A Golden Box

to Control the Lightnings

Joannes Richter

Abstract
The ancient civilizations started with a series of kings, who were responsible for the fertility, the
rain, lightning and thunder. Their toolbox may have been equipped with several charms and a
number of manipulators to impress the population.
Some of the historical records and legends report details, which illustrate some of the tools and how
some of these experiments of manipulating the lightnings and the rain succeeded or failed. Deadly
accidents with strikes are reported for Geb's, respectively Tullus' experiments and for the Ark of the
Covenant.
Professional experiments with lightnings require a detector for high voltages, which may be
connected to a lightning rod to warn for high voltages. Therefore the lock of Ra's hair and “men's
hair” may have played a role in Geb's (Egyptian) tool-box respectively the Roman charm.
Ancient experiments with high voltages were not restricted to thunderstorms with lightnings. An
alternative series of experiments could be planned to a comfortable fifty-day period in spring.
In a famous paper published at Poggendorf's Annals ( 1893)1 Werner von Siemens describes an
archaic experiment with electrostatic energy, which is caused by the chamsin, a dry, hot, sandy local
wind affecting Egypt and Israel.
The ancient tools to control the fertility (rain) by manipulating thunder and lightning seem to have
been documented in symbolic “golden boxes” such as Geb's golden tool-box and the Ark of the
Covenant. A Roman legend describes the relevant tools as a charm.
Obviously the Hebrew transformation from rod to serpents and vice versa turned out to be superior
to the Egyptian one-way-transformation from rod to serpents.
Details in these descriptions suggest a communication and exchange of the designs' concepts
between the Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Hebrew kings.
For inexperienced persons the experiments with lightnings are very dangerous, which may be
illustrated by the historically documented accidents of the first generations of the researchers.
The documented legends of the lightnings' manipulations belong to the earliest layers of historical
documents, in which the “lock of Ra's hair” eventually may be categorized as the first sensor for
electrostatic energy.

1 Source Chapter (@ page 186) “Visit To The Pyramid Of Cheops”, from Full Text Of "Personal Recollections Of
Werner Von Siemens" Of The University California Translated By W. C. Coupland (1893)
The legends of controlling the rain, lightning and thunder
The ancient civilizations started with a series of kings, who were responsible for the fertility, the
rain, lightning and thunder. Their toolbox may have been equipped with several charms and a
number of manipulators to impress the population.
In cases of failure the kings' life may have been at a serious risk. Therefore there must have been a
number of manipulative tests and secret formulas and descriptions, which may have circulated
between the ruling classes.
Some of the historical records and legends report details, which illustrate some of the tools and how
some of these experiments of manipulating the lightnings and the rain succeeded or failed. Deadly
accidents with strikes are reported for Geb's, respectively Tullus' experiments and for the Ark of the
Covenant.
The following overview describes the toolboxes for the main Mediterranean societies (Egypt,
Hebrew, Rome).
Based on a discovered fulgerite some of the Greek leaders may have experimented with lightnings
at the ancient altar of Zeus (dated at ~3000 BCE) near the top section of the Lykaion Mountains.
Apart from the found fulgerite and Zeus's affinity for lightnings there are no historical records of the
golden boxes or experiments with lightnings.
The Hebrew “golden box” may have been based on Geb's “golden box”. The Hebrew concept of
transforming rods in snakes and snakes in rods must be considered as superior to the Egyptian one-
way transformation from rods to snakes.
For the migration phase in the Exodus2 the Hebrew golden box had been equipped with 2 stone
tablets, and jars manna and holy oil, which were not needed in the Egyptian concept.

