Robert Bauval
Encyclopedia
Robert Bauval is an author, lecturer, and Ancient Egypt
researcher, best known for his Orion Correlation Theory
.
and Maltese origins. He attended the British Boys' School in Alexandria (now El Nasr Boys' School
) and the Franciscan
College in Buckinghamshire
, England
. He left Egypt in 1967 just before the Six-Days War during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser
. He has spent most of his engineering career living and working in the Middle East
and Africa
as a construction engineer.
by Walter Scott. He then came across a new edition printed by Solo Press with a foreword by Adrian Gilbert
. Bauval contacted Gilbert after being interested in his foreword concerning a link between an Alexandrine school of Hermes Trismegistus
and the pyramid builders of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. They went on to write The Orion Mystery together, which became an international bestseller. BBC2 broadcast a documentary on Bauval's theories around the time of the book's publication. He has also co-authored three books with Graham Hancock
, including a very contentious book on possible artificial structures on Mars
(The Mars Mystery - 1998).
(OCT). This proposes a relationship between the fourth dynasty
Egyptian pyramids
of the Giza Plateau
and the alignment of certain stars in the constellation
of Orion
.
One night in 1983, while working in Saudi Arabia
, he took his family and a friend's family up into the sand dunes of the Arabian desert
for a camping expedition. His friend pointed out Orion
, and mentioned that Alnitak, the smaller more easterly of the stars making up Orion's belt was offset slightly from the others. Bauval then made a connection between the layout of the three main stars in Orion's belt and the layout of the three main pyramids in the Giza necropolis
.The theory, known as the Orion Correlation Theory or OCT, was first published in Discussions in Egyptology (DE, Volume 13, 1989)
This theory has inspired some books of such other successful writers as Javier Sierra
.
s as a form of pseudoscience
. Among his more notable theories is the possible connection with the Giza necropolis and the epoch of 12,500 years ago. Several Egyptologists have however entertained the general idea that some astronomical correlations may have figured in or been represented by certain physical features and orientations in Ancient Egypt
ian monuments.
A leading authority on the Pyramids, I.E.S. Edwards
, in 1983 stated that Bauval had made a "convincing case" that the Giza pyramids were a representation of Orion's belt. Also in a 1992 statement, Edwards said of Bauval "In my opinion he has made a number of interesting discoveries."
He has also recently been a featured commentator on the History Channel show, Ancient Aliens
.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
researcher, best known for his Orion Correlation Theory
Orion Correlation Theory
The Orion Correlation Theory is a hypothesis in pyramidology. Its central claim is that there is a correlation between the location of the 3 largest pyramids of the Giza pyramid complex and the three middle stars of the constellation Orion, and that this correlation was intended as such by the...
.
Early life
Bauval was born in Alexandria, Egypt, to parents of BelgianBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Maltese origins. He attended the British Boys' School in Alexandria (now El Nasr Boys' School
El Nasr Boys' School
El Nasr Boys' School is a famous school in El Shatby, Alexandria, Egypt. It was founded in 1929 by the British people in Alexandria. It is one of the main old schools in the city...
) and the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
College in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He left Egypt in 1967 just before the Six-Days War during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
. He has spent most of his engineering career living and working in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
as a construction engineer.
Writing career
In late 1992 Bauval had been trying to obtain a translation of HermeticaHermetica
The Hermetica are Greek wisdom texts from the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, mostly presented as dialogues in which a teacher, generally identified with Hermes Trismegistus or "thrice-greatest Hermes", enlightens a disciple...
by Walter Scott. He then came across a new edition printed by Solo Press with a foreword by Adrian Gilbert
Adrian Gilbert
Adrian Gilbert is a bestselling British author and independent publisher who lives in England. His books are centred around investigations into ancient Esoteric knowledge and religious Mysteries....
. Bauval contacted Gilbert after being interested in his foreword concerning a link between an Alexandrine school of Hermes Trismegistus
Hermes Trismegistus
Hermes Trismegistus is the eponymous author of the Hermetic Corpus, a sacred text belonging to the genre of divine revelation.-Origin and identity:...
and the pyramid builders of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt. They went on to write The Orion Mystery together, which became an international bestseller. BBC2 broadcast a documentary on Bauval's theories around the time of the book's publication. He has also co-authored three books with Graham Hancock
Graham Hancock
Graham Hancock is a British writer and journalist. Hancock specialises in unconventional theories involving ancient civilizations, stone monuments or megaliths, altered states of consciousness, ancient myths and astronomical/astrological data from the past...
