Ancient history, and speculation on "what might be" or perhaps with more information, "what is" fascinates me, always has and more likely always will. This article ran in UFO after I did some reporting on the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten and his revolution of monotheism. (Moses is believed by some to have been Egyptian and perhaps part of Akhenaten's inner circle.)
Sitchin, as most of you know, believed that early human civilization was the result of intervention by ET's who came to Earth for resources. At any rate, Velikovsky was another "outside the box" thinker that created a firestorm because of his theories and his thesis. And, most of you know Sitchin and I were long time friends.
Here is my article.
Zecharia Sitchin on Immanuel Velikovsky
by Don Ecker
UFO Magazine has been privileged to know and count as a friend Mr. Zecharia Sitchin for almost 15 years. We have been strong supporters of his “Earth Chronicle” series, and over the years have reviewed his various entries of the series. His extensive scholarship and in-depth knowledge of ancient languages and culture gives added credence to his thesis that in ancient times Earth was host to advanced visiting extraterrestrials. These ET’s imparted to early man all the arts of civilization that they were privy to. Agriculture, medicine, animal husbandry, mathematics, astronomy, and of course government. These beings were called the Annukaki or “those who from Heaven came.”
In an issue examining Immanuel Velikovsky and his theory of “worlds in collision” it was only natural to speak to and get from Zecharia Sitchin his thoughts on Velikovsky. They have many things in common; both were born in Russia, both are Jews, both emigrated to what is now Israel, both later came to the United States. And of course both stepped out from their disciplines to explore man-kinds ancient mysteries. Velikovsky left psychiatry and Sitchin economics, and both created firestorms with their thesis. In UFO Magazine (Volume 12 No. 05, Sept. 1997) I examined Velikovsky’s thesis and the vicious attacks he weathered from Academe in “Cosmic Theories in Collision.” Velikovsky was savaged even before anyone had read his book, some continued to savage him and NEVER read his work. As I pointed out in “Cosmic Theories” however, Immanuel Velikovsky was much more correct than wrong, and some of the bright lights in American Science, people like Donald Menzel, even knowing they were wrong, attempted to hoodwink the public and lied about Velikovsky. So what does Zecharia Sitchin think about the controversy? UFO Magazine asked him.
ZS: Velikovsky’s best known book, “Worlds in Collision” was given to me as a birthday present by my eldest daughter, knowing that I was working and researching ancient times and perhaps another celestial body. This was in the early days when his book first came out.
UFO: What is your overall take and impression on what Velikovsky did in Worlds in Collision? Do you think he was in sync with what you believe occurred all those many years ago?
ZS: Well, one way of answering that in a more comprehensive way is to tell you and your readers that several months ago at the University of Bergamo, in Italy, at the physics department, held a symposium, “50 Years after Worlds in Collision, by Velikovsky.” Classical and new scenarios of the Solar System. I was invited to come but could not go. Quite a number of other scholars, academics and astronomers participated. The interesting thing is not one speaker spent any time discussing Velikovsky’s main point that a celestial body, comet sized or bigger, entered the solar system at the time of the “Exodus” and became the planet Venus. What was spoken about was his main contribution, and the reason for opposition, that he introduced the concept of catastrophism into the history of our solar system. Whereas until then the accepted wisdom was the solar system formed from a cloud that swirled around the sun and formed into planets, and from perpetual motion, and that is how it took shape. Velikovsky said NO! There was great upheavals that changed the solar system, gave it a new makeup and that was his main contribution, his lasting contribution.
UFO: One of the great tenants of your work concerns the planetary collision of Tiamat, which was the basis for Earth forming into existence. Now, no life could have survived that impact, so the supposition is that would have had to have happened long, long ago. Long before life could have developed on Earth.
ZS: Right, that took place about 4 billion years ago, or more precisely about 3.9 billion years ago.
UFO: So if Velikovsky was correct about Venus being a comet, and Venus entered the system in historic times, does it make sense that it is not in the historical records?
ZS: That is the aspect of Velikovsky’s writings that was wrong. Velikovsky also did not mention even once Sumer or the Sumerians in his writings. I do not know how he missed it unless he found it contradicted his work. Even 50 years ago it was evident that before Assyria or Babylon that there was an earlier civilization. There were writings in Akkadian that were Sumerian text. In ancient Sumer and Babylon, the new years celebration lasted 10 days. On the fourth night the Epic of Creation was read publicly. That was the essence of faith and belief. That this celestial collision took place, and that is how Earth of created and how Nibiru became part of the solar system. That was the essence of all belief. Science was religion and religion was science. That was central and why Velikovsky ignored it, I don’t know. Velikovsky was trying to explain the events of the Exodus, he focused on Egypt. He was influenced by Freud’s take on Akhenaten. (Moses And Monotheism, See UFO Magazine Vol. 12 No. 5, September 1997.) Using this he tried to explain the biblical catastrophic events, like Venus becoming a planet from a comet.
UFO: So other than the idea of Venus being incorrect, you feel that Velikovsky could be correct in explaining biblical stories being influenced by catastrophic events?
ZS: Whether certain events at the time of Exodus could be explained not as divine miracles but by natural phenomena associated with the passage of a celestial body, a comet or meteor. It happens all the time. Velikovsky was a true pioneer, a correct one in the basics or approach that the solar system is not a stable system, things keep happening. And some of those things are catastrophic in nature. He should get full credit for that.
