THE PYRAMIDS OF NUBIA

Hello My Friend and Welcome. 

Technically, a pyramid is geometric solid with a square base and four isosceles (equal–sided) triangles forming its sides. But to most people a pyramid is any structure that is more or less shaped like a triangle.  

Say the word pyramid, and people immediately think Egypt. But they do exist in other places. An example is the Transamerica Building in downtown San Francisco. Even though it is technically not a pyramid, everyone calls it the Transamerica Pyramid. By this definition, the Assyrian Ziggurats are a type of pyramid as well as the Mayan temples of Central America. The last Egyptian pyramid was built in Abydos by the first king of the Eighteenth Dynasty, Ahmose I, who ruled from 1549-1524 BC. Remember that date; it’s going to become important. 

NOT THE ONLY PYRAMIDS

Interestingly enough, there are other pyramids — real pyramids, not just pointy structures —  on the African continent. As a matter of fact, the ancient kingdom Nubia (now known as The Sudan) had twice as many pyramids as Egypt. And you’ve probably never even heard of them until now. 

It was the Greek philosopher Strabo who, after meeting members of the Nabo tribe in the First Century, dubbed their land Nubia. A thousand years before Strabo was born, the Egyptians had called it Ta-Seti, or the Land of the Bow. In the Old Testament it is known as Kush and the only pyramid builder the Bible mentions is King Taharqa, who ruled from 690 – 664 BC. Let’s revisit those dates. Why did the Nubians…Ta-Setis…Kushites…whatever, begin building pyramids eight centuries after the Egyptians abandoned the practice? 

The answer lies in the historic relationship between the two regions. For over a thousand years the Egyptians dominated Nubia. The frescoes showing the Nubians bringing tribute to the Pharaohs depict them as darker and with curly hair. This was clearly intended to show that the Egyptians were different from, and therefore superior to, the Nubians.  

Frescoe of Nubians Bringing Tribute

But over time Egypt declined and Nubia eventually broke free. However, after thousands of years of commerce and interchange, the Nubians worshipped the same gods and shared the same culture. In 722 BC, when Egypt was at its weakest, the Nubian King, Piye, marched north and conquered his ancestor’s former masters. Rather than seeing themselves as outsiders, he and his successors called themselves Pharaohs and established Egypt’s 25^th Dynasty.  

ELABORATE TOMBSTONES

Yet when Piye died, he was returned to Nubia for burial and above his grave there was…you guessed it…a pyramid! Clearly these rulers saw themselves as cut from the same cloth as Egypt’s great rulers. Rulers who, as a testimony to their power, had been buried within pyramids. 

This is where we encounter another Nubian quirk. Their pyramids were not tombs. This confused grave robbers and archaeologists alike until it was discovered that the Nubians cut their burial chambers in to the bedrock. The stairway leading to the burial chamber would be filled in after burial and the pyramid constructed on top. In order to accomplish this, the deceased successors would have to have constructed the pyramid. In effect the pyramids were nothing more than an elaborate tombstone.

This practice continued for 300 years. Eventually the Assyrians drove the Nubian ruler out of Egypt and the Nubians were forced into a long retreat into the southern reaches of their homeland.  They began building pyramids in an isolated area called Meroe around 270 BC and, out of contact with Egypt and the rest of the world, continued for hundreds of years.

Christianity eventually reached the kingdom of Meroe and sometime around 350 AD a king of Meroe built the last pyramid ever constructed on the African continent.

Queen Amanishaketo"s Gold & Jeweled Bracelet

GOING TOPLESS IN THE DESERT

You can thank treasure hunter Guiseppe Ferlini for the deteriorated condition of the Nubian pyramids. He obtained permission to explore and excavate in 1934 from the governor of Khartoum. After fighting off lions, he arrived at Meroe and struck gold, the jewels of Queen Amanishaketo who ruled around the time of the birth of Christ. Rather than admit that he had discovered her underground burial chamber, he said he found the jewelry in a chamber at the top of the pyramid. When word spread, other treasure-hunters flocked to the area and began tearing open the tops of the pyramids searching for treasure that wasn’t there. The end result was lots of damaged pyramids. 

On Friday, we’ll be examining the ancient game known as Tabula. 

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings. 

If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see other recent posts and visit our archives.

REVIVING ANCIENT TRADITIONS of ISRAEL

Blowing the Shofar (Ram's Horn) Begins the Ceremony

Hello My Friend and Welcome.  

Renewing a tradition of ancient Israel, hundreds of women gathered again to celebrate the Tu B'Av (the 15th of Jewish month of Av) holiday on the biblical site of Shiloh in the region allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. For centuries the young women of Shiloh would go out to the vineyards and orchards and dance on the joyous holiday of Tu B'Av. This month a group of Israeli women returned to the orchards in a multifaceted celebration of dance organized by the Benjamin Regional Council.

LINKS TO THE EARLIEST OF TIMES

This tradition of dancing in the vineyards and orchards began very early in Jewish history. It is recounted in Judges 21:16-23. We are told that, since the Benjamites had no wives, the other tribes sent maidens to Shiloh to dance in the vineyards. While they danced, the Benjamite men hid amid the surrounding vegetation. When each of them saw a young woman they wanted, they caught her, and married her. Hence the Benjamites secured wives and the other tribes were absolved of any responsibility.

Shiloh played an interesting role in ancient Israel. During the period of the Judges the sanctuary of God, designated a temple, was first built in Shiloh (Judges 18:31). Samuel’s parents also went to Shiloh and his mother, Hannah, prayed to the Lord and offered to consecrate the child he would give her. (1 Samuel 1:9-24). And the Ark of the Covenant was stored in the temple at Shiloh prior to it being captured by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 4:3-17).

