A Curious Ancient Astrological Confluence

I chose to publish this work without fee, personal acclaim, or compensation, because it is your intellectual property, stolen from you by those who illegitimately seek your fealty. You deserve to once again own this birthright in knowledge.

Antiochus I had the temple site at Nemrut Dag constructed on the anniversary of his coronation as king. But what else did he have in mind besides a celebration of his greatness? Hidden for 2000 years under the gradual creep of the very stone tumulus he had constructed in his honor, is a Leo stone stela of significant importance.

The question therefore arises, why was this knowledge ‘lost’? Lost, despite the lofting power of the very Church that was supposedly crafted to defend it in the first place.

Perhaps there is a deeper mystery here – one handed down through the ages, hidden in plain sight, and one to which most of mankind is no longer privy.

Commagene – A Confluence of Persian, Babylonian and Macedonian Traditions

The Kingdom of Commagene was a Greco-Persian state which resided along the headwaters of the Euphrates River in modern-day Turkey, both during and before the times of the early Roman Empire. By 60 BCE Commagene had been a Greek vassal state since the collapse of The Neo-Assyrian Empire about 609 BCE and the rise of the Seleucid Empire around 312 BCE.1 2 Although the Seleuicid Empire was regarded as a Hellenistic State, it ruled under its own authority and controlled much of the former lands spanning Anatolia, Persia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Indus River region.3 After the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, Commagene transferred authority to reside under the Roman Empire.4 Nonetheless, the Kingdom maintained its autonomy as a culture descended from the Uartu (Ararat) peoples of the Old Assyrian Empire (2600 BCE – 609 BCE), which included Sumer, Persia (Parthian Empire in the lower right quadrant of the map above), the Akkadian Empire, and Babylon. Its most ancient roots formed from the city-state of Ur, circa 3800 BCE. Commagene was situated in a sub-region of modern Turkey called Anatolia, a name which is derived from the Greek term ἀνατολῇ (anatolē), meaning ‘the East’.5 6

Nemrut Dağ

Located inside the eastern extent of the ancient state of Commagene is a tall mountain called by various names, including Nemrut Dag (which I will use herein). ‘Nemrut Dağ’ (Mount Nemrut/Nemrud), at 7000 ft is one of the highest peaks in the east of the Taurus Mountains (which range east through Cilicia on the map above). It maintains one of the best views of the eastern sky in the entire region. The mountain is located in modern day Turkey (see Exhibit 1 below), about 85 km directly north of another UNESCO World Heritage Site and site of the World’s first temple, Göbekli Tepe.7 8

This naturally raises the question of where the civilizations that originally inhabited this area migrated over the millennia. Before moving on, let’s briefly explore this idea by examining the Fertile Crescent and its legacy in terms of human genetic and technological migration. Now, consider and hold in mind the possibility that an esoteric tradition may have been passed along with this lineage as well. We plan to address that near the end of this article.

Exhibit 1B – The Descendancy of Paddan Aram (The Sons of Seth) – From 9600 BCE through to 4000 BCE, the export of genetic lineage and farming technology from out of the fertile crescent into Europe and Southwest Asia. Did this culture also carry a promise which originated from this same location, juxtaposed with Göbekli Tepe and the Sumerian ‘Plain of Edin’ (Paddan Aram)?9

Antiochus I Basileus Megas – Keeper of Ancient Magi Knowledge

Basileus Megas was the title of the great king and inheritor of the sole rule handed down from the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus of Commagene (full title Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philoromaios Philhellen or ‘The just God who is manifest friend of the Romans and lover of the Greeks’, with ‘Theos’ signifying his divinity), was a Seleucid ruler and Basileus Megas from 69 (or, less probably, 64) to ca. 31 BCE, the son of Mithradates Callinicos and Laodice, the daughter of the Seleucid king Antiochus VIII Grypos. He reigned from the seat of the fomer Empire in Commagene.10 Antiochus, as ‘Theos Epiphanes’ was the ruling keeper of the ancient wisdom of the Magicians (Persian, Babylonian and Macedonian tradition ‘Magi’). Accordingly, Antiochus I had the Hierothesion (temple-observatory) site at Nemrut Dag constructed on the anniversary of his coronation as king (see Exhibit 2 below – click on image to enlarge in a separate window).

Specially designated days are the birthday of “the king’s body” and his coronation. Antiochus dedicated these two days, to the revelations of demons (daimones), which led him during the successful reign over the kingdom. At this point it is worth noting that in ancient times the term “demon” was ambivalent and defined both positive and negative superhuman beings – in this sense, demons often served as guardian spirits, to which role Antiochus clearly referred.

