Word: ancient
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
From the site of the fabled Tower of Babel in the south to the remote mountain homes of Kurdish tribesmen in the north, the young (21) King of the ancient land of Iraq traveled last week at the head of a caravan of Cadillacs and Chryslers bearing guests from 13 nations. The purpose of King Feisal's 2,000-mile journey: to show off progress on the second anniversary of Iraq's $1.2 billion, five-year national development program. "The most impressive thing in the Middle East today," glowed U.S. Ambassador Waldemar J. Gallman...
...Foreign Office will give the Queen a platinum watch from Carder's to replace one she lost; Renault will give her a new car-her favorite pastel blue; and the municipality of Paris will crack open an ancient bottle of cognac. There will be-among heaps of succulent goodies at every turn-a seven-layered, 72-lb. cake on a bed of crimson candy roses from the pastry cooks and confectioners of the Société de la Saint-Michel. And for the visiting Queen's own very private use, there will be a single crystal flagon...
...ancient pagan religion of Babylonia managed to hold out in a single city for 1,500 years after Babylonia fell. Visiting the U.S. last week, British Archaeologist David Storm Rice told how he rummaged in the almost unexplored ruins of Harran in southern Turkey. Harran was a thriving Moslem city until it was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13th century A.D., but Dr. Rice's interest goes back to 2000 B.C., when Harran was a famous center of worship of the long-bearded moon-god, Sin, giver of light and wisdom. Harran was also visited by Abraham...
That was the end of Babylonia as an independent country, but Harran. the moon-god's city, clung tenaciously to Sin. Dr. Rice has found references in many ancient languages to the city's extreme conservatism. The rise and fall of the Roman Empire meant little to it. Christianity stopped at its walls; Harran held fast to the ancient faith. Even Islam came to terms with the conservatives of Harran...
...proved that the mosque of the Moslem city was built in its final form at the time of the Sultan Saladin in 1174 A.D. Under its three entrances he found three stone slabs with carvings showing Nabonidus and the worshiped crescent moon with inscriptions in the cuneiform writing of ancient Mesopotamia. They had been placed face down for the faithful to walk on, presumably as a sign that the ancient religion was finally suppressed. Dr. Rice believes that traces of the old culture persisted until the 11th century A.D., when Islam was under attack by Christian crusaders, and Harran...