When you read the book of a deceased author, you are essentially listening to the words of the dead. Unless a book is extremely rare, the thoughts of a dead author are usually heard by many people. However, if an old book has a personal inscription inside of it, then that dead person’s words may…
Tag: Assyrian
Ten Historically Interesting Sites in Skokie, Illinois
In 1888, a village 12 miles northwest of downtown Chicago was incorporated as Niles Centre. This swampy land was eventually renamed “Skokie” in 1940. Skokie means “big swamp” in the language of the area’s former inhabitants, the Potawatomi tribe. After World War II, Skokie’s population boomed, explaining why a large percentage of its homes were…
Circle Studio, Inc. in Chicago
From the Gothic cathedrals of Western Europe, to the Tiffany stained glass of the United States, to the simple design of raised glass on a door, we can all appreciate the beauty of glass artists. Although I usually write about museums or libraries, for my first post of the new year, I would like to…
Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago
The University of Chicago was founded in 1890. The oil magnate, John D. Rockefeller, Sr., played a large financial role in its creation. Two years later, the university began a Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Today, this department ranks among the top Ancient Near Eastern programs in the United States, primarily focusing on…
Syriac Orthodox Monastery of Saint Mark in Jerusalem
The city of Jerusalem has a 16th century Ottoman wall surrounding its Old City. The area within these walls is allotted into four sections: the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter. Although Armenians are Christian, they were the first country to nationally convert to Christianity, so they have kept…
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as “The Met,” in New York City is arguably the best art museum in the United States. Founded in 1870, the Museum continues to expand as it collects more and more artwork. This past April, 2020, The Met turned 150 years old. Published in 1967, the children’s novel,…
William Saroyan, Assyrians, and the Joys of Research
Prior to a few decades ago, researching beyond the public library to learn about a random topic of interest would have been too much of an effort to be worthwhile. Thankfully, technology continues to make it easier and easier to research almost anything. As an example, I will demonstrate how I was able to satisfy…
Assyrian War Memorial
My uncle enjoys estate sale shopping, so in 2016, when he was cleaning out his house in order to move, he came across many interesting items that he had acquired over the years. One of those items included a booklet, bound in an unassuming, brown cover. Inside this booklet, dated 1944 (the year before World…
Ashurbanipal Library
Many people have heard about the Ancient Assyrians when learning about ancient civilizations in history class, or when reading the book of Jonah in the Bible. However, most people do not realize that there is a Christian, ethnic minority group in the Middle East that still identifies with this ancient civilization. Assyrians live in Iran,…
Bet Arkeh 