By nameBy date

December 9, 1946

Dear Dr. Federn:

It was thoughtful of you to write me in response to my “Cosmos without Gravitation.” I am really happy that you are invited as a lecturer in the School for Asiatic Studies. I wish you every success. The day is not yet there when my word or recommendation will signify anything in the official academic circles; I would very much wish to be of use to you; may be that day will yet come.

I do not need mentioning that you will not discuss with Dr. Yahuda my theories.

It is good that you started to publish your papers. But in the case of Haremhab II you resurrected the old Haremhab for another existence with little chance to enjoy this second existence, as he is resurrected for a life that is already terminated. Seriously, for this little instance of a cartouche of Haremhab in an Ethiopian grave, you help yourself with creating Haremhab II; for my entire scheme I need no more than to have an Osorkon (?) in post-Ramses II time.

I have not yet a publisher, although I have a little hope: this time Macmillan. After the review of O’Neill was published by teh Herald Tribune, the Director of the Hayden Planetarium became interested to present my theory of the catastrophes of the past in their annual show of 1947; but they wait till I have a publisher, or till the book is published. Also a new venture in the field of magazines, ’47, the Magazine of the Year (of a large group of writers) invited from me and O’Neill an article about my cosmology; the Magazine will start in March and this paper, if it will be written, will appear probably in June. The thing that matters here is that the initiative for this invitation came from Harry Sherman, a President of the Book-of-the-Month Club and Mr. Fadiman, a judge of this organization; I did not know that the latter read my Cosmology.

I work hard to complete my cosmology. Occasionally I would like to ask your assistance. Boll. Sternglaube, p. 201, refers to two texts: Heraclitus, Homer. allegor. cap. 53 and Gennadius, Dialogus Christian c. Judaeo, p. 37, 23f. These texts must refer to collisions among the planets. Also Plato, Timaeus 40c; the available translation seems not precise.

Occasionally I found that Josephus’ manuscripts have Tutimaeus in two words: Would it be correct to read Taoui Timeus? (I do not remember, whether in Manetho edition of Loeb Library, or in their Josephus).

With thanks and as ever,

Im. Velikovsky

Your father and you were the first to react to my gravitation.


By nameBy date