I wonder if, during the death throes of the Greek gods (Zeus, Apollo, Athena, etc), there were apologists like this guy, trying to convince people that Zeus really was the king of the gods and that Apollo really did pull the sun across the sky riding in a chariot? I do wonder.

I'm not saying Christianity is in it's death throes, we're a thousand years from that. I'm merely wondering if the classic Greek gods had defenders like this guy. I'm betting "yes."

The thing that theists always get wrong is that atheism is some organization similar to established religions, replete with belief systems and dogma.

WRONG

Atheism is simply a rejection of theist suppositions. Period.

Atheism is the ABSENCE of something, not the presence of something.

Oh, how I wish theists would get that right. Oh, I pray and pray that theists understand that one day. Oh, wait...

Apparently you haven't had a chariot legion of angry Egyptians on your ass.

Tags for this video have been changed from '50s, movies, heston, rome, chariot, race' to '50s, movies, charlton, heston, rome, chariot, race' - edited by swampgirl

It is not the nature of an artist to be satisfied, is it?
Don't let the best be the enemy of the good.


In reply to this comment by Crazy-drummer:
You're welcome! I had fun doing it and I think people like it though I'm not totally satisfied

In reply to this comment by oxdottir:
That was SooOOooOOoo wonderful! Thank you so much!

In reply to this comment by Crazy-drummer:
I did it! (sorta...)

http://www.videosift.com/talk/A-Song-for-Sifty-Lyrics-by-oxdottir

That was SooOOooOOoo wonderful! Thank you so much!

In reply to this comment by Crazy-drummer:
I did it! (sorta...)

http://www.videosift.com/talk/A-Song-for-Sifty-Lyrics-by-oxdottir

Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archaeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).

The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. When completed, people from far and near came to visit. Xian and the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses have become landmarks on all travelers' itinerary.

Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor.

The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries. No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front, followed by war chariots at the back.

Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Xian, China No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994. Archaeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses.

Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It has put Xian on the map for tourists. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.

Above information from: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/index.htm

From YouTube, the full lyrics...

Believe me, one day it will happen,
There will be Nuclear War.
There will be [something] with red eyes,
And Death, and a whole lot of Evil.

The explosion will poison the magical lake,
There will be hell to pay,
And [something] the Phoenix,
And light will fade away for one year.

Nuclear war, nuclear war,
Who can tell me when it happens.
Nuclear war, nuclear war,
When all people in the world will die and darkness will reign.

This war is only in my dreams, but this dark moment will come,
And the Bomb will come to me in a winged chariot
And the terrible hour will come,
World(peace) will turn to war.

And only mutants will survive,
(But really small number of them!)

(Nuclear war, nuclear war...)

The ashes are falling from the skies,
The night outside is dark.
Here comes my death,
The Nuclear War. (x2)

(Nuclear war, nuclear war...)

Ahh, Erich Von Daniken (the little dutchman who gets to speak first in this clip), one of my favorite pseudo-scientists! I actually went to one of his lectures about five years ago and met him... he is a crazy bastard!! Anyway, just so you all know, this guy, for all the books he has published, actually has no credetials whatsoever, before "Chariots of the Gods" was published in 1968 he was a concierge at a hotel... not someone I would "grab onto the coattails of".

As fun as the fantasy of ancient alien patronage is he, and people like him, have done a huge disservice to humanity as a whole by taking the credit of amazing accomplishments away from our ancestors and placing it in the laps of extraterrestrials. I think it is hugely important for us to recognize that despite the 'primative' lifestyles and technology of the ancients they were every bit as intelligent, creative, and determined as we are.

Anyway, I'm done ranting... but as a student of archaeology, you can understand my ire.