File:Georgia Guidestones 04.jpg
The inscriptions on the Guidestones are meant for current and future generations. Sandblasted along the square capstone sitting atop the structure is the basic message: "Let these be guidestones to an age of reason," in Babylonian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphics, Sanskrit, and classical Greek. The four granite slabs, each weighing 42,137 pounds and standing more than sixteen feet in height, list ten "guides" for mankind in eight different languages. The languages represented on the four major stones are Arabic, Chinese, English, Hebrew, Hindi, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili. The engraved messages can be subdivided into four major areas: governance and the establishment of a world government, population and reproduction control, the environment and humankind's relationship to nature, and spirituality. While some of the "guides" are self-explanatory, others are open to discussion and interpretation. The rich variety of interpretations evoked by the Guidestones has likewise caused much controversy and debate to swirl around the hidden or intended meanings of the messages. According to the Guidestones, the following ten principles are offered to ensure humankind's future survival: 1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature. 2. Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity. 3. Unite humanity with a living new language. 4. Rule Passion — Faith — Tradition — and all things with tempered reason. 5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts. 6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court. 7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials. 8. Balance personal rights with social duties. 9. Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite. 10. Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.
Originally written by Clay Ouzts, Gainesville College, 04/15/2005 Last edited by NGE Staff on 01/16/2014 http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/georgia-guidestones
Licensing
- You are free:
- to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
- to remix – to adapt the work
- Under the following conditions:
- attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.
This image was uploaded as part of Wikipedia Summer of Monuments.
|