King Idrimi of Alalakh…the oldest autobiography in the world and the first cuneiform written mention of “Canaan”. #Idrimi #canaan #habiru #hebrew #BritishMuseum

King Idrimi’s cuneiform inscription tells his dramatic rise from exile. Forced to flee with his mum’s family, he sought refuge in Canaan. There, he lived among the Habiru, who some scholars believe were early Hebrews. 7 years later, Idrimi reclaimed his land as king of Alalakh. 1570 - 1500 BCE.

Jewish community of Fustat (Cairo's earlier twin city) placed all old texts in a geniza, in the synagogue.
Not to dispose of anything with the name of God in, they kept over 400,000 texts…Bibles, private letters, bills, slave receipts etc …over 400,000 texts from spain to India. From c.900 CE. #BM

The Book of the Fixed Stars 964 CE. describing northern and southern constellations, and constellations of the zodiac. The author, al-Sufi, produced dual illustrations of constellations - the upper image as portrayed on a celestial globe, and the lower as viewed directly in the night sky.

Temple of Mithras built here underneath Bloomberg’s offices, on the banks of the Walbrook river, around AD 240, in the ancient Roman city known as Londinium….quite a cult, males only…

The Red Lady of Paviland …actually a Man…and the oldest ceremonial burial in Britain. 32,000 BCE. Found in between Port Eynon and Rhossili now in a surprisingly non-descript museum case at Oxford University Natural History Museum #archaeology #archeology

Babylonian map of the world - shown in bird's-eye view as a disc surrounded by a ring labelled 'bitter-river. Babylon straddles the Euphrates. Beyond edge of the known world is mountain where the Ark landed after the Flood beyond Urartu (Ararat in Hebrew bible), where I’m pointing to. @BM
c 650 BCE

Icarios seen holding the reins of an ox-driven double wheeled cart, filled with sacks of wine. Further to the right, there are two shepherds in a state of inebriation. Writing says “the
First Wine Drinkers” -
House of Dionysus, Paphos, ….wine here so good, big change over last 20yrs. #mosaicmonday

Picrolite cruciform figurines and pendants found at various sites in Cyprus 3900-2400 BCE - Cruciform figurines evolved from Neolithic prototypes and became the iconic type of figurative art on the island - 3400-2800 BCE. Precursor seeds of the christian motif. #archaeology #neolithic #cruciform

Geometric
Mosaic floor
Late 2nd/early 3rd cent. CE . Nea Paphos Archaeological Site. #MosaicMonday

Marble statue of Aphrodite Anadyomene, found in the sea near the Paphos Lighthouse. Late Hellenistic period (2nd/1st c. BCE)

Medical ingenuity from the 1st C BCE! Clay vessels, shaped like body parts, served as ancient hot water bottles. Found in Paphos, used for therapeutic heat treatments, relieving pain, rheumatism and cramps in a pioneering medical center. Ancient healthcare at its finest! #archaeology #archeology

The Rosetta Stone. Written in 196 BCE. Deciphered in 1822 CE. The key to understanding 4000 years of ancient Egyptian history!

Ashurbanipal’s Library
#ashurbanipal #mesopotamia #library
#levant #nineveh