The Ark of the Covenant
Operations Manual
How to build an Ark and perform the miraculous feats of the Old Testament
P. Christopher Jordan
Copyright 2012 Christopher Jordan
The moral right of the author has been asserted
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the author. Nor may it be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Published by Christopher Jordan at Smashwords
ISBN 978-1-4657-3096-1
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
~~~~*****~~~~
Books by Christopher Jordan
The Ark of the Covenant Operations Manual describes how to build an Ark and perform many of the miracles of the Old Testament. It is aimed at readers who already have an interest in this enigmatic object. The history and attributes of the Ark are summarized where relevant, it is expected that most will already know of these aspects. The operational details are the primary focus of this tract. The methods all are based on concepts covered in previous books on the Ancient Solar Premise.
''Secrets of the Sun Sects'' was originally conceived and written before the rise of the e-book. Like most books on the ancient world, it is a weighty tome packed full of concepts and a great reference source. It was aimed at covering both the past and present uses of the various technologies. Many of the historical and religious repercussions of the Ancient Solar Premise were also explored, though by no means all. It would take several lifetimes of work to cover every one of them. As such, the 'Secrets' stands as a testament to over ambition.
The ''Secrets'' was criticized for skipping between the three areas and confusing the ideas. It also contained too much math for most readers. For others the 'Secrets' was not technical enough. These conflicting issues could not be resolved in one book.
Since the original publication, the electronic book movement has made more space available for a wider variety of niche books. Under the sage advice of the publisher, the 'Secrets of the Sun Sects' has been split into three shorter books. This trilogy with three distinctive threads makes things much easier for the selective reader. The 'Ancient Solar Premise' aims at relating the techniques and evidence of old solar technology. For those who prefer the narrative style 'A Brief History of the Sun Sects' explores the implications of the solar devices chronologically. Finally, 'The Sun Devices' is a technical manual for using the fine ancient tools.
The first to be published was ''The Sun Devices'' which deals primarily with the modern uses of the ancient technologies. It is aimed specifically at those looking for simple solar devices. It has proved popular with technologists and NGOs looking for effective ways to help alleviate poverty. It is hoped that commercial concerns will also take up the baton and spread the tools at the rapid pace that industry sets. What better reason is there to study ancient history than to find ideas and devices that can prove useful today?
The ''Devices'' is effectively a manual for utilizing the incredible ancient techniques. The tools are updated with suitable modern materials to make building them much easier. They are for the most part directed toward modern concerns such as electrical power, domestic hot water and developing world needs. Whilst not all of the applications can compete with their modern counterparts, the reduced build and energy costs should allow for some niche uses. This will always be the case with those looking for low maintenance, easy build and efficient tools.
If enough people take up the simple solar methods, there is a very bright future ahead. The central benefits are reduced carbon emissions, poverty reduction, restoration of exquisite crafts and sustainability. If the ancient world can teach the modern about anything, it is the ability to sustain itself over millennia. Solar tools make up a large part of the solution to today's energy needs. Without a shift towards these and other sustainable technologies, the outlook for the emerging and developed societies looks rather limited.
The second book 'The Ancient Solar Premise' is aimed specifically at relating the key evidence and techniques employed in the ancient world. It makes a compelling case for the extensive understanding and use of solar technology in antiquity. This goes far beyond the odd hot water system or speculative use of parabolic mirrors. It shows explicit evidence for the industrial and scientific application of the sun's energy to ever-present problems. By the end of this book, few believe that the revered civilizations of antiquity were supported by fossil fuels. The ancient world was underpinned by solar power.
The premise is based on two simple solar techniques; large dark stones can absorb and store the sun's energy and curved dishes can focus sunlight. These are far from new ideas. It is rarely argued that the old world was unaware of passive solar methods. The simplest are evidenced in building designs. The second has been marginalized because the ancients were thought incapable of making good parabolas. The ways the ancients constructed the mirrors is laid out so that anyone can build them and show this reasoning to be fallacious.
Evidence from virtually every significant ancient culture is collected together around these two tools. It shows explicitly that the people of the old world applied passive solar technology on an industrial scale. A casual dark slab used to cook an egg or sear meat is hardly persuasive, but the systematic evolution to megawatt devices is a little harder to ignore. These structures are the Sun Temples of the ancients and have rarely been assigned practical value before. They are shown to work both physically and mathematically on a scale that is just awesome. With this understanding, come the solutions to some awkward questions, such as what energy source supported the grand populations of the old world? Why did tropical cultures build shrines so hot that one experiences heat stroke on entering?
