Ancient Origins

"Giza", acrylic painting on canvas, Copyright Jennifer Stephenson, 2018.

I began writing for the Ancient Origins team in 2019.

They are headed by Joanna Gillan, Gary Manners, and Dr. Micki Pistorius.

I contribute to their regular and Premium sites, plus their lavish digital magazine.

They are an amazing team who produce a multi-layered and fascinating historical experience, and I encourage you to visit their sites and subscribe to their stunning magazine.

Please click below to read my articles, and keep watching regularly for new ones!

Circular "kivas" in the ancient cliff dwelling of Mesa Verde, Colorado

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Secret Connections Between Yom Kippur and Pharaoh AkhenatenAs Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar approaches, this article delves into the religious traditions that are followed by millions at this time of year

Do Akhenaten’s Links with Yom Kippur Traditions Shed New Light on Moses?The holiest day of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur, means “Day of Atonement”. Marked by confession, repentance, and forgiveness, it takes place ten days after the Jewish New Year.

Akhenaten Heretic Pharaoh: The New OsirisDid Egypt’s Heretic Pharaoh outlaw the God of the Dead, or become him? Akhenaten has been called ancient Egypt’s ‘Heretic Pharaoh’. From 1354-1337 BC Akhenaten so drastically altered his country’s religion, art, and mythology...

King Akhenaten Offers Clues to Finding the Lost Ark of the CovenantThe Ark of the Covenant is perhaps history’s most famous archeological relic. I have been fascinated with it ever since watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, the movie that kick-started so many archaeological careers.

“His Face Was Radiant”: Pulling Back The Veil On The Mystery Of Moses’ Shining FaceOne of the Bible’s most enduring exegetical enigmas has to be the strangely shining semblance of Moses. The Book of Exodus relates how after the great Hebrew lawgiver receives the Ten Commandments from the Lord

Beyond the Pyramid Ramp: Unravelling Egypt’s Most Elusive EnigmaThe mystery of how the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt were built continues to elude scholars, even in the 21st century. As famed Egyptologist Flinders Petrie records in his The Pyramids and Temples of Gizeh (1883)

Mound to Mountain: The Long Road to the Great PyramidWho built the Great Pyramid? Was it built by simple Egyptian farmers with mud ramps, or aliens, or a lost society from the last Ice Age? Did the ancient Egyptians inherit this massive stone building from a lost time, and then build their own smaller, cruder versions in vain attempts at replicating its awe-inspiring precision?

Mound to Mountain: The Evolutionary Path to Building the Great PyramidPyramids were built for over a millennium in ancient Egypt. During that time, we can discern a definite trend in their development, experimentation, ambition, and the peak precision in building the Great Pyramid of Khufu, followed by a long period of architectural decline.

Were Egypt’s Pyramids Megalithic Machines or Magical Mausoleums?Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza were always my favorite ancient mystery growing up. I was forever debating whether they were they high-tech super machines or massive tombs of the pharaohs.

Parallels Between The Jewish Fall Festival And Akhenaten’s Royal JubileeA deep mystery haunts the origins and rituals of the Jewish Fall Festivals: Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Sukkot.

The First Prophets: Inside The Minds Of The World’s Oldest Religious Founders"Let us be quiet, that we may hear the whispers of the gods." This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson hints at the subjective experience of religious revelation - the revealing of a higher truth to a messenger by a supernatural deity.

Messiah on Temple Mount: Are We Nearing the End of Time?As the world remains gripped in plagues of pandemic proportions, from billions of locusts to wildfires to storms to the coronavirus, it is easy to feel that the “end times” are close at hand.

Egyptian Eclipse Enigmas: Wild Solar Influences in the Amarna AgeThe Amarna age of ancient Egypt lasted only twenty years, a relatively tiny slice of time, yet it irrevocably altered the course of the country’s art, religion, and language. From ~1350-1334 BC a revolutionary and exceedingly wealthy king named Akhenaten dramatically changed every element of life...

Surprising Links Between Pharaoh Akhenaten and the Jewish New YearThe origin of Jewish New Year celebrations has long been shrouded in mystery. Families around the world celebrate it during autumn with sweet delicacies, joyous prayers, and the blasting of the shofar ram’s horn.

Passover Magic I: Secret Egyptian Themes Hidden In ExodusThe Jewish Holiday week of Passover is once again upon us. Millions around the world will experience the traditional Seder meal and remember an event from thousands of years ago.

Passover Magic II: Parallels of Egyptian Curses and The ExodusWhile a crocodile showdown conjured up in Pharaoh’s court sounds incredible enough, it was only the magical warm-up for a series of 10 curses to befall the Egyptian slavers.

An Akhenaten Connection to the Harvest Festival of Shavuot - Part 1The Jewish festival of Shavuot is taking place around the world. It is an ancient celebration of the spring harvest of grains and first fruits. It is the year’s first wheat harvest, and Jews around the world mark its occasion by parading their produce and bounty of the land, and joyously giving thanks to God for his blessings.

“Shofar Away”: An Akhenaten Connection to the Jewish New YearThe lone blast of the shofar trumpet stretches out across the hills, illuminated by the first rays of the morning sun. The distinct sonorous call marks the important day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year

Do Akhenaten’s Links With Shavuot Shed New Light on Moses? – Part 2Buried beneath the themes of first fruits and wheat offerings lie deeper connections between Shavuot and Akhenaten. These are suggestive and persuasive and go far beyond delicious foods and agricultural traditions. They involve Shavuot’s other central feature: the giving of the Hebrew law by Moses.