A HISTORY OF DANCING BEFORE THE LORD

The Jews as a people have a long history of singing and dancing to the Lord. Miryam, the prophet and sister of Moses and Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines dancing, as Miryam said to them: “Sing to Adonai, for He is exalted! The horse and its rider he threw into the sea!” (Exodus15:20) We know that David danced as the Ark was brought into Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 14-17). Several Psalms also reference singing and dancing before the Lord.

The women at Shiloh participated in various dance workshops including modern dance, belly dancing, flamenco, and finally a central dance in the main square overlooking the site of the ancient Mishkan (Tabernacle) of Shiloh.

BENEFITS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS

One participant in the festival described the experience to Israel National News. “The workshops were amazing,” she said. “I learned how to dance Flamenco style from a true expert. The Noga dance troupe, comprised of religious women, put on a talented and surprisingly modern performance. Afterwards, it was really uplifting to dance together with my good friends. It was so much fun.” 

Festival organizer, Tamar Asraf said, “For a moment, hundreds of women were able to stop the race of life, to connect to themselves, to remove the partitions, and to renew the holiday of Tu B'Av where it all began – here in Shiloh.” 

Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings 

If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see other recent posts and visit our archives.

FREE PROMOTION - LOST by E G LEWIS

A final reminder for Sowing the Seeds readers regarding the Free Promotion of my novel, LOST. Today is the last day to get the Kindle edition free on Amazon. If you are an eReader, don't delay! Follow THIS LINK to download your free copy and be sure to tell your friends. I’ve included a synopsis and excerpts of several reviews below.

Three Good Ideas Converge to Form One Great Catastrophe

LOST is first and foremost a story about love, a special love that binds two hearts together transcending time and space. Told through parallel storylines, their point of convergence is the disappearance of the cruise ship, Paradise Voyager, while in Alaskan waters. The common thread linking them together is the impact they had upon the life of Oregon newspaperman, Thomas Jenkins, whose wife and granddaughter were aboard the ship.

When officials declare the Voyager irretrievably lost, Tom rejects their conclusion and strikes out on his own. Assembling the unlikely team of two Vietnam Vets, an Indian scientist and a supermodel, he goes on the offensive and eventually unravels the mystery. When the final piece of the puzzle turns out to lie not in the Gulf of Alaska, but in the Oregon woods Tom sets off into the forest alone determined to save his wife and granddaughter...or die trying.

What the reviewers say...

"Lost is a character-driven mystery with touches of high-finance, science fiction, love and ethics adding to its depth. Set solidly in the years leading up to the millennium, in beautifully described countryside with forest, pine and ocean, rain and sun, with a plot uniting elements from Indian mythology to the local Chinese restaurant, it's a wonderfully evocative telling of high-jinks on the high seas tempered with human care and concern."

"The author shows enviable skill in building believable science without weighing down the story. The humorous timing is as enjoyable as the well-drawn action and adventure. A great adventure, some intriguingly imaginative concepts, wonderful characters, and a beautiful sense of Southern Oregon scenery and community (with touches of India, London, and more besides), this is a very enjoyable novel which really does satisfy."

"Military secrets, corruption, greed, international intrigue; tenderness, human frailty, devotion, and loyalty. All of these describe Lost by E.G. Lewis. ...breathtaking descriptions of the Oregon scenery, with touching glimpses into the emotional make up of the characters flow seamlessly into scenes of high intensity action. It’s a mystery, romance, action, thriller rolled into one. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a great mystery."

"A storyline you don't expect; a tale you won't forget. In Lost, Mr. Lewis treats us to glimpses of the past, present, and a possible future, and ties them together in an intriguing tale that juxtaposes deception with integrity, and grief with hope. Mr. Lewis has produced a unique story that pits the staying power of love and devotion against the forces of fate as manipulated by the intervention of greedy men. Well researched and thoughtfully written, this is a story you'll ponder well beyond the final page."

Get your free copy of LOST for the Kindle today!

FREE PROMOTION - LOST by E G LEWIS

Just a reminder to Sowing the Seeds readers. The Free Promotion of my novel, LOST is still going on. The Kindle edition will be free on Amazon through Thursday, May 24th. If you are an eReader, I urge you to follow THIS LINK to download your free copy. Be sure to tell your friends. I’ve included a synopsis and excerpts of several reviews below.

Three Good Ideas Converge to Form One Great Catastrophe

LOST is first and foremost a story about love, a special love that binds two hearts together transcending time and space. Told through parallel storylines, their point of convergence is the disappearance of the cruise ship, Paradise Voyager, while in Alaskan waters. The common thread linking them together is the impact they had upon the life of Oregon newspaperman, Thomas Jenkins, whose wife and granddaughter were aboard the ship.

When officials declare the Voyager irretrievably lost, Tom rejects their conclusion and strikes out on his own. Assembling the unlikely team of two Vietnam Vets, an Indian scientist and a supermodel, he goes on the offensive and eventually unravels the mystery. When the final piece of the puzzle turns out to lie not in the Gulf of Alaska, but in the Oregon woods Tom sets off into the forest alone determined to save his wife and granddaughter...or die trying.

What the reviewers say...

"Lost is a character-driven mystery with touches of high-finance, science fiction, love and ethics adding to its depth. Set solidly in the years leading up to the millennium, in beautifully described countryside with forest, pine and ocean, rain and sun, with a plot uniting elements from Indian mythology to the local Chinese restaurant, it's a wonderfully evocative telling of high-jinks on the high seas tempered with human care and concern."

