| Ancient Inventions in Egypt
Speaking of Ancient Inventions, and one in particular, an ancient magnetic invention incorporating the lodestone (natural magnet) to suspend a statue in mid air in the vaulting of the temple of the Egyptian Queen Arsinoe, the Roman Encyclopedist Pliny the Elder tells us that “The architect Timochares had begun to use the lodestone for constructing the vaulting in the Temple of Arsinoe at Alexandria, so that the iron statue contained in it might have the appearance of being suspended in mid air, but the project was interrupted by his own death and that of King Ptolemy who had ordered the work to be done in honor of his sister.” To have accomplished this astounding feat, Timochares had to have had excellent understanding of magnetism, and this phenomenon was not overlooked in more modern times—especially with regard to the problem of automatic arc light regulation. “One of the most successful endeavors to solve the question of regulation of the light produced by the ‘arc’ is the Wallace lamp, shown in [below]” states Chamber’s Encyclopaedia. “Here A and B are carbon plates, the upper plate is controlled by magnet C, by which it is drawn up on the passage of the current, and the light springs out at the point between the plates that occupies the proper position. When this point wastes, the light travels to another, passing thus slowly backwards and forwards along the carbons. It is claimed for this lamp that it will burn continuously for 100 hours. 
”Wallace’s arc lamp and regulator is compared to a depiction of a similar one in a Denderah crypt. Note the electro-magnet and its wires in the electrical hieroglyphics on the temple wall and the wire wound solenoid on the king’s arc light. Electric light is symbolized by the two (Direct Current) serpents spring from a little second sun (carbon arc) inside the ancient Egyptian carbon arc light regulator. Thomas A. Edison often consulted with William Wallace, the inventor of the simple arc light illustrated above. He even visited him at his laboratory in Ansonia, Connecticut on September 8, 1878 and secured a set of his arc lamps for lighting the Menlo Park laboratory. Years afterward, Edison pointed out that “Wallace was one of the earliest pioneers in electrical matters in this country. He has done a great deal of good work, for which others have received the credit; and the work which he did in the early days of electric lighting others have benefited by largely, and he has been crowded to one side and forgotten.” 
This is not unlike the situation Larry Brian Radka finds himself in now, with respect to The Electric Mirror on the Pharos Lighthouse and Other Ancient Lighting, of which its ancient electrical lighting revelations have failed to reach much of the public at large because of the lack of funding to promote the work. 
However, that is not what is important in writing history, as the ancient writer above points out on the outside of the back cover of Larry's work. 
Note in its "Contents" page above that one whole chapter deals with "The Electric Light God." a section dealing with the famous Ark or Arc of the Covenant, which draws the interest of so many bible students and historians interested in ancient technology and inventions. This is only one chapter that deals with ancient electricity and lighting, in many countries in antiquity as Michael Lohr points out in his review below: “This trade paperback was a very pleasant and informative surprise. It's a heavily illustrated book that explores the possibility that ancient humanity had harnessed the power of electricity. Preposterous you say, well Mr. Radka, a retired broadcast engineer, may just change your mind. His investigation into this possibility was an exhaustive effort. With a library of more than 5,000 books at his disposal, his research displays a multitude of examples where the ancients used batteries, telescopes, mirror weapons, as well as carbon arc lighting. “Radka’s arguments are very intriguing. He shows evidence that several ancient structures such as the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was powered by carbon arc lights and battery jars. In addition to the ancient Egyptians, Radka also provides evidence that ancient Indians, the ancient Babylonians, Sumerians, Greeks, Parthians, Romans, Persians, Sassanians and Assyrians possessed the technology of electricity to illuminate their temples, tombs, fortresses and palaces. Radka examines a multitude of coins, assorted artifacts, tablets, monuments, folklore tales and artwork from these cultures and came to an astounding conclusion: The ancients had the capability of illuminating the night and dark places with lights. “Illustrations and historical testimony are numerous and this erudite level of research establishes a foundation of acumen never before achieved by any previous scholar on this topic. In short layman’s terms, I do believe Mr. Radka has indeed discovered something here. “Radka also shows, and I think most importantly, strong evidence derived from cuneiform and hieroglyphic tablets that seemingly proves the ancients had the various materials necessary--copper, lead, iron, zinc, glass, sal ammoniac, and sulfuric acid—available to create primary and secondary electric cells. For instance, Radka shows several Greek coins depicting what appear to be ancient searchlights at Sicily’s Strait of Messina. “I would urge anyone with even a passing interest in ancient technology, electricity, electrical engineering or the ancient mechanisms that potentially could have generated covalence, to purchase a copy. You would be remiss not to do so. Simply stated, this is one of the most important publications on the topic of ancient technology and lighting you will ever find.” Note: This reviewer—Michael Lohr—is a professional journalist, outdoorsman, music critic, treasure hunter and adventurer. His writing has appeared in such magazines as Rolling Stone, Esquire, Mysteries, The Economist, Southern Living, Sporting News & Men's Journal, to name a few. Excerpts from other Reviews The Midwest Book Review says: “The Electric Mirror on the Pharos Lighthouse and Other Ancient Lighting" is “painstakingly compiled and edited by Larry Brian Radka,” and “is very strongly recommended reading, both for its thoughtful analysis, and its concise presentation focused upon a history of previously little known facts about the creation and use of lighthouses and lighted towers.”
