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Hidden churches...
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cut from the depths
of the earth.
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Staircases that defy
the laws of physics.
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And mansions
where visitors become lost
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in an endless maze.
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Mysterious structures
fascinate us because
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they're like puzzles...
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waiting to be solved.
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What appears
on the surface to be...
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a church...
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or a mansion...
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...can actually be
more than that.
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Could a pyramid have been
a power plant, for example?
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Well...
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that is what we'll try
and find out.
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High in the mountains
of Northern Ethiopia,
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a mile and a half
above sea level,
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lies the city of Lalibela.
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Each year, tens of thousands
of worshippers
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make the arduous journey here,
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despite its remote location,
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to visit 11 of the strangest
holy places on Earth.
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Lalibela is one of Africa's
most mysterious sites.
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It's a complex
of 11 monolithic churches
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that are hewn right out
of the bedrock.
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Most churches are built
on the surface
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and they're built from
the bottom up.
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Whereas, in Lalibela,
they're built from the top down.
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It's the only place on the Earth
that has cathedrals
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that are built underground
as opposed to being
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built on the surface.
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What makes the Lalibela churches
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so unique...
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is not just
their building construction,
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which is unlike anything else
in the world.
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But also the otherworldly feel
of the complexes
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where these different
monuments can be found.
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Entering into the complex
of churches
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was almost like entering
another realm.
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Almost as if those
who constructed Lalibela
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had a ritual function.
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And that was to bring themselves
closer to God.
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It's an incredible piece
of engineering--
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this idea that you build
11 churches below ground.
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But it creates
its own unique problems.
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How do people get down there?
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Uh, how did they move all of the
rock out and where did it go?
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Uh, those are the things that
start running through my mind.
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Dating back
to the 12th century AD,
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each of Lalibela's 11 churches
was painstakingly
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carved by hand--
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and from the outside--
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like enormous sculptures.
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The complex also includes
an extensive system of tunnels,
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catacombs all carved
out of solid bedrock.
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But why?
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Why build a magnificent series
of structures
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in the toughest way possible?
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The builder of Lalibela
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was a king by this very name, Lalibela.
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And it is said
that in the 12th century,
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he was living in Jerusalem
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and decided to come back
into Ethiopia
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and create
these monolithic churches.
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And it's very clear
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that Lalibela, uh, in the design
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of these different churches,
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was trying
to replicate Jerusalem.
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Indeed, he was trying
to create a new Jerusalem.
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So by entering
into this complex,
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it's almost like you were
entering into Jerusalem itself,
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which was considered to be the
most holy shrine in the world.
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It is described that
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Lalibela had a dream
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and in the dream,
he was instructed by God
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to go back and make
a copy of Jerusalem...
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at the site.
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And in order
to fulfill God's request,
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King Lalibela and others
who were involved
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worked night and day
for 20 years.
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So in their minds,
right at the beginning,
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they had a three-dimensional
structure in mind.
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'Cause when they started,
it was just a big piece of rock.
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And how did they know
that if they were going
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to go 150 feet down
into the ground,
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that everything was okay?
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Because the worst
possible thing would be
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that you'd almost finished
and then you found
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that there was a massive
problem at the bottom.
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11 underground churches.
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Some over 100 feet deep.
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Each carved from
a single block of stone
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in only 20 years' time.
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Archeologists date the churches
back nearly a thousand years.
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But even with today's
modern technology,
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such an incredible
architectural feat
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would be considered impossible.
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So how was it accomplished?
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If we go and build
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a big structure today,
a skyscraper,
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we have blueprints,
we have engineering
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design pathways and we have
a construction plan.
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It tells us how
we would do every step
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of the way; where every
screw, nut, bolt,
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weld, poured concrete goes.
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None of that exists for
these large, ancient structures.
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So we really got
to think outside the box
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and try to find
how they were done,
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why they were done
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and who built them.
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A very curious thing
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at Lalibela is that there are
some very unique carvings there.
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There's very interesting symbols
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that are carved
into these churches.
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Do they mean something
if you put them together?
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In the church of St. Mary
at Lalibela,
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there is the Star of David.
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And this, along with a number
of other mementos
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and designs are extremely indicative
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of the presence
of the Knights Templar.
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This has suggested to many
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that they may well
have been present
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during the construction
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of the churches at Lalibela.
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Now the Knights Templar
were a very interesting
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00:07:06,310 --> 00:07:08,827
religious order that became
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00:07:08,931 --> 00:07:10,827
very powerful during
the Middle Ages.
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But what people
don't often realize is
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they were very interested
in building,
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in, uh, geometry,
in, uh, numerology.
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Uh, and so they were
at once very practical
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and pragmatic and then
also very spiritual and mystic.
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The Knights Templar had
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a great amount of knowledge
in masonry
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and architecture
and building structures.
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Now, it's debated
as to whether or not
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the Knights Templar would have
been in Ethiopia at this time.
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00:07:37,965 --> 00:07:39,482
But there's some
interesting evidence
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that an Armenian geographer
at the time
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documented seeing men with
red and white regalia,
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blond or reddish hair,
long hair,
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which could indicate that
he's talking about Templars.
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So, it could be that
the Templars themselves
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were the ones
that built Lalibela,
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or that they helped
King Lalibela build the site.
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Could Templar stonemasons have
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influenced the construction
of the churches at Lalibela?
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And if so, for what purpose?
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00:08:13,103 --> 00:08:14,034
If you look around Lalibela,
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there are altars there
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that have spaces
in them that would
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precisely fit
the Ark of the Covenant,
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which was approximately
four feet in length,
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two feet wide and around
two feet in height.
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It has been suggested
that the rock-cut churches
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at Lalibela were built to house
the Ark of the Covenant.
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The lost Ark of the Covenant,
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the gold box which contained
the original Ten Commandments--
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could it have been hidden
at Lalibela centuries ago?
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During the Crusades,
we know that the Templars
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occupied the Temple of Solomon.
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And so, it could be
that they were
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the keepers
of the Ark of the Covenant.
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And the more you look
at Lalibela, and given the fact
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that we see that
it's built underground,
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you start to think,
here we have these churches
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that are hewn out of these
megalithic rocks.
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They're built like
defensive structures.
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They have all kinds
of interesting symbolism there
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that indicate Templars.
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And you start getting the
impression that this is actually
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some kind of defensive fortress
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to protect... something.
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Was Lalibela originally built
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to house and hide
the Ark of the Covenant?
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And if so, why only 11 churches?
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Jesus had 12 apostles.
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So wouldn't it seem likely
that there were
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12 churches built,
one for each of them?
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There are many who believe
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the answer
to that question is yes,
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and that the Ark is still hidden
in an undiscovered church.
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Incredible, you say?
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00:09:59,931 --> 00:10:04,482
Perhaps not as incredible
as a stairway in New Mexico
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whose builder wasn't
only divinely inspired
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but may have
actually been sent...
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directly from heaven.
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February 11, 2019.
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Investigative journalist
and radio host
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David Whitehead travels
to the Loretto Chapel
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00:10:25,310 --> 00:10:28,068
in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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00:10:28,172 --> 00:10:30,344
I'm here to investigate
a really mysterious structure,
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the famous Loretto staircase.
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00:10:34,275 --> 00:10:36,172
We don't know who built it,
we don't understand
195
00:10:36,275 --> 00:10:38,793
the physics behind it
and we don't even have
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00:10:38,896 --> 00:10:40,965
a good indication
as to what it's made of.
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Oh, wow.
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This place is beautiful.