"The author shows enviable skill in building believable science without weighing down the story. The humorous timing is as enjoyable as the well-drawn action and adventure. A great adventure, some intriguingly imaginative concepts, wonderful characters, and a beautiful sense of Southern Oregon scenery and community (with touches of India, London, and more besides), this is a very enjoyable novel which really does satisfy."

"Military secrets, corruption, greed, international intrigue; tenderness, human frailty, devotion, and loyalty. All of these describe Lost by E.G. Lewis. ...breathtaking descriptions of the Oregon scenery, with touching glimpses into the emotional make up of the characters flow seamlessly into scenes of high intensity action. It’s a mystery, romance, action, thriller rolled into one. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a great mystery."

"A storyline you don't expect; a tale you won't forget. In Lost, Mr. Lewis treats us to glimpses of the past, present, and a possible future, and ties them together in an intriguing tale that juxtaposes deception with integrity, and grief with hope. Mr. Lewis has produced a unique story that pits the staying power of love and devotion against the forces of fate as manipulated by the intervention of greedy men. Well researched and thoughtfully written, this is a story you'll ponder well beyond the final page."

Get your free copy of LOST for the Kindle today!

FOODS OF THE FIRST CENTURY— MEAT, MILK & CHEESE

Cattle on the Golan Heights - Ancient Bashan

Hello My Friend and Welcome.  

Today we continue our series on Foods of the First Century with Meat, Milk and Cheese. If you’ve missed any of the posts and would like to catch up on them, they are all available in the lower left sidebar under Archives By Topic. And now, on to Meat, Milk, and Cheese. As always, we’ll start with a Biblical list and move on from there. 

Calf (Proverbs 15:17; Luke 15:23) The proverbial Fatted Calf was a treat reserved for the very rich, or a communal celebration. Clearly the only way the average person could consume this very best beef would have been at a village wedding feast where there would be enough people to eat the 400-500 pounds of meat a finished steer yields. The very term calf immediately tells us it is a young animal, therefore tender, and fatted means it had been fed specifically for meat consumption.

This is the rough equivalent of a feedlot steer or heifer in the United States. Today a calf spends its first six or seven months with its mother nursing and growing. It is weaned at between 450 and 500 pounds. When it reaches 650 pounds it is moved into a feedlot where it’s fed a high energy ration designed to produce the marbling that gives the meat juiciness and flavor. Three to four months after entering the feedlot, the animal weighs slightly over 1,000 pounds and is sent to the slaughter house at slightly over one year of age.

We have already seen that ancient Israel had well-developed commercial aviaries and apiaries. Clearly, they also had large areas given over to the raising of cattle. The livestock of Bashan in the northern part of Israel, the modern-day Golan Heights, was known for being fat and healthy. Psalm 22:12 mentions the strong bulls of Bashan; Ezekiel 39:18 mentions the fatlings of Bashan. And how can we forget Amos 4:1where he wrote, “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria…” While it’s true that the skinny ideal of feminine beauty is a modern phenomenon and in ancient times plumpness was seen as a sign of affluence, we can be fairly certain that at no time in human history has a woman appreciated being called a fat cow.

Goat (Genesis 27:9) Goat meat was the food of the common man. It is still widely consumed in the Middle East. The Bible also mentions the Ibex, or wild goat, which was hunted. (1 Samuel 24:2) The Ibex was also the most probable source of the shofar, or ram’s horn trumpet.

Cow's milk was known, but not used very much. Sheep and goats were the preferred source of milk, which was used to make butter or cheese. The milk could be clabbered, that is, turned in leban...a sort of yougurt that was eaten plain, or flavored with fruit or thickened fruit juice. Leban is one of the oldest and best-loved foods of the Bible lands.

When making cheese from the raw milk, they first separated the butterfat. This was done by pouring the raw milk into a bag made from a goat’s stomach. It had a strap attached that, when worn over the shoulder, agitated the bag as one went about their daily chores. After separation, the buttermilk was strained off and cultured with leban from a previous batch to start the coagulation…similar to adding a starter to dough to leaven bread. After the leban thickened the buttermilk, it was put into cloth sacks and the water squeezed out of it. The cheese-like result, when rolled into balls and dried, would keep indefinitely. 

Lamb and Sheep (2 Samuel 12:4) There are a multitude of references to both lamb and sheep in both the Old and New Testament. The most familiar is the preparation of the Paschal Lamb for the Passover meal. There is also strong evidence of a concentrated area of shepherds near Bethlehem who raised lambs for the Temple.

Oxen (1 Kings 19:21) The ox may have been mankind's earliest draft animal. Written sources, paintings, and sculptures indicate their usage dates back a minimum of five thousand years. They are found in art and records from Egypt, Ur, and Babylon. Every farming civilization that had access to some breed of bovine has used them for draft purposes. 

An ox is defined as a neutered male bovine trained for and used as a draft animal. The neutering of a male calf alters its growth patterns and personality giving it a more docile temperament.  The meat from an ox is very different from that of the fatted calf. The ox would have subsisted on coarse roughage. That, along with its work regime and advanced age at slaughter, would have precluded the juicy tenderness associated with the fatted calf. 

Oxen are typically used in pairs known as a team. When working, the two animals were joined by a wooden yoke. The most common form is the neck or bow yoke which consists of a shaped crosspiece (the yoke) that rests on the top of the ox's neck, just in front of his shoulder blades, and a U-shaped piece (the bow) that goes under the neck with its ends going up through two holes in the yoke. The yoke must be carefully carved, fitted and smoothed so that it does not irritate the animal’s neck when it works. 

