Dr. Ben Carson on Wednesday night confirmed his belief that the pyramids in Egypt were built for grain storage by Joseph, the Biblical figure who helped the Egyptians survive famine, even though archaeologists have concluded that the pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs.

“My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids to store grain,” Carson said in a 1998 speech surfaced by Buzzfeed News on Wednesday. “Now all the archeologists think that they were made for the pharaohs’ graves. But, you know, it would have to be something awfully big if you stop and think about it. And I don’t think it’d just disappear over the course of time to store that much grain.”

In his 1998 speech, Carson also dismissed the theory that aliens helped construct the pyramids because “it doesn’t require an alien being when God is with you.”

When asked if he stands by his 1998 comments by CBS News on Wednesday night, Carson said, “It’s still my belief, yes.”

The retired neurosurgeon said that “the pyramids were made in a way that they had hermetically sealed compartments.”

“You would need that if you were trying to preserve grain for a long period of time,” he said.