InspirationPodcast

What's Cooking? 

This Podcast I welcome on Carolina Effinger, Chloe Wilds & Josh Baker. We talk an eclectic amount of subjects including Faith, Neuroscience, Life Advice, B ig Pharma, and more. Tune in to hear more from these three amazing guest. It was a pleasure having them on. As always, stay intrigued, and stay in tune for more inspiration podcasts! 

What's cooking?

CJ is a real estate wholesaler, CFP, public speaker, business enthusiast, and aspirational thinker. It was a pleasure talking with him and hearing his story. CJ has a passion for teaching and coaching others and generously shares his wealth of business knowledge. Our conversation ranged from the real estate wholesaling industry to common issues facing men in today's society. We will be having several more podcasts in the future so stay tuned to hear more from CJ Tassone. Enjoy!

What's cooking?

On this podcast I welcome to of my best friends Turner Hayes and Josh Baker onto the podcast. This was a fun and diverse conversation ranging from world exploration, business, & motivation to philosophy. It's always a please breaking it down with the boys. Hope y'all enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

Thanks so much for choosing to give Deep Dives a listen. This first episode is a way to lay the groundwork and begin our journey through time. We give an introduction into ancient Egypt as a whole and then dive into hieroglyphics. We also lay out a few theories for how non-spoken gestures and vocally produced sounds culminated into a commonly understandable language that can be conveyed between human beings. I argue that without the Egyptian method of writing a centralized state could not have formed because this state needed to keep accurate records for it to function properly. But of course, this is my speculation and I don't dogmatically purvey theories. My mind is always opened to being changed. Anyways, hope you enjoy! 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

The first time that the ancient Egypt consolidated it's territories was in the year c. 3100 B.C. The legend of Narmer holds that King Menes, also known as King Narmer, was the individual to have accomplished this. At the time of consolidation Egypt had two distinct tracts of land holdings that were held by two different Kings, and these are called upper and lower Egypt. Before upper and lower Egypt came into existence, there were actually three different kingdoms, but the documentation of these are foggy and hard to discern with confidence. Episode number 2 goes more into depth on how the first settlers may have populated the lands of the Nile and how these lands eventually consolidated into one cohesive Egyptian kingdom. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

The Old Kingdom was the age of the pyramids. The greatest of the pyramids was built in this time and is the oldest of those that remain at Giza today. ( Disclosure: I mentioned that the Great Pyramid has four sides. It actually has eight. Refer to the Legend of Giza episode). In this episode we cover this amazing time in Egyptian history. The Kings of the Old Kingdom were unimaginably wealthy and held the status of "God King". They solidified their divine rule by making themselves divine in nature. During this age the connection between church and state was inseparable, they were one in the same. The Old Kingdom is very fascinating and now that I've completed the series and am looking back I wish I had spent more time here. So because of this we might cover the Old Kingdom in more depth in the next season. I know, I'm haphazard. Anyways, hope you enjoy it!

Welcome to Deep Dives, 

The First Intermediate Period is typically thought of as a time of chaos and rebellion, and it may very well have been. But after a careful look, I find this hard to believe in total. It seems that religious and quasi-philosophical thought developed during this time. We can see that the coffin texts began to emerge in and around the First Intermediate which gave the more "common" of men access to religious rights and proper Egyptian burials. Many of the texts from this time allude to how the Kings lost large amounts of their wealth while the nomarchs and priests gained in wealth and power. The crown and the powerful families did indeed struggle with each-other and it detracted from the prestige and divinity of kingship. This, as we will see throughout the season, is a tale as old as time when it comes to Egypt. This struggle between hereditary nomarchies and the crown would escalate and deescalate many times over the course of Egyptian history. I find this period of time very interesting and only wish we knew more about it. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

While the Old Kingdom was the age of the pyramids, the Middle Kingdom was the age of the rock cut mortuaries and temple complexes. The First Intermediate Period was brought to an end with the rise of Mentuhotep II. This powerful nomarch rose to the throne and re-consolidated the lands of Egypt which had broken up into pieces. The beginning of the Middle Kingdom was tumultuous and filled with bitter family feuds and internal rivalries. The throne of a unified Egypt was once again up for grabs and Egypt never had a shortage of ambitious men and women. The Karnak Temple began it's construction during this time and it would become one of if not the most preeminent holy site in the lands of the Nile. We see a stark shift in theocratic focus and religious zeal during the Middle Kingdom as well, it seems that the gods themselves became the center point of worship and not the "God Kings" who were worshiped during the Old Kingdom. Hope you enjoy! 

Welcome to Deep Dives!

