Menu

Tag: Christians

BBC Two’s upcoming history specials: Ancient Worlds, Pompeii, Britain & the Bible’s Buried Secrets

BBC Two Ancient Worlds with Richard MilesThe BBC has officially announced its TVschedule for this autumn and winter, promising its audience a big focus on history, with new programmes and new presenters. What to expect from the Beeb this autumn and winter, when the rain and cold keeps you locked into your home?

The autumn & winter 2010/2011 programming includes ‘Behind Closed Doors’ with Amanda Vickery, ‘The Do-Gooders’ with Ian Hislop and programming to mark the Battle of Britain’s 70th anniversary, with a drama-documentary based on Geoffrey Wellum’s book, First Light.

Ancient history specials served on these coldand dark winter nights will be ‘Pompeii’with Mary Beard, ‘Ancient Worlds’ with Richard Miles, Neil Oliver’s two-part ‘History of Ancient Britain’ and a look at Holy Land archaeology.

‘Ancient Worlds’ with Richard Miles

Archaeologist and historian Richard Miles embarks on a six-part odyssey from the first cities of Mesopotamia to the Christianisation of the Roman Empire to tell the story of what he argues is mankinds greatest achievement civilisation.

In the West, the term “civilisation” has been consigned to the museum display case. Embarrassed by its chauvinistic and elitist connotations, we have increasingly taken refuge in more politically correct and soft-focused terms such as “culture” to explain human origins. ‘Ancient Worlds’ seeks to rescue civilisation from its enforced retirement and celebrate such a hard-fought invention. Expect stunning locations and bold propositions about the origins of human society.

Neil Oliver’s ‘History of Ancient Britain’

For those who were wondering Neil Oliver (who earlier brought Britain ‘Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer’) was doing at the Stonehenge Summer Solstice 2010 celebrations, here’s a huge clue:

In ‘History of Ancient Britain’ he embarks on an epic quest through thousands of years of ancient history to tell the story of how Britain and its people came to be.

The first part of the story takes him from the glacial wasteland of ice-age mammoth hunters, through the glories of the Stone Age, to the magnificence of international Bronze Age society. Neil travels the length and breadth of the British Isles exploring some of its greatest wonders and revealing how science is solving mysteries while getting hands-on experience of ancient technology.

Tapping into the latest discoveries and experimental archaeology, History Of Ancient Britain Part I gets under the skin of this mysterious world, the lives of the people who inhabited it, and the tipping points that changed their lives and made ours. History Of Ancient Britain Part II will continue the story through the Iron Age and the Celtic kings to the Romans.

BBC Two will air 'Pompeii' with Cambridge Professor Mary Beard

‘Pompeii’ with Mary Beard

Mary Beard, Cambridge Professor of Classics, author of ‘Pompeii- The Life Of A Roman Town‘ (Bija interviewed Beard here) and avid blogger, gleans evidence from an extraordinary find in the ancient city of Pompeii to provide a fascinating new insight into the people who lived in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius before its cataclysmic eruption in 79AD.

In a dark cellar in Oplontis, a suburb of ancient Pompeii, the remains of more than 50 victims of the eruption are put under the microscope of forensic science. The remains are submitted to a barrage of tests that, together with a fresh look at other finds in the city, unlock a valuable scientific snapshot of Pompeiian life and there are some surprises in store.

The programme features a visit to bars, baths, brothels,dining rooms and an ancient cesspit, where viewers can see what really went through ancient digestive tracts and learn about Roman hygiene: We can see ever so clearly where the water comes into the pool, but there isn’t a single place where it can go out. Make sure you don’t go to the baths if you have an open wound. You are likely to die of gangreen if you do.

‘The Bible’s Buried Secrets’ with Francesca Stavrakopoulou

Hebrew Scholar Francesca Stavrakopoulou examines how recent archaeological discoveries are changing the way stories from The Bible are interpreted and how these, in turn, are forcing a re-assessment of the understanding of the legacy of Judaism, Christianity and Islam both in the Middle East and in the West.

In thenew three-part series ‘The Bible’s Buried Secrets’, Francesca travels to major archaeological digs throughout the Middle East to investigate the origins of the story of the Garden of Eden, the emergence of the worship of one God and the historical context of King David – and his wondrous kingdom.