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00:10:53,068 --> 00:10:56,551
Meeting with David is
chapel curator Richard Lindsley.
200
00:10:56,655 --> 00:11:00,689
So this is it. Absolutely.
201
00:11:00,793 --> 00:11:02,862
Our miraculous staircase.
202
00:11:02,965 --> 00:11:04,344
I've heard so much about it.
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00:11:04,448 --> 00:11:06,965
I've read so many theories
about it,
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00:11:07,068 --> 00:11:09,896
and it's amazing to actually
be here to see it.
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00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,068
In 1873, the Sisters of Loretto
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00:11:13,172 --> 00:11:15,793
commissioned the construction
of the chapel
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00:11:15,896 --> 00:11:18,241
for their new girls school.
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00:11:18,344 --> 00:11:20,931
Officially consecrated
five years later,
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00:11:21,034 --> 00:11:24,862
the Loretto Chapel is a triumph
of Gothic Revival design,
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00:11:24,965 --> 00:11:28,551
with its high spires,
soaring buttresses
211
00:11:28,655 --> 00:11:32,620
and enormous
stained glass windows.
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00:11:32,724 --> 00:11:34,862
But as construction was
nearing completion,
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00:11:34,965 --> 00:11:37,931
the project's architect
suddenly died,
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00:11:38,034 --> 00:11:40,413
before he could build
what was considered
215
00:11:40,517 --> 00:11:42,862
the most ambitious part
of the job:
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00:11:42,965 --> 00:11:46,689
the staircase leading up
to the choir loft.
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00:11:50,586 --> 00:11:53,448
The mystery of the staircase
actually begins
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00:11:53,551 --> 00:11:55,931
with this mysterious carpenter.
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00:11:56,034 --> 00:11:59,965
The sisters asked the local
carpenters to build one,
220
00:12:00,068 --> 00:12:02,896
but they failed; they didn't
know how to do it.
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00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,965
The sisters, they decided
to turn to prayer,
222
00:12:06,068 --> 00:12:08,965
and said a nine-day novena,
asking St. Joseph,
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00:12:09,068 --> 00:12:11,379
the patron of carpenters,
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00:12:11,482 --> 00:12:13,620
to help them
with their problem.
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00:12:13,724 --> 00:12:16,000
At the last day of their prayer,
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00:12:16,103 --> 00:12:18,068
it's said that a knock came
at these doors.
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00:12:18,172 --> 00:12:20,379
This elderly man was
standing there with a donkey
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00:12:20,482 --> 00:12:23,137
by his side,
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00:12:23,241 --> 00:12:25,793
and he told the sister
that he had come
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00:12:25,896 --> 00:12:28,206
to build their staircase.
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00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:31,172
Was it St. Joseph,
like the sisters believed?
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00:12:31,275 --> 00:12:33,827
Some pious people think
it was an angel.
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00:12:33,931 --> 00:12:37,758
But he was very reclusive,
and insisted upon
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00:12:37,862 --> 00:12:40,931
working inside this chapel
by himself,
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00:12:41,034 --> 00:12:44,586
never allowing anyone to see him
work on the staircase.
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00:12:44,689 --> 00:12:47,793
Throughout the, uh, Christian
and Catholic world,
237
00:12:47,896 --> 00:12:49,517
we have a tremendous amount
of these stories
238
00:12:49,620 --> 00:12:52,241
of miraculous help from saints.
239
00:12:52,344 --> 00:12:54,413
And this is a part
of the Catholic belief system.
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00:12:54,517 --> 00:12:56,206
You can pray to saints,
and they're supposed to,
241
00:12:56,310 --> 00:12:58,655
uh, try to help.
242
00:12:58,758 --> 00:13:00,275
So it's a built-in part
of the package,
243
00:13:00,379 --> 00:13:02,965
this idea of an intercessory,
244
00:13:03,068 --> 00:13:09,000
closer to people,
and yet closer to God.
245
00:13:09,103 --> 00:13:10,586
After three months, the sisters
came into the chapel,
246
00:13:10,689 --> 00:13:14,068
and the man was gone.
247
00:13:14,172 --> 00:13:17,448
And when they could not find him
to even pay him for his labor,
248
00:13:17,551 --> 00:13:20,379
they went to the only
lumber yard in town
249
00:13:20,482 --> 00:13:23,689
and asked them how much
they owed for the materials.
250
00:13:23,793 --> 00:13:27,068
And the lumber yard
told the sisters that the man
251
00:13:27,172 --> 00:13:33,310
never got any materials
from them at all.
252
00:13:33,413 --> 00:13:35,793
So, what material is
this staircase made of?
253
00:13:35,896 --> 00:13:39,413
I gave a core sample
of the wood
254
00:13:39,517 --> 00:13:42,551
from the inner stringer
to a U.S. Naval scientist,
255
00:13:42,655 --> 00:13:44,758
and he determined right away
256
00:13:44,862 --> 00:13:48,206
that it was a form of
Picea spruce.
257
00:13:48,310 --> 00:13:51,724
Is this form of spruce
local to Santa Fe?
258
00:13:51,827 --> 00:13:54,448
The wood in the staircase
did not match up
259
00:13:54,551 --> 00:13:57,827
with any other Picea spruce
known to science.
260
00:13:57,931 --> 00:13:59,689
This wood does not match up
261
00:13:59,793 --> 00:14:03,931
with any other quite like it
on Earth.
262
00:14:04,034 --> 00:14:05,724
The staircase at Loretto Chapel
is-is amazing.
263
00:14:05,827 --> 00:14:08,827
It's a double spiral system.
264
00:14:08,931 --> 00:14:10,068
There's no glue, there's
no nails, there's no screws.
265
00:14:10,172 --> 00:14:14,758
It's put together in a way
that how it's just
266
00:14:14,862 --> 00:14:18,310
sitting on itself is
holding it together.
267
00:14:18,413 --> 00:14:20,068
So, Richard, an interesting
thing about this design
268
00:14:20,172 --> 00:14:23,862
- is the double helix.
- Mm-hmm.
269
00:14:23,965 --> 00:14:26,413
The double helix--
or the double spiral--
270
00:14:26,517 --> 00:14:29,517
is that it's an incredibly
unique design.
271
00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:33,000
Well, we had a world-renowned
physicist come visit us,
272
00:14:33,103 --> 00:14:36,413
and he was convinced that
the double helix design
273
00:14:36,517 --> 00:14:39,034
was integral to
its inner strength.
274
00:14:39,137 --> 00:14:40,793
- Mind if I go up?
- Please.
275
00:14:40,896 --> 00:14:41,758
Be my guest.
276
00:14:41,862 --> 00:14:44,862
This is a very special privilege.
277
00:14:44,965 --> 00:14:46,724
I definitely feel
very privileged.
278
00:14:46,827 --> 00:14:54,689
I've waited for this moment
for so long.
279
00:14:54,793 --> 00:14:57,068
Oh, wow, yeah.
280
00:14:57,172 --> 00:15:01,275
It's a unique feeling,
just right on that first step.
281
00:15:01,379 --> 00:15:05,586
I almost feel, like,
a vibration.
282
00:15:09,793 --> 00:15:13,827
Feeling like... I'm floating.
283
00:15:13,931 --> 00:15:15,689
Like there's nothing
underneath my feet.
284
00:15:15,793 --> 00:15:19,103
It's truly a remarkable feeling.
285
00:15:19,206 --> 00:15:21,000
Now, how many stairs
have we got here?
