tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54268049544666431792024-02-28T01:05:26.444-08:00Sowing the SeedsThe Life and Times of the Early ChurchE. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-8304280553489757342017-01-22T15:35:00.001-08:002017-01-22T15:35:19.569-08:00THE SEEDS OF CHRISTIANITY SERIES BOXED SET <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtKieOpk705LMbFGJ1E3KwPkXUzV_rjshyphenhyphenCD4JiVZlU55d5A4uNxVI9WwKcZAFPDhlGV-wcW9BJRARJsPT6vrCUuhHD7-wNNs2KQHRzIEZV2H1KzqqEBf6UnU_nlffNkseYZmz9rD5nl3/s1600/Seeds+Small+Perspective+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtKieOpk705LMbFGJ1E3KwPkXUzV_rjshyphenhyphenCD4JiVZlU55d5A4uNxVI9WwKcZAFPDhlGV-wcW9BJRARJsPT6vrCUuhHD7-wNNs2KQHRzIEZV2H1KzqqEBf6UnU_nlffNkseYZmz9rD5nl3/s320/Seeds+Small+Perspective+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hello My Friend and Welcome.<br />
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E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-29098770976028468742012-09-24T21:15:00.000-07:002012-09-24T21:15:23.014-07:00JUDAISM'S FEASTS & FESTIVALS - YOM KIPPUR<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Moses (Charlton Heston in <em>The Ten Commandments</em>) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Returns </span><span style="font-size: small;">to find the People Worshipping the Golden Calf</span></td></tr>
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Hello My Friend and Welcome.<br />
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Ten days ago we put up a post about the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah. Now, ten days later, we are back to visit Highest Holyday of the Jewish year, Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement begins at sundown Spetember, 24th.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">FORGIVENESS OF SIN<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Yom Kippur commemorates the day when God forgave the Jewish people in the desert for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after hearing God say at Mount Sinai: “You shall not have the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image,” the Jews committed the cardinal sin of idolatry. Moses spent nearly three months on top of the mountain pleading with God on their behalf, and on the tenth of Tishri it was finally granted. </span>“<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins before God.” (Leviticus 16:30)</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">That date has been kept sacred ever after and became known as the Day of Atonement. While this is the most solemn day of the year, underlying it is a joyful confidence that God will forgive the people’s sins. From several minutes before sunset on Tishri 9 until after nightfall on Tishri 10 the people afflict their souls by abstaining from food and drink, they do not wash or anoint their bodies, do not wear leather footwear, and abstain from spousal intimacy. Instead of focusing on the physical, Jews spend much of the day in the synagogue, engaged in repentance and prayer.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Yom Kippur Service in a Modern Synagogue</span></td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">PREPARING FOR THE TIME OF ATONEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">On the day prior to Yom Kippur, the people eat and drink in abundance. Two festive meals are eaten, one early in the day, and one just prior to the onset of Yom Kippur fast. Another special observance of the day includes requesting and receiving honey cake. This is done to acknowledge that all we have comes from God. It also gives testimony to the prayerful hope that the following year be a sweet one. Jews also ask forgiveness from anyone they may have wronged during the past year, make extra charitable donations, and ceremonially bless their children. Before sunset, women and girls light holiday candles, and everyone makes their way to the synagogue for the <em>Kol Nidrei</em> services.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">RITUAL PRAYERS AND READINGS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are five prayer services held in the course of Yom Kippur: <em>Maariv</em>, with its solemn <em>Kol Nidrei</em> service, on the eve of Yom Kippur; <em>Shacharit</em>, the morning prayer, <em>Musaf</em>, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service, <em>Minchah</em>, which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah. They say the <em>Al Chet</em> confession of sins eight times in the course of Yom Kippur, and recite Psalms every available moment. This is in compliance to the command, “In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and you shall not do any work...For on that day he shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Leviticus 16:29-30)</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Most of the holiday is spent in the synagogue, in prayer. In Orthodox synagogues, services begin early in the morning (8 or 9 AM) and continue until about 3 PM. People then usually go home for an afternoon nap and return around 5 or 6 PM for the afternoon and evening services, which continue until nightfall. It is customary to wear white on Yom Kippur, which symbolizes purity and calls to mind the promise that our sins shall be made as white as snow (Is. 1:18). Some people wear a kittel, the white robe in which the dead are buried.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are many additions to the regular liturgy. Perhaps the most important addition is the confession of the sins of the community, which is inserted into the <em>Shemoneh Esrei</em> (<em>Amidah</em>) prayer. It is important to note that all sins are confessed in the plural (<em>we have done this, we have done that</em>), emphasizing communal responsibility for transgressions.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Many in Israel go to the Wailing Wall, The Remaining </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Western Wall of the Jerusalem Temple, to Pray During Yom Kippur </span></td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">CONFESSION OF SINS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are two basic parts of this confession. The <em>Ashamnu</em> contains a shorter, more general list (we have been treasonable, we have been aggressive, we have been slanderous...), the the <em>Al Cheit</em> is a longer and more specific list (for the sin we sinned before you forcibly or willingly, and for the sin we sinned before you by acting callously...) Frequent petitions for forgiveness are interspersed in these prayers. There's also a general confession reminiscent of the Catholic prayer, “…forgive our sins of omission and commission.” The Jewish form is, “Forgive us the breach of positive commands and negative commands, whether or not they involve an act, whether or not they are known to us.”</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is interesting to note that these confessions do not specifically address the kinds of ritual sins that some people might imagine. For instance, there is no “<em>for the sin we have sinned before you by eating pork, and for the sin we have sinned against you by driving on Shabbat</em>,”…though these are obviously included in the general confession. The vast majority of the sins enumerated involve mistreatment of other people, most of them by speech (<em>offensive speech, scoffing, slander, tale-bearing, and swearing falsely, to name a few</em>). These all come into the category of sin known as <em>lashon ha-ra</em> (the evil tongue), which is considered a very serious sin in Judaism. </span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The concluding service of Yom Kippur, known as <em>Ne'ilah</em>, is unique to the day. It usually runs about an hour. The ark, or cabinet where the scrolls of the Torah are kept, is left open throughout this service. Thus everyone is required to stand throughout the readings, unless physically unable to. There is a tone of desperation in the prayers of this service. The service is sometimes referred to as the closing of the gates. That is, it's the last chance to get in a good word before the holiday ends. The service ends with a very long blast of the Shofar, the <em>tekiah gedolah</em>. </span><br />
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<strong>LOOKING AHEAD</strong></div>
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The weeks following Rosh HaShanah are a time of feasts and festivals. The next comes just five days after Yom Kippur…the feast of Sukkoth, literally the feast of booths. One of three so-called pilgrim feasts during which the people left their homes and journeyed to Jerusalem, it was also called the <em>Feast of Tabernacles</em> or the <em>Festival of Ingathering</em>. Jesus, being an observant Jew, traveled to Jerusalem each year to observe this feast. One such instance is noted in John’s Gospel. “<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was at hand...” (John 7:1-2) “</span>About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.” (John 7:7:14) <br />
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Until NEXT TIME, we wish you Peace and Blessings.</div>
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E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-45872781545692214362012-09-15T13:54:00.000-07:002012-09-15T13:54:45.672-07:00ROSH HASHANAH<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sounding the Shofar at Rosh HaShanah</span></td></tr>
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Hello My Friend and Welcome. </div>
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Judaism, like Christianity, has its calendar of Feasts and Festivals. And again, like Christianity, the liturgical year that governs them does not follow the secular calendar. </div>
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<strong>FROM ADAM TO THE PRESENT DAY</strong></div>
The term Rosh HaShanah, meaning <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the head of the year</i>, is not found in the Bible. The Torah refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the Shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25. In Ezekiel 40:1 there is a general reference to the time of Yom Kippur as the "beginning of the year", but it does not specifically refer to the holiday of Rosh HaShanah.<br />
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The Jewish ecclesiastical calendar for the year 5773 begins the first day of the month of Tishri. This corresponds to our Gregorian date of September 17<sup>th</sup>, 2011. However, since each new day by Jewish reckoning begins at sundown, it actually starts at sundown, September 15<sup>th</sup>. Tradition says that Tishri 1 represents either the creation of the world or the creation of man. In the second case, the creation of the world occurred five days earlier on the 25<sup>th</sup> of Elul. Either way, the time from Adam to the present time is calculated to be 5,773 years. </div>
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<strong>HONORING THE HOLYDAY</strong></div>
For the Jew, no work is permitted on Rosh HaShanah. Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded. In fact, there is a special prayer book called the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">machzor</i> used for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holydays.<br />
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One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the Shofar in the synagogue. A total of 100 notes are sounded each day. There are four different types of Shofar notes: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tekiah</i>, a 3 second sustained note; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shevarim</i>, three 1-second notes rising in tone, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">teruah</i>, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tekiah gedolah</i> (literally, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">big</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tekiah</i>), the final blast in a set, which lasts 10 seconds minimum. The Shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.</div>
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The common greeting at this time is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L'shanah tovah</i> (for a good year). This is a shortening of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem</i> (or to women, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">L'shanah tovah tikatevi v'taihatemi</i>), which means "May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year." A term that references the coming of Yom Kippur. </div>
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<strong>BEGINNING THE HIGH HOLYDAYS</strong></div>
The celebration of Rosh HaShanah, which lasts either one or two days, has similarities and differences to our celebration of New Year’s Day. Although the Jews gather and celebrate, their celebration is not the all-out party we sometimes see in America. There are no midnight bashes, no Rose Parade floats, no memorial bowl games, and no ball drops in Times Square. Though in one way we are very alike; the Jews, like many Americans, make it a time of introspection, looking back on the mistakes of the past year and planning changes for the year to come.<br />
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Rosh HaShanah ushers in what are known as the High Holy Days. This ten-day period begins on Rosh HaShanah and concludes on Yom Kippor, the Day of Atonement. The belief is that this is a time of judgment for each Jewish person. The righteous have their names recorded in the Book of Life. The wicked have their names expunged, and the middle-of-the-roaders have this time in which to repent and join the righteous.</div>
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<strong>KEEPING MORE THAN ONE YEAR</strong></div>
Those familiar with the Hebrew Bible may notice an apparent contradiction between Rosh HaShanah, which occurs on the first day of the seventh month and the first month of the Jewish calendar Nissan, which occurs in March and April. <br />
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Judaism has several different <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">years. </i>At first glance this may seem strange, but it’s no different than<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the American calendar New Year starting in January, while the new school year starts in September, and many businesses have fiscal years that start at various times throughout the year. In Judaism, Nissan 1 is the new year for the purpose of counting the reign of kings and months on the calendar. Elul 1 in August is the new year for the tithing of animals. Shevat 15 in February is the new year for trees which determines when first fruits can be eaten, etc., and Tishri 1, Rosh HaShanah is when the year number is increased and Sabbatical and Jubilee years begin.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Traditional meal Begins with Apples and Honey</span></td></tr>
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<strong>TRADITIONAL FOODS</strong></div>
All holidays, secular and religious, have certain foods associated with them. If you don’t believe this, try serving something other than turkey on Thanksgiving and see what happens. The Rosh HaShanah meal traditionally begins with apples served with honey to give the New Year a sweet start. This<em> </em><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition that is now almost universally accepted</span></em><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> <br />
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The Ashkenazi are Jews whose history can be traced to the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region, and thus for Germany. They later migrated, forming communities in non German-speaking areas throughout Europe and the United States. Although they composed only 3 percent of the world's Jewish population in the 11th century, at their peak in 1931, Ashkenazi Jews accounted for 92 percent of the world's Jews. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSKXDNSRja8F7dzQBxtFRNOlNqQkNXYPzw_wLaWIrQo16ry-9KdkcFYEutVX_y1rBIIErdehSDKf-unvBcPbC0st4WjIZ9PCR0U6J1R1lYZT9CfQgxJEumNJVxp8jMSc6ItNuiPsiCqdE/s1600/challah2%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSKXDNSRja8F7dzQBxtFRNOlNqQkNXYPzw_wLaWIrQo16ry-9KdkcFYEutVX_y1rBIIErdehSDKf-unvBcPbC0st4WjIZ9PCR0U6J1R1lYZT9CfQgxJEumNJVxp8jMSc6ItNuiPsiCqdE/s320/challah2%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Usual Oblong Shape of a Braided Loaf of Challah Bread</span></td></tr>
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Several other traditional foods eaten during this holiday are honey cake, braised brisket of beef, and Challah. The C is silent so this rich, braided, egg bread is pronounced <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hallah</i>. Raisins, or other bits of fruit, are typically added to the Rosh HaShanah bread. It can also be formed from multiple types of dough for added variety. Rather than appearing in its typical oblong braid, the holiday Challah comes to the table formed into a round braid representing the crown of God. </div>
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The very simplest way to make a round Challah loaf is to take a round baking pan, such as a cake pan, and put about a dozen equally sized balls of dough in it. When the dough rises, it takes on the semblance of a woven loaf. You can also actually weave, or braid, the dough in increasingly complex forms. The video below offers three options; the simple circular spiral, a four-strand braid, and a cut bird applied to the Challah crown. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="http://youtu.be/11B8leqk0RY">Click Here for Video</a></span><br />
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Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings</div>
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E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-58047052055390148002012-08-24T14:52:00.000-07:002012-08-24T14:52:43.071-07:00THREE VIEWS OF ST. JOSEPH<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP31v9MwgNw_cYS7Xs6qfSXrwW5Irzvr5bAdpByAUhtCFWxaemHqqx-Vq8WkM3g9jN_610_Pp2pV7YF1h7PWHkusQm-HKBFWcDC72VwiueAYrg5bAr01PhPWb4GwK59pAKbxr9GNIWM6Q9/s1600/stjosephjesus%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP31v9MwgNw_cYS7Xs6qfSXrwW5Irzvr5bAdpByAUhtCFWxaemHqqx-Vq8WkM3g9jN_610_Pp2pV7YF1h7PWHkusQm-HKBFWcDC72VwiueAYrg5bAr01PhPWb4GwK59pAKbxr9GNIWM6Q9/s320/stjosephjesus%5B1%5D.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>A Young St. Joseph with the boy Jesus</strong></td></tr>
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Hello My Friend and Welcome.
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Though we know little about him, St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster-father of Jesus, played a critical role in the Holy Family. Most of our information concerning St. Joseph comes from the birth narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. There are also several apocryphal accounts and legends regarding both Joseph and Mary that may, or may not, provide further illumination.</div>
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<strong>THE FINER DETAILS</strong>
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Both Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 refer to Joseph as a tekton, a craftsman. Tradition has settled on his craft being wood working, thereby making him a carpenter. Whether he performed general work such as making yokes for oxen, plows and so on, worked mainly in the construction trade, or did fine woodwork such as carvings and finish details, can never be known.
We know Joseph was a man of humble means since he presented the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons when he took Jesus to the Temple for Mary’s purification. An offering of birds was the standard for those who could not afford a lamb. We also know that he was a holy and observant Jew since the Gospel refers to him as “a righteous man.”
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<strong>DID JESUS HAVE BROTHERS & SISTERS?</strong>
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Matthew 13:53-56 says, “And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, and coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?’”
The question would appear to have been settled then and there. However, that is not the case.
The three major divisions of Christianity have each developed their own viewpoint on this question. Each of these revolves around Mary as much as Joseph.
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<strong>THE PROTESTANT VIEWPOINT</strong>
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Luther argued that correct interpretation of scripture rests not with the Church but “in the heart of the pious believer.” This has led the majority of Protestants to follow the practice of plain or explicit interpretation of the Bible. This rule says that when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other; take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, and literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and fundamental truths, indicates otherwise.
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At first glance, this passage from Matthew appears to be exactly such a situation. However, it comes with certain suppositions, making it problematic. Mary and Joseph are now assumed to be the parents of at least six additional children after the virginal, and miraculous, conception of Jesus. Joseph would also have to have been young enough to father this brood. </div>
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We know Jesus was the firstborn, and therefore the oldest, because they made an offering of two turtledoves or pigeons at the Temple (Luke 2:22-24) to redeem him as required by Numbers 18:15: “…nevertheless the first-born of man you shall redeem…” This becomes contradictory when one considers that Jesus assigned John with the task of caring for his mother from the cross. Why did he need to do this if he had four younger brothers? Tradition says John moved Mary from Jerusalem to Ephesus to protect her from harm. Wouldn’t her family have been upset by this, and expected her to stay with them rather than John, a non-relative?
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS1baRlhuoADHV4gqQWMDqryWVHf_YAxf08nwJmUyAdnDiOihK-CaqnSZCuV8p64piEUt_iX2F4fso7e10eVklbH72nJRKMF4cJq5O5EN8Ycb4pYmKj20JOWztfMTr8LDya-PJVmxCoxS/s1600/488px-Saint_Joseph_with_the_Infant_Jesus_by_Guido_Reni,_c_1635%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqS1baRlhuoADHV4gqQWMDqryWVHf_YAxf08nwJmUyAdnDiOihK-CaqnSZCuV8p64piEUt_iX2F4fso7e10eVklbH72nJRKMF4cJq5O5EN8Ycb4pYmKj20JOWztfMTr8LDya-PJVmxCoxS/s320/488px-Saint_Joseph_with_the_Infant_Jesus_by_Guido_Reni,_c_1635%5B1%5D.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>An Old St. Joseph Holds the Baby Jesus</strong></td></tr>
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<strong>THE ORTHODOX VIEWPOINT</strong>
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Among other differences, the Eastern Church holds to a doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity. In their traditions, Joseph was a widower with children when they married. So instead of having
siblings, Jesus has step-brothers and step-sisters.
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Making Joseph an older man solves two other issues. First, if he were not searching for a wife in the fullest sense of the word, but rather a caretaker, it becomes more reasonable to view him as “a most chaste spouse”…a term the Church has applied to him from earliest times. Secondly, making him older conforms to the tradition that Joseph had died by the time Jesus began his public ministry. (The last mention of Joseph in the Bible occurs when the 12-year-old boy Jesus is left behind at the Temple and he is not mentioned at the wedding feast in Cana.) The Orthodox view makes Jesus the youngest child in the family. And, since he was Mary’s only child, he would be solely responsible for her care when Joseph died. Were Joseph not dead, her care would have been a moot point. </div>
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<strong>THE</strong> <strong>CATHOLIC VIEWPOINT</strong>
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Where the Protestant view tends to a younger Joseph and the Orthodox view to an older, the Catholic view demands neither. While agreeing with the Eastern view on Mary’s perpetual virginity and Joseph’s death prior to Jesus’ public ministry, the Catholic Church believes the Holy Family consisted of three persons: Joseph, Mary and Jesus. </div>
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This, of course, necessitates charging John with her care since there was no one else.
This still leaves the question of his “brothers” and “sisters.” The Bible provides a list of these brothers. If they were not siblings, who were they? A real and close kinship between Jesus and these brethren is clear. But the term brethren, or brother, can be applied to step-brothers as well as to blood brothers, and in Scripture is often extended to near or even distant relatives, like cousins.
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Comparing John 19:25 to Matthew 27:56 and Mark 15:40, we find that Mary of Cleophas, or Clopas, was the sister of Mary the Mother of Jesus. We know she is Clopas’ wife because that is the way a married woman would have been identified. So this Mary is the same Mary who was the mother of James the Less and of Joseph, or Joses. Isn’t James the Lesser named in the list of apostles as the son of Alpheus? Yes, but it is commonly recognized that Clopas and Alpheus are different transcriptions of the same Aramaic word, Halphai.
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<strong>FOLLOWING THESE BRETHREN THROUGH HISTORY</strong>
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We know nothing of Joses, or Joseph. Jude, however, is the author of the Epistle of Jude. He is identified Judas Jacobi, Jude the brother of James, in the Douay Version of Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13. It was Greek custom for a man to append his brother's name instead of his father's when the brother was better known. In his Epistle, Jude calls himself the brother of James. </div>
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Simon, like Joseph, remains a bit of a mystery. Many commentators identify him as Symeon, or Simon, who, according to Hegesippus, was a son of Clopas and succeeded James as Bishop of Jerusalem. Others have identified him as the Apostle Simon the Cananean (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18) or Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). The grouping of James, Jude (or Thaddeus), and Simon, after the others, but before Judas Iscariot, seems to indicate a connection between them. </div>
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So two, and possibly three, of these cousins were among Jesus’ Apostles. This seems to be verified in 1 Corinthians 9:5 where Paul writes, “Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?” The mention of Cephas (Peter) at the end indicates that St. Paul, after speaking of the Apostles in general, calls special attention to the more prominent ones, the brothers (brethren) of the Lord and Cephas.
