by Tom Pollack
Because of the wickedness of humans, God determined to destroy mankind with a flood. But one man pleased him, Noah, and he was tasked by God to build an ark. This “ship” would be big enough for Noah’s family and male and female sets of all animals. According to God’s instructions (Genesis, Chap. 6), the ark would have been made of cypress wood, was 450 ft. long, 75 ft. wide, and 45 ft. tall. [back]
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According to the Bible (Genesis, Chap. 9), the first rainbow appeared after the great flood that destroyed humanity---save for Noah and his family and two of every living thing. It was a sign of God’s agreement with Noah and future generations, that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood. [back]
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A popular game of ancient Egypt, senet has been found in Egyptian tombs dating as far back as 3500 BC. It consists of a board with 30 squares---three rows of ten each---and two sets of pawns. [back]
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A symbol of the sun god Ra, the obelisk was a prominent piece of ancient Egyptian architecture. Found in pairs at temple entrances, these tall, four-sided monuments are tapered and end in a pyramid-shaped tip. They are made of stone, with deeply etched hieroglyphs on each side. [back]
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An important figure in Egyptian mythology, Osiris was the god of the underworld, the afterlife and the dead. He was typically depicted as a green-skinned man, symbolizing re-birth. His legs are wrapped mummy-style. He has a pharaoh’s beard and a white, feathered crown; in his hands he holds a crock and flail. [back]
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A staple in ancient Egyptian homes, beer was drunk daily. Egyptian beer was thick and cloudy and full of nutrients. It is believed to have been made by first making a high-yeast bread, then pouring water over pieces of the bread through a sieve. [back]
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Serving as a burial tomb for Egypt’s pharaohs, the earliest form of pyramids rose in layers, each layer smaller than the one beneath it, resembling giant steps. The first step pyramid was completed by 2630 BC for Pharaoh Djoser. This was the predecessor to the smooth-sided “true pyramid,” such as the Great Pyramid of Giza (2550 BC). Other ancient civilizations also built similar step pyramids, the Mesopotamians, Aztecs and Mayans, for instance. [back]
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God inflicted the Ten Plagues upon Egypt in order to pressure Pharaoh to release the Hebrews from slavery. The final plague---the death of all first born Egyptian males---broke Pharaoh’s resolve, and he let the Israelites leave Egypt. The account is found in the Bible in the book of Exodus. [back]
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The Trojan War, in Greek mythology, is the story of a 10-year war between the Greeks and Trojans. According to the story, the Trojans appeared to sail away, leaving behind a large hollow wooden horse, which was brought inside the city gates. At night, hidden soldiers emerged from the horse, opened the gates to the rest of the Trojan soldiers who had returned and Troy was destroyed. It is believed that the story was modeled after an actual war that took place around 1200 BC. [back]
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The great epic poem of ancient Greece, Odyssey, written by Homer, told the story of Odysseus’ struggles to get home to his wife after the (mythical) Trojan War. Homer also wrote the Iliad. [back]
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A large public square in Rome, the Piazza del Popolo sits just inside the northern entrance to the city through the Aurelian Walls; this is where the Via Flaminia, an important ancient road that lead to the north started. The square contains an Egyptian obelisk that was built in 1300 BC, surrounded by four lion water fountains; and just beyond that are two symmetrical churches. [back]
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Recovered from underwater wreckage off an island in Greece in 1900, the antikythera device was believed to have been used to calculate the position of the planets and stars. It was made around 100 BC and, like the inner workings of a well-made clock, had many gears and dials.