286
00:15:21,103 --> 00:15:24,758
There are 33 steps
to the staircase,
287
00:15:24,862 --> 00:15:26,862
which reminded the sisters
of our Lord,
288
00:15:26,965 --> 00:15:29,172
because he lived 33 years.
289
00:15:29,275 --> 00:15:31,896
Well, I find it very interesting
290
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,965
that, here we are
in this chapel in Santa Fe,
291
00:15:36,068 --> 00:15:38,896
and we're seeing the motif
of a sacred number: 33.
292
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,103
And this number is important
to the Templars.
293
00:15:43,206 --> 00:15:46,000
33 steps?
294
00:15:46,103 --> 00:15:48,034
One of the most sacred numbers
to the fraternal order
295
00:15:48,137 --> 00:15:50,413
of builders known as Freemasons,
296
00:15:50,517 --> 00:15:53,448
who, in turn, are thought to be
the spiritual descendants
297
00:15:53,551 --> 00:15:56,655
of the Knights Templar.
298
00:15:56,758 --> 00:15:59,793
Could this number of steps
really provide an important clue
299
00:15:59,896 --> 00:16:05,413
as to who built the stairway,
and how?
300
00:16:05,517 --> 00:16:08,896
So the number 33 is
a sacred number in Templarism.
301
00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:12,310
So, they would have encoded
that number,
302
00:16:12,413 --> 00:16:13,965
whether it be in staircases,
303
00:16:14,068 --> 00:16:16,827
or artwork
in the stained glass windows,
304
00:16:16,931 --> 00:16:19,517
or even the mathematical dimensions
305
00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,103
of some of these structures.
306
00:16:21,206 --> 00:16:25,068
To the Templars,
they don't just see a staircase
307
00:16:25,172 --> 00:16:28,137
or a stained glass window
or a layout of a church design.
308
00:16:28,241 --> 00:16:31,068
They see an esoteric number,
309
00:16:31,172 --> 00:16:33,724
the number of a master builder,
310
00:16:33,827 --> 00:16:36,758
the manifestation of
the divine on Earth,
311
00:16:36,862 --> 00:16:40,551
and it's very deeply rooted
in the entire Templar tradition.
312
00:16:40,655 --> 00:16:43,137
I think the quality
of construction and detailing
313
00:16:43,241 --> 00:16:46,172
show that somebody who did it
was highly skilled.
314
00:16:46,275 --> 00:16:48,000
And they must have learned that.
315
00:16:48,103 --> 00:16:50,310
So the person who built
that staircase
316
00:16:50,413 --> 00:16:52,103
apprenticed with somebody.
317
00:16:52,206 --> 00:16:53,655
They learned some things.
318
00:16:53,758 --> 00:16:56,310
They applied those things later
in Santa Fe.
319
00:16:56,413 --> 00:16:58,551
So there's no doubt they
could have been working
320
00:16:58,655 --> 00:17:01,586
with a mason,
but they were way too skilled
321
00:17:01,689 --> 00:17:07,068
to have been the first time
they did something like that.
322
00:17:07,172 --> 00:17:09,620
The construction
of the staircase
323
00:17:09,724 --> 00:17:13,000
defies all conventional
construction practices--
324
00:17:13,103 --> 00:17:16,379
any kind of rational,
conventional explanation.
325
00:17:16,482 --> 00:17:17,241
Where did the materials
come from?
326
00:17:17,344 --> 00:17:20,482
Who built it?
327
00:17:20,586 --> 00:17:23,068
It seems like we just have
more questions
328
00:17:23,172 --> 00:17:24,448
than we do answers.
329
00:17:24,551 --> 00:17:25,793
- Yes.
- But we do know that
330
00:17:25,896 --> 00:17:27,758
it's a mystery, and...
331
00:17:27,862 --> 00:17:32,034
hopefully one day
we'll be able to solve it.
332
00:17:32,137 --> 00:17:34,482
Could the stairway
of the Loretto Chapel
333
00:17:34,586 --> 00:17:37,241
really be the product
of a miracle...
334
00:17:37,344 --> 00:17:39,965
or is it just the work
of a gifted builder
335
00:17:40,068 --> 00:17:42,758
who preferred to keep
his identity and his methods
336
00:17:42,862 --> 00:17:45,034
a well-guarded secret?
337
00:17:45,137 --> 00:17:51,206
To millions of the faithful,
the answer is clear.
338
00:17:51,310 --> 00:17:54,241
Which is more than can be said
for an architectural curiosity
339
00:17:54,344 --> 00:17:57,103
located some 1,000 miles
from Loretto Chapel.
340
00:17:57,206 --> 00:18:03,689
One that many believe
was not inspired by heaven...
341
00:18:03,793 --> 00:18:06,000
...but by the fires of hell.
342
00:18:11,379 --> 00:18:14,000
Strange.
343
00:18:14,103 --> 00:18:17,206
Macabre.
344
00:18:17,310 --> 00:18:22,551
Disturbing.
345
00:18:22,655 --> 00:18:25,379
In San Jose, California,
stands one of the largest
346
00:18:25,482 --> 00:18:28,344
and most bizarre
private residences
347
00:18:28,448 --> 00:18:30,413
in the United States.
348
00:18:30,517 --> 00:18:32,655
Known as the Winchester
Mystery House,
349
00:18:32,758 --> 00:18:37,344
this 24,000 square foot
Victorian-style mansion
350
00:18:37,448 --> 00:18:41,241
contains an astonishing
160 rooms,
351
00:18:41,344 --> 00:18:44,620
17 chimneys,
352
00:18:44,724 --> 00:18:46,344
47 fireplaces,
353
00:18:46,448 --> 00:18:48,103
two basements,
354
00:18:48,206 --> 00:18:51,413
three elevators,
355
00:18:51,517 --> 00:18:54,551
and more than 10,000
panes of glass.
356
00:18:54,655 --> 00:18:56,896
And those are just the ones
we know about.
357
00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,448
But why?
358
00:19:00,551 --> 00:19:03,206
The Winchester Mystery House
is a very special place
359
00:19:03,310 --> 00:19:06,068
that was built
with no master plan.
360
00:19:06,172 --> 00:19:07,655
But there are a lot
of architectural oddities
361
00:19:07,758 --> 00:19:10,551
that remain a mystery
as to why they're here.
362
00:19:10,655 --> 00:19:13,103
Most buildings start with
363
00:19:13,206 --> 00:19:15,862
some drawings, some blueprints,
364
00:19:15,965 --> 00:19:18,206
some documents that say "this is
what it's gonna look like"
365
00:19:18,310 --> 00:19:20,482
when it was finished.
366
00:19:20,586 --> 00:19:22,724
That building looks like they
made it up as they went.
367
00:19:22,827 --> 00:19:24,172
There are doors that open to
368
00:19:24,275 --> 00:19:27,827
12-foot drops outside.
369
00:19:27,931 --> 00:19:29,000
There's doors that,
you step through them,
370
00:19:29,103 --> 00:19:32,137
you'll land in a kitchen sink
on the first floor.
371
00:19:32,241 --> 00:19:35,551
It's almost like an Escher
picture in some ways.
372
00:19:35,655 --> 00:19:38,206
The mastermind behind this
architectural jigsaw puzzle
373
00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:41,689
was Sarah Winchester,
374
00:19:41,793 --> 00:19:43,344
the widow of the man
who manufactured
375
00:19:43,448 --> 00:19:45,551
the Winchester repeating rifle.
376
00:19:46,896 --> 00:19:48,551
It was famously known as
377
00:19:48,655 --> 00:19:50,517
"the gun that won the West"
378
00:19:50,620 --> 00:19:54,206
because it could kill
more people faster
379
00:19:54,310 --> 00:19:58,379
than any gun
previously invented.