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<strong>FURTHER ARGUMENTS</strong>
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Some would object that the brethren of the Lord couldn’t have been Apostles since just months before his death they didn’t believe in him (John 7:3-5). This is based on a misreading of the text. They didn’t doubt his powers, what they misunderstood was his Messianic mission. They wanted him to declare himself a temporal leader. This expectation remained alive among the Apostles even after his resurrection. </div>
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The final objection to the Catholic position references Matt 1:24-25, “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son...” It can be demonstrated from other examples that the phrase firstborn son doesn’t necessarily imply that there were, or were not, other children. Nor does the phrase knew her not until she had borne a son necessarily imply that he knew her afterwards.
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Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.
</div>
E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-11823577298927484632012-07-25T12:20:00.000-07:002012-07-25T12:20:21.530-07:00DID JESUS HAVE LONG HAIR?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq_jasMqwL34MaqfVhu803hyphenhyphenKsMfHNPDW7kn9-z_eYwMDI7ARH8agWQDsX83h12Y3sWdwS05zPy_j3QIBCVKWO701kIK6NEgaqgzG4_zbzp_jCezJ2SybZGrl4_iajHsh9SGmNdOlDabs/s1600/jesus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijq_jasMqwL34MaqfVhu803hyphenhyphenKsMfHNPDW7kn9-z_eYwMDI7ARH8agWQDsX83h12Y3sWdwS05zPy_j3QIBCVKWO701kIK6NEgaqgzG4_zbzp_jCezJ2SybZGrl4_iajHsh9SGmNdOlDabs/s320/jesus.JPG" width="261" /></a></div>
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Hello My Friend and Welcome.</div>
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In the recent post about togas
and how they were misused in various works of art depicting Jesus and his
disciples, I used a picture portraying him with long, flowing hair. I chose the
picture because he was wearing a toga and completely overlooked his hair. After
all, aren’t we all accustomed to seeing Jesus with shoulder length hair?</div>
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Perhaps we are used to seeing it,
but some people still question it. Another question that arises involves how
they would have cut their hair. Did they have scissors, or did they just hack
away at it with a knife?</div>
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Let’s address the second part
first. They didn’t have scissors, if by scissors you mean a two- piece device
joined at its axis by a screw. They did, however, have shears. There is a
picture of a pair of modern shears at the top of this chapter. They’re still
used to shear sheep. Clearly, one blade moves across the other just as it does
with a scissors. I’ve watched them being used and confess I don’t understand
exactly how to make them work. The mystery lies in the exact hand motion that
produces the cut. God forbid I should ever be forced to actually use them.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOxb01JU9nzaCIvaZzS1hVDbrhhgzqq366Nd5AF5EaXkqyBajHeVFBlgIhTrFFXdNt6XCogLbqLkcQl7taFU_TclcztrtQ3Gi3bG_THJPSETcQJZ9-riWSlRvh4HeaEPb0TOPv1X1S_tl/s1600/Shears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOxb01JU9nzaCIvaZzS1hVDbrhhgzqq366Nd5AF5EaXkqyBajHeVFBlgIhTrFFXdNt6XCogLbqLkcQl7taFU_TclcztrtQ3Gi3bG_THJPSETcQJZ9-riWSlRvh4HeaEPb0TOPv1X1S_tl/s320/Shears.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Modern Sheep Shears</strong></td></tr>
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The word scissors derives from
the Latin word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cisoria</i>, meaning a
cutting instrument. I would guess that a wide variety of shears existed in the
First Century, coarse ones for shearing sheep, and they sheared a lot of sheep
because their clothes were mostly wool. Finer ones would have been used for
trimming hair, etc.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcViDBapx2i-hsKyovt8eP-NcmuZzswXWomHAOO5QuMlf_t77z1UK3m4uDi5UdOwec4q2WyWvEs6_tzvEZqPU5qycfxIrL9iH4GTWMP_Vfm-6Z9JKgbgRvdHuUzNc9rTC5Tpy2WQyRLXk/s1600/Egyptian+Shears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFcViDBapx2i-hsKyovt8eP-NcmuZzswXWomHAOO5QuMlf_t77z1UK3m4uDi5UdOwec4q2WyWvEs6_tzvEZqPU5qycfxIrL9iH4GTWMP_Vfm-6Z9JKgbgRvdHuUzNc9rTC5Tpy2WQyRLXk/s320/Egyptian+Shears.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Egyptian Brass Sheers</strong></td></tr>
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To bolster my case, I offer a
pair of Egyptian bronze shears from the Third Century BC owned by the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although their decoration is characteristic of the
Nile culture, they show a strong Greek influence. The shears illustrate the
high degree of craftsmanship which developed in the period following
Alexander's conquest of Egypt. Decorative male and female figures, which
complement each other on the opposing blades are formed of solid pieces of
metal inlaid in the bronze of the shears.</div>
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<strong>
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<strong>WHAT ABOUT THE LENGTH OF JESUS’
HAIR?<o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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Enough of the easy stuff; now we
move on to the first, and more difficult, question: Did Jesus have long hair? If
you begin researching the topic, you’ll find a wide range of opinions. There
are occasional references to Josephus and Eusebius, but when I checked them out
I couldn’t find any useful information in either source. Next, I turned to
Alfred Edersheim’s books. A converted Jew, Edersheim wrote extensively in the
late 1800’s about Jewish life in ancient times. Nothing there either. I also
scanned Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus by the German author, Joachim Jeremias,
and came up empty again.</div>
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Several people insisted Jesus had
to have short hair because the Romans and the Greeks did. Just take a look at
their statues. This train of thought ignores the fact that the Maccabean
Rebellion in 167 BC was a response to the Hellenizing influence of the Seleucid
Empire. They didn’t want to be like the Greeks. First Century Judaic society
was also dominated by the Pharisees. Their strict adherence to the laws of the
Torah and zeal for a regulated society would have led them to resist the
prevailing cultural norms rather than copying them. Judea was known as a
particularly difficult region to govern because its people were so unbending
and noncompliant.</div>
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There were also references to the
Nazarite movement which, among its precepts, prohibited the cutting of the hair
or consuming alcoholic beverages. I found people confusing Nazarite and
Nazerean, meaning someone from Nazareth, and therefore assuming Jesus would
have had long hair. John the Baptist is often believed to have been a Nazarite,
but Jesus clearly never took the Nazarite vow.</div>
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Another surprising insight came
to me from the movie Fiddler on the Roof. It depicts Russian Jews living in a
society divorced from that of their neighbors. The Jews wear distinctive clothing,
the men have beards and their gentile neighbors don’t. Some dress in black
coats and have distinctive hair styles similar to modern Hassidic Jews. Again,
we see the Jews stubbornly resisting the dominant cultural influences.</div>
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But in the end, none of these
provides truly convincing. For this we have to turn to Jesus himself…or at
least the imprint his body left on his burial cloth. About 25 years ago I read
a book written by a physician who had analyzed the Shroud of Turin. I recall
him mentioning that the person on the shroud had his hair braided in the back,
which was the style at that time. I couldn’t find a clear enough image of the
back portion of the shroud to verify this. I did, however, find two other
pieces of evidence.</div>
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The first comes in the form of an
ancient coin minted in the realm of Herod Phillip, the son of Herod the Great
and his fifth wife, Cleopatra of Jerusalem. He was a half-brother to Herod
Antipas who divorced his wife to marry Herodias, Phillip’s former wife. You’ll
recall she’s the one who wanted John the Baptist’s head on a plate.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMo4S7Fhp24hqJradO0MU3kTAT8h-ntzBEf568zaqX_UkZrg7__iMSh0sIWOcIhP-hQ8T0WrIJGimn0xLjJorsIWyZhRXlHcKHWyZc_K3Ovuytxgs_u22QAuePxLPWALVg8oG4KtbbuH5/s1600/Herod+Phillip+Coin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMo4S7Fhp24hqJradO0MU3kTAT8h-ntzBEf568zaqX_UkZrg7__iMSh0sIWOcIhP-hQ8T0WrIJGimn0xLjJorsIWyZhRXlHcKHWyZc_K3Ovuytxgs_u22QAuePxLPWALVg8oG4KtbbuH5/s320/Herod+Phillip+Coin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Coin of Herod Phillip</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Phillip had a coin minted with
his image on it. Coins from that region and era with images on them are
extremely rare because of the Torah’s injunction against graven images. Because
Phillip ruled the easternmost region of Herod’s Empire, he didn’t have to worry
as much about offending Jewish subjects. Even though the coin is a couple of
thousand years old and shows plenty of wear, it still appears to me that
Phillip has his hair braided in back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<strong>
</strong><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong>THE IKON AND THE SHROUD<o:p></o:p></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Be that as it may, my search for
shroud-based evidence took me back to the Christ Pantokrator Ikon. The image
known as Christ Pantokrator is believed to have been derived from the discovery
in 544 AD of a cloth hidden above a gate in Edessa’s city wall that bore an
image of Jesus. Six years later, an icon, the Christ Pantokrator, was produced
at St Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai. It represented a dramatic change in
the way Jesus was portrayed. Previously on coins, frescos and mosaics he had
been shown in storybook settings as a young shepherd or modeled after the Greek
god Apollo. Suddenly he had become a living, breathing human being.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
We can confirm the relationship
between the two images by digitally overlaying one on top of the other. I found
the results startling. The congruence between the two is unmistakable. Clearly
the Christ Pantokrator was derived from the Shroud of Turin in the same way
that a forensic sculptor creates the likeness of a living person from their
skull. Is it a perfect likeness? No. Hair color and eye color have to be
guessed at…although since Jesus was of Middle Eastern descent, that task is
made much easier. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_GK2_lOZi-7JudmaMsDj2wUAYNdFc50Y3UPmHRYR0XgC6rLAy7akT1sc5bHBvLFqMwHcvNSnmx166OXPQLwin5anjUUIbNAjm3CKC4XLFlTXqwAD3EOhRrGp1objxH7zQTd19_TaTV_S/s1600/Christ+w+Shroud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_GK2_lOZi-7JudmaMsDj2wUAYNdFc50Y3UPmHRYR0XgC6rLAy7akT1sc5bHBvLFqMwHcvNSnmx166OXPQLwin5anjUUIbNAjm3CKC4XLFlTXqwAD3EOhRrGp1objxH7zQTd19_TaTV_S/s320/Christ+w+Shroud.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Shroud of Turin overlaid on Ikon Christ Pantokrator</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
My point here is not to claim
that Christ Pantokrator is an exact portrait of Jesus. Such a thing is beyond
the realm of possibility. But just as with forensic reconstruction, what we
arrive at is a generally recognizable likeness. And that likeness indicates the
person to whom it belonged had long hair.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.</div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-69406606707334889252012-07-17T09:36:00.000-07:002012-07-17T09:36:18.103-07:00DID JESUS WEAR A TOGA?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zk-wpHf6hjT3IsZpjHnrs_5ahXs52c4w8WCJfuC460T8G-sTaAMdsJPG5f_yt0Q6udoQfftzubgGhHaqXo6qM_pHuH390lBzFZv_GYod5id82b38ljkpmHNY6ffpU8gcQCVoU1zzfWBo/s1600/jesus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zk-wpHf6hjT3IsZpjHnrs_5ahXs52c4w8WCJfuC460T8G-sTaAMdsJPG5f_yt0Q6udoQfftzubgGhHaqXo6qM_pHuH390lBzFZv_GYod5id82b38ljkpmHNY6ffpU8gcQCVoU1zzfWBo/s400/jesus.JPG" width="326" /></a></div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Hello My Friend and Welcome.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Do inaccuracies in fiction bother
you as much as they bother me? For the fictive dream to become reality, the reader/viewer
must relinquish control to the author, entering their world and experiences. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This entails the tacit agreement that the
author will not play fast and loose with facts and emotions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When non-congruous facts and details enter the
narrative, they diminish the author’s credibility and destroy the fictive
dream. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A NAIL SALON ON A DESERT ISLAND?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
For example, last night I watched
a TV show in which a woman, who was supposedly marooned on a desert island,
lost her wedding band. Earlier, she’d had been digging in the sand with her
hands and when she returned to the spot her ring was there in the hole. This is
when everything went awry. She reached into the hole, picked up the ring and
put it back on. In so doing, she held her hand up to the light. Her long,
neatly manicured fingernails were clearly visible. This was only the first of
many inconsistencies and impossibilities. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
There are several things that
could be going on here. A. The writer didn’t know and never bothered to find
out, B. The director either didn’t care about accuracy or also didn’t know, or C. They assumed the viewer is too
stupid to notice. But at least some of us do. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
One of the most common
misrepresentations of ancient dress is the toga. It becomes almost a cliché —
ancient times, everyone wears togas. Not true.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext;">The
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">toga</span>, which most everyone has
seen in movies and paintings, began as a simple wool wrap that was thrown on
like a cape when going out in cool weather. From there, it grew and grew,
becoming longer and longer and less and less practical. This distinctive Roman
garment eventually became a twenty </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_(length)" title="Foot (length)"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">feet</span></a><span style="color: windowtext;"> long piece of woolen cloth which was wrapped around
the body over a linen </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunic" title="Tunic"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">tunic</span></a><span style="color: windowtext;">. The first togas were
unisex garments, but that all changed around the second century BC. After that,
the toga became exclusively a man’s garment and women were expected to wear the</span>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stola</i>, a long, loose tunic<span style="color: windowtext;">.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext;">A
number of rules evolved regarding togas. For instance, only </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Roman
citizens</span><span style="color: windowtext;"> were allowed to wear them.
The toga was considered the only decent attire when out-of-doors. Harkening
back to their more humble origins, they were typically taken off indoors. They
were also removed when performing physical labor. This is evident from the
story of the Roman General, </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Cincinnatus</span>,<span style="color: windowtext;"> who was plowing his field when the messengers of the </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Senate</span><span style="color: windowtext;"> arrived to tell him he had been made </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">dictator</span><span style="color: windowtext;">. On seeing them approach, he sent his wife in to
fetch his toga from the house so that he could be properly attired to receive
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFAVU2WXU47Z7TC22S-fBdtLpMUMEHz-FpFRn4WA3tQ0ffMWJk3AWWkLmDRM9vsEQSZuwRb72bGd0KACbut0duOqTDPvWDZJFOGkdkOtndIqT8Fz5rmPVV2Z8MY2anOW0Jq7s7Tw1f0tF/s1600/Caesar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFAVU2WXU47Z7TC22S-fBdtLpMUMEHz-FpFRn4WA3tQ0ffMWJk3AWWkLmDRM9vsEQSZuwRb72bGd0KACbut0duOqTDPvWDZJFOGkdkOtndIqT8Fz5rmPVV2Z8MY2anOW0Jq7s7Tw1f0tF/s320/Caesar.JPG" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">EVOLUTION OF THE TOGA</b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The toga
gradually gained increased importance as a ceremonial garment and came to
signify different stations within society. As early as the second century BC the
toga became the characteristic badge of <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Roman
citizenship</span>. It was worn by <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">magistrates</span>
on all occasions as a badge of office. It would have been highly improper for a
magistrate to appear in any other attire. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Augustus</span>
grew so upset when he observed a meeting of citizens without togas that he quoted
<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Virgil</span>'s
phrase, “<i>Romanos, rerum dominos, gentemque togatam</i>” —Romans, lords of
the world, the toga-wearing race — when giving the order that no one was to
appear in the <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Forum</span> or <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Circus</span>
without it.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Formal occasions demanded a </span><span style="color: windowtext;">plain white toga for Roman men of legal age. The first
wearing of this <i>toga virilis</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">,
also</span> known as a <i>toga alba</i> or <i>toga pura</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">, </span>became part of a boy’s maturation celebrations.
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">There was also the <i>toga candida</i></span>
a toga bleached to a dazzling white and worn by </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">candidates</span><span style="color: windowtext;"> for </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">public office</span><span style="color: windowtext;">. Our term, candidate, was derived from the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">candida</i>, Latin for bright white; hardly
appropriate in today’s political climate. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">During the Imperial period, the right to a wear the <i>toga praetexta</i></span>,
an ordinary white toga with a broad purple stripe on its border, signified the
honor of high rank. </span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">There was also the <i>toga pulla</i></span><span style="color: windowtext;">, or dark toga. It was worn mainly by </span><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">mourners</span><span style="color: windowtext;">, but could also be worn in times of private danger or
public anxiety. It could also be used as a protest. For instance, when Cicero
was exiled, the Senate resolved to wear <i>togae pullae</i> to protest his
banishment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Most elaborate of all was the <i>toga picta</i></span><span style="color: windowtext;"> a solid purple garment, embroidered with gold. Magistrates
giving public games wore them, as did consuls and the emperor on special
occasions.</span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;">WHAT ABOUT JESUS?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: windowtext;">Many,
if not most, of the paintings of Christ and his disciples depict them wearing
one form or another of what appears to be a toga. Is this portrayal accurate, possible,
reasonable? No, of course not. They were Jews who would have most likely
rejected all aspects of the Roman culture. They wore an ankle length tunic
accompanied by a long-sleeved robe, or cloak, when needed for warmth.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-vGq6hNgmTTEJF-lw47yfMmMR1n9U_Q-vjyvfZ1HVG2VPmy_ONEFqKquKmo4W67Y52PUVponoPMatQI4_1VQ8aAgxu_cK_oJbA52enCDqnYCd2D0Mw56-HTijJRYgw4IRypytYK-JEzy/s1600/Apostle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-vGq6hNgmTTEJF-lw47yfMmMR1n9U_Q-vjyvfZ1HVG2VPmy_ONEFqKquKmo4W67Y52PUVponoPMatQI4_1VQ8aAgxu_cK_oJbA52enCDqnYCd2D0Mw56-HTijJRYgw4IRypytYK-JEzy/s320/Apostle.JPG" width="248" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext;">Of
all the apostles, only Paul of Tarsus was a Roman citizen and therefore
entitled to wear a toga. He very well may have worn one on his missionary
journeys to enhance his credibility in cities such as Athens or Corinth.
Whether he did or not, of course, we can never know. What we can know is that,
even in Rome, Peter never wore a toga. He was forbidden to by Roman law.</span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext;">On
Friday we’ll be adding our link to the Christian Writers Blog Chain. Until
then, we wish you Peace and Blessings.</span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-40879338929094106592012-07-11T18:00:00.000-07:002012-07-11T18:00:00.540-07:00ROMANS IN THE AMERICAS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONJuIzbiEbrH4-hfKxfuLQaB73k8KM9MN5hwJ7zGXcWZZ2NNNRi-4WNU8Ttu4sLRCnyqDJLbTAEgURRMXacc90F95UjMuZ3ZTpVX7yrf28bQlxrUhyWti-60zDU5L40wS8yQRdOj6H1iP/s1600/4e53273f57bd3_wine%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONJuIzbiEbrH4-hfKxfuLQaB73k8KM9MN5hwJ7zGXcWZZ2NNNRi-4WNU8Ttu4sLRCnyqDJLbTAEgURRMXacc90F95UjMuZ3ZTpVX7yrf28bQlxrUhyWti-60zDU5L40wS8yQRdOj6H1iP/s400/4e53273f57bd3_wine%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ancient Amphorae at the Bottom of the Sea</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Hello My Friend and Welcome.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As a youngster did you learn the rhyme, “In 1492, Columbus sailed
the ocean blue?” Despite what the rhyme taught us, we now know that Columbus
was most likely not the first to set foot on the American continents. Believers
in pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact propose interaction between indigenous
peoples of the Americas who settled the Americas before 10,000 BC, and peoples
of other continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, or Oceania), which occurred centuries
before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CLAIMS OF
PRE-COLUMBIAN CONTACT<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Many such contacts have been proposed, based on historical
accounts, archaeological finds, and cultural comparisons. However, claims of
such contacts are controversial and much debated, due in part to the ambiguous
or circumstantial evidence cited by proponents. <br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The scientific responses to most claims range from serious
consideration in peer-reviewed publications to a quick dismissal. Despite the barrage
of negativity, believers continue to press their claims. One of the most
famous, Thor Heyerdahl<span style="color: windowtext;">, sailed 3,770 nautical
miles across the</span> Pacific Ocean on his self-built raft, the Kon-Tiki,
from South America to the Tuamotu Islands in 1947. The expedition was designed
to demonstrate that ancient people could have made long sea voyages, creating
contacts between apparently separate cultures. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">IS NEWFOUNDLAND
ACTUALLY VINLAND?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even though journeys to North America are supported by literary,
historical and archaeological evidence, only one instance of pre-Columbian
European contact – the Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland,
Canada c. 1000 AD – is accepted by scholars as demonstrated. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
In 1961, archaeologists Helge and Anne Ingstad uncovered the
remains of a Norse settlement at the L'Anse aux Meadows archaeological site on
the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, Canada. A connection is frequently drawn
between L'Anse aux Meadows and the Vinland sagas. These are written versions of
older oral histories that recount the temporary settlement of an area to the
west of Greenland, called Vinland, led by a Norse explorer, Leif Erikson. It is
possible that Vinland may have been Newfoundland. Finds on Baffin Island
suggest a Norse presence there after L'Anse aux Meadows was abandoned. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HENRY SINCLAIR’S 14<sup>TH</sup>
CENTURY VOYAGE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
But there is other tempting evidence. People claim that carvings
in Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland depict Indian corn, or maize. Henry I Sinclair,
Earl of Orkney and feudal baron of Roslin (1345 –1400) was a Scottish nobleman.
