Worcester Historical Museum: Lieut. Willie Grout. 15th Massachusetts. Civil War. by Travis Simpkins

Lieut. Willie Grout (1843-1861). Worcester Historical Museum. by Travis Simpkins

Sketch of a Bust of

Lieutenant John William Grout

Willie Grout

1843 - 1861

Civil War Hero

Union 15th Massachusetts

Killed at the Battle of Ball's Bluff

October 21, 1861

Inspiration for "The Vacant Chair"

by Henry S. Washburn

Collection of the Worcester Historical Museum

by Travis Simpkins

Bust Sculpted by Andrew O'Connor, Sr. (1846-1924)

Lieut. John William Grout - The Vacant Chair

For more info, please visit:

worcesterhistory.org

Willie Grout. by Travis Simpkins. Civil War Uniform. Worcester Historical Museum

Last Call: Candlelight Tours of Salisbury Mansion. Worcester Historical Museum. Art by Travis Simpkins

Salisbury Mansion. Home for the Holidays. Worcester Historical Museum. Travis Simpkins

     Tonight and tomorrow evening are the last two chances to experience a Candlelight Tour of the 243-year-old Salisbury Mansion. The "Home for the Holidays" program has been a heartwarming success, setting new attendance records every night it has been open. I'm honored to be involved, have my art displayed in the museum and to work alongside the kind folks at the Worcester Historical Museum during this event. Harold Albert did a tremendous job of putting everything together. It has been wonderful to see the Worcester community join in the Christmas spirit, show appreciation for Art & History and support an important local cultural institution. Special thanks to all my friends and family that have come to visit over the past few weeks…

     Tonight, enjoy some 18th Century historical elegance and opulent Christmas decor… Candlelight Tours of the Salisbury Mansion are this evening, from 4:30 to 7:30pm, for the Worcester Historical Museum's "Home for the Holidays" program. Open Thursday and Friday evenings through December 18. (Regular daytime hours are Thurs - Sat, 1-4pm through December 31st). Salisbury Mansion is located at 40 Highland Street, Worcester, MA, 01609. Admission: $8 for adults. $5 for members and children under 18.

For more info, please visit:

worcesterhistory.org/home-for-holidays

Salisbury Mansion. Home for the Holidays. Worcester Historical Museum. Travis Simpkins

"The Sign and the Seal" by Graham Hancock

The Sign and the Seal

The Quest for the Lost Ark of the Covenant

by Graham Hancock

Touchstone, 1992

Brief Review by Travis Simpkins

     Years of research and dangerous travel serve to unravel the enduring 3,000 year old mystery of the fabled lost Ark of the Covenant (which disappeared from written record around 600 BC) in The Sign and the Seal, Graham Hancock's bestselling masterwork of historic reportage. The well-crafted book examines the plausibility of the claim that the Ark of the Covenant (the real Biblical-era golden artifact topped by Cherubim) resides inside a guarded sanctuary in the ancient city of Axum, Ethiopia. 
     Ethiopian legend, the Kebra Nagast, tells that the Queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian beauty who indeed traveled to meet with King Solomon in Jerusalem (as stated in the Bible). However, in addition to sharing thoughts, the two also shared Solomon's bed and the Queen of Sheba gave birth to Solomon's son, named Menelik, after returning to Ethiopia. When Menelik was 20, he went to Jerusalem to meet his famous father at his temple. Soon after, Menelik conspired to steal the Ark of the Covenant and bring it back to Ethiopia… where it has remained ever since. Hancock maintains that the fanciful tale was muddled a bit in it's facts, but like many legends, holds some elements of truth… with clues hidden in unlikely places, like the niches of Chartres Cathedral.
     Research shows that others in history have been intrigued about the possibility that the powerful Ark resides in Axum. The presence of the Knights Templar, who derive their name from King Solomon's temple (which was built for the sole purpose of housing the Ark), is rumored to be visible in the rock-hewn churches of Ethiopia. Legend states that red-haired white angels built the complex edifices around the time of the Crusades. The Freemasons, the often rumored descendants of the Knights Templar, appear to have shown an interest as well (Masonic ritual centers around King Solomon's temple)… with Masonic nobleman James Bruce of Kinnaird mounting thorough expeditions of the area in the 18th Century.
     Much of Hancock's immersion resides with interviewing the people who live in the area in question. Ethiopia is home both to Christian sects as well as Hebrews. The Felashas, a group that practices Judaism straight out of the Old Testament, are likely the key to how the Ark came to be in Axum… removed from the temple in Jerusalem during the reign of Manasseh for safekeeping, and later brought to Ethiopia by way of centuries-long layovers in Egypt and mystical island lakes. The festival of Timkat, in which replicas of the Ark are paraded through the city by priests, provides an interesting spiritual context and contemporary cultural connection.
     The text also examines what the Ark really is. Of particular interest is the notion that the Ark was a manmade object, a "monstrous instrument." Constructed by Moses, who had been trained in all the magical Hermetic arts of Egypt as a young man (and was likely even a Kher Heb or "High Priest"), the atrocities that befell those who mishandled the Ark are reminiscent of exposure to radioactive material. The relic is made of near solid gold, a metal that is a strong conductor and is non-corrosive. The theory goes into much further detail…
     Graham Hancock began his fascinating quest to find the lost Ark of the Covenant shortly after the release of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark… and his writing style and enthusiasm make for a journalistic adventure on par with the film. His admirable work will surely be enjoyed by future generations as well as his present world-wide fan base. 

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Sanctuary of Ark of the Covenant - Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Graham Hancock: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Kebra Nagast: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Kebra Nagast: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Temple of King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Queen of Sheba Meets King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Chartres Cathedral: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Queen of Sheba and her Nubian Slave - Chartres Cathedral: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Nubian Slave: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Ark of the Covenant - Chartres Cathedral: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Temple Mount: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Temple of King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Temple of King Solomon: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Rock Hewn Church - Ethiopia. Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Rock Hewn Church - Ethiopia. Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Rock Hewn Church - Ethiopia. Knights Templar: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

James Bruce of Kinnaird. Freemason: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Bruce's Travels. by James Bruce of Kinnaird. Freemason: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Structure of Freemasonry: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Egyptian Masonic Temple: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Ark of the Covenant: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Ark - Tomb of King Tut: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Elephantine, Egypt: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Tana Kirkos, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Timkat with Tabots, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Timkat with Tabots, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Timkat with Tabots, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Moses: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Axum, Ethiopia: The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

The Sign and the Seal. Graham Hancock

Graham Hancock- The Ark of the Covenant