380
00:19:58,482 --> 00:20:01,206
The Winchester rifle was special
because it could fire
381
00:20:01,310 --> 00:20:04,137
up to 15 rounds
without being reloaded,
382
00:20:04,241 --> 00:20:07,275
which was very different from
most of the smooth bores used
383
00:20:07,379 --> 00:20:09,206
in the Civil War, say,
which were--
384
00:20:09,310 --> 00:20:12,551
y-you loaded it, you fired
one shot and that was it.
385
00:20:12,655 --> 00:20:14,379
So you can imagine the advantage
that you would have
386
00:20:14,482 --> 00:20:16,310
being able to shoot round
after round after round
387
00:20:16,413 --> 00:20:18,241
without reloading.
388
00:20:18,344 --> 00:20:22,448
When Sarah's husband died
in 1881,
389
00:20:22,551 --> 00:20:25,655
she became the heir
to his massive fortune.
390
00:20:25,758 --> 00:20:29,310
Three years later, she began
construction on a mansion
391
00:20:29,413 --> 00:20:33,655
that would take 38 years
to complete.
392
00:20:33,758 --> 00:20:36,620
She just added things on
as she had a great idea.
393
00:20:36,724 --> 00:20:39,758
So everybody had to listen
and say, "Oh, okay.
394
00:20:39,862 --> 00:20:41,931
You want a large ballroom
up there?"
395
00:20:42,034 --> 00:20:44,068
And then they'd figure it out
as they went.
396
00:20:44,172 --> 00:20:46,931
Even to this day,
they're still finding
397
00:20:47,034 --> 00:20:49,931
new rooms and new features
to this house.
398
00:20:50,034 --> 00:20:52,413
Was Sarah just working off
of her whims?
399
00:20:52,517 --> 00:20:55,241
Was she just an eccentric
crazy lady?
400
00:20:55,344 --> 00:20:57,655
Or is there some other
unknown explanation
401
00:20:57,758 --> 00:21:01,482
that we have yet to understand?
402
00:21:01,586 --> 00:21:03,413
It is suspected that one reason
403
00:21:03,517 --> 00:21:05,827
Sarah kept building
and building
404
00:21:05,931 --> 00:21:08,758
around the clock for 38 years
405
00:21:08,862 --> 00:21:11,034
is that she was trying
to protect herself
406
00:21:11,137 --> 00:21:14,344
from all the dead souls the
Winchester rifles had killed.
407
00:21:14,448 --> 00:21:18,000
Perhaps, it was thought,
408
00:21:18,103 --> 00:21:21,103
if the house was built
as a giant maze,
409
00:21:21,206 --> 00:21:25,482
the ghosts would never
be able to find her.
410
00:21:25,586 --> 00:21:28,172
The story is that
Sarah Winchester
411
00:21:28,275 --> 00:21:31,310
went through a long period
of grief.
412
00:21:31,413 --> 00:21:35,068
She, unfortunately, lost a
child, uh, only weeks old,
413
00:21:35,172 --> 00:21:37,379
and she lost her husband
to tuberculosis.
414
00:21:37,482 --> 00:21:39,517
And she started wondering,
415
00:21:39,620 --> 00:21:41,793
"Why are all these terrible
things happening to me?"
416
00:21:41,896 --> 00:21:44,413
And, uh, what was common
at the time
417
00:21:44,517 --> 00:21:46,551
was to seek out a medium
or spiritualist for guidance.
418
00:21:46,655 --> 00:21:52,000
And that person said that
the karma of this,
419
00:21:52,103 --> 00:21:53,689
the gun that won the West,
and all of these terrible things
420
00:21:53,793 --> 00:21:56,068
associated with this firearm,
is kind of haunting you.
421
00:21:58,965 --> 00:22:01,586
This spiritualist medium
told her
422
00:22:01,689 --> 00:22:03,379
that in order to pacify
these spirits,
423
00:22:03,482 --> 00:22:05,172
who were very offended
424
00:22:05,275 --> 00:22:07,034
at having been killed by
Winchester rifles,
425
00:22:07,137 --> 00:22:09,275
she needed to build a house.
426
00:22:09,379 --> 00:22:12,586
And she should never stop
building, and the idea also
427
00:22:12,689 --> 00:22:14,482
was that the constant sound
of the saws and hammers
428
00:22:14,586 --> 00:22:17,827
would drive
the bad spirits away.
429
00:22:17,931 --> 00:22:21,310
Some of the design features
were specifically built
430
00:22:21,413 --> 00:22:24,586
to confuse evil
or malicious spirits.
431
00:22:24,689 --> 00:22:25,931
So if the stairs led
to the ceiling,
432
00:22:26,034 --> 00:22:28,206
or if a door led to the outside,
433
00:22:28,310 --> 00:22:31,517
possibly they would be confused
and-and leave the property.
434
00:22:35,965 --> 00:22:38,689
Did Sarah Winchester spend
nearly 40 years
435
00:22:38,793 --> 00:22:42,551
and the equivalent of
more than $60 million
436
00:22:42,655 --> 00:22:45,724
constructing a bizarre
labyrinth of stairs,
437
00:22:45,827 --> 00:22:49,103
halls and doors
438
00:22:49,206 --> 00:22:52,172
in order to keep
the vengeful dead at bay?
439
00:22:52,275 --> 00:22:53,586
Perhaps.
440
00:22:53,689 --> 00:22:57,275
But some have suggested
that she built the house
441
00:22:57,379 --> 00:23:00,896
not to guard against the dead,
442
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,172
but to fool the living.
443
00:23:05,275 --> 00:23:07,586
There's an even deeper mystery
in the house,
444
00:23:07,689 --> 00:23:11,655
and that is the numerology.
445
00:23:11,758 --> 00:23:13,655
In the Winchester Mystery House,
446
00:23:13,758 --> 00:23:15,206
there is a number
that appears everywhere--
447
00:23:15,310 --> 00:23:17,655
in, you know, light fittings,
in mirrors,
448
00:23:17,758 --> 00:23:20,827
in all sorts of things.
And it's the number 13.
449
00:23:20,931 --> 00:23:24,793
We have the number 13 encoded
all over the place,
450
00:23:24,896 --> 00:23:29,172
in the walls, in the flooring,
in the stairways.
451
00:23:29,275 --> 00:23:33,551
We've got 13 bedrooms.
We've got 13 bathrooms.
452
00:23:33,655 --> 00:23:36,068
There are 13 wall panels
in some of the rooms;
453
00:23:36,172 --> 00:23:38,206
and on and on we could go.
454
00:23:38,310 --> 00:23:40,413
So there may have been
another motive here
455
00:23:40,517 --> 00:23:42,724
for why Sarah
built this house this way.
456
00:23:42,827 --> 00:23:46,931
A lot of people
have put forth theories
457
00:23:47,034 --> 00:23:48,655
that there was some sort
of complex puzzle
458
00:23:48,758 --> 00:23:51,758
going on here,
that she was leaving clues.
459
00:23:51,862 --> 00:23:55,413
It's possible that the number 13
could be a puzzle
460
00:23:55,517 --> 00:23:58,896
that could possibly unlock
some secret as to
461
00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,551
why it was so
prominently featured
462
00:24:00,655 --> 00:24:05,241
as a design element
in the house.
463
00:24:05,344 --> 00:24:07,172
An interesting symbol
that you see
464
00:24:07,275 --> 00:24:09,931
all throughout the house
is the symbol of the sun.