He is remembered because of the legend that he took part in explorations of
Greenland and North America almost 100 years before Christopher Columbus. William
Sinclair, Henry’s grandson and 1<sup>st</sup> Earl of Caithness, built the
Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh, Scotland in the mid 15<sup>th</sup> Century. Maize
was unknown in Europe at the time and not cultivated there until hundreds of
years later. This would seem to prove that Henry Sinclair, travelled to the
Americas and returned with ears of corn. Like everything in this field, this
conclusion is not without controversy. Others interpret the carvings as stylized
depictions of wheat, strawberries or lilies.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MADOC IN THE 12<sup>TH</sup>
CENTURY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to British
legend, Madoc, a prince from Wales, explored the Americas as early as 1170.
While most scholars consider this legend to be untrue, it was used as
justification for British claims to the Americas, based on the notion of a
Briton arriving before other European nationalities. Local legend holds that
Devil's Backbone, a rock formation near Louisville, Kentucky, was used as a
citadel by Madoc and his companions. A memorial tablet erected at Fort Morgan
in Mobile Bay, Alabama reads: "In memory of Prince Madog, a Welsh
explorer, who landed on the shores of Mobile Bay in 1170 and left behind, with
the Indians, the Welsh language." The Mandan tribe of North Dakota were
said to be Welsh-speaking. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">WHAT IF ROMANS
ARRIVED 1000 YEARS EARLIER?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Yes, you read that correctly. Perhaps it’s not as preposterous
as it sounds at first glance. We know that the Romans traveled to most of
modern Europe. They also sailed from North Africa to India and conducted trade with
China on what came to be called The Silk Road. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6Jokxb8-azEtfQxWvvJFyEUcUF6ZulJBpnJz3zcAA32Bj73su-O5fNZkyWE97T8pjrkoE1cVYB19sm3gjm6IJaOZZIaf-HsDSzoC3FeV4v7iLOoFangQhZco1LM91P_j26f3gZpM8YSw/s1600/calix2%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6Jokxb8-azEtfQxWvvJFyEUcUF6ZulJBpnJz3zcAA32Bj73su-O5fNZkyWE97T8pjrkoE1cVYB19sm3gjm6IJaOZZIaf-HsDSzoC3FeV4v7iLOoFangQhZco1LM91P_j26f3gZpM8YSw/s320/calix2%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let’s start with a recent find and work backwards. The photo
illustrates what is known as the Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head. Made of terracotta,
it was probably part of a larger figurine. It was discovered in 1933 in the
Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca zone in the Toluca Valley, about 40 miles southwest of
Mexico City. Because the head appears to be similar in style to artifacts of
Roman origin, some believe that it is evidence of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic
contact between Rome and America.</div>
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An assessment of the case in 2001 by Romeo H. Hristov of the
University of New Mexico and Santiago Genovés T. of the National Autonomous
University of Mexico made the hypothesis of <span style="color: windowtext;">Roman
origin –among other possibilities– applicable. The identification of the head
as Roman work from the II-III century A.D. has been further confirmed by
Bernard Andreae, a director emeritus of the German Institute of Archaeology in
Rome, Italy. According to Andreae, “the head is without doubt Roman, and the
lab analysis has confirmed that it is ancient. A stylistic examination tells us
more precisely that it is a Roman work from around the II century A.D., and</span>
<span style="color: windowtext;">the hairstyle and the shape of the beard presents
the typical traits of the Severian Emperor’s period</span> [193-235 A.D.], in
the fashion of that epoch.” </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrhV4WfqiV8Q_1Jr9L-Gv95EZf7X4P9NED84y-hgdrPv3zjhxLDTMqyEKtN9ttnA3J_VoEAH1Ihe7zqb9NkBtR9bxtvyYWSVsJwxU7xFbpVbVnsvb-6-Razca5qC-m1OsT1D3bS2YrWwu/s1600/Ship+at+Sea.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrhV4WfqiV8Q_1Jr9L-Gv95EZf7X4P9NED84y-hgdrPv3zjhxLDTMqyEKtN9ttnA3J_VoEAH1Ihe7zqb9NkBtR9bxtvyYWSVsJwxU7xFbpVbVnsvb-6-Razca5qC-m1OsT1D3bS2YrWwu/s400/Ship+at+Sea.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ancient Roman Ship</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ANCIENT TRAVELS<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Such an event has been made more believable by the discovery
of evidences of travels by the Romans, Phoenicians and Berbers as early as the
6<sup>th</sup> or 5<sup>th</sup> Century BC to Tenerife and Lanzarote in the
Canaries, and of a 1<sup>st</sup> Century BC Roman settlement on Lanzarote Island.
Lanzarote was probably the first Canary Island to be settled and the
Phoenicians may have settled there around 1100 BC, though no material evidence
survives. The Greek writers and philosophers Herodotus, Plato, and Plutarch
described the garden of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hesperides</i>,
a mythic orchard at the far west of the world, which many identify as the
Canaries.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A WRITTEN RECORD FROM
PLINY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The first known record comes from Pliny the Elder where he
describes in his encyclopedia <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Naturalis
Historia,</i> an expedition to the Canary Islands. The names of five islands
(then called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Insulae Fortunatae</i>, the Fortunate
Isles) were recorded as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Canaria</i> (Gran
Canary), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ninguaria</i> (Tenerife), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Junonia Major</i> (La Palma), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Plivalia</i> (El Hierro) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Capraria</i> (La Gomera). Lanzarote and
Fuerteventura, the two easternmost Canary Islands, were only mentioned as the
archipelago of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">purple islands</i>. The
Egyptian astronomer and geographer Ptolemy calculated their precise locations. Following
the fall of the Roman Empire, the Canary Islands were ignored for the next 500
years.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">COMING TO AMERICA<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is a large submerged rock in Guanabara Bay near Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil. Lying just three feet beneath the water’s surface, it is called
Xareu Rock after the fish that congregate there. In the late 1970’s, a local
fisherman using nets around Xareu Rock kept catching some large —3’ tall— heavy
earthen jars. He mistakenly assumed they were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">macumba jars</i>, which are used in voodoo ceremonies and then thrown
into the sea. So, as the jars were hauled up, he smashed them with a hammer and
tossed the pieces back into the water to prevent them from snagging his nets.</div>
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Eventually a scuba diver spear fishing around Xareu Rock found
eight of the jars. He took them home and began selling them to tourists. He
only had two left by the time Brazilian police stopped him and confiscated the
jars. Archaeologists immediately identified them as Roman amphorae from the 1<sup>st</sup>
Century BC. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Ex-marine, underwater explorer and treasure-hunter Robert
Marx claims to have discovered a long-forgotten Roman shipwreck in the Bay of
Guanabara. It appears to have hit the rock at a high speed, spilt apart and
sank in 75 feet of water. While diving to examine the wreckage, Marx removed parts
of the ancient amphorae. They eventually ended up in the hands of Dr. Elizabeth
Lyding Will, an expert on Roman amphorae. She says they’re similar in shape to
jars produced in kilns at Kouass, on the west coast of Morocco. </div>
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The Institute of Archaeology of the University of London
performed thermo-luminescence testing, which is a more accurate dating process
than Carbon 14 dating, and set the jar’s manufacture date around 19 B.C. Many
more amphorae and some marble objects were recovered, as well as a Roman bronze
fibula, a clasp device used to fasten a coat or shirt.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zMnfyEISqdQvAO_SbuUSfDe6G0NUFq8_2SM1icyAUe8KyLgU4C0X3lN1PmuPWEA2kWfgDPqX1FD8vpUx-nyhfHeMSiI3XLCCIpWjrxuC0JK8vCkeSulImatnhlO2q4YRCwZ98EeQlGeh/s1600/Roman+Path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zMnfyEISqdQvAO_SbuUSfDe6G0NUFq8_2SM1icyAUe8KyLgU4C0X3lN1PmuPWEA2kWfgDPqX1FD8vpUx-nyhfHeMSiI3XLCCIpWjrxuC0JK8vCkeSulImatnhlO2q4YRCwZ98EeQlGeh/s400/Roman+Path.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Salt Mines to Rio de Janeiro</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">PASS THE SALT, PLEASE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is where the story gets really interesting, and it all
starts with salt. Salt was one of the most valuable commodities around the
beginning of the 1<sup>st</sup> Century. It represented the only reliable way
to preserve fresh meat and fish. In fact, salt was so valuable that at times it
was used in place of money. The word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salary</i>
derives from the practice of paying laborers in salt. And from that, came the
familiar term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he’s not worth his salt</i>.
</div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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The Romans had a large salt production facility on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ilha do Sal</i>, Salt Island, in the Cape
Verde Islands, which are 350 miles off the coast of West Africa. The map
illustrates the general path a ship would take to go from there to Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil… a trip of about 2900 nautical miles. If that seems
prohibitive, consider that Roman ships regularly sailed from Antioch of Syria
to Londinium in Britannia, a distance of about 1,600 nautical miles. Trade
vessels also left Egypt headed for India and returned laden with spices. This
represents a round trip of 4,600 nautical miles. Remember also, Heyerdahl<span style="color: windowtext;"> sailed 3,770 nautical miles on a raft!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-X1SWyxbgHE6uyJNQgtiHgoLRs-GA9DPNU61JI45zCVCmdRiR-0FnEj8g1OTbY5zeR0h7iNzsk-OVnyxWMLR7i-KetcMWhSoXUuCY4jrTISIvjiD0NWORusT7pxUI4GfkYfvx_5WJ7_aW/s1600/Path+w+currents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-X1SWyxbgHE6uyJNQgtiHgoLRs-GA9DPNU61JI45zCVCmdRiR-0FnEj8g1OTbY5zeR0h7iNzsk-OVnyxWMLR7i-KetcMWhSoXUuCY4jrTISIvjiD0NWORusT7pxUI4GfkYfvx_5WJ7_aW/s400/Path+w+currents.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Rotation of the North Atlantic and South Atlantic Currents</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HOT WINDS AND
CIRCULAR OCEAN CURRENTS<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Salt Island is located directly in the path of the hot, dry
winds of the Sahara Desert, which can easily blow 60 knots from the east. It is
believed that this Roman merchant vessel was heading for Salt Island to pick up
a load of salt and to provision the local army garrison when it was caught in a
fierce Sahara storm. Roman ships were clumsy by modem standards and would have
no choice but to lower their sails and to run with the winds to avoid
capsizing. The Sahara winds can blow continuously for many days. The ship would
have been driven south into the Guinea Currents that could have moved it into
the circular flow of the North Atlantic current. In the equatorial regions this
southern flow intersects with the rising South Atlantic current. Passing from
one to the other, the Roman sailors would have found themselves being pushed
south and west toward Brazil. They would, of course, have no way of navigating
since the southern constellations would have been unfamiliar to them.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FINAL CONCLUSIONS<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Was this a one-time event that ended in tragedy? Or, did
these early sailors use it as an opportunity to make contacts, in which case
the sunken ship was not the first Roman ship to make the voyage. For all we
know, they might have been on the first stages of a regular trade run. And, when
they didn’t return, this new venture was abandoned. </div>
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What about the men aboard? Were there survivors? Did they
make their way ashore, make contact with the natives, and live happily ever
after? As tantalizing as it may be to speculate on the possibilities, the
answers to these and other questions have been lost to history.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-13278877733456436692012-07-09T01:00:00.000-07:002012-07-09T01:00:03.140-07:00HOARD OF BOADICEA’S GOLD FOUND IN BRITAIN<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TfWk5MOts9jd4Ne2ZoZOKnI2cBBC4SdOcL2zNsxneQ8aK1y8vClKiAkHofOrOZPcXwzu7sjjpT7ExCZ5RQxyn57cZjlBaKX-pV4DdpD5qTWuahl7qCP1MdVgof3jOYmELBESnNd5IQjP/s1600/Coins+of+the+Icveni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TfWk5MOts9jd4Ne2ZoZOKnI2cBBC4SdOcL2zNsxneQ8aK1y8vClKiAkHofOrOZPcXwzu7sjjpT7ExCZ5RQxyn57cZjlBaKX-pV4DdpD5qTWuahl7qCP1MdVgof3jOYmELBESnNd5IQjP/s400/Coins+of+the+Icveni.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Gold Saters Minted about the Time of Boadicea</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Hello My Friend and
Welcome.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">In the past we’ve dealt
with Queen Boudicca of the Iceni, or as the Romans called her, Boadicea. We looked
at her rebellion, which nearly overthrew Roman rule in Britannia, in a post entitled
<a href="http://eglewis.blogspot.com/2011/10/queen-boadicea-warrior-queen-of.html">Queen Boadicea, Warrior Queen of Britannia </a>and also examined the consequences
of that rebellion on the city of Camulodunum in Boadicea’s Legacy in the post <a href="http://eglewis.blogspot.com/2012/04/boadiceas-legacy-tale-of-two-cities.html">ATale of Two Cities and the Arthurian Legend</a>. Today, we want to take a look at a
huge cache of gold coins discovered a few years ago in East Anglia, Britain.
Interestingly enough, this hoard of Iceni coins circulated during the period of
Boadicea’s reign.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><strong>FORTUNE SMILES ON A
TREASURE HUNTER</strong></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Here is a tale that will
warm the heart of even the most discouraged treasure hunter. Michael, a
60-year-old mechanic who prefers that his full name not be used, had been metal
detecting for 25 years and never discovered a gold coin. One spring day, he
decided to explore a field which had been used as a pasture for almost 30
years. He found very little at first…a rusty nail here, an old bolt there. Then
he stumbled upon his first gold coin. He checked the Internet and found that his
find was known as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Freckenham gold
stater</i>, a coin used by the Iceni during the last century BC and the First
Century AD.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Freckenham gold staters</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> are a somewhat unique coin known as base gold
staters or what dealers call rose gold staters. They are made with an alloy mix
of about 40 per cent copper, 20 per cent </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">silver and 40 per cent
gold. They continued to be minted up to and beyond Boadicea’s reign. Note the
coppery color of the gold coins made during the Boadicean era.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><strong>THE FIND OF A LIFETIME</strong></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">It snowed the following
weekend, but that didn’t dissuade Michael. He returned to the pasture on Easter
Sunday and, under a light covering of snow, dug up eight more of the staters.
Then, in his own words, “my machine suddenly went doolally and I knew for sure
I was standing right on top of a crock of gold.” In an amazing display of
self-control, he marked the spot and went home for a cup of tea. He returned to
the field the following day, Easter Monday, and dug into clay soil which hadn’t
been plowed since 1980. Six to eight inches beneath the sod he found a cache of
774 gold staters, many of them still in their original container, an
earthenware pot. The top of the pot had been sheared off years before by a
plowshare which scattered coins over a 30 foot area. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">All of but two of the
825 coins eventually recovered were minted by the Iceni, Queen Boadicea’s
tribe. The coins were minted over a number of decades under several Kings and many
predated Boadicea’s rule by a generation. Below is a coin minted by Prasutagus,
Boadicea’s late husband.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<strong></strong><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjcX1sdVCeQExxkdRgAs4ojA8dK395J1cuREx3aMIzoT5-Clxg754asxmPiP50Mr1jbK664_5MmXGaTDHFB7Eo2TzisZNxlgiAB8fTY3yR8Xa3EkfV8z-WaWnhNBkfbyz9eQIdGvJRa97/s1600/Kings+Gold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><strong><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjcX1sdVCeQExxkdRgAs4ojA8dK395J1cuREx3aMIzoT5-Clxg754asxmPiP50Mr1jbK664_5MmXGaTDHFB7Eo2TzisZNxlgiAB8fTY3yR8Xa3EkfV8z-WaWnhNBkfbyz9eQIdGvJRa97/s1600/Kings+Gold.jpg" /></strong></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>What 774 Gold Staters Looks Like</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong></strong><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><strong>UNANSWERED QUESTIONS</strong></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Who accumulated and
buried these coins, now easily worth several million dollars? Such a huge accumulation
of gold could not have been the savings of a rich merchant, a prosperous
farmer, a skilled craftsman or a mercenary warrior. Their sheer quantity and extreme
value of the original deposit indicates the coins most probably belonged to a
wealthy king…or queen. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">What was the purpose of
this hoard? A number of possibilities have been suggested. It might have been
the life savings of a king who died without telling anyone where he stashed the
family fortune. Or they could have been gathered to make a very specific and important
payment of some kind. If so, to whom and to what end? The fact that the hoard
consists solely of gold staters —no gold quarter staters, no silver coins, no
gold jewelry, no gold or silver bullion— and that the coins were mostly minted within
20–30 years of deposition suggests they were hoarded very quickly to make a
specific payment. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><strong>THREE POSSIBILITIES FOR
THEIR INTENDED USE</strong> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">But what sort of
payment? The hoard may have been a votive offering, made on behalf of the tribe
during a period of anxiety. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Wickham Market
hoard, as it’s come to be called, was buried close to the boundary of a ditched
enclosure close to the southern border of the Iceni’s realm. Several similar hoards
have been found along the tribal borders, which seem to imply some sort of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>religious significance…a gift to the gods,
perhaps. Could the ditched structure have been a temple? However, the special
nature of this group, all gold staters, implies it had some special purpose. We
examined a similar situation in a cache collected for the Temple Tax buried on
Mt. Carmel in the post A Lost Hoard of Shekels Tell Their Story. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">It also may have been a
war chest, gathered in anticipation of an imminent military threat. The early
years of the First Century seem to have been a time of political upheaval in
Britannia and perhaps the Iceni felt threatened by the aggressively expansive
Catuvellauni, and prudently accumulated hoards of gold staters in readiness for
a military campaign. Almost the only monetary transaction for which there is
documentary evidence is the purchase of military service. While coinage was
undoubtedly used for other commercial purposes, its most common use appears to
have been in governmental transactions. The historical record is replete with
the monthly rates of military pay, various taxes and levies, etc. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">And, finally, the coins
might have been gathered as a tribute payment to a more powerful king. The proximity
of Addedomaros, king of the Catuvellauni’s, to the Iceni may have necessitated
a political alliance between the two tribes…an alliance of compliance, with the
Iceni as the weaker partner. When Cunobelin invaded the Trinovantes sometime
around AD 10 he may have scrapped this treaty and demanded a massive payment of
tribute from the Iceni in exchange for not invading them too. This begs the
question, if so, why weren’t they paid?</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Clearly, such caches of
coins are the stuff of legend and they pose questions which can never be answered.
Rather than making it less interesting, it piques the imagination to speculate
on why someone buried that jar of gold coins, who they were, and why they did
it.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Until next time, we wish
you Peace and Blessings.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-70910866526287507752012-07-02T01:00:00.000-07:002012-07-02T01:00:06.956-07:00OLDEST PAINTING OF STS. PETER & PAUL<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxD0nGJBO_8Ybs7BEO1ookZ46b0VBnidOG4_M2KldL9Y4OVLBCidgr4JPJrLPFp-CZ2p-Y3VpnLR2jMFb4czDBEb9t-GamyvPldprPgPaxqoxpFjKPtESalU-TZtZZLcJp8nXUcLWuORm/s1600/Laser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxD0nGJBO_8Ybs7BEO1ookZ46b0VBnidOG4_M2KldL9Y4OVLBCidgr4JPJrLPFp-CZ2p-Y3VpnLR2jMFb4czDBEb9t-GamyvPldprPgPaxqoxpFjKPtESalU-TZtZZLcJp8nXUcLWuORm/s400/Laser.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Saint Paul is Clearly Identifiable in this Frescoe</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Hello My Friend and Welcome.</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">On the liturgical calendar June
29<sup>th</sup> is the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, making it an opportune
time to examine the oldest known image of the Apostles. To do that, we must head
to Rome. Put on a light jacket and bring your flashlight because we’ll be going
into the catacombs. More specifically, we’ll be visiting the tomb of a Roman
noblewoman in the Santa Tecla catacomb.</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p>
</o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong>SAINT THECLA</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For those not be
familiar with Santa Tecla, or Saint Thecla, she was reputed to have been a
pupil of the Apostle Paul and is the heroine of the apocryphal Acta Pauli et
Theclae — The Acts of Paul and Thecla. Our knowledge of her is derived
exclusively from these writings, which appeared about 180. According to the
narrative, Thecla was a virgin from Iconium whom Paul converted to
Christianity. She was miraculously saved from death several times and traveled
with St. Paul to Antioch in Pisidia. From there, she went to Myra where the
Paul was preaching, and finally to Seleucia where she died. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">With the consent of
St. Paul she acted as a female Apostle and proclaimed the Gospel.
