Five years ago, on the date of this posting, February 21st (2011), the competition for the Maranatha Puzzle ended. PDF’s with a short email were released. They informed those working towards the finding of the powerful ‘Key’ of the Maranatha Puzzle that the million-dollar prize would not be given as a reward if solved.
This circumstance did not sway those who were truly interested in learning what the hidden secret of the Puzzle was. Many puzzlers continued the search for the Word. They had realized the most important value of the hunt was not a monetary prize, but a prize of wisdom and understanding being gained during each person’s own journey.
I think it is obvious, since it is known this site’s creation was very much inspired by my involvement in the hunt, that I l fully enjoyed and loved the quest given in Maranatha. Even if an answer to the puzzle was confirmed found, a quest for knowledge would still continue; because as I say on this site’s home page, I don’t think the search within ourselves ever ends. I am sincerely thankful for the hunt encouraging such a journey.
For those reading, who may not be familiar with the hunt, a summary and various links for the puzzle can be read here: Maranatha- Et in Arcadia Ego. Basically, in 2005, a puzzle book was published that would reveal an actual and astounding Secret once solved. It was professed to be a Secret kept hidden through time because of its immense worth, and it was this ‘Key’ that was encoded within the book. The puzzle gave anyone the opportunity to rediscover this Truth himself.
The book’s creators claimed to have discovered the Truth themselves while researching the extraordinary enigmas surrounding Rennes le Chateau. The mystery of Rennes le Chateau involves numerous paths of question. It is clear something highly unusual was definitely going on with the Priest of the area in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The Priest, Berenger Sauniere, had spent incredible and unexplainable amounts of money. To this day, researchers still do not agree on how he came upon his wealth.
Tales of the Priest finding some type of lost treasure and then leaving clues to this treasure through curious renovations he made to his church are the most abounding. This belief was expanded upon by certain people in the mid 1900’s. During this time even stranger and more incredible circumstances involving the Priest, the area’s history, and known legends arose. This was led by Pierre Plantard who claimed to be Grand Master of the Secret Society of the Priory of Sion. It all is so wonderfully intriguing. You have to love it all because at the core of all the chaos there is a Truth, yet unknown and waiting to be revealed.
Nonetheless, whether or not any of the mystery of Rennes le Chateau can ever be confirmed is beside the point, because the challenge to find the answer to the puzzle remains. Sure, the answer is the alleged ‘Secret’, but to find it one doesn’t have to agree on all aspects of the mystery. It is a puzzle book which should have an answer. It is the answer to the puzzle which needs found. Once this answer is found, however, some will agree with it, and some may not; but a Truth is a Truth regardless of opinions.
The PDF’s which were provided at the conclusion of the competition were said to offer direction on how one might go about finding the ‘Key’. Searchers were hesitant in believing the authenticity of the PDF pages, though. They questioned if they gave actual intentions and accounts for the puzzle book’s contents and purposes. Because of the amount of controversy which surrounded the competition at the time, some wondered if seekers were truly supposed to realize the proposed PDF’s processes stated in the files. Questions of whether the creators of the puzzle were under pressure to keep the secret hidden prospered; were the PDF’s given to only appease.
Upon first reading, five years ago, I was suspicious of the PDF’s worth. Mainly because they didn’t completely mesh with how ‘I’ was working the puzzle. However, the passing of time has a way to calm passions of one owns perceived notions and offers the opportunity to look at things with a much clearer slate.
When I recently reread the PDF’s again, in a much more open state of mind, I do feel they are the path to the answer. Although I recognize the creator’s thoughts within may still be questioned by those with alternative theories for an answer, I, myself, find them a wonderful summary.
The process, described in stages, do allow a person to follow a path for the discovery and understanding of the hidden ‘Tree of Life’ within the overlay of the page’s symbols. This find cannot be debated. It is a definite discovery to be made within the puzzle. In my opinion, any answer for the puzzle must include an explanation for this sacred design that was revealed in the PDF. It is a solid recognition and the reason why it was concealed must hold importance.
