2012 and the End of the World

The Western Roots of the Maya Apocalypse

Matthew Restall, Amara Solari

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN: 9781442206113
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Latin American & Caribbean History
• Index: History

Did the Maya really predict that the world would end in December of 2012? If not, how and why has 2012 millenarianism gained such popular appeal? In this deeply knowledgeable book, two leading historians of the Maya answer these questions in a succinct, readable, and accessible style. Matthew Restall and Amara Solari introduce, explain, and ultimately demystify the 2012 phenomenon. They begin by briefly examining the evidence for the prediction of the world's end in ancient Maya texts and images, analyzing precisely what Maya priests did and did not prophesize. The authors then convincingly show how 2012 millenarianism has roots far in time and place from Maya cultural traditions, but in those of medieval and Early Modern Western Europe. Revelatory any myth-busting, while remaining firmly grounded in historical fact, this fascinating book will be essential reading as the countdown to December 21, 2012, begins.

Table of contents

• Figures
• Introduction
• • 1 • The History of the End of the World
• • 2 • They Deserve Better
• • 3 • God Is Angry
• • 4 • The Moctezuma Factor
• • 5 • Apocalypto
• • 6 • We Are Almost There
• Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading
• About the Authors