The Contoversy of Masada

Masada is a highly emotional topic and not without a controversy surrounding events that took place during the siege of the fortress, at the end of first Jewish rebellion. The only source of information about the mass suicide committed by the Jewish fighters comes from Josephus - Jewish historian who defected to the Roman side. But, can we really trust in his account of events? Some scholars question whether the mass suicide at Masada ever took place.

To find out more what might have happened at Masada, one must watch presentation given by Dr. Jodi Magness from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 'Masada: Last Stronghold of the Jewish Resistance against Rome', given at the Pen Museum.

Dr. Jodi Magness and her team of archaeologist where the only scholars in last 30+ years to excavate the site. What they found and the implications to the story of the siege is revolting to say the least.

On a personal note: when researching the subject of Masada, I was struck by the link between events from 2000 years ago and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. A poem about the struggle that took place during siege of Masada was used in a song of the Jewish fighters in Warsaw Ghetto. Tragically the fighters of the last point of the resistance during Warsaw Ghetto Uprising at Miła 18 bunker ended up committing mass suicide instead of surrendering. You can learn more by watching klik2travel video 'Anielewicz Mound':

Sources used in Masada video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzCD3LeQqKg

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Archaeology/Masada1.html

http://www.masada.org.il/en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Masada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish–Roman_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus

The Mystery of the Sphinx

1994 documentary The Mystery of the Sphinx, suggests that the age of the monument may be 9,000 years old or even older. If recently discovered Gobekli Tepe site in Turkey is now proven to be at least 9,000  years old, then the age of the Great Spinx can be indeed as old, if not older.

There is a mounting evidence supporting theory claimed by John West and geologist Robert Schoch, that the erosion of the Sphinx was due to rain water and that the area of Sahara desert was once accustomed to a very different climate.

Initially ridiculed by traditional Egyptologists, the documentary is a first entry point for all who are seeking solid scientific evidence on the origins of the Great Sphinx. We still do not know who and why had build it, but it takes us one step closer to solving the riddle.

Bank of England

If asked a question: 'How is money created?' - would you know the answer? Not many people would. Some say, that only 1 in 100 can provide a correct response, regardless of their educational background. Creation of Bank of England by Scott William Patterson in 1694, set the foundations for today's modern banking system, including the Federal Reserve in US.  Film by Corbertt Report 'Century of Enslavement: The History of The Federal Reserve' explains it all, in a very painful detail. A 'must see' for all that want to understand why banks are so keen to lend us money, to keep the economy going.

OK, but if you haven't got 90 minutes to watch the video (yes, we are all very busy people lately), here is how it works in a nutshell: you go to the bank and deposit 100 bucks. You now have 100 dollars in your savings account. But then, next day you need some of your money back to buy food, but want to keep your savings deposit untouched, so you decide to borrow from your bank.  Bank is required to keep only 10% of your deposit and can lend out 90 USD (out of your 100 USD) to anyone including you. The bank manager tells you that you can borrow 90 USD from them. You sign a loan agreement and then you are handed 90 dollars. You now have 90 USD in cash and 100 USD in your savings account. No other money has been used by you or the bank. Out of your 100 bucks, 90 new dollars have been just created completely out of thin air! And this process may be repeated multiple times, with no new money injected into the system (provided you do not touch your deposit). Ingenious isn't it?

Of course, you now have to work (or generate value via some other means) in order to repay the loan back to the bank including interest. The bank just needs a small steady inflation going, to make handsome profit from the loan agreement signed with you. But for that, there is a government agency, like the Fed in US.

If you want to know the link between Bank of England and the Fed, you have to watch the video - there is no easy shortcut.