2012 and the End of the World ─ The Western Roots of the Maya Apocalypse

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. Metthew Restall and AmaraSolari 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. Revelatory and myth-busting, while remaining firmly grounded in historical fact, this fascinating book will be essential reading as the countdown to December 21, 2012, begins.

Matthew Restall and Amara Solari are specialists in Maya culture and colonial Mexican history. Between them they have more than thirty years of experience studying Mayan languages and researching the Maya past in the towns and archives of Mexico, Central America, and Spain. Their knowledge of Yucatec Maya gives them the rare ability to decipher the original Maya texts. Both teach at the Pennsylvania State University. Restall is Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Latin American History and Anthropology and has published more than a dozen books, including Maya Conquistador and Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. Solari is assistant professor of art history and anthropology, has published articles on colonial Maya mapping systems, and has written a book on Itzmal, Yucatan.