William Henry interview - Lost Symbols

Investigative mythologist and author William Henry talked about the significance of the art and symbols in the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol was thought of as a recreation of Solomon's Temple by its builders, Freemasons, who conceived of the building as a "beehive" buzzing with energy, he said. Higher wisdom flows through the Capitol's spiritual imagery, particularly in the painting, The Apotheosis of Washington (see images below), which is featured in the dome of the Rotunda, he shared, adding that the dome of the Capitol is a mirror image of the one in the Vatican. The painting depicts the first President as a deified being along with five pagan gods who are symbols for alchemy. He noted that a scene in Dan Brown's new bestseller, The Lost Symbol, features a character staring up into the Capitol dome and seeing the painting transform into a gateway. This imagery shares similarities to Henry's work into stargates or portals, which he believes humans can ascend to higher consciousness. The bell-shaped Capitol Dome could be thought of as a kind of stupa that creates a vortex or field of energy, he continued. Interestingly, Henry detailed that the Capitol contains a "crypt", one story beneath the Rotunda. It has 40 columns and was modeled after the ancient Temple of Poseidon-- this was a way for the United States to pay homage to Atlantis, he commented.