-Caveat Lector- Below is the marketing blurb on Alford's two books. Further down is Alford's opinion about 14 of Sitchin's most important conclusions. Gavin. 'Gods of the New Millennium' (1996) covers a vast array of ancient mysteries, and explores the controversial possibility that the gods of ancient mythology were a flesh-and-blood race (recommended reading for fans of Zecharia Sitchin). 'The Phoenix Solution' (1998) focuses on ancient Egypt. Alford's comprehensive decoding of the Pyramid Texts reveals that the Egyptian religion was an exploded planet cult, with extensive similarities to the modern astronomical theory of Dr Tom Van Flandern. Praise for "The Pheonix Solution" (Gavin) <A HREF="http://www2.eridu.co.uk/eridu/PhoenixSolution.htm">The Phoenix Solution</A> Unusually, for such a controversial book, 'The Phoenix Solution' has won support from the eminent English historian Michael Rice (author of several books on ancient Egypt) who has hailed Alford's work as 'a tremendous thesis', which 'presents an entirely new dimension' to Egyptology. In his foreword to 'The Phoenix Solution', Michael Rice rates Alford's thesis as being of 'comparable significance' to Hamlet's Mill (by de Santillana & von Dechend) and the various works of the great mythologist Joseph Campbell. In other words, 'The Phoenix Solution' is probably the most important book to be published on ancient Egypt in the last 30 years. Hamlet's Mill by the way is available from Amazon.com (Gavin.) <A HREF="http://www2.eridu.co.uk/eridu/minisites/sitchin.html">ZECHARIA SITCHIN - A BALANCED CRITIQUE</A> ZECHARIA SITCHIN - A BALANCED CRITIQUE By Alan F. Alford In contrast to other commentaries which verge from extreme support to extreme cynicism, this Web site sets out a more balanced appraisal of the works of Zecharia Sitchin. It is not my intention to engage in a personal attack on Mr Sitchin's research methodology nor on his many points of detail, as some critics have done in great length. Instead, I wish to focus not on the man, but on his broad conclusions, which are of major importance to us all. My message is "Don't throw out the Baby with the Bath Water". Zecharia Sitchin was born in Russia, and raised in Palestine, where he worked as a journalist and editor for many years. He now lives in New York. Sitchin has written 7 books between 1976-1996, as follows: "The Twelfth Planet", 1976. "The Stairway to Heaven", 1980. "The Wars of Gods and Men", 1985. "The Lost Realms", 1990. "Genesis Revisited", 1990. "When Time Began", 1993. "Divine Encounters", 1996. (These books can be obtained from Avon Books, a division of the Hearst Corporation, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10016, USA.) The following are, in my view, the 14 most important conclusions from Zecharia Sitchin's seven books: Conclusion 1 The ANUNNAKI ("Those Who From Heaven to Earth Came") were "extraterrestrial giants" who created man genetically as a hybrid between themselves and Homo erectus. Comment: Agreed, there was a genetic intervention. Darwinism fails miserably to explain how Homo erectus suddenly benefited from a 50 per cent increase in brain size, language capability and a modern anatomy. Conclusion 2 The ANUNNAKI came to Earth from a planet called Nibiru, which is in our own Solar System on a huge comet-like orbit lasting 3,600 years. Comment: Agreed. This is what the ancient texts stated. Furthermore, modern-day astronomers are searching for a "Planet X" with characteristics which closely match those of Nibiru. In recent years there have been many critics of the Planet X theory, but their arguments have been illogical and bizarre, and not surprisingly Planet X supporters, such as the astronomer Tom Van Flandern, are sticking to their guns. It seems to me that the debunking of Planet X may well have been orchestrated due to the profound implications of its discovery... Note also that this systematic debunking has coincided with the investment of billions of dollars in highly sensitive space-based telescopes. Is the search for Planet X being continued in secret by our governments? Conclusion 3 The ANUNNAKI evolved on Nibiru where they had a well-established society, ruled by their chief god, Anu. Comment: Highly unlikely. Although Nibiru may have seeded Earth with primitive life forms, it is highly unlikely that any of its species evolved to a point of intelligence. This can be deduced from Nibiru's orbital path, which is supposedly on a regular cataclysmic collision course with the Asteroid Belt. As to the chief god living on Nibiru, why would he choose to live on a planet where sunlight would be around one sixtieth the strength of that on Earth? Sitchin has not considered the possibility that the gods came to Earth not from but via Nibiru, using it as a travelling spaceship... He has not considered the possibility that the gods themselves were a worker colony acting under orders... He has not considered the possibility that messages allegedly emanating from Anu on Nibiru could have been relayed from elsewhere... Conclusion 4 The ANUNNAKI arrived on Earth in the era of Pisces 445,000 years ago. Comment. Wrong. Sitchin based his calculations on 120 "sars" of 3,600 years and the Babylonian Kings List reference to 432,000 years. However, as I have conclusively