Sitchin’s Planet X
From the view of an ancient
Languages scholar.
For the second episode of 2014, I give you the second part of a two-part series of one interview with Michael Heiser, a scholar and expert in ancient languages. Michael is about a once-a-year guest on Coast to Coast AM and he talks about evidence people claim from text about ancient aliens and related material.
In pretty much every Coast interview, George Noory brings up the fact that Michael isn’t a “fan” of Sitchin’s work (I emphasize his work because that’s what should be addressed, not the person but the claims). To this effect, Dr. Heiser has created the website Sitchin Is Wrong that explains in detail the faulty scholarship behind Zecharia Sitchin’s claims. In this roughly 35-minute interview part, we don’t get into specifics, but we instead address methodology and overall problems. I think it shows very well that the techniques I’ve discussed on this podcast and in this blog for astronomy also apply to a field about as far removed as you can get — that of ancient languages and texts.
Dr. Heiser has many websites, so I’ll just point you to his main website for now. All the others are linked in the shownotes.
With my Australia trip now in its last 10 days, I’m still still alive, and looking around for food to bring back. TimTams for sure. Also got some nice Huon Pine stuff from Tasmania.
Exposing PseudoAstronomy 
Glad to know you’re still alive! Thanks again for the 2nd part of your talk with Prof. Heiser. He had a lot of useful information proving Sitchin was incorrect in his translations. I tried a few bits of searching around as was recommended, and sure enough, reading what the Sumerians had to say was far better than anything some guy 2000+ years later was talking about. Sitchin, like most religious people, started with his conclusions and made the facts (in this case, the translation of Sumerian tablets to modern languages) fit what he’d already decided had happened.
I also watched the “Ancient Aliens Debunked” series. They did a thorough job of showing that Sitchin, von Daniken, and others are at best deceiving themselves. The documentary came close in a few places to outright accusations of fraud on the part of one or more of the purveyors of this nonsense, but never crossed the line into libel. It’s a shame the most zealous of the Ancient Aliens followers will probably never be convinced they’re wasting their time.
Concerning your trip to Australia: I’m glad you’re having a good time. Please enjoy yourself as much as possible. Hopefully more work will come your way soon, to help you pay your bills and continue doing research in your field.
I’ve heard TimTams are delicious! I wonder if World Market carries them? Hmm…
Comment by Rick K. — January 12, 2014 @ 8:02 pm |
Headed to Costco tomorrow or the next day to shop in bulk for TimTams and other chocolate/stuff you can’t get in the US. 🙂
Comment by Stuart Robbins — January 12, 2014 @ 8:26 pm |
Glad to see you are sampling the local food. Just be careful if anyone offers you Kangaroo, don’t stay in the same room when it’s cooking and if you do cook it yourself, do so in a well ventilated room.
Comment by Graham — January 15, 2014 @ 10:18 am
So, the astronauts and government people talking about how the aliens have been visiting our planet for thousands of years are full of crap? Huh?
Comment by 1wanderingtruthseeker — January 25, 2014 @ 2:00 pm |
Could you please mention specific “astronauts and government people” by name, then list each of their claims, then tell us the proofs each person provided to back up their claims? Hard to discuss the matter when there’s no starting point.
Comment by Rick K. — January 25, 2014 @ 9:46 pm |
Michel, Glen, the Canadian Prime Minister. Mitchell spoke of the Ufo’s and aliens, Glen talked about Monoliths on the moon and the Prime Minister said aliens are real and have been visiting us for 1000’s of years. Google it.
Comment by 1wanderingtruthseeker — January 26, 2014 @ 4:40 pm
I am sorry, but you made the claim, so you must provide the evidence. I do not see where I am obligated to do your work for you. If you do not wish to do the work to do the research to back you up, then you should not make such bold statements while expecting no one to call you on them.
If you don’t respond with researched evidence (more than just a quick Google search), I will assume you are a troll and not bother engaging any further in this discussion.
Comment by Rick K. — January 26, 2014 @ 6:18 pm
I don’t have to do Your work for you. You chanaglled me. It’s your job to prove me wrong. Sucker!
Comment by 1wanderingtruthseeker — January 26, 2014 @ 7:12 pm
And with that, we’re done here. If you want to continue, you need to answer Rick’s question in full, not just list names (and you messed up one of them).
Comment by Stuart Robbins — January 26, 2014 @ 7:14 pm