State King Geb's golden tool-box Ark of the Covenant No box

resp. the Roman charm (made of shittim/acacia &
gold)
Hair Asp ↔ Cane / Rod Laws Oil / Food
Egypt Geb Lock of Ra's cane → Uraeus
(Father of Ra's hair
the Gods)
Israel Moses “Rod of God” two stone jars of
Serpent ↔ Moses's rod tablets manna,
Serpent ↔ Aaron's rod holy oil
Greece -
Rome Numa Men's Onions,
Tullus hair pilchards
(oily fish)
Table 1 Tools to control the fertility (rain) by manipulating thunder and lightning

2 the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
The role of bundle of hair as a high voltage detector
Professional experiments with lightnings require a detector for high voltages, which may be
connected to a lightning rod to warn for high voltages. Therefore the lock of Ra's hair and “men's
hair” may have played a role in Geb's (Egyptian) tool-box respectively the Roman charm.
Hair could have played a role in the design of the lightning rod. A bundle of hair may be used as a
“detector” for very high field strengths, in which the charged strands of hair repel each other and
stand out from her head.
In the Egyptian sensor the lock of Ra's hair should be connected at one point (a knot). The other
ends of the hairs should be open-ended. The knot may be connected to the rod at the top of a hill or
a pyramid. The rod and the connected lock of Ra's hair has to be isolated to the earth by mounting
the system on an isolated marble or glass plate. Today we might use an isolated modern plastic
plate. As soon as the rod is contacted to an electrostatic charge the lock of Ra's hair repels the loose
ends of the hairs.
Ancient experiments with high voltages were not restricted to thunderstorms with lightnings. An
alternative series of experiments could be planned to a comfortable fifty-day period in spring. The
following chapter describes a number of electrostatic experiences which also could have been made
in pre-dynastic eras.

1 Woman touching Van de Graaff generator at the American Museum of

Science and Energy. The charged strands of hair repel each other and stand out
from her head (doe-oakridge - Van de Graaff at American Museum of Science
and Energy Oak Ridge) (Public Domain )
A number of archaic sensors for electrostatic energy
Ancient experiments with high voltages were not restricted to thunderstorms with lightnings. An
alternative series of experiments could be planned to a comfortable fifty-day period in spring.
In a famous paper published at Poggendorf's Annals ( 1893)3 Werner von Siemens describes an
archaic experiment with electrostatic energy, which is caused by the chamsin, a dry, hot, sandy local
wind affecting Egypt and Israel. From the Arabic word for "fifty", these dry, sand-filled windstorms
blow sporadically in Egypt over a fifty-day period in spring, hence the name.
When the storm passes over an area, lasting for several hours, it carries great quantities of sand and
dust from the deserts, with a speed up to 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph; 76 knots), and the
humidity in that area drops below 5%. Even in winter, the temperatures rise above 45° C (113° F)
due to the storm.
During the North African Campaign in World War II, "Allied and German troops were several times
forced to halt in mid-battle because of sandstorms caused by the khamsin... Grains of sand whirled
by the wind blinded the soldiers and created electrical disturbances that rendered compasses
useless."[8]
At the top of the pyramid Werner von Siemens describes an obvious electrostatic phenomenon as a
“magical prickling sensation” and “loud crackling sparks of about 1 centimeter range”, which also
may have been experienced by the old Egyptian scientists:
In the finest weather we sailed through the Adriatic and Mediterranean, so rich in
historical associations, disembarked at Alexandria and traveled by the just opened
railway to Cairo, where we stopped a few days to give the ship Agamemnon, laden with
the cable, and which made the journey round the Cape of Good Hope, the necessary
time for arriving in Suez. I used this opportunity for an inspection of the town, which
interested me and my engineers in the highest degree by its rich historical memorials
and as the point of junction of the civilizations of Europe and Asia.

When on the 14th of April we visited the pyramid of Cheops we had the good fortune to
observe on its apex an interesting physical phenomenon, of which I subsequently gave
an account in PoggendorfF s Annalen under the title, "Description of unusually strong
electrical phenomena on the Cheops Pyramid near Cairo during the blowing of the
Chamsin.4"

During our donkey ride from Cairo to the pyramid there arose an unusually cold desert
wind, which was accompanied by a peculiar ruddy color of the horizon. During our
ascent or rather our transport by the Arabs, who always encamp by the Gizeh pyramids,
and do not allow the office to be taken from them of carrying or rather throwing the
visitors up the steps, each a yard high, the wind assumed a tempest-like force, so that it
was to a certain extent difficult to keep oneself upright on the flattened apex of the
pyramid. The raised desert dust had now become so thick that it appeared like a white
mist, and altogether obscured the view of the ground. It gradually rose higher and
higher, and after some time wrapped even the summit on which I with my ten engineers
was standing. Then a remarkable hissing noise was heard, which could not have been
caused by the wind itself. One of the Arabs called my attention to the fact that by raising
his outstretched finger above his head a sharp singing sound arose, which ceased as
soon as he lowered his hand. I found this confirmed when I myself raised a finger above
my head; at the same time I noticed a prickling sensation in my finger.

