Uriel’s Machine: The Ancient Origins of Science (1999) by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas explores the idea that an advanced civilization existed long before recorded history and passed down sophisticated scientific knowledge. The book builds upon theories of lost wisdom, sacred sites, and astronomical alignments, arguing that ancient stone structures—such as Neolithic megaliths—were sophisticated observatories used for predicting celestial events, particularly catastrophes like comet impacts.
Key Themes & Arguments:
- Lost Knowledge from a Prehistoric Civilization
- The authors propose that an advanced civilization, possibly the builders of megalithic structures, existed around 3000 BCE or earlier. This civilization may have had knowledge of astronomy, mathematics, and engineering that was later passed down through cultures like the Sumerians, Egyptians, and early Europeans.
- The Role of Enoch & Uriel
- The book explores the biblical and apocryphal figure of Enoch, linking him to the transmission of ancient knowledge.
- Enoch’s mentor, the angel Uriel, supposedly imparted celestial wisdom, inspiring early priest-scientists to construct sites like Newgrange (Ireland) and the pyramids of Egypt.
- Stone Circles as Scientific Instruments
- The authors argue that megalithic sites (such as Stonehenge, Newgrange, and the Callanish Stones) were not just religious monuments but also precise astronomical observatories.
- These sites were used to track solstices, equinoxes, eclipses, and cometary cycles—knowledge that may have helped ancient people predict cataclysmic events.
- Ancient Cataclysms & Cultural Memory
- The book suggests that a comet impact or global catastrophe around 7640 BCE disrupted early civilizations, leading to widespread myths of a great flood.
- Survivors, possibly including an elite group of knowledge-keepers, spread their wisdom to later civilizations.
- Freemasonry & the Transmission of Knowledge
- Knight and Lomas link this lost knowledge to Freemasonry, arguing that certain Masonic rituals encode ancient scientific principles inherited from megalithic builders.
Blog Post: Uriel’s Machine – Did an Ancient Civilization Leave Us a Warning?
The Secret Code of the Megaliths
Historians have struggled to explain why ancient cultures built massive stone monuments with seemingly no practical purpose for centuries. Were they simply religious sites? Temples to forgotten gods? Or could they be something more—scientific instruments left behind by a lost civilization?
In Uriel’s Machine, Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas challenge conventional archaeology with a bold claim: ancient stone circles like Stonehenge and Newgrange were high-tech observatories designed to predict cosmic disasters. Even more astonishingly, they suggest this knowledge came from an advanced civilization before recorded history.
The Mystery of Enoch & the Watchers
The book delves into ancient myths and religious texts, focusing on the apocryphal Book of Enoch. According to legend, Enoch was taken to heaven and taught the secrets of the universe by an angel named Uriel. The authors argue that this story is actually a metaphor for a real event—a group of ancient scientists preserving their knowledge for future generations.
This idea leads them to an incredible question: Were the builders of megalithic monuments trying to warn us about something?
The Comet That Changed Everything
One of the most compelling theories in Uriel’s Machine is that around 7640 BCE, a comet impact triggered catastrophic floods and destroyed an advanced civilization. Could this event be the true origin of flood myths found in cultures worldwide, from the biblical story of Noah to the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh?
The authors suggest that some survivors of this lost civilization spread their knowledge, influencing later cultures like the Egyptians, Druids, and even the Freemasons.
What Does This Mean for Us Today?
Whether or not you believe in a lost civilization, Uriel’s Machine raises fascinating questions.
- Why did so many ancient cultures obsess over tracking celestial events?
- Could history be far older and more complex than we realize?
- Are we overdue for another cosmic catastrophe?
One thing is sure—our ancestors looked to the stars for answers. Maybe we should, too.