Edwin Barnhart

Doomsday fanatics believe that a lost civilization predicted our fate more than 1,000 years ago – that the world will come to an end on 21st December 2012. They claim that fire will pour down from the skies and the oceans will rise up and swallow the land. They are adamant destruction on this date is certain, and evidence confirming our impending doom can be found in ancient calendars and the movements of the stars and planets. ’2012 Apocalypse’ investigates these plausible planetary disasters and whether or not they determine if the end of life on Earth really is lurking just around the corner.

December 21, 2012. This date, identified by the Maya nearly 1,400 years ago, has in recent years become the source of great curiosity and debate. Some believe it will bring catastrophic events. Others, an era of enlightenment. But what did the ancient Maya themselves believe? In 2012: THE BEGINNING, we travel the world to examine what the Sacred Maya texts really say. Throughout, our journey is guided by noted archaeologists, scholars, and the living Maya, who take us into the field--to the very origins of the Maya Long Count Calendar--and into their lives and sacred ceremonies. Together, these people from very different worlds shed light on a date that has long been shrouded in mystery and intrigue.