The Face of Death

”In the face of death we are all the same’. This was not the case for all Egyptians. Not only was there a social difference, religion also formed a barrier between the rich, who were usually buried in a tomb protected against jackals and other vicious desert animals, and the poor, who had no money to have their body embalmed. Remains who were buried without a sarcophagus one meter underground in the desert sand, were soon to be wasted away by the hand of time, and would never be able bask in the happiness of the afterlife.’

– Straat. E. ed. (1967) Sesam Nieuwe Geïllustreerde Wereldgeschiedenis [Sesam New World History] Baarn, The Netherlands: Bosch & Keuning p. 22[1]

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[1] This paraphrase is based on a Dutch translation of Grimberg. C., Svanström. R. 1904. Världhistoria vol. 1 Stockholm, Sweden: P. A. Norstedt & Söner.

Leviticus 12:1-5

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.

3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.

4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.

5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

See other: Often Ignored Bible Verses

Left [Noun.]

1. The opposite of right.
2. The left side of an organism or object.
3. Literal direction.
4. Political orientation generally promoting liberal and progressive social- and economic policies.

On a Resurrection

“The greatest comeback since Lazarus.”

– Sid Waddell

A Salute To Epitaphs

“A tomb now suffices him for whom the world was not enough.”
– Alexander the Great

“I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.”
– Winston Churchill

“There goes the neighborhood.”
– Rodney Dangerfield

“Steel true blade straight.”
– Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

“I had a lover’s quarrel with the world.”
– Robert Frost

“Do not walk on the grass”
– Peter Ustinov

“I was what I am not.”
– Fernando Pessoa

“174517” (It was his number in Auschwitz.)
– Primo Levi

“The Stone the Builders Rejected” (Psalm 118:22)
– Jack London

“Eadem mutata resurgo.” (Though changed I shall arise the same.)
– Jakob Bernoulli

See other: A Salute To …

Numbers 25:1-4

1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,

2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.

3 So Israel joined in worshipping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.

4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.”

6 Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand

8 and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped;

9 but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

See other: Often Ignored Bible Verses

On Women

“Oh, certainly not. I know nothing at all about women. They are an amazing, beautiful mystery.”

– Peter O’Toole

Pedantic Apologising

‘Oh I am sorry, sir. I am anaspaptic, phrasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such periconbobulations.’

– Joseph M. 1998. Blackadder The Whole Damn Dynasty London, Great Britain: Penguin Books (1999) p. 256