During the 1500s B.C. and the surrounding time periods the ancient world was experiencing series of mass exoduses and immigrations. The dynamics of the geo-political environment during this time was extremely complicated and we seek to shed some light on it during this episode. The first serious threat to Egyptian hegemony came about at the close of the Middle Kingdom. Of course, Egypt had never been quite stable but the 1500s B.C. and the events contained within it would send shockwaves throughout the lands of the Nile. The invading Hyksos armies roll down upon Egypt like tidal waves during this time and is a fascinating time to study. Hope you Enjoy!   

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

With the rise of Ahmose I came the inception of the New Kingdom, the greatest and most glorious of all periods of Egyptian history. The New Kingdom is such a vast epoch that we will have to break it up into many episodes. Once Ahmose I expelled the Hyksos from Egypt, he pursued them into the near east and set the groundwork for an Egyptian empire which would be solidified by his successors. During the New Kingdom we see the rise of a new kind of King, a warrior king. Although the Egyptians never explicitly used the term "Pharaoh", we attribute all kings after this point as being Pharaohs of Egypt. This time is rich with material to study and our episodes get more and more interesting after this point. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

This episode is a little change of pace. The Book of The Dead may sound like a book that most people won't consider picking up because of it's title but the material is far from morbid and pertaining strictly to death. Rather, it is a collection of hymns and odes that was used by the ancients like a tool to guide their ascent into the afterlife. It was meant to be used as a roadmap of sorts. We cover E.A. Wallis Budge's translation in this episode because it is one of the oldest and truest to form. I make a somewhat unfair statement early in the podcast that the other translators offer a less true to form version and I want to go on record as retracting that statement because it wasn't right of me to take that position. All of the extant translations provide the same gist when they are read and none are so far off that they suggest something entirely different. I really enjoyed making this podcast and said that I would make another in this season but we will have to save it for the second. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it. 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

This one is a flashback to before the 18th dynasty came about, to the expulsion of the Hyksos and the subsequent rise of the New Kingdom. I find this time in Egyptian history very interesting and I wanted to cover it in more detail. We cover the campaigns of Seqenenre Tao, Kamose, and Ahmose I against their Hyksos overlords and I try to bring the time to life. This is the first of my "dialogue" podcasts where I input fictional accounts into the podcasts themselves. (Disclosure: I am NOT blurring the lines between history and fiction and really attempt to drive this distinction home in later episodes as I got better). Anyways, hope you enjoy it! 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

Now that we completed our flashback to before the 18th dynasty came about we can cover this great dynasty with more detail. It is my opinion that the 18th and 19th dynasties are the greatest and most dynamic of Egyptian dynasties and I want to cover them in particular detail. We pick up with Thutmose I and show how he expanded the Egyptian kingdom and made it into an Egyptian empire. He is considered one of the greatest pharaohs for this and was revered by his successors as being a great warrior king. Then we pick up with the lady pharaoh Hatshepsut and her great building program. After Hatshepsut we cover Thutmose III and the notorious Battle of Megiddo. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

Looking back at this season and all the varied episodes that I've put together, this is probably one of my favorites. In this episode we cover Thutmose III's campaign against the Mitanni in more detail and pick up with the rise of Amenhotep II. The majority of this episode covers Amenhotep II and Moses. My dialogues in this episode are entirely fictional. Everything is up to the listener to discern and make their own opinion about. Here are a few disclosures: 

- Tjaneni was real, his dialogues are fictional.

-  I am not suggesting the Exodus Pharaoh was undeniably Amenhotep II, I am merely providing my explanation on why I believe it was Amenhotep II.

- Whenever I say "open quote", it is a real quote, not a fictional one. 

- Amenhotep II's young friends were real, their dialogues are fictional.

- Moses's dialogues are real and are taken from the bible. 

- Whenever I quote Amenhotep II it is taken from the bible and attributed to him because I believe he was the Exodus Pharaoh. I could be wrong.

Now that my disclosures are out of the way, I hope you enjoy this long and varied episode. 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

From here on out, I will have to make my episode descriptions mostly consist of disclosures because I make many statements that many may deem to be "controversial". This episode is based upon me sifting through various opinions, weighing them, and coming to a conclusion that seems right to me. The opinion that the Sphinx was eroded by water is a hot and controversial subject. It is my personal opinion that it is old, very very old. Older than we attribute it to be. And by suggesting this, I am suggesting that it may have been built before the Egyptians. There we go, I said it. Here are my disclosures: 

- This episode piggybacks heavily off of the documentary called "The Mystery of the Sphinx" ( You can see that I was real original with my naming of this episode ). 

- Dr. Robert M. Schoch, ph.d provides the geological reasoning that supports the hunch of water erosion with a systematic analysis. 

- John Anthony West is who brought the idea to the public. 

- I am not suggesting that Atlantis built the sphinx. 

- I am suggesting that the mystery is unsolved and requires a deep look by the broader scientific community. 

Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives!

