The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

Archaeology is the study of human history. Excavating ancient sites where civilizations used to live unearths artifacts and other physical clues to be studied and analyzed. Is anyone ready to participate in an archeological dig?

Books and movies provide us with a rich and entertaining experience of humanity's exciting past. The movie "King Solomon Mines," first introduced as a book by Sir H. Rider Haggard, brought us the story of Alan Quartermain searching an unexplored region of Africa for gold, diamonds, ivory and a lost brother. Many books have been written about the exciting findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran. The Indiana Jones series, possibly inspired by the army officer, surveyor and explorer Percy Fawcett, searches for the Ark of the Covenant and the holy grail in the deserts and sands of the Middle East. The "National Treasure" movies take us through an exciting hunt, ending with two great finds of historical riches, becoming books after the on-screen adventures. "The Mummy," also found in both movies and a book by Jane Wells Webb Loudon, digs deep into the gritty earth with surprising and terrifying results.

So many mysteries of our past surround us, from Stonehenge in England, holding onto the mystery of who, why and how they managed to build it, to the Nazca Lines in Peru, hidden for so long in plain sight but only seen clearly when man took to the skies. And Atlantis? Did the mysterious city completely disappear off the face of the earth? Many stories bring us bits and pieces that may be clues to that event and many other mysteries found throughout history.

I recently read the book "The Belial Stone" by R.D. Brady. It is fast paced and action packed with some violence, loss and an intriguing concept. The story starts with an old rancher and an ancient monolith barely uncovered on his Montana land. The reader is immediately introduced to what is eventually revealed as an antiquity wanted by men who thirst for power and destruction. The good guys are Laney who is a professor of criminology and was brought up digging at archeological sites, a highly trained retired Navy Seal and Laney's uncle who is a priest. The bad guys are multi-layered, from foreign enemies and a United States Senator, to the oldest known adversary of man. I didn't expect it to go there.

Psychic Edgar Cayce and the Book of Enoch are used for reference to get to the root of the excavation. Both refer to ancient times and the unraveling of the mysteries of men and angels. The true villain in this story is evil itself, and this evil wants to use the power of the Belial stone to destroy the entire earth and all of its inhabitants. The path this story took got me thinking about how the history of mankind is a roller coaster ride of successes and defeats, from the earliest of times to present day. A cautionary tale for sure.

I guess in all things, it is good advice to be cautious about what you choose to dig into, because sometimes there is no going back. I was told once that when you acquire knowledge you cannot undo that learning. Especially when dealing with the subject between right versus wrong. Knowledge becomes yours and you own it for life, and it comes with certain responsibilities.

Over the last 10 years, I've seen some changes in society that I wish were not true. I am struggling to understand what to do with them, especially concerning the lives and heart of our current civilization. I was brought up believing people wanted to be kind and loving, wanted to truly care about others, wanted what is best for everyone. It seems some kind of tide has turned and every day we must deal with those that don't hold those same values. People who ruthlessly push others out of the way to get what they want, no matter the cost. These people are cruel and cause violence and pain ruthlessly.

Perhaps it is time to go back to the drawing board, research and learn to understand our history and patterns, how civilization developed clear down to the dirt and nitty gritty of our existence. Find out what truly makes man tick and where we have excelled or taken wrong turns. I've used "The Belial Stone" to go back to the beginning and open the door to the very heart of mankind. Would you like to try, as well? I believe our treasures in life are not measured by physical wealth or power, but by goodness within our hearts, treasures of kindness, empathy and love. They say there is nothing new under the sun, so the answers about our humanity must be somewhere.

Good Books

Good reading.

*Midge Lyn'dee is a fictional character used for the purpose of entertainment though the reviews are real and sincere.