Izmir previously has had several smaller museums, whose exhibits have now been enfolded into one much larger and nicer museum, and I had the privilege of seeing it before it was properly open to the public with Pinar, one of Tutku’s new guides. And it is very impressive. Yes there are still some signs that need to be finished, but most things are nicely in place already. This building you see above was once a tobacco factory, and our guide... Read more
John Grisham is nothing if not prolific. And with 47 NY times bestselling novels he’s got an audience that spans the globe. He mostly sticks to the advice to ‘write what you know’, and that is certainly true of these three short stories which are excellent, especially the title story which is classic Grisham. This collection came out in April of this year and at 417 pages, one wonders if the man has time to do anything but write good... Read more
One of the interesting contrasts one can note is between the rough hewn construction of the tombs themselves, and the high art craftsmanship of what is in the tombs. Here is a peek at the tomb construction…. Of course the construction of such tombs involved slave labor, contrasted to the artisan work done by free persons…. Here is some of the remarkable ivory work that was part of an ivory couch for the queen…. The queen was wrapped in... Read more
Grave steles, or monuments to the dead are interesting, not least because these were honor and shame cultures, and people didn’t want their ancestors to be forgotten, or lose honor. There are several such steles at Philip’s tomb complex and we will consider them here. It’s one thing to stand in wonder at the display of Philip’s gold battle gear….. But even the most heroic, most victorious of human beings eventually die, one way or another. And neither they nor... Read more
As the following graphic shows, the tombs we are examining were dug into the left side of the hill…. There were other graves but not any of great significance for our purposes. Basically, Philip went through the same process of the bathing of the body, then the funeral pyre, then the gathering of the burnt remains and ashes, then the burial. Below is a picture of the huge bronze bathing bowl and related items, used with Philip… Here are some... Read more
The gold laurel wreath of Alexander IV and the urn for Alexander’s ashes. Alexander IV was the only child of Alexander the Great, and his wife Roxanna. She was pregnant with him when Alexander the Great unexpectedly prematurely died June 11th 323 B.C. Alas there were massive power struggles after Alexander the Great died, and one of the major figures was Cassander who, when Alexander the IV was of age to ascend the throne at 14, had him poisoned so... Read more
Manolis Andronikos (1919-92) was a Greek archaeologist. The crowning achievement of his long work life, was the discovery of Philip’s tomb and that of his family. He was a also professor of archaeology at Thessaloniki for many years, the closest large city. It was a chilly Nov. 8th day in 1977 when he discovered this tomb in Vergina and he is the one who identified it as Philip’s tomb. Here was the site before his exploration…. There are many such... Read more
There are not many important sites in Greece I have missed over the years, but somehow, someway I missed the town of Veria near Berea because it was not a Biblical site on my tour list. Not this year. This year we went to Veria after a brief stop in Berea towards the end of May and I was left with my jaw hanging open. Somehow, this tomb had escaped grave robbing, and I am not exaggerating in saying that... Read more
LIFE LONG/ LONG LIFE (for family and friends) Sadness sinks in, With the passing of the past Great ones Their voices are not silenced Since they are on record and records But there is no fresh work No new thing to bring the Spring Of the heart The elation of creation The thrill of live and embodied The erection of connection Between artist and audience Between musician and the music Between time and eternity. Sometimes the sounds... Read more
Q. Finally, knowing what we know about the importance of the apostolic tradition, and the later attempt to link so many early Christian Gospels to the Twelve or apostles, even late in the second century (Gospel of Peter, etc.) it seems unlikely to me that anyone would invent the notion of Mark being an author of a Gospel never mind the first Gospel. He was neither one of the Twelve nor an apostle, and if he is the John Mark... Read more
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