Hall of Records
Encyclopedia
Hall of Records is a mythical library buried under the Great Sphinx of Giza
, which is in the Giza pyramid complex
. It is rumoured to house the knowledge of the Egyptians
by papyrus
scrolls and history of the lost continent of Atlantis
, much as the Great Library of Alexandria
housed Grecian
knowledge. There is little evidence to indicate that the Hall actually exists, however some scientists have used ground penetrating radars and it has shown there may be cavities underneath the Great Sphinx.
of the Hall of Records is a popular one among those who hold alternative theories
of Ancient Egypt
. The origins of the story about the "Hall of Records" are unknown, though the idea that there is a cavity around the sphinx dates back to Pliny the Elder
. In Pliny's Natural History, he states that "[the Egyptians] are of the opinion that a King Harmais is buried inside it."
Graham Hancock
and Robert Bauval
, in "Message of the Sphinx" stated that American archeologists and the Egyptian government had blocked investigations around the Sphinx, including attempts to locate any underground cavities. Bauval later wrote Secret Chamber in 1999. According to Bauval's research, Egyptian Antiquities granted an American team a license to search for the Hall of Records under the Sphinx. It has been postulated that there may be three passages around the Sphinx; two with unknown origin and one is supposedly a small dead-end shaft behind the head of nineteenth century origins. Also, little holes in the body of the Sphinx may be related to its construction, but this is unknown.
Various alternate theories on the origin of the Hall have been proposed, including that the Hall was not the work of Ancient Egyptians at all but another society (this has ranged from advanced prehistoric societies to a superior race of intelligent beings). Accordingly, this society sealed the Hall away with scrolls of their accumulated knowledge at about 10,500 BC—the last period of time when the constellation
of Leo
was located between the Sphinx's paws when it rose in the night sky. Skeptics have relegated such notions to be much like the supposed inhabitants of Atlantis
in Hellenic
myth.
The study of and the search for the Hall is considered pseudoarchaeology
, making clear distinction between precise methodological scientific hypothesis and the rest of possible subsequent implications and speculations.
Also of note, following Cayce, there are two other Halls of records rumored; one in or around Bimini
, and another in the Yucatán
jungle, most likely the ruins of Piedras Negras.
, Giza, Ancient Egyptians, Predynastic Egypt
Other:Greeks
, Edgar Cayce
, Leo
, Atlantis
Websites
Books
Great Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza , commonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining or couchant sphinx that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt....
, which is in the Giza pyramid complex
Giza pyramid complex
The Giza Necropolis is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers' village and an...
. It is rumoured to house the knowledge of the Egyptians
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
by papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
scrolls and history of the lost continent of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, much as the Great Library of Alexandria
Library of Alexandria
The Royal Library of Alexandria, or Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the...
housed Grecian
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
knowledge. There is little evidence to indicate that the Hall actually exists, however some scientists have used ground penetrating radars and it has shown there may be cavities underneath the Great Sphinx.
Description
The mythologyMythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of the Hall of Records is a popular one among those who hold alternative theories
Fringe science
Fringe science is scientific inquiry in an established field of study that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories, and is classified in the "fringes" of a credible mainstream academic discipline....
of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. The origins of the story about the "Hall of Records" are unknown, though the idea that there is a cavity around the sphinx dates back to Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
. In Pliny's Natural History, he states that "[the Egyptians] are of the opinion that a King Harmais is buried inside it."
Graham Hancock
Graham Hancock
Graham Hancock is a British writer and journalist. Hancock specialises in unconventional theories involving ancient civilizations, stone monuments or megaliths, altered states of consciousness, ancient myths and astronomical/astrological data from the past...
and Robert Bauval
Robert Bauval
Robert Bauval is an author, lecturer, and Ancient Egypt researcher, best known for his Orion Correlation Theory.-Early life:...
