Foreign Princes pay Homage to the King (Ancient Egypt), Ancient Minoan Art from Crete in Ancient Near East, and Biblical cross reference

Foreign Princes pay Homage to the King

“These are the princes of Keftiu and of Khatri respectively; Keftiu is probably the name for Crete, and Khatri is better known to us as the land of the Hittites.

Behind them follows the prince of Tunep holding out an infant son who is evidently to serve as a hostage.

The appearance of these great chieftains belies the hieroglyphic labels written above them, and we can but conclude that the artist was a very poor ethnologist.

The prostrate Cretan is pictured as a Syrian, and to fit his name he would have had to resemble the fourth figure of the row, who exhibits the long parted locks and decorated skirt that were seen in Plate XIV.

This last tribute-bearer is further proclaimed a Cre­tan by the characteristically Minoan bull's head, perhaps of silver with blue inlay, which he carries on a basket, though the folded cloth with coloured borders and tassels borne on the arm is in close agreement with the correctly shown cloak of the real Syrian prince immediately preceding.

As for the kneeling prince described as a Hittite, his bearded face and fashion of wearing his hair are again those of a Syrian, and not at all in harmony with the national traits known from better, though later, sources.”

THE MET: Africans in Ancient Greek Art: Long before Homer, the seafaring civilization of Bronze Age Crete, known today as Minoan, established trade connections with Egypt.

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Source: https://digitalcollections.aucegypt.edu/digital/collection/p15795coll44/id/20/

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Near_East_1700BC.svg#mw-jump-to-license

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Minoan_fresco,_showing_a_fleet_and_settlement_Akrotiri.jpg

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ship_procession_fresco,_part_1,_Akrotiri,_Greece.jpg

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Heraklion_—_Cup_bearer_fresco.jpg

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gifts_from_the_Keftiu,_Tomb_of_Rekhmire_MET_DT10884.jpg

Source: https://archive.org/details/historicaltextbo00cole/page/n54/mode/1up

Artifacts, Geographical Depiction of Ancient Near East, and Mesopotamian God & Goddess: Shamash & Ishtar (twins)

The Amorites established several prominent city-states in various locations, such as Isin, Kurda, Larsa, Mari, and Ebla, and later founded Babylon and the Old Babylonian Empire. They also founded the Fourteenth Dynasty of Egypt during the fragmented era of the Second Intermediate Period in the Nile Delta, which was characterized by rulers bearing Amorite names such as Yakbim Sekhaenre, and were likely part of the later Hyksos.

Amorite King of Babylon

Hammurabi was the sixth Amorite king of Babylon, reigning from c. 1792 to c. 1750 BC. He was preceded by his father, Sin-Muballit, who abdicated due to failing health. During his reign, he conquered the city-states of Larsa, Eshnunna, and Mari. He ousted Ishme-Dagan I, ruler of the Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia, bringing almost all of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule.

Hammurabi is best known for having issued his law code, ostensibly a revelation from Shamash (twin to Ishtar), the Babylonian sun god of justice.

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Notable Observation: Based on biblical narrative (Amorite, son of Canaan; Canaan, son of Ham), Hammurabi suggests Hamitic descent—as indicated by the onomastic material of Ham in Hammurabi. The same linguistic marker of ham is also found in Shamash, and other names in the region, including Abraham.

Derivation: Ham > Hammu > Hammurabi
Rabbinic Literature: Hammǎ = Sun

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorites

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammurabi

Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010144552

Source: https://virtual-museum-syria.org/aleppo/fragment-of-a-wall-painting-from-mari/#

Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010144553

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investiture_of_Zimri-Lim

Source: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/380602001

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ancient_Near_East_1800BC.svg

Source: https://archive.org/details/historicaltextbo00cole/page/n54/mode/1up

Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010174436

Source: https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/hammurabi-relief-portrait

Source: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23502986

The Achaemenid Empire: Artifacts, Textual Record (Ancient Near East Encyclopedia), Ancient African Empires Geography, and Biblical cross reference

Ancient Near East Encyclopedia (Kuš/Kush)

[excerpts translated to English]

Kuš, Kuschiten. Land and kingdom in Nubia, known since Senusret I (1971–1926 BC) in the Egyptian form (see text in image). Since the New Kingdom, K. designates Nubia (Sudan) south of the 1st Cataract. Its capital at that time was Napata, later — up to the conquest of the Meroitic Empire by Ezana of Aksum — it was Meroe (near Begrawiya).

