The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

ALSO INSIDE SKEPTIC

on the cover

Did the Egyptians need help from space aliens to build the pyramids? Some authors say they did. They claim that the largest of the pyramids appeared suddenly in a primitive culture that had never built anything like them. This is simply not true. The concept of the pyramid developed slowly along with religious ideas about the afterlife. Once the idea was perfected the Egyptian society sometimes suffered from cycles of drought that prevented large monuments from being built. Eventually the Egyptian pharaohs lost faith in the ability of the frequently robbed pyramids to protect their mummies, and they began to be buried instead in hidden underground chambers.

introduction

For thousands of years, people have stood in awe of the pyramids of Egypt. Even the Emperors of Rome were staggered by the scale of these already-ancient monuments. What do they mean? Why were they built — and how? What ancient secrets do the pyramids contain?

in this issue

The Mystery of the Pyramids

• Why do people seem so fascinated by pyramids?
• Why did the egyptians build the pyramids?
• What did the Pyramid symbolize?
• hieroglyphics and the Rosetta Stone
• pyramidology in ancient and modern times
• pyramidology and racism
• testing pyramid power theories
• Bob Friedhoofer Madman of Magic: Mystic Tubes in Cairo

contributors

Tim Callahan, Amanda Chesworth, Bob Friedhoffer, Michael Gilmore, Pat Linse, and Dr. Michael Shermer