3 Source Chapter (@ page 186) “Visit To The Pyramid Of Cheops”, from Full Text Of "Personal Recollections Of
Werner Von Siemens" Of The University California Translated By W. C. Coupland (1893)
4 Beschreibung ungewöhnlich starker elektrischer Erscheinungen auf der Cheops-Pyramide ...
 That we had to do with an electrical phenomenon appeared from the circumstance that a
slight electrical shock was felt when one tried to drink out of a wine bottle. By wrapping
a piece of damp paper round it. I transformed such a filled bottle, having a metallically
coated neck, into a Leyden jar, which was strongly charged when one held it high above
one's head. It was then possible to obtain loud cracking sparks, of about 1 centimeter
range. This established in an unequivocal manner the electrical properties of the desert
wind which had been already before observed by travelers.

In the further course of our experiments I had occasion to prove that electricity can also
be serviceable as an effective defensive weapon. The Arabs had at once observed with
manifest distrust the flashes darting from our wine bottles. They then held a brief
council, and at a signal every one of my companions was laid hold of, to be forcibly
transported down again, by the three men who had brought him there. I was standing
just on the highest point of the pyramid, a large stone cube in the center of the flattened
summit, when the sheikh of the tribe approached, and communicated to me through our
interpreter that the tribe had resolved we should immediately leave the pyramid. On
being asked the reason, he replied that we manifestly practised magic, and that might
injure the source of their livelihood, the pyramid.

When I refused to comply with his request, he made a dash at my left hand, whilst I
held the right with the well-coated bottle in a manifestly conjuring attitude - high above
my head. I had waited for this moment and now lowered the neck of the bottle slowly
towards his nose. When I touched it I myself felt a strong concussion, to judge from
which the sheikh must have received a violent shock. He fell speechless to the ground,
and several seconds elapsed, making me somewhat anxious, before with a sudden cry he
raised himself, and sprang howling down the steps of the pyramid with giant leaps.
When the Arabs perceived this, and heard the sheikh's continuous cry of "magic", they
one and all abandoned their prey and plunged after him. In a few minutes the battle was
over, and we were absolute masters of the pyramid.

Anyhow Napoleon had not such an easy "victory at the foot of the pyramids" as I had at
their summit! As the blowing of the Chamsin soon ceased, and the sun again brightly
illuminated the imperilled pyramid, the Arabs recovered from their terror, and
clambered up again so as not to lose the expected "backsheesh". Even at our peaceful
leave-taking however they evidently still regarded us with suspicion on account of our
magical powers.

Nor were there wanting some small adventures by sea during this cable-laying. The
weather was thoroughly calm and fine, as is always the case in the Red Sea, where a
rain-fall is a great rarity; only the enervating heat was inconvenient. My traveling
thermometer indicated by day nearly always 100 and by night 102 Fahr. , a temperature,
which with our northern strength is indeed borne tolerably long without difficulty, but
which in the long run becomes extremely troublesome. By day one lives in a perpetual
conflict with the sun, from whose rays head and back must be carefully protected. By
night the hoped for cooling is entirely wanting. The splendor of the starry southern
heavens with the truly Egyptian darkness of the nights is indeed imposing, but it does
not make up for the desired refreshing breeze5.