Notwithstanding the purely legendary character of this story, it’s very
possible that it in some way relates to an historical person. It is easy to
believe that a virgin of this name who was a native of Iconium was actually
converted by St. Paul and then, like many other women of the Apostolic and
later times, labored in the work of the Church. In the Eastern Church the wide
circulation of the Acts led to her veneration. She was called Apostle and
proto-martyr among women. Her veneration was especially strong in Seleucia
where she was buried, Iconium, and Nicomedia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRQbwM_dEUJiaxhl_3rrWlDh4_4msdi84c7sWekWPKrSPn2QXa9wHIff1msgqvG5YOQiloucttHfK-J_kG3PdvyrmAGhNwwQ9pZTSJJUASRCSrdimVG_tM6TtWi0JqStv4f8prfLHSGmU/s1600/Good+Shepherd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFRQbwM_dEUJiaxhl_3rrWlDh4_4msdi84c7sWekWPKrSPn2QXa9wHIff1msgqvG5YOQiloucttHfK-J_kG3PdvyrmAGhNwwQ9pZTSJJUASRCSrdimVG_tM6TtWi0JqStv4f8prfLHSGmU/s320/Good+Shepherd.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Good Shepherd</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong>HEADING UNDERGROUND</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And so we now head
deep into an ancient catacomb dug beneath an eight-story office building in a
working-class neighborhood of Rome. Watch you head, the ceiling’s low in
places. Follow this long corridor, turn the corner…a little further, and here
they are. Hidden away in this dank, damp manmade cave are the earliest known
icons of the Apostles Peter and Paul. The paintings, which date from the second
half of the 4th century, also include the earliest known images of the Apostles
John and Andrew. The paintings adorn what is believed to be the tomb of a Roman
noblewoman in the Santa Tecla catacomb and represent some of the earliest
evidence of devotion to the apostles in early Christianity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_YkSAf8ZVl31LfLWJ4kdOrMHP3fcpFCjvgxsm1_jcm3u8Rexscpa-XrkXnPz2BvJHSu8ugYXhzOe11UO9PYM9LHNv4-7Xb7tmDrYCxNm2VK0h83kiQxkgq6F4ALqW_Vh3rYaKb5aB9QR/s1600/Peter+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_YkSAf8ZVl31LfLWJ4kdOrMHP3fcpFCjvgxsm1_jcm3u8Rexscpa-XrkXnPz2BvJHSu8ugYXhzOe11UO9PYM9LHNv4-7Xb7tmDrYCxNm2VK0h83kiQxkgq6F4ALqW_Vh3rYaKb5aB9QR/s400/Peter+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Peter is Easily Identifiable as Well</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Vatican officials
announced the discovery of the icon of Paul in June, 2009. Their announcement
was timed to coincide with the end of the Vatican's Pauline year. At the time,
Pope Benedict XVI also announced that tests on bone fragments long attributed
to Paul seemed to confirm that they did indeed belong to the saint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Vatican archaeologists recently opened up the
tomb to the media and revealed that the image of Paul was not found in isolation,
but was part of a square ceiling painting that also included images of three
other apostles — Peter, John and Andrew — surrounding an image of Christ, the
Good Shepherd. "These are the first images of the apostles," said
Fabrizio Bisconti, superintendent of archaeology for the catacombs, which are
maintained by the Vatican's Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong>TWO-YEAR RESTORATION
EFFORT</strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Vatican office
oversaw, and paid for, the two-year restoration effort. This was the first time
lasers were used to restore frescoes and paintings in a catacomb. The damp,
musty air of these underground tombs makes preservation of paintings
particularly difficult and restoration problematic. In this particular case,
the small burial chamber at the end of the catacomb was completely encased
beneath inches of white calcium carbonate deposits. Previous restoration
techniques would have just scraped it away by hand. This method requires them
to leave a filmy layer on top so as to not damage the paintings underneath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><strong>FIRST USE OF A LASER</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The new laser
technique allows them to remove the entire thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The use of the laser allowed restorers to
burn off centuries old deposits without damaging the dark colors of the
original paintings underneath. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Until next time, we
wish you Peace and Blessings.</span></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-85105075080601989062012-06-29T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-29T01:00:14.418-07:00WOMEN in the EARLY CHURCH<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xL7-qb3axtBEdkahpwJzpnhVOW4r3IWWII650oK3UInjrpQsmhFI4vtUxX-t035D1IKpo-9JXMVoxtUt6MRUqKfs0WqgrlGsDQiAXk06XTbFFduY_QOagJPDlG4y6dQ-1ggrlG9QhC1R/s1600/women-in-early-church-mosaic%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xL7-qb3axtBEdkahpwJzpnhVOW4r3IWWII650oK3UInjrpQsmhFI4vtUxX-t035D1IKpo-9JXMVoxtUt6MRUqKfs0WqgrlGsDQiAXk06XTbFFduY_QOagJPDlG4y6dQ-1ggrlG9QhC1R/s400/women-in-early-church-mosaic%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ancient Mosaic of Women of the Early Chruch</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello My Friend and Welcome.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Even during a cursory reading of
the Gospels you’ll find yourself surrounded by women who, in one way or
another, ministered to Jesus and his inner circle. Most famous of these is Mary
and Martha of Bethany and, thanks to Dan Brown and his DaVinci Code nonsense,
Mary of Magdala…usually called Mary Magdalene. One who is never mentioned,
though she must have been a supporter, is Mary, wife of Aristopulus. It was in
the upper room of their home that Jesus celebrated his Last Supper with his disciples.
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
There are others as well. The
woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the woman with the hemorrhage
who just wanted to touch the hem of Jesus’ cloak, Peter’s mother-in-law, the
woman who washed his feet with tears — some associate her with Mary Magdalene,
though this seems doubtful. And, of course, his mother, Mary, who was no doubt
always in the background.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE347VJRq_kucaclqErh7GAxLW2sbJFYVuwMpmvAnhhTc1sCxkC32ptW9JnxaTmrlzNZPZXpPldK1j-aD4OUHZRaPej1UxYC6qb1SPmPPKfW9iGx5EdFuY-ZGkihHPgPzGN6G4nl01Cnsa/s1600/christian-women-at-the-tomb-of-the-virgin-jerusalem%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE347VJRq_kucaclqErh7GAxLW2sbJFYVuwMpmvAnhhTc1sCxkC32ptW9JnxaTmrlzNZPZXpPldK1j-aD4OUHZRaPej1UxYC6qb1SPmPPKfW9iGx5EdFuY-ZGkihHPgPzGN6G4nl01Cnsa/s320/christian-women-at-the-tomb-of-the-virgin-jerusalem%5B1%5D.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Sinner or saint, the one thing we
glean from the Gospels is that our Lord treated each these women with as
persons worthy of dignity and respect. Clearly, he was a modern man almost
2,000 years before the term was invented.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
But what of the early church?
Once Christ handed the reins over to the apostles did they revert to the
misogynistic, patriarchal ways that we’re told prevailed in First Century society?
Did they banish women to the kitchen to be seen, but not heard? No, they did
not. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido09ZCgygO8XnYvThVfoB_OW7imyjEXwFljCFXC_XT2hj-JQjWAouOa-IAKOY8AIlJqm7CcooR-_vx0MeybuZ-WN3FXc-8noz_XWejohvi00u9HG0KlTTAIDa1N0f9blSAf0MHtmb15r6/s1600/imagesCAOXIR7M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido09ZCgygO8XnYvThVfoB_OW7imyjEXwFljCFXC_XT2hj-JQjWAouOa-IAKOY8AIlJqm7CcooR-_vx0MeybuZ-WN3FXc-8noz_XWejohvi00u9HG0KlTTAIDa1N0f9blSAf0MHtmb15r6/s320/imagesCAOXIR7M.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ikon of Lydia</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The history of women taking an
active role in the early church is well documented. A number of women are
mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and the various Epistles. Some examples
would be Timothy’s mother and grandmother; fellow tent-makers, Aquila and
Priscilla, Lydia the seller of purple cloth, Dorcas, or Tabitha, whom Peter
raised from the dead, and the four daughters of Phillip who were prophetesses.
There are also numerous instances where women are mentioned without specifying
their names…the distinguished widows of Asia, women among the 120 and so on.<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span>Paul and his companions frequently relied
upon the charity and social standing of some of these women —many no doubt
wealthy widows— to ease them into the local society so they could accomplish
their mission.</div>
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<br /> </div>
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Literary sources have left ample
records of deaconesses in different parts of the Byzantine Empire.
Constantinople’s main cathedral, the Hagia Sophia, counted among its clergy 6o
priests, 100 male deacons and 40 deaconesses. (Justinian, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Novella</i> 3.1) The early church’s practice of baptizing converts by
full immersion in the nude ―a symbolic rebirth into the life of Christ― made
the presence of deaconesses a practical necessity. In addition to assisting
with baptisms, they tended the sick, nurtured the waifs the ecclesia rescued,
and cared for the crippled, mentally ill, and dying.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumRnK-UW7fnEUVNfDSkfcnZscWKXRfn1_eRA-j6Z9RZnwsnYl_r99PciXucOcTgT7f0pieAOXabLkOsQlEwgnkAQ8fhukNWyNnsu9xoTB_YY10tZ9UMD18mcaF5Vv3VNpEDx7IcCvtp3j/s1600/Womens-Heads-Decani-Kosovo%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumRnK-UW7fnEUVNfDSkfcnZscWKXRfn1_eRA-j6Z9RZnwsnYl_r99PciXucOcTgT7f0pieAOXabLkOsQlEwgnkAQ8fhukNWyNnsu9xoTB_YY10tZ9UMD18mcaF5Vv3VNpEDx7IcCvtp3j/s320/Womens-Heads-Decani-Kosovo%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wall Painting of Early Deaconesses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Some of these women are known by
name because of their association with other notable members of the early
church. These few undoubtedly represent unnamed thousands whose contributions
have been lost to history. Here is a short list of some of them:</div>
Olympias in Constantinople,
ordained by Bishop Nektarios, friend of St. Gregory of Nazianze and later of
St. John Chrysostom. <br />
Anonyma who ministered in Antioch
during the persecution of Julian the Apostate.<br />
Procula and Pentadia, two
deaconesses to whom St. Chrysostom wrote letters.<br />
<a href="http://www.womenpriests.org/traditio/jerome.asp#face"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Salvina</span></a>
whom St. Jerome knew and who later became a deaconess in Constantinople.<br />
The deaconess Anastasia whom
Severus, Bishop of Antioch, mentions in his letters.<br />
The deaconess Macrina, sister of
St. Basil the Great, and her friend and deaconess Lampadia.<br />
The deaconess Theosebia, wife of
St. Gregory of Nissa.<br />
<br />The names of others have been
preserved on their tombstones:<br />
Sophia of Jerusalem, whose Greek
inscription reads: “Here lies the servant and virgin of Christ, the deacon.”<br />
Theodora of Gaul carried this
Latin inscription on her tomb: “Here rests in peace and of good remembrance
Theodora the deaconess who lived about 48 years.”<br />
In Delphi, Greece, a tombstone
dating to the 5th century remembers a certain Athanasia. “The most devout
deaconess Athanasia, established deaconess by his holiness bishop Pantamianos
after she had lived a blameless life.”<br />
Another tombstone in Jerusalem
remembers the deaconess Eneon who ministered to the sick.<br />
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Notice also that the ordination
of deaconesses was not restricted to only the early church; it continued well
into the later centuries. Another question inevitably arises when discussing
the role of women in the early church. Were there also female
priests…priestesses, if you will? All claims of radical feminists aside, the
records indicate that, though a deaconess might head a congregation when no <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">episkopos</i> (Bishop) was available, they
never exercised the full authority of the office.<br />
<br />
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Until next time, we wish you
Peace and Blessings.<br />
<br /> </div>
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<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-47542688340080484102012-06-27T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-27T01:00:07.975-07:00DINING AT CAESAR'S PALACE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPLu4vd2-1xQbomcwPkOmFH5OMBlBYSuopN21meelA_llZFvkt5SSMk3BfCRlhgVpbBBmhcwQdo8RTiWpVmBwGegSNF2lbg3czA6ypmFQhWc5XV-9YRbbXA9bT6vSB33k3f6iBKKp7IVj/s1600/Caesar's+Palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPLu4vd2-1xQbomcwPkOmFH5OMBlBYSuopN21meelA_llZFvkt5SSMk3BfCRlhgVpbBBmhcwQdo8RTiWpVmBwGegSNF2lbg3czA6ypmFQhWc5XV-9YRbbXA9bT6vSB33k3f6iBKKp7IVj/s400/Caesar's+Palace.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello my Friend and Welcome.</div>
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The picture above was taken at Caesar’s Palace alright, just
not the one on the Palatine Hill in Rome. Admittedly the complex they’ve built
in Las Vegas is pretty impressive… now, but let’s see what it looks like in
2,000 years.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeNJWLVePTUtppV3xmQ9z2fogMqnN_uAMK8CL2rP-rUuhtpPPBrlXmsveY1M9nQVnENNi1ED2xAVVx3w7q2Zs-0XiPqPxPbq4IhDVhQCpRpbjBBfdfuBerkn4jc-8NRvFRGm0aRwEiXsQ/s1600/Exterior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeNJWLVePTUtppV3xmQ9z2fogMqnN_uAMK8CL2rP-rUuhtpPPBrlXmsveY1M9nQVnENNi1ED2xAVVx3w7q2Zs-0XiPqPxPbq4IhDVhQCpRpbjBBfdfuBerkn4jc-8NRvFRGm0aRwEiXsQ/s320/Exterior.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Extrior of the REAL Caesar's Palace</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">VISITING THE PAST<o:p></o:p></b></div>
A recent archaeological dig on the Palatine, a hill where
the luxurious palaces and villas of the Caesars and other affluent Roman
citizens once stood, has uncovered a richly decorated cavern. The cavern in
question lies beneath the palace of Augustus, Rome’s first Emperor. He lived
from 63 BC to 14 AD and is mentioned in Luke 2:1with the famous words, “In
those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
enrolled.” I expect we’ve all heard that a time or two while attending
Christmas services.<br />
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</div>
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This chamber lies roughly 50 feet beneath the surface. While
there have been rumors that it is the Lupercale, the room where Romulus and
Remus were nursed and the Romans held annual celebrations in honor of the
legendary founders of Rome, most people believe it to be a private dining room.
The 125 sq. ft. grotto is circular in design and adequate to comfortably house
a triclinium, three Roman dining couches arrange in a U-shaped pattern.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm2aHcMg7jOGyJqBoXHmPVd3jiyMHcFr03PTTy-DsaIZRbTmgvlv78G2hlMrsKE-7NZk7UHB9kAth3fMEGH12jSuB5z-lB_jc4VCbVDKEsaHMLXrTuiTia7vsaizDi_qJV7MnumkLP7C3/s1600/Camera.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOm2aHcMg7jOGyJqBoXHmPVd3jiyMHcFr03PTTy-DsaIZRbTmgvlv78G2hlMrsKE-7NZk7UHB9kAth3fMEGH12jSuB5z-lB_jc4VCbVDKEsaHMLXrTuiTia7vsaizDi_qJV7MnumkLP7C3/s320/Camera.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Boring in Through the Ceiling</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No one has entered the area since the cave is close to collapse.
Instead, they drilled a hole through the ceiling and inserted a light and
remote camera to see what was there. What they found was a ceiling encrusted
with seashells, marble and mosaics. The walls have rectangular panels filled
geometric shapes and flowers. The floor, which is not in good shape, also has
elaborate mosaics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfndI8Rs1wWFQPS1fnj2ZM-3D3wPEMnuXCTRhF3v7SqpD8zCK1Smi2JSXEoR2pppLK5SAinZK4QbQmw1DwI57ovp6cGX5JVU7YJikOz-1SecCiJFLGtma2OxcpcFhIrm-Q6lCq83h4Fn_q/s1600/Ceiling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfndI8Rs1wWFQPS1fnj2ZM-3D3wPEMnuXCTRhF3v7SqpD8zCK1Smi2JSXEoR2pppLK5SAinZK4QbQmw1DwI57ovp6cGX5JVU7YJikOz-1SecCiJFLGtma2OxcpcFhIrm-Q6lCq83h4Fn_q/s320/Ceiling.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ceiling Decorations</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">COOL DINING IN THE
SUMMER’S HEAT</b></div>
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It is well known that many Roman Emperors, including Nero
and Caligula, had small dining rooms built into the natural hollows in the rock
underneath their multi-storied palaces. If you’ve ever lived in home with a
basement, you know that the temperature remains very comfortable even on the
hottest of days. It’s not hard to imagine old Augustus slipping away on a hot
night and descending a stairway to his private retreat where he could recline
in comfort and dine on delicacies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5CB9GC37avcFjimAJpjmj8HfOD-83-up7jjidzt2W-CPn3hfSzJJOhukomPp1L3gp2yfyfRGJW-952yFbS4dLhyphenhyphen1yjgcFVeihDompgEMx9SAOeFx1-seZFKtqXgwntkSf3f5KKb6iJcW/s1600/Floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5CB9GC37avcFjimAJpjmj8HfOD-83-up7jjidzt2W-CPn3hfSzJJOhukomPp1L3gp2yfyfRGJW-952yFbS4dLhyphenhyphen1yjgcFVeihDompgEMx9SAOeFx1-seZFKtqXgwntkSf3f5KKb6iJcW/s320/Floor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Remnants of the Mosaic Floor</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So are we looking at the spot where the great emperor
feasted with a small circle of friends on roasted peacock tongues seasoned with
fermented fish sauce? We very well could be. One wall of the room displays a
white eagle, the symbol of the Roman Empire during the reign of Augustus.</div>
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</div>
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Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.</div>
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</div>
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<strong>If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab
above to see other recent posts and visit our archives.</strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-29092483522898567062012-06-25T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-25T01:00:01.121-07:00COSMETICS IN THE FIRST CENTURY<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiXq6Tz9R71PH_0pCkMAvhh3fvGND2vDe1jm_hAWn9bTfLHYpb81qfgKEugFjTnah5tFer2IzECRvqYgzZh-oaHA8VPaVk8Ilx2FQuWRTV2I_5Up57uzO7CuW9wTrJl1fQ7r5f8_hK7rA/s1600/Ancient+Cosemtic+case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiXq6Tz9R71PH_0pCkMAvhh3fvGND2vDe1jm_hAWn9bTfLHYpb81qfgKEugFjTnah5tFer2IzECRvqYgzZh-oaHA8VPaVk8Ilx2FQuWRTV2I_5Up57uzO7CuW9wTrJl1fQ7r5f8_hK7rA/s400/Ancient+Cosemtic+case.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>An Ancient Cosmetic Case</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello My Friend and Welcome.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
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<em>“What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the
sun.”</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>— Ecclesiastes 1:9<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<strong>UNCHANGING HUMAN NATURE</strong> </div>
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We can summarize the words of
Solomon above in the simple conclusion that human nature has pretty much stayed
the same over time. Men are men, and women are women. This is nowhere truer
than in the realm of cosmetics and make-up. Cosmetics are, and were, used by
women at all levels of society. Women in ancient times manicured their nails, tweezed
superfluous hair, and outlined their eyes in colors including black, green,
aqua, terracotta and charcoal. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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Apparently humankind’s use of
cosmetics dates to pre-historic times. Neolithic burials used red ochre pigments
symbolically, either to represent a return to the earth or possibly as a form
of ritual rebirth, in which the color symbolized blood and the Great Goddess. About
twenty years ago an exhibit related to bathing and the use of beautifying
compounds in the ancient Roman Empire was held in Paris. Called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bath and The Mirror</i>, one of its most
interesting sections contained information about 144 different powders,
unguents, and other cosmetic materials that had been excavated from various
sites, many reconstituted and displayed in recovered glass or ceramic
containers.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXdRbxo_RCulfzwWqNI9y-dv6fAnvlgLOSN7Bm12U-9T6N5DRyALl2t-qvbdMbqPgcdjyHpe8FXrigydCfDZ9k-hxJS01phZbxddfr663VM3ulUAROTehPAOoMjzGSMW06pISyoJEl7Jv/s1600/Egyptians+Applying+make-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSXdRbxo_RCulfzwWqNI9y-dv6fAnvlgLOSN7Bm12U-9T6N5DRyALl2t-qvbdMbqPgcdjyHpe8FXrigydCfDZ9k-hxJS01phZbxddfr663VM3ulUAROTehPAOoMjzGSMW06pISyoJEl7Jv/s320/Egyptians+Applying+make-up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong>MABEL'S MASCARA</strong> </div>
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Although the definition and
standards of beauty differ from age to age and across cultures, the one
constant is that women have always relied upon cosmetics to enhance their
attractiveness. Even the derivations of the words themselves tell us
interesting things. Take, for instance, the word mascara. The modern version,
by the way, was invented by Maybelline’s founder, chemist T. L. Williams, for
his sister’s use. His original recipe consisted of coal dust mixed with petroleum
jelly. Since petroleum jelly was called Vaseline and his sister was named
Mabel, he named the resulting concoction <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mabelline</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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And why is it called mascara? The
Oxford English Dictionary says the word mascara probably came from a Catalan or
Portuguese word meaning soot. How lovely. The word cosmetic, meanwhile, derives
from the Greek <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kosmetike</i>, meaning the
art of dress and ornament. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<strong>JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE</strong></div>
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We know more about the cosmetics
of Rome, Greece and Egypt than of the Jewish nation. This is not to say that
women in Israel didn’t use make-up. They surely did, especially the upper
classes. The area was thoroughly Hellenized and Romanized by the First Century.