Brent Raynes, the editor of Alternate Perceptions magazine, pointed out that Radka's work views the Old Testament's Ark of the Covenant as "an electrical instrument, which reportedly contained a 'light.'" He summed up his review by stating that it “will undoubtedly test and challenge your historical preconceptions regarding the development of electrical technology, if not shake them to the very core!”
Ruth Parnell, an editor for Nexus magazine and another literary torchbearer, wrote: “This is a fascinating investigation which confirms that the ancients knew about and utilized electricity, batteries, telescopes, mirror weapons and carbon arc lighting…a captivating read.”
A review in the fourth quarter 2006 Newsletter of the World Lighthouse Society relates that in this work, "The history of ancient lighting in antiquity is thoroughly documented, including footnotes, endnotes, hundreds of illustrations and an extensive bibliography to support the theory that the Pharos Lighthouse used a reflective telescope and electric beacon."
Frank Joseph, the Editor-in-Chief of the renowned Ancient American magazine and a prominent author in his own right, sheds even more light on The Electric Mirror... by describing this "brilliant new book" as "thoroughly credible" and "a terrifically original book!"
With reference to Frank Joseph's comments above, Bob Trapani, Junior, the Executive Director of The American Lighthouse Foundation, emailed Larry: "Congratulations on obtaining a wonderful statement about your book. Well deserved!"
David Hatcher Childress, author of Technology of the Gods, The Incredible Sciences of the Ancients, and many more fine books that shine light on the mysteries of the past, reported to Larry: “Your book is great and already very popular."
Robert Stanley, an author and the Editor-in-Chief of Unicus magazine, wrote: “Mr. Radka has shown with great clarity that our ancestors possessed advanced technologies. This is no longer a matter of conjecture. It is indisputable fact. Therefore, the historical information contained in The Electric Mirror should be taught in classrooms around the world. It is a powerful legacy left to us by our ancestors and should not be ignored."
"I would urge anyone with even a passing interest in ancient technology, electricity, electrical engineering or the ancient mechanisms that potentially could have generated covalence, to purchase a copy," wrote Michael Lohr, a professional journalist who writes for such magazines as Rolling Stone, Esquire, The Economist, Southern Living, Sporting News, Men's Journal, Mysteries and others. "You would be remiss not to do so. Simply stated, this is one of the most important publications on the topic of ancient technology and lighting you will ever find." FREE U.S. SHIPPING
NOTE If you think Timochares' idea of suspending an ancient statue in mid air by magnetism is easy, think twice! Yet, above you will see a short animation (due to my camera shake) of an invention I have had on hand here for several years that does that very thing! This electro-magnet can hold the ball nearly in place (except for a slight spin) in mid air for a long time, until something strongly vibrates its support or I get a power fluctuation, and then the magnetic ball falls down. If you think holding an object in place by magnetic suspension is an easy task, try holding some metallic object in place with the opposing ends of lodestones or natural magnets on a two-dimensional flat surface, let alone in three-dimensional air!
This page was last modified on Friday, August 20, 2010 | |