, including a very contentious book on possible artificial structures on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
(The Mars Mystery - 1998).
Works
- The Orion Mystery (with Adrian Gilbert) (1994)
- Keeper Of Genesis (with Graham Hancock) (1995)
- The Message of the Sphinx (with Graham Hancock) (May 1997)
- The Mars Mystery (with Graham Hancock) (1998)
- Secret Chamber (1999)
- Talisman: Sacred Cities, Secret Faith (with Graham Hancock) (2004)
- The Egypt Code (Oct 2006)
- Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt (with Thomas Brophy PhD) (April 2011)
- The Master Game: Unmasking the Secret Rulers of the World (Sept 2011)
Orion Correlation Theory
Bauval is specifically known for the Orion Correlation TheoryOrion Correlation Theory
The Orion Correlation Theory is a hypothesis in pyramidology. Its central claim is that there is a correlation between the location of the 3 largest pyramids of the Giza pyramid complex and the three middle stars of the constellation Orion, and that this correlation was intended as such by the...
(OCT). This proposes a relationship between the fourth dynasty
Fourth dynasty of Egypt
The fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt is characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom. Dynasty IV lasted from ca. 2613 to 2494 BC...
Egyptian pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
of the Giza Plateau
Giza Plateau
The Giza Plateau is a plateau that is located in Giza, Egypt. The famous Giza Necropolis is located in this geographical area, which is characterized by a sandy, desert climate and terrain with little vegetation....
and the alignment of certain stars in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
of Orion
Orion (constellation)
Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
.
One night in 1983, while working in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, he took his family and a friend's family up into the sand dunes of the Arabian desert
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of...
for a camping expedition. His friend pointed out Orion
Orion (constellation)
Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
, and mentioned that Alnitak, the smaller more easterly of the stars making up Orion's belt was offset slightly from the others. Bauval then made a connection between the layout of the three main stars in Orion's belt and the layout of the three main pyramids in the Giza necropolis
Giza pyramid complex
The Giza Necropolis is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments includes the three pyramid complexes known as the Great Pyramids, the massive sculpture known as the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers' village and an...
.The theory, known as the Orion Correlation Theory or OCT, was first published in Discussions in Egyptology (DE, Volume 13, 1989)
This theory has inspired some books of such other successful writers as Javier Sierra
Javier Sierra
Javier Sierra Albert is a journalist, writer and researcher who studied journalism at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He is editor consultant of the monthly magazine Más Allá de la Ciencia distributed in Spain and Latin America and he participates in several radio and television programs...
.
Controversy
Some of the hypotheses put forward in his works are regarded by some mainstream archaeologists and historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
s as a form of pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
. Among his more notable theories is the possible connection with the Giza necropolis and the epoch of 12,500 years ago. Several Egyptologists have however entertained the general idea that some astronomical correlations may have figured in or been represented by certain physical features and orientations in Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian monuments.
A leading authority on the Pyramids, I.E.S. Edwards
I.E.S. Edwards
Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards CBE, FBA — known as I. E. S. Edwards— was an English Egyptologist considered to be a leading expert on the pyramids.-Biography:...
, in 1983 stated that Bauval had made a "convincing case" that the Giza pyramids were a representation of Orion's belt. Also in a 1992 statement, Edwards said of Bauval "In my opinion he has made a number of interesting discoveries."
Appearances
Bauval has appeared on BBC, Channel 4, History Channel, National Georgraphic Channel, CNN, ABC, NBC, RAI 2 and several other European, Middle Eastern and Asian Channels. He has recently featured in the film 2012: Science or Superstition, a documentary describing how much of what we're hearing is science and how much is superstition.He has also recently been a featured commentator on the History Channel show, Ancient Aliens
Ancient Aliens
Ancient Aliens is an American television series that premiered on April 20, 2010 on the History channel. Produced by Prometheus Entertainment, the program presents theories of ancient astronauts and proposes that historical texts, archaeology and legends contain evidence of past...
.
External links
- Ed Krupp article: "Pyramid Marketing Schemes"
- Jaromir Malek article: "Orion and the Giza pyramids"
- The Conscious Media Network interview with Robert Bauval (video)