“That’s Not the Story I Heard” – Ancient Conspiracy Theories Across the Middle East

The ancient world continues to exert a powerful fascination, resurfacing whenever we confront phenomena that resist explanation.

Did aliens build the pyramids? What lies beneath the Sphinx?
Where is the Ark of the Covenant, and was the Temple menorah really melted down? What was the US military searching for in Iraq?
What did the Canaanite movement do at night?
And is Jewish mysticism itself a form of Gnostic teaching? Why do archaeologists still disagree about the history of Canaan?

This session explores a landscape of enduring myths, conspiracy narratives, and interpretive uncertainties across the Mediterranean world and beyond.