~ Turkish Archaeological News, Mount Nemrut, 5 Feb 201811

Antiochus I Observatory at Mount Nimrut (Nimrod)

The Hierothesion at Nemrut, also called in various languages ‘Nimrud/Nimrut/Nemrud/Nemrut Dag/Dagh’ or ‘Nemrut Dağ/Daği’ as an historical site (distinct from the Turkish dormant volcano named Mount Nemrut) comes replete with its own mountain of crushed stone (the Tumulus), backing the observatory itself. The reader should note that the observatory is built to observe the morning eastern sky in the late summer (August) time frame of each year, and is as a result, aligned at 65° to 70° azimuth from true north (as outlined in Figure B later in this article).12 This is the average azimuth of the rising celestial ecliptic (the average path of the sun moon and planets across the sky) during that time of the year. The persons who built this observatory, apparently knew a little something about what they were looking for. It is also constructed so as to observe the western sky as that same yearly time frame’s ecliptic sets below the horizon.13 (The reader should note that the ecliptic, is the pathway which the Sun takes through our sky. All the planets and our Moon loosely follow this line as they make their journey from east to west each day and night. Throughout this article, you will notice the ecliptic as a thin line placed below Leo’s paws.)

Exhibit 3 – An artificial mound of crushed rock (The Tumulus) backs the observatory’s East Terrace and set of five kings statues.
Exhibit 4 – Shows the East and West Terraces of the complex and their alignment to true north.14 See Figure B below for further elaboration on the significance of the match between the East Terrace layout and the rising celestial ecliptic.
Exhibit 5 – The south horizon view from the West Terrace of Nemrut Dag towards Karahan and Göbekli Tepe, as well as the Field (Paddan Aram from Exhibit 1) of the Arameans (Aramaic-speaking common people of Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel). (Image source: Google Earth)
Exhibit 6 – The east horizon view from the observation platform. Nemrut Dag’s elevation is around 7000 ft. This allowed a vantage point which would be consistently above any overcast skies. Because of its geographic positioning at the east end of the Taurus Mountains, the temple site would have been the go-to location for stellar observations at sunrise and sunset. The three priests (Persian, Babylonian, and Macedonian) would have likely rotated morning watches, in order to maintain the observatory each day, keep the time, greet pilgrims, and wake the others for their watch rotation. These Magi would have been rich from the ‘gifts of herbs and spices’ which were a custom of the day – and more importantly, were mandated by Antiochus I himself (see Exhibit 2). (Image source: Google Earth)

The Horoscope of the Lion (Leo)

During my investigation into the site and the features of the Hierothesion it became clear to me that, while Nemrut Dag was a relatively new religious construction during this time of Roman ascendancy, the wisdoms upon which it was founded, were not new at all. They were ancient Uruk-Bablylonian in their heritage. Whether boast, shell game, or reality, nonetheless Antiochus I had set his mind and resources to the task of preserving, or acting upon those mystery school teachings. Thus, by means of mostly Exhibit 2 (and other resources which are not the focus of this article), we were able established four things regarding the very straightforward history of this relatively noteworthy UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  1. The site was commissioned to celebrate the anniversary of the crowning of Antiochus I,
  2. The site was to be used to monitor and commission festivals and celestial events,
  3. The site was declared to be the burial site for Antiochus I, and finally
  4. The site was observing a tradition which called for the attending (and wealthy) Magi Priests to monitor for a future event.

But what future event was that? The problem with most of the statues and engravings at the site, is that they celebrate the crowning of Antiochus I and Antiochus’s relationship with the Gods (although he appeared to be heavily hedging his bets as to which God was indeed a true God). It was an opportunity for him to boast of his success and honoring of the Gods. But there is one object which stands out among all the others, which is included in the observatory inventory without commentary by Antiochus I. That is the carving into a limestone slab of the constellation Leo adorned with 19 stars and 3 planets. This stela (upright carved limestone slab) was unearthed from the encroaching of the stone hill by Karl Humann and Otto Puchstein in 1882.15

This Leo stone slab depiction was not completed until after Antiochus I’s death, because it survives as a set of works completed after the destruction of the East Terrace.16 Thus it was not part of the inventory at the celebrations commemorated by Antiochus I in Exhibit 2 above.

Ancient historians are comfortable in associating the crafting of this Leo stela, with the 62 BCE 2nd anniversary of Antiochus I’s ascendancy to the throne of Commogene. In fact, the date of 6/7 July 62 BCE features a celestial alignment which is pretty darn close to the one depicted upon the Leo frieze slab shown in more detail in Exhibit 7 above.17 18 The reader can see the celestial alignment of 6/7 July 62 BCE as it rose in the morning sky in Exhibit 9 below. Each of the skycharts presented in this article were developed from Starry Night Pro Plus 8. The writer found that other stellar sky mapping products did not keep alignments correct for dates of medium to extreme antiquity. Starry Night has done a good job of keeping this type of data accurate for decades now.

But is this Assumed Horoscope Indeed Correct?

Since the orbit of Jupiter takes around 12 years to accomplish (and this is the regulating feature of viability inside the horoscope), there exist therefore, about a dozen other candidate dates upon which this horoscope, or one similar, would have manifested over the period immediately prior to, and after the construction of the temple observatory at Nemrut Dag. Namely, the period (for purposes of this article) from 110 BCE to 10 CE. This constitutes a 120 year period through which to search for alternative dates which might also have been commemorated by the Leo limestone frieze – encompassing fully both the reign and life of Antiochus I, as well as the four ensuing decades after his passing. Three of these dates, which includes the two most popular, suggested by authors Neugebauer and Crijns, are outlined in depth inside this article.

Maurice Crijns at the International Nemrud Foundation has suggested a very savvy alternative to the traditionally accepted date of 6/7 July 62 BCE. He and several associate authors have suggested that the date of 14 July 109 BCE fits the horoscope specifics better.19 20 In fact, this date is not a bad a fit. Even though the moon is somewhat out of the picture in this horoscope, and as well the scene could not be seen in the east morning sky (observable upon sunset however), the planets fit the putative horoscope juxtaposition probably better than any particular alignment in the 120-year survey timeframe.

However, this ‘better’ alternative left me unsatisfied, just as had the official 7 July 62 BCE narrative, as there was no crescent Moon showing in the morning sky. Set aside the fact that 109 BCE resided well outside the timeframe of Antiochus’ rule, but as well this was critical in that no Moon was indeed visible at all in either alternative (Exhibits 9 and 10).

Note for later, that any ‘novel star’ would also not be observable in both the 62 BCE and 109 BCE scenarios – as daylight would have obscured its visibility in the eastern morning sky.

The stark potential (null hypothesis) therefore existed that the crescent Moon was essential to the message contained in the Leo stela iconography.

A further problem then presented itself as well with regard to the Leo stela. Why did the Magi priests carve the three planets of the alignment on the back of Leo, and not at his feet? The Moon was positioned correctly relative to the ecliptic, so why would the planets be purposely placed in a location which could never possibly show as correct? This matter bugged me for a long time.

Then one day two decades ago, a back part of my brain pondered this celestial issue in a long meeting while our team argued types of letters of credit – and suddenly it hit me. What if the three planets (Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter) were placed on the back of Leo, not in suggestion that this was the location of the celestial ecliptic (the path of the planets, which is always below Leo’s feet), which would be a ridiculous intimation, but rather because the artist Magician was attempting to communicate a conjunction of those three planets and not a literal alignment along the ecliptic (as they did in contrast correctly with the Moon)? I immediately set about testing this notion later that same evening.

Then it hit me: The three planets were not in a linear-ecliptic juxtaposition, they were a conjunction! This is why the Magician carved the planets well off the true ecliptic (which is below Leo’s paws) in apparent ‘error’. He had purposed a message in this.

I therefore locked my celestial software upon the planet Jupiter and recorded every date between 120 BCE and 10 CE upon which a the moon (not simply a crescent one) was resident in Leo at the same time as Jupiter, being careful to not miss the retrograde periods (where Jupiter appears to travel backwards in the sky and might dart into Virgo, only to return to Leo weeks or a month later).21 As a result, I found 14 total dates during the survey timeframe which matched the Leo horoscope to varying degrees (including the two generally accepted dates outlined in Exhibits 9 and 10 above). These fourteen candidates can be seen in Exhibit 15 later in this article.

To my surprise, only one of those 14 dates upon which this relationship between Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, and a crescent Moon existed – also happened to feature a conjunction of all three of the planets from the Leo horoscope as well! While this was not conclusive, it was deductive, and highly compelling.

However, this was not simply a three planet conjunction, but rather a four planet conjunction – a much more rare and compelling event. Venus was also in the conjunction with Mars Mercury and Jupiter, but was not observable (to the credit of the literal approach to interpreting the Leo horoscope) as it was showing its dark side to Earth on 27 August 2 BCE. The resulting star chart is shown in Figure A to the right. Was this conjunction, part of the exception which the Magi were highlighting in the frieze?

Thus, this was indeed now a four planet conjunction within a single degree of ecliptic – with a Mars-Jupiter apparent occultation (to the naked eye) to boot. This was a big celestial event, one which occurs once every 1,563 years itself (not even factoring in the chance of an occultation), and only every 18,755 years specifically in Leo (see calculation here).

The reason they had chosen the tallest mountain in the region for the Hierothesion was because in a lower position of observation, by the time they could see the horoscope rising in the east, the daylight (even if the Sun was not directly visible) would have already illuminated the atmosphere (risen) and obviated their ability to see the rising stars or even three planets in full phase. The mountain therefore, was essential to the anticipated observation – and the Magi knew this in advance. The platform looking east therefore, was also essential. This full set of realization hit me like a locomotive, and had me hooked.

The Journey Commences – Following a Superfluous Star

However, before we get to the exciting conclusion of this article, please forgive dear reader my wont to bury the lede a bit more. I want to offer more solid depth to my theory than simply the matter of a conjunction of three planets. The following constitutes my journey of logical prosecution around this argument.

I decided therefore to pull down better older imagery of the Leo Horoscope for which to use in my analysis. As it turned out, there were very few resources available on the matter. Just a couple old photos. Nonetheless, I found a sketch from the time period during which the limestone horoscope had been unearthed. What I found was that the Leo Horoscope originally depicted a total of 3 planets and 19 stars, many of which cannot be seen any longer as a result of the damage to the limestone slab over the decades since its discovery.