Dig a little deeper at:
http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr
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At the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, an outnumbered force of some 10,000 Athenians conquered at least twice the number of attacking Persians in this first battle of the Persian Wars. Casualties: Persians, 6400; Athenians, 192. [back]
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Pliny the Elder wrote about a mechanical reaper, invented by the Romans, or possibly the Celts. It was pushed by oxen and removed the grain but not the straw. During the dark ages, it was forgotten about, and people went back to using scythes and sickles. [back]
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Marvels of engineering, Roman aqueducts carried water from the mountains into the cities via underground and above ground trenches, perfectly graded so that gravity propelled the water. Rome had the greatest concentration of them, 11, about 500 miles worth. [back]
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Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Lighthouse at Alexandria, was completed by Ptolemy II on the island of Pharos (280 BC). Its height was between 393 and 450 ft. and it was destroyed in an earthquake in the 14th century. [back]
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What would be the equivalent to today’s universities, the Musaeum or Mouseion at Alexandria, Egypt, was founded by Ptolemy I. One room was devoted to the study of anatomy and the constellations, while another room for music and poetry. The Musaeum also contained a philosophical school and library. [back]
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A term used to describe the ancient trading route that stretched across China to reach Europe, the Silk Road was aptly named for the silk that was exported along this route by the Chinese. Later, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism would find their way into China via this route. [back]
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A form of funerary art, the Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures---8,000 soldiers, 670 horses, and 130 chariots---that are buried with the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. [back]
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The Star of Bethlehem signaled the Wise Men that a baby had been born who would be King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-12). According to Matthew’s account, the star led them directly to Jesus, stopping directly over where he was.
Dig a little deeper at:
http://www.bethlehemstar.net
[back]
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Ancient Greek boats employed rowers, and a bank of oars on each side, to propel the ship through the seas. The oldest form of these had one row on each side, a penteconter; after that the bireme, with two rows of oars, followed by the trireme, with three rows of oars stacked on top of each other and one man at each oar. [back]
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The Land of Nod is mentioned in the book of Genesis in the Bible and is a place located East of Eden. “Nod”, which is from the Hebrew word meaning “to wander”, is where Cain went after killing his brother, Abel. [back]
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As the second lowest point in Africa at more than 400 feet below sea level, the Qattara Depression is an area in the Libyan Desert that is comprised of sand dunes, salt marshes and salt pans. It spans more than 7,500 square miles.
Dig a little deeper at:
http://geology.com/below-sea-level/
[back]
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The desert cypress tree (or Saharan Cypress) is a rarity, but more than 200 exist in the harsh climate conditions of the Sahara. They are the only species in the plant kingdom that clones its male genetic material in order to reproduce. To learn more, visit this website: http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200705/a.cypress.in.the.sahara.htm [back]
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In 1852, Pope Pius IX created the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology in order “to take care of the ancient sacred cemeteries, look after their preventive preservation, further explorations,
research and study, and also safeguard the oldest mementos of the early Christian centuries, the outstanding monuments and venerable Basilicas in Rome, in the Roman suburbs and soil, and in the other Dioceses in agreement with the respective Ordinaries.” [back]
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Cape Sounion, located at the southernmost point on the Attica peninsula in Greece, served as home to the ancient Greek temple Poseidon, who was the Greek god of the sea. [back]
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Piraeus is a renowned port city south of Athens on the east coast of Greece off the Saronic Gulf. As the chief harbor of ancient Greece, Piraeus today serves as the largest passenger port in Europe. [back]
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King Nebuchadnezzar was a well-known king of the Babylonian empire, who ruled from 605-562 BC. He is the ruler responsible for leading the development of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the seven wonders of the world. He is most famously tied to the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. [back]
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The Huaqing Hot Springs are located at the foot of Mount Li and have been home to the palaces of several Chinese emperors. They were built in 723 by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty as an addition to the palace there. [back]
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As part of the Qinling mount range, Mount Li (“Black Steed Mountain”) is northwest of Xi’an in China and provides one of the more scenic vistas in the Shaanxi Province. [back]
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The Wei River is the largest tributary of the Yellow River at nearly 500 miles and flows through China’s Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. [back]
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The Qinling Mountains serve as a boundary between the north and south of China in the southern region of the Shaanxi province. [back]
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Quicksilver is an ancient name for mercury, which is literally translated from Old English into “living silver” due to its movement-like properties. [back]