She also visits Khirbet Qeiyafa (a fortified city in Judah from the time of King David), the ancient city of Ugarit in Syria (considered to be the single most important biblical archaeological discovery of the last century) and the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavations (blogging here).

Following Francesca on her journey through some of the world’s most beautiful but inaccessible landscapes, The Bible’s Buried Secrets aims to place some of its most iconic stories into a new historical context.

A promising menu for those dark winter evenings, don’t you think? Hot choco and BBC iPlayer, here I come! No need to wait until winter for excellent history documentaries in the UK.For this month’s rainyevenings, you can settle down in front of the TVandswitch to‘King Arthur’s Round Table Revealed’, whichpremiers on History ChannelJuly 19th. For a truly historical docudrama, trytuning in toChasing Mummies. Really, the destruction of Atlantis isn’t nearly as devestatingly shocking asZahiHawass’ rage: “Nobody talk! Nobody talk! NOBODYTALK!!!”Just quoting! We’re happy for you tochat, and look forward to your opinions on theBBC’s upcoming ‘authorative history’ programmes. Everybody talk, ! 😉

Biggest of the Dead Sea Scrolls was created at Qumran

The debate over the origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls may end up coming down to a very basic element water.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the 1940s and 50s near the site of Qumran in the modern day West Bank. Its a mystery as to how they got there.

Recent archaeological work by Yuval Peleg and Yitzhak Magen suggests that Qumran had nothing to do with the scrolls. It was first used as an outpost by the Hasmonean army and later became a centre of pottery production. They suggest that the scrolls were deposited in the caves by people fleeing the Roman army, after the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.

On the other hand virtual reality research conducted by Dr. Robert Cargill, of UCLA, suggests that the residents of Qumran could have created some of the scrolls. They did this while carrying out other tasks such as animal husbandry and pottery making.

Now a team of scientists has some new evidence to bring to this discussion.

They claim to have identified the origin of the longest of the Dead Sea Scrolls (known as The Temple Scroll) by identifying the source of the water used to make the parchment.

The team is based in Italy and is made up of researchers of the National Laboratories of the South (LNS) in Catania of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN, Italy’s National Institute for Nuclear Physics). One of the team leaders, Professor Giuseppe Pappalardo, presented the results yesterday at a conference.

The team analyzed the ratio of chlorine to bromine in fragments of the Temple Scroll. They then compared this ratio to that of the water sources near Qumran.

According to this analysis, the ratio of chlorine to bromine in the scroll is consistent with the ratio in local water sources, said the team in a release. (It) may have been made near the Dead Sea, in the area of Qumran, where the scrolls were found. In other words, the scrolls may have been created locally.

Its a cautious statement and the team added that more testing needs to be done. The next step in the research will be to analyse the ink used to write the scrolls.

It should also be pointed out that the temple scroll is just one of hundreds found in the caves near Qumran. Just because this scroll was made near Qumran does not mean that they all were.

Bettany Hughes Publications you Can’t go Without

is Britain’s best-loved and most prolific pop historian. She has appeared in no fewer than 11 television programmes in the past four months, with hotly-anticipated The Hemlock Cup, a major new book on legendary philosopher Socrates, out this October.

With Hughes’ formidable CV in mind here’s a handy list of her publications on Heritage Key – they’re available to buy right here, so if one takes your fancy just click the title or the book’s cover.

When the Moors Ruled in Europe

This rangy DVD sees Hughes exploring one of Europe’s least-known eras: the Islamic occupation of Iberia, today’s Spain and Portugal, between the 7th and 14th centuries AD.

When the Moors Ruled in Europe

It’s a hidden history partly because subsequent Christian kings sought to wipe any trace of the Moors’ influence on their nation, following the brutal Spanish Inquisition.

But it’s still there, and via interviews, careful study and the unveiling of the mathematical secrets behind Granada’s inimitable Alhambra Palace Hughes lifts the lid on what many believe is the basis of western culture.

Other stunning sites are visited, primarily in the arid southern lands of Andaluca. The programme was rated highly on its 2004 debt:the Wall Street Journal notes that it is “infused with important complexity”, while the Guardian describes it as “inspiring”.