I then took the stars comprised by the Leo constellation in this drawing and compared them to the 19 star and 3 planet iconography depicted in the best photo of the horoscope stela I could muster. I then compared this composite to the actual array of stars in the constellation Leo. There was only one star for which I could not find a match. I highlighted this star in green (see Exhibits 12A and 12B) so that I could keep track of it as my analysis progressed (an exception placeholder). I found it curious as well that my ‘placeholder’ star just happened to also be embedded inside the crescent Moon. Moreover, I could not shake the feeling that I had seen this icon before.

I carried along doing regular activity for weeks, realizing that I was acutely aware that I had seen this ‘Moon and green star’ symbol somewhere before, but for the life of me could not put my finger upon just where.

One afternoon as I was walking through my home office, my eye caught sight of a plaque on one of my bookshelves. A plaque which had been given to my command by Admiral Saeed Mohammad Khan, Chief of Pakistan’s Navy, as a ‘thank you’ after a series of joint operational exercises we had executed with the Pakistani Navy. On that plaque, was this star and crescent symbol. This ‘Star #12’ was no mere accidental nor superfluous symbol. This interloper into Leo, was a big deal. Perhaps even what the Magi had been commissioned to look for – given that it rose exactly on the azimuth to which the East Terrace observation platform was pointing. (Please note that one can click on any image to obtain an enlargement in a separate window.)

This interloper into Leo, this placeholder, this Star #12 – was a big deal. This superfluous star, was exactly what the Magi was attempting to point out.

Armed with this solved assignment match-up, I then conversely took the reverse approach of attempting to recreate the Leo horoscope in terms of an actual celestial chart. I was successful in matching each planet and star to its assigned role inside the Magician’s sculpture. Of course, the superfluous Star #12 still remained. Every solution I devised to eliminate the superfluous presence of this star, ended up displacing the rest of the assignment grid into incoherence. As one may notice in the celestial mock up below, there are really no other choices available to the analyst.

This being completed, the sole step which remained was to compare all fourteen horoscope candidate dates that we had previously identified, in order to find the most successful one in terms of its conformance to the celestial chart shown in Exhibit 13. How did each candidate date perform against key features of the horoscope, and which one bore the greatest explanatory power in terms of celestial and iconographic matchup? I felt this to constitute a more rigorous process than was used by either Neugebauer or Crijns in Exhibits 8 or 9 respectively, above (no sleight on either of them as, were it not for their sapient work, I would not even be doing this).

Therefore, I assembled an argument table and compared the 14 candidate horoscope dates to the 14 key requisite features shown in Exhibit 14 below. One date alone, became the clear champion across all key requisites – that date was 27 August 2 BCE.

The Only Reason the Stele Was a Mystery — We Approached it with the Wrong Assumptions

Therefore, I inserted that date 27 August 2 BCE into my Starry Night Pro Plus 8 software, and derived a picture which likely has not been seen by human eyes since that very day. The morning sky, in the east, the morning of 27 August 2 BCE. Of course dear reader remember, this depiction in Exhibit 16 below includes a proposed, superfluous and interloping ‘Star #12’. A key differentiator here is that, because the sun is under the horizon, two things happen: 1) the moon takes a waning crescent (which is indeed part of the horoscope-snapshot), and 2) one can actually see the constellation and sky, as opposed to the other popular dates in which the Magi could not ‘see the star in the east’, and instead had to wait for the western view. The presence of the West Terrace indeed confirming that the Magi used the occulting of the sun by the horizon, as part of their observation discipline.

The problem introduced by the superfluous Star #12 is that it forces the horoscope to be observed with the Sun below the horizon. Otherwise one cannot ‘observe the star rising in the east’ at all (or really anything for that matter). And since Mercury is in Leo, the Sun by rule, must be close above or below. The only viable date which satisfied this constraint of having the Sun below the horizon, was 27 August 2 BCE.

In Figure B below, one should notice that both the direct of gaze of the 5 statues of the East Terrace, as well as the observation platform at the east ledge of the terrace, bound the actual position upon which Regulus rose on 27 August 2 BCE (shown in Exhibit 16 above). The star name Regulus (cuneiform 𒀯𒌨𒄖𒆷) in Sumerian means ‘The constellation of the Great King who is to come’ (see end of article for recitations). I think there is no doubt that these Magicians knew in advance what they were looking for.

Figure B – Both the orientation of the 5 statues on the East Terrace (as if they were gazing toward what they were looking for), as well as the orientation of the ‘observation platform’ of the East Terrace – together bound the actual azimuth upon which Regulus appeared over the horizon on 27 Aug 2 BCE. This is inside an annual azimuth variation which ranges from 64° to 122° from true north each year. An astounding match, despite the fact that Jupiter bore a higher occurrence of conjunction with the Moon in Leo in July to September of such arrival years (see Exhibit 15).

Below in Exhibit 16, one can observe the fully resolved Leo Horoscope, replete with Mercury residing above a line intersecting Mars and Jupiter (as we observe in Exhibits 12A and B, and 13), along with its mysterious interloping ‘Star #12’. This stellar alignment surpasses by far, every stipulation entailed inside the Leo Horoscope assembled by the ancient Magi at the Nemrut Dag observatory.

