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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
San Bernardino alle Ossa, Milan
San Bernardino alle Ossa is a church in Milan, northern Italy, best known for its ossuary, a small side chapel decorated with numerous human skulls and bones. In 1210, when an adjacent cemetery…
Catacombs of Lima, Peru
TheĀ Catacombs of LimaĀ (Spanish:Ā Catacumbas de Lima) are undergroundĀ ossuariesĀ in theĀ historic centreĀ ofĀ Lima,Ā Peru. TheĀ catacombsĀ were built under theĀ Basilica and Convent of San FranciscoĀ and currently function as aĀ museum. History In 1546, theĀ Franciscan orderĀ began construction of theĀ Basilica…
Jade burial suit
AĀ jade burial suitĀ (Chinese:Ā ēč”£;Ā pinyin:Ā yĆ¹ yÄ«;Ā lit.Ā ‘jade clothing’) is a ceremonial suit made of pieces ofĀ jadeĀ in which royal members inĀ Han dynastyĀ China were buried. Construction Of the jade suits that have been found, the…
AnĀ arcosolium is an arched recess used as a place of entombment
AnĀ arcosolium, pluralĀ arcosolia, is an arched recess used as a place of entombment. The word is from LatinĀ arcus, “arch”, andĀ solium, “throne” (literally “place of state”) or post-classical “sarcophagus“.[dubiousĀ āĀ discuss] Early arcosolia were carved…
Memento mori (symbolicĀ trope)
Memento moriĀ (LatinĀ for ‘remember that you [have to] die’) is an artistic or symbolicĀ tropeĀ acting as a reminder of the inevitability ofĀ death.Ā The concept has its roots in the philosophers ofĀ classical antiquityĀ andĀ Christianity, and…