Egyptian Wall Painting of Oxen Threshing Grain

One could do an entire study on the use of the word yoke in the Bible. In the Old Testament it is used figuratively to reflect severe bondage, or affliction, or subjection (Lev. 26:13; 1Kings 12:4; Isa 47:6; Lam 1:14, 3:27). In the New Testament the word yoke denotes servitude (Matt 11:29-30; Acts 15:10; Gal 5:1). There is also Paul’s warning in 2 Corinthians to not be yoked with an unbeliever. And Jesus’ famous saying in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Venison (Genesis 27:7) Venison is also mentioned in the Bible. The word derives from the Latin vēnor, to hunt or pursue. I would suggest that vension is a generic reference to all the wild animals in the deer family that were hunted such as roe deer, fallow deer, Arabian oryx, antelopes, etc.

Arabian Oryx

There is another “meat” source mentioned in the Bible. Both Mark and Matthew mention John the Baptist subsisting on locusts and wild honey. Yuck! If, like me, you grew up in the eastern half of the United States, when you heard this passage you most likely thought of cicadas. In actuality, what the Bible is referring to is an insect in the grasshopper family. 

So how did cicadas, which are members of the Homoptera family, come to be confused with locusts, which belong to the Acrididae family? Blame it on our pilgrim ancestors. The periodic cicada — those that appear, then disappear for up to 17 years — is a species native to North America. (It’s also important to note that periodic cicadas do not create destructive plagues, as some locusts do.) Early American colonists had never seen periodical cicadas. They were, however, familiar with the biblical story of locust plagues in Egypt and Palestine, but were not sure what kind of insect was being described. When the cicadas appeared by the millions, some of these early colonists thought a locust plague had come upon them. This confusion between cicadas and locusts persists until the present day when cicadas are commonly referred to as locusts.

Cicadas,Known as Locusts in the Eastern US

Locusts that is, true locusts, provided a special treat to those living in First Century Israel. When boiled in salted water they are said to taste somewhat like shrimp.  If dried in the sun they could be stored and later ground into a powder and mixed with wheat flour for biscuits or simply moistened with honey or vinegar. Interestingly, in her book The Poisonwood Bible, which takes place in the Belgian Congo, Barbara Kingsolver tells of the villagers creating a ring of burning grass to trap prey during a drought. The burning grass also roasted many locusts, which the children snacked on as they gathered them for use by the village.

A Vendor in an African Market Offers Locusts for Sale

Locusts are related to grasshoppers. The two insects look similar, but only the locust exhibits plague-like behavior. The desert locust is found in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, inhabiting some 60 countries that account for one-fifth of the Earth's land surface. A desert locust swarm can be 460 square miles in size with 160 million locusts per square mile. Each locust eats its weight in plant material every day, so a swarm of this size would eat 423 million pounds of plants every day. That’s what people are thinking of when they say some event is of biblical proportions.  

One final point on locusts, I have had individuals comment that locusts are not kosher and therefore could not be what John the Baptist subsisted on. When I ran this by a Jewish theologian, he chuckled and said, “That again? I haven’t heard the locusts aren’t kosher thing for a long time.” He then assured me that locusts are indeed kosher and would have been eaten in Biblical time. They are still consumed in many parts of Africa. 

One Wednesday we’ll examine the upcoming Christian feast of Pentecost. 

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings. 

If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see other recent posts and visit our archives.

FREE PROMOTION - LOST by E G LEWIS

Today we have a special announcement for Sowing the Seeds readers regarding the Free Promotion of my novel, LOST. That’s right, the Kindle edition will be free on Amazon beginning this Sunday, May 20th, through Thursday, May 24th. If you are an eReader, I urge you to follow THIS LINK to download your free copy, and be sure to tell your friends. I’ve included a synopsis and excerpts of several reviews below.

Three Good Ideas Converge to Form One Great Catastrophe

LOST is first and foremost a story about love, a special love that binds two hearts together transcending time and space. Told through parallel storylines, their point of convergence is the disappearance of the cruise ship, Paradise Voyager, while in Alaskan waters. The common thread linking them together is the impact they had upon the life of Oregon newspaperman, Thomas Jenkins, whose wife and granddaughter were aboard the ship.

When officials declare the Voyager irretrievably lost, Tom rejects their conclusion and strikes out on his own. Assembling the unlikely team of two Vietnam Vets, an Indian scientist and a supermodel, he goes on the offensive and eventually unravels the mystery. When the final piece of the puzzle turns out to lie not in the Gulf of Alaska, but in the Oregon woods Tom sets off into the forest alone determined to save his wife and granddaughter...or die trying.

What the reviewers say...

"Lost is a character-driven mystery with touches of high-finance, science fiction, love and ethics adding to its depth. Set solidly in the years leading up to the millennium, in beautifully described countryside with forest, pine and ocean, rain and sun, with a plot uniting elements from Indian mythology to the local Chinese restaurant, it's a wonderfully evocative telling of high-jinks on the high seas tempered with human care and concern."

"The author shows enviable skill in building believable science without weighing down the story. The humorous timing is as enjoyable as the well-drawn action and adventure. A great adventure, some intriguingly imaginative concepts, wonderful characters, and a beautiful sense of Southern Oregon scenery and community (with touches of India, London, and more besides), this is a very enjoyable novel which really does satisfy."

