 Thanks to the great interest in Egyptian objects in the 19th century, referred to as Egyptomania, major cities soon wanted Obelisk for their own, acquired as though they were trophies of world conquest. France and Britain were gifted a few as a reward for their actions against Napoleon, but at least in the case of an ill-fitted vessel headed to London, not without great cost on a monetary level and a death of six men in the process. The Obelisk is an enigma to us not only have we forgotten the true purpose of these ancient marvels, but in the today and now we have also repurposed the meaning of the enigmatic masterpieces just as the dynastic Egyptians did. You must consider that the raising of these things is completely extraordinary. The time and effort to cut them out of the bedrock, transport them over vast distances, and raise them into place for the purpose of simply documenting certain episodes of a king or queen's life doesn't really add up. It does symbolize power and wealth, but not for documentary purposes. These things are clearly part of something much more elaborate, a forgotten apparatus from a forgotten technology, from a forgotten period in history, and created by the lost civilization for reasons we can only speculate about. Remember, in Egypt most of these things were buried and ancient during the rule of the pharaohs, and it is even documented that Cleopatra tried to salvage these very ancient things during her reign. There is little doubt that these things are more ancient than we are aware of, however we are dating them based on the hieroglyphic inscriptions that are carved upon them. This is a crude and lazy alternative to not understand the past. Instead, we have credited these things based on the notion that our reemergence as a civilization on earth is all we have ever known, but it's not. We are older than the assumed timeline, and when we use terms like reawakening, well this is literal. We are literally reawakening in modern times and trying to piece together the forgotten past that has haunted our conscious thinking since the cataclysmic event that traumatized us as a whole. It is crazy though that us humans are touring this planet to visit the things that have existed here alongside us. We look in all at structures that ancient earth inhabitants created with apparent ease and we struggle with certain aspects in terms of the purpose of these things. We are clawing at a closed door, trying to fit everything that has ever existed into a small scale of time without even considering that there is more, much more, and in recent times we are only beginning. Every culture on this planet tells us of the before time, the time of the gods in which we were warned to change our ways or face the consequences. The consequences that we are still suffering from today and we can't remember. We have trauma as a collective species, but at least we are reawakening to this, yet our remembrance is still choked. The plundering of history through the past few thousand years and even beyond that would suggest a global tradition of greed. The disregard of respect and the attention it draws is short lived. We are making it up as we go along for the purposes of power and wealth. If you consider the obelisk, you must consider that these things were once strategically placed not for ceremonial purposes, but for reasons that stretch the imagination to a forgotten reality that we refer to as mythology. Wait to hear this. Being in Central Park we find the oldest structure in New York, one of Cleopatra's needles. Of course Cleopatra didn't create these marbles, it was already very ancient and decayed through millennia in her day. Instead they take the Queen's name simply because she had one moved from Heliopolis to Alexandria just before the time of Christ. That one is now in London and coupled with one in Paris and New York they are referred to as the Cleopatra needles. The story of Central Park Needle and its transportation from Egypt to America is astonishing, a highly symbolic message of the glory of the past and a meaning that the ancient power and wealth now resides within the West. The Romans in their day did take these things both to Istanbul and Rome, which were the two ancient capitals of the Roman Empire, Istanbul having been previously referred to as Constantinople where Emperor Theodosus had it re-erected in the 4th century. And that continued for millennia as the Roman Empire found Obelisk in Egypt, transported them to Rome where they had them repaired and erected as a clear symbol of power, a demonstration of wealth but also an understanding that these things are signifying something more. It will surprise you to learn that as recently as the 1920s and 30s, dictators like Mussolini were leaving messages and gold offerings under the obelisk, portraying himself as a new Roman Emperor. This is an example of how easily history can be manipulated under certain conditions. The taking of these things even in modern times requires a significant effort. You've got to wonder what the point of it all is and maybe what is being buried underneath these things is a clue. Maybe there is a clue in the mystery black box that was placed under the central part needle, the contents of which are completely unknown to anyone in the world and there is no documentation at all as to what may be in it, but there may be clues. William Henry Vanderbilt, a very wealthy businessman, funded the transportation of this artifact with a hefty donation and when the obelisk was raised a time capsule was built and buried underneath. And William Henry Holbert put a mystery black box into the capsule and never told anyone what it was for or what was in it. However, he later admitted that he anonymously published books before later crediting himself with the anonymous publishing, claiming to offer verbatim accounts of secret conversations by elite members of society included recorded accounts from Stephen A. Douglas, William A. Seward, and Abraham Lincoln himself. You must consider that these black boxes are symbolic with stone masonry. Edward Leedskalin, who is responsible for the coral castle construction, also had one of these mystery boxes in his