The history of Nimrod—both his role in the Bible and his role in Masonic ritual—is as I describe it in the story. See Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, by Albert C. Mackey, at page 181.
As in the story, the Vinland Map was purchased by Paul Mellon (of the Mellon banking family) and donated to Yale University. Also as in the story, the Narragansett Rune Stone was allegedly removed from the water by an abutter in 2012. The Providence Journal identified Timothy Mellon (son of Paul Mellon) as a possible suspect in this removal: http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20130706-as-theories-of-its-origin-abound-what-does-future-hold-for-narragansett-rune-stone.ece. For the assertions that a Mellon-family Millbrook estate was used by Timothy Leary for LSD experimentation and that William Mellon Hitchcock financed an LSD manufacturing operation, see generally Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond, by Martin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain.
For more information on Judaculla Rock, see here: http://www.judacullarock.com
For a good explanation of the Burrows Cave map stone and the changing course of the Mississippi River, see William and Marilyn Kreisle of the Midwest Epigraphic Society here:
http://www.midwesternepigraphic.org/sMap01.html
Laurence Gardner was a prolific author who, in Genesis of the Grail Kings, postulated that the Jesus bloodline could be traced back to ancient aliens. He died in 2010.
The Vermont Rune Stone is an actual stone carving that, after study, was found to be the work of local youth and/or young adults as part of a fantasy role-playing game.
The Stefan Antonopoulos character is fictional.
Geologist Scott Wolter is an actual researcher and author. He hosts the History Channel series, America Unearthed. The parody video referenced in the story is real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ8C8rTM0yc&feature=player_embedded
Barry Fell is an actual researcher and author, as described in the story.
The Baal Stone and the Sacrificial Table can both be found at the America’s Stonehenge site in North Salem, NH.
Frank Glynn is an actual researcher, though the report about him dying under the belief other researchers were digging at the Encampment Site is fictionalized. The research I describe him doing on the Westford Knight and Boat Stone (and Encampment Site) is real.
The Daniel Whitewood character is fictional, though the carbon-dating research I describe him doing on Newport Tower is real. See The Hooked X, by Scott F. Wolter, at page 86.
The Grave Creek Burial Mound of West Virginia did indeed contain both an inscribed tablet and a giant skeleton. See Ancient American Magazine, Volume 16, Issue Number 95, at page 37. The translation of the tablet inscription offered in the story is one possible translation.
Out of all this, then, comes a story that hopefully both educates and entertains. Did giants once roam the American countryside and, if so, are they related to the Biblical giants? Has our nation’s government for some reason been working to hide this history from the American people? Can the answers to these questions be found in ancient Masonic ritual and custom? These are the questions that fascinate me. Hopefully you’ve found both some enlightenment and some entertainment in them as well.
PHOTO CREDITS
Images used in this book are either in the public domain and/or are provided courtesy of the following individuals (images listed in order of appearance in the story):
IMAGE OF MAP SHOWING GIANT LOCATIONS
Courtesy Cecilia Hall, USOKS
FOUNDATION STONES OF PRINCE HENRY SINCLAIR ENCAMPMENT SITE
Courtesy Kim Bacik
ROCK BOTTOM FORMATION
Courtesy Karla Aikens
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Researching these novels is a ton of fun—and also a lot of work. Thankfully, I have fellow researchers who enjoy joining me as I ferret around in the dark, dusty corners of our history. Thanks to (in alphabetical order): Michael Carr, Matthew Cilento, Richard Lynch and James Vieira. For insights into Cuba and the changing political climate, thanks to Jay Goober and Amy Halpern Degen. I am grateful to you all.
I also want to thank my team of readers, those who trudged their way through early versions of the story and offered helpful, insightful comments (listed chronologically): Michael Carr, Debra Scott, Spencer Brody, Matthew Cilento, Jeanne Scott, Paul McNamee, Renee Brody and Richard Scott.
For other authors out there looking to navigate their way through the publishing process, I can’t speak highly enough about Amy Collins and her team at New Shelves Distribution—real pros who know the business and are a pleasure to work with.
Lastly, to my wife, Kim: Thanks for your unending patience and support. To the extent any of my novels is a success, it is because of your keen eye and wise counsel.
From the Bestselling Author of Cabal of the Westford Knight
“Brody does a terrific job of wrapping his research in a fast-paced thrill ride.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A mysterious race of North American giants
An ancient Hebrew inscription in a Cherokee burial mound
A blood oath made by blindfolded Freemasons
Are these three historical oddities the reason the CIA is trying to brainwash historian Cameron Thorne and his fiancée Amanda Spencer-Gunn? The answer lies buried in the legends of the Knights Templar, within the rituals of the secretive Freemasons and, most significantly of all, inside the bowels of the Smithsonian Institution. The problem for Cam and Amanda? If they go rummaging around the Smithsonian, they may find themselves buried alongside the ancient giants.
Bestselling fiction writer David S. Brody is a graduate of Tufts University and Georgetown Law School. He is an avid researcher in the subject of pre-Columbian exploration of America who has appeared as a guest expert on documentaries airing on History Channel, Travel Channel and Discovery Channel. This is his seventh novel.
www.davidbrodybooks.com
The Oath of Nimrod: Giants, MK-Ultra and the Smithsonian Coverup (Book #4 in Templars in America Series) Page 29