465
00:24:10,034 --> 00:24:12,758
In astrology and astrotheology,
466
00:24:12,862 --> 00:24:14,793
you have the idea
of the zodiac,
467
00:24:14,896 --> 00:24:16,827
which is, you have the 12 houses
of the zodiac,
468
00:24:16,931 --> 00:24:19,827
and the number 13 is the sun.
469
00:24:19,931 --> 00:24:21,862
At the front gates of the house,
and on each gate,
470
00:24:21,965 --> 00:24:24,103
you have a symbol of the sun.
471
00:24:24,206 --> 00:24:27,517
And the rays of the sun
add up to 16 on each sun.
472
00:24:27,620 --> 00:24:31,000
So when you put the 16
and the 16 together,
473
00:24:31,103 --> 00:24:33,862
you have the date
that William Shakespeare died.
474
00:24:33,965 --> 00:24:37,310
Two most cryptic windows,
stained glass windows
475
00:24:37,413 --> 00:24:39,758
in the house are Sarah's
ballroom windows.
476
00:24:39,862 --> 00:24:42,896
They're the only ones that
have any text in them,
477
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,068
and they're two quotes from
different Shakespearean plays.
478
00:24:47,172 --> 00:24:50,827
And they read, "Wide unclasp
the tables of their thoughts."
479
00:24:50,931 --> 00:24:52,413
And then the other one says,
"These same thoughts
480
00:24:52,517 --> 00:24:55,344
people this little world."
481
00:24:55,448 --> 00:24:57,310
We don't know exactly
what that meant to Sarah.
482
00:24:57,413 --> 00:25:00,034
She took that secret with her
to her grave.
483
00:25:00,137 --> 00:25:04,448
Sarah Winchester passed away
September 1922.
484
00:25:04,551 --> 00:25:07,206
As you can imagine,
there was great excitement
485
00:25:07,310 --> 00:25:09,862
to see this incredible home
that everyone in the town
486
00:25:09,965 --> 00:25:12,206
had seen being built up
over so many years.
487
00:25:12,310 --> 00:25:15,034
All the furnishings were sold
anonymously at auction,
488
00:25:15,137 --> 00:25:17,413
but what was left
was one large safe
489
00:25:17,517 --> 00:25:19,413
in the grand ballroom.
490
00:25:19,517 --> 00:25:22,758
Sarah put a safe
in the grand ballroom,
491
00:25:22,862 --> 00:25:24,551
which is an odd place
to put a safe.
492
00:25:24,655 --> 00:25:27,586
And the safe itself is very odd.
493
00:25:27,689 --> 00:25:29,000
It's basically,
you open up the safe,
494
00:25:29,103 --> 00:25:31,827
and then you find another safe,
495
00:25:31,931 --> 00:25:33,689
and you have to open up
another safe,
496
00:25:33,793 --> 00:25:36,172
and it's a safe within a safe
within a safe.
497
00:25:36,275 --> 00:25:38,827
People were kind of
just mystified,
498
00:25:38,931 --> 00:25:40,586
like, "What's in the safe?"
And they were hoping
499
00:25:40,689 --> 00:25:42,758
for maybe treasure,
gold bars or jewelry.
500
00:25:42,862 --> 00:25:46,379
After they finally
got inside, they found
501
00:25:46,482 --> 00:25:48,413
just two things.
No gold, no silver, no diamonds.
502
00:25:48,517 --> 00:25:51,931
A lock of hair
from her baby Annie,
503
00:25:52,034 --> 00:25:53,517
who passed away
at just a few weeks old,
504
00:25:53,620 --> 00:25:56,000
and the obituary of her husband,
505
00:25:56,103 --> 00:25:59,551
who passed away to tuberculosis
very young.
506
00:25:59,655 --> 00:26:02,551
A lock of hair and an obituary?
507
00:26:02,655 --> 00:26:06,448
Are we really to believe that
Sarah Winchester
508
00:26:06,551 --> 00:26:08,689
had nothing of value
509
00:26:08,793 --> 00:26:13,517
safely hidden somewhere
in the house?
510
00:26:13,620 --> 00:26:17,896
What if it was built
as a giant puzzle,
511
00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:20,517
one that protects
a vast treasure
512
00:26:20,620 --> 00:26:23,206
that still lies hidden
behind one of the house's
513
00:26:23,310 --> 00:26:27,034
hundreds of walls?
Something to ponder
514
00:26:27,137 --> 00:26:31,551
while we investigate yet another
architectural mystery--
515
00:26:31,655 --> 00:26:34,448
one whose building method
has baffled everyone,
516
00:26:34,551 --> 00:26:38,310
who has not only wondered why,
but how.
517
00:26:43,034 --> 00:26:45,965
Homestead, Florida.
518
00:26:46,068 --> 00:26:48,793
In this small town,
tucked away between Miami
519
00:26:48,896 --> 00:26:51,103
and Everglades National Park,
520
00:26:51,206 --> 00:26:56,655
stands an elaborate
stone edifice.
521
00:26:56,758 --> 00:27:00,517
The locals call it
"Coral Castle."
522
00:27:00,620 --> 00:27:03,827
Sculpted from massive blocks
of coral,
523
00:27:03,931 --> 00:27:06,448
this incredible structure
features a five-ton,
524
00:27:06,551 --> 00:27:08,379
heart-shaped table,
525
00:27:08,482 --> 00:27:11,000
a 28-ton obelisk,
526
00:27:11,103 --> 00:27:15,586
and a perfectly balanced
nine-ton door
527
00:27:15,689 --> 00:27:18,413
that opens with the touch
of a finger.
528
00:27:18,517 --> 00:27:21,068
And even more incredible
than this marvel
529
00:27:21,172 --> 00:27:23,448
of design and engineering,
530
00:27:23,551 --> 00:27:27,896
is the fact that it was built
by just one man.
531
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,931
And nobody knows how he did it.
532
00:27:32,034 --> 00:27:35,034
Ed Leedskalnin was an immigrant
from Latvia
533
00:27:35,137 --> 00:27:38,344
who immigrated
to the United States,
534
00:27:38,448 --> 00:27:43,206
and he built the only modern
megalithic structure ever known.
535
00:27:43,310 --> 00:27:47,620
The Coral Castle
is 1,100 tons of coral bedrock
536
00:27:47,724 --> 00:27:50,758
that he dug out of the property
on which it rests.
537
00:27:50,862 --> 00:27:52,758
He was only about five feet
tall, but he managed to move
538
00:27:52,862 --> 00:27:55,965
hundreds of tons of coral rock
539
00:27:56,068 --> 00:28:00,275
into this megalithic
modern temple.
540
00:28:00,379 --> 00:28:01,931
He had no technology there
that could have lifted
541
00:28:02,034 --> 00:28:04,862
these stones or cut the stones.
542
00:28:04,965 --> 00:28:08,689
And yet, it's there to this day.
543
00:28:08,793 --> 00:28:10,172
The story goes that
Ed Leedskalnin
544
00:28:10,275 --> 00:28:13,275
built this incredible
megalithic site
545
00:28:13,379 --> 00:28:18,000
using only a few pulleys,
a tripod; uh, he did it
546
00:28:18,103 --> 00:28:19,965
all by himself,
and he worked at night,
547
00:28:20,068 --> 00:28:22,344
and he was very secretive.
548
00:28:22,448 --> 00:28:26,103
The blocks of stone used
to build Coral Castle
549
00:28:26,206 --> 00:28:29,241
are tons and tons,
550
00:28:29,344 --> 00:28:34,000
yet this guy was able to
construct this place by himself
551
00:28:34,103 --> 00:28:37,103
without any heavy equipment.
