Pyramids have been in the news recently: Thermal scans just showed the existence of “a

nomalies” in stones at Giza, suggesting empty spaces, warmer internal air currents or diffe

rent building materials. Already, online chatter turns to speculation that it’s a secret chamber hiding god-knows-what treasures. Last week, Bu

zzfeed posted an old video from 1998 showing pre

sidential candidate Ben Carson talking about how he believes, essentially, the same thing Bernard the monk believed almost 1,500 years ago. “My own pers

onal theory is the Joseph built the pyramids to store grain,” Carson said. “Now all the archaeologists think they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know,

it would have to be something awfully big if you stop an

d think about it.  ANT And I don’t

think it’d just disappear over the course of time to store that much grain.”

Carson has presented this idea as a Biblical view of history. Bernard probably would have, as well. But, in rea

lity, Genesis never mentions the pyramids or anything like them. Instead, Bernard and Carson are

both part of a different and equ

ally powerful Western tradition: Speculating wildly about the wonders of ancient Egypt for fun and profit.