There are many more questions and answers, but the two most important follow the geographic spread and the temporal journey back in time. Whilst the former can clearly be followed via the sites and temples that remain, the latter is a little hazier. There are many large Neolithic sites with clear solar attributes. However, there are many more that are much simpler than the giant structures they made. When one broaches prehistory, the texts and material remains become very thin indeed. Even with the scant resources available, there are enough similarities with the later groups to infer that the earliest people were also indulging this technology on a wide scale.
The burning mirrors side of the premise shows that the ancients also had the power of a modern industrial laser at their disposal. With this device, they could achieve the seemingly impossible without recourse to any energy source apart from the sun. The tasks included vitrifying mountainsides, cutting stones cleanly and accurately, observing distant star systems, refining metals with light, welding metal joints without solders, turning useless rocks into valuable gems, sand into glass, clays into ceramics and many more. The number of uses is as long as the list of tasks currently thought to have been carried out in antiquity.
Whilst some of these undertakings can be accomplished with conventional means, many cannot and have become the milieu of the modern mystery industry. Speculation abounds on unknown energy sources and some nothing short of ancient magic. The extensive use of the sun's energy seems a little too mundane, but it is no coincidence that a vast array of curios can be explained by the solar premise. The importance of the sun in antiquity does not escape the notice of even the casual scholar. These solar applications are the reason for this prominence.
The curved mirrors are found in every large museum and the passive structures on every peopled continent. Unfortunately, they are both currently ascribed rather esoteric roles in religious rites. Under this practical view, they make the Ancient Solar Premise a compelling concept. It allows for tangible values and answers a myriad of questions. The conclusion is a true paradigm shift; the ancients were originally utilizing the sun, not worshipping it.
There are two additional short papers that support the Ancient Solar Premise. The first is 'The Math Behind Burning Mirrors'. This explains the math and physics that allowed the ancients to build potent solar concentrators. The potency and uses are very briefly summarized in this free paper. It is primarily aimed at showing the ease with which megawatts per square meter can be achieved. It is freely available to any researcher who needs this sort of power in their work.
The second paper 'Evidence of Vitrified Stonework in the Inca Vestiges of Peru' is jointly written with Jan Peter de Jong. It deals with the odd layers of glass that are found on many stones in Incan structures. The results show explicitly that the ancients of South America had the facility to melt glazes onto huge stones. This is ultimately used as evidence of dish use.
Much of the content of these books and papers is freely available from the website ''Secrets of the Sun Sects'' at wordpress.com. The site is designed to harbor discussions on the subjects and ideas raised. Website Address http://secretsofthesunsects.wordpress.com/
~~~~*****~~~~
The Feats of the Old Testament
~~~~*****~~~~
The Ark of the Covenant is a small part of a much wider view of the ancient world. Full details of how this device evolved from a common technology are to be found in the Secrets of the Sun Sects. The principles and key evidence from antiquity are summarized in The Ancient Solar Premise. Both elucidate on the widespread use of solar devices in antiquity. They outline countless other examples of the same technology being used in the successful cultures of the old world. The focus in this short tract is the Ark and its capabilities.
The Ark is an embodiment of ancient solar principles. The device operates as a portable version of the grander solar structures found on virtually every continent. The abilities of this object are paralleled and evidenced in many other cultures. Many of these are cataloged in the books noted above. This Operations Manual collects the various techniques and binds them specifically to this revered object and its unlikely feats. The Sun Devices is also a practical manual; it shows how these same methods can be useful today.
The Ark is also intimately connected to the ideology that is preventing the reframing of the sun cultures of antiquity. The most successful civilizations of the old world will remain sun-worshiping states as opposed to solar powered countries whilst the supernatural view of the Ark remains in tact. In showing how to deliver the acclaimed feats of the Ark, there should be major benefits to us today. If these gains were not achievable, the contents of this tract would be left in an obscure corner of the previous books.
Whilst the details support the literalist view of the bible held by fundamentalists, the conclusions and inferences are difficult to resolve with faith. Anyone with devout religious views should leave this book on the shelf. The contents might prove disturbing, though they are unlikely to undermine the values of true Christians. This is not without precedent in other ancient solar cultures. The previous books also touch on sensitive areas of study for Buddhists, Hindus and others. Between the groups of these ancient devices, the modern religions have a lot to learn.
Many books have been written on the subject of the Ark. For complete histories, ''The Sign & the Seal'' by Graham Hancock and ''The Kingdom of the Ark'' by Lorraine Evans are quite exceptional reads. They cover much of the history, fable and speculation that surround the Ark of the Covenant. They do not provide practical information on how to use an Ark. No other books, as far as the author is aware, cover the means to deliver the full series of feats associated with this device.
