Back Cover Request

Submitted by Greg on Tue, 2009-09-15 07:52

Any United States readers out there able to take a good quality high-res image of the back cover for us foreigners? Our covers are different, so we don't get a chance to solve the extra puzzles unless we get access to a good quality image.

Update: Thanks to Tim for sending in a scan of the back cover! For anyone like me, that can't access the US edition, here it is (click on the thumbnail to view full size - around 2MB in size):

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Anonymous wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

Email Me

I woke up early today to buy this book. I was excited, I have been waiting years like most Brown fans.

I have a hi-def camera and would be happy to help you. Unless I missed it somewhere I didn't see an address to send it to. So you can email me at: embrey72ATgoogleDOTcom

Replace the 'at' and 'dot' with the actual symbols. I did that so spam bots couldn't read it.

Anonymous wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

other codes on cover

is there another contest I don't know about?

Anonymous wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

Other codes

The little four by four square on the back says something pretty cool when you figure out the code. Hint: checkout page 263.

Still working on the Masonic code. Looks like two messages (one on each side of the "critical raves"). I think I need the key word. Hmmm. Any help out there?

UDbmas wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

RE: Other codes post #3

The two sets are actually one quote.

UDbmas wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

RE: Other codes post #3 PS:

No keyword needed, just get the right set of graphs.

Anonymous wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

Other Codes on Back Cover

The back Code (either side of the Critical Reviews) is easy to decypher if you use Brown's version of the cypher script on page 197. It differs from the actual Masonic script on other occult sources. Enjoy - Jesus Christ is LORD.

Anonymous wrote 3 years 35 weeks ago

Other Codes on Back Cover

The code on the back cover on either side of the critical reviews is easy to decypher if you use Browns version of the Masonic cypher script on page 197. It differs from the actual Masonic cypher as cited in other occult sources. Enjoy - Jesus Christ is LORD

tbeyer wrote 3 years 34 weeks ago

Cover deciphered

Karly Wentz of Middlebury College (a student of mine) writes:

The first code appears on the back cover. If you rotate the book 90 degrees clockwise, there is an orange code written across the top and bottom of the page. Using the decoding system from page 197, the code is translated to reveal, “ALL GREAT TRUTHS BEGIN AS BLASPHEMIES.”

This is a quote by George Bernard Shaw from his play Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empress. Shaw won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925. I couldn’t find a summary of the play, but the entire one act piece was written in 1918, and is online at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Annajanska,_the_Bolshevik_Empress. In my opinion, this could allude to Brown’s next book having to do with the Bolshevik Revolution or Russian history.

The next code is a 4x4 grid on the bottom left corner of the back cover, to the left of the last review. Using Albrecht Dürer’s “magic square” (the one Langdon found on his piece Melencolia I) on page 262, I solved the grid in the same way that Langdon solved his Masonic cipher. Each number on the grid represents the number of the square where the letter in the matching grid should go. For example, if you look below, ‘Y’ should go to the 16th square, ‘U’ should go to the third square, ‘O’ should go to the second square, etc.

16 3 2 13
5 10 11 8
9 6 7 12
4 15 14 1

Durer’s Magic Square

Y U O E
M S T D
I I N H
R E K Y

Scrambled Grid on Back Cover

Y O U R
M I N D
I S T H
E K E Y

Grid After Using Magic Square Cipher

As you can see, the decoded grid says, “YOUR MIND IS THE KEY.” For this I basically just got a lot of pages on theories similar to “The Secret.” This could relate to one’s mind being the key to cracking his codes on the cover, or the power of the mind through noetic science as seen in The Lost Symbol. Brown’s books always have a scientific field described in them. Perhaps his next book could contain information on neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, particularly the brain. Today, scientists are learning more and more about the brain, including that our emotions are no more than hormones being released in our bodies. Maybe that could be highlighted in his next book?

Anonymous wrote 3 years 33 weeks ago

What About the Letters and Numbers?