While the Magicians who saw this knew generally what they were looking for in the 27 August 2 BCE eastern morning sky, the Leo stela was not a prediction in stone, nor a commemoration of the past.

This was a snapshot – and what was left out was as critically important as what was left in.

Given that the Magi did not include Venus (which was invisible) and included a slightly higher offset of Mercury above Mars and Jupiter – that means that this stela was made to depict an observed celestial state, and not merely one of a calculated horoscope, as is popularly thought. Hence all the mystery in trying to interpret this frieze – we maintained an incorrect assumption (as is the usual case).

This was indeed a rare alignment of Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Mercury, but the appearance of Anomalous Star #12 alongside it was no accident.

Space Force Delta 18 Logo

Antiochus I Theos Epiphanes’ Magicians (Magi, or ‘Wise Men’) were not seeking a prescriptive horoscope, but rather observing for a specific sign—one passed down through the ages of wisdom (see Figure E below), from the very first days of gods and men on Earth.

At the completion of my analysis it became manifestly clear that the Magi at Nemrut Dag were not looking for a mere ‘horoscope’. Such a thing could be easily calculated and confirmed back in the palace city, at much less expense, and in a setting where the glory of Antiochus I’s monuments to himself would be on display for all to see, not just a few sturdy 7,000 ft mountain-scrambling pilgrims.

No, Antiochus and his Wise Men were looking for a specific observation which could not be calculated nor seen from the capitol itself – the appearance of a foretold event of enormous importance to them, in the eastern morning sky – an anomalous star. An event that heralded the end of the age of the Anunnaki Gods.

. . .

Out of the Strong, Something Sweet – The King of the Arameans

I must admit, this realization was far from the outcome I expected when I began the analysis. Yet, the fact that something could be purposely hidden in plain sight—shielded by flawed assumptions and ancient efforts to obfuscate its mission—comes as no surprise to an ethical skeptic.

Remember Who You Are

Intelligence in some regards may be defined as, a disciplined tolerance for conjecture. As fate would have it, Antiochus’ celestial observatory was never completely finished, while the Magician priests apparently departed and abandoned the site sometime during the decade following the 2 BCE date. As is typical of any complex issue, an analysis of this type leaves many questions unanswered, and serves to introduce so many more. Aside from convention, which might suggest there is nothing meaningful inside any of this (this must be considered), skepticism raises questions – and does not seek to prematurely squelch them (cynicism).

  • What were the trio of Nemrud Dag Magicians looking for?
  • Why did they cease their devotion to duty? Was their job done?
  • What happened to this superfluous star?
  • Why did Star #12 make its appearance already tightly affixed to our Sun’s ecliptic?
  • Why did the gravity of ‘Star #12’ not disrupt the entire solar system in terms of planetary orbit eccentricity, inclination, and obliquity? Does this suggest it may have been a distant super nova? or a smaller object in full phase (which it would have been)? or that it was fabricated to begin with?
  • Why did Star #12 come through right when the five inner planets (Earth-(Moon)-Mars-Mercury-Jupiter-Venus) all just happened to be in a 1 in 18,755 year alignment, in direct axial harmony along the the very same axis upon which the interloper also arrived? How would one even calculate the odds of that?
  • Why did Star #12 appear right where the Leonid meteors radiate from, under the chin of Leo?
  • Why was this Star #12 placed in the frieze directly over the body of the Moon itself? Astrologers of the time would have known well that star and planetary fields lay behind the Moon at all times. Perhaps it was not then a ‘star’ per se?
Figure D – The star and crescent motif inhabits the flags of at least 24 nations.

Moreover and more subjectively,

  • Why do flags of 24 nations and coins from as far back as 340 BCE contain the star and crescent symbology? While this is a Turkish national symbol, it was not originally a symbol of Turkey nor Islam – and is generally rejected by Shia Islam.
  • Why does this symbol predate both Islam and Turkey by more than 2600 years?
  • Why did King Richard I “the Lionheart” and other Kings as well as Christian crusaders venerate the symbology on seals, shields, and coins?
  • Why did the symbol exist on Pillar 18, one of the central Pillars of the oldest and largest enclosure (D) of Gobekli Tepe, erected around 9,600 or even 14,800 BCE?
  • Why is it commonly taught in academia that this symbol did not exist until it was adopted ‘as a symbol of the Turks’, when it is obvious with the slightest research effort that this is false?

