What can we Expect from Hale Bopp if its Nature is Unchanged? 

In the original and early revisions of this report, it was assumed that Venus was the main debris running loose in our solar system in past cataclysms. There was a known major technical problem with this scenario. No plausible mechanism could be envisaged whereby motion in a plane at right angles to the plane of the ecliptic could be converted to motion in the plane of the ecliptic. More detailed analysis, drawing upon both Sumerian records and the pictogram in Ireland have indicated that Venus was merely severed from an orbit around an originally present but certainly disturbed planet Saturn, by a large cometary intruder. It seems likely that this severing only occurred at about the time of the second exodus in about 1650 BC. 

With the Venus comet head tamed by the events described by Velikovsky ²¹ , we should ask whether or not there is still likely to be any trouble from the original comet that last disappeared at about the time of Moses? Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to look back to the time of Moses and the second exodus of Israel from Egypt. Velikovsky argues that the plagues of Egypt at that time were attributable to a near encounter with the comet (now planet) Venus, but he seems to have been either unaware or only vaguely aware of a much larger repetitive scenario associated with a large intrusive body in the solar system. 

Looking at the plagues that the god I am what I am is said to have inflicted on Egypt through Moses and Aaron, we see an interesting sequence of events that Velikovsky ⁶ is very correct to point out are basically all natural phenomena directly linked to the physical presence of the massive intrusive comet (or comets?). 

The actual plagues, as quoted in the Bible, follow the following sequence. 

1. Rivers and water turn to blood and stink - ie fine haematoid pigment from comet dust cloud pollutes waters and land and kills fish which then stink - phenomena reported worldwide). 
2. Frogs invade the land and subsequently die (they couldn't stay in the water and, unlike the fish, they could get out). 
3. Land is filled with maggots ( naturally with the dead frogs and fish). 
4. Maggots disappear and flies become unbearable (naturally maggots become flies). 
5. Fall of deadly killer hail and fire (like nothing ever seen before) that destroys everything left out in the open (fall of heavier debris from comet and possibly petroleum subsequent to earlier fall of fine dust). 
6. Fine dust throughout the land causes prolific outbreak of boils (comet or volcanic dust from the Santorini volcanic eruption act as a skin irritant) Note similar boils for Job. 
7. Locusts invade Egypt in hordes and eat every green thing that is (conditions right for locusts to hatch and swarm). 
8. Thick darkness covers land for three days and nights except in Goshen ( either comet dust or else winds carry volcanic dust from Santorini volcanic explosion). 
9. All firstborn (or choice ones) of Egypt slaughtered in one night but not people of Israel (Earthquake causes stone / brick structures to collapse killing many who are inside them-people in shanty slave dwellings not nearly so vulnerable)-(Alternatively, noxious gases from the comet's tail wipe out life wherever they contact earth). 

Subsequent "miraculous" phenomena of the time include 

1. Opening up of sea for Israel to pass through, then destruction of army that follows them. (Water recedes ahead of tidal wave caused by earthquake, then rushes forward as a towering wave to drown the Egyptian army). 
2. Manna (oily white food) falling from the skies (Carbohydrates fall from comet tail). 
3. Most of these phenomena were reported world-wide, as demonstrated by Velikovsky. Other sources of information from the same time period refer to massive discharges of lightning and to petroleum falling from the skies. 

Most of these plagues seem to be caused not so much by the comet's head, but by the debris surrounding the comet head. Practically all of that debris would still be out there in orbit now in a cloud about 2.5 million kilometres in diameter, and surrounding possibly one nucleus which astronomers speculate may be 20 to 200 kilometres in diameter. If this be the case, then even if only the tail of that ancient destroyer of civilizations is still out there, it would still be quite potent. But the astronomers are only speculating and choosing what they would like to be true. The evidence from the past suggests that there are probably at least two bodies out there somewhere that are associated with our solar system and that are at least the size of planet Neptune. They would be running on very elongated orbits in planes which are other than the plane of the ecliptic. For more detailed analysis, please refer to the later chapters. 

Perhaps numerous prophecies for our time being subjected to a "judgement" by fire have some foundation in the real world. But it is natural phenomena, not a vindictive god, which will cause us such strife. (The god who called himself I am what I am , and who spoke to Moses face to face at the time of the Exodus, was certainly technologically articulate, had access to flight technology, was certainly a skilful play director, and was certainly not above implying personal responsibility for natural phenomena if it suited his purpose to do so). 

Modern investigations of this comet Hale Bopp are to be found on the internet. Additional points are of extreme interest. 

1. Six jets of debris are currently spiralling out from the comet's head. The jets are certainly very consistent with the fiery blast from the "nostrils" mentioned by King David and others. 
2. Already identified in the comet are:
   1. the CO⁺ radicle and the OH^- radicle, consistent with the presence of the carbohydrates that Velikovsky associated with the Venus comet of about 1650 BC. 
   2. the gases HCN and Ch₃CN, both deadly cyanides. (consistent with the highly toxic, Biblical "wormwood" of comet born origin). The presence of CH₃CN supports the presence also of hydrocarbons (oils) as deduced by Velikovsky ²¹ as does the noted presence of C₂H₆. 
   3. amorphous silicates (note the flint mentioned by Ignatius Donnelly ²⁸)  
   4. the gases CO, CO₂, C₂H₆, H₂S, CS. The CO and H₂S are highly toxic, and most are also highly flammable in the presence of oxygen. 
   5. water H₂O 

The comet Hale Bopp is showing evidence of having an intense electromagnetic field, sufficient to emit radio signals. This implies a large highly charged body. This was very much suggested by the spirals depicted in the megalithic "art" of the valley of the Boyne in Ireland, rock engravings from Sweden (Figure 9), and a plaque from the vicinity of Delphi in Greece (Figure 10). It could also be expected on the basis of the records assessed by Velikovsky. 

There are indications ¹³ that it contains metallic iron as well as silicates. 

Hale Bopp clearly now has two different types of cometary tails; a diffuse and curved, reddish dust tail and a straight bluish ion tail. The first tail consists of small dust particles left behind in the comet’s path and shining by reflected light. The reddish colour fully supports expectations of a red pigment (probably iron based) that were based on the Biblical report of the second exodus from Egypt, and other world-wide records of the time. The second tail consists mostly of charged atoms and molecules which are forced away from the comet’s coma by the solar wind. 

If Ignatius Donnelly is correct in his assessment, the comet may contain gold (tears of the Sun to the ancients) and also gemstones. Donnelly cites "Mythology of the British Druids" p 226 in respect to an undated appearance of a killer comet. The reference is probably to the ca 1650 BC appearance. 

"The profligacy of mankind had provoked the great Supreme to send a pestilential wind upon the Earth. A pure poison descended, every blast was death. At this time the patriarch, distinguished for his integrity, was shut up, together with his select company, in the enclosure with the strong door. Here the just ones were safe from injury. Presently a tempest of fire arose. It split the earth asunder to the great deep. The lake Llion burst its bounds, and the waves of the sea lifted themselves on high around the borders of Britain, the rain poured down from heaven, and the waters covered the Earth." 

Here we have an apparent eye-witness reference to the toxic gases associated with the killer comet.