"Military secrets, corruption, greed, international intrigue; tenderness, human frailty, devotion, and loyalty. All of these describe Lost by E.G. Lewis. ...breathtaking descriptions of the Oregon scenery, with touching glimpses into the emotional make up of the characters flow seamlessly into scenes of high intensity action. It’s a mystery, romance, action, thriller rolled into one. I highly recommend this book to readers looking for a great mystery."

"A storyline you don't expect; a tale you won't forget. In Lost, Mr. Lewis treats us to glimpses of the past, present, and a possible future, and ties them together in an intriguing tale that juxtaposes deception with integrity, and grief with hope. Mr. Lewis has produced a unique story that pits the staying power of love and devotion against the forces of fate as manipulated by the intervention of greedy men. Well researched and thoughtfully written, this is a story you'll ponder well beyond the final page."

Get your free copy of LOST for the Kindle today!

CHRISTIAN WRITER'S BLOG CHAIN - NURTURE

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

We celebrated Mother's Day this past weekend and I'm sure many of us heard a sermon on Mothers. I came across this set of Beatitudes and, in the spirit of our nuturing mothers...and fathers, I thought I'd share it today.

Beatitudes for Parents

Blessed are those who make peace with spilled milk and with mud, for such is the kingdom of childhood.

Blessed are those who do not compare their child with others, for unto each is the rhythm of growth.

Blessed are those who have learned laughter, for it is the music of a child's world.

Blessed are those who understand the goodness of time, for they make it not a sword that kills growth but a shield to protect.

Blessed are those who can say no without anger, for the security of firm decsion comforts a child.

Blessed is the gift of consistency, for it eases a child's heart. 

Blessed are the teachable, for knowledge yields understanding, and understanding brings love.

Blessed are those, who in the midst of the unpromising mundane, offer love, for they bestow the greatest of gifts to eath other, to their children, and in an ever-widening circle, to their fellow man.

Until the next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.







MEETING ROME'S NEED FOR OLIVE OIL

A Supertanker Loaded With Oil Crosses the Ocean

Hello My Friend and Welcome. 

In our industrialized world a constant flow of oil is required to meet increasing demand. The appetite of the United States for oil is unprecedented in human history a recent newspaper headline said. Perhaps. 

The world, it seems, runs on oil. Our lifestyle and economic processes have become so oil dependent that it’s unthinkable to imagine life without it. And when a powerful nation’s demand for oil outstrips its supply, importing additional supplies seems to be the only viable solution. Like all trade goods oil flows from the haves to have-nots and, given the distances involved, most often moves by ship. 

Many in the United States are rightly concerned by our increasing dependence upon foreign oil. A recent study blamed rising oil imports for our widening trade deficit. The United States is the largest oil importer in the world and much of this oil comes from the Middle East, an politically unstable region.

NOT ABOUT PETROLEUM

However, this post is not about the United States’ appetite for petroleum. Rather, we’re going back in time nearly two millennia to examine another time when another nation was equally dependent upon foreign oil coming from, among other places, the Middle East. Today we’ll examine the elaborate system of oil importation Rome developed to meet their population’s insatiable demand for…Olive Oil.

The Roman World used olive oil for cooking and fueling their lamps, as a cleaning agent in their baths, as an emollient for grooming and conditioning the skin and hair, as well as a healing balm. Researchers have been examining a dump in Rome hidden beneath earth and grass. Nearly a mile in circumference and known as the Monte Testaccio, it been found to contain a 150-foot high mountain of broken amphorae. Though it’s been covered over for centuries, at one time someone clearly knew what was there. Its name is a combination of the Latin testa and the Italian cocci, both of which mean potshard.

Digging into the Mountain of Shards

During the Middle Ages vintners in Rome discovered that the interior of Monte Testaccio remained remarkably cool throughout the year and dug caves into the mountain to store and age their wines. Some imagined it to be the site where debris was dumped following the great fire of Rome during Nero’s rule. Others guessed that the shards were from discarded funerary urns that had once filled columbaria along the nearby Via Ostiense. Regardless, the area provided a seemingly unlimited supply of tiles to patch roofs and souvenirs for tourists.

FINALLY CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED

Only in the last 100 years was it finally recognized for what it was, a dump dating back to the reign of Caesar Augustus. But even then, the amphorae were imagined to have contained wine. Archeologists have only recently unraveled the process behind how this vast mountain of shards was formed. Their digs discovered that a wall of amphorae filled with pieces from other broken amphorae was built to contain the growing mound of shards. When they reached the top of the wall, a new wall was added and the process repeated. The ancient Romans periodically swathed the entire thing in a coating of lime to control the smell of rancid oil.

The importation of olive oil, food products, metals and other essentials began early in Augustus’ reign. Keep in mind that Octavian, later to be known as Augustus, began his reign in 31BC. He was only the second ruler of the nascient Roman Empire which his predecessor, Julius Caesar, founded a mere thirteen years earlier.

The Intact Neck of a Dressel 20 Amphora

The majority of the amphorae found at Monte Testaccio came from the Roman province of Hispania (modern Spain and Portugal) and are of a style archaeologically known as a Dressel 20. The remainder came from what we now call the Middle East. A Dressel 20 is a squat, round amphora that resists tipping. They would have been ideally suited to riding in a ship’s cargo hold. Imagine rows of ships docking in the Roman harbor of Portus, each one filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of these amphorae. Shipwrecks have been discovered in the region with full loads of Dressel 20’s.

DEALING WITH THE OVERFLOW

From the ships, these large amphorae would have been transported to Imperial warehouses where the oil was transferred into smaller containers for distribution throughout the city. The empties were probably taken to Monte Testaccio by mule and discarded. Like New York City, which temporarily suspended its plastic bottle recycling program due to high cost, Rome undoubtedly found it cheaper to throw away the empties rather than recycle them.