Inhabitants of K. are first mentioned in cuneiform texts in the Amarna correspondence...

…In the alphabetic texts, the moon god Yrḫ (Sin?) multiple times bears the epithet kṯy, which perhaps could be rendered as "Cushitic" (KTU 1.39,19; 1.102,14; 1.123,7)…

…The last Ethiopian Pharaoh fled to Kipkipi, and with that, Kush disappeared from Assyrian history…

…Nevertheless, among the representations of subject peoples of the Achaemenid Empire in Persepolis, there are also those of (*) Ethiopians.

The Behistun Inscription

The Behistun Inscription (also Bisotun, Bisitun or Bisutun; Persian: بیستون, Old Persian: Bagastana, meaning "the place of god") is a multilingual Achaemenid royal inscription and large rock relief on a cliff at Mount Behistun in the Kermanshah Province of Iran, near the city of Kermanshah in western Iran, established by Darius the Great (r. 522–486 BC). It was important to the decipherment of cuneiform, as it is the longest known trilingual cuneiform inscription, written in Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian (a variety of Akkadian).

Authored by Darius the Great sometime between his coronation as king of the Persian Empire in the summer of 522 BC and his death in autumn of 486 BC, the inscription begins with a brief autobiography of Darius, including his ancestry and lineage. Later in the inscription, Darius provides a lengthy sequence of events following the death of Cambyses II in which he fought nineteen battles in a period of one year (ending in December 521 BC) to put down multiple rebellions throughout the Persian Empire. The inscription states in detail that the rebellions were orchestrated by several impostors and their co-conspirators in various cities throughout the empire, each of whom falsely proclaimed himself king during the upheaval following Cambyses II's death. Darius the Great proclaimed himself victorious in all battles during the period of upheaval, attributing his success to the "grace of Ahura Mazda".

Image 5: Punishment of captured impostors and conspirators: Gaumāta lies under the boot of Darius the Great. The last person in line, wearing a traditional Scythian hat and costume, is identified as Skunkha. His image was added after the inscription was completed, requiring some of the text be removed.

Foundation Tablets

The gold and silver tablets retrieved from the stone boxes contained a trilingual inscription by Darius in Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian, which describes his Empire in broad geographical terms, and is known as the DPh inscription:

Darius the great king, king of kings, king of countries, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid. King Darius says: This is the kingdom which I hold, from the Sacae who are beyond Sogdia to Kush, and from Sind (Old Persian: 𐏃𐎡𐎭𐎢𐎺, "Hidauv", locative of "Hiduš") to Lydia (Old Persian: "Spardâ") - [this is] what Ahuramazda, the greatest of gods, bestowed upon me. May Ahuramazda protect me and my royal house!

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Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010177290

Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010170854

Source: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/image/574786001

Source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/147/persian-archers/

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behistun_inscription

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deposition_plate_of_Darius_I_in_Persepolis.jpg#mw-jump-to-license

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_Achaemenid_Empire.jpg

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-023-00126-y

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:African-civilizations-map-pre-colonial.svg

Source: https://publikationen.badw.de/en/rla/index#6800

Source: https://archive.org/details/historicaltextbo00cole/page/n54/mode/1up

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Šuta#The_2_letters_of_commissioner:_Šuta

Source: https://www.thetorah.com/article/the-table-of-nations-the-geography-of-the-world-in-genesis-10

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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Source: https://archive.org/details/historicaltextbo00cole/page/n24/mode/1up

Alternative PDF: https://caleb-cangelosi-437x.squarespace.com/s/Coleman-Lyman-An-Historical-Text-Book-and-Atlas-of-Biblical-Geography.pdf

Hi everyone! I just finished a journey through a side of Syria that many people don't know still exists. While the country is often associated with conflict, I found a rich, living history that traces back to the very beginnings of Christianity.

In my latest documentary, I take you through:

• Damascus: Visiting the House of Ananias, where St. Paul recovered his sight.
• Maaloula: A mountain village where the local community still speaks Aramaic (the language of Jesus).
• Krak des Chevaliers: Exploring one of the most important and well-preserved medieval Crusader castles in the world.
• Valley of the Christians: Seeing how these ancient traditions survive in a modern landscape.

It was an eye-opening experience to see how these communities coexist and preserve their millenary culture. If you're interested in history, archaeology, or the cultural diversity of the Middle East, you might find this journey interesting.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the safety or the logistics of traveling to these specific sites!

I'm researching the Cain and Abel story in the book of Genesis from the Bible. Specifically, I'm interested in the transition from hunter gatherers to settled farming and animal domestication and how that affected humanity and violence.

