T H EO R I ES AND HYPOTH ESES AGREST'S T H EORY Because of the variety of their implications, theories that relate the UFO phenomenon to the older subjects of debate and reflection are of great human interest. These theories seem to receive more support from traditional texts and legends than from objective archaeological facts. Although often presented as unusual interpretations of religious be liefs, they do not generally contradict them. According to Professor Agrest, a Russian physicist, "visi tors" could have come to our planet, not from another world in our system, · but from an inhabited planet of a distant star. 0 In an interview with P. Calkin and W. Chernin, published in ( 177 ) , Agrest said that he felt these visitors may have landed in the Near East, where remains of puz zling ancient structures have been found. One of these is the Baalbek Platform, in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, made of stone slabs weighing about two thousand pounds each and carried from a quarry at the foot of the hill. Professor Agrest claims that this theory, according to which the builders of these monuments were of extraterrestrial origin, is supported by four categories of traces or other indications : ( 1 ) Tektites, mysterious glasslike stones which contain radioactive isotopes of aluminum and beryllium and are not older than a few million years, might be remains of experi ments performed by the "visitors." ( 2 ) Monuments of ancient art, especially the pictures showing "round head" figures in the French Sahara, could be images of "spacemen." ( 3 ) Ancient religious traditions that speak of "gods" and "sons" of gods" who descended to earth and of a man named Enoch, who was taken alive to Heaven, might be considered references to the same category of events. ( 4 ) Ancient scientific treatises that seem to contain more than would be expected from primitive knowledge might reflect fragments of early teachings once handed to earth men by the "visitors" and preserved in fragments. Professor Agrest's hypothesis is certainly stimulating, but it could lead to grave pitfalls. It does not represent archaeolog-
0 Agrest's theory was favorably reviewed by George Os troumov in ( 187 ) . 221