The Minotaur’s Island

5,000 years ago on the Greek island of Crete an incredible civilisation grew. Yet the Minoans, who dominated their environment long before the period we know as Classical Greece arrived, are best-known for the tale of the Minotaur, a fearsome creature who roamed a labyrinth beneath the magnificent Palace of Knossos.

What was the significance of the great culture? How did they build warren-like palaces with hinged doors and flushing toilets, and what is the significance of their mysterious bull-leapers? Hughes steps back in time to explore the enigmatic people and debunk many of the myths surrounding them.

Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore

Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore (book) & Helen of Troy (DVD)

Helen of Troy: the face that launched 3,000 ships. Since her entry into the annals of ancient history, barely a recognised writer didn’t attempt to eulogise her beauty and influence. But who was she? In this book Hughes dismantles life for a woman in the Bronze Age, showing the life Helen would have lived through her palaces, slaves, jewellery, feasts and religious beliefs.

Was Helen of Troy an elegant leader of men, or troublesome home-wrecker? Some say she was the reason for enduring bitterness between east and west because of her double marriage to the kings of Greece and the Hittite Empire – but others view her as a hero, a unifying entity in a world ravaged by war and greed. This book aims to explain her life through factual, rather than literary, evidence.

The accompanying DVD, which aired originally in the US, was equally as well-received as the book, and sees Hughes roaming the labyrinthine passageways of some of ancient Greece’s greatest landmarks in search of the real Helen. You can read a review of the show here.

The Seven Ages of Britain

The Seven Ages of Britain

This highly-rated TV show, based on the book – foreworded by Hughes – by Justin Pollard, chronicles the history of the British Isles through, unsurprisingly, seven ages, from the Ice Age to the Industrial Revolution. Thousands of years ago Britain wasn’t even an island, and prehistoric cave-dwellers forged a meagre existence among its frozen forests and fields.

Today Britain is one of the world’s major nations, with sprawling urban developments and multi-national industry. How did the country come to be, and what are the pivotal moments in Britain’s history? This series was viewed warmly by critics. One Daily Mail critic wrote: “Bettany Hughes is to factual history what Charlotte Uhlenbroek is to natural history the perfect televisual combination of brains and beauty.“

The Spartans

Everyone loves the Spartans, right? From hairbrained comedies to Hollywood bloodfests the brutal ancient empire have never been far from the public eye, and this three-part Channel 4 show, available to buy on DVD, runs through the revolutionary society that made the Spartans such a deadly force in Greece.

The first part deals with the inception of Sparta, and the legendary Battle of Thermopylae which has made it into so many popular outlets. The second part reveals the relationship between Sparta and Athens, first allies then mortal enemies, and the third and final episode goes from the war with Athens and Sparta’s eventual demise following the Battle of Leuctra. 300 director Zack Snyder cited Hughes’ documentary as a major influence on his multi-million dollar-grossing epic: she is even interviewed in the DVD extras.

Athens: Dawn of Democracy

Everyone knows Athens as a paragon of philosophical and artistic brilliance, a centre of commerce and a thriving intellectual hub. But what really went on in the world’s first democracy? Hughes discovers a world run on slavery, a brutal governmental regime and obsession with wiping out the opposition.

This documentary, aired in the US, is a fascinating insight into one of the world’s most recognised ancient civilisations, and allows Bettany Hughes to get stuck into Athenian life, her specialist subject. The famous polis is picked apart in style and day-to-day secrets of the empire, that allowed it to flourish at the expense of others, are exposed.

The million mummy question: Why are there a million mummies buried near Snefu’s Seila pyramid?

Nearly 4,600 years ago a third dynasty pharaoh named Snefru launched one of the greatest construction projects in human history.

He decided, for reasons that are unknown to us, to build four pyramids scattered at different places across Egypt. He constructed two of them at Dashur (the Red and Bent pyramids), one at Meidum and another at a place called Seila. Together they used up more material than Khufus pyramid at Giza.

Casing stones were used to give them a smooth appearance in other words make them into true pyramids.” This was the first time in Egyptian history that this was done.

Today a team from Brigham Young University, in Utah, is investigating these pyramids, trying to figure out why Snefru would build four of them in the way he did.