5 Source Chapter (@ page 186) “Visit To The Pyramid Of Cheops”, from Full Text Of "Personal Recollections Of
Werner Von Siemens" Of The University California Translated By W. C. Coupland (1893)
The Roman charm for thunder and lightning
Both 2nd and 3rd Roman kings (Numa Pompilius and Tullus Hostilius) are involved in the taming of
the lightning. A tricky Numa learns the charm for thunder and lightning, still in use, performed with
onions and hair and pilchards. The source for the lightning is Jupiter Elicius, Jupiter "who calls
forth [celestial omens]" or "who is called forth [by incantations]"; "sender of rain"6.
At the end of his life Tullus Hostilius found a book by Numa recording a secret rite on how to
evoke Iuppiter Elicius7. The king attempted to perform it, but since he executed the rite improperly
the god threw a lightning bolt which burned down the king's house and killed Tullus.[43] 8.

Plutarch's Biography of Numa Pompilius

According to Plutarch Numa Pompilius tried to manipulate the lightning of Jupiter Eliciusas (the
"sender of rain") to provide the early Roman population with rain for fertility.
According to the legend Jupiter Eliciusas ordered him to sacrifice the heads of living men, but
instead tricky Numa promised him to sacrifice onions, hairs and pilchards.

Jupiter Elicius Numa Pompilius Jupiter Elicius - "sender of rain"

1 “With Heads” “With the Heads of onions” ? “With the Heads of men”
2 “With hairs of men's heads” ? “With Living *”
3 “pilchards!”
Table 2: A tricky Numa Pompilius learns the charm for thunder and lightning
Plutarch describes this “deal” as follows:
“There goes a story that he once invited a great number of citizens to an entertainment,
at which the dishes in which the meat was served were very homely and plain, and the
repast itself poor and ordinary fare; the guests seated, he began to tell them that the
goddess that consulted with him was then at that time come to him; when on a sudden
the room was furnished with all sorts of costly drinking-vessels, and the tables loaded
with rich meats, and a most sumptuous entertainment. But the dialogue which is
reported to have passed between him and Jupiter surpasses all the fabulous legends that
were ever invented. They say that before Mount Aventine was inhabited or enclosed
within the walls of the city, two demigods, Picus and Faunus, frequented the springs and
thick shades of that place; which might be two satyrs, or Pans except that they went
about Italy playing the same sorts of tricks, by skill in drugs and magic, as are ascribed
by the Greeks to the Dactyli of Mount Ida. Numa contrived one day to surprise these
demigods, by mixing wine and honey in the waters of the spring of which they usually
drank. On finding themselves ensnared, they changed themselves into various shapes,
dropping their own form and assuming every kind of unusual and hideous appearance;
but when they saw they were safely entrapped, and in no possibility of getting free, they
revealed to him many secrets and future events; and particularly a charm for thunder
and lightning, still in use, performed with onions and hair and pilchards.

6 Jupiter
7 Jupiter Elicius, Jupiter "who calls forth [celestial omens]" or "who is called forth [by incantations]"; "sender of
rain".
8 Tullus Hostilius
 Some say they did not tell him the charm, but by their magic brought down Jupiter out
of heaven; and that he then, in an angry manner answering the inquiries, told Numa,
that, if he would charm the thunder and lightning, he must do it with heads. "How," said
Numa, "with the heads of onions?" "No," replied Jupiter, "of men." But Numa, willing
to elude the cruelty of this receipt, turned it another way, saying, "Your meaning is, the
hairs of men's heads." "No," replied Jupiter, "with living"- "pilchards," said Numa,
interrupting him. These answers he had learnt from Egeria. Jupiter returned again to
heaven, pacified and ileos, or propitious. The place was, in remembrance of him, called
Ilicium9, from this Greek word; and the spell in this manner effected. 10

