An article in the most recent issue of Newsweek magazine that basically constitutes an invitation to pause in wonder at the fantastic age of the Göbekli Tepe - or "potbelly hill" - site in southeastern Turkey, believed to be 11,500 years old, is a great reminder that, the further back in time an event occured, the easier it is to talk preposterous rot about it.
Rachel's tomb, located south of Jerusalem on the outskirts of Bethlehem in the West Bank, is widely considered the third holiest site in Judaism. Considered the burial spot of Biblical "eternal mother" Rachel, it's marked by a building shaped like a cube topped with a dome. The shrine is a popular pilgramage destination for Jews, particularly women unable to give birth, although access is severly restricted.
Because of security tensions, the shrine is surrounded by a fortified compound, and seperated from the rest of Bethlehem by an extension of the West Bank separation barrier. Only bullet-proof buses are allowed direct access. Palestinians refer to the tomb as Bilal ibn Rabah, and claim it has Muslim origins. They consider the placement of the wall as a land grab, and reject Israeli claims that it's a defensive structure intended to keep attackers out.
In 2010, the shrine was controversially added to Israel's list of national heritage sites by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Seti I ruled Egypt ca. 1314-1304 BC and is well known for his building projects and military campaigns.
His mortuary temple at Abydos contains numerous architectural features - two vast courts, two hypostyle halls, a so called “butchery hall” and two Osiris halls, just to name a few. These contain numerous works of art.
It’s believed that Seti I’s son, Ramesses II, may have finished portions of the temple after his father died.
The temple is built mainly of limestone, although sandstone was used in some areas. The outer courts and there pylons are severely damaged, with little remaining of them.
Its first hypostyle hall was initially decorated with raised reliefs by Seti I. A raised relief is when the figure sticks out a bit from the walls. After Seti I’s death Ramesses II converted them to sunken reliefs and had them repainted.
The second hypostyle hall contains several bas reliefs - the figures are slightly above the surface while the background is completely flat. By Seti I’s death all the reliefs had been carved, although some had yet to be coloured.
The remains of a temple of Queen Berenike - wife of King Ptolemy III - have been discovered by archaeologists in Alexandria, Egypt. Dr. Zahi Hawass said the remains discovered are 60 meters by 15 meters, and extend under Ismail Fahmy street. About 600 Ptolemaic statues - amongst which are beautiful depictions of the cat goddess Bastet - were also unearthed.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel Maqsoud, Head of Antiquities of Lower Egypt, said that the mission excavating at Kom el Dikka on property of the Alexandria Security Forces included 18 skilled excavators and restorers. The large collection of Bastet statues indicates that the temple was dedicated to her.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 18:06
A huge granite block, believed to be part of a temple belonging to Egyptian queen Cleopatra, has been lifted from the sea at Alexandria. The nine-tonne stone, quarried in Aswan some 700 miles south of the city, is expected to be transported to a new museum celebrating the sunken city.
The remains of a temple of Queen Berenike - wife of King Ptolemy III - have been discovered by archaeologists in Alexandria, Egypt. 