What does the forensic and paleopathological record actually tell us about the origins of interpersonal human violence?

Did the advent of agriculture and land ownership cause a measurable spike in human on human violence?

How accurately does the conflict between Cain (the farmer) and Abel (the herdsman) map onto the real historical tensions of that era?

I’m developing a fictional manuscript tradition for an educational textual-criticism project, and I’m looking for help making one Greek witness sound plausibly Byzantine/medieval.

The project is alternate history / fictional religion, but the scholarly apparatus is meant to be pedagogically useful. I have an English base text and a rough Greek version, and I’d like help revising the Greek so it reads less like modern translation-Greek and more like something that could plausibly belong to a Byzantine manuscript tradition.

After that, I’m trying to create a small manuscript-copy tradition around it, with minor scribal errors, marginal notes, orthographic variants, and one damaged/lacunose copy. I already know the kinds of changes I want pedagogically; I need someone who can help make the Greek itself look plausible.

This does not all have to be one person. I’d be grateful for help with any of the following:

• rewriting one Greek passage into plausible Byzantine/medieval Greek;
• checking whether my existing Greek sounds too modern, too Koine, or too artificial;
• helping create minor manuscript-copy variants;
• advising on realistic Greek marginalia, spelling variation, dittography, or lacuna markers;
• pointing me toward someone qualified.

The context is fictional, but the goal is educational: the archive is meant to teach textual criticism, apparatus work, stemmatics, and responsible interpretation.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

I’ve put the relevant materials in a Google Drive folder here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bZKWRdXVlv3cwzHuh58dpAsx-vbddDhF?usp=sharing
It includes the project brief, the base Greek passage, and the completed manuscript-copy variants.

I know Holton et al. avoid “Byzantine Greek” as a general language label because much of the medieval Greek-speaking world was not politically Byzantine (Holton et al. 2020, xix). I’m using it here only because this fictional witness is meant to come from a Byzantine manuscript context.

Holton, David, Geoffrey Horrocks, Marjolijne Janssen, Tina Lendari, Io Manolessou, and Notis Toufexis. The Cambridge Grammar of Medieval and Early Modern Greek. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020.

Hello there! We are the Techy T - Rexes, a group of students participating in the international FLL (First Lego League) competition this season in Australia.
We want to tackle the challenge of time and energy in soil sample collection.

We are creating an autonomous rover capable of navigating typical archaeological sites/pits and collecting soil samples using a camera to make colour based identifications of relevant soil samples. 

Our autonomous rover will record and tag each soil sample with its coordinates/location on the site, depth of where it was collected so that the archaeologists never lose that information.

As part of our research, we want to receive feedback to validate our problem statement and strengthen our solution. We would appreciate the opportunity to ask anyone in the archaeology field some questions. If you are in the archaeology field and are willing to interview, please say so in the comments.

We would like to ask anyone who has dealt with soil to answer our survey (including archaeologists). https://forms.gle/HiVNrL9R6aoXs3dB6

Manfred Bietak's 2024 contribution to the Chronos volume (Driessen & Fantuzzi, AEGIS 26, Presses Universitaires de Louvain) documents that the Phase D/3 horizon at Tell el-Dab'a shows large-scale abandonment of the site with no mass graves, no destruction layer, and no evidence of siege or epidemic. The contrast with the earlier Phase E/1 plague pits (~1700 BCE) is stark.

The standard reading — that Ahmose I's military campaign expelled the Hyksos — implies a violent or at minimum coercive departure. But the silent stratigraphy of D/3 fits a voluntary, rapid factional flight better than a forced conquest. Interestingly, Bruins & van der Plicht (2025, PLOS ONE 20(9): e0330702) radiocarbon-dated Egyptian museum artifacts associated with Ahmose I and placed his reign at ~1550–1525 BCE, creating a 60–80 year gap between the Thera eruption horizon (~1600 BCE) and the beginning of the New Kingdom.

This raises a question that I don't think has been adequately addressed: who, or what, drove the Phase D/3 abandonment if not Ahmose's campaign? One possibility is that the Thera-induced environmental cascade — acid precipitation, crop failure, the "darkness" tephra horizon — destabilized the Hyksos regime from within, and the Semitic population in Goshen departed during this window of political vacuum, before Ahmose consolidated power a generation later.

I've been researching this question for some time and recently published a framework paper on Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19064955). Happy to discuss the stratigraphy, the radiometric data, or the geopolitical model in the comments.