Pyramid Quest (53 page)

Using sophisticated but now poorly understood means, the Sphinx and pyramids may have allowed adepts to accomplish what others have tried to achieve through ingesting mescaline (the active ingredient of peyote) and other drugs, kundalini yoga, study of the Kabbala, Transcendental Meditation, or any of numerous other presumed roads to enlightenment (see Horgan, 2003). The Sphinx and pyramids served as a vehicle, a means, to experience true mystical states, a way to gain that insight that cannot be described (sometimes referred to as the “oneness” or “void”), a method to glimpse ultimate reality.

What is the ancient wisdom that the Sphinx and pyramids have to impart? Perhaps it eludes all words, all language, and can only be attained by traveling the path to its ultimate consummation.

In Greco-Roman times the concept of seven awe-inspiring works of art and architecture commonly known as the Seven Wonders, had wide currency. Lists of the Seven Wonders in some cases differed from one writer to another, but the seven most generally agreed upon were as follows (see Anonymous, 1965; Horowitz, 2004).

1. THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES

2. THE SHRINE TO DIANA

3. STATUE OF ZEUS

4. THE LIGHTHOUSE AT ALEXANDRIA

5. THE MAUSOLEUM AT HALICARNASSUS

6. THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON

7. THE GREAT PYRAMID

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I wish to acknowledge the generosity and support that I have received from my two dear friends and colleagues, Elena Konstantinou and Leila Makeeva. Without them, I don’t know that I could have written this book. Elena, Leila, and I made two amazing trips together to visit the Great Pyramid. Together we explored the interior at length, including the so-called Relieving Chambers above the King’s Chamber. I have been to Egypt many times over the years, and I can honestly say that my best and most productive trips have been with Elena and Leila. Thank you.

Joining Elena, Leila, and myself on one or both of the trips to Egypt were Shareen der Parthogh, Yervant der Parthogh, Andreas Wallach, Valeria Sanina, Ze’ev Gilad, Vitaly Lenskiy, David Wilkie, Andrew Martin, Chance Gardner, my old friend John Anthony West, David Hands, Leigh Cunningham, Graham Walker, Nicholas Hadjipavlou, and my Boston University students Jessica Brady Hahn and Logan Kaye Danielle Yonavjak (Logan has since moved on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Although college freshpersons at the time, Brady and Logan both played significant roles in our November-December 2003 trip to Cairo, Upper Egypt, and the Egyptian Sinai. They were often mistaken for upper-level college or graduate students. Logan has since worked with me continuously on Egypt-related material and other projects and is always willing to help me when I need her assistance. Logan brought to my attention the Thoreau quotation used in the epigraph to this book (the Sandys quotation is from Sandys, 1621, p. 127). Through Logan, I have gotten to know her mother, Liane Salgado, who has also helped me with my research in many ways and provided constructive criticism of many of my ideas. In Egypt, my good friend Mohamed Nazmy provided logistical and moral support; Emil Shaker helped me in numerous ways; and I also had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Zahi Hawass, whose kind permission allowed us access to the Great Pyramid and other sites.

My webmaster, Steve LeMaster (the website address is currently
www.robertschoch.net
, however, this is subject to change; it can be found by searching “Robert Schoch” on any good search engine), has provided me with unfailing support and helped me to collect information. It was an absolute pleasure meeting Michael McCleery in Cairo during November 2003, and I thank him for his assistance inside the Great Pyramid and for his generosity in sharing his photographs with me. Robert Bauval, who has always been a source of great help and encouragement, chatted with me about the Great Pyramid when we had the good fortune to meet in Cairo in May 2004, as did Steven Myers on the same trip. I have had many discussions with Richard Noone over the phone, and he has been an inspiration to me over the years.

During Boston University’s spring recess in March 2004, my fine friend and “brother,” Stratton Horres, and I were coleaders of a group trip to Egypt. Furthermore, he and I played the roles of Osiris and Set, respectively, in a modern rendition of the sacred story of Osiris, Isis, Set, and Horus. Participants in the March 2004 trip were Stratton’s wife, Deborah J. Horres; Stratton’s children Rachel L. Horres, Caroline M. Horres, and Stratton Jamison Horres; and Boston University students Aaron Manders, Jeffrey A. Gilfillan (Anubis in our rendition), Amanda J. Scobie (who took the role of Nephthys), Blanca D. (Daisy) Romero, Megan E. Hodes (who was Isis in the play), Danae Maragouthakis, Lori Danielle LaCroix, Molly F. Beitchman, Mallory E. Glenn, Natalie Grigorian, and Natasha Chander. Also participating in this trip were Betsyanne Tippette, Martha W. Potter, Patricia G. Arredondo, Bradley J. Trapnell (Horus in the play), Patricia M. Harris, Mary F. Driver, Kathleen P. Carmer, Maria L. Carmer, Michelle Escuriex, and John P. Cole. I especially thank Natalie Grigorian, Aaron Manders, and Jeffrey A. Gilfillan for their assistance during this trip. In Egypt Soha Mohmoud and Ashraf William joined us. I want to thank all of them for making the trip an outstanding success.