One of the puzzles the team is trying to decipher involves a cemetery not far from the Seila Pyramid. Its a 40 minute hike away and research indicates that it has an enormous number of mummies. We estimate over a million bodies in this cemetery, said Professor Kerry Muhlestein in an interview with Heritage Key. Its very very densely populated by mummies.

Only a small percentage of them have been unearthed. Weve been digging there for 30 years and we could dig there for a hundred more and still have only done a small percentage, said Muhlestein.

Results indicate that the cemetery was not in use during Snefrus time. In fact the earliest burials appear to be from the Middle Kingdom at least 600 years after the Seila pyramid was constructed. Furthermore most of the burials are even later than that.

For the most part the cemetery is Graeco-Roman period, from the Ptolemaic era down to the end of the Byzantine era, said Muhlestein. This period started when Alexander the Great entered Egypt in 332 BC.

So the question is why did so many people who lived long after Snefrus reign choose to be buried so close to the Seila Pyramid?

A sacred place

Making this question more enticing is that this wasnt just a local cemetery. People seem to have come some distance to be interned here.

Its such a huge cemetery its hard to account for where all these people would have lived the population centres around there dont seem to substantiate that many burials, said Professor Muhlestein.

Maybe these are people coming from a variety of communities, all around, being buried in this place. Were not sure what would account for such a large number of burials.

Could there be a connection to the pyramid? Despite the fact that it was built thousands of years before most of these people were buried? Muhlestein believes that its a real possibility but one hard to prove unless textual evidence is found. It probably is at least partially responsible for why theres a cemetery there, said Muhlestein.

It seems very reasonable to suppose that the pyramid designated that as a sacred place, he said. Once that place is a sacred place it typically will remain a sacred place.

A family of mummies

In early 2010 the Brigham Young team continued their work. The university has a program that lets students learn field techniques while excavating at the site.

Its an interesting, and indeed fairly rare, opportunity for students. You wont find too many field-schools, who accept undergraduates, operating in Egypt. Muhlestein said that they have had an excellent experience with this program and the most recent dig turned up, what appears to be, a family who lived at some point during the early/mid 1st millennium AD, when Christianity was widespread in Egypt.

They found an adult male and female buried close together with an infant at their feet and a toddler on their chest. We think this might be a family but well have to do some DNA analysis to know for sure, said Muhlestein.

Each of them was buried with their head facing to the east, this is probably indicative of the advent of Christianity, said Muhlestein.

The family does not appear to have been very wealthy. They were mummified, but without all the chemical treatments seen in wealthier burials. A poor mans version of mummification, is how Muhlestein described it.

The only grave goods the team found were palm branches. The mummies were covered with a layer of wrapping, which had ribbons on it, that had badly deteriorated.

After Bowers Museums, Tarim Mummies move to Houston Museum of Natural Science

One of the biggest archaeological discoveries ever made in China landed in America earlier this year. A trio of Tarim Mummies was brought to the United States for the first time in a special exhibit at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California.

The mummies are renowned for their unique appearance: while the ancient bodies were found well-preserved in Chinas western region, some of them bear more of a physical resemblance to early Europeans.

People will have until July 25 to view the ancient bodies, but the American public will have two more chances to view the exhibit later this year and in 2011.

The exhibition, called Secrets of the Silk Road: Mystery Mummies of China is slated to move across the country. Its next stop will be at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where the exhibition will be on display from August 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011. Then it will be held at Philadelphia’s University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology from February 5, 2011 to June 5, 2011.

The exhibit provides a look at how cultures from the East and West were interacting with each other along the Silk Road. The 150-plus items on display – many dating back thousands of years – come from thecollections of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum and the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology in Urumqi in northwest China.

The three ‘caucasian’mummieson showinclude the Xiaohe Beauty, a mummy that dating more than 3,800 years. The body is so well-preserved that its eyelashes are still intact. Also being shown is an infant wrapped in a woolen blanket, and the Yingpan Man, who wears a gold-foil and white mask.