Alternative Version of Numa Pompilius' Biography

Faced by a period of bad weather endangering the harvest during one early spring, King
Numa resorted to the scheme of asking the advice of the god by evoking his presence.
[40] He succeeded through the help of Picus and Faunus, whom he had imprisoned by
making them drunk. The two gods (with a charm) evoked Jupiter, who was forced to
come down to earth at the Aventine (hence named Iuppiter Elicius, according to Ovid).
After Numa skilfully avoided the requests of the god for human sacrifices, Jupiter
agreed to his request to know how lightning bolts are averted, asking only for the
substitutions Numa had mentioned: an onion bulb, hairs and a fish. Moreover, Jupiter
promised that at the sunrise of the following day he would give to Numa and the Roman
people pawns of the imperium. The following day, after throwing three lightning bolts
across a clear sky, Jupiter sent down from heaven a shield. Since this shield had no
angles, Numa named it ancile; because in it resided the fate of the imperium, he had
many copies made of it to disguise the real one. He asked the smith Mamurius Veturius
to make the copies, and gave them to the Salii. As his only reward, Mamurius expressed
the wish that his name be sung in the last of their carmina.[41]11 Plutarch gives a
slightly different version of the story, writing that the cause of the miraculous drop of
the shield was a plague and not linking it with the Roman imperium.[42] 12

The description of Tullus' experiments by Livy, Ab urbe condita

The third king Tullus Hostilius probably tried to Numa's prescription of the sacrificial rites with
onions and hair and pilchards, but he was struck by a lightning bolt. This incident has been
documented in Ab urbe condita by Livy as follows:
Tradition records that the king, whilst examining the commentaries of Numa, found
there a description of certain secret sacrificial rites paid to Jupiter Elicius13: he withdrew
into privacy whilst occupied with these rites, but their performance was marred by
omissions or mistakes. Not only was no sign from heaven vouchsafed to him, but the
anger of Jupiter was roused by the false worship rendered to him, and he burnt up the
king and his house by a stroke of lightning. Tullus had achieved great renown in war,
and reigned for two-and-thirty years. 14

9 great scarlet oak

10 Numa Pompilius (legendary, died 7th century B.C.E.) By Plutarch Written 75 A.C.E. Translated by John Dryden
11 Ovid Fasti III, 284–392. Festus s.v. Mamuri Veturi p. 117 L as cited by Dumézil 1977 p. 197.
12 Numa (Plutarch Numa 18).
13 Jupiter Elicius, Jupiter "who calls forth [celestial omens]" or "who is called forth [by incantations]"; "sender of
rain".
14 Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:31
The Ark of the Covenant
Obviously the Hebrew transformation from rod to serpents and vice versa turned out to be superior
to the Egyptian one-way-transformation from rod to serpents.

The "rod of God"

The staff is first mentioned in the Book of Exodus (chapter 4, verse 2), when God
appears to Moses in the burning bush. God asks what Moses has in his hand, and Moses
answers "a staff" ("a rod" in the KJV version). The staff is miraculously transformed
into a snake and then back into a staff. The staff is thereafter referred to as the "rod of
God" or "staff of God" (depending on the translation).

Moses and Aaron appear before the pharaoh when Aaron's rod is transformed into a
serpent. The pharaoh's sorcerers are also able to transform their own rods into serpents,
but Aaron's swallows them. Aaron's rod is again used to turn the Nile blood-red. It is
used several times on God's command to initiate the plagues of Egypt. 15

Aaron's rod
There are two versions of the description of Aaron's rod:
1. Aaron provides his rod to represent the tribe of Levi, and "it put forth buds, produced
blossoms, and bore ripe almonds16" (Numbers 17:8), as an evidence of the exclusive right to
the priesthood of the tribe of Levi17.
2. Aaron's rod was made of sapphire, weighed forty seahs (a seah = 10.70 pounds), and bore
the inscription which is composed of the initials of the Hebrew names of the Ten Plagues
(Tan., Waëra 8, ed. Buber).[1] 18

State King Geb's golden tool-box Ark of the Covenant No box

resp. the Roman charm (made of shittim/acacia & gold)
Hair Asp ↔ Cane / Rod Laws Oil / Food
Egypt Geb Lock of Ra's cane → Uraeus
(Father of Ra's hair
the Gods)
Israel Moses “Rod of God” two stone jars of
Serpent ↔ Moses's rod tablets manna,
Serpent ↔ Aaron's rod holy oil
Greece
Rome Numa Men's onions
Tullus hair pilchards
(oily fish)
Table 3 Tools to control the fertility (rain) by manipulating thunder and lightning