Regarding Regulus 𒌨𒄖𒆷 the star (or 𒀯 MUL ‘star group’),

  • Why are the alchemical symbols for Regulus, the star which the Moon occulted in this horoscope, a star and crescent (🜳) and crown (🜲)?
  • Why did the Babylonian MUL.APIN (1000 BCE) call Regulus, Lugal (The Great One)? – despite its being only the 21st brightest star in the sky?24
  • Why did the ancient Sumerian teachings (3500+ BCE) call Regulus (cuneiform) 𒀯𒌨𒄖𒆷 or MULUR.GU.LA? Which translated means,
    – MUL (MZL-247) ‘constellation of’25
    – UR (MZL-828) ‘the Great One/Lion of’26
    – GU (MZL-891) ‘by thread/chord’27
    – LA (Adverb of lā, MZL-89) ‘is absently’.28
  • The cuneiform character 𒆷 (LA, or U+121B7) is also a combination of
    – 𒃲 GAL or ‘King/Highest/Chief/A Full Cup/Gallon’29
    whereas the left side of the cuneiform block
    𒆷 LA, ŠIKA means ‘without’ or ‘left remaining’ (shy one part of four – a ‘GAL’)30
  • Thus, regardless of the combination, idiom, or even the Babylonian term LUGAL, the phrase translates as “the constellation of the Great One (or Final King) who is to come.” This motif closely parallels the Zoroastrian messianic figure known as the Saoshyant—the final renewer who appears at the end of history—as well as Daniel 7’s “Son of Man” and First Enoch’s messianic deliverer, the “Elect One” (see bottom panel of Figure E below).

The Coming Saoshyant / Son of Man

Figure E – The Instruction of Adam and Eve – Adam and Eve, with Emesh (Cain) and Enten (Abel) standing by in iconographic form, are instructed as to what sign to look for, regarding the emancipation of mankind from the Anunnaki/Archons. MET Seal Object Number 1984.383.9 from the 2350 BCE Akkadian period (top). The British Museum, Old Bablyonian period, 1900 – 1600 BCE, Cylinder seal #89327 (bottom).

Moreover, why was the initiate of the Magician’s mysteries unfailingly brought before the Gods to learn the secret of the star and crescent — a symbol that endures across 3,700 years of mystical tradition, from ancient Uruk (ca. 3800 BCE), through the Akkadian age (ca. 2350 BCE), and on into the Roman-era kingdom of Commagene (ca. 100 BCE)? See the scrolling video linked in the text above, along with the accompanying images. I include here cylinder seals from The Metropolitan Museum (Met) and the British Museum to demonstrate that the ancient corpus of Sumerian, Old Babylonian, and Akkadian eschatological art originally and consistently portrayed the entity within the crescent not as the sun, nor as the winged disk, but as a star.

A clear example appears in Metropolitan Museum of Art Seal Object Number 1984.383.9, dating to the Akkadian period (ca. 2350 BCE), shown in the image to the right. In the upper panel of the image, the initiate — often accompanied by a priest in recurring Ur III renditions of this motif — is instructed in the mystery and promise of the star and crescent. That promise included nothing less than the overthrow of the planet’s reigning powers. The same theme recurs in another Akkadian seal from the Met’s collection (Object Number 41.160.281), where the star and crescent once again serve as emblems of cosmic rebellion. Indeed, the Met and British Museum collections contain literally hundreds of such “star-and-crescent” Gods-teaching-Man scenes, testifying to a persistent and ancient eschatological current.

In the bottom panel, Old Babylonian cylinder seal #89327 from The British Museum, Adam and Eve are shown being instructed about a future King, the ‘Son of Man.’ This figure is depicted between them in the context of ‘son’ and of ‘man,’ his arrival to be heralded by the symbol of the star and crescent. The dog holding a standard represents a Kassite symbol for divine decree,31 while the fly between Adam and Eve signifies engagement and conquest of an enemy.32 In keeping with this motif, the Avestan Saoshyant is the prophesied world-renewer. In the Zoroastrian (one of the three Magi who attended the birth of Christ) orginal eschatology, He arises at the end of time, defeats the forces of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman, the Lie), and ushers in the Frashokereti — the final renovation of the world.

The prophesied arrival of the Son of Man — anticipated by the Basileus Megas (chief Magus) Antiochus — was bound to the great transition from the Age of Aries to the Age of Pisces (ca. 1 BCE). This shift is symbolized in the seal’s right-to-left flow, where the ram and the fish appear to the left of ‘Eve.’ Behind the depiction of the fish and the ram, possibly reside the planet Jupiter (behind the ram) flowing from right to left (see Video A below) into the constellation Leo (behind the fish). This eschatological expectation explains why Antiochus, as Theos Epiphanes, the ruling keeper of the ancient wisdom, was compelled to build the Hierothesion at Nemrut Dag and appoint the three Magi tasked with watching for this pivotal event involving Regulus, Jupiter, a crescent Moon, and Leo in the morning sky.

The original British Museum web posting of Old Babylonian Cylinder Seal #89327- subset of British Museum composite BM# 89376 (bottom panel of Figure E above) – can be accessed at this link, or can be viewed by clicking on this image.33

They destroyed the libraries and buried the cylinder seal imprints in the sand, but this was still not enough.

Seal of King Richard I (the Lionheart)

It is, of course, compelling that these Magi—whom I propose are one and the same as the Wise Men of the Bible—had seen their star when it rose, and while they were located, ‘in the East’ (Greek ἀνατολῇ (anatolē = ‘the direction of the sun rise’ or ‘east’).34 ‘The land of the sun’s rising’ or ‘the east’ is the meaning behind the name Anatolia, Turkey—the location of Paddan Aram, Nemrut Dag, as well as Göbekli and Karahan Tepe.