There are many books written on the subject and equally as many theories on how the Ark worked. It seems that whenever man invents a new technology or discovers a new phenomenon, it is only a matter of time before someone posits that it was the critical element of the Ark. Electricity, Magnetism, Radioactivity, Tesla machines, Black holes etc. Each has proved a wonderful exercise in recycling and repackaging old ideas. The books are padded with the historical, biblical, mythical and mystical details along with the simple addition of the new technique. The thing missing from these wonderful catalogs of ingenuity is working devices. This text shines because instead of taking the reader on a journey through the textual references and likely locations, it primarily shows how to build and use the Ark.
This revered icon of antiquity works under simple known principles and can be built by anyone. Whilst it is possible to follow the instructions in the OT to the letter, there are modern materials and techniques that allow just about anyone to make a working device. Both the old and modern constructs can be run side by side, so pedants can go with the biblical accounts and the pragmatists can save money on gold. What other scenario would be a plausible explanation of this ancient technology?
The Ark has raised theological questions ever since it was first conceived and committed to the written word. This is also the case here. The alternative ideas on how the Ark worked have raised little interest from the theologians. It is suspected that this text may disturb the status quo a little more than speculations on Tesla coils and radioactivity. Once people see this ancient device spontaneously ignite a bush, write in stone or split stones silently and effortlessly as the texts describe, certain debates evaporate.
Each of these feats is practicable for anyone wishing to put in the effort or watch a video of the devices in action. This makes the content of this short tract stand out against other theories. There are no excuses such as imperfect weather conditions, missing parts, technologically advanced machinery, mystical energies no longer present or lack of faith. Instead, there is a literal reading of the texts to build the Ark. A scientific understanding of the feats coupled with the method to achieve these acts previously deemed supernatural acts.
The parts and principles are inline with other technologies of Biblical times. In fact, the components can be found on display in any decent museum of antiquity. Crucially, these methods were used then and are still being used today. They still deliver the same amazing accomplishments. It would be surprising if the priests of Egypt or Moses had knowledge of physics that is unknown today. This logic does not seem to stop others from speculating on mysterious or yet to be fathomed science. The physics behind this icon is straightforward and clear to any student.
Auxiliary evidence comes in the form of ancient Arks that still actually work. Whether any of these have been tested is doubtful. These rare and expensive objects are considered too important to be turned over to the hands of an experimenter. Fortunately, they can be copied with less expensive materials and proven viable by anyone with the inclination. Pedants will certainly argue that these are not 'The' Ark, but most will recognize the style of device and its evolution.
Next to actual working devices, other speculative theories become rather obsolete. Ideas associated with the Ark such as massive capacitors, black hole engines or mystical resonance machines appear rather imaginative. Indeed, a lot of the engineering or 'science' based hypotheses seem more like wishful thinking and promotional tools. As anyone who has reviewed the various ideas will notice, as a new principle is discovered it is rarely long before it is applied to this enigmatic artifact.
Usually it requires a piece of technology to be developed before these tentative ideas are taken seriously. The texts are vague enough to let many things pass cursory investigation. However, the hypotheses seldom progress any further because they usually only explain one small facet. The aspect most often considered is the immense power that the Exilic Israelites seem to have had at their disposal.
On the invention of dynamite, there were people who figured it was somehow linked to the Ark's power. When electricity started to spread commercially and began being built up to huge power levels, the Ark was raised. As the nuclear industry got off the ground, the new science was fitted retrospectively. As vacuum energy and black holes find a place in the popular psyche today, they are being associated with the biblical device.
Whilst each of these technical characters in a factional history of the Ark makes entertaining reading, they are no more than a distraction. Even on a quick perusal of the bible, there are clearly a multitude of properties and deeds performed by the device. The fascination with the power source is a natural attention grabber for those working in the energy industry. The finer attributes and abilities of the workers using the old device are virtually ignored. The intricately described techniques that follow are all practical under the solar premise. The other contenders fail miserably with respect to the breadth of uses.
There is also the matter of practicalities to consider. Under the popular electrical capacitor discharge model, there is no specific way to use the electrical discharge. It is a charge left hanging, possibly waiting millennia for the electric devices that could use it. There is absolutely no evidence for the mechanisms necessary to build up the required charge, such as Van der Graaf generators. Instead, the proponents turn to a variety of cloths to produce static. Whilst it is possible to charge a balloon to twenty thousand volts by rubbing it, it is never going to knock down a wall. Experiments gag on excuses like non-conducive weather conditions or long-term changes to the climate.