552
00:28:37,206 --> 00:28:41,758
Some kids, years later,
watched Edward Leedskalnin
553
00:28:41,862 --> 00:28:43,068
constructing and moving
the blocks.
554
00:28:43,172 --> 00:28:46,482
They kind of peaked over
and watched him.
555
00:28:46,586 --> 00:28:48,793
He spotted them
and chased them away.
556
00:28:48,896 --> 00:28:51,517
But they said he was working
all by himself.
557
00:28:51,620 --> 00:28:55,827
From 1923 until 1951,
558
00:28:55,931 --> 00:29:00,896
Leedskalnin perfectly shaped,
lifted, fitted,
559
00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,310
and stacked over two million
pounds of limestone.
560
00:29:04,413 --> 00:29:08,620
For decades, hundreds
of the world's top architects
561
00:29:08,724 --> 00:29:10,965
and engineers have come
to this place
562
00:29:11,068 --> 00:29:13,551
to solve the mystery
of its construction.
563
00:29:13,655 --> 00:29:15,586
The tripods, for instance,
564
00:29:15,689 --> 00:29:17,862
were three pieces
of Florida pine,
565
00:29:17,965 --> 00:29:20,689
about the same size
as a telephone pole.
566
00:29:20,793 --> 00:29:25,137
He used five-ton chains,
he used a-a ten-ton chain hoist,
567
00:29:25,241 --> 00:29:29,517
yet somehow was able to
impossibly lift stones
568
00:29:29,620 --> 00:29:32,793
that were wider
than the tripod's diameter,
569
00:29:32,896 --> 00:29:35,137
that were taller
than the tripod stood,
570
00:29:35,241 --> 00:29:38,793
that weighed more
than the chains were rated for.
571
00:29:38,896 --> 00:29:41,000
Well, he didn't lift a,
a 20-ton stone
572
00:29:41,103 --> 00:29:43,758
with a five-ton, uh,
block and tackle,
573
00:29:43,862 --> 00:29:47,793
but he definitely found a way
to lever the stone up.
574
00:29:47,896 --> 00:29:49,517
There has to be
some other technology
575
00:29:49,620 --> 00:29:52,586
being used here, or this is one
of the best magic tricks
576
00:29:52,689 --> 00:29:54,482
ever pulled over on mankind.
577
00:29:54,586 --> 00:29:57,620
So, what could it have been?
578
00:29:57,724 --> 00:30:01,586
Did he learn some unique
mechanical trick,
579
00:30:01,689 --> 00:30:03,793
or did he learn
some new physics?
580
00:30:03,896 --> 00:30:07,275
He was found often
at the public library,
581
00:30:07,379 --> 00:30:09,413
studying the Egyptians,
582
00:30:09,517 --> 00:30:12,724
studying ancient
megalithic structures.
583
00:30:12,827 --> 00:30:15,068
Ed said he knew the secrets
of the pyramids.
584
00:30:15,172 --> 00:30:17,931
I believe this to be accurate.
585
00:30:18,034 --> 00:30:21,241
He was able to replicate
their accomplishments,
586
00:30:21,344 --> 00:30:23,379
which enabled him to be able
to create something
587
00:30:23,482 --> 00:30:26,793
which, by any other standard,
you cannot do.
588
00:30:26,896 --> 00:30:30,655
Did Edward Leedskalnin
actually crack
589
00:30:30,758 --> 00:30:33,241
the engineering secrets
of the Great Pyramids?
590
00:30:33,344 --> 00:30:37,655
There are those who believe
the answer is yes,
591
00:30:37,758 --> 00:30:42,586
and that one of the secrets
involves magnetism.
592
00:30:42,689 --> 00:30:44,655
One of the most curious things
that Ed designed
593
00:30:44,758 --> 00:30:46,586
was called
a perpetual motion holder.
594
00:30:46,689 --> 00:30:48,275
You could find a drawing of it
595
00:30:48,379 --> 00:30:51,000
on the cover of his booklet,
Magnetic Current.
596
00:30:51,103 --> 00:30:52,793
He created something
that is made from
597
00:30:52,896 --> 00:30:55,655
a 1inch-thick steel bar,
598
00:30:55,758 --> 00:31:00,275
a mile of coil of copper wire
with a bar on top,
599
00:31:00,379 --> 00:31:04,862
and if you lock these coils
together with current,
600
00:31:04,965 --> 00:31:06,344
this current will run through
this device forever
601
00:31:06,448 --> 00:31:08,862
and never leave it.
602
00:31:08,965 --> 00:31:12,448
Magnetism can in fact
levitate very large objects,
603
00:31:12,551 --> 00:31:14,379
but you have to have
what is called
604
00:31:14,482 --> 00:31:16,931
superconducting technology.
605
00:31:17,034 --> 00:31:20,586
You have to cool down,
cool down helium,
606
00:31:20,689 --> 00:31:23,103
for example, to near,
near absolute zero
607
00:31:23,206 --> 00:31:27,000
before you get
superconducting magnets.
608
00:31:27,103 --> 00:31:29,586
Ed claims in his notes that
he used reverse energy,
609
00:31:29,689 --> 00:31:32,103
or antigravity.
610
00:31:32,206 --> 00:31:35,103
The question is,
what did he mean by this?
611
00:31:35,206 --> 00:31:38,000
The device that Ed used
or allegedly used
612
00:31:38,103 --> 00:31:40,793
to move these rocks
were an old-school tripod
613
00:31:40,896 --> 00:31:43,206
that had a large black box
on top of it.
614
00:31:43,310 --> 00:31:45,758
We don't know
what was in that box
615
00:31:45,862 --> 00:31:47,586
and Ed never says
what was in that box.
616
00:31:47,689 --> 00:31:50,103
We could speculate
that it's some device
617
00:31:50,206 --> 00:31:52,172
that he's created
that enables him to lift
618
00:31:52,275 --> 00:31:53,862
more weight than he should
be able to lift
619
00:31:53,965 --> 00:31:57,793
with this rudimentary tripod
fulcrum and lever system.
620
00:31:57,896 --> 00:32:03,034
But we have no idea
what it was he did.
621
00:32:03,137 --> 00:32:04,931
What makes the Coral Castle
so unique and mysterious
622
00:32:05,034 --> 00:32:07,172
is that no one
has ever been able
623
00:32:07,275 --> 00:32:11,517
to replicate his results
using his methods.
624
00:32:11,620 --> 00:32:15,379
What this means is that he knew
something that we do not know.
625
00:32:19,103 --> 00:32:21,103
Whatever secrets
626
00:32:21,206 --> 00:32:23,448
Edward Leedskalnin used
to build Coral Castle,
627
00:32:23,551 --> 00:32:26,586
he took to his grave.
But why?
628
00:32:26,689 --> 00:32:30,482
Perhaps the answer
can be found 6,500 miles away,
629
00:32:30,586 --> 00:32:34,724
inside the ultimate
engineering marvel of all time:
630
00:32:34,827 --> 00:32:37,896
the Great Pyramid at Giza.
631
00:32:43,551 --> 00:32:46,862
Just outside of Cairo, Egypt
632
00:32:46,965 --> 00:32:50,137
stands what is arguably the most
famous structure on Earth:
633
00:32:50,241 --> 00:32:53,344
the Great Pyramid of Giza.
634
00:32:53,448 --> 00:32:56,482
481 feet high.
635
00:32:56,586 --> 00:32:59,965
756 feet long on each side.
636
00:33:00,068 --> 00:33:03,344
2.3 million blocks of limestone
637
00:33:03,448 --> 00:33:08,586
and granite weighing
6.5 million tons.
638
00:33:08,689 --> 00:33:12,206
But incredibly,
thousands of years after
639
00:33:12,310 --> 00:33:13,965
its first stones were laid,
640
00:33:14,068 --> 00:33:16,827
there's still
three important questions
641
00:33:16,931 --> 00:33:19,655
that have yet to be answered:
642
00:33:19,758 --> 00:33:22,206
What was its purpose?
643
00:33:22,310 --> 00:33:24,241
Who built it?
644
00:33:24,344 --> 00:33:27,862
And how?
645
00:33:27,965 --> 00:33:31,275
The Great Pyramid
is completely bizarre.
646
00:33:31,379 --> 00:33:34,517
Hundreds and hundreds
of brilliant engineers
647
00:33:34,620 --> 00:33:37,172
have made many various attempts
with different technologies
648
00:33:37,275 --> 00:33:40,034
to actually uncover its secrets.
649
00:33:40,137 --> 00:33:42,344
And yet, so far,
we've been unable to.
650
00:33:42,448 --> 00:33:45,241
Mainstream archeologists have
651
00:33:45,344 --> 00:33:47,724
long maintained that
the Great Pyramid was built
652
00:33:47,827 --> 00:33:52,379
some 4,500 years ago
as a tomb for the pharaoh Khufu.
653
00:33:52,482 --> 00:33:56,344
But that assertion has come
under scrutiny in recent years,
654
00:33:56,448 --> 00:33:58,965
owing largely
to the fact that no mummy
655
00:33:59,068 --> 00:34:01,068
was ever found in its chambers.
656
00:34:01,172 --> 00:34:04,620
And there are no
hieroglyphics to be found
657
00:34:04,724 --> 00:34:07,793
on its massive granite walls.
658
00:34:07,896 --> 00:34:10,448
This extraordinary monument
659
00:34:10,551 --> 00:34:14,827
contains the most profound
mathematics and geometry.
660
00:34:14,931 --> 00:34:17,862
Now, why would this
be incorporated
661
00:34:17,965 --> 00:34:21,241
in such a structure
if it was simply a tomb?
662
00:34:21,344 --> 00:34:27,413
There's obviously more to this
story than meets the eye.
663
00:34:27,517 --> 00:34:29,827
The Great Pyramid
on the Giza Plateau
664
00:34:29,931 --> 00:34:32,793
in Egypt is one of the most
magnificent sites on the planet.
665
00:34:32,896 --> 00:34:35,068
One of the seven wonders
of the world
666
00:34:35,172 --> 00:34:37,655
and I don't believe it's a tomb.
667
00:34:37,758 --> 00:34:41,827
I think it's
much more than that.
668
00:34:41,931 --> 00:34:44,068
So could the Great Pyramid
669
00:34:44,172 --> 00:34:47,689
have been built for another,
arguably more useful, purpose?
670
00:34:47,793 --> 00:34:50,413
One that would make more sense,
671
00:34:50,517 --> 00:34:54,965
given the size and complexity
of its construction?
672
00:34:55,068 --> 00:34:58,482
In a paper published by the
Journal of Applied Physics
673
00:34:58,586 --> 00:35:00,586
in 2018, a team of scientists
674
00:35:00,689 --> 00:35:05,275
did some research
on the Great Pyramid
675
00:35:05,379 --> 00:35:08,206
and found that
electromagnetic energy
676
00:35:08,310 --> 00:35:12,551
was present in some
of the chambers when stimulated.
677
00:35:12,655 --> 00:35:14,620
This experiment used very
long wavelength radio waves
678
00:35:14,724 --> 00:35:16,655
and it actually caused
these waves
679
00:35:16,758 --> 00:35:19,344
to be focused
into certain regions.
680
00:35:19,448 --> 00:35:22,655
They realized that
the pyramid's shape
681
00:35:22,758 --> 00:35:26,551
might actually act as a lens
or a focusing mechanism
682
00:35:26,655 --> 00:35:29,827
for radio frequency energy.
683
00:35:29,931 --> 00:35:31,620
One of the things
that's interesting,
684
00:35:31,724 --> 00:35:34,206
of course, when looking
at the Great Pyramid
685
00:35:34,310 --> 00:35:36,724
as a possible coupling
to energy sources is to ask,
686
00:35:36,827 --> 00:35:39,068
"Could it have been
coupling somehow
687
00:35:39,172 --> 00:35:41,482
to seismic or sound vibrations
in the earth?"
688
00:35:41,586 --> 00:35:43,448
I think the real question
would be,
689
00:35:43,551 --> 00:35:45,137
what type of energy
were they trying to focus
690
00:35:45,241 --> 00:35:48,655
or how would they leverage it?
691
00:35:48,758 --> 00:35:50,137
The Great Pyramid sits
692
00:35:50,241 --> 00:35:51,931
very close to a fault line.
693
00:35:52,034 --> 00:35:54,758
So almost like
it absorbs seismic energy
694
00:35:54,862 --> 00:35:57,103
and then gives it
back out again.
695
00:35:57,206 --> 00:36:00,931
So it could have been a
generator of Earth energies
696
00:36:01,034 --> 00:36:04,448
that then would spread out
through the landscape.
697
00:36:04,551 --> 00:36:06,275
Was the Great Pyramid
698
00:36:06,379 --> 00:36:08,931
constructed to channel
power from the Earth?
699
00:36:09,034 --> 00:36:11,551
While the idea
may sound fantastic,
700
00:36:11,655 --> 00:36:15,517
it is one that was pursued
by a man who is credited
701
00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:17,517
as one of the inventors
of modern electricity,
702
00:36:17,620 --> 00:36:20,965
Nikola Tesla.
703
00:36:21,068 --> 00:36:22,793
Nikola Tesla is one of the great
704
00:36:22,896 --> 00:36:25,482
geniuses of the last century.
705
00:36:25,586 --> 00:36:28,379
He wanted to create
wireless technology.
706
00:36:28,482 --> 00:36:31,310
Not with radio,
but through the planet Earth.
707
00:36:31,413 --> 00:36:35,000
And that's why he built
this gigantic tower
708
00:36:35,103 --> 00:36:37,172
in Shoreham, Long Island.
709
00:36:37,275 --> 00:36:41,034
Some people think that maybe
he got inspiration
710
00:36:41,137 --> 00:36:46,655
for his gigantic antenna
from the pyramids of Giza.
711
00:36:46,758 --> 00:36:48,344
There are a lot of parallels
between what Nikola Tesla
712
00:36:48,448 --> 00:36:50,862
was doing, uh, at Wardenclyffe
713
00:36:50,965 --> 00:36:52,758
and the Great Pyramids.
714
00:36:52,862 --> 00:36:56,620
The pyramids don't look
today the way they did
715
00:36:56,724 --> 00:36:58,724
thousands of years ago
when they were first built.
716
00:36:58,827 --> 00:37:02,344
But they had,
on the top of the pyramid,
717
00:37:02,448 --> 00:37:07,172
some conductive material
that made it shiny on the top.
718
00:37:07,275 --> 00:37:10,724
And that's very much like the
Wardenclyffe Tower transmitters,
719
00:37:10,827 --> 00:37:13,965
that you had a conductive
surface on the top of the tower.