10 Problems with Mount Ararat Noah’s Ark ‘Discovery’

The recent ‘discovery’ of Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat, Turkey has taken the archaeological world by storm, and it’s no surprise that some are less inclined to believe the audacious claims of Noah’s Ark Ministries International (NIMA). At the same time the team released a computer-generated image of the site, right, American Biblical historian Randall Price has already refuted the team’s claims, stating he went to the ark’s purported location and saw nothing. Price has since been met with Orwellian media backlash on NIMA’s website, but another leading expert has added his concerns to the debate.

Dutch Biblical expert M.J. Paul has serious reservations about the ‘discovery’, which so far has only comprised sketchy videos and interviews with NIMA. And in true Biblical style he has issued a list of ten points he wants cleared up before he believes its veracity, in an interview with Reformatorisch Dagblad (translated):

1. Every few years claims that the ark has been found surface. How do we know this is the real ark? That the wooden remains really originate from Noah’s ship?

“It is the test of the finders to show what is truly going on.”

2. Archaeologists are obliged to pinpoint exactly where they’ve found something, but these ‘discoverers’ keep their location secret though they do name Ararat. This makes control/checking impossible.

3. In the news it is stated the find is at a height of four kilometres. At this height there is a massive amount of ice, and many scholars/researchers doubt if in ‘movable gletsjer ice’ the structure of a ship can be preserved.

4. The mountain that is currently named Ararat is – according to most geologists – only ‘created’ quite recently, definitely after the flood. It is a volcano without sedimentation layers, which would have been deposited by the flood’s waters. Are they sure they are aiming at the right mountain?

5. The wood is said to be tested in a laboratory in Iran, and estimated to be about 4800 years old. Does Iran actually have laboratories where one is skilled at determining this correctly? Why did this happen in Iran? And why aren’t the official ‘reports’ publicised so the results can be double-checked?

6. The news release mentions a ‘black substance’ on the wood found and refers to the tar mentioned in Genesis. That’s too quick a conclusion. Why wasn’t this substance further examined?

7. The ‘iron pins/nails with square heads’ found could indeed be interpreted as nails to tie animals to, but there is a total lack of considering other interpretations/possiblities of use.

8. It induces distrust that the discoverers first want to make a film documentary before actual factual data is released and verified/reviewed. When will the finds be presented on the normal way to the scientific community so that verification is possible?

9. One of the published photographs shows a spider web/cobweb in one of the corners. Is it possible for spiders to live at that height? Survive in that cold? Or did they photograph a cave positioned much lower than 4000m?

10. The guide leading the search/mission is known to be very unreliable. Why did they hire him anyway?

A damning critique indeed. It’s unsurprising how quickly people have pounced on the story as proof Noah’s Ark exists – it’s always the case with a Biblical mission, always will be. Yet these ten points, if left unanswered, are surely enough to put down even the sturdiest of claims from NIMA’s leading officials. Dr Paul signs off with a poignant message to NIMA, and the archaeological world as a whole:

“Various orthodox scholars believe that this is pseudo-archaeology, doing more damage to God’s word than it does good. It is the test of the finders to show what is truly going on.” It seems an obvious thing to say, but judging by NIMA’s ever-increasing arsenal of provocative videos and images they feel the public should believe them with the little proof they’ve exhibited thus far. Watch this space – this argument could get very messy in the coming days, and I’ll keep you updated as things move forward. In the meantime check out our list of archaeology’s top ten hoaxes, not that we’re pre-empting anything…

Travel the Spice Route: Maps and Tips to Plan Your Trip

sinai spices sharm el-sheikThe ancient Spice Route (probably named as a result of the ancient Incense and Perfume routes) was an epic journey which initially began in Arabia, but eventually evolved to link Moluccas (the Indonesian Spice Islands) with Arabia and from there into Europe.

The route generally is believed to take in Malacca, Sri Lanka, and Kerala in India. At Kerela, it split into two, with one route to Europe going via Baghdad and the other Accra.

Arabia had the monopoly on the spice route for over 2000 years, and its said that both the Roman invasion of Persia in 24 BC and the discovery of America are partially attributed to Europeans wanting to break that monopoly.

The Spice route was initially an overland route but it later developed into a marine route. This resulted in Alexandria becoming a major port and the naming of its Pepper Gate entrance as a consequence.

Now I should imagine the route is predominately an airborne one, but visitors still go to these places, both for trade and holiday purposes.

