Doomsday 2012

The Maya Calendar and the History of the End of the World

Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book Doomsday 2012 by Catherine Zuckerman, National Geographic Society
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Catherine Zuckerman ISBN: 9781426210068
Publisher: National Geographic Society Publication: July 3, 2012
Imprint: National Geographic Language: English
Author: Catherine Zuckerman
ISBN: 9781426210068
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Publication: July 3, 2012
Imprint: National Geographic
Language: English

The Maya calendar started on August 11, 3114 BCE (corresponding date in the proleptic Gregorian calendar) and will end on December 21 2012. Will it be Armageddon or just another day? The believers are making survival preparations and turning to religious leaders for guidance and solace. Follow National Geographic through the maze of doomsday prophets, cult leaders, and international and historic end times teachings to understand the science behind the Maya calendar and the phenomenon of Armageddon predictions.
 
Scientists and historians know that end-of-days thinking has occurred throughout time around the world. Norse mythology predicted the world would be submerged in water; ancient Greeks believed that Zeus’s defeat by his son would be the grand finale. In  A.D. 79, Romans thought Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in Pompeii was the start of the apocalypse. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts all include some writing about end times. The year 1666—feared by many Christians—proved itself to be the year of the Beast when the Great Fire of London visited God’s wrath (as widely believed) on the British. Hailey’s Comet drove Europeans and Americans into apocalyptic fits in 1910.
 
Individual charismatic figures have led thousands in unfulfilled Armageddon watches. For example, in 1843, spiritual leader William Miller’s doomsday prediction failed (The Great Disappointment), but led followers to establish the Seventh Day Adventists. The Jehovah’s Witnesses awaited the world’s end in 1914. Preacher Jim Jones led hundreds of cult members to commit suicide in Ghana in the 1970s. Pat Robertson was certain Jesus was returning for the Rapture in the 1980s. The leader of the cult Heaven’s Gate convinced 39 followers to commit suicide to escape imminent destruction in 1997. And there’s no sign of a slow down. In fact, the Internet has spawned a plethora of doomsday cult leaders, from Y2K hysterics to the most recent religious figure Harold Camping, whose rapture predictions of 2011 left his followers earth-bound.

National Geographic debunks the myth and illuminates the fascinating realities of the Maya calendar, the 2012 phenomenon, and Armageddon prophecies through the ages.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Maya calendar started on August 11, 3114 BCE (corresponding date in the proleptic Gregorian calendar) and will end on December 21 2012. Will it be Armageddon or just another day? The believers are making survival preparations and turning to religious leaders for guidance and solace. Follow National Geographic through the maze of doomsday prophets, cult leaders, and international and historic end times teachings to understand the science behind the Maya calendar and the phenomenon of Armageddon predictions.
 
Scientists and historians know that end-of-days thinking has occurred throughout time around the world. Norse mythology predicted the world would be submerged in water; ancient Greeks believed that Zeus’s defeat by his son would be the grand finale. In  A.D. 79, Romans thought Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in Pompeii was the start of the apocalypse. Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts all include some writing about end times. The year 1666—feared by many Christians—proved itself to be the year of the Beast when the Great Fire of London visited God’s wrath (as widely believed) on the British. Hailey’s Comet drove Europeans and Americans into apocalyptic fits in 1910.
 
Individual charismatic figures have led thousands in unfulfilled Armageddon watches. For example, in 1843, spiritual leader William Miller’s doomsday prediction failed (The Great Disappointment), but led followers to establish the Seventh Day Adventists. The Jehovah’s Witnesses awaited the world’s end in 1914. Preacher Jim Jones led hundreds of cult members to commit suicide in Ghana in the 1970s. Pat Robertson was certain Jesus was returning for the Rapture in the 1980s. The leader of the cult Heaven’s Gate convinced 39 followers to commit suicide to escape imminent destruction in 1997. And there’s no sign of a slow down. In fact, the Internet has spawned a plethora of doomsday cult leaders, from Y2K hysterics to the most recent religious figure Harold Camping, whose rapture predictions of 2011 left his followers earth-bound.

National Geographic debunks the myth and illuminates the fascinating realities of the Maya calendar, the 2012 phenomenon, and Armageddon prophecies through the ages.

More books from National Geographic Society

Cover of the book Ghosts of Tsavo by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States, 8th Edition by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Los Volcanes (L2) by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Kids Chapters: Together Forever by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Los Delfines (Dolphins) by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Harriet Tubman (L2) by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Kids Chapters: The Whale Who Won Hearts by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Los Animales Mas Mortales (Deadliest Animals) by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book Angry Birds Playground: Dinosaurs by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book Barcelona The Great Enchantress by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic London Book of Lists by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book Explore My World Clouds by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book Zeus the Mighty by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book How to Ace the National Geographic Bee, Official Study Guide, Fifth Edition by Catherine Zuckerman
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Gallop! 100 Fun Facts About Horses by Catherine Zuckerman
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy