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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

A Modern Mystery

By Brian Mariani 

Coral Castle
(http://strawville.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/four-feats-of-architecture-for-love/)

We love mysteries. We can’t help it! God created man with the desire to learn and explore and discover His beautiful creation. Satan sometimes uses this characteristic of man to tempt us. Just like he offered knowledge to Eve in the Garden, sometimes our desire to “know” can lead us away from God instead of toward Him. However this doesn’t mean it is a sin to investigate mysteries, but we should always be wary of our motivations.

Mysteries tempt us with their intrigue and unanswered questions; they entice us with their secrets. That’s one reason why we are so fascinated with ancient man – there seem to be more questions than answers about the ancient past and we want to figure them out! But not all mysteries are ancient. Join us as we investigate the Coral Castle – an enigmatic site built not long ago, right here in the United States.

Coral Castle is an interesting and mysterious site built by Edward Leedskalnin. This small limestone-block castle was originally constructed near Florida City, Florida before being moved about 10 miles to its current location in Homestead. Leedskalnin was a Latvian immigrant and started work on the castle in 1923.

Leedskalnin at his Coral Castle
(http://www.theamazingtouch.com/the_wisdom_of_rock_gate_park_written_story)

In total, the Coral Castle contains a little over 1,000 tons of rough coral rock that was quarried, sculpted, and moved into place. Supposedly Leedskalnin built the entire structure by himself. Many find this unbelievable because he was only about 5 feet tall and 100 pounds with only a 4th grade education. Despite this, he was highly capable in science and math – evidenced in his stone formations, devices, and the tools he constructed.  Among these are a sophisticated calendar stone and a homemade AC current generator he built. Only simple hand-made tools and junkyard scraps were used to create these impressive achievements. He continued his life’s work for 28 years until he died in 1951.

Astonishing Stone Structures

  • Leedskalnin created a working sundial and yearly calendar where the shadow on the stone indicates the month and the approximate time of day.
  • The walls of the castle are built with very large stones, the largest weighing in at 29 tons!
  • He aligned holes in a couple of stones that were about 20 feet apart. One of the two stones stands 20 feet tall and weighs approximately 28 tons! When aligned, the holes in the two stones point directly at the North Star, Polaris!
  • One of his most remarkable accomplishments is a 9-ton stone gate that was perfectly balanced and able to rotate on a center pivot (an iron shaft and an old truck bearing) with the touch of a finger. After needed repairs were performed in 1986, the gate now requires much more force to turn than it did originally, though a single individual can still move it. To repair the gate it took a remarkable amount of effort from a team of six men using modern techniques including a crane.
  • There is another revolving gate that weighs 3 tons that can be easily spun.
  • There are many intricately fashioned stone pieces, even stones carved into rocking chairs, beds, a Florida-shaped table, a heart table, and representations of the Moon, Saturn and Mars. [i]

How did he do it?                  

One of the most curious aspects of Coral Castle is that no one knows how Leedskalnin was able to move those large stones into place. He was always cautious of people watching him, and even had lookouts built into his castle. He is said to have done most of his work at night by lantern. When asked about how he built it, “Ed would only reply that he understood the laws of weight and leverage well.”[ii]


Nine ton Revolving Gate
Wikimedia Commons
Leedskalin also claimed: “I have discovered the secrets of the pyramids, and have found out how the Egyptians and the ancient builders in Peru, Yucatan, and Asia, with only primitive tools, raised and set in place blocks of stone weighing many tons!”[iii]

So what does that mean? The theories abound.

Mystical Powers?


Some researchers suggest that he was using mystical powers to levitate blocks into place, maybe by some undiscovered scientific concepts involving harmonics, acoustics, or combined elements of electricity and magnetism. Edward Leedskalnin did actually write a few short pamphlets where he discusses concepts of electricity and magnetism, but he seems to have an outdated and poor understanding of those concepts. Jon De’Pew also claims to have found a hidden clue in Leedskalnin’s pamphlet “Magnetic Current.”  He asserts that Leedskalnin used principles of “Sacred Geometry” (designs which are often associated with symbolic or religious power) to manipulate and move blocks.

Leverage?                 


Other researchers such as Wallace T. Wallington, a retired carpenter and stone worker, think that they know the true secret. Wallington uses very simple methods to show how it is possible to move and raise stones using techniques of leverage combined with simple tools, stones, and wood. He is even working on creating his own replica of Stonehenge without modern techniques. This, however, still may not explain how huge obelisks and other structures were erected.             
    

Concrete?


There are also some researchers that hold to the possibility that Edward Leedskalnin simply created a sort of man-made coral stone (like concrete). After all, coral stone is rich with calcium carbonate, which is a very common ingredient in typical concrete mixes. Then he would simply have to build wooden forms for his stones and pour them all in place.

Living Quarters
Wikimedia Commons

Researcher Jim Solley makes a strong case for this possibility in his article “On Proving Ancient Megalith Construction.” He describes how the available tools we think Leedskalnin used match up to this technique. Solley also describes the physical limitations of moving such large stones, and he points out that there appear to be no tool marks on many of the stones. He goes into detail in describing how the cementation process is much more feasible for creating the 9 ton balanced revolving gate.[iv] In fact, Professor Joseph Davidovits of the Geopolymer Institute claims that the secret of the pyramid builders is also this same cementation process, involving mixing and pouring instead of cutting, lugging, and placing the large stones.[v]

Building a Modern Mystery


Coral Castle has become a modern enigma much like the ancient structures that continue to puzzle scientists and researchers. It is a great example of the amazing capabilities that God has given man, to create, build, and discover. Edward Leedskalnin was an interesting, eccentric man, but he was also intelligent, and so were the ancient builders of the ruins that still survive today.[vi]  

(http://www.ascensionearth2012.org/2012/11/coral-castle-secrets-of-anti-gravity.html)
Why did Leedskalnin build his mysterious castle? Was it just a hobby? Was he trying to prove a point? Was it to get the attention of his runaway bride as some researchers believe? Whatever the reason, he built a modern mystery that may never be solved, just like many of those unexplainable ancient sites.

An Answered Mystery!


But while our world remains inundated with mystery and secrets that may plague us for life, there greatest mystery of all has been made known!

Ephesians 3:4-6 “When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

The mystery is Christ’s sacrifice, sufficient for ALL men, The mystery of the Gospel is more profound and important than any other mystery. It is the good news that Jesus Christ took on our sin and saved us from the severe punishment we deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 6:23). It is the good news that salvation is only by God’s grace, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is the good news that all we must do is respond to how God has changed our hearts, and repent and trust in Christ (Romans 10:9). This is a mystery worth knowing! Praise God for the revelation of His grace!



Read about some more mysteries!





[i] William Stansfield, The Enigma of Coral Castle, Skeptic- Vol. 12, Number 2, http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_modernmegalithsus02a.htm, accessed March 7, 2014.
[ii] “Who’s Ed?” Coral Castle Museum, 2011, accessed June 28, 2011, http://coralcastle.com/whos-ed/.
[iii] Vincent J. Daczynski, The Mystery of Edward Leedskalnin – Coral Castle, Chapter 10 of “Amazing AbilitiesTM, Paranormal Phenomenon, Amazing Human AbilitiesTM, http://www.amazingabilities.com/amaze10a.html, accessed March 7, 2014.
[iv] Jim Solley, “On Proving Ancient Megalith Construction,” accessed June 29, 2011, http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_megalithconstruction.htm.
[v] Joseph Davidovits, Why the Pharaohs built The Pyramids with fake stones, (Saint-Quentin, France: Geopolymer Institute, Jan 1, 2009), accessed June 29, 2011, http://www.geopolymer.org/archaeology/pyramids/book-why-the-pharaohs-built-the-pyramids-with-fake-stones.
[vi] Wallace T. Wallington, “The Forgotten Technology,” accessed June 29, 2011, http://www.theforgottentechnology.com/.
Edward Leedskalnin, A Book in Every Home, (Homestead, Florida: Published by Edward Leedskalnin, 1936).
Rusty McClure and Jack Heffron, Coral Castle, (Dublin, OH: Ternary Publishing, 2009).
Edward Leedskalnin, Magnetic Current, (Homestead, FL: Published by Edward Leedskalnin, August 1945).
“Coral Castle of Ed Leedskalnin,” accessed June 29, 2011, http://www.world-mysteries.com/coralcastle.htm.
Jon De’Pew, “Coral Castle Code Broken,” copyrighted 2005, accessed June 29, 2011, http://www.world-mysteries.com/coralcastle.htm and www.coralcastlecode.com.
Ray N. Stoner, The Enigma of Coral Castle, Published by the Bradford Institute of Ultra Science.
Orval M. Irwin, Mr. Can’t is Dead!: The Story of Coral Castle, Copyrighted 1996.

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