possession and is even credited with having given him the ability to effortlessly move very heavy stone with ease using just pulley and rope systems. One group who were especially fascinated in the central part needle are the Freemasons. They have been a mysterious and controversial fraternity who have been involved in several critical moments in American history, including the inauguration of fellow mason George Washington. A mason engineer and adventurer named Henry Honeychurch Goringe discovered an incredible secret on the remaining Alexandria obelisk, a secret that might link the secretive organization to the beginning of human civilization as we know it. We can speculate that at New York City, a city that mesmerizes the imagination for its use of the heaviest stone material available, that this obelisk and indeed the little inconspicuous black box that is buried underneath may be generating mystical powers beyond our comprehension and indeed beyond our understanding. In this sense, the needle in central part may be transmitting energy of some sort to enable the use of stone on this scale, maybe. First conceived as an idea to lure more trade opportunities between the US and Egypt, this one single gesture may be one of THE most significant undertakings in American history and we are going to tell you why. On February 22, 1881, a truly monumental occasion took place in the Grand Halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The formal presentation of the so-called Cleopatra's needle to the city of New York by the Egyptian government was taking place. The public interest this generated at the time was like the equivalent of the Queen of Egypt arriving in the city herself. There was an overwhelming excitement in the air as the wealthy New Yorkers watched in awe at this industrious symbol that was now part of their own city. But of course the story doesn't start here nor will it end here. If we are not understanding these things but knowing of their power, then at least we can grasp a basic understanding that this is commonly in our thoughts. A feeling of intuition that overcomes our emotion when in the presence of such majestic things. Described as the heaviest piece of stone brought to Manhattan since the glaciers and weighing in at over 220 tons and standing proud at 70 feet tall, the story of the arrival of this thing is just incredible. This obelisk was inscribed with hieroglyphics 3,500 years ago when it was repurposed by the dynastic Egyptians. Though we feel it is much older and a remnant of a forgotten and lost civilization, possibly dating back beyond the younger Dryas, but unclear when it was actually quarried. Though to have stood in Heliopolis until it was toppled by Persian invaders, it lay in the sand, eroding for millennia, before the Romans salvaged it and attempted a restore under Julius Caesar. Thotmos III amassed the greatest empire in dynastic Egyptian history during his 54-year reign. The Pharaoh came to power in 1479 BC and claimed to have conquered more than 300 cities from Syria to Sudan, leading his army from a chariot sheathed in gold. To celebrate his 30th year of rule, the Pharaoh asked for a pair of pillars to flank the sun temple in Heliopolis. While Thotmos inscribed them with his name, two other kings later seized them and added their own self-serving hieroglyphs to the four sides. Pharaoh Ramses II who reigned from 1279 to 1212 BC inscribed his praises and left little room for Osorcon I who crammed his moniker on a lower edge. These examples of these very ancient things were used to document the king's existence and a clear suggestion that they had no idea what these things were before they began inscribing. Despite claims that they were quarried during this time at Aswan, there is no indication as to what tools were used to cut it or how they proposed to move these things let alone raise them into position, it's all very patchy. Suggesting the history we are told is in that of a short-sighted one on our part. Despite the hieroglyphic inscriptions describing the pharaohs as having permission from the previous civilization to rule in these dynastic times, we refer this as the gods of Egypt when in fact it is probably the lost civilization. Thought to have been toppled for the high gold content at the Pyramidium and thought to have been toppled by the Persian invaders, there is also evidence of scorching on the monument. This could either be from efforts to melt the gold from it or it could be remnants of whatever energies were once radiating through the device when it was a working piece of apparatus. Remembering that gold is highly conductive and along with the granite materials of the stone, it made for a perfect receiver and transmitter just like a modern pylon. By the time Augustus went to erect the obelisk in Alexandria in 13 BC, he already faced a challenge. The base of the nearly 1500 year old monument had worn or chipped away, making it impossible to erect the 240 ton 70 foot behemoth. His solution giant bronze crabs each weighing in at 922 pounds. The crabs were chosen for their role in Roman mythology, associated with Apollo and the sun thereby in keeping with the Egyptian tradition. When the Americans arrived on the scene to salvage the obelisk nearly two centuries later in 1880, two of the crabs had gone missing. By a lucky turn of chance they were discovered by divers during the process of clearing the harbor of debris in order to make way for the ship carrying the obelisk. The claws we see today are replicas with the originals on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. America missed its first chance at an obelisk in 1869 at the opening of the Suez Canal. Bankrupt and beholden to European creditors, Egypt offered US officials the ancient pillar not out of generosity and friendship but out of desperation and in exchange wanted protection from America, an alliance that still holds to this day and a flashpoint. In 1956, Tsar America warned Britain and France against any action and what became known as the Suez Crisis. In 1879, newspaper headlines declared obelisk victory and railroad mogul William Vanderbilt covered the obelisk massive transport cost. There were