Of course, there are many people who have helped me or provided support other than those with whom I have traveled to, or worked in, Egypt. In this category are various friends, acquaintances, and family members, including, Alan Alford (author of
The Midnight Sun: The Death and Rebirth of God in Ancient Egypt
); Cheryl Baxa (always supportive of my endeavors, she helped me locate books in the early stages of my research); Noah Chatham; Laura Cortner; Carmen Cusó (a math teacher and astronomer in Argentina with whom I have exchanged ideas about the Great Pyramid); Brenda J. Dunne; Robert and Zoh Hierondimus; James Arthur Jancik; Helen Landis; Tom Manney (a pseudonym for someone who prefers to be anonymous); Roger D. Nelson; Liliane Roth (my friend in France who translated
Voyages of the Pyramid Builders
into French); Ashley Shelby; Don Yonavjak; my parents, Milton and Alicia Schoch; my parents-in-law Robert and Anne Pettit; my sister Rita Schoch; my constituents and fellow elected officials in the city of Attleboro, Massachusetts, where I am currently a city councilor; my colleagues and students at the College of General Studies of Boston University (in particular, Dean Linda Wells has always been very supportive of my research endeavors), where I have taught full-time since 1984; and of course my wife, Cynthia Pettit Schoch, and my two sons, Nicholas and Edward Schoch.

I must also express a debt of gratitude to all the Great Pyramid researchers of the past and present, many of whom are mentioned in this book or their works are cited in the bibliography. The field is so vast that no single volume can give every aspect of the Great Pyramid equal justice, so I have had to pick and choose from the available material. I apologize to those researchers whose work I lacked room to cover in this book.

This book would not be possible without the warm enthusiasm, encouragement, and fine editorial input that our editor at Tarcher, Mitch Horowitz, has always provided. I also extend personal thanks to my coauthor, Robert Aquinas McNally. This is our third book together, and it is always a pleasure to work with him. Our fine literary agents, Sarah Jane Freymann and Judith Riven, nurtured and believed in
Pyramid Quest.
Finally, I must thank readers like you for making it possible for this book to exist. Without readers, there is perhaps no point in writing.

 

 

NOTES

1
The original reads:
“ce Sphinx dont tout le corps léonin , à l’exception de la tête, montre une indiscutable érosion aquatique”
(Schwaller de Lubicz, 1961, p. 119); translated by Robert Aquinas McNally.

1
Verner, 2001, p. 189.

2
Quoted in Kingsland, 1932, p. 6.

1
Drbal, 1985, p. 121.

2
Drbal, 1985, p. 116.

3
Drbal, 1985, p. 119.

4
Quoted in Valentine, 1975, p. 164.

5
See Petrie, 1883, 1885.

6
Farrell, 2001, p. 2.

1
Tompkins, 1971, p. 61.

2
Translation as given by Hassan, 1949, pp. 222-223.

3
See Nakhla et. al, 1999.

4
Lehner, 1991, p. 33.

5
Coxill, 1998, p. 16.

1
Valentine, 1975, p. 7.

2
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 72; italics Taylor’s.

3
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 76.

4
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 76.

5
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xii; italics in the original.

6
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xi.

7
Quoted in Kingsland, 1932, pp. 6-7.

8
See El Mahdy, 2003, pp. 113-115.

9
El Mahdy, 2003, p. 131.

10
See for instance, Emery,1960; Said, 1962; Sampsell, 2003.

11
Petrie, 1883, 1885.

1
Isler, 2001, p. 173.

2
Proctor, 1880, pp. 62-63.

3
See Petrie, 1883, 1885, and Kingsland, 1932.

4
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 165.

5
Bauval and Gilbert, 1994, p. 192.

6
Bauval and Gilbert, 1994, pp. 192-193.

7
Hertaus, 2004.

8
Edge, 1995, 1998.

1
Quoted in Calter, 1998/2004.

2
Stecchini, 1971, p. 289.

3
According to Herz-Fischler, 2000, p. 176.

1
Quoted in Shalev, 2002, p. 569.

2
Quoted in Shalev, 2002, p. 570.

3
Quoted in Kingsland, 1932, p. 2.

4
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xx, capitals in original.

5
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 92.

6
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 93.

7
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. 621.

8
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xi.

9
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xi.

10
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xii; italics in original.

11
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. xii.

12
Smyth, 1880/1978, p. 623.

13
Quoted in Tompkins, 1971, p. 108.

14
Davidson and Aldersmith, n.d., p. 383.

15
Russell, 1915, p. 315; italics in original.

16
Russell, 1915, pp. 315-316.

17
Russell, 1915, p. 326.

18
Russell, 1915, p. 342.

19
Lewis, 1994, p. 97.

20
Lewis, 1994, pp. 176-177.

21
Lemesurier, 1977, p. 295.

22
Lemesurier, 1977, p. 242.

1
Quoted in Herz-Fischler, 2000, p. 144.

2
See Schwaller de Lubicz, 1985, pp. 104-105.

1
Said, 1979, p. 70.

2
Quoted in West, 1985, p. xi.

3
Lucius Apuleius, 1951, pp. 264-265.

4
See Hornung, 2001.

5
Hornung, 2001, p. 117.

6
See Hornung, 2001, pp. 119-120.

7
Anonymous, 1785; Hall, 1937.

8
Quoted in Hornung, 2001, p. 147.