, in "Message of the Sphinx" stated that American archeologists and the Egyptian government had blocked investigations around the Sphinx, including attempts to locate any underground cavities. Bauval later wrote Secret Chamber in 1999. According to Bauval's research, Egyptian Antiquities granted an American team a license to search for the Hall of Records under the Sphinx. It has been postulated that there may be three passages around the Sphinx; two with unknown origin and one is supposedly a small dead-end shaft behind the head of nineteenth century origins. Also, little holes in the body of the Sphinx may be related to its construction, but this is unknown.
Various alternate theories on the origin of the Hall have been proposed, including that the Hall was not the work of Ancient Egyptians at all but another society (this has ranged from advanced prehistoric societies to a superior race of intelligent beings). Accordingly, this society sealed the Hall away with scrolls of their accumulated knowledge at about 10,500 BC—the last period of time when the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
of Leo
Leo (constellation)
Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
was located between the Sphinx's paws when it rose in the night sky. Skeptics have relegated such notions to be much like the supposed inhabitants of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
in Hellenic
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
myth.
The study of and the search for the Hall is considered pseudoarchaeology
Pseudoarchaeology
Pseudoarchaeology — also known as alternative archaeology, fringe archaeology, fantastic archaeology, or cult archaeology — refers to interpretations of the past from outside of the academic archaeological community, which typically also reject the accepted scientific and analytical methods of the...
, making clear distinction between precise methodological scientific hypothesis and the rest of possible subsequent implications and speculations.
Also of note, following Cayce, there are two other Halls of records rumored; one in or around Bimini
Bimini
Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands located about 53 miles due east of Miami, Florida. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately 137 miles west-northwest of Nassau...
, and another in the Yucatán
Yucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
jungle, most likely the ruins of Piedras Negras.
Fiction
The myth of the Hall of Records is featured in many creative works.- Stel PavlouStel PavlouStelios Grant Pavlou is a British author and screenwriter.-Biography:Stel Pavlou was born in Gillingham, Kent in England, of Greek Cypriot descent. He grew up in Rochester and Chatham, Medway and attended Chatham Grammar School for Boys. The middle child of three, his younger brother is the...
places the Hall of Records under the Sphinx in the AtlantisAtlantisAtlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
adventure novel DecipherDecipher (novel)Decipher is a speculative fiction novel by Stel Pavlou , published in 2001 in England by Simon and Schuster and 2002 in the United States by St. Martin's Press. It is published in many languages with some significant title changes...
, 2001.
See also
General: Great Sphinx of GizaGreat Sphinx of Giza
The Great Sphinx of Giza , commonly referred to as the Sphinx, is a limestone statue of a reclining or couchant sphinx that stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt....
, Giza, Ancient Egyptians, Predynastic Egypt
Predynastic Egypt
The Prehistory of Egypt spans the period of earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in ca. 3100 BC, starting with King Menes/Narmer....
Other:Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce
Edgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance...
, Leo
Leo (constellation)
Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for lion. Its symbol is . Leo lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east.-Stars:...
, Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
External articles
ReferencesWebsites
- NOVA Online/Pyramids/Read Others' Responses #2
- The Search for Hidden Chambers On the Giza Plateau, Part III: The Hall of Records by Alan Winston
- The Shaft, The Subway & The Causeway / 4
- Homepage of the late Edgar Cayce
- Lambert Dolphin (dolphin@best.com), "Re: SPHINX". Sat, 20 Apr 1996 07:50:02 -0800
- "Waseda University Egyptian Expedition: The Pyramids Survey of Giza".
Books
- Zahi Hawass, H E Farouk Hosni, and Gaballa Ali Gaballa, "The Secrets of the Sphinx: الترميم بين الماضى والحاضر". American Univ in Cairo Press, 1998. ISBN 9774248929
- Robert Bauval, Secret Chamber: The Quest for the Hall of Records. Arrow; New Ed edition (7 Sep 2000). 572 pages. ISBN 0099405288
- H. Spencer Lewis, "Symbolic Prophecy of the Great Pyramid", The Rosicrucian Press, San Jose, 1936. ISBN 0-912057-55-6
- Garrett G. Fagan, "Archaeological Fantasies: How Pseudoarchaeology Misrepresents the Past and Misleads the Public". Routledge (UK), 2006. 417 pages. ISBN 0415305926