Maya Apolcalypse is the record of fieldwork that, as often happens, ended up quite differently from the way it was originally planned. In conducting a research project about speaking in tongues (glossolalia), Felicitas Goodman recorded this non-ordinary behavior among English- and Spanish-speaking members of Pentecostal congregations. A Mexican Apostolic Pentecostoal minister introduced Goodman to the preacher in a Maya village in Yucatan. The congregation she came to know in 1969 experienced a 'crisis cult' in response to a prediction of the end of the world, which was to take place on September 1, 1970. Goodman subsequently spent a part of every year until 1986 with the women of the congregation. Maya Apocalypse is a record of that fieldwork, which eventually covered not only the events in the temple, both ordinary and extraordinary, but also the lives of the women who acted as informants, especially Doña Eus, to whom this work is affectionately dedicated.

This fascinating history explores the cultural roots of our civilization’s obsession with the end of the world. Busting the myth of the ancient Maya prediction that time would end in 2012, Matthew Restall and Amara Solari build on their previous book, 2012 and the End of the World, to use the Maya case to connect such seemingly disparate historical events as medieval European millenarianism, Moctezuma’s welcome to Cortés, Franciscan missionizing in Mexico, prophetic traditions in Yucatan, and the growing belief today in conspiracies and apocalypses. In demystifying the 2012 phenomenon, the authors draw on their decades of scholarship to provide an accessible and engaging explanation of what Mayas and Aztecs really believed, how Judeo-Christian apocalypticism became part of the Indigenous Mesoamerican and modern American worlds, and why millions continue to anticipate an imminent Doomsday.

Did the Maya really predict that the world would end in December of 2012? If not, how and why has 2012 millenarianism gained such popular appeal? In this deeply knowledgeable book, two leading historians of the Maya answer these questions in a succinct, readable, and accessible style. Matthew Restall and Amara Solari introduce, explain, and ultimately demystify the 2012 phenomenon. They begin by briefly examining the evidence for the prediction of the world's end in ancient Maya texts and images, analyzing precisely what Maya priests did and did not prophesize. The authors then convincingly show how 2012 millenarianism has roots far in time and place from Maya cultural traditions, but in those of medieval and Early Modern Western Europe. Revelatory any myth-busting, while remaining firmly grounded in historical fact, this fascinating book will be essential reading as the countdown to December 21, 2012, begins.

"For the past fifty years the Speaking Cross has rested in a shrine not far from Cancun. Now, it's been stolen by conspirators planning a catastrophic revellion to coincide with the year 2012. Their bloody trail leads Detective Nelson Cocom and two lovely American anthropologists deep into the jungles of Southern Mexico. Along the way they encounter deep caves, murder, shamans, ancient battle chiefs, and madmen."--P. [4] of cover.

Mayan prophecies have been the subject of heated debate for decades. Is there really a Mayan calendar 2012 prophecy of any kind? Although some in the media and government would have you believe otherwise, a very specific prophecy is factually documented in Mayan carvings. Author James Burton Anderson is a graduate engineer, life-long dedicated astronomer, archeologist, and fifty-year MENSA member. He has studied the Mayan calendar and its possible apocalyptic implications for over fifteen years, and believes that knowledge is power. James wants as many Americans as possible to understand exactly what all the fuss is about, and what dangers might actually occur. Only in this way can individuals make up their own minds whether this matter is worthy of very great concern or should simply be ignored. Is an apocalypse based on the Mayan calendar end of world scenario remotely possible? This unique up-to-the-minute book explores the basis of the worldwide concern over the coming Mayan calendar 2012 prophecies date, which is almost upon us. In May, Reuters reported a study showing that worldwide 10% of adult individuals believe the Mayan prophecy could signify the end of the world in December 2012. In America a startling 22% believe they will see the world end in their lifetime. Many very credible scientists and others are deeply concerned about survival. Anderson shares his startling findings on why this special Mayan calendar prophecy date might actually have more validity than governments will ever reveal. He is convinced that we are, in fact, in very urgent and present danger. He explores in helpful detail what we are not being told and why, and comes to some important conclusions. Are we actually in imminent danger? The many different "Mayan prophecies 2012 'End of the World' December 21" scenarios are explored in great detail, along with timely useful advice on the steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones. Whether or not the Mayan prophecy theories are valid, it is irrefutable that the Maya prophecy of their God's return is deeply rooted in their beliefs. Mayan prophecies may or may not come true on December 21, but making preparations for the inevitable coming disasters that will make hurricane Sandy seem like a spring shower simply makes common sense to many concerned scientists.

Does the end of the Mayan Calendar start the countdown to Judgment Day? Biblical and historical researcher David Montaigne concludes that this is the case. He says that the end of the Mayan Long Count is the official start of the Bible’s seven-year tribulation-both were focused on the same astronomical events that occur from 2012 to 2019. The world as we know it will be gone by 2020. Texts from ancient India tell us about great cycles of destruction. The Egyptians told the same basic story with different names. The Maya reveal another version of the story, and were very clear about the timing of events from December 2012 to 2019. Your average American is no expert on these cultures, but most people do have a Bible at home-and the clearest details on what is about to happen can be found in the Bible, if you don't let someone else tell you which parts you should focus on. No, this isn't what you were taught in Sunday school. Religious leaders guide us between the raindrops of curious comments in the Bible. We are discouraged from focusing on the parts they say we weren't meant to understand. But if we stop glossing over these important passages we will understand a flood of details about the End Times. Our “leaders” are not ignorant of these events. The elite already know what is about to happen and they have made preparations most rational people would not believe, because evidence is suppressed to avoid chaos. They want us to remain ignorant, or at least to believe that the details are secrets that cannot be known. But the coming events (and their timing) are not secrets. Years ago, this book's publication would not have been tolerated by those in power. But by now it doesn't matter much-their plans are not going to be interfered with at this point. Your plans, however, can still be formulated, if you make the choice to understand. Topics include: Bible Prophecy; Matthew 24:36- Knowing the hour and the day; The Mayan Calendar and Mythology; Pole Shifts; Galactic Superwaves; Ancient Egypt; Ancient India; World Mythology; The Georgia Guidestones; The real Star of Bethlehem and the exact birthday of Christ; Calculating the Second Coming, and Judgment Day; more.

The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.

A dazzling look at Mayan mythology incarnate from New York Times bestselling author Steve Alten.

The Maya forged one of the greatest societies in the history of the ancient Americas and in all of human history. Long before contact with Europeans, Maya communities built spectacular cities with large, well-fed large populations. They mastered the visual arts, and developed a sophisticated writing system that recorded extraordinary knowledge in calendrics, mathematics, and astronomy. The Maya achieved all this without area-wide centralized control. There was never a single, unified Maya state or empire, but always numerous, evolving ethnic groups speaking dozens of distinct Mayan languages. The people we call "Maya" never thought of themselves as such; yet something definable, unique, and endlessly fascinating - what we call Maya culture - has clearly existed for millennia. So what was their self-identity and how did Maya civilization come to be "invented?" With the Maya historically subdivided and misunderstood in so many ways, the pursuit of what made them "the Maya" is all the more important. In this Very Short Introduction, Restall and Solari explore the themes of Maya identity, city-state political culture, art and architecture, the Maya concept of the cosmos, and the Maya experience of contact with including invasion by outsiders. Despite its brevity, this book is unique for its treatment of all periods of Maya civilization, from its origins to the present.