TWO NOTES ON THE NEW CROESUS EPIGRAM FROM THEBES

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-15
Author(s):  
Matthew Simonton

In March 2005 a rescue excavation uncovered a spectacular new epigraphic find from Thebes. Now on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thebes, a column drum 0.41 m in height has inscribed on it two identical epigrams, one (the older one) written vertically in Boeotian script and a second (later) Ionian copy written horizontally on the other side. Nikolaos Papazarkadas published the editio princeps of the epigram in 2014, using both inscriptions to create a composite text. As Papazarkadas realized, the column drum, which has a chi-shaped orifice at one end meant to hold a stationary object, at one point displayed a ‘shining shield’ (φαεννὰν | [ἀσπ]ίδα, lines 3–4) that Herodotus had seen in the temple of Apollo Ismenius in Thebes. Moreover, this shield was interpreted by Herodotus (relying on the language of the inscription and likely on the commentary of temple staff) as having been dedicated by the Lydian king Croesus to the hero Amphiaraus, when he was ‘testing’ the various oracles in Greece in order to decide on a course of action against his rival Cyrus of Persia.

1901 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Takakusu

The book I have chosen for my present paper is a sort of Jātaka or Avadāna entitled the “ Hien-yü-Ching,” which Mr. Nanjio has restored into Sanskrit as “ Damamūkasūtra” , or “ Tales of the Wise Man and the Fool.” It will at once remind one of the Tibetan work “ mDsans-blun ” (generally called Dsan-lun), that is, “Der Weise und der Thor,” published by I. J. Schmidt, and afterwards by Schiefner, for this is a popular work and is read by almost every student of Tibetan. The Chinese version was by Hui-hsio , Wei-teh , and others, written during their stay in Karakhodjo, a.d. 445 . There are, however, two texts both assigned to the same translators, one coming down through the Korean Buddhists and the other through the Chinese. It is said in the earliest catalogue in existence (a.d. 520) that the original text was obtained by the translators in Khoten (Kustana, ) and translated by them in the Temple Tien-an-shi, Karakhodjo . As to the Tibetan text we were first informed of its existence by Csoma de Cörösi in the “ Asiatic Researches,” vol. xx, 1836, and seven years later we were furnished with the text by the Russian savants mentioned above.


Author(s):  
Zsolt Kiss ◽  

Two fragments of painted Roman funerary portraits on wooden panels of the Fayum type, discovered in 2001 during a revisiting of the Third Intermediate Period shaft tombs inside the Chapel of Hatshepsut in the Royal Mortuary Cult Complex at the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari, come from 19th century excavations, hence are without anything but a general context. The pieces are very small—fragment of a robe, sliver of a face with one eye—but in a brilliant analysis of iconography and style Kiss identifies one as a depiction of a female, possibly a priestess of Isis, from the second half of the 2nd century AD, and the other as a male portrait from the 2nd century. The portraits may belong to what some scholars have called “Theban” painted funerary portraits and they must have come from a Roman necropolis in West Thebes, possibly Deir el-Medineh. On any case, they are proof that mummies with painted portraits of the deceased on wooden panels fitted into the cartonnages were not unknown in ancient Thebes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-18
Author(s):  
Noor Cholis Idham

Javanese Islamic architecture appears to be highly influenced by previous cultures, even though Islam has brought a new civilisation since the 13th century in Indonesia. The classical mosques and houses seem to follow Javanese and Hindu-Buddhist principles in their buildings, elements and spatial arrangements. This paper examines how the Javanese adapted their architecture to meet Islamic values while preserving their previous traditions. The concept of architectural synchronisation in Javanese architecture is examined from the traces observed in the temple dioramas, depictions of contemporary cultural products, and several traditional buildings. The adoptions and adaptations that appear in some significant objects such as old mosques and houses are traced back to previous transformation principles. Architectural harmonisation for new needs seemingly bases on religion as the most potent driving aspect. However, what is interesting is that in the case of Java, embracing a new religion does not mean forgetting existing traditions. On the other hand, the principle of acculturation has created a peaceful transition in architecture. Some evidence suggests that Javanese high culture, such as the classical grand mosque and the joglo house, succeeded in translating Javanese and Hindu-Buddhist ideas into Islamic architecture in very distinctive ways.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-226
Author(s):  
Agni Sesaria Mochtar

Borobudur temple has been famously known as one of the Indonesian heritage masterpiece. Various aspects of it had been studied thoroughly since the beginning of 20th century A.D. Those studies tended to be monumental centric, giving less attention to the cultural context of the temple and its surroundings. Settlement in the nearby places is one of the topics which not have been studied much yet; leaving a big question about how the settlement supported continuity of many activities in the temple, or even the other way around; how the temple affected the settlement. There is only a few data about old settlement found in situ in Borobudur site, only abundance of pottery sherds. The analysis applied on to the potteries find during the 2012 excavation had given some information about the old settlement in Borobodur site. The old settlement predicted as resided in the south west area, in the back side of the monument.


