Monthly Archives: December 2011
A day in Palestine: Night
Gustaf Dalman ends his description of the day in Palestine with the night. About one and half hours after sunset it is fully night in the Holy Land. In the farmhouses lamps are lit by then. Among farmers and Bedouin … Continue reading
The Stable
On the basis of his observations in early 20th century Palestine, the evidence of archaeology and the consideration of the Bible and other texts, Gustaf Dalman described how animals would have been housed in Ancient Israel and Roman Judaea. At … Continue reading
A day in Palestine: Sunset
Shadows already cover the valleys, but the hilly slopes are bathed in a golden light. A band of golden yellow shines on the western horizon. Above it, the sky changes to a subtle green and then into deeper blue. At … Continue reading
A day in Palestine: afternoon
Among Arabs, the afternoon was already considered part of the evening. Muslims often called this time “between prayers”, between noon and evening prayer. According to Dalman, evening prayer ocurred before sunset.But it also is a time when the heat of … Continue reading
A day in Palestine: noon
Midday is the hottest time of the day, when the sun stands at its zenith. The Palestinian Arab used to say that at this time the sun “blinds the face, heats the eyes, and burns the man.” Many people in … Continue reading
Writing
Middle Eastern Anthropology The December edition of the on-line journal Anthropologies Project includes an article about Tell Halif. Yes, I contributed that article. The December edition of Anthropologies is entitled Anthropologies of the Middle East. Most of the contributions deal … Continue reading