15 References to the staff

16 In the Bible the almond is mentioned ten times, beginning with Book of Genesis 43:11, where it is described as
"among the best of fruits".
17 Biblical references
18 In Rabbinical literature
The elements of the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is a gold-covered wooden chest with lid cover described in the Book of
Exodus as containing the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. According to various texts
within the Hebrew Bible, it also contained Aaron's rod and a pot of manna.[3]19
According to the Book of Exodus, God instructed Moses on Mount Sinai during his 40-day stay
upon the mountain where God was[7][8] and he was shown the pattern for the tabernacle and
furnishings of the Ark to be made of shittim wood20 (acacia) to house the Tablets of Stone.
Moses instructed Bezalel and Oholiab to construct the Ark.[9][10] In Deuteronomy the Ark is said
to have been built specifically by Moses himself without reference of Bezalel or Oholiab.[11]
The Book of Exodus gives detailed instructions on how the Ark is to be constructed. It is to be 2 1⁄2
cubits in length, 11⁄2 in breadth, and 11⁄2 in height (approximately 131×79×79 cm or 52×31×31 in). 21
The relation 2,5:1,5 (=1 2⁄3 ≈ 1,667) seems to be related to the Golden ratio (φ ≈ 1,6180399):
Die genaue Länge der damaligen „Elle“ ist nicht bekannt; die Abmessungen der Lade
werden auf etwa 130 × 80 × 80 cm geschätzt. Das Seitenverhältnis von 2,5:1,5 (=1 2⁄3 ≈
1,667) liegt nur knapp 3 Prozent höher als der Goldene Schnitt (≈ 1,618). 22

In the Biblical narrative, at the beginning of his reign over the United Monarchy, King David
removed the Ark from Kirjath-jearim amid great rejoicing. On the way to Zion, Uzzah, one of the
drivers of the cart that carried the Ark, put out his hand to steady the Ark, and was struck dead by
God for touching it. The place was subsequently named "Perez-Uzzah", literally "Outburst Against
Uzzah",[3623] as a result. 24
A late 2nd-century rabbinic work known as the Tosefta states the opinions of these rabbis that
Josiah, the king of Judah, stored away the Ark, along with the jar of manna, and a jar containing the
holy anointing oil, the rod of Aaron which budded and a chest given to Israel by the Philistines.
[6525] 26

19 Ark of the Covenant

20 In the Exodus, the ancient Israelites were commanded to use shittah wood to make various parts of the Tabernacle
and of the Ark of the Covenant. This was most likely the Acacia seyal.[3]
21 Construction and description
22 Aussehen und Größe (Bundeslade)
23 2 Samuel 6:8
24 In the days of King David
25 Tosefta (Sotah 13:1); cf. Babylonian Talmud (Kereithot 5b)
26 The Babylonian Conquest and aftermath
Geb's golden box
The three elements in Geb's golden box may be considered as divine characteristics of the sun (Ra).
1. In drawings the lock of Ra's hair may symbolize the sun-rays,
2. Ra's Uraeus (a "rearing cobra" ) may represent the "rearing” lightning,
3. Ra's cane may symbolize the lightning's rod, which may have been copied as Aaron's rod in
the Hebrews' golden box (Ark of the Covenant):

State King Geb's golden tool-box Ark of the Covenant No box

resp. the Roman charm (made of shittim/acacia & gold)
Hair Asp ↔ Cane / Rod Laws Oil / Food
Egypt Geb Lock of Ra's cane → Uraeus
(Father of Ra's hair
the Gods)
Israel Moses “Rod of God” two stone jars of
Serpent ↔ Moses's rod tablets manna,
Serpent ↔ Aaron's rod holy oil
Greece
Rome Numa Men's onions
Tullus hair pilchards
(oily fish)
Table 4 Tools to control the fertility (rain) by manipulating thunder and lightning

Geb as the ''father of the Gods’

