read it and seem now to contaminate much of the perspective I'd long taken for granted. Provocative and unsettling.