Model and illustrations for the book The Manna Machine by George Sassoon and Rodney Dale
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The Manna Machine



George Sassoon and Rodney Dale
Illustrations by Martin Riches

In 1975 I was invited by my friend George Sassoon (1936-2008) to make the illustrations for his book The Manna Machine. George gave me a free hand in designing the physical appearance of the machine, drawing the illustrations and building a publicity model. We were soon joined by Rodney Dale (1933-2020) who as co-author edited the material and correlated the translations from the Ancient of Days texts of the Zohar. These texts were later presented in full in The Kabbalah Decoded.

What exactly was manna? In their search for an answer, George Sassoon and Rodney Dale began to research into Jewish texts, particularly the Zohar a collection of thirteenth-century writings from oral traditions which some believe date back to the time of the Exodus.

From these texts, they have drawn startling conclusions: that manna was a form of alga cultured in a machine, and that the mysterious texts of Zohar are an instruction-manual for that machine.

This exciting and provocative theory has at last made some sense of the Zohar texts, explains many biblical mysteries and Jewish customs, and throws new light on the possibility of ancient extra-terrestrial visitations. The full translation of the the Zohar texts is presented in The Kabbalah Decoded. The biological and engineering interpretation is explored in The Manna Machine.
    Components as described in the Zohar (with equivalent engineering terms)

  1. Mouth (air intake) carrying the Breath of Life via ...
  2. the Ring (annular duct) to ...
  3. the Brain of the Ancient One (dew still). The still is covered by ...
  4. the transparent Outer Skull of the Ancient One. The water runs into ...
  5. the Great Sea (chlorella culture-tank) where the manna production starts:
  6. it goes through the Hairs of the Beard of the Ancient One (gas exchange pipes).
    It is irradiated by the Upper Eye (the light-source in the centre of the culture-tank).
  7. The culture-tank is furnished with the Remnant (safety valve) and ...
  8. the Residue of the Brain (drain cock). Connected to the culture-tank are
  9. the Three Lower Eyes (tanks containing nutrient salts) fed via ...
  10. the Channels of the Lower Eyes (connecting pipes).
  11. The power for the machine comes from the Fire-containing Vessel (reactor) ...
  12. with its Keys (control rod actuators). Remote handling is performed by ...
  13. the Arm of the Small-faced One (mechanical arm and hand). Air flows through
  14. the Long Nose (ventilation duct) and over the reactor to cool it and rises up ...
  15. the Nose of the Small-faced One (exhaust) producing ...
  16. the Column of Smoke by Day and the Column of Fire by Night.
    A Buchner pump in the exhaust produces the vacuum to process the chlorella in ...
  17. the Cavities of the Brain of the Small-faced One (manna processing plant).
    The Buchner pump is connected to the Cavities of the Brain by ...
  18. the Beard of the Small-faced One (vacuum pipe manifold).
  19. The processed manna is stored in the Hosts (manna storage vessels)...
  20. and is drawn off through the Penis (manna discharge pipe) and ...
  21. the Cover of the Penis (vacuum lock). The machine stands upon ...
  22. Legs as Columns Six (six legs with rings for carrying poles) resting on…...
  23. the Throne (platform of stone) which is cast down when the machine is moved.
    The whole machine - the Ancient of Days - may be seperated into ...
  24. the Ancient One (top part) and ...
  25. the Small-faced One (bottom part). Between these two parts lie…...
  26. the Nakedness (interface unit) below which are…...
  27. the Crowns of the Small-faced One (inspection covers) and ...
  28. the Ear of the Small-faced One (communications unit).
Drawing of the Manna Machine
Ink and screentone on paper © Martin Riches 1976

Side view of the Manna Machine
A Manna Machine model. The original is on the book covers below left.
first edition cover     Publishing history:
  • The Manna Machine George Sassoon and Rodney Dale. Illustrations by Martin Riches. Sidgwick & Jackson 1978
  • The Kabbalah Decoded, a new translation of the Ancient of Days texts of the Zohar by George Sassoon edited by Rodney Dale. Duckworth 1978
  • Die Manna Maschine George Sassoon and Rodney Dale. Illustrationen von Martin Riches. Pabel-Moewig Verlag 1979
  • The Manna Machine George Sassoon and Rodney Dale. Illustrations by Martin Riches. Panther 1980
  • Die Manna Maschine George Sassoon and Rodney Dale. Illustrationen von Martin Riches. Ullstein, Berlin Verlag 1995
  • The Manna Machine was featured in the TV programme The Evidence / The History Channel, USA 2010.
Sidgewick and Jackson cover Panther edition cover Panther edition cover Ullstein edition cover
In the meantime the Manna Machine has been featured in books by other authors:
Die Ewigkeits_Maschine cover Die Entdeckung des Heiligen Grals cover
  • Die Entdeckung des Heiligen Grals
    (The Discovery of the Holy Grail)
    1983
  • Die Ewigkeits-Maschine
    (The Eternity Machine)
    1998.

    Both these books are by
    Johannes and Peter Fiebag.

    Works by other authors are in preparation

In 1976, during the preparation of the Manna Machine book, I attended the 3rd World Congress of the Ancient Astronaut Society at Crikvenice, Yugoslavia. During the congress I joined the authors George Sassoon, Erich von Däniken and Ing. Josef F. Blumrich on the terrace of the hotel in a scéance intended to attract a flying saucer.

PS.

drawing of Brain of the Ancient One: Martin Riches drawing of dew bank
Manna Machine Dew Bank
I came across an interesting desert dew-collector or Dew Bank designed by Kitae Pak in 2010 and presented by Yanko Design.
By chance it looks remarkably similar to the Brain of the Ancient One (the dew still at the top of the Manna Machine.).
Kitae Pak's version was inspired by a Namibian desert beetle that drinks the water which condenses on its wings.