Geb is nearly always depicted as a man without special attributes, but on occasion his head is
surmounted by a goose, which is an ideogram of his name. Certain legends, moreover, describe him
as a, gander - the 'Great Cackler' - whose female has laid the Egg of the Sun. Others make him a
vigorous bull who has fertilized the celestial cow.
Most frequently, however, Geb was reputed to be the father and Nut the mother - of the Osirian
Gods, and for this reason was known as the 'father of the Gods.’ He was the third divine Pharaoh
and succeeded Shu to the throne. His reign also was disturbed.
One text tells us how Geb caused the golden box in which Ra's Uraeus was kept to be opened in his
presence. Ra had deposited the box, together with his cane and lock of his hair, in a fortress on the
eastern frontier of his empire as a potent and dangerous talisman.
When opened, the breath of the divine asp within killed all of Geb's companions then and there, and
gravely burned Geb himself.
Only the lock of Ra's hair, applied to the wound, could heal Geb. So great, indeed, was the virtue of
this divine lock of hair that years later when it was plunged for purification into the lake of At Nub
it immediately turned into a crocodile. When he was restored to health Geb administered his
kingdom wisely and drew up a careful report on the condition of every province and town in Egypt.
Then he handed over his sovereignty to his eldest son, Osiris, and ascended to the heavens where at
times he took the place of Thoth as Ra's herald and arbiter of the Gods27.

27 New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology | Greek Mythology ...

Optimizing a lightning rod for protection and for heating
There are several ways to optimize a lightning rod. To initiate a lightning the rod should be located
as high as possible: at the top of the hill or a pyramid.
In order to initiate a lightning the tip of the rod should be as sharp as possible. The tip initiates the
conducting plasma channel around the tip.
In the case of a protecting system against lightning strikes the rod must be grounded by a suitable
conductor, which is to guide the electrostatic energy as safe as possible to the ground water.
In the case of a melting system based on a lightning strike the melting chamber must be inserted
between the lightning rod, the discharging conductor and the grounding electrode.

For inexperienced persons the experiments with lightnings are very dangerous, which may be
illustrated by the historically documented accidents of the first generations of the researchers.
The documented legends of the lightnings' manipulations belong to the earliest layers of historical
documents, in which the “lock of Ra's hair” eventually may be categorized as the first sensor for
electrostatic energy.
Conclusion
Initially the Egyptians may have built pyramids to simply attract lightnings as a method to produce
rain.
The concepts of the Hebrew, Roman and Greek rulers seem to be concentrated on the manipulating
of the weather and the control of humidity.
Although the Egyptian pharaohs may have started the manipulations of lightnings to improve the
harvest by optimizing the humidity the rulers may also have designed pyramids to use the
lightnings' energy for heating materials.
An economic goal may be the attraction of lightnings to melt glass or metals, which is investigated
in the following papers:
1. Pyramids in the Role as Power Plants
2. The Ancient Lightning Rods around the Mediterranean Sea 28
These papers does not include the usage of modern concepts such as energy storage in batteries and
incandescent bulbs.

The ancient tools to control the fertility (rain) by manipulating thunder and lightning seem to have
been documented in symbolic “golden boxes” such as Geb's golden tool-box and the Ark of the
Covenant. A Roman legend describes the relevant tools as a charm.
Details in these descriptions suggest a communication and exchange of the designs' concepts
between the Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Hebrew kings.

28 (in German) Die ältesten Blitz(ab)leiter am Mittelmeer

Contents
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................1
The legends of controlling the rain, lightning and thunder..................................................................2
The role of bundle of hair as a high voltage detector......................................................................3
A number of archaic sensors for electrostatic energy.................................................................4
The Roman charm for thunder and lightning.......................................................................................6
Plutarch's Biography of Numa Pompilius........................................................................................6
Alternative Version of Numa Pompilius' Biography ..................................................................7
The description of Tullus' experiments by Livy, Ab urbe condita...................................................7
The Ark of the Covenant......................................................................................................................8
The "rod of God".............................................................................................................................8
Aaron's rod.......................................................................................................................................8
The elements of the Ark of the Covenant........................................................................................9
Geb's golden box ...............................................................................................................................10
Geb as the ''father of the Gods’......................................................................................................10
Optimizing a lightning rod for protection and for heating.................................................................11
Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................12