However, the Biblical prohibition against graven images meant that very few paintings,
mosaics, frescoes or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>statues depicted
the human form. A great deal of our knowledge of day-to-day life in the ancient
world derives from the artistry preserved in places such as Pompeii,
Herculaneum, the Pyramids, Temples, and other ruins. Though no such equivalent
sources exist in the ancient Jewish world, we do have the Bible as a resource.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<strong>LOOKING TO THE BIBLE FOR CLUES</strong></div>
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Perfumes and fragrant spices were
a precious commodity in antiquity, very much in demand, and at times exceeding
even silver and gold in value. Therefore they were a luxury product, used
mainly in the temples and in the homes of the nobles and the wealthy. The
Judean kings kept them in treasure houses (2 Kings 20:13). And the Queen of
Sheba brought Solomon, “camels laden with spices, gold in great quantity and
precious stones.” (1 Kings 10:2). Over time the use of cosmetics became
widespread among the lower classes of the population as well as among the
wealthier. Despite this, make-up and cosmetics were not looked upon with favor
in all quarters. When Samuel warns the Jews of the dangers of having kings,
among his warnings he said, “He will take your daughters to be perfumers…” (1
Samuel 8:13)<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<strong>CREATING THE SECRET FORMULA</strong></div>
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The basic recipe for all
cosmetics is pretty much the same — a fatty base, color, and a pleasant scent. To
quote a character in my novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PROMISES</i>,
“<em>They’re nothing but a pinch of product wrapped in a pound of promise</em>.” <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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Just as T. L. Williams turned to
Vaseline, the ancients relied upon such things as lanolin, a waxy, viscous fat
most often derived from wool, tallow, beef fat, or lard, rendered pork fat.
Before the development of synthetics in the latter half of the Twentieth
Century, modern cosmetics used the same things. Lanolin had the disadvantage of
having a distinctively sheepish smell. Both tallow and lard would keep for long
periods of time without refrigeration if stored in air-tight containers.
Exposed to oxygen in the air, they quickly grow rancid.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Once a base was chosen, color and
scent were added. The colors used in kohl, or eye shadow, were mostly mineral based.
Such materials were crushed to a fine powder and blended into the base. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stibium</i> (antimony), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fulgio</i> (lampblack- fine black soot), or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Plumbum nigrum</i> (black lead) where used to achieve a black paste.
Greens came from copper oxide or Malachite, copper carbonate. Blues were
derived from Azurite, hydrated, or weathered, copper ore. For reds they turned
to iron oxide (rust). The earth pigment ochre was also used. A clay mineral,
ochre is found in red, yellow, brown, purple or gold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
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Ancient cosmeticians used a
substance called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fuco</i> (red algae)
from the mulberry plant. Cinnabar, mercury sulfide, was also used for
lipsticks. The consistency of the material could be moderated by the addition
of waxes obtained from honey comb or palm leaves, giving it smooth, creamy
texture.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<strong>FACIALS, EXFOLIANTS, AND
EMOLLIENTS</strong> </div>
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Facial masks were made from lentils,
honey, barley, lupine (any of a number of leguminous plants which bear tall
clusters of flowers), or fennel. Animal byproducts such as various internal
organs or the placenta, marrow, genitalia, or gonads of birds, mice, crocodile,
calves, cows, bull, mules and horses were added for vigor and skin tone. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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For skin emollients they turned
to vegetable oils, such as olive oil, almond oil, sesame oil and others.
Fragrant resins and/or extracts of aromatic flowers were added to give them a
sweet scent. Plant essences were obtained by chopping and pressing the leaves,
roots, petals and flowers, then steeping them in hot oil. The essence of rose
petals (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rhodium</i>) was produced mainly
in the town of Palestrina along the outskirts of Rome. Various species of
lilies were also used. Myrtle and laurel (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mirtum</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Susinum</i>), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Melinon</i> extracted from Quince and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iasminum</i> was extracted from jasmine. Aromatic resins exuded from
certain trees — myrrh, frankincense, balm, balsam were collected as well. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<strong>SCENTED OILS AND PERFUMES</strong></div>
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These essences and scented oils
could be added to a bath or applied to the body as perfume. Returning to the
Jewish world and Jerusalem for a moment, we find references in the Talmud to perfume
dealers who had shops in the market where scents and cosmetics for women were
sold. Known as The Street of the Perfumers, this area still exists today as a
narrow street in the marketplace in the Old City of Jerusalem.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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The ancient Romans were as
beauty-obsessed as any modern society. They studied plants and minerals for
their cosmetic properties. Many Roman noble women owned cosmetic cases, which archaeologists
have uncovered. These wooden beauty boxes contained the same items you would
probably find if you emptied most modern women's purses…a variety of lipsticks
and eye make-ups along with rouge, powders and a foundation for covering skin
blemishes, freckles and other imperfections. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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By the time of Christ there was a
far flung and highly profitable industry devoted to gathering, preparing,
packaging, and transporting the raw materials and specialized ingredients used
in the manufacture of various cosmetics. Although called The Spice Route, the
income derived from aromatic plants, balms, essences and the like rivaled that
earned from the sale of medicinal and flavoring items. As the Early Church grew
and spread throughout the Roman Empire, its focus on the life of the spirit,
and rejection of earthly or bodily pleasures, led to a general decline, but not
the elimination, of the use cosmetics and perfumes.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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Until next time, we wish you
Peace and Blessings.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-37583604983262892772012-06-22T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-22T08:21:11.826-07:00JUNE CW BLOG CHAIN — PURSUING YOUR GOALS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Vrn1GMzLYkV7Rv6vHf73h9orucpYAR0HKKd8OeUiBjvk9NydUXzZJG0l7E2faceDsaL5GrRKlGexwscXZBa_gbG1BInMEFXPxs7eZSJM7Mr30UqSkeC34p7ps4MRY5sfwKUAt09o3Yoy/s1600/imagesCA6MTDNF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Vrn1GMzLYkV7Rv6vHf73h9orucpYAR0HKKd8OeUiBjvk9NydUXzZJG0l7E2faceDsaL5GrRKlGexwscXZBa_gbG1BInMEFXPxs7eZSJM7Mr30UqSkeC34p7ps4MRY5sfwKUAt09o3Yoy/s400/imagesCA6MTDNF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">
<strong>Climber at the top Mt. Hood.</strong> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(Photo
by Trin Yuthasastrakosol)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello My Friend and Welcome.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Today we add our link to the
Christian Writer’s Blog Chain. This month’s topic is pursuit and, as usual,
we’ll examine it from an authorial viewpoint. Pursue is an active verb implying
movement toward a goal. So the question becomes, what is your goal?<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />Each year an estimated 8-10,000 people attempt to scale Orgenon's talest peak, Mt. Hood. The operative word is <em>attempt.</em> Despite great intentions and a vigorous pursuit of their goal, as in all endeavors only a few make it to the top. <br />
<br />
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In her <a href="http://writingstraight.com/2012/06/17/pursuit/">inaugural post</a>, new blog
chain member, Holly Michael, shared that when her son attended rookie camp with
the New Orleans Saints his coach told the group, “Each of you are one out of
three million kids that started playing football. There are 2,800 left. That
means you are in the top 0.01%.” As someone whose mother once confessed she worried
I’d never learn to walk because I kept tripping over my own feet, I stand in
awe of such an achievement. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
The novel as a distinct literary
form, though predating the era of professional athletes, is also a relatively
recent phenomena. The origins of this unique method of storytelling coalesced
in the 18<sup>th</sup> Century. One of its early pioneers, Jonathan Swift, is
credited with introducing allegorical elements and verisimilitude in his book, Gulliver’s
Travels. <o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Although the novel continues to mutate
and evolve, most of its essential components, along with a diversity of genres,
were firmly in place by the close of the 19<sup>th</sup> Century. By then,
Edgar Allen Poe had laid the groundwork for the macabre mystery novel, Jules
Verne and H G Wells invented what used to be called science fiction, Wilkie
Collins and Arthur Conan Doyle defined the first detective novels, Lew Wallace
created the Biblical/Historical novel, and Mark Twain developed a <span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">uniquely American-style</span>
of writing that melded humor with gritty realism.<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br /><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Compared to our predecessors, we modern novelists have
it pretty easy. The form is there and so are the plots. After all, how many
times haven’t we been told, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There is no
such thing as new plot</i>?” Not only that, but we are blessed to live in the
computer age. It boggles my mind to think of typing War and Peace page after
page through various iterations. Nowadays it’s no problem to re-arrange
sentences, paragraphs or even chapters. Highlight, Ctrl X, Crtl V and it's done! Change your main character’s name
from Helen to Monique? No problem…Find and Replace All. </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />But easy or hard, the ultimate
question remains Why bother to write in the first place? Whether you’re sitting
down to a stone tablet with hammer and chisel or a comfortable desk in front of
keyboard and monitor, you must have some goal in mind…you’re in pursuit of
something. Perhaps you’re seeking personal fulfillment or a resolution to some
inner conflict. You may feel led to share your unique viewpoint, experiences, truths
and insights. Then again, maybe you just find filling a page with words
arranged in a special order to be fun. Though I would never eschew the blending of art
and commerce; a laborer is worthy of his wages. <o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />In the final analysis, writing is
a very personal endeavor and there is no right or wrong reason to write. I
would, however, caution anyone pursuing fame and fortune to evaluate their
goals. I always tell people that there are many garage bands, but few Beatles…just
as there are lots of kids playing sandlot ball and only a few make it to the Pros. Even
those writers who are regularly published seldom derive a living from it. Think hard before quitting your day job.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Matthew Kelly, an Author and Inspirational
Speaker whom I enjoy listening to, says God has a place for each us in his plan.
We can know we’ve found our particular spot when we find a deep,
abiding fulfillment in an activity, time seems to vanish whenever we pursue it,
and we’d do it for free if no one would pay us for doing it. That describes a
lot of writers I know. </div>
<br />
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Until the next time, we wish you
Peace and Blessings.</div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-65816923616148920492012-06-20T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-20T01:00:02.720-07:00AN ANCIENT MYSTERY — THE HOARD OF ANCIENT SILVER SHEKELS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv9gFGVBigsjNBD8jlDOkfbqCXd_gI9cFdI_UJc9tykz4EICRxMft8UEk8ZQoOQNKRgfiOZatCuPCq7HZV0sFXPTa4jenjUOheTdQ_QZZSMmQ1Tg6mj-3rciZu9SUTe9E9RNj8UjLXhaH/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv9gFGVBigsjNBD8jlDOkfbqCXd_gI9cFdI_UJc9tykz4EICRxMft8UEk8ZQoOQNKRgfiOZatCuPCq7HZV0sFXPTa4jenjUOheTdQ_QZZSMmQ1Tg6mj-3rciZu9SUTe9E9RNj8UjLXhaH/s400/Slide2.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Tyrian Shekel</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Hello My Friend and Welcome.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">One of the largest hoards of ancient coins ever
found was discovered in Israel in the spring of 1960 at a village called Isifa on
Mount Carmel. The hoard consisted of 3,400 Tyrian Shekels, 1,000 Half-Shekels,
and 160 Roman Denarii minted during Augustus’ reign. The bulk of the Shekels
and Half-Shekels were dated from 20-53 AD. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">At first glance this strange mix of coins at first
seems to defy logic. At the time these coins were hidden, the Shekel was not in
regular circulation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And both the
Gospels and Josephus indicate that the coinage of that era was almost
exclusively Roman. This means that the hoard could not have belonged to a
private owner, or come from a bank or military strong box. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">PAYING THE
TEMPLE TAX</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">In the middle of the first century, the only use for
Tyrian Shekels was payment of the prescribed Temple Tax. Every male Jew of 20
years of age and above had to pay a yearly tax of half a Shekel to support the
Temple in Jerusalem. If we assume that the Mount Carmel hoard represents a
shipment of taxes due the Temple, the question of its strange composition
becomes clear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Consider first that they were predominantly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tyrian</i> Shekels which were of sufficient
quality for Temple use. The Half-Shekels, however, were minted in Antioch by
the Romans and were under weight. Therefore the Misnah stipulated that an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">agio,</i> or small additional percentage, of
4-8% was required along with the Half-Shekel to bring it up to full value. In other
words, if you paid for two people with a Tyrian Shekel, you were home free, but
if you paid just for yourself with a Half-Shekel you had to add in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">agio</i>. This is proven by Matthew 17:24-28
in which Peter is told to catch a fish with a Shekel in its mouth…a sufficient
tax for both himself and Jesus. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Interestingly enough, the 160 Denarii represents an
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">agio</i> of exactly 8% on the 1,000
Half-Shekels found in the hoard. The presence of the Augustinian Denarii is
explained by the fact that the inflated Denarii of Nero were rejected by the
Temple treasury. Only the full-weight Denarii of Augustus were considered acceptable
payment. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">UNRAVELING
THE RIDDLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">If one assumes that the hoard represents a
shipment of taxes destined for the Temple, the answer to not only where they
came from, but also when it was concealed becomes clear. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Fact One: The hoard represents the Temple-Dues of
7,800 male Jews of more than 20 years of age, or a community of approximately 30,000
Jews. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Fact Two: According to the Mishnah, the Temple Tax
for all of Palestinia was due at the Temple by the beginning of April. Egypt
and Phoenicia were due in June, and Babylon, Mesopotamia and all other regions
in September. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Based on this timetable, the entire Temple Tax could
not have reached its destination before the outbreak of the Jewish-Roman War in
the summer of 66 AD. Assume for a moment that the taxes from Galilee for the
year 67 AD were delivered to the Temple in April as required. From the defeat
of Cestius Gallus in November of 66 AD until the beginning of the operations of
Vespasian the following May, the country was free of the Romans. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">However the transport of the Temple Tax from
Phoenicia, which was due in June, probably reached Jewish territory in late May
of 67. By then, Western Galilee was already occupied by Vespasian and the main
roads to Jerusalem through Megiddo and Samaria were barred by the Romans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Now assume that the convoy transporting the Temple
Tax decided to bypass Megiddo by going over Mount Carmel to Narbata and from
there to Jerusalem. However they found this way closed by a Roman detachment
under the command of Cerealis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">HOPING FOR
A QUICK END TO THE WAR<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Continuing this supposition, we can assume that
the couriers hoped that the new Roman army under Vespasian would be defeated
like that of Cestius Gallus. The leaders of the convoy then decide to conceal
the money until the way to Jerusalem opened up again. Since they were coming
from Phoenicia, they chose the first acceptable spot they came to — the Jewish
village nearest the border between Phoenicia and the Jewish territory, a spot </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">known
today as Isifa.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> They then selected a spot near the ancient synagogue there, concealed
their treasure, and set about waiting for things to blow over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">However, their hopes were dashed when Jerusalem
was conquered and the Temple destroyed. The hoard of coins on Mount Carmel
remained buried until it was discovered in 1960. Now we know that fate of the
coins, but we can never know the fate of the men who buried them/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Until next time, we wish you Peace And Blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-63869515248391544022012-06-18T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-18T01:00:11.687-07:00EARLY CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS — THE IKTHUS, or FISH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Pd64OvRs5MW-4_ReDHJ5zi3_tYMAvlAeBzx8cs2YN_gQU07fLRcLoy4AfV1a-jSs8n7HZWMZQafDNb3puOqEsda_aV7KR2-tB1hF51uJnFmfnlOidjiZ3W-hgwPO8Lovcqudac4eUku9/s1600/christian-fish%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Pd64OvRs5MW-4_ReDHJ5zi3_tYMAvlAeBzx8cs2YN_gQU07fLRcLoy4AfV1a-jSs8n7HZWMZQafDNb3puOqEsda_aV7KR2-tB1hF51uJnFmfnlOidjiZ3W-hgwPO8Lovcqudac4eUku9/s1600/christian-fish%5B1%5D.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
Hello My Friend and Welcome.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
One of the earliest, and most common,
symbols used by the Christians was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ikthus</i>,
or Fish. We see used it today in its plainest form, two swooping lines, and in
more elaborate forms with the inclusion of a small cross, the word JESUS, or
the Greek ΙΧΘΥΣ within the classic fish shape. There’s more than one reason the
Early Christians chose the symbol of a fish.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FISHERS OF MEN<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The use of the fish symbol reminds one of
the familiar scene in Matthew 4:18-20, Mark 1:17 and Luke 5:2-11. In all of these
passages, Jesus, who has returned from his 40 days of preparation in the
desert, begins to gather his first disciples. While walking along the shores of
the Sea of Galilee, or Lake Gennesaret as the Jews called it, Jesus encounters Simon
and his brother, Andrew and invites them to become his followers with enigmatic
phrase, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
Luke elaborates on the scene a bit and
places the men in their boat after a night of luckless fishing. Jesus tells
them to put down their nets for a catch, they do, and the nets fill to the point
of bursting. True to form, Simon’s responds by saying, “Depart from me, for I
am a sinful man, O Lord.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE ACROSTIC OF THE FISH<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
An acrostic is a word or phrase in which each letter stands
for a word. We’ve all heard the song that spells mother by starting with, “M is
for many things she gave me…” Acrostics are closely related to acronyms, which
are an abbreviation formed from the initial components of a word or phrase…for instance,
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) NATO (North Atlantic
Treaty Association), the dreaded FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and so on.
There’s probably a vacation travel game lurking in our penchant for acronyms. It
surely beats license plate bingo, but we digress.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
The Greek word for fish is IKTHUS, spelled ΙΧΘΥΣ. Using
those five letters, we can develop a phrase in the following way:</div>
With the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iota</i>, we create the word Ιησονς…Iesous.<br />
Using the next letter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chi</i>, yields the word Χριστος…Christos.<br />
The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Theta</i> yields Θεος, Theos…God. <br />
With the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tau</i>, we make Υιος, Uihos…Son.<br />
And the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sigma</i>, gives us Σωτηρ, Soter<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…</i>Savior.<br />
As the song says, put them
altogether and you get <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Iesous </b>the<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Christos, God’s Son </b>and our<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Savior</b>. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A MEANS OF
COMMUNICATION<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The simple
image of the fish, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ikthus</i>, became
a means of identification for members of what the Romans considered a
subversive cult. We find this simple symbol so rich in meaning scattered
throughout the earliest examples of Christian art. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3k1Mio6rpqFbydOB5QHJJNoxfFK2wtILDhyphenhyphenwlm-IH1sacFyiYJHr5CutdTxn3v_7NhqsABdkOwsy6R4xqIZ1X0_g_9wf4Ac0-tUvYsK7LYg2r-RVjYCdCnm6BHsQAgvSCpd8fVZJJ6A9/s1600/Early+FISH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3k1Mio6rpqFbydOB5QHJJNoxfFK2wtILDhyphenhyphenwlm-IH1sacFyiYJHr5CutdTxn3v_7NhqsABdkOwsy6R4xqIZ1X0_g_9wf4Ac0-tUvYsK7LYg2r-RVjYCdCnm6BHsQAgvSCpd8fVZJJ6A9/s1600/Early+FISH.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>An Ancient Grave Carving Using the FISH</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
No one knows
for sure who created it or when. However, the Acts of the Apostles tells us
that it was in Antioch that the believers were first called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christians</i>. Antioch was a thoroughly Greek
city and former capitol of the Seleucid Empire. In the First Century it quickly
became a leading center of the Early Church. It was the place from which Paul,
Barnabas, John Mark, Silvanus and others left on their earliest missionary
journeys. It was also the place to which they returned to rest, re-energize,
and prepare for the next trip. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt; text-align: justify;">
This coupled
with the fact that the fish relies upon a Greek spelling of the word to convey
its message, tends to lead one to the assumption that it, like the word
Christian, originated in or around Antioch of Syria. Think about that the next
time you see the symbol on the back of someone’s car.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
Until next time, we wish you
Peace and Blessings.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-64506160786670140492012-06-15T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-15T01:00:02.188-07:00FOODS OF THE FIRST CENTURY - WHAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSY-9sDnMCittsErhpBnNb1V0g30bEJr8VFYXXBK0Gi2Yt4wjbD_73YwmD6KaHZ_7VbHGMGhyphenhyphenzjom4GqNe4bcCvxzULkr3GJmXPwCtMX-paIH0DPc38SuAheFgAHaEiBHb6SqpQEOK6yOy/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSY-9sDnMCittsErhpBnNb1V0g30bEJr8VFYXXBK0Gi2Yt4wjbD_73YwmD6KaHZ_7VbHGMGhyphenhyphenzjom4GqNe4bcCvxzULkr3GJmXPwCtMX-paIH0DPc38SuAheFgAHaEiBHb6SqpQEOK6yOy/s400/Slide3.JPG" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sometimes You've Gotta Have a Bite of Chocolate</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello My Friend and Welcome<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
For several months now we’ve looked at the various Foods of
the Century…what they had and what they ate. Now we’re going to turn the tables
and look at some of the foods they didn’t have.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>THE BIBLE DIDN'T MEAN IT</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As we’ve pointed out before, some translations of the Bible
mention corn. Corn, or more properly, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">zea
mays</i>, is a new world grain and definitely not known to First Century
inhabitants of the Levant. In the Middle Ages, the word corn was a catch-all
term for grain. It could mean oats, rye, barley, wheat, etc. Consequently, when
the Pilgrims came to the United States and encountered the crop <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">zea mays</i> — the Indians’ staple grain —
they referred to it as corn. Which is why what Americans call corn is known
everywhere else as maize.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<strong>ANOTHER STAPLE GRAIN MISSING</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Although it has become a staple of Middle Eastern cooking,
First Century residents also did not have rice. Its cultivation methods did not
suit the semi-arid regions of the Levant. Rice is a native lowland crop of the
Far East where it has traditionally been grown in flooded plains called paddies
so its roots could make use of the nutrient content from the water. Paddy rice
farmers usually plant the seeds first in small seedbeds and later transfer the
plants into the flooded fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Now let’s participate in some internet telepathy. First
we’ll give you a phrase, and then we’ll tell you the first thing that popped
into your mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Okay, here we go. The phrase is Italian Restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The first thing that came to mind
was pasta with a tomato- based red sauce. Perhaps it was spaghetti with
marinara and freshly grated Parmesan, or maybe a steaming pan of lasagna.