Spices in Antiquity

The ancient Egyptians used spices in their embalming process as early as 3000 years BC and in 2600 BC, records indicate labourers building Cheops great pyramid were fed Asiatic spices to give them strength. Hatshepsut also brought aromatic herbs and spices back from Punt (modern Ethiopia/Eritrea).

Archaeological evidence in Syria suggest cloves, which could only be obtained from the Moluccas, were popular in Sumeria (circa 2400 BC) and there are even biblical references to the Spice route, with Joseph (he of the coat of many colours) being sold to a spice caravan by his brothers.

The Route in Arabia

The Spice Route through Arabia - Click the image to view a larger version.Perhaps the Nabateans can be credited with developing the first spice routes circa 950 BC when they began trading with India and China using camel and donkey caravans. These early routes focused on getting incense, perfumes and other spices that could bypass the Persians then be sold to the Greeks.

This route began in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula, where some of the finer perfume and spice plants were already being grown. The spices then travelled north, following a route parallel to the Red Sea. There are reportedly approximately 65 resting stations along this section.

At Dedan, in Northern Saudi Arabia, the route divided with one veering north eastward, towards Mesopotamia, and two others towards the sea. These second two deviations ultimately brought the perfume, spices and incense to the Nabatean capital, Petra; one continued inland directly to Petra while the other went southward to the port of Leuce Come, on the east shore of the Red Sea. From there this route continued by land to Petra.

Once in Petra, the route splits again with one route heading north to Damascus, and the other heading west. This western route went through Israel to Gaza and from there to Egypt or to Greece and Rome in Europe.

There were two routes through Israel to Gaza; one taking in points at Moa, Mahaml, Avdat and Haluza and a secondary route via Hazeva, Mamshit (Mampsis) and Beersheba. This has been approved, recognised and acknowledged as the World Heritage Perfume Route by UNESCO since 2005.

Places to Visit

Travel in Saudi Arabia is can be difficult, particularly for single women, so perhaps its best to start at Petra. This magnificent rock city was the main point for spices arriving from the Far East and I assume, it was here traders would decide on what was to follow the northern or western routes.

There are specialist operators offering tours which take in the points of the Spice route in Israel and Jordan. Given the terrain and location of some of these sites, many of these tours, are done predominantly in 4x4s and involve camping (or glamping if you’re lucky). Along the route, as well as major towns, you can see the ruins of stopping stations for the camel trains, (known as caravanserais or kahns) as well as army outposts usually built on hills to protect the caravans with their valuable cargos.

Route via Moa, Avdat, Shivta and Halutza

Although the ruins at Moa, Katzera and Ein Saharonim are minimal, the surrounding scenery is stunning. You can often get glimpses of desert wildlife at Ein Saharonim which boasts of being the deepest point in the Ramon Crater.

Flour mill in MampsisFor more substantial remains, Avdat is definitely worth a visit. Situated 650m above sea level, some of its impressive structures include walls, pillars and Roman baths, Shivta has impressive arches and other structural remains.

Quite a few of the structures in Halutza were destroyed at the end of the Ottoman period, but you can still see walls and building remains.

Route via Hazeva, Mamshit (Mampsis) and Beersheba

Although Mamshit was quite a small city, it is one of the best preserved in the area.It has a bath house, and mosaics can be seen in the church.

Sometimes known as the capital of the Negev, Beersheba is a vibrant modern city. Excavations of the remains of ancient Beersheba began in earnest in the late 1960s and visitors can now see well preserved buildings such as houses, stables (or storehouses) and an altar.

Although it would be nice to visit the final part of the Spice route in Israel, currently the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advices against travel in Gaza.

Coptic Symposium in Toronto to Reveal Ancient Egyptian Graffiti

What can graffiti tellus about ancient cultures?That’s just one of the questions being explored at a Coptic Studies symposium to be held on May 29 at the University of Toronto.

Coptic refers to the branch of Christianity that spread to Egypt as early as the first century AD. It also refers to a writing system that was in use from that time until present day.

The symposium is being organized by Dr. Ramez Boutros of the University of Toronto. Dr. Boutroshas been in the news recently as part of the team that recently discovered a third church and tons of monastic art at the site of Bawit in Egypt.

