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.