demonstrated in my recent book, the Babylonians misinterpreted data which had been expressed in sars of 2,160 years (one twelfth of the precessional cycle). The 2,160-year "sar" provides a much better chronology, suggesting that the gods arrived 272,000 years ago. Furthermore, it is highly likely that the Flood cataclysm (see later) affected the Earth's wobble and it is therefore invalid for Sitchin to calculate the dates of zodiacal periods prior to the Flood. The image of fishes which Sitchin uses to corroborate an arrival in Pisces could equally signify the arrival of the gods by splashdown in the ocean (compare the Apollo missions returning from the Moon). Conclusion 5 Man was created by the ANUNNAKI 299,000 years ago. Comment: Wrong again. The 2,160-year "sar" dates the creation to 182,000 years ago. Sitchin backs up his chronology with the dating of archaic Homo sapiens to 300,000 BC, but there is not one reliable dating of these archaic specimens. All of the reliable datings for Homo sapiens suggest a sudden emergence less than 200,000 years ago. Conclusion 6 Man was created as a servant to carry out the "toil" of the rank-and-file ANUNNAKI. Comment: Agreed. All of the ancient texts state this, so why argue with it? Is our species too arrogant to stomach the possibility? Conclusion 7 The ANUNNAKI came to Earth to obtain gold to suspend in the atmosphere of their planet Nibiru. Comment: No evidence. This is one of Sitchin's more extraordinary claims, listed here because it is important to explain why they came to Earth. Personally, I would have thought they came to mine numerous other minerals. Why the obsession with gold? I once wrote to Sitchin and asked him, but he did not respond... Conclusion 8 The ANUNNAKI lived for thousands of years because their life cycles had adjusted to living on a planet with a 3,600-year orbit around the Sun. Comment: Highly unlikely. There is no scientific basis for such a theory. On the contrary, the evidence which has been preserved in ancient texts and cultures suggests that the gods' longevity had a genetic basis. I have suggested that the gods used gene therapy to enhance their own longevity genes; they married half-sisters to minimise the effects of genetic drift; and they used cocktails of drugs to fend off the ageing effect of "free radicals". Conclusion 9 The Great Flood was a genuine historical event, caused by the planet Nibiru loosening the Antarctic ice sheet, which slipped into the sea causing a massive tidal wave. Comment: Unlikely to have happened in the manner described by Sitchin. The alleged orbit of Nibiru would have brought it no nearer to Earth than the Asteroid Belt, a distance of 166 million miles. It is difficult to see how it could have had any effect on Earth from this distance. In my view, Nibiru did cause the Flood, but not as described by Sitchin. Conclusion 10 The huge stone platform at Baalbek in Lebanon was a landing site of the ANUNNAKI. Comment: Agreed. I am one of the fortunate few to have visited Baalbek, and seen its huge stones at close quarters, in addition to which the geographical evidence highlighted by Sitchin is persuasive. Conclusion 11 The pyramids of Giza were built by the ANUNNAKI as beacons which guided incoming aircraft to Baalbek. Comment: Well, maybe, but... Despite the geographical connection to Baalbek, the Great Pyramid is far more complex than it ought to be if it was only a guidance beacon. My own analysis suggests that it may have been a hydrogen gas power generator. Conclusion 12 Sodom and Gomorrah were attacked with nuclear weapons, which also destroyed a space centre in Sinai. Comment: Agreed. I have obtained a close-up satellite photo of the Sinai peninsula, which supports what Sitchin said. In addition, I have copies of Emmanuel Anati's photographs of the blackened rocks in Sinai. The experts admit that these stones resemble volcanic rock, but there is no volcano near the Sinai. Conclusion 13 Stonehenge and Machu Picchu were built by the ANUNNAKI as solar-lunar calendars, associated with the New Age of Aries c. 2200 BC. Comment: Almost. Whoever built Stonehenge knew in advance the 19-year cycle of the Moon and was able to locate a unique site to mark out its 8 key points in a rectangular pattern. Why build such a complex solar-lunar observatory to observe what you already know? Amazingly, Sitchin has missed the point completely. The calendars of Stonehenge and Machu Picchu were secondary to their primary purpose which was surely to observe the stars and measure the speed of precessional change. Conclusion 14 The Hebrew god, Yahweh, was not one of the extraterrestrials, but is the One Eternal and Spiritual God. Comment: Definitely wrong. Sitchin's conclusion on the God of the Jews may well have been biased, to avoid upsetting his Jewish friends. The analysis presented in my book leaves little doubt that Yahweh was the flesh-and-blood god known to ancient peoples as the "Storm God". For more detailed information on all of the above points, and a review of many areas not covered by Zecharia Sitchin, please click below: Further Information This article is copyrighted (C) 1998, by Alan F. Alford. All rights reserved. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! 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