Ben van Kerkwyk

Date: 2025-09-03 | Duration: 3h 4m

Category: Science, Paranormal & Conspiracy

Episode Overview

Ancient history researcher Ben van Kerkwyk returns for a third JRE conversation to continue the deep dive into Egypt, the Sphinx, and the implications of alternative archaeological timelines. The episode revisits the Hawara remediation project and the logistical scale of what would be required to excavate there properly. Van Kerkwyk returns to a core argument: Egyptian records contain no scenes of building pyramids or carving colossal statues — we simply don't have direct evidence of the process. He praises the intellectual honesty of early Egyptologists like Flinders Petrie, who were candid about what they didn't know. The conversation covers radioactive testing of pyramid core samples, the symbolic interpretation of Egyptian afterlife texts as the soul entering immortal realms, and detailed analysis of water erosion on pyramid and Sphinx stones and what erosion rates actually imply about age. Softer limestone construction techniques vs hard granite work are distinguished. The episode closes with a diplomatic suggestion that Zahi Hawass could claim credit for any future discoveries and still be celebrated — just get on board.

About Ben van Kerkwyk

Ben van Kerkwyk is an independent researcher renowned for his deep dives into ancient mysteries, blending history, archaeology, and modern technology to uncover hidden truths about our past. As the creator of the YouTube channel UnchartedX, he has captivated audiences with his thought-provoking analyses and unique insights into ancient civilizations, lost technologies, and unexplained phenomena. Ben's passion for unraveling the enigmas of history has made him a prominent voice in the field, engaging listeners on platforms like the Joe Rogan Experience, where he shares his compelling theories and discoveries, challenging conventional narratives and inspiring curiosity about our world’s ancient heritage.

Key Moments

– Hawara remediation — the scale required to excavate it properly
– No Egyptian records showing how pyramids or colossal statues were built
– Flinders Petrie's intellectual honesty about what he didn't know
– Radioactive testing of pyramid core samples
– Egyptian afterlife texts — soul entering the immortal realm symbolically
– Water erosion analysis — what erosion rates imply about the Sphinx's age
– Soft limestone vs hard granite construction techniques
0:20:33 – Hawara remediation project — not simple; the scale of excavation required
0:37:36 – No Egyptian records of building pyramids or making colossal statues — what we use instead
0:57:21 – Flinders Petrie was very open about what he didn't know — a model for honest archaeology
1:16:44 – Radioactive testing of pyramid cores — has anyone actually tested them?
1:32:44 – Egyptian afterlife texts — symbolic interpretation of the soul entering immortal realms
2:04:26 – Water erosion analysis — running water over stone and what the erosion rates tell us
2:21:30 – Softer stone is much easier — columns from rounds vs a single flared piece
2:59:11 – Zahi Hawass — just say you found it; everybody will celebrate you

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 Joe Rogan podcast checking out The Joe Rogan Experience Train by day Joe Rogan podcast by night All day Ben so excited to talk to you man I have been so looking forward to this Since I saw your video on the Labyrinthus in Egypt Spoiler alert Starting point is 00:00:21 There appears to be a 40 meter long metallic tick-tac shaped object How deep into the ground? It's in that, so it's in the central atrium, which we'll get into what that is, but somewhere in the realm of 60, 70 meters. So, man, what's that in feet? Like 200 feet, 150 to 180 feet down, something like that. So for anybody who's interested, what is the name of that video that you put out? I think it's the ancient structure like it's said to be greater than the pyramids. Starting point is 00:00:53 I try to tease it a little bit, but it's on that. It's on my channel. Well, it was a good tease. You got me. Thank you. I dove right in. And I remember, I was in the gym when I was watching it, and I literally stopped working out. I was like, okay, I've got to pause this because this is not something that I can consume why I'm working out. Starting point is 00:01:09 I need to, like, really pay attention to this because it's so wild. Yeah, and I honestly, I'm grateful for how, like, that video took off. Like, for me, it took off way bigger than ones that I've done in the past. I talked about the labyrinth in the past, and it's a much longer video. And I was really glad to get the chance to dive into these details because I've been wanting to revisit the labyrinth. labyrinth for a long time. However, there's just been recently a bunch of new data that came up about things that happened a decade or two ago, or inside the last decade, that really changed that picture. And it was things like the Merlin Borough scans that correlated other scans and Starting point is 00:01:46 also reported on, yeah, there seems to be a metallic object down there. And this isn't, you know, this isn't sort of c...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #2374?

Ben van Kerkwyk was the guest on JRE #2374. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #2374?

On Joe Rogan Experience #2374 with Ben van Kerkwyk, topics include Hawara remediation — the scale required to excavate it, No Egyptian records showing how pyramids or colossal, Flinders Petrie's intellectual honesty about what he, and Radioactive testing of pyramid core samples.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #2374?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #2374 with Ben van Kerkwyk is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.