On the left side of the tablet is the following column of text:
Astronomic Features
1. Channel through stone
indicates celestial pole.
2. Horizontal slot indicates
annual travel of sun.
3. Sunbeam through capstone
marks noontime throughout
the year
Author: R.C. Christian
(a pseudonym) [sic]
Sponsors: A small group
of Americans who seek
the Age of Reason
Time Capsule
Placed six feet below this spot
On
To Be Opened on
The words appear as shown under the time capsule heading; no dates are engraved.
Physical Data
On the right side of the tablet is the following column of text (metric conversions added):
PHYSICAL DATA
1. OVERALL HEIGHT - 19 FEET 3 INCHES [5.87 m].
2. TOTAL WEIGHT - 237,746 POUNDS [107,840 kg].
3. FOUR MAJOR STONES ARE 16 FEET,
FOUR INCHES [4.98 m] HIGH, EACH WEIGHING
AN AVERAGE OF 42,437 POUNDS [19,249 kg].
4. CENTER STONE IS 16 FEET, FOUR-
INCHES [4.98 m] HIGH, WEIGHS 20,957
POUNDS [9,506 kg].
5. CAPSTONE IS 9-FEET, 8-INCHES [2.95 m]
LONG, 6-FEET, 6-INCHES [1.98 m] WIDE;
1-FOOT, 7-INCHES [0.48 m] THICK. WEIGHS
24,832 POUNDS [11,264 kg].
6. SUPPORT STONES (BASES) 7-FEET,
4 INCHES [2.24 m] LONG 2-FEET [0.61 m] WIDE.
1 FOOT, 4-INCHES [0.41 m] THICK, EACH
WEIGHING AN AVERAGE OF 4,875
POUNDS [2,211 kg].
7. SUPPORT STONE (BASE) 4-FEET,
2½ INCHES [1.28 m] LONG, 2-FEET, 2-INCHES [0.66 m]
WIDE, 1-FOOT, 7-INCHES [0.48 m] THICK.
WEIGHT 2,707 POUNDS [1,228 kg].
8. 951 CUBIC FEET [26.9 m³] GRANITE.
9. GRANITE QUARRIED FROM PYRAMID
QUARRIES LOCATED 3 MILES [5 km] WEST
OF ELBERTON, GEORGIA.
Guidestone languages
Below the two columns of text is written the caption "GUIDESTONE LANGUAGES", with a diagram of the granite slab layout beneath it. The names of eight modern languages are inscribed along the long edges of the projecting rectangles, one per edge. Starting from due north and moving clockwise around so that the upper edge of the northeast rectangle is listed first, they are English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. At the bottom center of the tablet is the following text:
Additional information available at Elberton Granite Museum & Exhibit
College Avenue
Elberton, Georgia
Astronomical Features
The hole in the central column runs diagonally up through the stone and points directly to the North Star.
The four outer stones are oriented to mark the limits of the 18.6 year lunar declination cycle. The center column features a hole drilled at an angle from one side to the other, through which can be seen the North Star, a star whose position changes only very gradually over time. The same pillar has a slot carved through it that is aligned with the Sun's solstices and equinoxes. A 7/8" aperture in the capstone allows a ray of sun to pass through at noon each day, shining a beam on the center stone indicating the day of the year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John W. Vance is the author of THE DEATH TRILOGY and THE DEFIANT series.
He is a former Marine and retired Intelligence Analyst with the CIA.
When not writing he spends as much time as he can either in the water or with his family.
He lives in complete bliss where the waves meet the shore.
He can be reached at http://www.jwvance.com
Additional books by John W. Vance
THE DEFIANT SERIES
THE DEFIANT: GRID DOWN
THE DEFIANT: AN UNBEATEN PATH
THE DEATH TRILOGY
THE DEATH: QUARANTINE
THE DEATH: ERADICATE
The Death: Extinction Page 15