720
00:37:14,068 --> 00:37:15,758
And it's really interesting
that the height
721
00:37:15,862 --> 00:37:18,172
of the pyramid
to the base of the pyramid
722
00:37:18,275 --> 00:37:22,862
is the height that Tesla wanted
to build his Wardenclyffe Tower.
723
00:37:22,965 --> 00:37:25,206
Well, due to monetary reasons,
724
00:37:25,310 --> 00:37:27,586
he built a scale version of it
and he didn't build it as,
725
00:37:27,689 --> 00:37:30,586
as high as he wanted it to
and as large as he wanted to.
726
00:37:30,689 --> 00:37:34,241
Tesla wanted it built over
a flowing aquifer
727
00:37:34,344 --> 00:37:36,241
and he said this allowed him
728
00:37:36,344 --> 00:37:38,896
to grip the earth
in order to transmit
729
00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,275
this power from
one location to another.
730
00:37:41,379 --> 00:37:44,827
I find it intriguing that
the pyramids are very similar.
731
00:37:44,931 --> 00:37:49,965
So it's very likely that
if the pyramids were built
732
00:37:50,068 --> 00:37:52,275
for some purpose
of absorbing and capturing
733
00:37:52,379 --> 00:37:54,620
and harnessing energy
from the Earth,
734
00:37:54,724 --> 00:37:56,517
that that's what Tesla
was trying to reproduce.
735
00:37:58,931 --> 00:38:01,517
Sometimes we have to look beyond
736
00:38:01,620 --> 00:38:05,620
what might seem like logical
and think illogically.
737
00:38:05,724 --> 00:38:08,862
The question is,
did Tesla get knowledge
738
00:38:08,965 --> 00:38:11,241
from the pyramids
or are the pyramids there
739
00:38:11,344 --> 00:38:15,689
for other purposes?
740
00:38:15,793 --> 00:38:19,206
Ancient Egyptian pyramids
741
00:38:19,310 --> 00:38:21,137
with the ability to harness
the raw power
742
00:38:21,241 --> 00:38:22,344
of the Earth itself.
743
00:38:22,448 --> 00:38:23,965
Preposterous?
744
00:38:24,068 --> 00:38:27,344
Perhaps.
745
00:38:27,448 --> 00:38:31,413
But there are other structures
whose purpose is so baffling,
746
00:38:31,517 --> 00:38:35,344
we have no idea why
they were constructed.
747
00:38:40,482 --> 00:38:42,310
Not all mysterious structures
748
00:38:42,413 --> 00:38:45,827
are as vast as a mansion...
749
00:38:45,931 --> 00:38:48,379
...or as ingeniously
constructed as a pyramid.
750
00:38:48,482 --> 00:38:51,655
Some are much smaller
and appear at first glance
751
00:38:51,758 --> 00:38:53,551
to be rather simple.
752
00:38:53,655 --> 00:38:55,793
That is, until you look closely
753
00:38:55,896 --> 00:38:59,379
and realize that sometimes,
754
00:38:59,482 --> 00:39:05,241
the simplest structures can be
among the most astounding.
755
00:39:05,344 --> 00:39:08,862
In the Diquís Delta
of Costa Rica,
756
00:39:08,965 --> 00:39:12,517
there are over 300 stone spheres
of various sizes
757
00:39:12,620 --> 00:39:16,379
scattered across
25 acres of jungle.
758
00:39:16,482 --> 00:39:18,586
Archeological evidence
dates the earliest
759
00:39:18,689 --> 00:39:21,931
to approximately 200 BC.
760
00:39:22,034 --> 00:39:24,827
But why they were made
and who made them
761
00:39:24,931 --> 00:39:30,206
remains a mystery.
762
00:39:30,310 --> 00:39:32,482
All of the spheres in Costa Rica
763
00:39:32,586 --> 00:39:34,724
are carved and shaped, um,
764
00:39:34,827 --> 00:39:38,620
created from
different types of rock.
765
00:39:38,724 --> 00:39:41,482
Over 300 have been discovered.
766
00:39:41,586 --> 00:39:43,655
These range from the size
of a tennis ball
767
00:39:43,758 --> 00:39:49,517
all the way up
to nine feet in diameter.
768
00:39:49,620 --> 00:39:52,793
They're very precise,
they're very abstract.
769
00:39:52,896 --> 00:39:58,068
They're bizarre
in their own right.
770
00:39:58,172 --> 00:40:01,000
The spheres in Costa Rica
are, um, fabulous
771
00:40:01,103 --> 00:40:02,586
and fabulously interesting.
772
00:40:02,689 --> 00:40:05,206
They almost
sort of demand a-a story.
773
00:40:05,310 --> 00:40:08,000
There-there has to be
a story behind it.
774
00:40:08,103 --> 00:40:10,551
And so this of course
has caused people
775
00:40:10,655 --> 00:40:13,000
to wonder a great deal
about where these come from.
776
00:40:13,103 --> 00:40:17,034
Are they man-made
or natural-made?
777
00:40:17,137 --> 00:40:19,931
NEWMAN
Some people believe that
778
00:40:20,034 --> 00:40:22,000
the ancient spheres
of Costa Rica
779
00:40:22,103 --> 00:40:26,379
are from Atlantis or from
other lost civilizations.
780
00:40:26,482 --> 00:40:31,655
Different people say
they are navigational tools.
781
00:40:31,758 --> 00:40:36,241
Some people suggest they're even
mapping the stars on the ground.
782
00:40:36,344 --> 00:40:38,413
As the stars and the planets
moved around,
783
00:40:38,517 --> 00:40:41,448
you'd move the spheres around
to match it.
784
00:40:41,551 --> 00:40:44,931
One of the traditions,
uh, that goes way, way back
785
00:40:45,034 --> 00:40:47,448
with the Costa Rica
stone spheres is the idea that
786
00:40:47,551 --> 00:40:51,620
at the center of the spheres,
there's a black stone.
787
00:40:51,724 --> 00:40:55,413
Many of the stones
got cracked open to find
788
00:40:55,517 --> 00:40:57,241
that there was nothing in them,
but some of them
789
00:40:57,344 --> 00:41:01,517
actually did have
a black stone in the center.
790
00:41:01,620 --> 00:41:03,724
How they would know that,
how they would know,
791
00:41:03,827 --> 00:41:05,655
indeed, there was
a black stone in the center
792
00:41:05,758 --> 00:41:10,862
is another mystery in itself.
793
00:41:10,965 --> 00:41:16,689
Just what are
the Costa Rican spheres?
794
00:41:16,793 --> 00:41:19,482
Even with all our knowledge
of the past,
795
00:41:19,586 --> 00:41:22,862
all our modern technology...
796
00:41:22,965 --> 00:41:24,931
we still don't know
why they were carved
797
00:41:25,034 --> 00:41:28,827
so perfectly in stone.
798
00:41:32,482 --> 00:41:37,620
Were the Costa Rican spheres
intended as weapons?
799
00:41:37,724 --> 00:41:42,241
Were the churches at Lalibela
carved deep underground
800
00:41:42,344 --> 00:41:45,000
because there were no other
building materials available?
801
00:41:45,103 --> 00:41:48,620
And what about
the Winchester Mystery House?
802
00:41:48,724 --> 00:41:51,241
Perhaps like the Great Pyramid,
they were built in such a way
803
00:41:51,344 --> 00:41:56,034
that their very construction
would be considered a miracle.
804
00:41:56,137 --> 00:42:00,793
Bait for mankind's
insatiable curiosity.
805
00:42:00,896 --> 00:42:04,793
Something deliberately wondrous
and intended to be among...
806
00:42:04,896 --> 00:42:06,965
The UnXplained.
63804
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