The radioactive view completely ignores the health and safety issues for the carriers and users. Whilst we are wise to the detrimental effects of radiation today, the biblical folk seem to be somehow inured to its consequences. The mechanic to use radioactivity in any viable manner is again left hanging. Maybe they were also waiting millennia for the ICBMs and power station components that are needed.
Vacuum physics and black holes are the latest incarnation of modern ideas applied retrospectively. Whilst these principles have been shown to be reasonably secure, the exploitation has yet to be realized. What the parts might eventually be is anyone's guess. It is a fair bet that they will not be found in any museum or described in the texts. Doubtless, these will in due course find a place in the Ark theoretical dustbin alongside other associated ideas.
At least there are technologies that work under the previously connected theories. There are deeply mystical perspectives that invariably note resonance within their constituents. These rarely propose a working ancient technology, let alone a possible mechanic. These efforts are generally attempting to apply some form of pseudo-science to the seemingly intractable problem of how the Ark worked. Apologies to any writers who may have actually delivered the feats of the OT with tools actually found in the museums. To date, they have not been read by the author. The results and evidence in this area are invariably highly subjective and much closer to the faith-based position.
This neatly brings forward the most commonly held view on the Ark, the supernatural or feats of God position. Of the billions of people who follow the belief systems that revere the Ark, there are many who choose to hold the religious perspective. They should not be reading this tract.
There are physical explanations that to some extent follow this line. The burning bush episode has been reasoned to have been possible under some unlikely natural conditions. A good example is the freak minor earthquake that releases some trapped gases, which ignite spontaneously due to a friction-induced spark. The series of events is just about plausible to a scientist and to the faithful. It can in a sense be interpreted as a natural act of god.
These types of ideas become popular because they satisfy all parties. It does not seem to matter that the obvious associated details are unrecorded in the texts. With a fair amount of conjecture, it is possible to reduce all miracles or feats of god to some natural phenomena. If the bush earthquake was undetected, then the walls of Jericho could have tumbled for the same reason; a silent unnoted earthquake.
Likewise, stones fracturing without being touched could be earthquake related. The natural event 'cutting' the stones to appropriate sizes for the Temple of Solomon might be stretching the hypothesis. The ''voice of god'' being heard by a single believer may be caused by a schizophrenic episode as some have suggested. However, this disorder usually has many associated characteristics, which go unnoted like the earthquakes. The list of subtle but poorly recorded natural events could explain the origins of many stories from the OT.
It is important to some that the biblical texts retain their appeal for those with faith. Today there is a move to some form of scientific reality, these ideas help in the transition. It is irrelevant whether the prepositions are likely or true, it is a temporary bridge to a new interpretation of the religious texts. It is similar to the move from the earth-centric view of the universe. Whilst this is patently true, it was managed on its way into the mainstream in order to retain the followers of the faiths.
This highlights the critical nature of the Ark to the Ancient Solar Premise. No scientist, engineer or mathematician will disagree with the ideas that follow, unless there are ulterior motives. The objections are usually faith based. This was expressed rather emotionally by a Buddhist scientist.
The Solar Premise applies to hundreds if not thousands of ancient sites around the globe. Many of these have been appropriated by modern religions for shrines. This is particularly the case in Asia where solar chambers have widely been converted to Buddhist and Hindu shrines.
The scientist in question was provided with the details of original components of ancient solar temples. He readily agreed that they would naturally heat up in the sun. He had no issue with ancient farmers using these structures to dry crops and cook foods. Then it was pointed out that the very old Buddhist Wats were essentially the same solar chambers. This information was not received well to say the least. He was rather distressed and appeared to try and ''unhear'' the information, if that is even possible.
The Temple Mountains were the cause for the author to be very careful with whom the solar premise was shared. In Asian cultures, the nature of Buddhist and Hindu sites is a sensitive subject. The solar proposals were put to a dean in a good technical college. After at first laughing, word was circuitously sent back that if the paper were published in country, deportation would follow. The aim was not to cause a storm of debate or distress, but to nudge the colleges towards a mode of industry that was more eco-friendly.
The most enigmatic and iconic religious structures of Asia are without doubt solar devices. They still warm to uncomfortable temperatures around midday. To overcome this problem, the inheritors have gone to great lengths to cool the chambers with porches, ventilation and the like. Despite this, it is immediate to anyone with a basic understanding of solar concepts that these are indeed designed to utilize the sun. This knowledge is naturally not that widely reported throughout the religious cultures of Asia. This sort of resistance will undoubtedly be faced by the following tract in the west, if it is not completely ignored.