The question is what importance might it hold?
The search for the Key continues and I feel it is a beautiful quest.
Best of luck with all that you Seek!
IMO you learn more form things that take time to acquire. If an arrowhead takes 5,000 years to make it to you then why should anything else be a hurry?
The best puzzles are those you gather pieces for over time IMO.
I agree with you, 23Kachinas. The most Prized Possessions and Priceless Knowledge are acquired through Great Faith and Great Sacrifice.
Unfortunately…speaking of myself…in order to learn/know something I also need constant repetition.
Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little…”
Thanks again, Jenny.
It is always refreshing to go back and take a look at the LRB after a long break. Things seem new, and new insight changes the perspective one may previously had held.
The book is widely comprehensive, and once one gets into it, an entire history of the esoteric, religious, and mythologic Western World opens up. It is amazing to trace so many things through so many sources and to try to put together a narrative that spans such a broad history.
But yet, this is the concern which I believe is troubling for many. Much in the same vein of how the recently deceased author Umberto Eco wrote about in “Foucault’s Pendulum”, once one begins to investigate and attempt to comprehensively address the entirety of this history, one can make a connection to anything. The investigation, the path, becomes like a “chose your own adventure” series. Which is great, and fun, but does this really add up to something that we might point to and call “truth”?
So for me, with all of the many wonderful things that Maranatha has introduced and led towards, this is the final issue with me. To approach the subject from the perspective of entertainment, it is fun. However, taken from the position of understanding a truth, it would seem that all confirmation of one’s progression through the path is subjective. I believe the reason why no one had approached the answer for the puzzle solution as released in the PDFs is because to have reached that conclusion would have required a completely abstract approach that held few confirming markers to reach it. In other words, I believe one would have needed to “guess” their way to the solution.
Yet, in addition, this also would have seemed to have been one “arc” of the book, as many have pointed to the possibility of several others. So yes, it is a thoroughly enriching book, it does offers something both meaningful and substantial, but that the truth (whatever that might be) may ultimately lie within each individual.
HI Nate!
I don’t have any info on Rat’s findings, but it doesn’t take much investigation outside of the realm of Christianity to find several variations on the the theme of a Trinity. Take your pick! In Kabbalah: The Supernal Triad, in Alchemy: the three Alchemical Principles, In Neoplatonism: the Three Hypostasis. Ask a Freemason about the three degrees, the three principal officers, the three candles, and three styles of columns. Also, the vertical ‘three’ of the Pythagorean theorem.
Which was being referred to at RLC?
I find that the number of 666 provides much confusion, mostly in terms of how it is generally received, and thus finally interpreted. Although I can appreciate and then even make an argument as to what the number might indicate (and I am one of those of the opinion that it is not essentially evil in itself, but alludes to something else about the state of humankind), I would also think it best to stay clear of it to avoid confusion.
The number, of course, comes directly from the book of Revelations.
The Maranatha puzzle is solvable. I have no doubt of that. It’s quite difficult, which was indicated by the prize of a million pounds (even the prize wasn’t given in the end, the message is still clear). I have solved a portion of it, and I have recently made some discoveries that I don’t doubt will lead to further progress. (I made the discoveries on a different context, and I haven’t tested their validity yet on the Maranatha puzzle, but I have every reason to believe they would apply to it.) The PDF solution is perhaps best understood as a collection of clues, rather than a full solution.
One important thing: This puzzle, like other similar ones in the same vein, is self-confirming. If you make a valid find, the puzzle itself contains enough clues to reassure you that you are on the right path. Anybody that says that it’s all subjective is effectively saying that they haven’t found the right path.
Also, this is probably clear to everyone, but it’s worth remembering: This is more than just a puzzle. There are good reasons why there are all those historical connections, and there are good reasons for the secrecy.
More “inspired guesses”?
Submit what you found. Or is it all speculation and conjecture?