Asherah and Asherim notes
In the ancient Levant, doves were used as symbols for the Canaanite mother goddess Asherah. The Canaanite religion was the group of ancient Semitic religions practiced by the Canaanites living in the ancient Levant from at least the early Bronze Age through the first…
Colomba pasquale, Italian Easter bread
Colomba pasqualeĀ [koĖlomba paĖskwaĖle]Ā orĀ colomba di PasquaĀ [koĖlomba di Ėpaskwa]Ā (“Easter Dove” inĀ English) is an Italian traditionalĀ Easter bread, the counterpart of the two well-knownĀ ItalianĀ ChristmasĀ desserts,Ā panettoneĀ andĀ pandoro. The dough for the colomba is made in a similar…
Dovecote cake and the founding myth of MarseilleĀ
In MarseilleĀ tradition, theĀ dovecoteĀ is aĀ cakeĀ offered by pastry chefs at the time ofĀ Pentecost: cake made from almonds and melon, covered with sugar, generously colored, flavored withĀ kirschĀ and inside is hidden aĀ dove.Ā This oval-shaped cake…
Columbidae anatomy and physiology notes
Overall, theĀ anatomyĀ of Columbidae is characterized by short legs, short bills with a fleshyĀ cere, and small heads on large, compact bodies.Ā Like some other birds, the Columbidae have noĀ gall bladders.Ā Some medieval naturalists…
Seven heavens notes
InĀ religiousĀ or mythological cosmology, theĀ seven heavensĀ refer to seven levels or divisions of theĀ Heavens. The concept, also found in the ancientĀ Mesopotamian religions, can be found inĀ Judaism,Ā Christianity, andĀ Islam; a similar concept is also…
In Judaism, TheĀ Guf or Treasury of Souls is sometimes described as aĀ columbarium
In post-biblical Judaism, souls are envisioned as bird-like (BahirĀ 119), a concept that may be derived from the Biblical notion that dead spirits “chirp” (Isa. 29:4). TheĀ Guf, or Treasury of Souls,…
The dove and the raven and the flood notes
According to theĀ biblicalĀ story (GenesisĀ 8:11), a dove was released byĀ NoahĀ after theĀ FloodĀ in order to find land; it came back carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf (Hebrew: ×¢×× ×××ŖĀ alay zayit),[Gen 8:11]Ā a sign of…
Doves are shown on cult objects associated with Inanna as early as the beginning of the third millennium BC
In ancientĀ Mesopotamia, doves were prominent animal symbols ofĀ Inanna-Ishtar, the goddess of love, sexuality, and war.Ā Doves are shown on cultic objects associated with Inanna as early as the beginning of the…
AĀ columbarium is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage ofĀ funerary urnsĀ holdingĀ cremainsĀ of the dead
AĀ columbariumĀ (pl.Ā columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage ofĀ funerary urnsĀ holdingĀ cremainsĀ of the dead. The term comes from theĀ LatinĀ columbaĀ (dove) and originally solely referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and…
A dovecote or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves
AĀ dovecoteĀ orĀ dovecot,Ā doocotĀ (Scots) orĀ columbariumĀ is a structure intended to houseĀ pigeons or doves.Ā Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally…
AĀ tzompantliĀ orĀ skull rackĀ was used for the public display ofĀ human skulls, typically ofĀ war captivesĀ or sacrificial victims
AĀ tzompantliĀ (Nahuatl pronunciation:Ā [tĶ”somĖpantĶ”ɬi]) orĀ skull rackĀ was a type of wooden rack or palisade documented in severalĀ MesoamericanĀ civilizations, which was used for the public display ofĀ human skulls, typically those ofĀ war captivesĀ or otherĀ sacrificial victims. It…
Brno Ossuary holds the remains of over 50 thousand people
Brno OssuaryĀ is an undergroundĀ ossuaryĀ inĀ Brno,Ā Czech Republic. It was rediscovered in 2001 in the historical centre of the city, partially under theĀ Church of St. James.Ā It is estimated that the ossuary holds the…
