The Lost and Found Tribes

 

Image: A Typical Notice

https://www.juliemeek.com.au/lost-and-found/

The next chapter of my second manuscript is titled "The Lost and Found Tribes". It belongs to Unit IV: Mapping Marvels and Monsters: In the Shadow of the Iron Gate, and focuses on the legend of the Ten Lost Tribes. 

 The demise of ancient Israel and the mass deportation of its population set the background of the legend about the Ten Lost Tribes. The Samaritan community has been estranged from Judaism, although many believed that one day the vanished people would rise from the dead. Medieval Jewish philosophy places the refugees in the far-off land beyond reach and makes them a consolidated community governed by the Jewish Law and under the sway of a Jewish prince. This congregation is poised for the coming of the Messiah to lead it to the Promised Land. 

The article is available at the Academia site: https://www.academia.edu/69800164/The_Lost_and_Found_Tribes 

As usual, it is open to Discussions and you are invited to take part. I have recently reviewed the entire manuscript for possible publication. I hope I can be more specific but at this stage of negotiations I prefer to be mute. 

If you are interested in the history of the New Kingdom of Egypt, I can warmly recommend reading https://www.academia.edu/43173055/The_Canaanite_and_Nubian_Wars_of_Merenptah_Some_Historical_Notes_%C3%89gypte_Nilotique_et_M%C3%A9diterran%C3%A9enne_13_2020_p_133_149?email_work_card=title

This article is written by Mohamed Raafat Abbas, an Egyptologist and the director-general of the Scientific Research Department at the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt. I added many details to my knowledge of this period, especially the difference between the Apiru, the Shasu, and the early Hebrews. 

Next week, I will resume filtering the data for the chapter about galleys and sailing ships from my third project. 

The Galley vs. the round ship

 I continue to collect the material for my new project, "The Fright and Thrill of Navigation: Seafaring in the Medieval and the Renaissance Mediterranean". 

Chapter 1 will introduce the topic: I will refer to the two brands of the Mediterranean watercraft, the galley and the round ship; I will speak about their designations, as a warship and as a cargo vessel; I will outline the compromise between speed, cargo capacity and seaworthiness. 

I will explain how the galley construction had an impact on its performance at oars and the sail. I will point out that coastal shipping was not the only pattern available for sailing ships, especially if they were sturdy and gigantic. I will name additional types of craft including horse transports that played a crucial role in military operations on land. I will recognize that sailing in winter and at night were deliberate options for sea captains despite the obvious dangers. I will show how the need for stopovers for refueling restricted the operative range of the navy. 

In addition, you will learn how sailors operated round ships. There will be a section that provides comparison and contrast between the galley and the sailing vessel, another one will mention the basic guidelines of the Mediterranean shipbuilding, and still another one will give details about the diet on board. The last section will sum up the topic developed in the chapter. 

I will need some more time to look through my sources of information, including the leading writers on the subject. For example, this week I read extracts from the annals of Robert of Howden, an English historian and diplomat, who accompanied his king, Richard the Lionheart, on the outbound voyage to the Holy Land. 

The Siege of Acre 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_of_Howden 

Alexander versus Gog-Magog

 As I have promised, I returned to the publication of my second project, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East: Breaking the Ice between the Latin West and the Far."

I stopped updating the chapters of my second book in summer 2019 when the Academia site introduced a new outlet, Discussions. This feature exposes articles to a large audience of about 1K people, who might be interested. An additional benefit is a chance to get a response. 

I had to take a bite since I felt that I could enhance the readership. I redirected most of my previous articles to Discussions: 14 chapters of my book. Each time I was determined to re-edit the text and offer the readers the most up-to-date version. Then, I uploaded the four chapters of my third project. Now, I returned to complete the circle. 

The current paper is titled "Alexander versus Gog-Magog". Here is the abstract:

 The paper explores the blending of the Biblical myth of Gog and Magog with the Hellenistic legend of the Iron Gate. Latin intellectuals endow the frontier zone with a moral aspect, separating the civilized people from unruly elements. The protagonist of the legend, Alexander the Great, is converted into an ultimate Christian knight whose task is to defend humankind against inhuman beings. New troublemakers join an array of the enemies of European civilization. Only a few voices deny identifying Gog and Magog with concrete nations.

You may find it https://www.academia.edu/66846762/Alexander_versus_Gog_Magog

and take part in discussions. 

If you are interested in my work, you can view my other articles published on my site

https://independent.academia.edu/BaizermanMichael

I am currently examining new data for my fourth project. I am preparing a new version of the first chapter, The Galley versus the Round Ship.