Neither of them? Well, how about farfelle, fettuccine, linguine, macaroni,
manicotti, mostacolli, penne rigate, pierogi, ravioli,rigatoni…risotto? I’d be
willing to bet dollars to donuts that 99 out of a hundred people equate Italian
cooking with tomato sauce and pasta. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gIx9WIAKwYHFB4qFTKfcD0n4KYOXPFZJEQ2NhQ8lCkmCHxIGdv7fkhGzCTkRgBYgvrB6WPSru9ys9cvsF4DWiqTzt4NTQ61O-8LasrceXenPUTMnnC9skBg3Ba3b5xCAV2rI88RoDpgU/s1600/Slide4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gIx9WIAKwYHFB4qFTKfcD0n4KYOXPFZJEQ2NhQ8lCkmCHxIGdv7fkhGzCTkRgBYgvrB6WPSru9ys9cvsF4DWiqTzt4NTQ61O-8LasrceXenPUTMnnC9skBg3Ba3b5xCAV2rI88RoDpgU/s320/Slide4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<strong>NEW WORLD VEGETABLES</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The thing that makes this so interesting
is that First Century Romans, the precursors of today’s Italians, had neither
tomatoes nor noodles. They had all the ingredients for the noodles, but the
technology never appeared until Marco Polo’s fabled trip to the Orient. And the
tomatoes didn’t arrive until the Age of Exploration carried seafaring
adventurers to the New World where, in addition to looting gold, silver and
precious gems, they discovered such New World vegetables as squash in its
myriad forms, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and peanuts. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong>A STEAMING CUP OF TEA</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Early Christians also didn’t have
tea to drink, if by tea you mean the dried leaves of the tea bush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Legend says that one summer day Shen
Nung, an early Chinese emperor, was visiting a distant province and ordered his
servants to boil some water. Dried leaves from a nearby bush fell into the pot,
turning the liquid brown. Intrigued, Shen Hung drank some and found it very
refreshing. Tea drinking was restricted to the Orient until the 16<sup>th</sup>
Century when missionaries encountered it when they journeyed to the Far East. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU-vIANkovryq80Q824XWeoGqcHpMONpq6F9i-ToqN828vqibAoAySh7aF2QRSAj91MXy-EBChQoG6bckoK_zuTEPLzi46M6bc_b6_MQG49CgjeV805OdpnZF9vp56IXaRV6rzLD_zZlf/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU-vIANkovryq80Q824XWeoGqcHpMONpq6F9i-ToqN828vqibAoAySh7aF2QRSAj91MXy-EBChQoG6bckoK_zuTEPLzi46M6bc_b6_MQG49CgjeV805OdpnZF9vp56IXaRV6rzLD_zZlf/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
What people in the time of Christ
did have is what we call herbal tea today. If you check the ingredients on
several packages of Celestial Seasonings herbal teas, you’ll find that they
often utilize dried berries and fruit, aromatic leaves and various herbs and spices.
All of which the First Century dweller had at their disposal and undoubtedly
partook of. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
One of the beverages I mention in
my Seeds of Christianity Series is apple peel tea, made by steeping dried apple
peels in hot water. In the interest of research I saved the peels the last time
we canned apple sauce and dried them in our food dehydrator. I crushed the
brittle peels, added them to boiling water, then strained and sweetened the
resulting pink decoction. I found that it lacked pizzazz. However, the addition
of some crushed cinnamon bark, dried berries and a pinch of allspice might perk
it up quite a bit.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<strong>THEY WERE NOT CHOCOHOLICS</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Now we come to the saddest, most
heart-wrenching part of this post — the final two food items that the earliest
Christians were forced to do without. I do not exaggerate when I say that more
than a few people have sworn to me that they could NOT live without these two
items. Perhaps those first Christians were a lot tougher than we give them
credit for. The poor souls had no coffee and (shudder) no chocolate. They were
aptly named. Anyone who can function without their morning cup of coffee surely
must be a saint.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
When my children were young and,
as all children are prone to do, moaned about how deprived they were, I consoled
them by telling them that the all ancient rulers and kings of this world never
lived as good as they did. If the lack of coffee and chocolate doesn’t prove my
case, nothing ever will.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Until next time, we wish you
Peace and Blessings.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-82441692533380131362012-06-13T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-13T01:00:09.081-07:00ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S LEGACY IN THE HOLY LAND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMxUY6v0u3bz2avIkIO-NvAZo92QhNbzJ1WyPuwWE5C3NgTzidEyiOXrKEaGmpUG4U4n_XnJChNRpwFDQz1UZHiDY0XFjEEj_2a_SjocHYrDq5R2H9F6scTxv3F0rha-RSapqAthh4k2m/s1600/Alexander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMxUY6v0u3bz2avIkIO-NvAZo92QhNbzJ1WyPuwWE5C3NgTzidEyiOXrKEaGmpUG4U4n_XnJChNRpwFDQz1UZHiDY0XFjEEj_2a_SjocHYrDq5R2H9F6scTxv3F0rha-RSapqAthh4k2m/s400/Alexander.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Hello My Friend and Welcome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Today’s post
concerns an archeological find at the Hellenistic port of Tel
Dor, about 19 miles south of Haifa, Israel. Megan Webb, from Philadelphia, was digging
in an area that had once held a large public building when her trowel unearthed
a gemstone shown above with an etched portrait of Alexander the Great. It is a
partial setting from a ring.<o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Dor was a major port city on the
Mediterranean shore until the establishment of Caesarea by Herod the Great during
the Roman period. Alexander the Great passed through Dor in 332 BC, following
the occupation of Tyre, on his way to Egypt. It seems the city submitted to
Alexander without resistance. Dor then remained a center of Hellenization in
the land of Israel until it was conquered by Alexander Janneus, Hasmonean king
of Judah, in 100 BC.<o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">“Despite
its miniature dimensions – the stone is less than a centimeter high and its
width is less than half a centimeter – the engraver was able to depict the bust
of Alexander on the gem without omitting any of the ruler's characteristics,”
notes Dr. Gilboa, Chair of the Department of Archaeology at the University of
Haifa. “The emperor is portrayed as young and forceful, with a strong chin,
straight nose and long curly hair held in place by a diadem.”</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">The
Tel Dor researchers have noted that it is surprising that such a work of art
would be found in Israel, on the periphery of the Hellenistic world. “It is
generally assumed that the master artists – such as the one who engraved the
image of Alexander on this particular gemstone – were mainly employed by the
leading courts in the capital cities, such as those in Alexandria in Egypt and
Seleucia in Syria. This new discovery is evidence that local elites in
secondary centers, such as Tel Dor, appreciated superior objects of art and
could afford ownership of such items,” the researchers stated. One wonders who the ring in question belonged to.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">Right
about now you may be saying to yourself, “All this is quite interesting, but where
does Alexander the Great fit in with Early Christianity?” Well, he doesn’t…and yet
he sort of does. Let’s look at some of the facts. Alexander died in 323 BC, the
same year he passed through Dor. Following his death the empire he’d just
created was broken into pieces by his generals, </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Diadochi</span></i> (plural of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" title="Latin"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Latin</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Diadochus</span>,
from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Greek</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">: </span><span lang="EL" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EL;">Διάδοχοι</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, <i>Diadokhoi</i>,
successors).</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRkPWil4mDKP016IFglqnzzkFbwTehU5tniiZFUGa3QJofiftanL8vtHbxpqU_69RdJvOzB5HDkjc0f6mngu7-zqghiBUdx7JP9A8R61wGGjsWE6haH7Z_Aj8_n89OwHNL3vAuqzFPMOu/s1600/Seleucus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRkPWil4mDKP016IFglqnzzkFbwTehU5tniiZFUGa3QJofiftanL8vtHbxpqU_69RdJvOzB5HDkjc0f6mngu7-zqghiBUdx7JP9A8R61wGGjsWE6haH7Z_Aj8_n89OwHNL3vAuqzFPMOu/s320/Seleucus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Coin Featuring Portrait of Seleucus I</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">Two of
the important <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diadokhoi</i> were </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ptolemy I, founder of the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt and
progenitor of Cleopatra, and Seleucus I, founder of the Seleucid Dynasty which,
at its peak, controlled over 1.2 million square miles from the Near East to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia" title="Mesopotamia"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mesopotamia</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persia" title="Persia"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Persia</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and today's </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Turkmenistan</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamir_Mountains" title="Pamir Mountains"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Pamir</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and parts of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan" title="Pakistan"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Pakistan</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and India. Seleucus
named multiple cities in his kingdom after his father Antiochus. He established
two capitals. One was Seleucia on the Tigris River and the other was Antioch of
Syria. A series of wars between later Ptolemaic and Seleucid rulers weakened
both empires to such an extent that the Romans defeated the Ptolemy’s and
Parthia eventually overthrew the Seleucids. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">But
before the Roman and Parthians came onto the scene, another interesting event
occurred. </span><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, decided to destroy all
worship of the one true God in Israel. To accomplish this end he slaughtered
many thousands of tpeople. Women who had their babies circumcised were executed
and their dead babies hung around their necks (I Maccabees 1:60-61). Antiochus
believed that such visible acts of extreme cruelty would discourage the Jews
from worshipping their God. H</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">owever, he underestimated the enduring faith of the Israelites
and this miscalculation cost him dearly. Not long after he defiled the Temple,
the first stirrings of a revolt surfaced in an unexpected part of the empire,
led by a relatively unknown Jewish family. It would grow into a bloody struggle
for Jewish independence which has come to be known by several names…<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Maccabean Revolt</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hasmonean Period</i>, or simply <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Period of Independence</i>. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It began in the little village of <em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Modein</span></em>, which was 17 miles NW of
Jerusalem. An aged priest named Mattathias, lived there with his five sons:
John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer, and Jonathan. Antiochus sent some of his officers
to the village in 167 BC to force the Jews living there to offer sacrifices to
the pagan gods. Mattathias, as a leader in the city, was commanded by the
officers to be the first person to offer a sacrifice as an example to the rest
of the people. He refused with a noble speech reminiscent of the words of
Joshua in Joshua 24:14-15 (I Maccabees 2:15-22). </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Fearing bloody reprisals against the people, a certain Jew stepped
forward and volunteered to offer the sacrifices in the place of the priest.
Mattathias, overcome with zeal to defend his God, killed the man as well as the
officers of the king. He then tore down the altar to the pagan gods and ran
through the village shouting, “Let everyone who is zealous for the Law and who
stands by the covenant follow me!” </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXV7hyphenhyphenaT7QY8b59IbMHuOVf0ym4nWjl_GiM5Hpo7WH1OGYSFAdBLueMFj_WkQB9Anq7YLTjkS-LrSvZwT-IRK8bm6HnuUvKtXupiO1VjgOhnirUybfauw_P4o7dX2ONuv4BDnTYpAY71ue/s1600/Empire+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXV7hyphenhyphenaT7QY8b59IbMHuOVf0ym4nWjl_GiM5Hpo7WH1OGYSFAdBLueMFj_WkQB9Anq7YLTjkS-LrSvZwT-IRK8bm6HnuUvKtXupiO1VjgOhnirUybfauw_P4o7dX2ONuv4BDnTYpAY71ue/s320/Empire+Map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Matthias’ son, Judas, was possibly one of the greatest military minds in
all of Jewish history. Even though greatly outnumbered, Judas and his rebels
defeated general after general in battle. He overpowered General Appolonius
near Samaria, routed General Seron in the valley of Beth-horan, and in a
tremendous victory south of Mizpah, he conquered <em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">three</span></em> generals and a combined
army of 50,000 troops with only 6000 poorly equipped Jewish rebels. The people
of Israel began to call him Judas Maccabeus (Judas the Hammer) because of his
great daring and success in hammering the enemy forces into the ground. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Anyone wishing to read the complete story of their revolt can find it in
I and II Maccabees in the Bible. The Hasmoneans ruled independently for the
next 100 years. During this time they </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">reasserted
the Jewish religion, and expanded the boundaries and influence of Israel. In 63
BC the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem and Israel became a client state
of Rome under the Hasmoneans. Their dynasty ended in 37 BC when Herod the
Great, with Roman backing, overthrew the Hasmoneans and thus set the stage for
the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and the subsequent rise of Christianity. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Until next time,
we wish you Peace and Blessings.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-52095677147040783092012-06-08T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-08T01:00:08.345-07:00TABULA: A FIRST CENTURY GAME<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSLk9-w6wg-Difc3VXgY9VkDdQDDYry-bluz0FvsevITJmlWxnEDd6bdlVkJkRFvA9-_UflYNJlOlo2a60I1UqmR1Uq3FUhJ9ZyS3TFf4LMOJ9Rj9matljYvV8_ZwMJ5TP_XNMigAf-vl/s1600/tabula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFSLk9-w6wg-Difc3VXgY9VkDdQDDYry-bluz0FvsevITJmlWxnEDd6bdlVkJkRFvA9-_UflYNJlOlo2a60I1UqmR1Uq3FUhJ9ZyS3TFf4LMOJ9Rj9matljYvV8_ZwMJ5TP_XNMigAf-vl/s320/tabula.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>A Wall Carving of Tabula Players</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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Hello My
Friend and Welcome.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />Today we
return to our series on the Games People Played and take a look at the ancient
Roman game of Tabula. The game dates back to several centuries BC and was
originally known as <i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Alea</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">, meaning gambling. It eventually came
to be called Tabula, meaning board or table, since it was played on a board or,
more often than not, on a table which had been inscribed with the game’s
outline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">THE DERIVATION OF TABULA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Alea</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">, or Tabula, seems to have been
derived from the game <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duodecim Scriptorum</i>,
known as the game of twelve lines. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duodecim
Scriptorum</i>, in turn, bears a striking similarity to the Egyptian game <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Senet</i>, which can be dated to at least
3,000 BC. For more information see our earlier post on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duodecim Scriptorum</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE AND
BEYOND<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Tabula
was particularly popular with the soldiers of Rome’s Legions. Going with them
wherever they went, it was gradually spread throughout the Empire. Tabula moved
into Persia, Asia Minor, Syria and Palestine with Pompey’s victories in the
early First Century BC. Rome’s influence spread into Egypt, Arabia and North
Africa following the defeat of Antony and Cleopatra by Octavian’s general,
Agrippa, in the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQg4Ba4ez5No3XNgZLdC1zruDVuSPlSAkmX4TkOArYA5Zz0IDR1H75q5JNRuVs5mhtg6k0_t_biz5oOymTstSUbRmt5OgQ7K4meiUtrllx_xex9nN9XT6rO1XoAkC3dKTzfQVlmTY19i1/s1600/Game_board_Basilica_Julia_steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQg4Ba4ez5No3XNgZLdC1zruDVuSPlSAkmX4TkOArYA5Zz0IDR1H75q5JNRuVs5mhtg6k0_t_biz5oOymTstSUbRmt5OgQ7K4meiUtrllx_xex9nN9XT6rO1XoAkC3dKTzfQVlmTY19i1/s320/Game_board_Basilica_Julia_steps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Ancient Playing Grid Etched into a Step</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Tabula moved
across Europe with the Roman Army, spawning a variety of games throughout the
area. The games of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ad Elta Stelpur</i> in
Iceland, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taefle</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fayles</i> in England, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sixe-Ace</i> in Spain, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tourne-case</i>
in France all trace their origin back to Tabula. The Arabian game <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nard</i> also appears to be a slightly modified
version of Tabula combined with aspects of the Egyptian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Senet</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Nard</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> spread to the Far East, probably
via spice and silk traders, in the early Third Century where it became
extremely popular. Chinese tradition attributes the invention of Nard to
western India. The considerable diversity of this genre of games, called race
games, all of which incorporate a common mode of play. Because of this and the
resulting sharing of ideas and innovations, it is sometimes impossible to trace
the development of a specific game with absolute certainty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
The
similarities between Tabula and modern Backgammon are readily apparent, just as
the relationship between <i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Duodecim Scriptorum</span></i><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> and Tabula is easily recognized.
The primary difference between the latter two is the expanded board of Tabula
which allows the playing pieces to be set alongside each other rather than
stacked. This change in the board’s dimensions may have been driven by
practical necessity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The typical bone
playing pieces were most probably unevenly cut and, therefore, not easy to stack.
