A Book of the Beginnings Vol 1 with an Introduction by Charles Finch

by Gerald Massey, Chalres S. Finch (Introduction)

Gerald Massey's work has become essential for readers seeking a balanced understanding of human origins, religious thought and belief, and the role of Africa in world history. Massey, born in England (1828-1907), was at once a poet, Shakespearean scholar, mythographer and radical Egyptologist, who maintained ath AFrican was the source fro "the greatest civilization in the world." According to massey, "all evidence cries aloud its proclamation that Africa was the birthplace of the nonarticulate and Egypt the mouthpiece of articulate man."


A Book of the Beginnings (in two volumes) was first published in 1881 in a limited edition, introduced the public to the author's extensive research that transcended conventional opinions of race supremacy.

In Volume one, Massey focuses on "Egyptian origines in the British Isles." The implications of Massey's research,which extend far beyond the British Isles, are unveiled systematically through comparative linguistics, symbolism, and mythology.

In Volume two, Massey explores the African/Egyptian roots of the Hebrews, the Akkado-Assyrians, and Maori. By linking these diverse cultures and their origins to their African roots, Massey demonstrates not only the extent of African influence, but its permanence, as well.

To accompany A Book of the Beginnings, and update h is findings, Massey published two additional double-volume works, A Natural Genesis in 1883 and Ancient Egypt the Light of the World in 1907. Both titles are also available from Black Classic Press in print and e-book version.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Africa, Egypt

834 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Gerald Massey was an English poet and writer on Spiritualism and Ancient Egypt.
Although now largely overlooked, during the mid-Victorian era Massey was considered a significant poet, both in Britain, where he achieved the distinction of being awarded a civil list pension, and in North America, where he was published widely in both books and periodicals.
He wrote poetry which was favorably noticed by established poets such as Browning and Tennyson.
He was born in abject poverty in England and earned a living by working in a factory from the age of eight. He was almost entirely self-taught; yet, he was able to write and lecture about several subjects with tremendous erudition and authority. Despite his lack of formal education, Massey could read several languages.
In his later years he published four large volumes in which he tried to trace the origin of language, symbols, myths, and religions. The work was reminiscent of Godfrey Higgins (1772-1833). His final product was not well received during his lifetime, the idea of Africa as the birthplace of mankind being quite unacceptable in Victorian England. Thus A Book of the Beginnings (1881) and his other texts were largely ignored or ridiculed until later archaeological discoveries provided more solid evidence in support of Massey's themes.

Reviews

[Caligari · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is incredible actualy. Facts and history and everything else be damned - we only concentrate on... language. Well, probably because providing an actual historic context would destroy like 98% of whatever is written here. DId you know that Egypt was the Alpha of everything? We know this because words. And that's it. And some traditions here and there. The whole book follows the same pattern. I'll give you an example of author's "logic". On page 342 he states: "Salt (Sart) in Egyptian is the name of wisdom and science, and the word has the sense of sowing, planting, distributing, augmenting, and extending, which was no doubt typified by the “Salt ” as moneymeans.
Salt is still a recognized emblem of learning and wisdom."

Now, in my country there's a well nation-wide known lake called Sartai which would stand in this case for plural of salt. The whole lake (and some others surrounding it) has some very old astronomy related legends associated with it that go back to remote antiquity and is also shaped like a tree with a lot of branches. Several "pre-historic" burial mounds and objects were found not far away from it so who's to say my country wasn't somehow aligned with ancient Egypt since we are told by afrocentrists that the concept of the tree of life is Khemetic? That doesn't make any sense and one would need to look at historic ties even if it somehow did, you say? Well, we can only concentrate on symbols and words just like the author does and since this book is so highly rated, apparently this is enough.

I'll let you in on another secret: did you know that the word anal actualy means sky god? Let's take, for example, word denoting a chief sumerian deity An (because I chose to believe Sumer is the cradle of civilisation) which also means sky for the most part. And El (god) became just Al in time in some parts of present day Mesopotamia so there you go.

I haven't read Vol. II and maybe he does a better job there (honestly, don't think so) but whatever the case may be, you don't present your findings this way. I legit wanted to look into afrocentrism and "black hebrew" theories and I spent quite some time studying history related to this subject because I suspected a lot of falcifications coming from the opposing side that just wouldn't wanna give up their established position. Boy how wrong I was. You only need a rudimentary knowledge in this area and half the "arguments" fall apart already. It's the same like [current] jews calling europeans Amalek and Esau when both OT and NT show themselves being Edom. Even Encyclopedia Judaica says the current jews are Idumeans and Khazarians.

This is what I call "newspaper scholarship" - its episodic, even though structured, still disjointed and at the end becomes even more random.