#not to mention other monuments in egypt

[nooneleavesforgood]

@laurelindebear here’s your very belated Secret Santa gift! Hope you enjoy it.❤️ Massive thanks to @picklebrinedgoblinmind and @belphegor1982 for their brainstorming help!

-

“Kamose, Khaba...Khaemwaset!” Evy exclaimed triumphantly to the empty library, as if she’d just unearthed a centuries-old Egyptian artifact. “There you are.”

The challenge of locating a single volume amongst the scattered piles of books almost made battling an all-powerful reanimated mummy look like child’s play. As at Hamunaptra, however, she had help with the task; over the past couple of weeks, she and Rick had managed to create some semblance of order from the chaos Evy’s reshelving accident had caused. She placed the book on the shelf and continued sifting through the pile at her feet, then nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a familiar voice behind her.

“Ah, Khaemwaset, the first Egyptologist.”

Evy spun around and found herself face to face with Ardeth Bay, leader of the Medjai, the order charged with protecting Hamunaptra and other sacred sites in Egypt.  He was accompanied by a small group of men who could only be warriors under his command, as they wore the same flowing black robes, and their faces were tattooed with the same hieroglyphs.

Evy hesitated, uncertain as to how to greet him. She knew she owed her life partly to this man, but it was difficult to forget the Medjai’s attacks on the Sudan and their camp at Hamunaptra, and Ardeth surely hadn’t forgotten that she was the one who had woken Imhotep. Imhotep…oh, God, had he risen again already? No, if that were the case, Ardeth would know it hadn’t been her doing this time.

"As-salaam 'alykum, Ardeth," she said eventually, her tone friendly yet tentative.

"Wa ‘alaykum as-salaam, Evelyn,” Ardeth replied to Evy’s relief. His smile was small, but it contained enough warmth to reassure her that he felt no ill will toward her. “So, you admire Khaemwaset?"

"Very much."

Evy had read extensively about Khaemwaset, the fourth son of Ramesses the Great, who had dedicated his life to restoring and preserving the monuments of earlier pharaohs. Many Western Egyptologists were concerned only with acquiring treasure, showing little care for the sites they excavated; Evy had promised herself years ago that she would follow Khaemwaset’s approach.

“That is no surprise. There is much to admire about him. Giza would likely have crumbled into dust if it were not for his efforts.” A delighted smile spread across Evy’s features. This conversation was taking such a pleasant and unexpected turn that any remaining apprehension she felt about the Medjai’s sudden arrival evaporated. “But he was not without faults. I trust you know the story of Khaemwaset and the Book of Thoth?”

"Of course.” The tale of how Khaemwaset had discovered a magic book belonging to the god of wisdom in the tomb of the magician Naneferkaptah had long been one of Evy’s favorites. “Wait,” she said, a realization dawning on her as the full meaning of Ardeth’s words sank in, “you’re telling me that story is real? The Book of Thoth is real?” Evy felt a rush of excitement in her chest. The Book of Thoth would be a fantastic addition to the library.

Ardeth chuckled at her reaction. “As real as the Book of Amun-Ra. Although I would advise you not to go searching for it—or, if you must, not to read from it.”

"Believe me, I've learned my lesson when it comes to reading from strange books," Evy replied, though some of the mirth faded from her expression. "What brings you here?"

"I thought that in light of Dr. Bey's passing, you could use some help putting your affairs in order. But it looks as if you're managing quite well on your own."

A pang of regret struck Evy at the mention of her former employer’s death, and she opted instead to respond to the latter part of Ardeth’s comment. "Not entirely on my own. Rick's been helping, but he had some errands to run today."

"I see. Then we shall help you until he returns.”

“Oh, no, I would hate to impose—"

“It is no imposition, Evelyn,” Ardeth assured her. “Simply give us your instructions and we will carry them out.”

“Me?” Evy said incredulously. Who was she to give orders to the Medjai?

But Ardeth smiled encouragingly and said, “Who else? You are the librarian." His fellow Medjai nodded their agreement, and Evy’s chest swelled with pride.

“Very well.”

 -

A few hours later, Evy looked around the library in amazement. She would never discount Rick’s help, but having several pairs of hands at her disposal allowed her to fill the bookshelves much faster. Despite her initial reluctance to order them about, the Medjai followed her instructions promptly and without complaint.

 “I really can’t thank you enough for this,” she told Ardeth, dropping a pile of books onto one of the tables and slumping into a chair for a brief rest. The Medjai chieftain did likewise, taking the chair opposite Evy and smiling warmly. 

“Afwan. Not at all, Evelyn. Dr. Bey informed me of your accident and that you would require help.”

 “He did?” That seemed quite at odds with Dr. Bey’s words when he’d first seen the mess she made.

 “Yes. Does that surprise you?”

“He was quite angry. He didn’t seem inclined to help me.” “Indeed, he was angry, but even so, he did not wish for you to bear the burden alone. He spoke quite highly of your abilities as a librarian.” “Now there’s a surprise.” Dr. Bey had been irritated with her more often than not, and according to the man himself, he’d only kept her around out of respect for her parents. After the tongue-lashing he'd given her, Evy had assumed he considered her completely useless. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same man?”

For the second time that day, Ardeth chuckled. Evy hadn’t been joking in the slightest, but she couldn’t help but feel some small measure of satisfaction that she’d managed to break through the Medjai’s stoic exterior. “He may have been harsh at times, but only a fool would not see your talent and potential. Dr. Bey was many things, but he was no fool.”

“No, certainly not. But you have every reason to think I’m a fool after all the trouble I caused.” Evy’s gaze dropped to the table. Ardeth had given no indication that he still blamed her for the events at Hamunaptra, but intentionally or not, she had sabotaged his life’s work and gotten at least one of his fellow Medjai killed. It was difficult to believe he would want to help her even as a favor to Dr. Bey. Eventually, a hand on top of hers jolted her attention back to the present, and she glanced across the table to find Ardeth regarding her with gentle brown eyes.

“Quite the contrary. It was not foolishness that drove you to read from the Book, but a hunger for knowledge, and you put that knowledge to good use in defeating the creature. I would have offered my assistance even if he had not asked.” The corners of Evy’s mouth tugged up in a small smile.

“Thank you. Truly.” Ardeth nodded, and Evy wondered if it was a Medjai trait to hide a kind heart behind a stern and intimidating façade. If what Ardeth had told her was true, Dr. Bey had also possessed this trait, at least to some degree. A wave of melancholy swept over her at the thought, and she admitted, “I miss him. Even though we didn’t have the best relationship, he looked out for Jonathan and me in his own way, and it’s hard to imagine anyone running the museum as well as he did.”

 “Dr. Bey was a great man. He was chosen as curator because the Medjai believed his knowledge of Egyptology to be unmatched. I have no doubt that at the time, this was true.” At the time? Evy’s head tilted to one side in confusion. “And now?”

“And now there is someone with knowledge equal to his, perhaps even greater, who I believe to be the only person worthy of succeeding him.” “Who?”

“You, Evelyn.”  Evy was so taken aback that she had to grip the edge of the table to keep from falling out of her chair. She stared wordlessly at the Medjai for a moment before blinking and shaking her head.

“Me? You can’t be serious.”

“I assure you; I am quite serious.” Evy searched the Medjai’s expression and quickly concluded that he was, indeed, being sincere. He didn’t strike her as the type to crack a joke at someone else’s expense, particularly about something concerning a dead man who had played an important role in both of their lives. Still, she couldn’t help but question his judgment.

“After all this,” she said with a sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire library, “I think I’m the last person who should be in charge.”

“Respectfully, I must disagree. Looking at ‘all of this’ only furthers my belief that you are the only person capable of running this museum to a standard Dr. Bey would be proud of.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Do you not see all you have accomplished today? Look how many shelves you have managed to fill.”

“Don’t you mean how many shelves we’ve managed to fill?”

Ardeth shook his head. “All we did was follow your orders. You say you are the last person who should be in charge, but you have proven yourself more than capable of taking charge when the situation requires it. And are you not the only the only person within a thousand miles who knows how to properly code and catalogue this library?” The Medjai’s lips quirked up as he quoted the words Evy had spoken to Dr. Bey in her own defense, and she could have sworn she saw a twinkle in the corner of his eye.

“Well, yes,” she admitted with a sheepish smile, “but still, I’m not sure I deserve to be rewarded for cleaning up my own mess.”

“One mistake does not define you.”

“It wasn’t my only mistake. Just my biggest one.”

“Perhaps that is true, yet my point still stands. There is no one alive who has not made mistakes, myself included. Even Dr. Bey had his failings, but they did not diminish his diligence and wisdom. He saw those same qualities in you—as do I.”

Again, Evy was rendered speechless, a lump forming in her throat. She didn’t know what she’d expected when Ardeth first arrived, but a job offer certainly wasn’t it. Was there no end to the Medjai leader’s generosity?

When she found her voice, she cleared her throat to remove the lump and said for what must have been the hundredth time that day, “Thank you—for everything. I’m honored. If there’s anything at all I can do for you in return—”

“I would ask nothing of you except that you care for yourself as diligently as you have cared for this library. And a letter every so often would not be unwelcome.”

He wanted them to be friends. A surge of warmth filled her as she replied, “I’ll be in touch. Perhaps one day Rick and I will pay you a visit.”

“I would like that very much.” Ardeth paused briefly, lowering his eyes, then fixed them on Evy again and asked, “Forgive me, but I could not help but notice your ring. Are you and O’Connell…”

“Yes,” Evy said, her sheepish smile of moments before returning. “Mabrouk!” Ardeth exclaimed with the widest smile she’d yet seen on his face. “That is wonderful. I wish the two of you every happiness. When are you to marry?”    

“A month from today.” Evy was practically bouncing in her chair now, her efforts to suppress her giddiness clearly failing. Was it really so close? “Rick had a suit fitting this morning. He’ll be in a meeting with the staff at the reception venue now.”

“I see. I will have to remember to congratulate him when he returns.” An idea occurred to Evy, but she hesitated to share it, wondering if she would be overstepping the boundaries of their newly established friendship. No, she decided, it was a perfectly reasonable thing for one friend to ask another.

“I was thinking…our guest list is very small, and if your duties don’t require you to be elsewhere, I’m sure we’d both love for you to attend.” Now, for the first time, it was Ardeth who eyed her with a bewildered expression. Evy tapped her fingers on the table as she waited for his response, fearing that her request had indeed been inappropriate. But when he spoke, her fears quickly dissipated. “One can never predict when the services of the Medjai will be required, but I will attend, In sha'Allah.” “Wonderful.” Perhaps Ardeth simply wasn’t accustomed to being invited to weddings. The thought saddened Evy a little, but not enough to dampen her joy that he’d accepted her invitation. “I promise to stay out of trouble in the meantime.” “I am sure you will.” Evy caught another glimpse of that uncharacteristic twinkle in the Medjai’s eye as he added, “I will try to do the same, but I make no promises.”