some delays, Egyptian nationalists objected to sending the nation's patrimony overseas and a creditor of the Egyptian government threatened to place a lien on the obelisk. But Egypt signed ownership over to the United States in 1879. The New York Times remarked sorely that there is no longer any hope that we shall escape the Alexandria obelisk. On June 12, 1880 it was arriving in Staten Island and the dotting task of moving this thing to Central Park could begin. The monument arrived at the foot of West 96th Street on September 16 and took just another two hours to cross the railroad tracks along the Hudson River. On a cradle similar to a flat car it was winched forward on a huge movable track. A few links at a time by a steam engine using chain or cable anchored by a block to draw the car forward. It took 32 horses hitched in 16 pairs to drag the 50 ton pedestal alone through the streets of Manhattan. Hundreds of people came to the West Side to watch, although they were disappointed when they found the obelisk encased in wood. One man expressed disgust to a reporter for the evening telegram. What's the use of coming to see a box? By October 27th the obelisk had reached 96th and Broadway where a pair of women selling apples jockeyed for a position. An Egyptian guard was necessary to keep boys from riding on the obelisk with chalk and the apple sellers spread the word that the guard had been discovered under the obelisk in Alexandria and wanted to be reburied with it in its new location. The obelisk made another turn at 86th and Broadway and arrived at the 86th Street transverse on November 25th reaching Fifth Avenue on December 16th. By the 22nd that month it turned into the park just below the new Metropolitan Museum of Art and was hauled up a 42 foot high 870 foot long trellis of massive timbers to its current resting place. The New York Herald reported that the grounds of the museum were crowded with sightseers, the surroundings black with their stovepipe hats. On January 5th, 1881 it reached the Noel Chosen as its site, a journey just shy of 10,000 feet that took 112 days, about 90 feet per day. Commander Gourage brought with him from Egypt a massive turning apparatus, something like a two-armed catapult. And on January 22nd the obelisk was turned 90 degrees in five minutes and a great cheer rose from the thousands of stunned onlooking New Yorkers who must have felt at the time that history was passing them by, literally. When the obelisk cornerstone was laid at Central Park's Greywack Knoll close to East 81st Street, at least 9,000 Freemasons marched up Fifth Avenue to commemorate it with a ceremony. New York merchants, including a needle company, doled out trading cards in honor of the artifact showing the Queen of the Now threading not a needle but an obelisk. A candy stand trailed the monument on the voyage to its new home while another merchant sold Cleopatra dates in an obelisk-shaped box. Before it was erected, a time capsule was buried under its base with documents including the 1870 census, a copy of the Declaration of Independence, Webster's Dictionary and a small box from William Henry Holbert. Its complete contents are unknown. The craze for things Egyptian has long passed. We walk by the obelisk several times this week and see tourists come up, pause and depart. Even at seven stories high it is passive and static. If only we could have seen its latest journey to the Central Park location. The excitement surrounding this thing is only apparent by its unseen forces that we feel. We still look on with wonder but our understanding is completely flawed. There are three Cleopatra needles around the world so we walk around each one three times for luck. Just as Nikola Tesla walked around each building three times. A mark of respect for a world monument that has survived the ages and of course we must respect what we don't yet understand. By 1885 the obelisk was showing signs that it was struggling in the harsh winters of New York City. Not only that but incredibly it had become shooting practice with the discovery of flatten bullets at the site. This along with colonies of plants forming on the monument in the cracks and expanding the damage. This forced the city to remove 800 pounds worth of granite chips and coated it with paraffin to prevent plant growth. The removal of the granite chips was the greatest damage ever applied to the obelisk and this was done deliberately in an effort to preserve it. However when searching for the granite at the Natural History Museum in 1983 it appears that the city had forgotten where they had placed them. Either that or they were discarded. The paraffin applied to preserve the stone also reacted with the granite color which used to be pink, sad, but true. As of 2019 the structure was no longer in active decay. There is a growing consensus to move the obelisk south for its health or even build a glass dome over it or even move it inside the museum but for everything it has seen it is still at the chosen location in Central Park. Sitting among the green shrubbery and trees and a symbol of something forgotten. From being buried in the sand for millennia to being part of the new world superpower if only these things could tell us what they have seen. Sadly this marvel is not visited very often in fact no one is actively going out of their way to visit the site and we would encourage anyone either living in New York or visiting to go have a look. It is a piece of lost history in every sense and deserves more recognition. These feats of engineering brilliance were for a much higher purpose than we are allowing ourselves to understand. The abandoned quarry site of the unfinished obelisk shows us the site was abandoned simply because the granite developed a flaw. This would have been insignificant if this was just a free standing monument. Instead the flaw meant the energy would not resonate the object and therefore it would not work as intended. What do you guys think of the incredible undertaking to move these monuments across the world? What is their intended purpose? Are we missing something? Everything perhaps? What's going on? Comments below and as always thank you for watching.