Seized from smugglers, the leather-bound 'gospel' which Iran claims will bring down Christianity and shake world politics

A leather-bound religious text, thought to date from the fifth century but discovered only 12 years ago, will cause the collapse of Christianity worldwide, claims Iran.

The book, written on animal hide, apparently states that Jesus was never crucified and that he himself predicted the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, according to the the Iranian press.

Written in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the gospel even predicts the coming of the last Islamic messiah, the report adds.

Turkish authorities believe it could be an authentic version of the Gospel by Jesus's disciple Barnabas, and the Iranian press report has claimed that its contents will trigger Christianity's downfall by proving that Islam is the final and righteous religion.

Others have dismissed the Iranian claims as 'laughable' anti-Christian propaganda.

The Basij Press claims the text was written in the 5th or 6th century and it predicted the coming of the Prophet Muhammad and the religion of Islam. It says the Christian world denies the existence of such a gospel.

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The Man of the Sea

Source: Phantom and Monsters Blog

For several years, residents of coastal areas around the southern and southwestern Caspian Sea have been reporting of an amphibious creature resembling a human being. In March 2005 an eyewitness account from the crew of the Baku, an Azeri trawler, was published by Iranian newspaper Zindagi: “That creature was swimming parallel course near the boat for a long time,” said Gafar Gasanof, a captain of the ship.

“At the beginning we thought it was a big fish, but then we spotted hair on the head of the monster and his fins looked pretty strange... the front part of his body was equipped with arms!” said the captain. Back in Azerbaijan, nobody took his story seriously. It sounded ridiculous to those who thought that the guy must have been drinking while on board.

On the contrary, shortly after the publication of his interview, the offices of the Iranian paper got flooded with numerous letters of the readers who claimed that the story was yet another piece of evidence proving the existence of the so-called “man of the sea.” The readers pointed out that many fishermen had repeatedly seen the strange creature at sea and on shore after the seabed volcanoes in the area of Babolsera had come to life in February and offshore oil production operations had intensified in the Caspian.

All the eyewitness accounts provide a similar description of the marine humanoid. His height is 165-168 cm, he has a strong build, a protruding ctenoid stomach, his feet are pinniped and he has four webbed fingers on either of his hands. His skin is of moonlight color. The hair on his head looks black and green. His arms and legs are shorter and heavier than those of a medium-built person. Apart from his fingernails, he has nails growing on the tip of his aquiline nose that look like a dolphin's beak. No information as to his ears. His eyes are large and orbicular. The mouth of the creature is fairly large, his upper jaw is prognathic and his lower lip flows smoothly into the neck, his chin is missing.

Iranians dubbed the creature Runan-shah or “the master of the sea and rivers.” The name is partly based on stories about large shoals of fish accompanying the creature at sea. Other stories refer to the waters that would turn crystal clear and stay that way for two or three days after the creature was seen swimming in those areas. Fishermen claim that fishes that stay alive for a while in the net can feel the creature coming out of the deep blue sea. Fishes were reported producing barely heard gurgling sounds as the monster came near. He was said to answer the call of the catch by making similar throaty sounds.

Some researchers believe that there is no smoke without fire and the stories circulating in Iran can be true. Besides, Runan-shah was seen by Azeri fishermen living in the villages located between the cities of Astara and Lenkoran. According to a theory, the creature is not alone; there is a family of underwater humans who are on a mission ... to tackle environmental problems of the Caspian.

The Caspian Runan-shah is not the only species of underwater humans on record. Both Herodotus and Plato believed that original human beings were amphibious and might have founded an underwater state.

A book of collected scientific articles titled “The Universe and Humankind” that was published in St. Petersburg in 1905 contains a story of “marine female” caught in the Caribbean. It also has stories about dead bodies of the amphibious humans washed ashore in the Azores in 1876. Their descriptions largely correspond with the reported description of Runan-shah.

An amphibious humanlike being was reported in Karelia in 1928. The creature was repeatedly seen in the lake of Vedlozero by local residents. A group of researchers from the Petrozavodsk University arrived to investigate the case on location. Unfortunately, the findings were classified and the members of the research party eventually perished in the Gulag.

According to latest reports in the media, Iranians have already started their research of the Caspian phenomenon. The international scientific community might as well help unravel the mystery if politics do not get in the way of science this time around.

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Iran’s Flying Saucer Downed U.S. Drone, Engineer Claims

Late last month, Iran put on display what it insisted was a captured American stealth drone. At the time, Tehran claimed it brought down the RQ-170 with a sophisticated electronic attack. Nonsense, says one Iranian engineer who claims to have inside knowledge of the drone-nab. The Islamic Republic used force fields and flying saucers to subdue and capture the unmanned aircraft.