Is this ancient mystery why the Great Sphinx of Giza’s original Leo monument (arguably 12,000 years old and NOT built by Khafre – now you know why the monument was altered from a lioness to Khafre’s visage) gazes patiently in wait towards the constellation Leo in the eastern morning sky?35

Was it a mere coincidence that Star #12 appeared less than two years (1 year and 4 months – but in reality probably more like a year or less) before the traditionally celebrated birth of Christ? and 8 to 24 months before the various reputed dates for the death of Herod the Great (see timeline below)?

Was this connected at all with Herod’s purported slaying of all male children in Bethlehem, 2 years old and younger, after inquiring of the visiting Magi as to the timing of a new star they saw rise in the eastern sky?36

Herod, of course, was serving his masters in his attempt to kill Christ immediately after His birth—the emancipation of mankind being the very thing these Archons feared most. From I Enoch, where the Watchers were denied forgiveness by the Father of All That Is and sentenced to imprisonment to Earth,37 to The Hypostasis of the Archons, which describes the animosity between these ‘gods’ and men, one can discern why the Archons are terrified of mankind’s impending emancipation from their rule.

The Rulers then sought another meeting with Norea (daughter of Adam and Eve), in order to suggest an even more extreme plot against Noah’s ark construction. They appealed to her, even citing that “Eve herself has come to us urging that you Norea, undertake some kind of firmer action.” But Norea replied to the Rulers, “You are the gods here. You are the ones who rule this dark void and planet. You are the ones who bear this curse, not me. I bear no kin to you whatsoever. You may have birthed horrid beasts from the raping of my mother. But they look and act just like you. You are neither related to me, nor am I a product of your genetic tampering. I am the daughter of mankind alone, that being who was granted the blessed inheritance long ago from the Incorruptible Realms above.”

This enraged Ha-Satan, and he convened a court in which he stood as judge. He issued a sentencing to Norea, “You are now enslaved under us and must offer an even larger tithe than did your mother Eve. This is my official decree as God over all of the Earth. Norea stood in front of the court, and with inspiration appealed towards the heavens and the Father of All That Is, “I beseech you now Holy One, please rescue me from the clutches of these malevolent Rulers (the Archons).”

~ The Hypostasis of the Archons, concealed from destruction in clay jars and found at Nag Hammadi in 1946

In the end, it is not our doctrinal or intellectual correctness that merits a place in The Kingdom Come cited in The Lord’s Prayer. If that were the case, no one would make it. Salvation is a free gift for all mankind, a final emancipation from the rule of dark principalities. It is not earned, nor is it a reward. Just as you are not defined by your religious practices and doctrines, neither are you defined by your errors.

The obsessive and red herring focus on personal sin and doctrine was a defensive gaslighting tactic of the Chief Archon and creator of The Law, Semjaza. To enslave someone spiritually, you must exploit the unknown, keeping them perpetually off balance and in constant terror of their mortality. These entities thrive on our guilt, intoxication, existential fear, hate, and blame. In this system, self-loathing—or even numbness and denial—becomes an essential ingredient. Banishment from the presence of All That Is is reserved for these Watcher-Archons and their dark army—not for us.

Daniel’s Prophecy: Feast of The Lord Chronology

Is it merely coincidence that this Leo Stela Horoscope falls right into line as the right conjunction to feature an anomalous star, inside the prophecy of Daniel as to when the Son of Man was to be born? (use controls on bottom right of Video A below to view full sized video)

Seven Leo-Jupiter Conjunctions of Chaldean-Magician Prophecy and Anomalous Star #12

Video A – Celestial lock on Jupiter as it makes its seven-conjunction journey starting from mid July 3 BCE, through its retrograde period, the culmination of the 27 Aug 2 BCE Grand Conjunction, the anomalous Star #12 inside the crescent waning Moon, and finally on past the 7th conjunction on 13 Oct 2 BCE.

All of this of course, plays out in the following chronology of the time of Christ’s birth. One which elegantly fits the timing of the horoscope depicted at Nemrut Dag and is dated through the analysis shown in Exhibit 14 earlier in this article.

Our Argument: Anomalous Star #12 is the fabled ‘Star of Bethlehem

Finally, is this entailed eschatology, along with the Leonid meteors originating as if ‘bees’ from Leo, now finally the answer to Samson’s Riddle posed in Judges 14:14?:40

“Let me tell you a riddle,” Samson said to them.

“Out of the eater, something to eat;
out of the strong, something sweet.”

Old Testament Law and The ‘Why’ of Lost Knowledge

We all know how knowledge is ‘lost’. Throughout our study of fake skepticism, destructive agency, embargo of information, and spiritual obfuscation we have become students as to the practices of cultivated ignorance. The question therefore arises, why was this knowledge ‘lost’? Lost, despite the lofting power of the very Church that was supposedly crafted to defend it in the first place. Truth apparently slipped between the fingers of the Church as so many scales falling from the Nelsonian eyes of a blind man. Below, we may observe a hint as to the ‘why’.