Moving the oil in amphora provided a system of inventory control and checks and balances. Their unglazed clay surface is easy to write on. In addition to incised codes put on before firing, many show tituli picti—words, names and numbers used to track their movement through the distribution channels.  

MAINTAINING A BALANCE OF POWER

Augustus understood that to remain in power he must have the support of the army and the plebians, the ordinary man in the street. The population of First Century Rome ranged somewhere between 600,000 to a 1,000,000 people. He bought their loyalty with a welfare system that fed the poor, and controlled the price of grain and oil for everyone else. A century later, the Roman poet and satirist, Juvenal, penned his famous line about the Roman emperors buying tranquility with “bread and circuses.”  

This system of growing, harvesting, pressing and distribution seems to have operated in a uniquely Roman way. Unlike other empires that became heavily bureaucratic or depended upon great trade routes, Rome utilized a system of small suppliers who were well controlled and monitored. Proof again that individual initiative is always more efficient than centralized planning. 

 

On Thursday we’ll add our monthly link to the Christian Writer’s Blog Chain. This month’s key word is nurture. 

 

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings. 

 

If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see other recent posts and visit our archives.

LECTIO DIVINA — AN ANCIENT FORM OF MEDITATION

Hello My Friend and Welcome. 

Today we will be looking at the ancient, four or five-part meditation, used by the Church since earliest times, known as Lectio Divina. The Church Father, Origen (d. 254) and the monk John Cassian (d.435) both wrote of the benefits of this type of meditative study of Scripture. The Twelfth Century monk Guido brought the process into sharper definition as a stairway of spiritual steps. It works well when done alone and is ideally suited for small groups. As a matter of fact, you may be using a similar process and have never heard of it referred to by its Latin name, Lectio Divina. 

STEP ONE - LECTIO

This is a slow, contemplative method of reading the Scriptures that attempts to enable the Word of God to become a means of union with God. To those who have grown familiar with certain passages and are accustomed to reading them quickly, this can take some work. The first step is reading and active listening to the Word of God. To do this successfully, you must develop the ability to listen carefully to what is read and open your heart to hear God speak to you through his Scripture.  

This is very different to the reading most of us do on a day-to-day basis. We’re used to skimming a page of text onscreen or in a newspaper or magazine. Lectio is reading or listening with both mind and heart. It sometimes helps to sit quietly for beforehand, centering your thoughts and stilling your mind. As God has said, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Ps 46:10. When you are ready, read a short passage…only a couple of paragraphs is fine or if you’re reading the Gospels complete one scene.  

Listen fully expecting God to speak to you personally through what you are reading or is being read. As you listen, expect one word or phrase to stand out to you. 

STEP TWO — MEDITATIO

After you have identified your special phrase or phrases and thought about it, read the passage a second time. Open yourself to the reading and let it speak to your thoughts, dreams, memories and ambitions. Maybe you hear Christ in your verse or perhaps the verse says something about you…where you are in life, etc.  

Luke tells us that when the shepherds told Mary of the angels that appeared to them in the field, she “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.” And later, where Jesus is found after three days in the Temple, Luke again tell us “…his mother kept all these things in her heart.” That is exactly what we want to do; ponder in your heart what these things mean. Now you are asking God to speak to you. 

STEP THREE — ORATIO

Read the passage a third and final time. The next step of the Lectio Divinia is speaking to God in prayer, both as dialog and concentration. In the reading we have discovered a truth about ourselves. Now communicate this learning to God, thanking him for it and asking for validation. Now that you have it, what are you to do with it? Always remember, at its heart, prayer is a conversation between two lovers.   

STEP FOUR — CONTEMPLATIO

Now we become still and know that God is God. Lay aside your thoughts, worries and concerns and simply experience God’s presence. If it helps to use some sort of centering word or phrase such as Abba-Father, Lord have mercy, Maranatha (Aramaic for Come, Lord) or something else to slow down your mind, by all means, do it. 

OPTIONAL STEP FIVE — ACTIO

Some people suggest a fifth step based on the admonition, “But be doers of the word not hearers only…” Jas 1:22. In this step, being a true disciple, you would attempt to be someone who, “listens to my words, and acts on them.” Luke 6:47. 

And there you have it. The Lectio Divina is a method of study, contemplation and prayer used by Christians since the earliest of times, and with good reason. 

Until Next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.  

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ROMAN MERCHANT SHIPS — WARHORSES of the ANCIENT WORLD

Divers Gather Amphorae from a Shipwreck

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

At its peak, the Roman Empire completely encircled the Mediterranean Sea, which First Century Romans conveniently called Mare Nostrum, or Our Sea. Not only did its waters provide fish to feed citizens from Mauritania to Hispania, it also facilitated inter-Empire trade between the various Provinces. Rome had a vigorous, far-flung, and diverse trade network that extended far beyond their borders to India and China.  

ROME’S MERCHANT MARINE

Roman merchants moved all sorts of goods and foodstuffs by sea. Commercial vessels were known by a variety of names, such as corbita, gaulus, ponto, or cladivata, depending upon the region. Overall, the ships demonstrated great uniformity in design. This would be expected given the level of maritime commerce within the Empire. Innovations and improvements were quickly shared and disseminated within the industry.