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">A GAME OF HISTORICAL
PROPORTIONS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Our detailed
knowledge of the rules of Tabula comes from the record of a game played by the
emperor Zeno in the year 480. The position of the playing pieces is illustrated
below. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zeno’s defeat was so sudden and unexpected
that the details of the game were preserved for posterity. Zeno, playing white,
threw a 2, 5 and 6 with the dice, forcing him to break up his three pairs. This
left all of his men blocked. Since no other moves were possible, this single
throw of dice constituted a game-ending move.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-6b1szMtPKh9os5xN6t5doiNqcinlrMcPlhJJL_xxYNF5T_3Lh544zjPWJ0iN9YIULFjEEHIg_lxfuqUFQy5bNOyzRcW0cMe8LMH5U8iztOgagZnTm8JxpuAFwdeUbBUYH6oGD0eEKyS/s1600/585px-Tabula_-_boardgame_-_Zeno_game.svg%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-6b1szMtPKh9os5xN6t5doiNqcinlrMcPlhJJL_xxYNF5T_3Lh544zjPWJ0iN9YIULFjEEHIg_lxfuqUFQy5bNOyzRcW0cMe8LMH5U8iztOgagZnTm8JxpuAFwdeUbBUYH6oGD0eEKyS/s320/585px-Tabula_-_boardgame_-_Zeno_game.svg%5B1%5D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Tabula appears
to have been the game of preference for many Emperors. Claudius was particularly
fond of the game and, around the year 50AD wrote a history of the game. Though
the event is recorded, the document itself has been lost to history. Claudius
even had the imperial carriage outfitted with an <i>alveus</i>, or Tabula
playing board, so that he could play while traveling. Exactly how Claudius
managed to keep the game pieces from sliding around in a rocking carriage is
never addressed. This was, after all, well before the introduction of magnetic
game boards for use while traveling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Tabula is
primarily responsible for the gambling mania that swept Rome prior to its being
declared illegal. During the time in which Rome was a Republic, open gambling
was banned except during the winter Saturnalia Festival. Although the ban was
weakly and sporadically enforced, gambling carried a fine of four times the
stakes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Tabula players
used the same bone roundels used in board games such as Duodecim Scriptorum and
Calculi. The colors seem to have been mostly black and white, or blue and
white, but other colors have been found. At the high end of the scale, the very
rich might use custom-made colored glass pieces instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">THE RULES OF THE GAME<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
Each player
has 15 playing pieces. <br />
All pieces
enter from square 1 and travel counterclockwise. <br />
Three dice are
thrown. The count of the dice can be applied to one, two, or three men, but the
count on the faces of any of the dice cannot be split.<br />
Any part of a
throw which cannot be used is lost, but a player must use the whole value of
the throw if possible. (Zeno's fatal situation resulted from this rule.)<br />
If a player’s
piece lands on a point with one enemy piece, the enemy piece is removed and must
re-enter the game on the next throw. <br />
If a player
has 2 or more men on a point, that position is closed to the enemy and the men cannot
be captured. <br />
No player may
enter the second half of the board until all men have entered the board. <br />
No player may
exit the board until all pieces have entered the last quarter. This means that
if a single man is hit, the remaining pieces are frozen in the last quarter
until that piece re-enters and catches up with them again. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQptTkt4AuEX8h5Sb9WvlXWp-d__wVC0_LDsgRmpmiBrraRYDkbTggYFeW6iZqWfoGxg8Ug7uBD7QfDt27rV_bOmJArBOdaLGqjnt9nsWVqw5k8ZWIn3H32xkiP4VqcFNMwOJ5yeWB2yP/s1600/roman_game.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQptTkt4AuEX8h5Sb9WvlXWp-d__wVC0_LDsgRmpmiBrraRYDkbTggYFeW6iZqWfoGxg8Ug7uBD7QfDt27rV_bOmJArBOdaLGqjnt9nsWVqw5k8ZWIn3H32xkiP4VqcFNMwOJ5yeWB2yP/s320/roman_game.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Re-enactors and Histroians with Tabula Game</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you would
like to try a game of tabula, you can easily create the board with only a piece
of posterboard, a ruler and pen. (Some people skip this step and use a
backgammon board instead.) Checkers or poker chips make great game pieces.</div>
<br />
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Until next
time, we wish you Peace and Blessings</div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-5937407477600931132012-06-06T01:00:00.000-07:002012-06-06T01:00:01.037-07:00PAUL, THE TENTMAKER FROM TARSUS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8j2hF3c-EpAUQ4VhSGgg2nCZmCtzuqETJs8CEZnMdMgGv5W1s6f5Jou3RSVtPpCWWtCxDeMQDbECRnhZhiST6kh3b_pWtf8Wst7_jZlYcoLiGnHiy4hKdW_51wEZGQa6YasVGqgEfSYXJ/s1600/Negev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8j2hF3c-EpAUQ4VhSGgg2nCZmCtzuqETJs8CEZnMdMgGv5W1s6f5Jou3RSVtPpCWWtCxDeMQDbECRnhZhiST6kh3b_pWtf8Wst7_jZlYcoLiGnHiy4hKdW_51wEZGQa6YasVGqgEfSYXJ/s400/Negev.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Rows of Black Tents Create a Nomadic Village in the Negev</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hello My
Friend and Welcome.</div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ANTIOCH AND PAUL the APOSTLE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Saul,
renamed Paul, spent a considerable amount of time working in the Church at
Antioch. He also visited Antioch while on his missionary journeys. Sound
contradictory? It isn’t. In those days, there were a number of greater and
lesser Antiochs scattered about Asia Minor…all named in honor of Antiochus,
father of Seleucus who founded the Seleucid Empire. Te most important of these
was Antioch on the Orentes, the Western capitol of the Seleucid Empire, the
seat of the Roman Province Syria and the third largest city in the Roman Empire,
after Rome and Alexandria.</div>
<br />
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<span style="color: windowtext;">Christianity came to Antioch early. Believers began
leaving Jerusalem following the persecution which resulted in Stephen’s death.
The new faith was preached to and accepted by the Greeks of the city and it was
in Antioch that the name Christian, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christianos</i>,
originated. Antioch served as a base for the missionary journeys of Paul,
Barnabus, Silas and others. The Church at Antioch played a preeminent role in
the First and Second Century, especially after 70 AD when the Romans destroyed
Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;">A TENTMAKER
FROM TARSUS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext;">One of the things we know about Saul/Paul is that he
was a Jewish tentmaker from Tarsus in Cilicia. Cilicia was part of the larger
area known to the Romans as Asia Minor in what is now southern Turkey. Its
western boundary was the Taurus mountain range, a generally inaccessible area.
A mountain pass, known as the Cilician Gate provided a way through the
mountains to Cappadocia. The eastern half of Cilicia consisted of broad,
fertile plains. Tarsus lay a short distance inland from the Mediterranean Sea
astride the road leading to the Cilician Gate. It probably saw a lot of traffic
as trading caravans and other merchants transported goods between the port and
Cappadocia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">PAUL IN ANTIOCH<o:p></o:p></b></div>
We know from
the epistles that Paul took great pride in being self-supporting. This would imply
that he practiced his trade both at home and away. By home we, of course, mean
Antioch, which was the closest thing Paul had to a permanent residence after
his conversion to Christianity. <br />
<br />
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How much time
did he actually spend there? Acts 11 tells us that after Barnabus returned from
Tarsus with Paul, they spent a year in the city preaching and teaching. They
then took famine relief to Jerusalem and returned with John Mark. There appears
to be an unspecified period of time prior to their leaving on the first
missionary journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
Paul and
Barnabus were gone two years. Then they returned and stayed in Antioch for
between two and three years…autumn of 46 – 49 AD. Acts 14 They left for the
Council of Jerusalem and, as soon as they got back, began preparing for the
second missionary journey, which began about 50 AD. We know from Acts that Paul
refused to all John Mark accompany them on the second mission. John Mark was
Barnabas’s cousin, and this decision created a rift between the two men. Paul
took Silvanus (Silas) instead and Barnabas and John Mark went to Cyrpus, which
was Barnabas’ home.</div>
<br />
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Paul returned
two years later for a period of R & R that lasted another year, and then set
off on his third missionary journey. He never returned to Antioch. Instead, he
sailed to the Judean capitol of Caesarea at the end of his third mission, was
arrested in Jerusalem, and subsequently taken to Rome. Still, from the
narrative above, we can easily credit Paul with between six and seven years in
Antioch during which time he would have supported himself by making tents.</div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;">TENTMAKER, TENTMAKER,
MAKE ME A TENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tents of that
era were quite different from the quick up/quick down Coleman variety with adjustable
aluminum poles, zippered flap and windows, and sewn-in floor. The tents of
Paul’s day had no floor. The sides consisted of curtains that hung to the
ground. They could be rolled back to admit the breeze during the day and pulled
down to completely enclose the tent at night. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoblsNThedtw3fMkt02vkqgzLyyqY7k0kyMnT4ubTKA5VTQO9VTawy8Sn4w36-FfLALPFVhHB2kIL_b4-JWvXDw9x_07D_d_5sbceRnrfynVa9pGcdoo7VRprDWgOIHWT-vU6RcIlx6HAG/s1600/small_canvas%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoblsNThedtw3fMkt02vkqgzLyyqY7k0kyMnT4ubTKA5VTQO9VTawy8Sn4w36-FfLALPFVhHB2kIL_b4-JWvXDw9x_07D_d_5sbceRnrfynVa9pGcdoo7VRprDWgOIHWT-vU6RcIlx6HAG/s1600/small_canvas%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Close-up of the Finished Tent Cloth</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
New tents
were typically only made when a young groom and his bride set up housekeeping
for themselves. The tents consisted of long strips of fabric about three feet
wide. These strips were sewn together to make any and all sizes of tents. The
tent was regularly inspected and worn or ripped sections were removed and a new
one sewn in its place. The piece they removed could be cut down and used for a
side curtain. If the family grew and more space was required, additional strips
were added to make the tent deeper or wider as necessary. Isaiah referred to
this practice when he wrote, “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the
curtains of your habitations be stretched out; hold not back, lengthen your
cords and strengthen your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:2)</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; text-align: justify;">
These strips
of tent cloth were woven on a simple horizontal loom. Some of these looms
required the weaver to sit or kneel on the floor as they worked. Since Paul
spent long hours at the loom, he most probably used a model that provided a
seat. The illustration below shows a man in Senegal using a loom similar to one
that Paul most likely used. The frame is set up at the proper width of the
fabric. A roller near the user’s knees accumulates the finished fabric. The
incoming threads are secured to a roller far in front of the loom.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAKuySRXg2jr3s5GsCy55oaqCMJ910qAYnrFkhAMd6S82gCKZSyi5FHKVCBH6IgAWK9wTmcEmTWJWdt9MKy2ZjIA-UomuBAmYTagknH0l7CII6AGmQDe3GggHSQrGdITlnaidrXQFVJ0r/s1600/Horizontal+Looms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAKuySRXg2jr3s5GsCy55oaqCMJ910qAYnrFkhAMd6S82gCKZSyi5FHKVCBH6IgAWK9wTmcEmTWJWdt9MKy2ZjIA-UomuBAmYTagknH0l7CII6AGmQDe3GggHSQrGdITlnaidrXQFVJ0r/s320/Horizontal+Looms.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
<br />
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A double
harness loom is most efficient when weaving a single colored fabric. Weaving
consists of passing a single weft thread back and forth between multiple warp
threads. The warp threads are long and close, forming the body of the fabric.
Their overall width determines the width of the finished piece and the finished
piece can be no longer that the warp threads. The weft thread is wound on a
spool, known as a shuttle. It binds the opposing warp threads together as it is
passed back and forth. In order to weave, individual warp threads must be
separated (lifted) from their neighbors. Odd numbered threads are attached to
one harness and even to the other. When one pedal is depressed, half of the
threads rise allowing the shuttle to pass between the threads. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the other is depressed, the opposite
threads rise for the shuttle’s return pass.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">USING BLACK GOATS<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The tent
fabric was woven from black goat hair. This resulting fabric was coarse and heavy,
providing protection during the cold months and at night. The goat hair cloth
used for tents remained porous when dry. This facilitated airflow and dissipated
heat in a desert-like environment. During periods of higher moisture —heavy dew
or winter rains— the thread quickly swelled, making the tent waterproof.
Solomon referenced the color of the tents when he wrote, “I am very dark, but
comely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar…” (Song of Solomon
1:5)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEI6rRficLLkjD4IZhKC6U9o6F03wIceub18FLQ3fF3UaTaVZuR7wm4RxIUEgxCr4R0Ljsw_ymVAtWuuO21eHxPdnryT_WQ7Q02CZg3KQJqOTohGOKUK7rDioJL6t0uJFFeVjhMC7Pys6/s1600/goats%5B2%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEI6rRficLLkjD4IZhKC6U9o6F03wIceub18FLQ3fF3UaTaVZuR7wm4RxIUEgxCr4R0Ljsw_ymVAtWuuO21eHxPdnryT_WQ7Q02CZg3KQJqOTohGOKUK7rDioJL6t0uJFFeVjhMC7Pys6/s1600/goats%5B2%5D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Antioch lay
between the road running from Boerea, known as the Silk Road, to the port of Pieria
Seleucia. Caravans from as far away as China and India must have passed through
the city on a regular basis. These merchants all lived in tents while on the
move. Antioch was surely <span style="color: windowtext;">as good a location for
a tentmaker as he could hope to find. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: windowtext;">Next time we’ll be examining the First Century game
the Romans called Tabula.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: windowtext;">Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-21376600048439880642012-06-04T01:00:00.001-07:002012-06-04T01:00:07.323-07:00FOODS of the FIRST CENTURY - SWEETS & SWEETNERS<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivASsqjBUVefSeAGigsgj5Ammhv6dbw1BfK6ekXbrSJx28nAspvFjePYK2Te-l7sQi6jURhOSWnh3GVHwwN6ggCi447fE6_SHIFGmZTQSesFI0C735tug4Au7Jw1zn2NP4M-QHOVp2lfhz/s1600/Masple+Syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivASsqjBUVefSeAGigsgj5Ammhv6dbw1BfK6ekXbrSJx28nAspvFjePYK2Te-l7sQi6jURhOSWnh3GVHwwN6ggCi447fE6_SHIFGmZTQSesFI0C735tug4Au7Jw1zn2NP4M-QHOVp2lfhz/s400/Masple+Syrup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Making Vermont Maple Syrup with the Traditional Evaporator</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Hello My friend and Welcome. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">In our continuing study of Foods
of the First Century we turn to an interesting aspect of the Early Christians
diet: Sweets. In the sugar saturated society that we live in it’s hard to
imagine a world without Twinkies, Soda Pop, Candy, Sugar-Coated Cereals…the
list goes on and on. Sweets of one kind or another seem to be everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick check of the ingredient lists on some
of the items in our cupboard demonstrates how ubiquitous sugar, in its many
permutations, has become. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">A BUILT-IN SWEET TOOTH<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Like it or not, we humans seem to
come with a built-in sweet tooth. And we currently quench it with mountains of
refined sugar, and millions of gallons of high fructose corn syrup. But what
about our Christian cousins of the First Century? They somehow survived without
a convenience store on every corner. How did they do it?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">We know a couple of things about
sugars. First, they seem to be somewhat addictive; the more you get the more
you want. And secondly, a high intake of sugars in the diet tends to dull the
taste buds. An apple or a pear can never match the intense sweetness of a
bowlful of sugar-coated crunchy-munchies. So, while making do with less sugar
than modern man, perhaps our ancestors were able to enjoy the natural sweetness
of fruits and berries far more than we do today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">LIVING IN SUGARLESS WORLD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Still, there’s that sweet-tooth
thing that makes us all crave sweetness. Rest easy, perhaps life was a little
sweeter than we imagine. First, and foremost, they had honey. Evidence of large
apiaries producing tons of honey annually have been found in the Holy Land. You
can read our post on that <a href="http://eglewis.blogspot.com/2011/10/beekeeping-in-ancient-isreal.html">HERE</a>. People of that era also produced a number of
syrups, molasses-type products, which they incorporated into their cooking in
many ways. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">How effective could fruit syrups
be, you ask? The next time you’re in the grocery store stop by the bakery
department and check the ingredients on one of their “Sugar-Free” pies. What
you will find is that these pies, instead of being sweetened with refined sugar
made from sugar cane or sugar beets (sucrose), are sweetened with fruit sugar
(fructose). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">THINK MAPLE SYRUP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Most people have at least a
peripheral understanding of the process for making maple syrup. Sap from a
sugar maple tree is collected in early spring and transported to the sugaring
house. There it is filtered and poured into a shallow evaporator with dividers
that allow the operator to move the syrup from one section to the next as it
slowly thickens. What comes in on one end as raw sap with barely any detectable
sweetness emerges on the opposite end as that golden brown ambrosia we all know
and love. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">In reality, the sugar content of
any semi-sweet juice can be increased by boiling to liquid to syrup. The
following is a list of the most common syrups produced in the First Century.
These syrups, or molasses, are still widely used in the Middle East.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWPJf_mNQ-tvkqcOyICPa7IbhImIMgMGw7Huk_GlFi6g1LXgrkV4lKMTDd0pS6Ylum8sjxqBBFhYeIpLF4oXYwsg6Ohhheklg8HSJiKN6EL2toTcXUB0n69IkqIByKSy_0xq2YJNBhiGA/s1600/Carob+Pods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWPJf_mNQ-tvkqcOyICPa7IbhImIMgMGw7Huk_GlFi6g1LXgrkV4lKMTDd0pS6Ylum8sjxqBBFhYeIpLF4oXYwsg6Ohhheklg8HSJiKN6EL2toTcXUB0n69IkqIByKSy_0xq2YJNBhiGA/s1600/Carob+Pods.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Carob Pods - Green and Mature</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<strong>CAROB MOLASSES<o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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We mentioned Carob in our post on vegetables and made
passing reference to the pods being used as a sweetener. Today, we’ll examine
that in greater detail. The syrup is produced by shelling the beans and finely
chopping the empty pods into water. This mixture is then cooked to extract the
sugars from the pods, It is strained and reduced into a thick syrup, or carob
molasses as it is called. Carob molasses is 100% carob extract with a rich
aroma, flavor and color. It has a high natural sugar content, and can be used
alone as syrup, or as sweetener, colorant, and flavoring agent in ice-cream
toppings, cakes, cookies, and sweetmeats. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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In Lebanon, the site of the ancient kingdom of Phoenicia,
carob molasses is traditionally used as an alternative to sugar. Mixed and
served with tahina, or sesame paste, it is eaten as a dessert called dibs bi
tahina. Carob molasses is also said to be delicious on pancakes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Interestingly, carob seeds have a history of their own. The
carob seed looks very much like a large watermelon seed. There are about eight
seeds to a pod. The gum they contain was used by the Egyptians for binding
their mummies. The Italians use the seed to make rosary beads and in Israel
they have an annual Carob Festival. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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Because carob seeds are very uniform in weight, they were
used as a measure for gold and gems. This carob weight has come down through
the centuries as the familiar caret weight. One half of a carob seed equals one
gram, or five carets. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkCrMdOKkgFwyPrgnFqOuUY3CSzzMBmBgmDr2b01YY8-Q465zKGEvO00ZN5YqVqyHR50mFpQPjF1manuN5Vk_fsMRNoQv1I9-D2eCV8R6A1ybmbxtSQLT6SvPhK7QVjd43jC6eJFrS9lJ/s1600/Date+Syrup+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkCrMdOKkgFwyPrgnFqOuUY3CSzzMBmBgmDr2b01YY8-Q465zKGEvO00ZN5YqVqyHR50mFpQPjF1manuN5Vk_fsMRNoQv1I9-D2eCV8R6A1ybmbxtSQLT6SvPhK7QVjd43jC6eJFrS9lJ/s320/Date+Syrup+Bowl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Bowl of Date Syprup in the Making</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<strong>DATE SYRUP<o:p></o:p></strong></div>
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The juice of most fruits is obtained by pressing. Dates are
different because their soluble solids are too concentrated to be pressed out.
A minor exception to this rule is the incidental by-product when bagged dates
are heaped on top of each other in a humid warehouse. Over a period of time
small amounts of syrup will ooze out due to the force of the downward pressure.
Clearly this is no way to produce usable syrup.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>To make date syrup at home, buy the softest dates you can
find. Chop or crush them and put them in a narrow pan. Cover with water and
bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes, then put it on the lowest heat and
simmer for 30-60 minutes. Very soft dates do not require as much cooking.
Remove from heat and let cool. Once the mixture is cool, put it into a blender
and run on liquefy. If small pieces remain, pour the syrup through a sieve to
remove them. The resulting dark syrup can be used as a replacement for maple
syrup or honey when cooking and can also substitute for sugar when baking
cookies.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FIG SYRUP</b></div>
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This syrup is
made by scoring dried figs, placing them in large pots of water and letting
them reconstitute for 12 hours. When the figs have softened, they are boiled
and the juice produced is strained off. This juice is then boiled down to thick
syrup. Fig syrup is used in cakes, fritters and many desserts. It also replaces
maple syrup over French toast, waffles and pancakes.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsTF3dGtXK9AG-nXQq-ReMUpssqahtztrjuye7mf03SUYwQucmMZ9q7xp7uw3JskZH7G4WjYn1ixzbxr2YbnkxrRYjtITVtAMsC9Z5KUzFT3Las5HbIol0sUjvBsbJpnA_efhrteIp3s1/s1600/Homemade+Grape+Syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsTF3dGtXK9AG-nXQq-ReMUpssqahtztrjuye7mf03SUYwQucmMZ9q7xp7uw3JskZH7G4WjYn1ixzbxr2YbnkxrRYjtITVtAMsC9Z5KUzFT3Las5HbIol0sUjvBsbJpnA_efhrteIp3s1/s320/Homemade+Grape+Syrup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GRAPE SYRUP</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Also known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">debash,
</i>it<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>is mentioned several times in my
Seeds of Christianity™ Series of books. In Greek it is πετιμέζι, pronounced
peh-tee-MEH-zee. Grape syrup is naturally sweet and eaten with yogurt, over ice
cream, in tea, on pancakes, in baking. In mountainous regions, it is also used
to make an impromptu snow cone by pouring it over fresh snow. A teaspoonful
will work wonders for sore throats due to colds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The syrup is made by crushing the grapes and adding a
small amount of wood ash to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i>,
as crushed grapes, juice and skins are called. The mixture is boiled in small
batches and then strained. The resulting thickened juice is boiled and reduced to
a thick reddish syrup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There is apparently no end to the uses for these
ancient syrups and sweeteners. One firm markets product to add to your bath
water. It contains syrups from wild figs and grapes along with emollient oils
and is said to freshen and soften the skin. We have no information regarding
the use of such a product by the Early Christians, however, it seems unlikely
to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWtAMhMdAr1Pq0FTBVrtEp1FGsy9scshWdLlQgiR1gqerCisjab3GcseMxt8IWFhAnh1lDeWWrvdCTQnVx-nys-CA1O4shpAOYDo3ZLQKsVHTbWyJpk0fBSzLQriLYxj9a13W2qwDX7RY/s1600/Pomegranate+Syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWtAMhMdAr1Pq0FTBVrtEp1FGsy9scshWdLlQgiR1gqerCisjab3GcseMxt8IWFhAnh1lDeWWrvdCTQnVx-nys-CA1O4shpAOYDo3ZLQKsVHTbWyJpk0fBSzLQriLYxj9a13W2qwDX7RY/s320/Pomegranate+Syrup.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">POMEGRANATE
SYRUP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All of the modern recipes for pomegranate syrup
shorten the process by combining the juice with refined sugar in a ratio of 1 part
sugar to 4 parts juice before it is reduced. True, pomegranates do have a tart,
tangy taste and may require some sweetening, but clearly this is not the way it
was done 2,000 years ago. They would have prepared the syrup by first boiling
down the pomegranate juice and then sweetened it as needed by adding small
amounts of honey. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Unlike the other syrups and molasses we’ve been looking
at, pomegranate syrup wasn’t used as a topping or sweetener. Instead, it served
as a marinade that was brushed onto various meats before grilling. It is still
used that way today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Until next time, Shalom Aleichem!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-8256046343778309862012-05-29T01:00:00.000-07:002012-05-29T01:00:06.882-07:00THE PYRAMIDS OF NUBIA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhPiqx-IVObNkLxCVlgW5GpbfxLVs9MPr3QrltFvBMQqzY_mQvRlzocbU93MLDXyaieT2tAih1oEtnwAERllhu-uUHIkmbGKYkpbxapa6EVVV9TLve46LlqVrJEZEEikszuK9hwlTX6i0/s1600/imagesCADT2OFI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhPiqx-IVObNkLxCVlgW5GpbfxLVs9MPr3QrltFvBMQqzY_mQvRlzocbU93MLDXyaieT2tAih1oEtnwAERllhu-uUHIkmbGKYkpbxapa6EVVV9TLve46LlqVrJEZEEikszuK9hwlTX6i0/s400/imagesCADT2OFI.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hello My Friend and Welcome.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Say the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pyramid</i>, 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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NOT THE ONLY PYRAMIDS</b></div>
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Interestingly enough, there are
other pyramids — real pyramids, not just pointy structures — <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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?<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjnKOEV0O_2pzacqTPMUumz9j7J1jYF-62ISpxhZPk3MlH4Ys3xIvvnlDdH-5dNFje9Xy1zgUsDvig8GpOZpJUBLGwqch7FBu1AsF8i-roRbdw8UuEeugASj0eUDoukKVwO1Onx-lnQ-O/s1600/Tribute+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdjnKOEV0O_2pzacqTPMUumz9j7J1jYF-62ISpxhZPk3MlH4Ys3xIvvnlDdH-5dNFje9Xy1zgUsDvig8GpOZpJUBLGwqch7FBu1AsF8i-roRbdw8UuEeugASj0eUDoukKVwO1Onx-lnQ-O/s1600/Tribute+(2).jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Frescoe of Nubians Bringing Tribute</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<sup>th</sup> Dynasty. <o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ELABORATE TOMBSTONES</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">successors
</i>would have to have constructed the pyramid. In effect the pyramids were
nothing more than an elaborate tombstone. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64rv-Dk_6iFOYnhqpW7mHW5lojw5WY3_Yj8IWjhuGMuJcDDLMrPkWJ7H8LAQwCynBKo6lxjR0_jN_MuVj2dZVRJCuK6B_cxhpuOmf7thzyEVGr4Alamb90ccgQP4irODW64OnDOWoEkhk/s1600/Flat+Top+Pyramids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64rv-Dk_6iFOYnhqpW7mHW5lojw5WY3_Yj8IWjhuGMuJcDDLMrPkWJ7H8LAQwCynBKo6lxjR0_jN_MuVj2dZVRJCuK6B_cxhpuOmf7thzyEVGr4Alamb90ccgQP4irODW64OnDOWoEkhk/s320/Flat+Top+Pyramids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>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. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYBCIxQrtcoXN5cBK2cCAYVnXtLGRuCASvHZwOGpNxeq6fm2GDQnsWAD0OxMguAF0wQQZMIpPzplNLKIZcowb3OiRDA2j9bUujiRSUJEWo5jYV432-5swH-nvsisgIBDRneBaiQ0BBn9e/s1600/Bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYBCIxQrtcoXN5cBK2cCAYVnXtLGRuCASvHZwOGpNxeq6fm2GDQnsWAD0OxMguAF0wQQZMIpPzplNLKIZcowb3OiRDA2j9bUujiRSUJEWo5jYV432-5swH-nvsisgIBDRneBaiQ0BBn9e/s320/Bracelet.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Queen Amanishaketo"s Gold & Jeweled Bracelet</strong> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GOING TOPLESS IN THE DESERT</b><br />
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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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jTxAkbXtpbZCotJCSJ9qbaTb1A71A4Y3m0k1GLuaIQXxjTerwdlI92jOOxWKvry-Ox2gN3PD4EyqpNUAGoE6XgPMxtnVdUjp0aCdDzX-naa4JTEzMp6O8hRpxsImtBLjy6Vbvcrv-Tgy/s1600/Pyramids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jTxAkbXtpbZCotJCSJ9qbaTb1A71A4Y3m0k1GLuaIQXxjTerwdlI92jOOxWKvry-Ox2gN3PD4EyqpNUAGoE6XgPMxtnVdUjp0aCdDzX-naa4JTEzMp6O8hRpxsImtBLjy6Vbvcrv-Tgy/s320/Pyramids.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
On Friday, we’ll be examining the
ancient game known as Tabula.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Until then, we wish you Peace and
Blessings.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-38190121221075208592012-05-25T07:11:00.000-07:002012-05-25T07:11:04.416-07:00REVIVING ANCIENT TRADITIONS of ISRAEL<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-bo089xw1_Y_yiQg8rbHAS1Y_wWDLW7NetcSf9y30HVEG6AjjocmjCpc931TQFMNlylvG2lVWaxU1fv3SglytJeeGaLGZbuZd7lDe-85_rodVIpux03h3u3qavPuRI2rFEWejbpoEfn-/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-bo089xw1_Y_yiQg8rbHAS1Y_wWDLW7NetcSf9y30HVEG6AjjocmjCpc931TQFMNlylvG2lVWaxU1fv3SglytJeeGaLGZbuZd7lDe-85_rodVIpux03h3u3qavPuRI2rFEWejbpoEfn-/s400/Slide3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Blowing the Shofar (Ram's Horn) Begins the Ceremony</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Hello My Friend and Welcome. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Renewing a tradition of ancient Israel, hundreds
of women gathered again to celebrate the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tu
B'Av</i> (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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tu B'Av</i>. This month
a group of Israeli women returned to the orchards in a multifaceted celebration
of dance organized by the Benjamin Regional Council. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">LINKS TO
THE EARLIEST OF TIMES</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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. </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-MUmZNyeeLtLsblKpFiLBNySUEYavXy5CH7ccSDshvLIr_kFkgj0iyulozGXn8FAtY3P3UcuR5e-423XWN67a4OhdjLixu5tMgHaIjD9JTLnfHo6EwgZzY5Xm9f1lkaRNLIHzmNWGdw1/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-MUmZNyeeLtLsblKpFiLBNySUEYavXy5CH7ccSDshvLIr_kFkgj0iyulozGXn8FAtY3P3UcuR5e-423XWN67a4OhdjLixu5tMgHaIjD9JTLnfHo6EwgZzY5Xm9f1lkaRNLIHzmNWGdw1/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Shiloh played an interesting role in ancient
Israel. During the period of the Judges the sanctuary of God, designated a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">temple</i>, 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). </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="page_top"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A HISTORY OF DANCING BEFORE THE LORD</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Adonai</i>, 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.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq3hcQ2MfP0GD8MBosR8NzFJ6tUDlJIiI9qclKPnPVlBO3ELA3XWV1lvRzycC1ti9x1f62X4ZVg0wuYVU7937cuAljN5EUfaJuXD4BACb05wDlBlqqDXw0_DjsXOY2xlUX5Fnk3z4dHv3/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgq3hcQ2MfP0GD8MBosR8NzFJ6tUDlJIiI9qclKPnPVlBO3ELA3XWV1lvRzycC1ti9x1f62X4ZVg0wuYVU7937cuAljN5EUfaJuXD4BACb05wDlBlqqDXw0_DjsXOY2xlUX5Fnk3z4dHv3/s320/Slide2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mishkan</i>
(Tabernacle) of Shiloh. </span><br />
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">BENEFITS
FOR THE PARTICIPANTS</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">One participant in the festival described the
experience to <i>Israel National News</i>. “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.”</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tu B'Av</i> where it all began – here in
Shiloh.”</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-25103490290504185512012-05-15T01:00:00.000-07:002012-05-15T01:00:05.228-07:00MEETING ROME'S NEED FOR OLIVE OIL<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1vfw72aJ7ZsmnOBSTH7sWbg57fcyAZ_T5SXkTZ55YkfKpz2bilMwsITO00xYwF8-I5JuZj0053cCky1oVepPdoYWByFCpSOYEfOefQWLQXzEJJfGh4Nhu19W4z2IHDbp4W2gpfQnaDTf/s1600/Jahre+Viking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1vfw72aJ7ZsmnOBSTH7sWbg57fcyAZ_T5SXkTZ55YkfKpz2bilMwsITO00xYwF8-I5JuZj0053cCky1oVepPdoYWByFCpSOYEfOefQWLQXzEJJfGh4Nhu19W4z2IHDbp4W2gpfQnaDTf/s400/Jahre+Viking.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Supertanker Loaded With Oil Crosses the Ocean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Hello My Friend and Welcome.<o:p> </o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Many in the United States are
rightly concerned by our increasing dependence upon foreign oil. <span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">A recent </span>study blamed
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">rising oil imports
for our widening trade deficit. </span>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.<br />
<br />
<strong>NOT ABOUT PETROLEUM</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The Roman World used olive oil <span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monte Testaccio</i>, 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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">testa</i> and the Italian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cocci, </i>both of which mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">potshard</i>.</span><br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPVTSg6BkvdHVglgfzST6gUe1wV6kQVbpdn63-M_47tAg565NpDLMV_xvRkRBw1fG_pIXdsxxEW149-Vhr2FB1p3EigS6ZAgUNDlSU0c_dp5U-vZDaz3yVi5NgaRXCOTWA0sPR6tClqlr/s1600/Counting+Amphorae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjPVTSg6BkvdHVglgfzST6gUe1wV6kQVbpdn63-M_47tAg565NpDLMV_xvRkRBw1fG_pIXdsxxEW149-Vhr2FB1p3EigS6ZAgUNDlSU0c_dp5U-vZDaz3yVi5NgaRXCOTWA0sPR6tClqlr/s320/Counting+Amphorae.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Digging into the Mountain of Shards</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Via Ostiense</i>. Regardless, the area
provided a seemingly unlimited supply of tiles to patch roofs and souvenirs for
tourists. </span></div>
<br /><strong>FINALLY CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED</strong> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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. </span><br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzRqcZjXXq9q7FcMmsBhRF16wor1ZDOp6B0NMyXZ2OWygB63T8Ia5Q1At9_WGDNNr0cnknu_2VpNHMU_CmnHM9PdfQyoW31lV98RSoHtkv7dOJtLKyQsqqi-Bt6Un5mjPQlw8dqMOi0jP/s1600/Scan0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzRqcZjXXq9q7FcMmsBhRF16wor1ZDOp6B0NMyXZ2OWygB63T8Ia5Q1At9_WGDNNr0cnknu_2VpNHMU_CmnHM9PdfQyoW31lV98RSoHtkv7dOJtLKyQsqqi-Bt6Un5mjPQlw8dqMOi0jP/s320/Scan0029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Intact Neck of a Dressel 20 Amphora</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The majority of the amphorae
found at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monte Testaccio</i> came from
the Roman province of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hispania</i>
(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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Portus</i>, each one
filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of these amphorae. Shipwrecks have
been discovered in the region with full loads of Dressel 20’s.</span></div>
<br /><strong>DEALING WITH THE OVERFLOW</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monte
Testaccio</i> 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.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tituli picti</i>—words,
names and numbers used to track their movement through the distribution
channels. </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br /><strong>MAINTAINING A BALANCE OF POWER</strong><br />
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Augustus understood that to
remain in power he must have the support of the army and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">plebians</i>, 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.” </span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
</div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">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. </span><br />
<br /> </div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">On Thursday we’ll add our monthly
link to the Christian Writer’s Blog Chain. This month’s key word is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nurture</i>.</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /> </div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Until then, we wish you Peace and
Blessings.</span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /> </div>
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<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-10479395881076797622012-05-11T01:00:00.000-07:002012-05-11T01:00:04.221-07:00LECTIO DIVINA — AN ANCIENT FORM OF MEDITATION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUxY_K_zoAGn90WXO1y4_99PBjtnGCszcx2njHoAPZWaoJO76gJYFFVqXpgtXLUqSSb0ecgBMOE5PHKkgimqs4IHQ-Rta4owjPTNIyh2OXAK3EfaZAS5hEFhzlxpXDOKM-R1wiQ67_TPA/s1600/lectio_divina%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUxY_K_zoAGn90WXO1y4_99PBjtnGCszcx2njHoAPZWaoJO76gJYFFVqXpgtXLUqSSb0ecgBMOE5PHKkgimqs4IHQ-Rta4owjPTNIyh2OXAK3EfaZAS5hEFhzlxpXDOKM-R1wiQ67_TPA/s400/lectio_divina%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Hello My Friend and Welcome.<o:p> </o:p><br />
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Today we will be looking at the
ancient, four or five-part meditation, used by the Church since earliest times,
known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lectio Divina</i>. 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, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lectio
Divina</i>.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">STEP ONE</i> - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">LECTIO</i></b></div>
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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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4FyL-IzjLr5ovL2mim-bX5fcgFqaYwY7dp_NGwfnsMFE1LnAjTl8WqnUoM-59FwW1azCuLDPcbZpiGu-8Pq3h_Ga4NUsXCjXFxFUKJbEIlIrpgGwGcQUJ1D68aZ8k8Lc-St8VqIjL5SZ/s1600/reading-bible%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4FyL-IzjLr5ovL2mim-bX5fcgFqaYwY7dp_NGwfnsMFE1LnAjTl8WqnUoM-59FwW1azCuLDPcbZpiGu-8Pq3h_Ga4NUsXCjXFxFUKJbEIlIrpgGwGcQUJ1D68aZ8k8Lc-St8VqIjL5SZ/s320/reading-bible%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />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. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lectio</i> 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. <o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
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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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STEP TWO — <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MEDITATIO</i></b></div>
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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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hear</i>
Christ in your verse or perhaps the verse says something about you…where you
are in life, etc. <o:p> </o:p><br />
</div>
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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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STEP THREE — <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ORATIO</i></b></div>
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Read the passage a third and
final time. The next step of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lectio
Divinia</i> 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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrDIkCWPYQm02YtzEUfIjIihcT8Q3RjDF2sWSFbrwH1np_AnoHsTrzBKXaXDT4aZXA1os-LWwWh6KPYHxkK0DkWdYqnZOiqPjR2_ywyGmhIG7_xLYNAlfANamfzXZIeYTyL091gTaRT2j/s1600/rembrandt-monk-reading%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrDIkCWPYQm02YtzEUfIjIihcT8Q3RjDF2sWSFbrwH1np_AnoHsTrzBKXaXDT4aZXA1os-LWwWh6KPYHxkK0DkWdYqnZOiqPjR2_ywyGmhIG7_xLYNAlfANamfzXZIeYTyL091gTaRT2j/s320/rembrandt-monk-reading%5B1%5D.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">STEP FOUR — <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CONTEMPLATIO</i></b><br />
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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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Abba</i>-Father, Lord have mercy, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maranatha</i> (Aramaic for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Come, Lord</i>) or something else to slow
down your mind, by all means, do it. </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OPTIONAL STEP FIVE — <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ACTIO</i></b></div>
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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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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And there you have it. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lectio Divina</i> is a method of study,
contemplation and prayer used by Christians since the earliest of times, and with
good reason.<o:p> </o:p></div>
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Until Next time, we wish you
Peace and Blessings. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426804954466643179.post-76106086188218230092012-05-09T01:00:00.000-07:002012-05-09T01:00:10.773-07:00ROMAN MERCHANT SHIPS — WARHORSES of the ANCIENT WORLD<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALtLXL2hyphenhyphensGmHJ8HHlvAPedr32lRKOpyvaNshY-nIjxItHvJujFX3vUEBINVOzs3M6gzAI285-47i9e9bRKmWUHPpC0h1yNDxWp2rQacvQyf6Ea_aU6PXC6eJ06UYYAFjL49RULqFstF8/s1600/image-33%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiALtLXL2hyphenhyphensGmHJ8HHlvAPedr32lRKOpyvaNshY-nIjxItHvJujFX3vUEBINVOzs3M6gzAI285-47i9e9bRKmWUHPpC0h1yNDxWp2rQacvQyf6Ea_aU6PXC6eJ06UYYAFjL49RULqFstF8/s400/image-33%5B1%5D.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Divers Gather Amphorae from a Shipwreck</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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Hello My Friend and Welcome.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
At its peak, the Roman Empire completely
encircled the Mediterranean Sea, which First Century Romans conveniently called
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mare Nostrum</i>, 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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<strong>ROME’S MERCHANT MARINE</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
Roman merchants moved all sorts
of goods and foodstuffs by sea. Commercial vessels were known by a variety of
names, such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">corbita, gaulus, ponto, </i>or<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> cladivata</i>, 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. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYfo9V2AbSSK53zn6QwiAszDnhVdRNVPB3X2-OJj468PySgeRFN9AfPU5fsdHai1MMry6X25YSArckFhLWXMEiE67w_Go7kMbwR1Tmr0B7nIhBoP0jYbH1He9rfKfNQphTG3DfCtw6b-M/s1600/2209113418_5026d7c679%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYfo9V2AbSSK53zn6QwiAszDnhVdRNVPB3X2-OJj468PySgeRFN9AfPU5fsdHai1MMry6X25YSArckFhLWXMEiE67w_Go7kMbwR1Tmr0B7nIhBoP0jYbH1He9rfKfNQphTG3DfCtw6b-M/s320/2209113418_5026d7c679%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Museum Reproduction of a Roman Corbita</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<strong>LEARNING FROM DISASTER</strong></div>
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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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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<strong>WIND-POWERED TRANSPORT</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">supparum</i>, on the bow which aided
steering. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfyCMnsviMbffa6Lstdh3iOLeZKtJRajKbU7V6vvokKZJGhQK5-DKnaCkteYVLac8Klusq9adz_qiKknpc-DOJ8iSCfKToRrgp73of6fFAvcOtDYRmqKWmsmCeVIVhIYxNBpex1iNaHBs/s1600/normal_rimtrade%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfyCMnsviMbffa6Lstdh3iOLeZKtJRajKbU7V6vvokKZJGhQK5-DKnaCkteYVLac8Klusq9adz_qiKknpc-DOJ8iSCfKToRrgp73of6fFAvcOtDYRmqKWmsmCeVIVhIYxNBpex1iNaHBs/s1600/normal_rimtrade%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<strong>BIG, BIGGER, AND BIGGEST</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
The size of Roman ships often
surprises people. On the low end were ships designed for the grain trade, which
carried 10,000 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modii</i> 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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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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.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
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The Roman fleet also had higher
tonnage vessels. The hull of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Madrague
de Giens</i>, 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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">muriophorio,</i>
10,000-amphora carriers carrying 550 tons were the largest ships afloat. The
grain trade also utilized some 50,000 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modii</i>
vessels which hauled 365 tons. The size and capacity of these ships was not
exceeded in the Mediterranean until the Sixteenth Century. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifi2mYqSJ2A9FR3W3umOl0yhHH9MNkEJHJrEGLjDibKgQ6Q1Hq2nqBw6YqDV1jYos697Ab4cbzXTc5arFyg0zBJS9a2QMgzzfL6kwVQ_34zsMWb3DxE8c7Iy5MQ9YFHQfeywk1cmEpYK9Q/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifi2mYqSJ2A9FR3W3umOl0yhHH9MNkEJHJrEGLjDibKgQ6Q1Hq2nqBw6YqDV1jYos697Ab4cbzXTc5arFyg0zBJS9a2QMgzzfL6kwVQ_34zsMWb3DxE8c7Iy5MQ9YFHQfeywk1cmEpYK9Q/s320/Slide3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Merchant Ship Afloat</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<strong>STANDARDIZED SHIPPING CONTAINERS</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modius</i>. Since a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modius</i> 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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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Like most colonizing powers, over
time Rome grew dependent upon the influx of goods from the Provinces to survive.
Each year 60,000,000 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modii</i> of grain arrived
in Rome. Assuming each vessel contained 50,000 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">modii</i>, 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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mare clausum</i> 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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div>
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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. <o:p> </o:p></div>
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Next time we’ll examine the
ancient method of contemplative study of the scriptures known as <em>Lectio Divina</em>.</div>
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Until then, we wish you Peace and
Blessings</div>
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<strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If you reached this post via a link, click the HOME tab above to see
other recent posts and visit our archives</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 8.5pt;">.</span></strong></div>E. G. Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16652592168682986762noreply@blogger.com1