Boutros is being assisted by three organizations – TheCanadian Society for Coptic Studies (CSCS), the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto and the St. Marks Coptic Museum in Toronto.

Other highlights of the symposium will include a talk by Professor Stephen Davis of Yale University. He will be discussing excavation results from the White Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Saint Shenute of Atripe. Its foundation dates to the fourth century AD and, in fact, a 1500 year old church is still standing at the site although it has been repaired and remodelled several times.

“People have looked, and still look, down on the ancient graffiti found in the temples of Egypt, which does not do justice to this highly interesting material.”

Professor Jitse Dijkstra will be talkingdiscussing initial resultson a research project that looks at, yes,graffiti! Seriously,he has been doing a great deal of work on this topic. In his proposal paper Professor Dijkstra said that it is the first [project] to catalogue and interpret all the graffiti (about 300 in total, both figures and texts) from one temple, the temple of Isis at Aswan. It will be interesting to see what his research has revealed. “”People have looked, and still look, down on the ancient graffiti found in the temples of Egypt, which does not do justice to this highly interesting material.”

The symposiumwill be held at the University of Toronto on May 29, in the Earth Science Centre room 1050, from 9:45am to 5:30pm. Admission for CSCS member is $20 and $25 for non-members. Students get a discount. CSCS student members pay $10 and non CSCS student members pay $15. The fee includes lunch. The symposium schedule is below.

Schedule

8.30 – 9.45 Registration

9.45 – 10.00 Welcome
President: Canadian Society for Coptic Studies.

First Session

Chair: Prof. Jitse H.F. Dijkstra, Associate Professor and Head of Classics,
Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa.

10.00 – 10.45 Prof. Stephen Davis: Professor and Director ofUndergraduate Studies, Department of Religious Studies, Yale University.
“The Excavation of the Monastery of Saint Shenute of Atripe”.

10.45 – 11.00 (Discussion)

11.00 – 11.45 Prof. Anne Moore, Associate Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary.
“Shenoute, Prophet for the People”

11.45 – 12.00 (Discussion)

12.00 – 1.30 Lunch Break

Second Session

Chair Prof. Stephen Davis.

1.30 – 2.00 Dr. Ramez Boutros, Instructor, NMC.
“The Cave Church of Gabal al-Tayr: a pilgrimage site from the Early Medieval Period in Middle Egypt”

2.00 – 2.30 Prof. Jitse H.F Dijkstra, Associate Professor and head of Classics, department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa.
“The Isis Temple Graffiti Project: Preliminary Results”.

2.30 – 3.00 Coffee Break

Third Session

Chair: Prof. Sheila Campbell: Emeritus Fellow, Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies (PIMS), U of T.

3.00 – 3.30 Dr. Emile Tadros: Researcher at the Higher Institute of Coptic Studies in Cairo, Department of Coptic Liturgical Music.
” ‘Cosmic Music’ in Early Christian Literature in Egypt”.

3.30 – 4.00 Dr. Helene Moussa: Volunteer Curator, St. Mark’s Coptic Museum, Scarborough.
“Icon of St. Mina, St. Mark’s Coptic Museum, Akhmim Style?”

4.00 – 4.30 Stretch break

Fourth session

Chair: Prof. Anne Moore.

4.30 – 5.00 Bishoy Dawood: Ph.D. Candidate in Systematic Theology, University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto.
“The Coptic Calendar”.

5.00 – 5.30 Joseph Youssef: M.A. Student, York University
“Ritualization Processes in Coptic Monastic Rituals and Initiation Practices”.

5.30 Close

For more info click here, or visit St. Mark’s Coptic Museum Website.

‘Noah’s Ark’ Discovery: Views from the Blogosphere

‘Evangelist explorers’ called Noah’s Ark Ministries International, (a name half-Orwell, half Playdays), search for the legendary vessel. Said explorers then ‘discover’ the ark up a Turkish mountain.

Naturally not everyone welcomes the news without a hint of skepticism, and the blogosphere’s been buzzing with hoax stories, images, background info and videos – one of which you can see right here. So here’s a snippet of what the web’s been saying about this ‘breakthrough’ –

Hot From NIMA

The NIMA site itself gives little more than a few newspaper cut-outs (nearly all in Chinese) and an expedition timeline.

