AntiquityNOW is pleased to announce the launch of the 2014 Recipes With a Past, a compendium of dishes derived from our weekly Bon Appetit Wednesday! blog posts. Embracing more than 25 countries and cuisines, this e-book has two new designations for this year’s menus: gluten-free and vegan. Meals in Recipes With a Past are taken from historical recipes or are modern repasts that include ingredients with roots in antiquity. Continue reading
Category Archives: Literature
2014 Recipes With a Past and the Art of Being Human
The Middle East Outreach Council Announces 2014 Middle East Book Awards
Below find a press release from the Middle East Outreach Council announcing the Middle East Book Awards. Our president, Shirley Gazsi, had the honor of serving on the judging committee. These creative, moving, educational books can be found on our Reading List page where you can also find the 2013 MEOC award selections. Continue reading
Halloween, “The War of the Worlds” and Why We Love Flying Machines
“War-of-the-worlds-tripod” by Henrique Alvim Correa,1906
Happy Halloween! AntiquityNOW has been celebrating Halloween this year with blog posts about doppelgangers, the origins of tricks and treats, modern and 2,000 year old ghost stories, and now, an original short story by author Victoria Weisfeld.
For inspiration Weisfeld draws from the legend of the events of October 31, 1938 when American producer, playwright and actor Orson Welles presented the CBS radio play, The War of the Worlds, adapted from the 1898 novel of the same name penned by British author H.G. Wells. The play centers around what happens when a Martian craft lands in the small, rural community of Grover’s Mill, New Jersey, which is the setting of Weisfeld’s short story. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Holidays, Literature, Meteorology, Public Life, Religion, Science and Technology, Science Fiction
Tagged ancient aliens, ancient science fiction, ancient space ships, AntiquityNOW, H.G. Wells, Halloween, Mahabharata, Orson Welles, Ramayana, The War of the Worlds
Double Trouble: Doppelgangers and the Mythology of Spirit Doubles
It’s almost Halloween! In our recent posts we’ve been delving into why some of us are so drawn to the supernatural, the paranormal and the scaring the pants off terrifying. In today’s post we hurl ourselves once more into the realm of the supernatural. A twice look at terror, as it were. Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Origins, Blog, Culture, Holidays, Literature, Psychology, Public Life, Religion, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient doppelgangers, ancient folklore, Ancient Origins, AntiquityNOW, doppelgangers, Egyptian mythology, Halloween, Native American mythology, Norse mythology, spirit doubles
A Frightful History: Author P J Hodge Presents “The Ghost Hunter”
Last Tuesday’s blog explored the neurology of fear and introduced a 2000 year old horror story from Pliny the Younger. Despite its antiquity, this story (actually contained in a missive to an acquaintance by the prolific letter writer) exhibited remarkable 21st century elements. Today’s post is a short story titled “The Ghost Hunter.” Written by Paul Hodge, it is a modern take on storytelling in the gothic style. Notice the common elements with Pliny’s tale: the abandoned residence, unexplained occurrences and a man of doughty character determined to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. Continue reading
Why We Love to Be Scared: Dopamine, Genes and a 2,000 Year Old Horror Story
Image credit: Barbara on Flickr.
It’s that time of year again. Halloween. What is it about houses moaning with restless spirits and apparitions rising from graveyard mists that so intrigue us? Today we have movies, TV shows, video games and books regaling us with the most horror-filled scenarios. Dystopias with—name your monster—demons and vampires and zombies threatening to eradicate our species (as if we don’t do a good enough job on our own). There are possessions, evil twins, vivified dolls and deranged clowns. We even have self-proclaimed ghost hunters with their own “reality” shows and the ad revenues, market penetration and viewer numbers demonstrating that scary stuff really can rake in the dough. Why is it we are so enthralled and terrified by the supernatural? Continue reading
Remembering the 75th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz: The Ancient Voice of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
It starts with a single drop of water. As visible light passes through the drop, the light is refracted as through a prism, split into its component wavelengths and reflected back to the eye. Multiplied by thousands of drops in the sky, an arc of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple emerges as if by magic. Rainbows…mystical, splendiferous, mind-bending. Continue reading
Posted in Art, Blog, Culture, Literature, Music, Natural Disasters, Public Life, Religion, Science and Technology
Tagged ancient history, ancient rainbows, AntiquityNOW, Australian Aboriginal Rainbow Serpent, Cree Rainbow Serpent, Epic of Gilgamesh, Greek mythology, Iris, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz
National Anthems: Ancient Elements, Modern Resoundings
Last Sunday, September 14th, was the 200th anniversary of the writing of the United States’ national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. Inspired by the raising of the American flag at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, which signified a major victory by the Americans over the British during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key penned a homage to the “broad stripes and bright stars” he saw that night. This year, people celebrated across the land with concerts dedicated to the music of the United States. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Communications, Culture, Holidays, Literature, Music, Politics, Psychology, Public Life, Science and Technology, Sports, War and Violence
Tagged Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, ancient history, Ancient Rome, AntiquityNOW, Du Gamla Du Fria, Hatkivah, Het Wilhelmus, Inno di Mameli, Kimigayo, music psychology, national anthems, Star Spangled Banner
Exploring LegacyQuest 2014! A Modern Retelling of Pandora’s Box
This week we’re featuring another Honorable Mention from The Baldwin School in Pennsylvania. With an in depth retelling of the story of Pandora’s Box and an insightful Q&A to reveal its modern connections, the viewer is treated to a new view of a classic mythological tale. The illuminating film was created by middle school students Rebecca, Menal, Alex, Katrina and Theresa with the help and inspiration of their teacher, Preston Bannard. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Culture, LegacyQuest, Literature
Tagged ancient history, ancient mythology, ancient storytelling, AntiquityNOW, film festival, LegacyQuest, Pandora's Box
A Brief History of the Timeless Dilemma of Censorship and America’s Response
Image courtesy of Tyler Menezes on Flickr.
The life of Socrates is in the hands of 500 reticent jurors. He stands trial for poisoning the minds of Athenian youth and inspiring rebellion with anti-democratic teachings. Silently, the jurors cast their ballots into one of two urns that represent guilt or innocence…
Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to death. Shielding the public from dangerous ideas outweighed one man’s right to free expression on the scales of Athenian justice. Throughout history, society’s weighing of public good against individual rights has shaped the history of censorship. It’s a dilemma both ancient and familiar. Continue reading
Posted in Blog, Communications, Crime, Culture, Education, Human Rights, Law, Literature, Politics, Public Life
Tagged American legal system, ancient history, ancient law, AntiquityNOW, book burning, censorship, Jewish Law, Plato, Roman Law, Socrates
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