Jason Colavito Books

Exploring the roots of modern ancient astronaut theories, this book delves into the influence of the nineteenth-century Theosophical movement, which blended Spiritualism and Eastern religions. It highlights early writings from prominent Theosophists who posited that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth, shaping ancient civilizations and religions. Key texts include W. Scott-Elliot's "The Lost Lemuria" and H. P. Blavatsky's "Stanzas of Dzyan," providing insight into how these early ideas laid the groundwork for contemporary alternative history narratives.

Exploring encounters with lunar beings, this collection features tales from various cultures, including ancient Greece, medieval Japan, early modern Britain, and nineteenth-century America. Each story reflects the unique hopes and fears of its time, offering a glimpse into how different societies envisioned the moon and its inhabitants. The narratives blend adventure with deeper themes, showcasing the enduring fascination with the celestial and the human experience projected onto the moon.

Exploring the intersection of myth and reality, this collection of essays delves into the cult of an octopus-headed deity in the Pacific, mirroring the fictional Cthulhu created by H. P. Lovecraft. It reveals how a real religion in Samoa, featuring a war god associated with an octopus and a stone palace, shares striking similarities with Lovecraft's narrative. The essays examine the cult's rituals, beliefs, and the concept of resurrection, highlighting the profound connections between Lovecraft's imagination and actual Pacific traditions.

Could the Great Pyramid of Giza be a repository of ancient magical knowledge? Or perhaps evidence of a vanished pre-Ice Age civilization? Misinformation and myths have attached themselves to the Egyptian pyramids since ancient Greece and Rome. While many Americans believe that the pyramids were built by aliens, archaeologists understand that the Giza pyramids were built by the pharaohs of the fourth dynasty, around 2450 BCE. So why is there such a disconnect between scholarly opinion and the popular view of Egypt? In The Legends of the Pyramids, Jason Colavito takes us back to Late Antique Egypt, where the replacement of polytheism with Christianity gave rise to local efforts to rewrite the stories of Egyptian history in the image of the Bible. When the Arab conquest absorbed Egypt into the Islamic ummah, these stories then passed into Islamic historiography and reentered the West. Colavito's The Legends of the Pyramids lays open pop culture's view of Egypt in movies, TV shows, popular books, and New Age beliefs, detailing how the "hidden" history of Egypt has grown alongside the official history of archaeology and Egyptology.

The 1876 revised edition of Cory's Ancient Fragments serves as a vital collection of Greco-Roman records detailing the history and literature of the ancient Near East. This edition enhances the original by updating references and reintroducing selected fragments that were omitted in the 1876 version but present in the 1832 edition, providing a more comprehensive view of ancient texts.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, constructed by Pharaoh Khufu around 2580-2560 BCE, has captivated ancient astronaut theorists and alternative historians more than any other ancient structure. Its enigmatic nature has inspired countless theories, prompting archaeologists to refer to fringe investigators as "pyramidiots." The extensive literature surrounding the pyramid rivals that of the Bible, highlighting its significant impact on both historical discourse and popular imagination.

Exploring the intriguing question of extraterrestrial visits to Earth in ancient times, this book critically examines the claims made by the "ancient astronaut theorists" featured in the popular series Ancient Aliens. By weighing the evidence presented, it seeks to determine the validity of these theories and whether they hold any truth or are merely fanciful notions. The analysis promises to provide a thorough investigation into the intersection of history, archaeology, and speculative ideas about alien encounters.

Exploring a historical conspiracy in nineteenth-century America, the book reveals how influential figures fabricated a false narrative about the origins of Native American burial mounds to support a white-supremacist agenda under the guise of patriotism. This effort to redefine history significantly influenced the ideology of Manifest Destiny, illustrating the intersection of race, myth, and nationalism. It provides a critical examination of how these myths shaped societal beliefs and the consequences of distorting history for ideological purposes.

Exploring the origins of the belief in ancient astronauts, this book delves into the influence of horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his impact on pop culture and pseudoscience over fifty years. It examines key figures like Erich von Däniken, Graham Hancock, and Zecharia Sitchin, revealing their connections and the surprising developments in this realm. The narrative highlights the consequences of Lovecraft's ideas, shedding light on how they have shaped modern perceptions of history and science.