John Anthony West

Iconoclast

Jedi Master
laura, i just wanted to make sure that you were aware of John Anthony West's work on ancient egypt.
i'm certain you are, but since i found his 8-part series quite fascinating i felt i had to point it out just in case.

http:(2slash)www(dot)jawest(dot)net/

http:(2slash)www(dot)magicalegypt(dot)com/popstore(dot)html
(yikes! that set is quite pricey... i wasn't aware of that, i got it through *cough* alternative sources :) )
 
Re: The Amarna Letters and the Mummies of Cairo

Yes, I'm aware of JAWs work and his admiration for the nonsense produced by that old plagiarist and fascist Rene Schwaller. While I am thankful that he brought the attention of Robert Schoch to the issues of the dating of Egyptian monuments, and consider Schoch's work quite interesting, I have a real problem with a guy who's credentials are as follows:

John Anthony West is a writer, scholar and Pythagorean, born in New York City. He is the author of The Traveler's Key to Ancient Egypt, and consulting editor for the Traveler's Key series. His previous book, Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt is an exhaustive study of the revolutionary Egyptological work of the French mathematician and Orientalist, the late R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz.

In The Case for Astrology, John Anthony West presents compelling new evidence that proves the astrological premise: that correlations exist between events in the sky and on earth, and that correspondences exist between the human personality and the positions of the planets at birth.

Mr. West has published a novel and many short stories; his plays have been produced on stage, television and radio, and he writes articles, essays and criticism for The New York Times Book Review, Conde Nast's Traveler and other general interest and specialized newspapers and magazines in America and abroad. He won an EMMY Award for his 1993 NBC Special Documentary The Mystery of the Sphinx, hosted by Charlton Heston.

The ancient Egyptians themselves attributed their wisdom to an earlier age going back 36,000 years. West set out to test the hypothesis that the Sphinx was much older than its conventional date of 2500 BC. His findings provide the first hard evidence that an earlier age of civilization preceded the known development of civilization in the Nile valley.

John Anthony West is today the leading authority and proponent of the 'Symbolist' school of Egyptology, an alternative interpretation of ancient Egyptian culture advanced by the French scholar and philosopher, R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz (1891-1962). In the Symbolist view, Egyptian architecture and art disclose a richer and more universal wisdom than conventional Egyptology has assumed.


Mr. West lectures extensively on Egypt and personally leads several in-depth study tours to Egypt every year.
 
Re: The Amarna Letters and the Mummies of Cairo

why am i not surprised at your reply? -- j/k ;)

since i lack the in-depth knowledge of a dedicated researcher like you, i was of course unaware that there were problems with schwaller's research (and therefore JAW's).

i'm really looking forward to your take on this subject in your new book.
 
I split these posts off from an old thread and changed the subject because I received a message from John Anthony West this morning that I'd like to share:


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: New Contact Form Message from Cassiopaea.org!
Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 03:48:00 +0000
From: John Anthony West <jawsphinx@XXX.com>
To: contact(X)cassiopaea.org


From: John Anthony West <jawsphinx@XXX.com>

Message Body:

> He failed to point out that the Egyptian civilization was static and limited.� What's more, it caved in on itself, and never managed to produce any significant work of benefit for humanity, as mathematician Otto Neugebauer showed.� In fact, Neugebauer made it clear that the Egyptian civilization was a hindrance to the development of mankind.� The Pharaonic lifestyle was that of a small group of the "elite," served and worshipped by everyone else - and that all others were, essentially, expendable.<

"Caved in on itself"? It lasted 3000 years! That's not bad, you know.

Re: Neugwebauer: Even his fellow Quackademics now realize his astronomical studies are deficient, if not utterly valueless.

Am I correct in interpreting the above to mean that the temples and art of ancient Egypt are insignificant works providing nothing of value to humanity ?

Needless to say, you have a right to your opinion.

Mine is that It would be difficult to pack more foolishness, insensitivity and sheer stupidity into a single paragraph than that. I will in due course quote that, and much else of your screed besides in a sequel to my "Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt"

There is a chapter devoted to Academic Pyschopathology.

John Anthony West

.

--
This mail is sent via contact form on Cassiopaea http://cassiopaea.org


I responded:

>
> From: John Anthony West <jawsphinx@aol.com>
>
> Message Body:
>
>> He failed to point out that the Egyptian civilization was static and limited.� What's more, it caved in on itself, and never managed to produce any significant work of benefit for humanity, as mathematician Otto Neugebauer showed.� In fact, Neugebauer made it clear that the Egyptian civilization was a hindrance to the development of mankind.� The Pharaonic lifestyle was that of a small group of the "elite," served and worshipped by everyone else - and that all others were, essentially, expendable.<
>
> "Caved in on itself"? It lasted 3000 years! That's not bad, you know.

No, the civilization did not last 3000 years. There were numerous interruptions of varying lengths involving massive death and destruction during and after which very different groups came to power, so there was no real continuity. Further, there is considerable evidence that our view of this "civilization" is not very clear and different reigns and regimes were concurrent. So you saying it "lasted 3000 years" is rather like saying that the civilization of Europe lasted 3000 years. It is true in one sense, but not exactly as you (or others) mean it.
>
>
> Re: Neugwebauer: Even his fellow Quackademics now realize his astronomical studies are deficient, if not utterly valueless.

Cite the evidence, please.

>
>
> Am I correct in interpreting the above to mean that the temples and art of ancient Egypt are insignificant works providing nothing of value to humanity ?

Of course they provide things of value in the sense of trying to understand the past. More than anything, Egypt shows us what a small, elite group can do to and with an ignorant population that lives in fear of the cosmos during periods of planetary stress. It also teaches us that technology - the ability to build things - doesn't necessarily mean spiritual advancement which we can see plainly demonstrated around us in our own civilization.

>
>
> Needless to say, you have a right to your opinion.

Thank you. I return the sentiment.

>
>
> Mine is that It would be difficult to pack more foolishness, insensitivity and sheer stupidity into a single paragraph than that. I will in due course quote that, and much else of your screed besides in a sequel to my "Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt"
>
> There is a chapter devoted to Academic Pyschopathology.
>
Your opinion above is not about the subject, it is ad hominem. I'll be looking forward to your book.

L K-J
 
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