I managed to decipher the masonic code, and the magic square, but has anyone managed to solve the letters and numbers? Over the front and back cover there are pairs of a letter and a number: A2, G9, I1, E8, D7, F2, H5, C2, B1, J5. I have tried different combinations, even putting it alphabetically from A to J (the resulting numbers are 2127829515 - kind of looks like a telephone #) Anyone has any idea what they could mean?

Greg wrote 3 years 32 weeks ago

Correct

Anonymous wrote:
I have tried different combinations, even putting it alphabetically from A to J (the resulting numbers are 2127829515 - kind of looks like a telephone #) Anyone has any idea what they could mean?

That's the correct decoding. The number (212) 782 9515 is a Random House phone number for the the 'Symbol Quest' competition. The first 33 callers to that number received signed copies of The Lost Symbol from Dan Brown. Unfortunately, all 33 were gone by an hour or so after the book hit shelves.

Kind regards,
Greg

Anonymous wrote 3 years 32 weeks ago

PH NUMBER

IT WAS RIGHT ON THE JACKET I CANT BELIEVE I MISSED IT

Anonymous wrote 3 years 29 weeks ago

what about the other 2 codes?

If you play the online symbol quest, you get a message from Dan Brown about five codes on the book: the phone #, the grid and the orange symbols by the reviews but that still leaves 2 codes.
On the front cover there is a ring of orange symbols and a series of very small orange numbers and dashes.

Anonymous wrote 3 years 29 weeks ago

phone number + 2 other quests

I found a total of 10 letter/number combinations on the front/back/spine of the cover, and if you place them in alphabetical order, you get a NYC area code telephone number. I called, but the recording is hard to understand (not sure if man was speaking in English) and somewhat spooky. I see someone else discovered this too, but did you call? Did anyone else call?

This quest, along with the magic square grid (reveals a message) & the orange symbols in the back (produces a quote), also brings me to 3 quests.

I do see the tiny numbers on the front cover (on the outside top & on the outside bottom of the orange ring), and I'm guessing this is the 4th quest, but I've not deciphered this one yet.

Also, perhaps the orange ring's symbols is the 5th quest (I've not figured this one out yet either), as Dan Brown mentioned 5 quests in his recording I received once I completed the Symbol Quest, which may be found here:
http://www.thelostsymbol.com/symbolquest/index.php

Finally, inspecting the back cover, I discovered in orange, "As Above" & "So Below" .. in the border/frame's rounded top & bottom respectively. I'm not sure if this is perhaps a clue to be used with one or more of the 5 quests. It kinda came in handy for me with the back cover's orange symbols, and am wondering if it'll help me with the tiny orange numbers, as I called it the 4th quest.

Hmm

Anonymous wrote 3 years 25 weeks ago

Letter m in the Franklin Square

In the Franklin square there is a letter m with a hook on the right leg. Does anyone know what this letter/symbol is or represents please?

Anonymous wrote 3 years 24 weeks ago

The numbers and dashes on the

The numbers and dashes on the front cover can be deciphered by using the same decoding that was used for the end numbers in Digital Fortress.

Anonymous wrote 3 years 22 weeks ago

Decipher

Ok..heres what i have..
THE POPES PANTHEON..thats the numbers with the dashes. Its the first letter of the corresponding chapters.
The A2-B1-C2 ...etc which is scattered throughout the book cover and back is a phone number 212-782-9515.. it has a recording which sounds backwards, I guess you need to record it somehow and play THAT backwards to hear what the guy is saying... what i dont get is whats with the letters in front of the numbers..why are they there???
the 4x4 chart says YOUR MIND IS THE KEY...
and ofcourse the masonic cypher says all great truths....etc...

the other 2 I cant get..

Greg wrote 3 years 22 weeks ago

Code solutions

Here's the solutions to all the codes from The Lost Symbol cover.

Kind regards,
Greg

jennifercrbl wrote 3 years 22 weeks ago

the curved "M"

if the leg of the M is curved or hook, it could double as one of two zodiac signs. I believe that the landscape of DC was based off the constellations. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. Do you think there is a connection?

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