The Phaistos Disc of Crete

This page is about my translation of the Phaistos Disc of Crete, also the Journal of the Prophet Ezekiel.

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The Phaistos Disc of Crete.
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The Phaistos Disc is the only example of its kind, as no other inscription bearing similarly shaped signs have been found. It was discovered on the 3rd of July 1908 by L. Pernier, during an excavation he supervised at the Minoan palace of Phaistos in Southern Crete.
It is a practically round disc of baked clay, with a diameter of about 160 mm and an average thickness of about 16 mm, and it shows signs on both sides. The signs are in between spiral lines, and clusters of signs are separated by vertical lines. In this way side A contains 31 words or groups of words and the other side 30. The terms side A and side B were already used by Pernier, side A being used for the side with the floral pattern in the middle.
It is thought to date to around 1700 BC, (from associated archaelogical context). The earliest and latest dates put forward are 1700 and 1400 B.C. respectively. Because no other similar artifacts have ever been found anywhere else in Crete, it is thought that the object is foreign, brought in from another place. The place of its origin is extremely speculative, although subtle clues may exist in the highly pictorial signs on the disc. A sign depicts a helmet with crest, which was used later by Philistines. Another sign depict a structure similar to sarcophagus used by the Lycians of Asia Minor.
Because there is essentially no variation between different copies of the same symbol, it is very likely that stamps where used to create these highly detailed signs, by imprinting into the moist clay. Whilst not really a printed work, the Phaistos Disc can perhaps be thought of as the earliest typewritten work.

The Phaistos Disc: deciphered by Clive Snowdon.

The clues to its decryption lies in these simple questions:
Why were the Phaistos Disc characters printed? (The symbols are obviously well constructed and meaningfull).
Why has there only ever been one found? (Plenty of other more delicate pottery survives the ages!)
CLICK HERE FOR EXPLANATION PAGE.

(Some of the pictograms resemble Egyptian Heiroglyphs). The disc is read clockwise, starting from the outer rim, (looking into the faces). Complete phrases are demarked within blocks. Ends of sentences are punctuated by an oblique slash at the base of the symbol.
A few of the pictograms meanings can only be guessed, due to their low number of occurences, or damage.
(I have marked these accordingly, eg. ?).
The pictogram of a fish probably means GAVE. (In Ancient Egypt, fish were often used to pay the temple).

For more information about the author: CLICK HERE

Side A. Side B. Disc embossed. Disc Symbols.

(Click an image to view it).

The Phaistos Disc translated by Clive Snowdon.
CLICK HERE for the more detailed translation page.
The General mightiness sought.
The High Priest,
The offering the greatest in Heaven.
Many offerings were killed,
The General a courier gave,
To the greatest person in highest Heaven,
Person something? took,
The Generals' wife sought a son?,
Restlessly prayed,
The General message above prayed,
Important messanger in Heaven,
The General peace with God made.
The harvest grew. (A season passed)
A warrior to please work God sought,
Desired power.
The General grew restless,
The General of many people prayed is ruled by HIM,
Gave to God,
The General grew restless.
A warrior to please work God sought,
Desired power.
The General grew restless.
The General captured the peace emissary,
Wife sought an answer? from above,
Grew very restless,
The great General,
To God above prayed.
Work artisan created,
The General of many people prayed is ruled by HIM,
Mightiness,
Work artisan created.
(over)
The General the sacrifice servant in Heaven.
The greatest person in Heaven prayed,
Soldier is ruled by God in person,
The sacrifice to please person,
Gave to the High Priestess,
Rebel God sought payment?,
Mightiness the harvest gave,
Ally in Heaven mightiness sought,
The sacrifice is ruled by God? to please,
In Heaven the Priest prayed,
The soldier grew spiritual,
Person to please authorised,
The Altar Priestess prayed,
Rebel prisoner sought,
The offering gave power,
Wife prayed peace with the harvest gave,
Soldier given? authority,
The offering the spirit in Heaven took,
The offering took strength,
The offering the greatest in Heaven.
The sacrificial offering the spirit in Heaven took.
The person was killed to please God,
In Heaven sought prayed,
In Heaven the greatest in Heaven.
In Heaven God sought Temple,
The sacrificial offering the spirit in Heaven took.
Given? something?(a child) the harvest sought in Heaven,
The soldier's wife prayed to God in Heaven,
The offering was killed to please God,
The greatest in Heaven.
(end)

The Journal of the Prophet Ezekiel.
Fully restored and translated into Modern English by Clive Snowdon 2003,
compared to the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin editions and with the King James version,
(including the New Testament published by the English College at Douay).
Chapter 1.
On the 5.4.30, (the 5th year of King Jehoiachin's captivity), as I was among the
captives by the river of Chebar, the skies opened and I saw the vehicle of God.
The Messenger of the Lord came to Ezekiel [Ezechiel] the priest (the son of Buzi), in
the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, and the hand of the Lord was on him there:
"I looked and saw, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, a fire enfolding
itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst of the fire, resembling
the colour of amber, in the midst there was the likeness of four living creatures.
And this is their description: There was the resemblance of a man in them, ..."
This text appeared so obscure and full of mystery to the ancient Hebrews
that none were allowed to read it before they were thirty years old!
Download the FULL translation HERE. (ezekiel.zip) 115Kb (Zipped word document).

The Epic of Gilgamesh.
For your perusal, translated into Modern English by Clive Snowdon 2004.
Download the translation HERE. (epic_gilgamesh.zip) 157Kb (Zipped word document).

E-Mail the author: OriginalCapsMan@yahoo.co.uk

Clive Snowdon,
12A Helford Road,
Peterlee,
Co.Durham,
SR8 1ER,
England.

For more info about author,
CLICK IMAGE.

MY TROPHY CABINET.

Visit a good Phaistos Disc decipherment update, web link page.

Go to the Herakleion Museum web page.