Author Jonathan Black (pen name for Mark Booth), studied Philosophy and Theology at Oxford and spent 20 years researching the literature to produce this tome, as well as “hanging around antiquarian bookshops”!
This book, The Secret History of the World (ISBN 978-0-85738-097-5, Quercus, 2010) is the result, and quite a tome it is indeed at around 600 pages.
There are 28 chapters covering many topics including the Garden of Eden, Lucifer, Alexander the Great and the Wizard, Rosicrucians and Freemasons. That should be enough to whet your appetite for things occult!
The author writes, “Mystical and supernatural secrets, guardians of ancient streams of underground spirituality that may have something important to say to us – particularly now that organized religion is failing to turn back the tide of materialism.”
The Darwinian theory of evolution is covered and the ancient Egyptians wrote of animals that came out of the sea, half fish, half animal. Lantern headed humans were later depicted as unicorns.
But did we come from plant life? There are those who believe so, and the way the bible was written would suggest that parthenogenesis can explain how Adam found his Eve without any female for sexual reproduction. Cain and Abel likewise, which puts the incest theory out of the way too.
Jonathan Black explores the Law of Probability that becomes bent when looked at by the human mind, as opposed to objective scientific experimentation which is remote from the human mind. An interesting concept, and one that probably defies scientific method of measurement.
As he points out, “When it comes to considering the great questions of life and death, all the equations of science are little more than difficult and long winded ways of saying ‘we don’t know’.”
For those people with any form of belief systems (I avoid the terminology “religion” on purpose) this book explores the bible, the Gods, demi-Gods, the Templars, the Cabala and more, and how those ancient beliefs are still with us today. If science were to ‘prove’ that it is all nonsense, why do we still have Saturn-day, Sun-day and Moon-day? And in that order?
Looking at Genesis, Black states that, “This way of decoding the bible surfaced among the Neoplatonists and early Cabalists and was elucidated by groups like the Rosicrucians.”
Black’s studies over the 20 years have led him to assert that the God of the Moon is also Jehova for the Hebrews and Allah for the Muslims.
He manages to give a lighter interpretation to things which may be considered by some as being deep, dark and dastardly and then joins the third eye and chakras that exist in many beliefs. And Moses? Yes, he did exist, and was an Egyptian prince in 1540 BC.
The book has a hefty index, sources, and selective biographies, as one should expect of a resource such as this. At B. 530 it is available at Bookazine Royal Garden Plaza and it will take you much more than a weekend to read and absorb. A book that should have a hard cover so that it can be kept as a real reference.
