title: 13 B'aktun: Mayan Visions of 2012 and Beyond
author: Gaspar Pedro Gonzalez
description: Gaspar Pedro Gonzlez's <i>13 B'aktun</i> offers something unique: a contemporary Mayan intellectual's passionate inquiry into the meaning of the end of the Long Count calendar that interweaves ancient cosmology with modern history. Gonzlez proposes that the completion of the cycle will be the opening of a new era for human growth and renewal, as our species reckons with the horrors we have unleashed and embraces a deeper purpose. In Robert Sitler's compelling translation, <i>13 B'aktun</i> offers a valuable addition to the literature around 2012: what it portends and what may soon follow.<br />Daniel Pinchbeck, author of <i>Toward 2012: Perspectives on the Next Age</i> and <i>2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl</i><br /><br />This is an important offering from a contemporary Mayan philosopher and scholar who uses the classical format of a dialogue to engagingly convey his insights into the vital and relevant worldview of his culture. A thorough foreword by Robert Sitler, the book's translator, puts Gaspar Pedro Gonzlez's unprecedented contribution into proper context, identifying it as a much needed Mayan perspective on 2012, a subject that has become confused by an exploitative marketplace that has very often disregarded its authentic Mayan origins. Here is a voice that unites ancient wisdom with modern concerns.<br />John Major Jenkins, author of <i>The 2012 Story: The Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History</i> <br /><br />Gaspar Pedro Gonzlez harnesses the ancient Mayan cosmo-vision regarding 2012 into an impassioned plea for world transformation. <br />Mark Borax, author of <i>2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future</i><br /><br /><i>13 B'aktun</i> is an open door to ancestral knowledge, a sacred ceremony with the fire of wisdom from one of the most luminous civilizations in the history of humanity. It breaks down [doomsday] fears and provides an explanation of Mayan prophecies through the oral tradition. It is a jewel for those who love the truth and respect cultural identity.<br />Marco Antonio Sagastume Gemmell, Human Rights Advisor, University of San Carlos, Guatemala
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  > Praise for Edward G. Talbot
  
  > “Talbot is a rising star worth following.”
  
  > —JEREMY ROBINSON, author of Instinct and Threshold
  
  > ![](images/00001.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  > The Mayan Legacy
  
  > Originally published as 2012: The Fifth World
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  > PART ONE: Altercation
  
  > ![](images/00008.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  > PROLOGUE
  
  > The Yucatan Peninsula
  
  > Mayan Long Count: 10.10.10.10.10, Tzolkin 1 Oc, Haab 13 Pax
  
  > (September, 1037 A.D.)
  
  > ![](images/00007.jpg)
  
  > Balaam wasn't expecting his world to fall apart that day. However, an
  > apocalypse can put a dent in the best of plans.
  
  > As he passed under the sacred arch leading to the temple, the smell of
  > carrion reached his nostrils. He wiped his face, as if to dispel the odor,
  > and his hands came away covered with grime and sweat. His legs felt heavy
  > moving up the weathered stone steps, and he knew it wasn't all due to
  > fatigue from his twelve hour journey. The stench increased, his heart
  > started beating faster, and he wondered 