2) The description of the Pharos Lighthouse, its size and the many marvelous elements inside, such as the automaton statues and the great mirror, come mainly from Hermann Thierschs’ 1909 work, The Pharos Lighthouse, which he researched from a host of early Roman and Arab sources. The architect, Sostratus, cleverly signed his name upon this monument as described here.
3) There is an historic landmark lighthouse at Sodus Bay in Upstate New York. It was completed in 1871 and served as the residence for its keepers for the next eighty years. It’s now run as a maritime museum, chock full of history. I, of course, took certain liberties with the layout and its current fictional use.
4) A project incorporating parapsychology and archaeology took place in Alexandria in 1979. It was led by the Mobius Group, which utilized remote viewing to locate Cleopatra’s palace and Alexander’s tomb, among other lost sites. The fascinating story can be read in Stephen A. Schwartz’s The Alexandria Project.
5) The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum ironically kept intact one of the largest collection of ancient scrolls — those owned by the father-in-law of Julius Caesar. Brigham Young University has been working with the Biblioteca Nazionale in Naples since 1999, applying NASA-developed imaging techniques to read the scrolls. The involvement of Count Cagliostro and his connection to the real 14th-century Rimini Church of San Francesco are my own creation.
6) The three theories on the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria are the prevailing, most logical conclusions, although there have been ardent proponents of one over the other. Modern consensus is as I have presented here.
7) The CIA led many investigations into parapsychology, hoping to gain an edge in national defense during the Cold War, and these programs have now been declassified. The Stargate Program was the best known, operating for twenty-four years, using the skills of early RV founders like Ingo Swann. Its proponents claim many successes, including viewing the location of downed pilots, predicting the rings of Jupiter before Voyager confirmed them, and scrying Russian nuclear facilities. Other information on remote viewing, including classes and lectures, can be obtained from the PsiTech organization at: www.remoteviewing.com and from Ingo Swann’s website: www.biomindsuperpowers.com/Pages/1.html.
8) The Emerald Tablet is part of a collection attributed to the Egyptian god Thoth (Greek Hermes, Roman Mercury). A selection of these writings that survived were assembled in the Middle Ages and compiled into The Hermetic Arcanum. These and other books were largely deemed heretical and banned, but formed the basis for the elements of alchemy and the foundation of many secret societies such as the Freemasons and the Rosicrucians. There are many great resources concerning the study of alchemy, including The Emerald Tablet by Dennis William Hauck (Penguin, 1999).
9) The Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini, Italy, does indeed have mystery to go along with its storied past. The I-and-S combination on many sculptures have puzzled scholars and philosophers alike throughout the years.
10) The new library at Alexandria (The Bibliotheca Alexandrina) was completed in 2002, and its precautions and construction are much as I’ve described here, designed to protect the world’s wisdom against all catastrophes (at least natural ones…).
11) French and Egyptian officials are planning a new monument to take the place of the Pharos Lighthouse. Located about 150 meters from the coast of Alexandria, this new lighthouse will be designed by The National Center of Art and Technology in Reims, France. Designed in the form of an obelisk, this new lighthouse will measure 145 meters in height, 9 meters square at the base, and 6 meters at the top. The entire structure will be covered with glass and will reflect sunlight over the coast of this ancient city.