UFO: As always Zecharia, it has been a great privilege and honor. Thank you.
ZS: Thank you.
Sitchin, as most of you know, believed that early human civilization was the result of intervention by ET's who came to Earth for resources. At any rate, Velikovsky was another "outside the box" thinker that created a firestorm because of his theories and his thesis. And, most of you know Sitchin and I were long time friends.
Here is my article.
Zecharia Sitchin on Immanuel Velikovsky
by Don Ecker
UFO Magazine has been privileged to know and count as a friend Mr. Zecharia Sitchin for almost 15 years. We have been strong supporters of his “Earth Chronicle” series, and over the years have reviewed his various entries of the series. His extensive scholarship and in-depth knowledge of ancient languages and culture gives added credence to his thesis that in ancient times Earth was host to advanced visiting extraterrestrials. These ET’s imparted to early man all the arts of civilization that they were privy to. Agriculture, medicine, animal husbandry, mathematics, astronomy, and of course government. These beings were called the Annukaki or “those who from Heaven came.”
In an issue examining Immanuel Velikovsky and his theory of “worlds in collision” it was only natural to speak to and get from Zecharia Sitchin his thoughts on Velikovsky. They have many things in common; both were born in Russia, both are Jews, both emigrated to what is now Israel, both later came to the United States. And of course both stepped out from their disciplines to explore man-kinds ancient mysteries. Velikovsky left psychiatry and Sitchin economics, and both created firestorms with their thesis. In UFO Magazine (Volume 12 No. 05, Sept. 1997) I examined Velikovsky’s thesis and the vicious attacks he weathered from Academe in “Cosmic Theories in Collision.” Velikovsky was savaged even before anyone had read his book, some continued to savage him and NEVER read his work. As I pointed out in “Cosmic Theories” however, Immanuel Velikovsky was much more correct than wrong, and some of the bright lights in American Science, people like Donald Menzel, even knowing they were wrong, attempted to hoodwink the public and lied about Velikovsky. So what does Zecharia Sitchin think about the controversy? UFO Magazine asked him.
ZS: Velikovsky’s best known book, “Worlds in Collision” was given to me as a birthday present by my eldest daughter, knowing that I was working and researching ancient times and perhaps another celestial body. This was in the early days when his book first came out.
UFO: What is your overall take and impression on what Velikovsky did in Worlds in Collision? Do you think he was in sync with what you believe occurred all those many years ago?
ZS: Well, one way of answering that in a more comprehensive way is to tell you and your readers that several months ago at the University of Bergamo, in Italy, at the physics department, held a symposium, “50 Years after Worlds in Collision, by Velikovsky.” Classical and new scenarios of the Solar System. I was invited to come but could not go. Quite a number of other scholars, academics and astronomers participated. The interesting thing is not one speaker spent any time discussing Velikovsky’s main point that a celestial body, comet sized or bigger, entered the solar system at the time of the “Exodus” and became the planet Venus. What was spoken about was his main contribution, and the reason for opposition, that he introduced the concept of catastrophism into the history of our solar system. Whereas until then the accepted wisdom was the solar system formed from a cloud that swirled around the sun and formed into planets, and from perpetual motion, and that is how it took shape. Velikovsky said NO! There was great upheavals that changed the solar system, gave it a new makeup and that was his main contribution, his lasting contribution.
UFO: One of the great tenants of your work concerns the planetary collision of Tiamat, which was the basis for Earth forming into existence. Now, no life could have survived that impact, so the supposition is that would have had to have happened long, long ago. Long before life could have developed on Earth.
ZS: Right, that took place about 4 billion years ago, or more precisely about 3.9 billion years ago.
UFO: So if Velikovsky was correct about Venus being a comet, and Venus entered the system in historic times, does it make sense that it is not in the historical records?
ZS: That is the aspect of Velikovsky’s writings that was wrong. Velikovsky also did not mention even once Sumer or the Sumerians in his writings. I do not know how he missed it unless he found it contradicted his work. Even 50 years ago it was evident that before Assyria or Babylon that there was an earlier civilization. There were writings in Akkadian that were Sumerian text. In ancient Sumer and Babylon, the new years celebration lasted 10 days. On the fourth night the Epic of Creation was read publicly. That was the essence of faith and belief. That this celestial collision took place, and that is how Earth of created and how Nibiru became part of the solar system. That was the essence of all belief. Science was religion and religion was science. That was central and why Velikovsky ignored it, I don’t know. Velikovsky was trying to explain the events of the Exodus, he focused on Egypt. He was influenced by Freud’s take on Akhenaten. (Moses And Monotheism, See UFO Magazine Vol. 12 No. 5, September 1997.) Using this he tried to explain the biblical catastrophic events, like Venus becoming a planet from a comet.
UFO: So other than the idea of Venus being incorrect, you feel that Velikovsky could be correct in explaining biblical stories being influenced by catastrophic events?
ZS: Whether certain events at the time of Exodus could be explained not as divine miracles but by natural phenomena associated with the passage of a celestial body, a comet or meteor. It happens all the time. Velikovsky was a true pioneer, a correct one in the basics or approach that the solar system is not a stable system, things keep happening. And some of those things are catastrophic in nature. He should get full credit for that.
UFO: As always Zecharia, it has been a great privilege and honor. Thank you.
ZS: Thank you.