This episode picks back up where episode number eleven left off. We begin with the rise of Thutmose IV who we also discussed in the last episode. We begin to see a shift in religious focus that sets the precedent for even more radical shifts later in our journey. The bulk of this episode is spent focusing on Amenhotep III who is considered to be one of the greatest builder pharaohs. This time in Egyptian history produces the most opulent and grandiose of pharaohs by far. We discuss the "Teachings of Amenemope" which is a collection of texts which lays out ethical considerations and provides some philosophical mindfulness that far outdates the first "real" philosophies during the Greek epoch and is a great body of texts to study. Here are a couple disclosures: 

- Menusheb is a fictional character but the quotes that he recites are real. 

- The dialogues between Amenhotep III and his classmates are fictional.

I hope you enjoy this episode. 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

This episode can best be described as a rollercoaster ride. There is so much that is about to happen in Egyptian history that it almost gets a little overwhelming to study because it goes on so many interesting tangents that are necessary to go on to learn the full scope. In any case, we wrap up the reign of Amenhotep III and cover the interesting events happening in the kingdom of Mitanni. The Hittites and the Assyrians both begin to rise on the horizon during this time. We also cover one of the most interesting characters in all of Egyptian history in this episode and his name is Akhenaton, otherwise known as the "heretic king". Here are my disclosures: 

- By this episode I really started to try and draw a distinction between fictional accounts and real events. 

- The Tushrata throne room scene is fictional.

- The Akhenaton scenes are fictional.

I hope you enjoy the roller coaster ride! 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

This episode covers the Amarna Letters. These three hundred and eighty little clay tables give us first hand insight onto the daily correspondence between the kings, queens, vassals, soldiers, and couriers of the ancient world. They are so interesting to study that I could literally cover all three hundred and eighty of them. The Amarna Letters brings the ancient world to life and they show us what the ancients may have been feeling during specific times. I really hope you enjoy this episode because I loved making it. 

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

In this episode we discuss the collapse of the Egyptian empire. Following Akhenaton's heresy the entire world goes up in flame. Disaster strikes Egypt from within and requires the firm hand of a military general, Horemheb, to put everything back into place. What follows Horemheb is a new kind of leadership, a kind of leadership that integrates the military with the state. From every moment after this point, the military will have it's say, for good or for bad, in the matters of state. Horemheb integrates a new law reform that fights oppression and protects the poor to an extent. Looking back, I think I went too easy on Horemheb. He wasn't as benevolent as I made him out to be and I want to go on record saying that. But in any case, the man made huge reforms to the country and set the stage for the great Thutmoside dynasty that followed. Also, we cover King Tut in this episode. But Tutankhamun doesn't play much of a role in the annals of Egyptian history as many think he did. We cover him nonetheless. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

Okay guys, this episode is a really, really big leap. I unfold a lot of strange coincidences in this episode and try to make sense of all of it. Sometimes my curiosity takes me a little too far but I find it hard to believe that everything in this episode is strictly a coincidence. All I want to do is share some information that i've learned from several different sources and reiterate it in a way that everyone can understand and come to their own conclusion about. Here are my disclosures: 

- The Great Pyramid of Giza is an extremely difficult mystery to solve and that's why I make my assertions.

- The Project in the 2000s was moving the statue of Ramses II and not Ramses III. (Sorry, again I make mistakes.)

- The information that I've used has been taken from many sources but I piggy back off the works of the following:

1. The Revelation of the Pyramids - Documentary. 

2. The Builders of the Ancient Mysteries - Documentary.

3. Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Daniken. 

4. Ghosts of Atlantis by J. Douglas Kenyon.

5. Mankind in Amnesia by Immanuel Velikovsky. 

6. I also listen to a lot of Graham Hancock and he lends credence to this. But I am not putting words in his mouth. He is an excellent scholar and has raised my eyebrows about a lot of mysteries. I've read several of his works. 

I hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Deep Dives! 

It was hard ending this season if I can be honest. I've absolutely loved making these podcasts and have enjoyed every single minute of it. Nothing excites me more than studying, making podcasts, writing, and narrating. I tried my best to make this finale the best episode that I've ever put out. I put hours and hours into this one and wanted to bring this time in history to life. I really really hope you enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed making it. We cover the great Battle of Kadesh in this episode. We cover the greatest of all pharaohs - Ramses II or Ramses the Great - and he is such an interesting character. This of-course is my opinion (that he is the GOAT). But after I've mulled over all that I've covered I would have a hard time in not acknowledging him as the GOAT. So I think you'll really like this one. 

Anyways, please stay in touch with me. I'd love to chat with you. Reach out any time you want. My instagram is @inspirationpodcast and you can DM me with anything you want to talk about. I can't wait to put out this next season. Until then, stay intrigued and stay curious.

Thanks so much for listening,

Ethan

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