Museum Reproduction of a Roman Corbita

LEARNING FROM DISASTER

Our knowledge of Roman shipping comes from two sources, ancient drawings and illustrations, and shipwrecks. The large number of shipwrecks found around the Mediterranean illustrates not only the quantity of shipping that took place, but the perils of traveling by sea in earlier times. We can verify this based on the detailed account in Acts of the Apostles of Paul being shipwrecked on his way to Rome. Depending on size and intended use of the ship, the hull shape could be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. In the first case the stern and bow were essentially identical. In the asymmetric version, the bow was located at a lower height. The bow was sometimes concave, due to the presence of a cutwater. These were added not as a ram, but a structural modification to improve the vessel’s sailing ability.  

WIND-POWERED TRANSPORT

Unlike the warships that utilized rowers to quickly maneuver and propel the ship, merchant ships relied exclusively upon sails for propulsion. The illustrations I’ve used show a single-masted ship, however as the vessel’s size and tonnage increased they added a second and even a third mast. The sails were square and controlled by a complex system of rigging. Many ships also featured a smaller sail, called a supparum, on the bow which aided steering.

BIG, BIGGER, AND BIGGEST

The size of Roman ships often surprises people. On the low end were ships designed for the grain trade, which carried 10,000 modii of grain…a little over 75 tons. These were the workhorses of the fleet running regular routes to nearby Provinces to load wheat or barley. A government contract provided the ship owner with a steady source of income as his ship traced and retraced the same path back and forth between Rome and Sicily, Alexandria, or other export points.  

Medium-sized ships were used extensively for the olive oil trade and were measured by the number of amphorae they could hold. A 3,000-amphora vessel had almost three times the capacity of the smaller ships, carrying 165,000 tons. The size of these ships is confirmed by numerous underwater explorations of ship wrecks. In addition to the specialized use previously mentioned, small and medium-sized ships hauled general merchandise as well. Metal ores and other raw materials, spices, silk and other trade goods moved with surprising regularity. For instance, in the First Century 120 ships a year set sail for India from the Red Sea port of Berenike. Their return cargo consisted of pepper which was moved by barge to Alexandria, and from there to Rome on still more ships. 

The Roman fleet also had higher tonnage vessels. The hull of the Madrague de Giens, that floundered off Gaul (France) in the First Century BC, was 130 feet long with an estimated capacity of 440 tons. In the early years of the Roman Empire, the muriophorio, 10,000-amphora carriers carrying 550 tons were the largest ships afloat. The grain trade also utilized some 50,000 modii vessels which hauled 365 tons. The size and capacity of these ships was not exceeded in the Mediterranean until the Sixteenth Century.  

Yet the Roman world saw a few ships larger even than these. For instance, the carrier that Caligula built to transport an obelisk from Egypt to Rome had a capacity of 1450 tons. After it sank, it was used to construct the lighthouse at the port of Claudius. Various Emperors, Cleopatra among them, built barge-like floating palaces. Though designed for limited use in safe waters, some of them were nearly 250 feet in length.

The Merchant Ship Afloat

STANDARDIZED SHIPPING CONTAINERS

For olive oil and many other commodities, amphorae became the standard shipping container. So many amphorae arrived in Rome that disposing of the empties eventually created a problem. In 1999 an underwater search for a lost Israeli submarine turned up an ancient shipwreck at a depth of 10,000 feet. The ship came to rest on its keel then gradually tipped to one side. The weight of the amphorae in its hold caused the hull to lose structural integrity, spreading an oval mound of amphorae approximately 80 feet long and 50 feet wide on the seafloor. It is estimated that there are 2,500 amphorae in the pile. Based on its location halfway between Rhodes and Alexandria and the Greek wine it carried, archeologists surmise the ship was headed for Egypt.  

When hearing the word amphora, many people think of an urn-like container. In fact, amphora is also a unit of measurement. An amphora equaled 3 modius. Since a modius contains 2 ½ gallons of liquid, each amphora on the seafloor represents 7½ gallons. So, if the 2,500 intact amphorae comprised the entire cargo, the ship was carrying 18,750 gallons, or 150,000 pounds, of wine when it sank.  

Like most colonizing powers, over time Rome grew dependent upon the influx of goods from the Provinces to survive. Each year 60,000,000 modii of grain arrived in Rome. Assuming each vessel contained 50,000 modii, that works out to 1,200 shipments of grain annually. Navigation was not the year-round affair that it is today. Every winter saw the arrival of the mare clausum or closed sea that lasted four months. Subtracting this period of inactivity computes to an average of five large grain ships arriving every navigable day. It has also been calculated that seven or more large shiploads of olive oil docked each month. To those must be added the ships that transported wine, fish products, spices, cloth, ore, marble and stone blocks. There were also shiploads of wild animals arriving from Africa and elsewhere for use in the games.    

All of this merchandise directed at Rome had to come through the Port of Ostia and later the Port of Claudius. Merchant ships which exceeded a 3000-amphora capacity, about 165 tons, could not travel upstream. They were obliged to anchor at sea and unload their cargo onto smaller vessels which shuttled between the ships and the river entrance to the Port of Ostia. These operations were lengthy and dangerous operations. The coastline in that area was inhospitable, low, and sandy.  

Next time we’ll examine the ancient method of contemplative study of the scriptures known as Lectio Divina.

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings

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FOODS OF THE FIRST CENTURY — FISH & FOWL

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Today we present another installment in our continuing series Foods of the First Century. If you’re new to Sowing the Seeds and would like to start at the beginning, or if you’ve missed one along the way, you can access the entire series by clicking on Foods of the First Century under the Archives by Topic header in the lower part of the left sidebar.

KASHRUT OR KOSHER

Some clarifying notes are required before we begin our study of fish and fowl. Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods can and cannot be eaten and how those foods must be prepared. Kashrut comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly used word kosher, which describes food that meets these standards. The word kosher can also be used, and often is, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and thus fit for ritual use.