Archonic powers will only allow philosophies to thrive which do not serve to shed light upon nor thwart their exploits. Given mankind’s spiritual longing, there was no possibility they were going to be able to sequester this subject in its entirety. ‘Christianity’ and ‘Islam’ therefore, were the very ignoratio elenchi diversions they needed – perpetuating in good people a terror of their own mortality, abusive doctrinal fanaticism, violent zealotry, and dutiful social pressure against true inquiry and skepticism. The introduction of mindless naturalism and the so-called critical thinking of fake skepticism, as an overreaction to all this irrationality, only served to further this same agenda—through an invalid denial of spirituality altogether.

In such defining by apophasis, it does not matter what you believe, as long as you remain unaware of them. This is why they have hidden our history—merging Greco-Roman paganism, the Dionysian Mysteries, the cults of Mithras and Isis, Celtic and Germanic traditions, Zoroastrian eschatology, and numerous other regional religions, traditions, pseudo-faiths, and cults into the Narrative of (State) God, presiding over a sinful, terrified, and shortened-lifespan41 citizenry. By doing so, they ensured we would perceive neither the presence nor the criminal abuse of The Rulers.42 For the ethical skeptic, this underscores the importance of maintaining a disposition of ignostic atheism. From fundamentalism to secular nihilism, their false dilemma is not your spiritual mandate. Your heritage is far more profound and impactful than these shallow, pseudo-philosophies could ever allow.

Doctrinal fanaticism is the most sincere form of disbelief.

Those who enforce a definition of the term ‘God’ upon us all, ranging from impassioned and vague boundlessness to cynical and abject empty set – are claiming expertise in God.

Know this, there are no experts in God.

Our final article insight calls for wisdom. Perhaps indicating a more sinister attempt at hijacking the star and crescent symbology for use in a counterfeit Priestly role – a corrupted form of ‘Anti-Magi’ if you will – why does the World Economic Forum now entertain this same star and crescent symbol inside their branding?

Near the end of the short video clip below, as the World Economic Forum UN-blue crescent Moon symbol drifts into station by 0.049° (10% of the full moon’s diameter, 176 arc seconds, 3.5 years of the doctrinal clock of the ancients, the Great Year – or 42 months)43 along the ecliptic to form this now familiar logo inside their symbolism-rich horoscope, an iconic, ominous, and perhaps even fanciful message comes into focus.

A calculation which reveals an occult pirating of His official trademark – and deciphers the number of The Party’s coming false King and ‘Son (Mithras/Dionysus/Horus) of God (Semjaza-Samael-Saturn-Enlil-El).’

The blue ‘O’ in the term ‘Economic’ inside the video shown below is the anchor point for the second portion of the Greek portmanteau oικο νομικός (Greek: oiko nomikos). It means house law, or more specifically, ‘The Law’ – that which ruled man during the period covered by what we call the Old Testament – and by which, through the edict of this watcher Elohim, we remain subject to their exploitative, cruel, and repeated judgments forever.



Such rich symbolism is just one of the predictable habits of the dark principalities who pretend to rule over mankind with a righteous wrath. One curious thing to note about The Law, is that it only applies to those who are lesser than you. A hard lesson we learned in 2020. A trick they learned from their father.44

Regardless of the nature of such rhetoric regarding humanity’s enslavement however, spiritual authority and succession are realities of this realm and do not require our, nor especially their, permission to exist. The Son of Man would not surrender His authority at the Third Temptation (the offer to become the Son of God),45 so he had to be killed. Now this authority must be stolen through technicality, illegitimacy, and genetic counterfeit. At least, that’s the plan.

Too witless to stand as peer to the gods, yet blessed with an essence that precludes becoming their chattel, mankind has long struggled, seemingly alone, in this precarious middle ground. Meanwhile, those who find this critical childhood alluring are not to be trusted.

Driven by their Enochian terror, the Watchers seek to regain access to the heavens by exploiting, abducting, and abusing a hostage mankind—seeking to create a profane successor hybrid species—one that carries their essence while inheriting, through human genetics, the blessing of access bestowed to us by the All That Is. This is the unholy husbandry they sought just as in the days of Noah, before their grotesque chimera were destroyed by the great inundation. Yet, they will not be permitted to succeed in cracking this code.

This scheme of escape from their Earthly prison will fail. Neither their exotic tech nor their Samson-option weapons of mass destructive wrath will prevent these entities’ overthrow or save them from their impending demise.

This age cannot continue and a new Kingdom comes.

As is frequently the case, which of course the experienced ethical skeptic (Vohu Manah) recognizes, successfully answered questions inevitably give rise to even more pertinent critical path questions. One can only hope to be faithful of heart, and pursue them as best they can. This is wisdom.

The Ethical Skeptic, “A Curious Ancient Astrological Confluence”; The Ethical Skeptic, WordPress, 24 Feb 2022; Web, https://theethicalskeptic.com/2022/02/24/a-curious-astrological-confluence/