They laughed like a couple of schoolchildren until Evy raised a finger to her lips and playfully hissed “Shhh!” as if suddenly remembering they were in a library. Ardeth bit his lower lip to suppress another laugh, but grinned from ear to ear as they rose from the table to rejoin the other Medjai.                

#the mummy #evelyn carnahan #ardeth bay #my fics

[aboutanancientenquiry]

"How Accurate is Herodotus’ Description of Egypt?

Answer (in French) by Typhaine Haziza, English translation by Emma Dyson

The question you ask is very interesting, but more complex than it might seem at first glance. It depends on what we mean by “accurate” and, what is more, the answer varies over time and depends on which expert you ask and how we understand Herodotus’ work. Your question also raises the further issues of reliability and the method of Herodotus’ own sources. For the sake of simplicity, let us say that Herodotus preferred to trust what he saw in order to compose his account (which does not rule out errors of judgment), though that is certainly not possible for all subjects. When this was not possible, he favoured what he heard (which presents the problem of the quality and reliability of his interlocutors), passing the information he gathered through the filter of critical judgment. If this method allows his account a certain rationality, it introduces equally Herodotus’ own point of view, subjective and marked by Greek culture.

I will limit myself here to a single concrete example: the account of the pyramid – and the reign – of Cheops, for which Herodotus says he based his account on what he heard from “priests” and an “interpreter” who translated an Egyptian inscription for him (2.124-126). The description of the biggest pyramid of Giza occupies a large part of the section dedicated to Cheops by Herodotus, who is struck by the edifice’s imposing nature. If, in general, it offers a picture relatively true to reality in its detail, there are numerous inaccuracies: the number of workers (100,000 men) for the construction of the pyramid is certainly excessive; on the other hand, the assessment of the time the work took (twenty years for the pyramid itself and ten years to build the causeway and the underground rooms) seems reasonable. The cost of the “purchase of radishes, onions, and garlic for the laborers” (sixteen hundred talents of silver) comes from an incorrect translation of an inscription on the pyramid which might be a list of offerings made to the deceased king. Herodotus mentions certain adjoined buildings, of which his description is accurate, but certain details (in particular the question of rooms “built on an island”) are surprising. He seeks to give precise dimensions in order to show the enormity of the construction, but these are excessive. On the origin of the materials used for the construction, Herodotus mentions the stone quarries in the Arabian mountain range (Tura), which in fact provided for the pyramid’s casing material, but he does not distinguish the casing from the main structure, which comes from the quarries of the Giza plateau. As for construction techniques, his analysis of the different steps of construction proves accurate, but he errs in anachronistically bringing in Greek leveraging techniques. Herodotus well understood the funerary function of the pyramid, but he does not stop there. He emphasizes much more strongly the project’s size and staggering cost.

Herodotus’ description of Cheops’ pyramid is therefore not entirely accurate, but, through his report, the inquirer gives his Greek listeners or readers who do not know the building a good general idea of this extraordinary monument. In other words, if the pyramid had disappeared today, we could, thanks to Herodotus’ testimony, preserve a relatively accurate picture of its function and the feat of its construction. The situation is the same for many passages from Book 2 concerning monuments or natural wonders and even for the customs or ways of life that the historian was able to observe. But, in this last case, Herodotus’ description can be rendered inaccurate by a poor understanding of what he witnessed, or by his desire to make his account more accessible to his Greek public by translating the strangeness that he saw into more familiar terms.

It is more difficult to answer your question when it comes to the passages from Book 2 in which Herodotus addresses Egyptian history or beliefs, or even when he describes partly imaginary places. Many of Herodotus’ stories in fact seem fictionalized or even legendary. This quality has led to virulent critiques of the historian since antiquity. Today, we tend to consider these allegedly fanciful passages to be invaluable sources of local legends, either Greek (coming from the Greek community of Egypt, which was sizable at the time when Herodotus visited the region around 450 BCE), or Egyptian, whether Herodotus was informed by the priests or whether he was able to obtain stories that were circulating among the Egyptian population. There are in fact points of connection between the stories reported by the historian and certain fables found in Demotic literature (that is, Egyptian literature from the seventh century BCE onward). This is the case, for example, for the Herodotean story of the reign of Pheros (2.111), which is very close to a Demotic story identified recently.

To return to the example of Cheops’ pyramid, Herodotus accompanies his rational description with a final anecdote that we can consider to be completely fabulous. The historian reports that Cheops had forced his daughter to prostitute herself to finance a part of the colossal cost of the pyramid. (How big a part? “That is a point on which they did not inform me”, says Herodotus). She had asked each of her visitors to make her a gift of a stone in order to construct a small pyramid, displayed in front of her father’s. According to Joachim Friedrich Quack, this story might be explained by the evolution of the Egyptian language, since the word “small” was used more often in the Late Period to signify a prostitute. Stories would thus have arisen to explain the new sense of the expression “small pyramid”, understood henceforth as “the prostitute’s pyramid”. Herodotus’ fabulous anecdote can thus document how king Cheops, constructor of the largest pyramid, was perceived in this era. Herodotus presents for us a portrait that transmits both an undoubtedly negative Greek perception of a construction considered to be excessively large and an ancient Egyptian tradition already carrying a negative image of the sovereign.

As we can see, the interest Herodotus holds exceeds the simple question of the accuracy of his information, because even the most fabulous passages can be invaluable sources on another reality: that of imagination and illustration, a field of passionate study…

For further reading, see:

A. Grand-Clément, 1999, ‘Les pyramides de la IVe dynastie vues par les auteurs classiques. Le site de Gîza revisité’, Égypte, Afrique & Orient 15: 57-64.

T. Haziza, 2009, Le Kaléidoscope hérodotéen. Images, imaginaire et représentations de l’Égypte à travers le livre II d’Hérodote. Paris.

T. Haziza, 2012, ‘De l’Égypte d’Hérodote à celle de Diodore: étude comparée des règnes des trois bâtisseurs des pyramides du plateau de Gîza’, Kentron 28: 17-52.

T. Haziza, 2023, ‘Ways of Seeing: Herodotus’ Egypt in the History of Modern Reception’, Syllogos 2: 107-32.

A. Lloyd, 1975-1988, Herodotus Book II. Leiden.

L. Coulon et al. (eds.), 2013, Hérodote et l’Égypte. Regards croisés sur le Livre II de l’Enquête d’Hérodote. Lyon."

Source: the site of Herodotus Helpline (https://herodotushelpline.org/how-accurate-is-herodotus-description-of-egypt/ )

Typhaine Haziza, Université de Caen (Ancient History), Normandie, France, author of the thesis Le Kaléidoscope hérodotéen: Images, imaginaire et représentations de l'Égypte à travers le livre II d'Hérodote, Université Paris 4, 2001, published in 2009 by Les Belles Lettres (French publishing house).

#herodotus #the histories #ancient egypt #egyptology #typhaine haziza

[jeannereames]

Hi Dr Reames,

I wanted to tell you that I absolutely have fallen in love with your novels as well as the tumultuous history of Alexander. As a result, I’ve started reading more about him. I’ve been trying to find sources on the deification of Hephaestion after his death. We know that it happened to some extent, but all I could find was an article citing Arrian and Hyperides that mentions of Alexander being the first to sacrifice to him and something about a vote in Athens to put it into law. Do you know more sources that speak on this? I’d love to hear anything, even if it’s your personal thoughts on it.

Thank you! Also here’s a picture of my cat, Zoe, as an extra thanks!

Bribery with cat pictures will get you just about anything. LOL! Zoe is lovely! Pretty green eyes.

Deification of Hephaistion seems to have been a later mistake or exaggeration for heroization--which is a lower level of cult. Maybe in his grief Alexander did ask for deification, but the Oracle at Siwah reputedly only allowed him to be hero.

We do have evidence for his hero cult, albeit it doesn't seem to have gained much steam outside Macedonia itself. See below for a dedication stele from one "Diogenes" (no, not THAT Diogenes!) to the Hero Hephaistion. Interestingly this is the ONLY image we have where he's actually named--all other statue attributions are simply guesses. The problem is that it's a pretty standard depiction of a hero, so there's no guarantee that he looked anything like the image. Stone-cutters often made these in advance and the buyer selected the one he wanted (and could afford). Sometimes most of it was made and the face would be added later, but not necessarily. So, alas, even this named image cannot be taken as his likeness.

There simply isn't a lot of evidence for the cult. From the Hellenistic Age on, these cults for living people are often more political than proof of actual worship by ancient people. Alexander's cult is, actually, one exception. But after Hephaistion's death, other than Alexander himself, not many important individuals promoted the cult. The image above, which dates very soon after his death (almost certainly sometime in the first decade or two), may have come from a shrine to Hephaistion in Pella, no doubt ordered by Alexander. Supposedly, the governor of Egypt was ordered to build him a temple in Memphis but we have no evidence it was ever completed (or even started, given how soon ATG died after Hephaistion).

Some have tried to attribute the Kasta Tomb as a monument to Hephaistion, but I find the arguments unconvincing and think the tomb dates to sometime in the 200s, or even later, due to the *colors* in the Persephone mosaic. There are a number of issues with the identification, and the supposed "mark" of Hephaistion is not his actual name, but simply initials. There are a lot of variations on Hephais-based names, including Hephaistokles and Hephaistos. In any case, I think it might be only the architect of the tomb or artist of the statues/mosaic, as it was custom sometimes for artists to "sign" their work, and an artist named after the Craftsman god is seen in other areas (potters show up with the name, for instance).

But trying to tie that tomb to Hephaistion is, imo, mostly wishful thinking.

#Hephaistion #Hephaestion #hero cult in ancient Greece #Alexander the Great #Classics #Kasta Tomb #tagamemnon #asks

[thatlittleegyptologist]

You write: "Ancient Egypt had a 'divine rights' Monarchy, much like England did until Charles I".  You also write (ironically) elsewhere: "Oh yeah it’s like the Pyramids, built 1300 years before he [Ramses II] reigned, are just out there as monuments to some very cool dudes that didn’t think of themselves as gods on earth at all. Just some real normies." Could you clarify your position on the Egyptian Divine Kingship? Do you claim that the ancient Egyptians saw their kings as gods on earth (as incarnations of a major divinity) or do you claim that they saw them as mortals chosen by the god to rule, as the English monarchists believed about Charles I of England? These two concepts of monarchy are far from being the same. For me there is no doubt that the ancient Egyptians saw their monarchs as incarnations of a major god (Horus).