Meet Mehran Tavakoli Keshe, who purports to be the father of the RQ-170 abduction. In a recent post to his eponymous foundation’s online forums, Keshe claims the Iranians used “advanced space technology” that he pioneered. “The craft has been air-picked-up and been put down on its belly through the use of field forces,” Keshe writes — by which he means force fields. It’s feeling a lot like Tinfoil Tuesday, our weekly round-up of the planet’s most insane conspiracy theories.

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Mysterious Bird Cryptid Ruffles Feathers in Iran

Is it a bird or something else? The creature, which was discovered near Meshginshahr in Iran is reportedly bipedal, quickly decaying, and nothing like any of the other creatures ever discovered in the area - or anywhere else on Earth. Not only is the creature bipedal, it has massive teeth with fangs unlike anything we've seen flying through the air - at least not for several million years. Is this a survivor of the cretaceous period that somehow met its end recently in Iran? Or is this something completely different?

How could a creature that so clearly is very different from anything we've seen before survive near densely populated areas? And are there more of this species elsewhere in Iran? The creature, which was first reported by IRNA on Sunday had a long snout (or beak), feathers, and what appear to be two bird-like legs. But ornithologists looking into the case are saying those three things don't go together. Currently the incident is being investigated by the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization.

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We've built a flying saucer, boasts Iran

By MICHAEL THEODOULOU

It's not clear how far or how high it can fly – or even how big it is and what makes it take off.

But an aircraft created by scientists in Iran is, they claim, the world’s first flying saucer.

Called the Zohal - or Saturn in English - it said the unmanned spaceship is designed for 'aerial imaging' but added it can be used for 'various missions'.

The hardline Fars news agency illustrated its story with a photo of a flying saucer, akin to one appearing in a 1950s Hollywood B-movie, hovering over an unidentified wooded landscape

For president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the advances demonstrate Iran's ability to push on with its science programme despite international sanctions over its nuclear programme
The hardline Fars news agency illustrated its story with a photo of a flying saucer, akin to one appearing in a 1950s Hollywood B-movie, hovering over an unidentified wooded landscape.

The reports gave no indication of the spaceship’s size. But they indicated it was small by claiming, somewhat bizarrely, that it can also fly indoors.

Iran, which prides itself on its 2,500 year-old civilisation, is also keen to show that it is at the cutting edge of modern science.

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Theory Points to Civilization Under Persian Gulf

(Dec. 11) -- The waters of the Persian Gulf may be hiding a lost civilization that could change our understanding of human history, according to new research.

This huge fertile stretch of land may have been home to humans from about 74,000 years ago until about 8,000 years ago, according to Discovery News.

When the waters around them began to rise, these early humans may have migrated to what is now the gulf shoreline, founding new settlements there, according to a paper published in the December issue of Current Anthropology.

Over the past several years, archaeologists have uncovered new evidence of those shoreline settlements.

"Where before there had been but a handful of scattered hunting camps, suddenly, over 60 new archaeological sites appear virtually overnight," said Jeffrey Rose of the University of Birmingham, according to Fox News.

"These settlements boast well-built, permanent stone houses, long-distance trade networks, elaborately decorated pottery, domesticated animals, and even evidence for one of the oldest boats in the world," Rose said.

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Vampires of Babylonia & Persia ( مصاصي الدماء من بابل وبلاد فارس )

Assyrian ( Syria, Iran and Iraq)

Ekiminu of Babylonia



The malignant spirits (Half Ghost Half Vampire) of the Assyrian are known as Ekiminu. Ekiminu origins are likely from Babylonia and it later spread over to neighbouring nations and empires.

This malignant spirit are as a result of improper burial! In some cases hoever, it is due to insufficient offering to them. They are invisible and absoultely capable of possessing humans. They lived underground and emerge during the night to feed on the living.

It is only by weapons make of wood and exorcism that they can be destoryed.

Lilith




Lilith is deemed to be as a female demon. She was once the kife of Adam, Consort of Lucifer and had a marriage with an Archangel Samael.

She is also known as Queen of the Succubi, goddess of witches, A dark feminine principle known as the goddess Hecate.



The Hebrew Bible (Book of Isaiah) described Lilith but her roots are more likely in Babylonian demon studies. Lilith was a monster who roamed at night taking on the appearance of an owl. She would hunt, seeking to kill newborn children and pregnant women. She was said to be the first wife of Adam. However, she was demonised because she refused to obey Adam. She was considered evil for such "radical" desires and became a vampire who eventually attacked the children of Adam and Eve.

Lilitû demons



The Assyrian lilitû were said to prey upon children and women and were described as associated with lions, storms, desert, and disease. Early portrayals of such demons are known as having Zu bird talons for feet and wings. They were highly sexually predatory towards men but were unable to copulate normally.

They were thought to dwell in waste, desolate, and desert places. Like the Sumerian Dimme, a male wind demon named Pazuzu was thought to be effective against them.



