Special Evening Presentations by Dr. Schoch
during the Tour of Turkey
During our tour of Turkey, in the evenings, Dr. Schoch will present a series
of lectures relevant to the sites we are visiting, placing them in the larger
context of ancient history and ancient knowledge. These lectures will be an
added bonus (free!), and will supplement specific detailed notes on each of
the sites we visit.
Lecture topics will include:
1) Zep Tepi, the Concept of Paradise, and the Cycles of the Ages. Ancient cultures
across the globe had similar traditions of world ages, such as the classical Gold, Silver,
Bronze, and Iron Ages; the ages of the Hindu Yuga Cycle; and the Precessional Ages (we
are currently transitioning from the Ages of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius). Furthermore,
ancient cultures universally agreed that there was once a primordial Golden Age, a
Paradise, or as the Ancient Egyptians called it, Zep Tepi – a time when the gods walked
the Earth. Is our present age a far cry from the perfection at the beginning of the cycle, as
the ancients believed? These concepts, which will be discussed at length during this
presentation, form the basis and foundation for the ancient understanding of the place of
humankind in the cosmos and the meaning of our lives.
2) The Re-dating of the Great Sphinx and the Mysteries of Egypt. The re-dating of the
Great Sphinx in the 1990s (work carried out by Dr. Schoch), pushing the age of the statue
back thousands of years earlier than was previously believed, spurred a revolution in our
thinking about the when and why of the origins of civilization. Since ancient times Egypt
has been viewed as a land of mysteries, mysteries that influenced and informed both
ancient and modern civilizations across the globe. We will discuss the significance of the
early origins of the Great Sphinx relative to the sites we visit in Turkey – most
particularly Göbekli Tepe. Also of special note is the chamber that Dr. Schoch and his
colleagues discovered through seismic means under the left paw of the Great Sphinx. Is
this a Hall of Records from the civilization of Atlantis, as the late American psychic
Edgar Cayce suggested?
3) Göbekli Tepe and the End of the Last Ice Age. Göbekli Tepe is a stunning site, dating
back to the period of the end of the last ice age (9000 to 10,000 BCE), which we will visit
and explore. Conventional archaeologists do not know quite what to make of such a
sophisticated site at such an early age (civilization is conventionally dated to a mere 3500
BCE, yet Göbekli Tepe clearly shows evidence of civilization). It has been suggested that
Göbekli Tepe was literally the Garden of Eden, and indeed it is in the approximate
location of Eden as described by the Bible. Furthermore it is near the modern Urfa (the
ancient Edessa), home of the Biblical patriarch Abraham (we will visit sites associated
with Abraham) and an early seat of Christianity. Göbekli Tepe was purposefully buried in
circa 8000 BCE. Why? This ties in with end of the last ice age and cataclysmic events
that occurred on Earth at that time – particularly solar outbursts from our Sun which
incinerated the surface of Earth, melted the glaciers of the ice age, caused tremendous
deluges (the basis for flood legends around the world, including Noah’s Ark), and
sparked earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Does this also relate to the destruction of
Atlantis, as recounted by Plato? Is this why people took refuge in caves and in
underground cites such as the ones we will visit in Cappadocia?
4) Easter Island and Its Links to Turkey. Easter Island, in the remote southern Pacific, is
the home of the moai, megalithic sculptures of huge heads and torsos. Amazingly the
moai share many iconographic similarities with the pillars and sculptures found in Turkey
at Göbekli Tepe. We will explore these similarities and connections, and how they bear
on the catastrophes that occurred at the end of the last ice age. Indeed, a recounting of
solar instabilities and outbursts over 10,000 years ago is recorded in the mysterious
Easter Island rongorongo script. Furthermore, lessons from Easter Island, which was
isolated for thousands of years and therefore not subject to the same influences as other
regions of the world, shed light on the nature of ancient civilizations more generally,
including those represented in Turkey. In particular, insights into parapsychology and the
paranormal from Easter Island illuminate the ancient and perennial hermetic wisdom that
is now being confirmed by cutting-edge modern science.
5) The Mythology and Reality Behind the Legends of the Trojan War. As part of our
tour of Turkey, we will visit the site of the legendary ancient Troy (modern Truva) with
its famous ruins. What is the historical basis behind Homer’s recounting of the Trojan
War? What is its meaning – not only for history and literature but also as an encoded
form of sacred knowledge?
6) Mystery Religions and Initiatory Practices in the Ancient World. Many of the
classical ancient sites we will explore in Turkey include temples, shrines, grottos, and
caves, such as the famous temple of Cybele/Artemis/Diana at Ephesus. Also of note are
the huge stone sculptures of Mount Nemrut that we will visit. How were these temples
and sacred sites used in ancient times? What were the ancient mystery religions, with
their secret rites and initiatory practices? How did they originate? What influence have
they had? How have certain aspects of the mystery religions been passed down over the
generations? Are genuine elements of ancient rites and knowledge preserved to this day
among various groups of Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and modern secret societies?
These are profound and complex topics that we will explore firsthand on site as well as
discuss during the evening lectures.