Sure! Charles I believed he had a divine right to rule given to him by the gods, as did Egyptian kings. They show this repeatedly through divine birth scenes. The other remark you quote is light hearted sarcasm based on the fact that Egyptian kings did think they had a god given right to rule. I understand sarcasm doesn't come across that well in text, but it was very much meant to be light hearted take on the person claiming Ramesses II invented the 'god-king' status, when it was very much not him but the Kings that thought they were incarnations of Horus, and those being the same ones who commissioned the Pyramids. The fun thing is, is that the concept of kingship in Ancient Egypt isn't something that remained static throughout Egyptian history. In the Old Kingdom, certainly, they saw themselves as a living Horus, albeit mortal (though they would take great pains never to mention such so as not to flout the 'we don't mention the death of gods' rule). By the New Kingdom this had fallen away, as kings styled themselves as sA ra 'son of Ra', emphasising their divine birth with 'Ra' (or Amun, it differs) as their father, with Ra/Amun having used their father to impregnate their mother thus creating their divine birth. If you want an example of this I suggest you look at the 'divine birth' scenes of Hatshepsut from Deir el Bahri. They're quite interesting!

So, my position on Egyptian kingship remains as it ever was; in the earlier periods the Kings portrayed themselves as incarnations of Horus, but in later periods this had given way to 'I have divine right to rule given to me by the gods' (similar to the what Charles I claimed about his rule.*)

*Note 'similar' and 'much like' do not mean 'entirely the same', and the use of a similar position taken by another monarch in history was used merely to frame the concept more easily for people who are unfamiliar with Egyptian cultural norms, but do understand how the English Monarchy used to work. It was not meant to be a direct comparison.

[gemsofgreece]

How did you felt when you realised that some historical figures your school presented as "heroes" let's say weren't so "virtuous"? Like for example, as a fellow Greek, the greek school always presented Alexander the Great and Pericles as the perfect examples of leaders, but as I grew up, more and more people would say "these men were great but they've also committed atrocities as well" and at first, I didn't pay attention until I decided to look it up and discovered that Alexander was megalomaniac and hot-headed (and of course, they're some Greeks who call him a "slayer") and Pericles was imperialistic (Delian League) and on a scale, responsible for the Peloponnesian War. How should we view these persons? Acknowledge both their achievements and their failures? Or from a "black-and-white" perspective, leaning either on their achievements or on their failures?

To be honest, I never considered any of them - except for some defenders - as heroes. 

On a general and global scale, if we exclude the scientists and the religious martyrs  (among which you will also find many seriously controversial and problematic people), in order to become a historical figure, it means somebody was involved with war, power, wealth, politics. With this in mind, the historical figures that were indeed virtuous enough to deserve worship for it are a very dramatic minority. 

My approach has always been that I don’t judge historical figures (Greek or not) of the distant past with modern-day moral criteria, because these people weren’t products of our societies. I can’t have the same expectations for a leader nowadays as for a leader who lived 2,300 years ago, when it was the norm for rulers to expand their lands, for invaders to steal others’ property and human life to not matter as much as it does today. By our 21st century standards, what exactly was so acceptable in antiquity anyway, that we would have to draw the line to Pericles of all people, in specific?

By all global ancient standards of what made a king and a politician great, Alexander and Pericles excelled in their own ways. While certainly the Greek school presents them in a positive light, to my understanding international scholarship also presents them in a mostly positive light, say, more positive than negative. Alexander the “Great” and the “Golden Age of Pericles” are internationally embraced characterisations. Having said that, I can’t recall how Alexander was presented to me at school. I remember discussing his accomplishments - the historical facts - but I can’t recall anything about praising his morals. It may have not been mentioned so plainly but it is not exactly hard  to conclude Alexander was a megalomaniac - what else could a boy born in Pella and landed with thousands of soldiers at North India be?! Then again, how many conquerors out there have been humble and modest men?

A very interesting thing is that even in the conquered lands, views on Alexander are conflicted. He has survived in some of the folklore as a hero or as a legendary warrior or as the ancestor of many. This is not unanimous obviously but it can be observed among people. The reason for all this is perhaps that his positive mark has outlived the negative - the negatives were seizing power and wealth and killing thousands in battle. But all these were short-lived and thus don’t survive in contemporary memory. What remains in our days are the landmarks, the cultural centres and cities he built, one of them still being the second largest city in Egypt. For us Greeks, the lingual continuity, the national solidarity and cultural relics of that era exist mostly because of Alexander. Even the monuments found in other countries are cause for more academic research and touristic promotion and profit for them, and they are viewed as relics of a fascinating and enlightening age, regardless if this reflects the whole truth or not. 

Same with Pericles. What we see is the Acropolis. And honestly even today 2,500 years later arguably the prettiest places in Athens are the ones he chose to establish. What we see in historical records is that he supported democracy with many new laws, he was cautious in military expenditions and he was supportive and respectful of his partner Aspasia. For a guy living in 450 BC, Pericles did many good things and many mistakes, but for the most part he showed great political sense and, if nothing else, genuine care for his own state. Let alone that… you can hardly point fingers at only one about the Peloponnesian War. Everyone just wanted to eat the guts of the other. I seriously doubt there was one bad guy that was responsible for all of it and that it was Pericles alone.

By the way, yes, I do think similarly about foreign conquerors, adjusted to the peculiarities of their own character and background. I don’t think we have enough insight to call any of them, Attila the Hun or Genghis Khan or any Roman Emperor or, say, Mehmed the Conqueror as “evil”. Obviously, as Greeks, we would very much like Mehmed to fail and yes he brought dread and death but...he succeeded in what many Ottoman sultans dreamed before him and, in general, he was operating in a way that wasn’t unheard of at the time. We hate what happened but it doesn’t mean this man had a more evil soul than other Sultans or other invaders or Western kings warring and pillaging and invading too. Right?

And as a last note, things changed after the French Enlightment, the decline of empires and kingdoms and the rise of the republics. Now the value of life is in the spotlight and any human’s life is as precious as of any king’s. Humanity has progressed and developed with such a speed in the last three centuries that we can’t realise how radically different the mentality was only a little ago. This is why now any person such as them would never be tolerated (saying this for the conquerors because I think Pericles could adapt to a modern society actually). We have built our societies in a way that an expansionist can not and will not ever be an influential or beneficial leader or a respectable person nowadays, but this was not the case hundreds or thousands of years ago.

Tl:dr historical figures are to be studied and explored with objectivity and respect or even fascination for their accomplishments, but not worshipped like religious symbols. Don’t worship them and you won’t be disappointed. 

Now, hating and condemning any of these guys doesn’t really change anything for the better. This can only make a difference for contemporary people.

#greece #history #greek history #world history #alexander the great #pericles #age of pericles #anon #ask #opinion

[walkingwiththegods1]

Pagan Misconceptions Clarified: Why Anubis, is NOT "Only The God with Dog's Head, that when he embalmed to Osiris; he became The First Embalmer, and The God of Mummification?!"

   Wow!... So sad that many people believes, that Anubis only Dominion; is preparing bodies for The Afterlife...

    ...Is already time to see to Anubis, with his other powers; and domains!

   Anubis, is too: The God Protector of The Tombs, The God of The Tombs; The God of The Cemeteries, The Patron God of Embalmers, The Guide of Souls, The God Weigher of Hearts; The God of The Underworld, The God of The Afterlife, The God of The Death, and... The God of Regeneration and Life!

   Well... As you have readed, he is related to the grim part of the existence. (So, if you have suffered the departing of a loved one, recently; please... Only returned to this post, when you fells better, Okay?!) And... For anybody else...

    ...Let's start, with this post!

    Anubis, was The Lord of The Underworld since very Ancient Times; until he was replaced in The Middle Kingdom, by Osiris. He was one of the most mentioned and depicted of the Egyptian Pantheon, despite he doesn't have any relevant myth which involve him. His mother is Nephthys, he is the brother of Wepwawet, (another Deity with canine head) is married to Anput, who is a Goddess that her only function is the be The Protectress of The Body of Osiris; and she is the Mother of Anubis's Daughter, The Serpent Goddess Kebechet; who gives water to the spirits of the dead, while they wait than their mummification's process; is completed. He have memorials in all Egypt, and was revered in all this nation, and he had two major centers of cult: Lycopolis and Cynopolis, (City of The Dogs, in Greek) being the latter; The center of the Cult to Anubis.

   The God Protector of The Tombs: In an story... Set, (turned into a leopard) tried to destroyed the body of Osiris; and Anubis, defeated to Set; flayed him and wore his skin, (Yes, I know: I feel grossed, too...) to warned of the fate of anyone; that tries to desecrate a tomb. The priests that was charged of the dead, used to wear leopard skins; to commemorates Anubis's victory. One of the epithets of Anubis, means; "He who is upon his mountain", which assert him at his role of making guard over the tombs, while being over them. For all these reasons, and that tombs had prayers to Anubis; (probable to asking to ensures that none could destroyed the tomb... Or, the body inside the tomb) he is... The God Protector of The Tombs!

   The God of The Tombs: For the above, we can confidently says that he doesn't only was interested in protecting the tomb; and its containt... He was also interested, in the tomb itself: He was designated, as "The Lord of The Sacred Land"; which is the name of the dessert necropolis, that were some sort of Cities for The Dead; with monuments for the departed. (Theban Necropolis, is one of the well known of this kind of cementeries.) So, this make him too... The God of The Tombs!

   The God of The Cemeteries: The word, Cementery; came from the greek, and means "Sleeping Place", which is used to buried the remains of any person that have died. With that explanation in mind... Now the explanation of Anubis, as God of Cemeteries: Cementeries, are compounded of many tombs or graves; and Necropolis, were made of many tombs or graves; but for the used of Kings, Queens; Princes, Princess, The Nobility, And... For anyone, that were important or rich enough; for to being interred there. Anubis, was the God that both; rich and poor; looked to expecting than this sacred place, remained safe and pure; as their last home!

   The Patron God of Embalmers: He must be The Patron God of Embalmers, if we consider the fact; that he was the first to practices Embalming and Mummification; when Osiris, was killed by Set!

   The Guide of Souls: Later, in the times closer to the end of the Time of The Pharaons...  Anubis, appeared as a Guide of The Souls; from the path of the living to the afterlife. For this reason, Anubis is called a Psychopomp, (which is the name of all the supernatural beings; which their function, is to escort the souls of the recently deceased; from The Earth, to The Afterlife, as guides) and he guided the soul, till the presence of Osiris, The God of The Dead.