The short answer to why Jews observe these laws is, because the Torah (The Law) says so. The Torah does not specify any reason for these laws, and for a Torah observant Jew, there is no need for any other reason. In his book To Be a Jew, Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin suggests that the dietary laws are designed as a call to holiness. The ability to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, pure and defiled, the sacred and the profane, is very important in Judaism. The clean and unclean designations of Pharisaic Judaism, which prevailed at the time of Christ, were derived by attempting to codify these distinctions to the Nth degree.

As always, we’ll rely upon Biblical references to set us on our way. 

FISH

An important food source in ancient times and modern, fish are mentioned 37 times in the Old Testament (8 times in the Torah, 1 Kings, 2 Chronicles,  Nehemiah, Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah) and 36 times in the New Testament…all but one being in the Gospels.

There were severe kosher restrictions relating to the consumption of seafood. Both Lev. 11:9 and Deut. 14:9 say, “Of the things that are in the waters, you may eat anything that has fins and scales…” Thus, shellfish such as lobsters, oysters, shrimp, clams and crabs were all forbidden. The Jew’s gentile neighbors, of course, regularly consumed shellfish.

Fish of all varieties are permitted under Jewish law provided they have detachable scales. Some of the fish not considered kosher are: Angler See, Basa, Beluga (Sturgeon), Billfishes including Marlins and Swordfish, Blowfish, Catfish, Eels, Freshwater Cod, Lumpfish, Sharks, Rays and their relatives.

Fish Plate with Center Sauce Dish

AVAILABILITY OF FISH

The variety and availability of fish was primarily determined by geographic region. Judea, being on the Mediterranean Sea, enjoyed a wide variety of salt water fish. Fish were also plentiful in the region of Galilee because of Lake Genneserat…aka the Sea of Galilee or the Sea of Tiberias. The primary catch in the Sea of Galilee was the small bass we now know as Tilapia. Fresh fish were less plentiful in the eastern regions since their only source would have been small ponds, lakes, or the Jordan River.

FISH FARMING

Fish farming is not a modern innovation. Both the Romans and the Jews operated fish farms. A particularly large group of fish ponds were constructed at Herod’s capitol, Caesarea. If not eaten fresh, the fish would have been split, cleaned, salted, and dried in the sun, or smoked, to preserve them for later use. Dried fish was a routine trade item throughout the Roman Empire. Galilean fishermen such as Simon Peter and his brother, Andrew, and their partners the Zebedees (James, John and their father) sold their catch all across the Eastern portion of the Roman Empire.

Tradition tells us that, in addition to a sales outlet in Capernaum, the Zebedee family also had a second market in Jerusalem. In the Passion narratives, recall that John was known to the gatekeeper at the High Priest’s house whereas Peter was not and had to rely on John to get him in. With reference to the Biblical story commonly called The Loaves and Fishes, the little boy with the two fish and seven barley loaves obviously had dried fillets, most probably Tilapia. 

GARUM…THE POPULAR FISH SAUCE

Another staple of that era was Garum, or Liquamen, a salty, pungent fish sauce used both as a condiment and an ingredient in many recipes. Should you get a hankerin’ for some authentic Garum, here’s an ancient recipe from Gargilius Martialis’ cookbook, De medicina et de virtute herbarum: 

“Use fatty fish, for example, sardines, and a well-sealed container with a 26-35 quart capacity. Add dried, aromatic herbs possessing a strong flavor, such as dill, coriander, fennel, celery, mint, oregano, and others, making a layer on the bottom of the container; then put down a layer of fish (if small, leave them whole, if large, use pieces). Over this, add a layer of salt two fingers high. Repeat these layers until the container is filled. Let it rest for seven days in the sun. Then mix the sauce daily for 20 days. After that, it becomes a liquid.”  

Doesn’t that sound just yummy? If you’d rather not make your Garum by the gallon, here’s a modern alternative: Cook a quart of grape juice, reducing it to one-tenth its original volume. Dilute two tablespoons of anchovy paste in the concentrated juice and mix in a pinch of oregano. Be sure to let me know how it turns out.

A Grouse

FOWL

Partridge (1 Samuel 26:20; Jeremiah 17:11)

Pigeon (Genesis 15:9; Leviticus 12:8)

Quail (Psalm 105:40)

Dove (Leviticus 12:8)

A Quail in Israel

There are several interesting things to be gleaned from the above list. First, chicken is not mentioned. Chicken was known and available in the First Century, but generally reserved for the upper classes.  

Secondly, all of those birds listed were available wild. This isn’t to imply that everyone trapped their own birds, but I’m confident many in the rural areas did. We know from archaeological studies that aviculture was widespread and well developed in the ancient world. (See our earlier post Aviculture in Ancient Israel.) Interestingly enough, all of the birds in the list are still raised commercially.

A Sand Partridge - Native to Israel

KOSHER RESTRICTIONS ON FOWL

The Torah also designates a number of birds as forbidden…all birds of prey or scavengers. Eggs from these non-kosher sources were forbidden as well. The Biblical list omits several groups of birds that comprised part of the First Century diet. For instance, waterfowl such as ducks and geese are not mentioned, but frequently appear in the writings of Roman historians. Grouse, or ptarmigan, are also overlooked, but were surely eaten. 

So there we have it, the Fish and Fowl of the Roman world available to the earliest Christians. Two weeks from now, on May 21st , we’ll examine Meats and Milk. Meanwhile, this coming Wednesday we’ll look at Roman Merchant Ships. 

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings. 

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