Quote:March 2010 – “The We Touched Noahs Ark: The Search for A Carpenters Heart Evangelistic Campaign was launched. Worldwide press conferences, exhibitions and sharing are carried out to spread the Gospel through the Noahs Ark discovery.”

Where’s This Flood, Then?

The Daily Mail has been in touch with two experts. The first, US security analyst Porcher Taylor, confirms there is an ‘anomaly’ on the side of Mount Ararat. However British archaeologist Mike Pitts, who took archaeology to London’s Fourth Plinth last year, questions the team’s find.

Quote: Mike Pitts – “If there had been a flood capable of lifting a huge ship 4km up the side of a mountain 4,800 years ago, I think there would be substantial geological evidence for this flood around the world. And there isn’t.”

Ark Gets Around

The Gaea Times points to several unnamed ‘historians’, who it says are skeptical of the discovery, pointing out that ‘discoveries’ of Noah’s Ark are frequent ocurrances.

Quote: “It is being claimed…that the evangelists…may only have been misled. The historians base their skepticism in the fact that so-called evidences of Noah’s Ark pop up almost every other day…generally in different parts of the world.“

American Nation is slightly less even-handed in its approach, enlisting a phalanx of skeptics with few good words to say on the news, including Paul Zimansky and Peter Ian Kuniholm.

Quote: Paul Zimansky – “You have to take everything out of context except the Bible to get something tolerable, and theyre not even working much with the Bible.”

Stay Frosty, Guys!

The Marshian Chronicles warns its followers to ‘stay frosty’ on the story, but accepts the gravity of the story when pointing out that, if true, it blows apart disbelief of the Bible stories like no other event in history.

Quote: “If thats really Noahs Ark, this discovery is the equivalent of an Atom Bomb in the historical and spiritual world. I dont know how you could possibly not believe the Old Testament on other issues if this one is proved true.”

Have Your Say

Flag up below any other takes on the story that you spot on the blogosphere and think are interesting.

What do you think about the discovery?Do you think it’s too good to be true? Should it be added to our list of favourite hoaxes and pranks? Or is there enough evidence for us to take the team seriously? – don’t hold back!

Noah’s Ark Discovered on Mount Ararat in Turkey?

A Chinese-Turkish group of explorers have announced their discovery of Noah’s Ark, 4,000 metres up a mountain in eastern Turkey. The team, named Noah’s Ark Ministries International (NAMI), claim to have taken photographic and physical evidence of the remains on Mount Ararat, near the Turkish-Armenian border.

The ‘evangelical explorers’ even say they have carbon-dated the ‘ark’ to around 4,800 years, bringing it in line with most historians’ views on the Biblical flood story. The group, comprising 15 adventurers from Hong Kong and Turkey, have also shown reporters wooden fragments, rope and nails they claim to have brought from the wreckage.

Local officials will ask the Turkish government in Ankara to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status for the site, so it can be excavated further. NAMI member Yeung Wing-Cheung is confident his team have finally cracked one of the Bible’s biggest mysteries. “It’s not 100 percent that it is Noah’s Ark, but we think it is 99.9 percent that this is it,” he says.

Buy Related Books

Picturing the Bible: The Earliest Christian Art by Jeffrey Spier, Mary Charles-Murray, Johannes G Deckers, Robin M Jensen, Steven Fine, Herbert L Kessler

Dutch expert Gerrit Aalten is also upbeat about the discovery. “The significance of this find is that for the first time inhistory the discovery of Noahs Ark is well documented and revealed to the worldwide community,” he says. “Theres a tremendous amount of solid evidence that the structure found on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey is the legendary Ark of Noah.”

The whereabouts of Noah’s Ark is one of Biblical archaeology’s greatest conundrums. Noah famously built his ark to accommodate two of every animal, to escape a worldwide flood caused by God after having seen how corrupt humans had become. The Bible then says the ark came to rest on a mountain, of which Ararat is the region’s largest.

This isn’t the first time someone has claimed the discovery of the ark on Mount Ararat. American archaeologist Ron Wyatt found a boat-shaped object stretching across the region in 1987, that was promptly labelled a national park by Ankara. Check out this video of the discovery: