Strangers From The Skies - Brad Steiger-pages

Page 20 of 128

Page 20 of 128
Strangers From The Skies - Brad Steiger-pages

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If it is true, as Charles Fort once remarked, that "we are property," then it would not be difficult to accept the hypothesis that the waves of UFO's are simply expeditions come to check up on their "investment." Those who have studied classical texts with an eye for possible UFO-influenced passages have concluded that ancient peoples were indeed aware of periodic visitations and interpreted them in the language of their own limited technology. One of the most popular "sightings" which exobiologists are re-evaluating is that of the prophet Ezekial and his fiery wheel "way up in de middle of de air," as the popular Negro spiritual celebrates the visitation. If the incident is read as a Hebrew prophet expressing an encounter with an unidentified flying object in poetic rather than literal language, the scientists, who are re-examining Ezekial's original words, may find much to reward their efforts. As translated in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible (Ezekial 1:4-28): "As | looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness round about it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming bronze. And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures ... they had the form of men, but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze ... In the midst of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning ... Now as | looked at the living creatures, | saw a wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them. As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: ... like a gleaming of a chrysolite; and the four had the same likeness, their construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel ... The four wheels had rims and they had spokes; and their rims were full of eyes round about. (Indeed, a good description of a flying saucer. Especially if one acknowledges the rows of eyes to be windows.) Over the heads of the living creatures there was the likeness of a firmament, shining like crystal..." One thinks instantly of a non-oxygen breathing alien in his clear helmet. The globular helmet may also have led the prophet to conclude that the creatures had "four faces." The Mayans have a legend about a giant eagle that came out of the sky "with the roar of a lion." Again we are led to consider that the myth might have an alien-reality when we read: "From her beak come four creatures, strange to our tribe, who did not breathe the air we breathe."