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Shaqiu is located in the Hebei Province in the northeast section of China. [back]
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Zhifu Island, also known as the North Island, is located in China’s Shandong Province and is home to archeological exhibitions that have unearthed more than 200 artifacts that show the area was settled during the Neolithic period. It is also home to the legend about the Mountain of Immortality. [back]
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Also known as the Phurba, the Golden Passport was a golden dagger with three blades that was supposedly the key to Shambhala as recorded by Marco Polo. [back]
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Hipparchus was a Greek mathematician, astrologer, geographer and astronomer who is considered the father of trigonometry. [back]
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Ostia was a harbor city located at the mouth of the Tiber River in ancient Rome. [back]
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The Tiber River, which is the third longest river in Italy, has served as the watercourse of Rome. Rome was founded on the eastern banks of the Tiber River. [back]
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Located halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa in Israel, Caesarea was built by Herod in 13 BC as a port city. Its inhabitants were exempt from Jewish law since it was comprised of mostly non-Jewish residents. [back]
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The Great Fire of Rome gutted Rome in 64 AD, sparing just four of the city’s 14 districts. For six days the fire raged as it destroyed much of the town. However, Nero, in an effort to suppress the Christians blamed the fire on the Christians, claimed it was an act of arson. He arrested many Christians for crimes punishable by death, going so far as wrapping them in thorn baskets and burning them on a stake. These human torches were used to light the streets of Rome as a reminder of their conviction for setting the Great Fire. [back]
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Campus Martius, which means “Field of Mars” in Latin, was a low-lying plain near the web bend of the Tiber River where most of the Romans lived in the Middle Ages. Initially, it primarily was used as a pasture for horses and sheep as well as army training immediately after the city was founded. However, it later became a central region for people to dwell. [back]
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Paulinus was the Roman general who helped squash Boudica’s uprising and restore order. He was eventually appointed the governor of Britain in 59 AD. [back]
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As king of the Celtic tribe known as the Iceni, King Prasutagus was the husband of Boudica. His will was not honored and the Romans took over the region he ruled, which is now known as Norfolk. [back]
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The Iceni were the tribe who refused to be ruled by the Romans when King Prasutagus’ will was ignored in first century AD. Led by Boudica, they revolted and nearly forced the Roman troops to leave before being subdued by Paulinus and the Romans. [back]
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Catus Decianus was the procurator of Roman Britain in AD 60 or 61 and was responsible for provoking the rebellion of Boudica. [back]
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The Dead Sea Scrolls are documents found near the Dead Sea that are significant both religiously and historically. Dating back to 150 BC and 70 AD, the manuscripts demonstrate the accuracy of biblical texts pertaining to the time frame in which they were originally written. A total of 972 texts were discovered between 1947 and 1956.
Dig a little deeper at:
http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/
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Named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Appian way was the longest and most important Roman road in the ancient Roman empire. It connected Rome with the southeast coast of Italy, providing for easy transportation of merchandise as well as quick military mobilization. [back]
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The Neronian Baths were first built by Nero in 65 AD and served as public bath houses with heated waters. Patrons often had to wear special shoes to avoid blistering on their feet. They were immensely popular with the citizens and were more like a visit to an exercise facility and spa than simply a place to bathe. [back]
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Sicinnus served as a slave for Themistocles and played a pivotal role in the second Persian inversaion of Greece. At the behest of Themistocles, Sicinnus managed to persuade Xerxes that the Greeks were panicking and a Persian fleet could serve as a blockade to prohibit the Greeks from escaping. However, it was a trap and the Greeks warded off the Persians, resulting in great reward for Sicinnus. [back]
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The Babylonians were notorious for building towers, also known as ziggurats, most notably, the Tower of Babel, which was made infamous in a story found in Genesis 11. It is the location where God confused the languages of the people in order to thwart an attempt to build a tower that reached to the heavens. Notice the tower rising in the background in the image below. [back]
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The Persian Empire (550 BC - 330 BC) was the largest empire in the history of the world during its day, stretching from the Indus Valley in the west to Greece in the east. It spanned three continents and contained more than 50 million people, comprising approximately 44 percent of the world's population at the time. [back]
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Oral history was the way history was kept alive as it was passed down from one generation to the next. Using performers, the history of a country or people group was retold by performers who employed technical requirements that used a verse technique which was syllabic along with the literary devices of assonance, half rhyme, and alliteration. [back]
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"Am I my brother's keeper?" is one of many everyday phrases we use that has biblical origins. Here are some others: [bac
k]
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
A drop in the bucket
A fly in the ointment
A house divided against itself cannot stand
A labour of love
A man after his own heart
