Ever want to write a pseudo-religious conspiracy theory along the lines of the Da Vinci Code? Well, just include some or all of the following: Sacred geometry and ley lines; the Dead Sea Scrolls; Freemasons and Rosicrucians; Cathars, Jesuits, Cistercian monks and the Knights Templar; the Holy Grail; astrology and the zodiac.
The first of this genre was Holy Blood, Holy Grail, back in 1982. In between a fairly interesting trip exploring a very strange church in southwestern France, we get the usual suspects (which were new back then in this combination): Jesus didn't die on the cross, he married Mary Magdalene and moved to the South of France, and his bloodline is carried throughout the ages by mysterious aristocrats. It is not exactly clear why this is useful.
Since this book spawned a thousand imitators in the 90s, the conspiracies have become wider ranging, more esoteric, and more and more comprehensive in their explanations. Quantum physics and superconductivity have since been added to the list of essential components along with secret chambers in the pyramids/ sphinx.
Laurence Gardner has released another masterwork, again with a large amount of his previous work recycled. According to his profile, Gardner is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries AND an Associate of the Institute of Nanotechnology (a rare, if not unique, combination, I suspect).
Even the normally all-accepting world of conspiracy theorists is a bit divided on "Sir" Laurence. There are a few issues amongst the most avid bloodline hunters about Laurence's employer, "Prince" Michael of Albany, but his most vociferous opponent, David Icke, claims that Laurence is "a shape-shifting reptilian who took part in Satanic human sacrifice" (along with Queen Elizabeth).
So, back to the book. Gardner's eloquently developed hypothesis is about a strange material called high-spin white gold (it even has an Egyptian name, mfkhzt). Manna in the desert? Mfkhzt. Loaves on the table of shewbread? The same. Golden calf? Moses burned it to change it into supergold. And why the connection with Israel? - because Moses learned about it in Egypt and the Ark is a giant capacitor that was collecting charge on the top of Mt Sinai, as well as being somewhere to store the supergold. Queen of Sheba? She wanted some as well.
And according to Gardener, it's wrong that the Ark is claimed to be in Ethiopia (see Hancock's "The Sign and the Seal"), when it is clearly resonating in another dimension above the labyrinth at the entrance to Chartres Cathedral.
Personally, I'll wait for the scientific papers - based on the claims of the new alchemists, a miraculous transformation of humanity awaits.
-"Sir Tinkles"