Most of the cases of solar technology detailed in The Ancient Solar Premise, lack any real controversy for people of the west. This begs the question, why the solar version is not more widely published. The alternative explanations for each Asian case may be more interesting to most people. Traits of the gods, fantastic stories and aliens all make good copy because they cause more of a tumult no matter how absurd. It would harm no one to add the solar view to this list, yet it remains absent.
There are concepts that are more difficult to accept in the full exposition of the solar premise. The Tabernacle and the Ark may prove to be the most awkward for western readers. The Ark is a central element of Judaeo-Christian thought, it is the only device described in detail in the Old Testament. By using the solar ideas expressed in 'The Ancient Solar Premise', it is possible to explain how the ark was used and why it was so important. Problems arise with respect to what this all means for the origins of these religions. Just raising the subject brought about a raging debate between young progressive and older orthodox Jews. It seems that it is an area that some would rather not discuss at all.
Despite the likely opposition from the religious with their faith, the sophists with their alternative models and debating tricks; there is little doubt that any objective reader will agree with the conclusions laid out. No reasonable person will argue with clearly ancient devices that can deliver the majority of biblical feats associated with Moses. Anyone can build the tools and perform these acts themselves.
In the end, it is up to the reader to decide which of the interpretations have merit. The stories from the OT will be undoubted acts of god to the absolute believers. The unlikely, but natural phenomena will appeal to those with faith and scientific leanings. People with a literature background may think the texts are simply a series of symbolic stories with little foundation in reality. The historian might decide the texts are a standard chronicle style, adjusting real events to suit a prevailing mandate. The scientist or rationalist may find the following device and techniques more attractive. An ancient device that allows anyone to perform the miraculous feats of the OT will win the logic contest for sure.
~~~~*****~~~~
The Ancient Solar Premise
To set the context for the Exodus technology it is first worth summarizing the basis of the 'The Ancient Solar Premise. The headline is simple; the ancients were originally using the sun, not idolizing it. There are two key devices that support this view, parabolic sun dishes and a series of structures that collected and stored solar energy in large stones. These technologies allowed the ancient world to thrive for centuries with the sustainable energy of the sun.
As the importance of the devices grew and the processes became ritualized, the solar religions followed. Eventually the solar power was replaced by fossil fuels and the historians were left with purely the religious view. The full exposition along with archaeological and textual support can be found in the 'Secrets of the Sun Sects'. Here is a very brief summary.
The first supporting pillar of the premise is the basic parabolic mirror. The ease with which sun dishes could be made to concentrate sunlight by thousands of orders is outlined in the free paper 'The Math Behind Burning Mirrors'. This tool had a myriad of uses and helps explain a variety of ancient relics. These dishes can create such intense beams of light that they challenge the conventional views on the origins of metallurgy, fine stonework, astronomy and ancient weaponry.
Whilst the key account of burning mirrors for Europeans is Archimedes at Syracuse, this is not the first example cited. Sun disks are common to many of the successful civilizations of antiquity. Egypt is a prime candidate in the list. The dishes were known as Atens in Egyptian culture and can still be found in the archaeological record. They are recorded on frescoes, hieroglyphs, sculptures and most importantly actual devices are found in the museums.
Historians have no issue with the abilities of the ancients to make these devices, since evidence is found in countless small curved vanity mirrors. There are debates over the potency and widespread uses that are dealt with in 'The Ancient Solar Premise'. Many old forgotten techniques have been tested and proven with these simple curved mirrors. This includes cutting stones, creating ceramics, making glass, fusing metals, refining metals, fire starting, weaponry, thermal disintegrating of concretes, making telescopes and many more. Some of these will be described and dealt with under the context of the Ark.
The second pillar of the solar premise is the Sun Temples. These have many names throughout the world, they are identified by the local solar deity and are variously dedicated to Ra, Siva, Brahma, Baal, Bel, Re, Marduk, etc. Often they are described generically as Wats, Sanctuaries, Shrines or Temples, but each retains the same facets and will be referred to by the functional name ''solar chambers''. The solar chamber is one of the most common legacies from a number of ancient civilizations.
Their importance is considered to be ceremonial, however the following summary illustrates that each variant was functionally important to the constructors. In Egypt, these devices were known as Temples of Ra or shrines of other sun gods. They underpinned the food industry of the time. Without these simple devices, the harvests, for which Egypt was famed, would have gone to waste. The solar chambers played a major role in drying the crops and baking their flat breads.