Lilith's epithet was "the beautiful maiden". She was described as having no milk in her breasts and as unable to bear any children.


Other storm and night demons from a similar class are recorded from Akkadian texts around this period. The Ardat-lili is from Ardatû, which is a young unmarried woman or maiden, also sometimes a title of prostitutes, and lilitû. These "maiden liltû" would come to men in their sleep and beget children from them. Sick men would also be described as being seized by Ardat-lili. Their male counterparts, similar to an incubus, were the Irdû-lili. These demons were originally storm and wind demons; however, later etymology made them into night demons

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10 mysterious cryptids of Asia (Part 2)

by Joan Seth

Here's the second part of the article.

1) Almas



The Almas is a hominid cryptid said to inhabit the Caucasus and Pamir Mountains of central Asia, and the Altai Mountains of southern Mongolia.

Through alleged eyewitness accounts, alleged footprint discoveries and interpretations of long-standing native traditions that have been anthropologically collected.

Experts have declared that they are either just mythological creatures or a relict population of Neanderthals. Others have claimed that they are humans, but with mental disorders and thus discarded from society.

2) Buru



Said to have lived in a certain province of India in the past, the Buru was an aquatic reptile-like cryptid. This reptile was reportedly hunted to extinction by the locals.

Traditional speculation was that the Buru was actually a crocodile. However, the locals describe the Buru as having characteristics such as an elongated neck and a forked tongue. This would place it looking similar to a monitor lizard.

Some experts claim it to be a large species of lungfish instead.

3) The Devil Bird



The Devil Bird or commonly known as the Ulama, is a cryptid that dwells in the Sri Lankan jungles. It is said to emit a blood thirsty scream at night while flying. It is said that its scream is a portent of death.

From local witnesses descriptions, it would closely resemble an owl actually. In 2001, a Spot-Bellied Eagle Owl was captured and was believed to be the mythical Devil Bird in question.

4) Kting Voar



Also known as the Snake Eating Cow, the Kting Voar is a cryptid from Cambodia and Vietnam.

The creature is normally described as a cow-like animal with peculiar twisting horns about 45 centimetres long. The local myths attribute a number of feats to this animal; most particularly, snakes are part of its diet.

Specimens collected and tested were either fake or found out to belong to a normal cow. Many experts do believe in the existence of this animal, and it is actually listed as Endangered in the IUCN list.

5) Ropen



The Ropen is a flying cryptid from the jungles of Papua New Guinea. It is described as featherless and having a tail length of 25% of its wingspan.

Various accounts either describe it as a demonic spirit, a bat-like animal or a Pterosaur. It is believed to be nocturnal and exhibits bioluminescence and thrives on a diet of fish and sometimes human flesh.

Many expeditions to the Papua New Guinea to observe the creature have reported seeing weird flying lights in the jungle at night. Till date, no explanation can be given for such phenomena.

6) Akkorokamui



Akkorokamui is a water cryptid from Japan. It is said to resemble either a giant octopus or a giant squid. Its most striking feature is its red coloured skin.

Although it is said to grow to an enormous size and despite is striking skin colouration, so far, it has only been spotted from far distances.

The locals are understandably afraid of it, as it has been known to capsize boats. They would bring along sickles in their boats to protect themselves from this creature.

7) Veo



The Veo is a cryptid said to dwell on the island of Rinca, Indonesia. It is describe to resemble a scaly ant-eater or pangolin, and has the size of a horse.

No modern pangolins grow to that size, but there was evidence that a large pangolin that grew up to 8 feet lived on the nearby islands of Java and Borneo.

The Veo is described as being a nocturnal, mountain-dwelling creature, subsisting on a diet of ants and termites. Cryptozoologists have suggested that the Veo may represent a relict population of the extinct Manis paleojavanicus.

8) Lake Van Monster



Living in Lake Van in Eastern Turkey, comes the appropriately named Lake Van Monster. Similar to other lake monsters in other parts of the world, it has been described to be either a Plesiosaur or Ichthyosaurus.

In 1997, a man reportedly shot a video of the monster swimming in the lake. After careful examination by experts, many have questioned its authenticity. It is likely to be a hoax.

Skecptics also point out that such a hoax would bring tourist revenue to this region of Turkey.

9) Mande Barung



The Mande Barung is said to inhibit within the remote forests of North East India and Bangladesh.

It is generally described as a large, hairy bipedal hominoid, similar to its cousins the Bigfoot, Yeti, Orang Pendek, etc.

Most scientific experts consider the Mande Barung to be a combination of folklore and hoaxes.

10) Simurgh



The Simurgh is a mythical flying creature similar to a griffin or phoenix. It is commonly found in Persian myths and legends.

The Simurgh has been described as having the foreparts of a dog, the wings and tail of a peacock and the claws of a lion, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale.

Ultimately, experts believe it to be just a mythological and legendary creature, rather than an actual animal.

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