2021 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-238
Author(s):  
Filip Taterka
Keyword(s):  
The One ◽  

Summary The article presents a previously unpublished block coming from the Southern Lower Portico (also known as the Punt Portico) in Hatshepsut’s temple of millions of years at Deir el-Bahari. It contains a depiction of a young Nubian man carrying two mysterious objects. The one is the double tjsw-staff, while the other is most likely a wooden stool. In order to support his identification of the objects in question, the author discusses some parallels coming from early 18th dynasty private tombs at Thebes.


Author(s):  
Celene Ibrahim

This chapter discusses Qur’anic concepts related to sex and sexuality and considers how sex, as a feature of embodiment and as an act of intimacy, factors into Qur’anic narratives. It delineates concepts such as “female,” “woman,” and “wife,” and gives attention to Qur’anic notions of virginity and beauty. The chapter points out the many provocative juxtapositions between female figures, the situations that they navigate, and the moral valences of their actions and intentions. It demonstrates how the issue of illicit sex is a major human dilemma in the Qur’anic worldview, both for the chaste who are unjustly accused of illicit sex and for immoral people who create havoc for themselves and others through their profligacy and moral bankruptcy. On the other hand, the Qur’an does not emphasize the trope of the seductress; of the dozens of female figures mentioned in the Qur’an, only one plays this role, and even she can be directly contrasted to women in similar, potentially compromising situations who take the morally sound course of action. Qur’anic terminology for paradisal beings and the possibility of sex in paradise is also discussed.


Author(s):  
Shyam Nair

A moral dilemma is a situation where an agent’s obligations conflict. Debate in this area focuses on the question of whether genuine moral dilemmas exist. This question involves considering not only the nature and significance of dilemmas, but also the connections between dilemmas, the logic of obligation and moral emotions. Certain cases involving difficult choices suggest that moral dilemmas exist. These cases also suggest that dilemmas are significant because they show that moral theory cannot help with these choices. If this is right, morality may be unimportant because it may be a system of inconsistent rules that cannot be used as a guide that tells us what to do. But this understanding of the cases is disputable. Perhaps the cases show that agents can be ignorant about what they ought to do. Or perhaps dilemmas are not significant because moral theory tells agents to do the most important of their obligations. On the other hand, principles from the logic of obligation or deontic logic can be used to argue against the existence of moral dilemmas. Principles of deontic logic such as the ‘ought’ implies ‘can’ principle and the agglomeration principle, which says that if you ought to do a and ought to do b, then you ought to do a and b, taken together with the assumption that moral dilemmas exist, turn out to entail a contradiction. This means that one of these principles must be given up, or else it must be the case that moral dilemmas do not exist. Careful consideration of the moral emotions has suggested that dilemmas do exist. It is appropriate for agents to feel guilt only if they ought to have done otherwise. In cases involving difficult choices, it is appropriate to feel guilt no matter what course of action is taken. This suggests that such cases involve genuine dilemmas.


1991 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Elliott

In Luke-Acts the social codes and concepts associated with food and meals replicate and support the contrasting social codes, interests, and ideologies associated with the Jerusalem Temple, on the one hand, and the Christian household, on the other. In this study the thesis is advanced that in contrast to the Temple and the exclusivist purity and legal system it represents, Luke has used occasions of domestic dining and hospitality to depict an inclusive form of social relations which transcends previous Jewish purity regulations and which gives concrete social expression to the inclusive character of the gospel, the kingdom of God, and the Christian community.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 665-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria C. Escobar-Lemmon ◽  
Michelle M. Taylor-Robinson

The process of selecting cabinet ministers often takes place behind closed doors, including weighing the need to balance or manage factions within the president's party and/or coalition partners; addressing demands for diversity in the cabinet, such as appointment of women or other historically underrepresented groups; sending signals about the administration's policy agenda; and enabling the president to have people he or she trusts close at hand. On the other hand, ministerial exits are usually less private affairs. In some cases they come after weeks of public or congressional scrutiny and criticism of ministers for policy failures or follow extended speculation about who will lose their seat when the president reshuffles the cabinet. Some ministers depart to pursue lucrative private-sector opportunities. Other ministers switch posts but stay in government. How ministers exit can have implications for the administration since a president who is frequently forced to shuffle the cabinet or sack ministers looks ineffective, and comparisons to rats and sinking ships are difficult to avoid in the wake of excessive changes. At the same time, an administration with zero turnover may also not be healthy, as it would suggest that presidents are staidly bound to their initial course of action and unable (or unwilling) to adapt to changing circumstances.


2020 ◽  
pp. 232949652096818
Author(s):  
Di Di

This study explores how religious adherents construct their ideas regarding gender in Buddhist faith communities. Two temples, one in China and the other in the United States, both affiliated with the same international Buddhist headquarters, are situated in national contexts that endorse different macro-level gender norms. While leaders of both temples teach similar religious gender norms—specifically, that gender is unimportant for spiritual advancement—adherents do articulate gender differences in other respects. Buddhists at the temple in China believe that men and women differ but should be treated equally, with neither holding dominance over the other; meanwhile, U.S. practitioners also believe that everyone should be treated equally irrespective of gender, but they view men and women as essentially the same. A close analysis reveals that Buddhists at both temples recognize the distinctions between their religious and societal macro-level gender norms and navigate between these norms when constructing their own understandings of gender. This study highlights the influence of national context on the relationship between gender and religion, thereby contributing to and deepening our understanding of the subject.


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