   The God Weigher of Hearts: In, The Book of The Dead; Anubis passed to by The Guide of the Souls... To be, The Guide of The Scale: He became the God that weights the heart of the deceased, to see if was worthy of enter to the Realm of The Dead. He dictated the fate of the souls, by weighting the heart in one plate of the scale; against an ostrich's feather in the other plate, which represented to The Egyptian Goddess of Justice; Ma'at: If the soul, was lighter than the feather... Would ascend to a heavenly existence, and became immortal! But... The ones that were heavier, than the feather; well...  After reading it, I better don't put that; here: You don't really want to know! (...You can thank me later, for not having a horrible nightmare; tonight!)

   The God of The Underworld: For his functions, as The Guide of Souls; and The God Weigher of Hearts... Is sure to says, that he is The God of The Underworld!

   The God of The Afterlife: For all his functions in The Underworld, including as psychopomp; he is... The God of The Life, after The Death!

   The God of The Death: Well... I don't need to explained this one: You may have already guessed yourself, after reading all this post until this point; that he must be... The God of The Death.

   The God of Regeneration and Life: Erhm... This is my own theory, so... Don't take it, too seriously!...

    Anubis, was depicted with the head of some sort of canine; (Historians have mostly said, of a Jackal; but... They are not entirely sure, about this) which is of black color: For The Ancient Egyptians, Black; was a color of regeneration and of the fertil soil of The Nile River; and of Life.  Ancient Egyptians, believed than The Afterlife was a desirable goal; and spended all their lives making good deeds, to be worthy of the same, for the survival of their souls after death; and... Egyptians, (Like with all people, in Ancient Paganism) doesn't only believed in Life after Death; but too, in... Reencarnation! My guess, is this: If Anubis, ensures the souls to arrived safetly to The Underworld; then... Is not possible, that he was too the one in charge to regenerates those souls; when they winned their place for Immortality, or even... He being the one in charge, that those same souls; could back to born in this World, AGAIN?! Because is very telling that his head, is in a color that represents life; despite his roles on the grim side of life, so... I think, that he may also be... The God of Regeneration and Life!

    For Ancient Egyptians, despite his roles related to Death... He gave hope to them of a better life, after this Life!

    Curious Fact: In the first times of Egypt's History, Anubis; was first the son of Ra, and later; of Nephthys and Set, but... By The Middle and New Kingdom, it started the myth than the father of Anubis; was... Osiris! AND... In Ancient Greece, The Greeks fusioned him with Hermes; (That is too a psychopomp, like Anubis) creating to... Hermanubis, which cult in Rome, last until the 2nd Century. (So... If somebody tell you, that you can't mixed Deities or Pantheons; then... Now you know that Pagans in Ancient Times, used to fusioned Deities of different Cultures; and mixed Pantheons, as naturally; as is to breath!)

   This is all, about The Egyptian God; that assures a safe trip to The Underworld, to being fairly judged after death and a glorious Afterlife; and/or to been Reborn, be it; as an immortal soul in The Afterlife, or... As a be born in this World again, as a baby: Anubis!

Have a Long Life, where you only makes Good Deeds; from now, on... So Be It!!

#pagan writings #pagan writer #pagan misconceptions clarified #paganism #kemetic paganism #egyptian gods #kemetic gods #pagan gods #pagan god anubis #kemetic god anubis #kemetic god anubis is not only the god of mummification #pagans #pagan #eclectic pagan #ecletic pagan #hellenic pagan #lokean #pagan from the caribbean

[saint-ambrosef]

Re: mummies on display

I think an exception could easily be made specifically for Egyptian mummies, though I very understand if people believe they should be kept in Egypt only museums for study/public viewing. Like the incorruptible saints on view, this is tied to religious reasons.

Within ancient Egyptian religion/cult worship, it was very, very important to your afterlife experience that people remember you into the future. Part of the reasons pharaohs were constantly funding building projects with their ruling name carved very prominently onto the surfaces was a belief that after you’ve died, you didn’t want your name fading into obscurity. (One of the biggest f you’s a future ruler/others could do to a dearly departed was to specifically have your name and likeness carved over. See: what was done to 18th dynasty ruler Hatshepsut after she died by successors that didn’t like her very much.)

One of the biggest ancient Egyptian/modern history ironies is that King Tutankhamen - a boy who barely ruled at the end of a dying dynasty before passing away suddenly very young himself - is probably the best known pharaoh we remember today. He didn’t have time for the monument building of his ancestors, his only children were stillborn and entombed with him, and things changed quickly politically after his death (priest class vs military). If his tomb hadn’t survived largely intact until it was found by Howard Carter, his name wouldn’t be remembered at all, which according to the religious doctrine he believed, would’ve been very, very bad. As it is, if you mention mummies to your average Joe in 2023, they’ll probably think Tut…which I can’t imagine wouldn’t have made him happy 🤷🏼‍♀️

very interesting insight!! :D

#altho i still think there's prob more respectful ways to handle their bodies than putting them in a display case

[weightlosschoice]

Ramses II A Balanced Reign

The long reign of Ramses II, spanning an impressive 66 years from 1279 to 1213 BCE, stands as a landmark in Egyptian history. His rule had a profound impact on the nation, leaving behind a complex legacy marked by both significant achievements and notable drawbacks.

Positives Stability and continuity leading to economic growth and cultural flourishing Monumental building projects boosting employment, showcasing power, and leaving lasting cultural and artistic contributions Secured borders through military campaigns, solidifying Egypt's position as a regional power Promoted religious revival, strengthening the role of religion and its institutions in society Negatives

Grand building projects placing a burden on the state treasury and resources, potentially leading to increased taxes and straining the lower classes Emphasis on military campaigns diverting resources from other areas like agriculture and social welfare, potentially impacting the lives of ordinary people Focus on self-promotion and glorification as a god-king potentially fostering social inequalities and solidifying elite power Long reign potentially leading to power struggles among successors and weakening the transition to the next pharaoh As you can see, Ramses II's long reign had both positive and negative consequences for Egypt. His leadership brought stability and prosperity, but it also came at a cost. It is important to weigh these factors carefully when evaluating his overall impact on Egyptian history.

The stability and continuity provided by Ramses II's long reign were significant factors in fostering Egypt's prosperity during his time. Here are some deeper dives into the specific areas you mentioned:

Economic Growth: Trade: Ramses II established and maintained strong trade partnerships with neighboring kingdoms, securing access to essential resources and boosting the economy. He invested in infrastructure like canals and ports, facilitating efficient trade movement. Agriculture: While the focus on monumental projects might have impacted some aspects of agriculture, his reign also saw advancements in irrigation techniques and land reclamation, potentially increasing overall agricultural output. Crafts and industries: The grand building projects spurred demand for various materials and skilled labor, potentially boosting craftsmanship and related industries. Cultural Flourishing:

Arts and Literature: The stability and prosperity nurtured creative endeavors. Artists produced beautiful sculptures, paintings, and reliefs adorning temples and tombs. Literature flourished with new compositions and poems praising the pharaoh and gods. Religion: His reign witnessed a revival of religious traditions, with lavish temple construction and festivals promoting the role of priests and religious institutions. This also served to unify the kingdom under a shared belief system. Education and Scholarship: Scribes and scholars continued to record and preserve knowledge, contributing to the intellectual and cultural heritage of Egypt. Peace and Stability:

Military might: His military campaigns, though not always decisive victories, deterred major invasions and secured Egypt's borders, fostering a sense of security and enabling peaceful development. Diplomacy and alliances: Ramses II pursued diplomatic relations with neighboring powers, forming alliances and treaties that contributed to regional stability and reduced the risk of major conflicts. Internal cohesion: The long reign under one pharaoh potentially fostered a sense of unity and stability within the Egyptian kingdom, contributing to internal peace and order. However, it's important to remember that this "golden age" wasn't without its challenges. The immense projects placed a strain on resources, potentially impacting some social groups more than others. Additionally, the focus on military might and self-promotion might have contributed to societal inequalities.

You're right, the military might showcased by Ramses II's campaigns played a significant role in securing Egypt's borders and fostering a sense of security, leading to peaceful development. Let's dive deeper into this aspect:

Deterrence and Border Security: Pre-emptive strikes: Ramses II launched campaigns against potential threats like the Hittites and Libyans, aiming to neutralize them before they could invade Egypt. This proactive approach helped deter major incursions and kept enemies at bay. Strategic alliances: He formed alliances with neighboring kingdoms, creating a buffer zone and potentially gaining crucial intelligence on potential threats. Fortress system: He strengthened existing and built new fortresses along Egypt's borders, serving as defensive outposts and deterring incursions. Impact on Peaceful Development:

Secure trade routes: By securing borders, Ramses II ensured the safety of trade routes, enabling the flow of goods and resources vital for the economy. Investment in infrastructure: The sense of security allowed for investments in infrastructure like canals and irrigation systems, boosting agricultural productivity and economic activity. Stability for cultural flourishing: The peaceful environment nurtured artistic expression, literary works, and religious practices, contributing to the richness of Egyptian culture. Nuances and Debates:

Not all victories: While some campaigns were successful, others like the Battle of Kadesh were inconclusive. Historians debate the true extent of Egyptian military dominance during his reign. Cost of campaigns: Maintaining a large military and waging campaigns imposed a financial burden on the state, potentially diverting resources from other areas. Impact on conquered populations: Egyptian campaigns brought conquered territories under their control, raising questions about the treatment of subjugated populations. Overall:

Ramses II's military campaigns did play a significant role in securing Egypt's borders and fostering a sense of security, contributing to a period of peaceful development. However, it's important to consider the nuances and potential downsides of his militaristic approach when evaluating its overall impact.

#youtube

[casmong]

Pharaoh of Egypt.

Understanding the Pharaoh of Egypt gives context to the circumstances from which the Israelites were physically rescued from, and why they had such a hard time escaping spiritually; and because they could not spiritually free themselves from Egypt, all the adults who left Egypt died on the wilderness journey [Numbers 14:29], and only a representative two survived to enter the promised land: Joshua son of Nun (Hebrew, tribe of Ephraim) and Caleb son of Jephunneh (Kenizzite) [Numbers 26:55]; which speaks of God not being partial, and of both Jews and gentiles inheriting the promised land the spiritual kingdom of God.

The word ‘pharaoh’ [Hb פַרְעֹה : Paroh - a title of Egypt kings] is actually a loan word from the ancient Egyptian language, which originally meant ‘great house’, of royal court, and (in new kingdom) of king. The word eventually began to be used metonymically to describe both the king’s palace as well as its resident Egyptian king. Pharaoh was the word the ancient Hebrews used to refer to the Egyptians kings, but it was never the Egyptians kings official title, nor was it the name Egyptians used to refer to their rulers. The YAHWEH and His inspired writers chose to use pharaoh instead of Egyptian rulers’ title, which among other things had several references to the idols gods of Egypt, which we know are nothing, and YAH was neither interested in nor wanted His people to keep on their memory. The full title of the Egyptian king consisted of five names, each preceded by one of the following titles: Horus, Two Ladies, Golden Horus, King of Upper and Lower Egypt, and Son of Ra.

Of special note is that the Egyptians believed their pharaoh to be the mediator between the gods and the world of men, that after death the pharaoh became divine and associated with Osiris ‘the god of the dead’, and that the pharaoh was all-powerful, all knowing and controlling nature and fertility.

While teaching about YAH’s power over the pharaoh and Egypt, and His authority to do whatever He pleases[Romans 9:15], Paul mentioned that “God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known“[Romans 9:22], YAHWEH indeed made known His power over the pharaoh and Egypt, by controlling nature and fertility with the plagues of uncontrollable proliferation of frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, locusts (fertility) that overrun their cities and homes; and also water turning to blood, boils, darkness, and the death of firstborn children (nature); all of which neither the Pharaoh nor their idol gods had any power to prevent, and revealing that the pharaoh (and the idol gods of Egypt) was not all powerful as claimed, neither was he all knowing, as he had to ask Moses to know what the name of the God of the Hebrews (slaves).

The pharaohs built grandiose and elaborate tombs, intended to immortalize their greatness, which ironically only served as monuments that testify to the fact that they are all dead, and are not coming back to life. YAH promises life and the dead coming back to life (viz resurrection), and while disputing with the Sadducees who don’t believe in resurrection of the dead, Jesus points out the contrast between YAHWEH ‘the God of the living’, and the pharaoh and the idol gods of Egypt, with strong allusions particularly to Osiris ‘the god of the dead’ when he said “now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.” [Luke 30:37-38]

Paul further clarified who exactly was the true mediator between God and man, who unlike the dead and entombed pharaohs shackled to the grave, Jesus the Anointed demonstrated that he actually had power over death when he came back to life, and his resurrection attested to the authority he was given, which was the basis of the apostle Paul’s argument when he exhorted Timothy that “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”[I Timothy 2:5]

The pharaohs made many claims to power and greatness, but made no attempt at claiming immortality, as that can easily be proven false, and they spent most of their time and resources preparing for their death ceremonies, and their tombs, and made arrangements for their replacement after they were dead and gone. The death of the first born was therefore a major tragedy for them, as it threatened their family ‘name’, dynasty and legacy. YAHWEH is not a man nor a mortal nor is He even capable of death![I Timothy 6:16], but we understand that His son Jesus the Anointed “was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”[Romans 4:25], and now we see Jesus “Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”[Romans 6:9]

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:24

#jesus #god #love #faith #bless #bible #study #hope #Israel

[faltravelmart]

Discover Egypt’s Timeless Wonders: A Journey Of A Lifetime!

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[worldtouradvicetravel]

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Day 2 Petra Tours Enjoy your breakfast in your hotel in Petra, join the guided tour to explore the lost city Petra, the capital which was built among the mountains by the Nabatean, it is half curved and half built, it was lost for centuries and centuries till being discovered by the Swiss explorer Johan Luding, in 1812, Petra is one of the new 7 wonders of the world, it is the most famous attraction in Jordan, you will cross the Siq to arrive the Treasury, visit the tombs, temples, colonnaded streets, theatres and more to be discovered in Petra, after the tour return to your hotel in Petra, Overnight in Petra.

Day 3 Mount Nbo, Karak Castle & The Dead Sea Enjoy your breakfast in your hotel in Petra,then drive to visit the Kerak castle,it was built in 1115, it was built by king Baldwin as one of many other fortifications built to defend the roadbetween Egypt and Damascus,after Kark , proceed to Madaba, which was mentioned in the bible as as the Moabite town of Medaba,you will visit the Greek Orthodox church of Saint George, there you will see the most famous ancient mosaic of all the world, the map of the holy land, then proceed tour to mount Nebo, the place where prophit Moses glazed at the Holy land before his death,Nebo is high about 2680 meters above the sea level, from Nebo mountain you will see a panorama of the Holy land, Jordan valley,Propit Moses was buried in an unknown place on Mount Nebo. , proceed your tour to the Dead sea and overnight in your hotel in the Dead sea

Day 4 Dead Sea Tours Enjoy your breakfast in your hotel in Dead sea, enjoy your free time for leisure , you are now in the lowest pointof all the earth, The dead sea water is the most salted water in all the world, it is very healthy water, there you ca not swim, but only floating on water which is a very particular experience, dont forget to use the dead sea mud to cover your body to absorb the best minerals for your health.back to your hotel, Overnight in your hotel in Dead Sea.

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Day 6 Departure Enjoy your breakfast, check out at 11:30 AM, Transfer to Amman airport,if your flight will be late, be late, we can arrange for you extra tour in the last day or day use in the hotel in Amman with extra additional price.

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- Meet & greet service upon your arrival to Amman airport - Accomodation in 5 stars hotel Bed and breakfast  Two nights in Petra, Two nights in Dead Sea & one night in Amman

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- International flights - Meals not mentioned - Tipping Kitty - Anything not mentioned in our tour itinerary  

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[ahmed-yasser88]

Reasons behind why Egypt's popularity keeps rising among Tourists from west

Egypt is Witnessing a growth as a tourist destination after the pandemic, along with enormous increase in flight booking and demand on holiday packages close to surpass 2019 figures, Given that, it is reasonable to claim that the country of North Africa is currently the most popular travel destinations.

After recovery, the demand for Egypt increasing regularly sine mid-2022, the country abandons the restrictions allowing tourists to enter whether vaccinated or not.

Americans are in the front of this recovery, expecting that U.S arrivals will exceed 2019 level by 2024. Nile Cruises are the most demanding activity, Nile Cruises are among the activities that you can enjoy in Egypt, you can check out Egypt Tours they are offering variety of Travelling packages in which you can choose from what suits your interests, budget and how many days you want to spend

You can check Top Egypt Tour Packages to access a wide collection of travel packages, you can visit many historical places including Giza Pyramids, the great Sphinx you'll cover most of sightseeing tours in Egypt in addition to take attractive pictures of temples in Egypt if you're interested you can check out Egypt Classic Tours.

If you're willing to experience one of Egypt Nile Cruise Tours through the eternal Nile river and the main source of life for centuries, you can enjoy sunset scene while enjoying your dinner in a romantic ambiances. Furthermore, you can also add one of Egypt Day Tours to your traveling program, they are one day or half a day trip in Egypt as example if you want to visit Tutankhamun's tomb along with Queen Hatshepsut's tomb in Valley of kings and many historical places as Luxor is rich in antiquities you can check out Luxor day tours.

AmaWaterways stated that its initial Nile river tour only in 2022 shows extreme demand on Nile Cruises so they will launch a second ship in 2024, Another cruise line, Viking, has noticed a substantial increase in demand for Nile cruise reservations. According to Richard Marnell, the company's executive vice president of marketing, its "offerings" in the area are expanding in reaction to the successful restart of tourism.

why do Westerners are attracted to Egypt

One of the oldest and most culturally significant countries is Egypt.It is most renowned for being the Land of the Pharaohs and boasting an infinite supply of wonders from the Ancient World. It is situated in North Africa, in the historic Maghreb region.

Its huge capital, Cairo, is a megalopolis noted for being the biggest city in all of Africa and a tourism powerhouse home to the iconic Egyptian Museum, where visitors may view some of King Tutankhamun's items and other treasure troves.

When Someone mentioned Egypt, the first thing comes to mind is the pyramids of Giza, you can check Egypt Luxury Tours to Enjoy your stay on a luxurious Nile cruise while visiting the most significant historical monuments in Luxor and Aswan and taking in the sunset. Learn about Egyptian civilization and the well-kept secrets of Egyptian history. Appreciate the excellent level of service and mental tranquilly. if you are looking for something more affordable, Egypt Cheap Budget Tours to walk and discover the other cities and Cairo's renowned and magnificent Medieval alleyways. Learn more about Egypt tours, history, the legacies of the kings and queens who ruled the country during its golden age, and more.

Beyond Cairo, Egypt houses five main ports and its coast extends along the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, Alexandria Shore Excursions the Mediterranean's pearl and the habitat of many historical palaces the Montazah Palace, one of the city's royal palaces and the location of several hotels geared towards tourists. Alexandria is regarded as on of the best Egypt Shore Excursions since it has a large number of beaches spread out throughout the city's districts and is divided into different sorts to meet all forms of tourism in Egypt.

#cairotoptours

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Italian- British Egyptologist Luigi Prada on divination in ancient Egypt (with a reference to Herodotus as source on this subject)

“Dreams, rising stars, and falling geckos: divination in ancient Egypt

Moving on from a neglected discovery by the EES, Luigi Prada leads us into the little-known world of ancient Egyptian divination and its practitioners. In addition to popular techniques such as dream interpretation and astrology, we discover that the ancient Egyptians enquired after their future also through the behaviour of animals, the occurrence of thunder, and several other natural phenomena.

Between 1964 and 1976, the excavations of the Egypt Exploration Society at the Sacred Animal Necropolis in North Saqqara produced such an overwhelming wealth of finds that scholars are still busy researching and publishing them today, half a century later (see Heinz and Vander Wilt in EA 49). But even when promptly published, some of the results of this fieldwork have remained virtually unknown outside specialist circles. This is the case with the archive of Hor of Sebennytos, an Egyptian priest who lived in the second century BC ...Like several of his fellow priests, one of Hor’s leading interests and activities was oneiromancy – that is, dream interpretation.

Dreams were always an object of fascination for the ancient Egyptians (and many other ancient societies as well). In the liminal dimension of slumber, it was believed that direct communication with the divine and the netherworld would be possible. A particularly famous example of such a divine encounter is narrated in the so-called Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV (c. 1400 BC), which still stands between the front paws of the Great Sphinx at Giza... This Eighteenth Dynasty-inscription tells how the young prince Thutmosis, having fallen asleep by the monument, sighted in a dream the god Harmakhis-Khepri-Re-Atum, with whom the Sphinx was identified at the time. The god asked the prince to clear his statue of the sands that had covered it and restore it to its ancient splendour, in exchange for which he would grant him the throne of Egypt. Clearly a piece of post-eventum political propaganda, this stela nevertheless exemplifies the special regard in which dreams were held.

Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV. In a specular scene above the hieroglyphic text, the king gives offerings to the Sphinx, identified with the god Harmakhis.

It is particularly in the Graeco-Roman Period, however, that we witness an exponential rise in the textual and material evidence related to dreams. Accounts of dreams were increasingly recorded on papyri or ostraca, as in the case of Hor of Sebennytos’ archive. Dreams still featured in formal texts as well, such as the exquisite funerary stela of Taimhotep in the British Museum... The wife of Pasherenptah, High Priest of Ptah in Memphis during the reign of the famous  Cleopatra VII, Taimhotep recounts in her autobiography how, after having three daughters, she and her husband prayed to Imhotep, the son of Ptah, that a male heir be granted to them. The god listened to their prayers, appearing in a ‘revelation’, asking for works to be carried out in his temple in returnfor his intercession.

Ostracon Hor 3 verso. Line 22 includes the first mention of Rome in an Egyptian text, with regard to the Roman ultimatum that put an end to the Syrian invasion of Egypt in 168 BC

Focus: Hor of Sebennytos Hor of Sebennytos was a priest active in the Memphite necropolis in the first half of th e2nd century BC. His archive, published in 1976 and consisting of approximately 70 ostraca – i.e. inscribed potsherds – written mostly in Demotic, gives an account of his daily occupations and preoccupations. The topics dealt with in these texts, which are mainly personal notes and drafts of documents, include the cult of the ibises and their mummies, oracles and dreams. Some of them also have historical relevance, as they relate important political events seen from a humble priest’s perspective. Such is the case of text no. 3, where Hor records a prophetic dream that he had at the time of the Sixth Syrian War (170–168 BC), when Egypt was occupied by the enemy forces of Antiochus IV, King of Syria, and the Ptolemaic dynasty seemed to be on the verge of collapse. In this dream, Hor saw that, despite all odds, Egypt and the Ptolemies would be saved – as, in fact, they were in the summer of 168 BC, when Antiochus peacefully withdrew from Egypt after receiving an ultimatum from Egypt’s (then) mighty ally: the Roman Republic.

But the importance of dreams was not limited to those featuring divine epiphanies. Dreams of a trivial or even haphazard content could also be considered potential vehicles of hidden messages about a person’s future. An entire science was developed for interpreting such dreams and unravelling their hidden messages. To call dream interpretation a science may sound at odds with modern Western concepts of superstition, but applying our modern views to the study of ancient Egyptian oneiromancy would be grossly inappropriate. Very much like medical or legal texts, dream (and, generally, divination) books belonged to scribal and temple libraries, being a prerogative of the learned. Dream  interpretation handbooks, also known as oneirocritica, are the best- and longest-attested type of divinatory literature from Egypt. The earliest known such manuscript is P. (= papyrus) Chester Beatty 3... Now in the British Museum, it comes from the village of Deir el-Medina and dates to the time of Ramesses II (13th century BC). It originally belonged to the scribe Qenherkhepshef, whose preoccupations with sleep are further attested from other items once in his possession... Each line of this manuscript contains a description of a dream with its defining features and its interpretation, setting out what would befall the dreamer or his relations.Thus, in its col. 2/21, we read: ‘If a man sees himself in a dream eating donkey-meat: good, it indicates his promotion’. Almost one and a half millennia later, in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, dream books still thrived, and are attested in larger numbers than ever. Handbooks of the kind that Hor himself may have used are now divided into a myriad of chapters, each dedicated to a different topic:  dreams about sex, about drinking, about animals... – basically any topic one could think (and thus dream) of. Within each chapter, individual dreams are still listed line by line, followed by their interpretation.Thus, within the section discussing sex-related dreams in P. Carlsberg 13, a manuscript from 2nd century AD- Tebtunis, a town in the Fayum,one may find: ‘If (a woman dreams that) a snake has sex with her: (it indicates that) she will find herself a husband. (But) if she is (already) married, she will become ill’ (frag. b, col.2/27–28)

Stela of Taimhotep, BM EA 147. Line 8 gives the reason for Taimhotep’s distress and her praying for Imhotep’s intervention

Below: Papyrus Chester Beatty 3, BM EA 10683. Colums 8-11 recto: note the elaborate layout of this dream book

Bottom: funerary headrest of Qenherkhepshef, BM EA 63783. The object’s funerary use, associating slumber with death,  clearly transpires from the hieroglyphic inscription, which mentions “a good sleep in the West (=the netherworld) and is surrounded by apotropaic figures.

But how did this science operate? How are the dreams and their respective interpretations matched? A rationale is indeed present, though at times not easily detectable. In the dream quoted above, the explanation is based on a (wholly Freudian!) association, assimilating the snake with a phallus and, therefore, with the image of a male partner. As for the dream from P. Chester Beatty 3, the coupling is instead based not on analogy of image or content, but of sound – namely, on wordplay as the words for ‘donkey’ (Egyptian ΄a΄a) and ‘promotion’ (Egyptian s΄a΄a) sounded alike

That divination was a particularly serious matter in Graeco-Roman times is also suggested by the concrete business that stood behind it. Not only Egyptian priests like Hor were active as dream interpreters: in the same area of Memphis, Greek-language soothsayers, too, were at work, interpreting dreams and advertising their skills to the increasing number of Greek residents in Egypt. One, who probably lived shortly before Hor, left behind what we may call his own ‘shop-sign’, where, in Greek, he boasts that ‘I interpret dreams, having (this talent) as an order from the god. With good luck! This interpreter comes from Crete’...

Business sign of a Cretan dream interpreter, CGC 27567. The decoration mixes Egyptian and classical styles. Underneath the Greek text is an image of the Apis bull, worshipped in the Serapeum at Saqqara, just a short distance from where this item was discovered.

But divination was far from limited to oneiromancy. In the fifth century BC, the Greek historian Herodotus included divination amongst the inventions of the Egyptians, saying that they had discovered ‘more omens than all other peoples’ (II.82). He was not exaggerating: many other mantic arts were practiced by the Egyptians since at least the New Kingdom, with their number and popularity steadily increasing in Graeco-Roman times. For instance, from Ramesside Deir el-Medina and now preserved in Turin’s Museo Egizio, we have fragments of a manuscript that illustrates the practice of lecanomancy (GCT54065). This is a way of foretelling the future that uses a dish or bowl filled with water. As described in the papyrus, oil was poured on the water, and the resulting patterns and shapes formed by the floating blobs were the signs to be interpreted. Remarkably, both lecanomancy and dream interpretation were already associated with Egypt by other ancient civilisations, and are for instance featured in the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers.

Another Nineteenth Dynasty hieratic papyrus, also from Deir el-Medina and now in Turin (CGT 54024), deals with meteorological omens, including thunder – a divinatory technique known as brontoscopy.The same art was still practiced a millennium later, in Ptolemaic times: an unprovenanced Demotic papyrus in the Cairo Egyptian Museum (inv. RT 4/2/31/1-SR 3427) lists and interprets very similar omens, also in connection with the occurrence of a ‘voice-of-Seth’ (as thunder was called in Egyptian). One passage mentions perhaps the oddest scenario: thunder accompanied by shower sof… frogs (col. 1/11: ‘if a voice-of-Seth occurs and it [literally, the sky] rains frogs…’) – not entirely impossible in the wake of tornadoes and similar violent weather events!

Amongst the various branches of divination and equal only to oneiromancy, pride of place was certainly given to astrology – a relative late comer in the world of Egyptian divination,  following increased contacts with the Near East in the 1st millennium BC, particularly after the Assyrian and Persian invasions of Egypt. From the Graeco-Roman Period, a wealth of Demotic material, still largely unpublished, includes various types of documents related to astrology. First come astrological handbooks, which fall into two categories: manuals of universal astrology, interpreting the relative position of the celestial bodies in order to foretell the fate of entire countries and peoples; and handbooks of individual astrology, foretelling a person’s future based on the position of the celestial bodies at their time of birth, with respect to various divisions of the sky (including our twelve zodiacal signs, as well as other partitions known a sastrological ‘houses’). Thus, in one of the manuals of the latter type, the Demotic P. Berlin P. 8345 (from the Fayum, 1st or 2nd century AD), we can read, with regard to a man who was born ‘when Venus was in the descendant: he will quarrel much with a woman; a nasty reputation will come to him…’ (col. 2/5–7). Through such handbooks, the ancient Egyptian priests could cast life horoscopes for their customers. Working papers of these astrologers, i.e. jottings on ostraca and scraps of papyrus containing horoscopes, also survive in good numbers.

Yet another type of text, planetary tables,were essential to cast any horoscope – a kind of text that, from our modern perspective,we would classify as astronomical, rather than astrological. Such tables were painstakingly accurate numerical records of the exact dates when the celestial bodies entered specific zodiacal signs, and could extend over very long periods, years and years into the past, so as to allow an astrologer to look up the position of the planets at the time of their customer’s birth, no matter how far in the past this was, and thus cast their horoscope. A fine example are the so-called Stobart Tablets...,probably from Thebes and dating to the mid-or late second century AD. Now in the World Museum, Liverpool, they are thin wooden tablets covered with a layer of gesso and inscribed with Demotic, containing exhaustive information about planetary movements spanning the reigns of the emperors Vespasian (69–79 AD) to Hadrian (117–138 AD).

One of the Stobart Tablets, M 11467d recto. Red headings indicate years (here, regnal years14–17 of Hadrian, i.e.129/130–132/133 AD).Following each heading are five cells, one per planet, separated by horizontal lines, listingt he date (month and day) on which the planet in question entered the different zodiacal signs during that year. In the first two columns (fromt he right, as Demotic reads right to left),after ‘regnal year 14’(col. 1, line 16), we find sections for Saturn (lines 17–19), Jupiter (lines 20–22), Mars (lines 23–33), Venus (col. 2, lines 1–16), and Mercury (lines 17–30)

This brief introduction to ancient Egyptian divination cannot be considered complete before at least one further branch of divination is mentioned: that dealing with so-called animal omens, for which Demotic handbooks are attested specifically from the Roman Period. In this case, the omen to decipher was the behaviour of various animals – in most cases, their interaction or physical contact with a human observer, who was the target of the omen. The animals in question could be highly disparate, ranging from cows to dogs, from scorpions to shrewmice. Most typically, however, small animals seem to have been the favourite subject of this genre, for the simple reason that daily contact with creatures such as shrewmiceand the like, found in all Egyptian houses, wouldhave been the norm for everybody.  

 Just like astrology manuals, animal omen handbooks can also be roughly classified into two groups: those divided into chapters, each discussing omens pertaining to a different creature, and those entirely dedicated to one single animal. To the latter group belongs the fascinating Book of the Gecko thus titled in the original papyrus preserving it, P. Berlin P.15680, possibly from the 1st-century-AD Fayum. Geckos were as common in ancient Egypt as they are in the region today, where they can often be observed crawling on walls and ceilings.These lizards are such extraordinary climbers that their accidental fall must surely have caught the ancient Egyptians’ attention – to the point of being considered an omen. This is why all lines of the Book of the Gecko with the phrase ‘if it (i.e. a gecko) falls’, followed by the specifics of its mishap. These can include a woman’s body parts onto which the gecko would land, systematically listed from head to toe. Thus we read:

If it falls on her right breast: her heart will be greatly distressed, she should entrust herself to the god. If it falls on her left breast: she will be pleased within her family, many sons will be born to her. If it falls in between her breasts: she will fare very well, something from Pharaoh will quickly reach her (col. 2/2-4))

The handbook further proceeds by describing more elaborate situations in which a gecko may unwittingly partake, such as: ‘If it falls on a woman who is having sex: she will rejoice, she will rejoice anew over this same year’ (col. 3/21).

Many more divinatory arts are attested fromancient Egypt – far more than could be presented in this short article. What this brief introduction will have hopefully achieved is not only to introduce the reader to the world of ancient Egyptian divination, but also to give a better awareness of how much we are still discovering and learning, to this day, about the ways of ancient Egyptian life. Be it by excavations like those conducted by the EES in Saqqara, leading to the unearthing of the archive of Hor, or the product of “museum archaeology”, bringing about the publication of papyri previously lying neglected in museum collections, these discoveries are unlikely to cease any time soon, further deepening our understanding of ancient Egypt’s past through the way its inhabitants tried to read their own future.”

Source: https://www.academia.edu/33299952/Dreams_Rising_Stars_and_Falling_Geckos_Divination_in_Ancient_Egypt

Dr Luigi Prada is Assistant Professor in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Uppsala University. His current project focuses on schooling and education in Ancient Egypt, with particular focus on the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. His other research interests include ancient divination (specifically, dream interpretation), bilingualism, and demotic language and literature. He participates in fieldwork in both Sudan and Egypt, where he is Assistant Director of the Oxford University Epigraphic Expedition to Elkab. . Check out his work here.

Source: https://papyrus-stories.com/luigi-prada/

#ancient egypt #egyptology #divination #herodotus #luigi prada

[goddesblackwidow]

The colossal statue of Amenhotep III and Tiye is a monolith group statue of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III of the eighteenth dynasty, his great royal wife Tiye, and three of their daughters. It is the largest known dyad ever carved. the statue originally stood in Medinet Habu, western Thebes statue is made of limestone, its width is 4,4 m, its height is 7 m. The almond shaped eyes and curved eyebrows of the figures are of typical late 18th dynasty style. Amenhotep iii wears the nemes headdress with uraeus, a false beard and a kilt; he is resting his hands on his knees. queen Tiye is sitting on his left, her right arm is placed around her husband's waist. Her height is equal to that of the pharaoh, which shows her prominent status. she wears an ankle-length, close-fitting dress and a heavy wig with a vulture headdress, modius and double uraei. the cobras and the vulture are crowned, the proper right cobra wears the white crown of upper Egypt, while the proper left one wears the red crown of lower Egypt. The three smaller figures depict three of their daughters. princess Henuttaneb, standing between her parents, is depicted as a grown woman, in a close-fitting dress and a full wig with modius and plumes but without uraei (this is the only difference between her mother's headdress and hers). next to Amenhotep stands the damaged figure of a younger daughter, Nebetah, while next to Tiye stands the even more damaged figure of another princess, whose name has been lost. the dyad is one of only two statues depicting Henuttaneb, and the only one of Nebetah

The statue is likely to have been carved around the first sed festival of Amenhotep III. Arielle kozloff writes that the age of the daughters depicted on the monument, especially that of henuttaneb, and the style of queen Tiye's wig, which was "at its most developed, nearly shrouding her face" suggests that the statue was made during the third decade of the king's reign. it is possible that it was made from the good quality limestone which was removed to create the open courtyard of tt192 – a huge tomb belonging to queen Tiye's steward kheruef, work on which was started around this time.the eldest daughter of the royal couple, sitamun is absent from the statue group, probably because she was elevated to the rank of great royal wife by year 30 of Amenhotep's reign. henuttaneb was the second or third daughter, born either before or after Iset, who became queen in year 34. henuttaneb is nowhere mentioned as a queen, but on this colossus she is described as "the companion of Horus, who is in his heart". this is the only instance of this queenly title being given to a princess, and her name is sometimes written in a cartouche, which may indicate that she was elevated to queen like sitamun and Iset. the third princess on the statue, whose name is destroyed is sometimes tentatively identified as Iset, but Amenhotep may have had as many as sixteen daughters, not all of whom are known to us.the statue belonged to the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III which has been mostly destroyed since, but during its time was the largest temple complex in Thebes, surpassing even the Karnak temple. as it was built too close to the floodplain, less than two hundred years later it already stood in ruins and most of its stones were reused by later pharaohs for their own building projects. the place where the statue was found is likely to have been the south gate of the mortuary temple complex, as it is as far from the temple as the colossi of Memon at the east gate.

[lesfeldickbiblestudy]

  Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 4 * BOOK 63 ISAIAH 63:7 – 66:24 - PART 2 Okay, once again, it is good to have everybody back. This is our fourth program this afternoon and for those of you out in television, we’re just an informal Bible study. That’s why we have the coffee cups. This is not a pseudo church or anything like that. We’re just here to search the Scriptures and to see if these things are really so. Now, we’re especially favored today, and I mentioned it in one of our other programs, but our youngest son Todd and his wife Kim are here and with our latest grandson. He’s only eight weeks old, so somebody just reminded me today that this is probably his first real Bible study! I’m sure they’ve already had him in church someplace, but this is his first Bible study, and if the Lord tarries, someday he can look at the tape and say, "There I was, I got a good start." My goodness, I didn’t even see him on the screen. I’m not just a proud grandpa, but that’s a pretty, pretty baby! Okay, now then, back to the things at hand - Isaiah 65 verse 1. This is the Lord’s answer, now, to the prayerful plea of the remnant just before He returns. Isaiah 65:1-2a "I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. 2. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a (What kind of people?) rebellious people," Now, this is Israel! They’ve had the Word. They’ve had the prophets. They’ve had the temple. They’ve had the priesthood. But it didn’t make any difference. They were just as rebellious and unbelieving as the Gentile pagan world around them. Isaiah 65:2 "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;" Now, lest you think that this is recent in Israel’s history, go back with me to the last verse of Judges, and that would be chapter 21, and verse 25. Now, this is about shortly after they came out of Egypt. About 400 years before King David, and this is unbelievable. Samuel was the last of the judges, but this last verse just typifies ancient Israel almost from day one. Of course, Isaiah is now writing almost a thousand years later, and he’s deploring the same fact. Judges 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." Now beloved, when you let the human race do their own thing, is it good or bad? It’s never good. Okay, back to Isaiah because I want you to see that God has mercifully put up with the human race from day one because Israel was, you know, the covenant people. They should have been a people of obedience. But they weren’t. The only ones that were obedient were just that small remnant. Isaiah 65:3 "A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;" Now, what are they doing? Idol worship. They didn’t even build altars the way God instructed them to build altars, because when Israel was taught how to build an altar, they didn’t use brick, they used what? Hewn stone. See, bricks are manmade. They’re cooked in an oven. But see, here they used altars made of a counterfeit rather than the hewn stone as God had instructed Israel. All right, so it just all shows rebelliousness. They’re not even going to build an altar according to God’s design. Isaiah 65:4 "Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, (Now, you know that was forbidden all the way up in Israel’s history.) and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;" In other words, even their soup that they made was made of stuff that was totally contrary to Israel’s dietary laws. Isaiah 65:5a "Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou." My goodness, that puts it as plain as English can make it. So what are they likened to? The Pharisees. That was their attitude.

They were righteous. They were holy. They would wrap their clerical robes around themselves, and they could do no wrong. But these were the same way. They say, "I’m holier than you are." Isaiah 65:5b "These are a smoke in my nose, (Not the smoke of incense, as God appreciated in the temple worship. But this was acrid smoke that burned the nostrils.) a fire that burneth all the day." Now again, I think you can go back to an analogy of the ancients. They probably lived in small dwellings. They didn’t have central heat and air, so what was the normal material for burning to keep the house warm? Well, dried cow manure. Just like they did out west. So, the acrid smoke of that cattle refuse would literally permeate the whole house. That’s what they lived in. But God likens that to His experience with Israel. Isaiah 65:6-7 "Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom. 7. Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom." In other words, it’s been generation after generation. Now verse 8, this is an interesting little verse. Isaiah 65:8a "Thus saith the LORD, as the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not;" Now, you’ve kind of got to put some thought here. What kinds of grapevines do you suppose the hired help were pulling out to burn? Well, the ones that weren’t producing - the dead ones. That stands to reason. But, as they’re about to pull out this dead grapevine, the husbandman sees what? One cluster of grapes. What does he say? Don’t destroy that good little cluster of grapes. Now read on. Isaiah 65:8b "Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all." Again, what’s that one little clump of grapes on the dead vine a picture of?The remnant. Oh, all these things you’ve got to kind of dig and then here they come, and it just tantalizes your spiritual appetite. Don’t destroy the vine. There is one cluster of grapes that is still useful for the grape juice. Isaiah 65:9-10a "And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine (What?) elect (The remnant again. The true believer) shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. (Now, we come to the promises of this coming Kingdom.) 10. And Sharon…" That is the Valley of Sharon, which is just east of the Mediterranean coast. It’s one of the valleys of Israel, and now a lot of it is covered with the sand that has blown up from the Mediterranean Sea. I don’t know how much validity this has, but one of our guides over there told us how all that sand accumulates up on Israel. It comes from the Nile water coming into the Mediterranean, and then all the prevailing northwesterly winds blow it up onto the shore of Israel. So, you’ve got these huge sand dunes all along the Mediterranean seashore. But beyond them, of course, you have this productive Valley of Sharon. Isaiah 65:10a "And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, (In other words, Sharon is going to revert back to that beautiful productive valley of grass and water for the flocks of Israel.) and the valley of Achor..." Now, those of you who know your Old Testament, what was the Valley of Achor? Well, you remember Achan? This was shortly after they came across the Jordan River, and they were to have nothing to do with the spoils of the little town of Ai. They were instructed, don’t touch any of that stuff, it should all be destroyed. What did Achan do? He took some for himself, and he thought he’d gotten away with it but God knew. You remember that Achan was dealt harshly over that. The Valley of Achor became a curse to Israel. It was just something that was avoided. But, here in the Kingdom it’s going to be a valley of blessing. Isaiah 65:10b "…and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.

" In other words again, for the remnant that’s going to come into the glorious earthly Kingdom that’s been promised since day one. Isaiah 65:11-12a "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink-offering unto that number. 12. Therefore, will I number you (Now that’s the unbelieving element again.) to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter:…" Remember what Zechariah said? Two thirds will die; one third will come through the Tribulation and be the remnant to go into the Kingdom. Isaiah 65:13-15a "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servant shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty, behold my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: 14. Behold, my servants (That is the believing remnant.) shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. 15. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall (What?) slay thee,…" Now, you see, I’ve mentioned the two women at the well and two people sleeping in the bed, and what does the Lord say in Matthew? "The one shall be taken, the other left?" Well, which one will be taken? The unbeliever! He’ll be removed (die) and the believer will go on into the Kingdom economy. All right, now then, let’s drop quickly down into verse 17. Isaiah 65:17 "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former (That is the old earth.) shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." Now, of course, I guess there’s room for controversy here. Is He speaking of the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21 and 22, or is He speaking of the renovated earth of the Kingdom Age? I personally feel he’s talking about the renovated earth for the millennial reign. Now, you’ve got to remember the thousand-year reign of Christ is the Kingdom economy, in which Christ will rule and reign from Jerusalem. Then, at the end of that thousand years, according to Revelation, I guess we’d better go back to Revelation and take a look at that. Here in Revelation chapter 20 we find that those thousand years are over. Now remember, it’s going to be heaven on earth because Satan has been locked up. There has been no one to tempt them. They have had a perfect environment. They’ve not been tempted to sin or to rebel until Satan’s released, and then for a little while he’s going to again confuse the multitudes. Revelation 20:7-9 "And when the thousand years are expired, (That’s the Kingdom, the millennium.) Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, (All of them.) to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, (I mean, it’s just a repetition of Armageddon all over again.) and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: (Which, of course, is Jerusalem, but this time God wastes no time.) and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." In the next verse, Satan, of course, is consigned to the Lake of Fire. Then you go through the Great White Throne, preparing everything for the coming eternal bliss of both Israel and the Gentile world. Now, you come into chapter 21 and John prophetically sees a new heaven and a new earth. I don’t think it’s the new heaven and new earth that Isaiah’s referring to. He’s referring to the thousand-year earth, which will be renovated. But this will be brand new. Revelation 21:1a "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were (What?) passed away;…" Peter puts it in scientific language, and he says, "that the earth and everything in it is burned up and it’s going to be dissolved." It’s going to be melted down, and out of that will then come the eternal new heaven and new earth, and again it just seems that God’s

going to still maintain that separation between Israel and the Body of Christ, who are the "heavenly," even for all of eternity. But, back to Isaiah, quickly now, we’ve only got about half the program left, already. So, here we’re preparing the earth of the millennial reign, heaven on earth. It’s going to be an earth of tremendous production. There’ll be no want. There’ll be no sweat of the brow; it’s going to be an easy production, and food will be in abundance everywhere. Isaiah 65:19-20a "And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days:…" In other words, death will be almost unknown in this thousand-year period. Isaiah 65:20b "…for the child shall die an hundred years old; (In other words, at a hundred they’re still just as vibrant as a child.) but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed." Which means there might be a possibility of someone having to be removed. I think it’s going to be so rare that the Scripture really doesn’t deal with it all that much. All right, verse 21, it’s going to be a Kingdom of tremendous activity. Isaiah 65:21-22a "And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22. They shall not build, and another inhabit;…" Which was Israel’s history. They’d get their economy going and enemy forces would come in and take their crops and destroy their houses and they were under constant turmoil. But that will happen no more. Isaiah 65:22b "…they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." In other words, I think they’ll live the whole thousand-year period of time, even as they did back before the flood. Isaiah 65:23-24 "They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. (Now, the next verse is a perfect parallel with John’s gospel chapter 14.) 24. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Now, I think I’ve got time. Let’s go up to John’s Gospel because this has been such a confusing thing for so many people, and they can’t get it through their thinking that Christ was looking forward to the Kingdom time when He said so many of these things. They’re not apropos for us today. John 14 verse 13. Now, this will all become a reality in this Kingdom economy, when Christ is ruling and Satan is locked up. Every Jew will be in a special manifestation of God’s grace and power. The Lord is speaking, and He says: John 14:13-14 "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." What does that mean? Whatever they want. All they have to do is speak it. Providing, of course, that it’s within common sense, and I think that’s going to be a given. But it’s going to be a time when all their prayers will be answered as if they had merely had the thought. Okay, back to Isaiah, quickly now, the last verse in chapter 65, and this is a perfect parallel for Isaiah chapter 11. Isaiah 65:25a "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,…" Now, this isn’t just pie in the sky. A lot of people scoff at this, and they say, "Well, that’s just a figure of speech." No, it is not. This is going to become a literal reality when God will literally change the digestive system of the wild animals where they will not eat of other living things. Isaiah 11 says that they will eat of everything that grows naturally, the herbs and the grasses and so forth. Isaiah 65:25 "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: (His whole digestive system will be transferred from carnivorous to eating forage.) and dust shall be the serpent’s meat.

 (Now, we know that the serpent will not be active in the Kingdom, so this is simply a play on words that the serpent will not enjoy all these good things of the Kingdom.) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, (or in my Kingdom) saith the LORD." All right, now let’s go into the final chapter of Isaiah, and remember that Isaiah is 66 chapters long and our Bible is 66 books. So, there is a parallel. Isaiah 66:1 "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: (Now, what is that a significance of ? His Sovereignty. The earth is just His footstool. It’s just a little marble out of all of God’s creation. And it’s His.) where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" I’m going to skip now, so that we get a little closer to the end, as I want to finish Isaiah today - verse 5. Isaiah 66:5a "Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you,…" Wow, what have we got there again? The little remnant has been hated by the majority. We’re seeing the same thing today. Even in the realms of Christendom, the true believer is more and more being scorned by the masses. They think we’re odd. They think we’re narrow-minded, and they don’t literally take this Book to be true. My goodness, we just had a lady share with us during break time, where she was in a church out near the east coast where they gave their Sunday School kids the lesson that they came from apes – evolution. If they wanted to teach creation they could believe it if they want to. But listen, this is happening in churches. This is apostasy. It’s coming in like a flood. That’s one of the worst ones I’ve heard, but I’ve heard a lot of them almost as bad. But beloved, it’s always been this way, even in ancient Israel the true believer was scorned and ridiculed by the majority. Isaiah 66:5b "…Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, let the LORD, be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be (What?) ashamed. (or disappointed.)" Now, that reminds me of a verse in Peter. I think I can take the time. Go all the way up to I Peter. It makes the same analogy. This is New Testament. I Peter 2:6 "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, (Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah) elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." If you want to take your concordance or Strong’s Concordance and you compare that word, what’s another word for it? Disappointed. Now, when will the mass of the so-called religious people be disappointed? When they find themselves in the wrong place! That’s the same way with church people today. My, when they slip out into eternity, many are going to be disappointed. They’re not going to be where they thought they were going. Okay, we’re down to the final two minutes, so let’s move on up into Isaiah chapter 66, verse 7. Isaiah 66:7 "Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child." Who are we talking about? Israel. What’s the man-child? Christ’s birth at Bethlehem. Isaiah 66:8 "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." Now, we’re jumping up from the miracle of Bethlehem to the super, super miracle of the Second Coming and Christ establishing His Kingdom, and the saved of Israel entering into all the promises that they’ve been looking for. How long is it going to take to happen? In an instant. The moment Christ returns they’re going to come into the glory of that promised Kingdom. Isaiah 66:9-10a "Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth and shut the womb? saith thy God. (Oh, no way, God isn’t going to fall short of all these promises.) 10. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with

her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her,…" Then, drop all the way down to verse 15. I’ve got to do this quickly. Isaiah 66:15-16 "For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16. For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many." Now, we’ll close with verse 18. Isaiah 66:18 "For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory." When will it happen? At His Second Coming, and we’re getting closer and closer every day.

[gemsofgreece]

https://youtu.be/QUE3rET41qs

This is a video that says what the Turkish textbooks say about Greece..let's say that it's all you mentioned in other posts :/ that is, ignorance of what their ancestors did and omission of historical facts...

1 minute in and I got a headache. Because the video is in Greek, here are the main points in English (provided that it's accurate, although I don't find it hard to believe it is):

Turks are ancient indigenous people of the Mediterranean, contemporary of the Minoans and the Thracians.

Turks taught other people how to cultivate the land and this led to great civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Syria and the Aegean Sea (the globe is ever in your debt)

The ancient Ionians who were indigenous in Turkey were actually not Greeks (how does this agree with the fact that they themselves call the Greeks "Yunan" though?)

The ancient monuments in Turkey are created by ancient Turks.

The non-Greek Ionian civilization in Turkey was antagonistic with the Greek civilization. Some important ancient Greeks are described as Ionian and thus non-Greek.

Ionians transferred the knowledge of the Egyptians to the Greeks. (Just so it never crosses your mind that the Greeks did anything of mere significance on their own)

Of course the Turkish schoolbooks adopt the North Macedonian rhetoric that Alexander being Macedonian means he was not a Greek.

Then they mention that their land was conquered by the Romans and stayed so until the Turks "liberated" their ancient land. There is no mention whatsoever of the split of the Roman Empire, the fall of the western part and the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire), let alone of its Greek-centric culture.

In fact, the Byzantines are only mentioned as people of undefined origins who simply had some fights with the Ottomans. In high school, although their history textbook consists of two volumes, the space used for the Byzantine Empire is a quarter of a page XD (now I am really curious what they filled two volumes with)

The Greek War of Independence is called "Greek mutiny" (AHOY MATE)

According to the book, the Greeks (the Rum, as they say) lived happily in the Ottoman Empire with numerous privileges and a lot of wealth and they actually lived better than the Turks themselves! But foreign powers - especially the Russians - brainwashed them to want their own country.

The Great Fire of Smyrna is described as the Greek Invasion of Smyrna and the indigenous Greeks of Anatolia are accused of collaborating with the Greeks of Greece and infesting the national economy.

The Muslim minority of Thrace is described as exclusively Turkish (ignoring the Pomaks and Roma).

The books seem to create the impression that even right now Greece has territorial claims in Turkey.

I mean... we know all of Balkans have a lot of school propaganda and the Greek textbooks do some glossing over in their own right but, boy, does this take the cake... and what a cake it is

Congrats to the neighbours on their massive cake.

#greco turkish relations #turk3y #margaretartstuff #mail #video #greek facts #neither greek nor fact #but it's useful #so i tag it