Famous Instruments in History: Egyptian Harp from the Tomb of Ani

Blogger: Amber Lemus

Continuing our journey through history to find the most famous musical instruments, we come to ancient Egypt somewhere between 1,069-1,550 B.C. During the 18th Dynasty (or 19th by some sources), there lived a Theban Scribe by the name of Ani. He must have been a very rich and influential character, because his tomb is one of the most consequential finds from Ancient Egypt.

During archeological excavations of the city of Thebes, Egypt, they found the tomb of Ani with several legendary artifacts. Not much is known about the actual excavations, and many of the artifacts ended up being sold on illegal antiquities markets.

The most well-known artifact from Ani's tomb, is the Papyrus that was discovered there. It is considered the most complete "Book of Going Forth by Day" or the better-known title, "Book of the Dead" ever discovered. It contains the depiction that all of us imagine when we think of Egyptian art with Anubis weighing the heart of Ani. It is believed that Ani created this papyrus himself.

Papyrus of Ani
Public Domain

The artifact we are interested in today is lesser known. It is a harp made of wood, inlaid with glazed ceramic and bone. It had a length of just over 3 feet, and a width of about 5 inches. This harp had only five strings, and the sound box was shaped as the head of a deity or ruler with a striped headdress and double crown. On the other end of the harp, it features a falcon head. Which was fairly common for this type of instrument. The upper neck of the harp had tuning pegs for the five strings.

The harp was the most important instrument in Ancient Egypt. It was often featured during banquets by male soloists, according to the depictions we find in tombs. Harps during this era usually had nine to twelve strings, making Ani's harp unique. Some harps in this era could be even taller than this one, reaching sometimes to the full height of the person playing it.

Harp of Ani's Tomb on display at the British Museum

Creative Commons: Dreamyshade

It is unclear if this harp was buried with Ani as an item of wealth or possessions, to ensure his comfort in the afterlife, or if it was a prized personal possession. If it were the latter, it would indicate that he probably played the instrument and enjoyed it immensely.

In 1976, this harp appeared in the third volume on musical instruments in the British Museum’s catalog of Egyptian Antiquities, written by the Egyptologist Robert David Anderson.

This beautiful harp currently resides at the British Museum in London.

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award, Amber Lemus writes enthralling non-fiction for children and adults alike. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior, so her writing is centered around faith, family and history.

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a new mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberLemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Is the Biblical Joseph Documented in Egyptian History?

 By Naomi Craig

Historical Medical Exhibition; cover representing Imhotep Wellcome Wikimedia

Imhotep is listed in Egyptian history as the world's first documented polymath (gifted in many areas). He is known for his contributions in stone carving, architecture, alchemy, astronomy, higher education. He is even deified for his work in medicine centuries later.

What catches my attention with startling accuracy to the Biblical account of Joseph, is how Imhotep saved the nation of Egypt from a seven-year famine by interpreting Pharaoh's dream.

Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dream, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, Wikimedia

A statue of Imhotep, labeled with his many titles, was found in Pharaoh Djoser's step pyramid (architecture attributed to Imhotep) at the Saqqara complex. His wooden coffin faced north--indicating he was a foreigner--and was empty. If you recall in Exodus, the Hebrews took the bones of Joseph as they left Egypt.

The Famine Stele, in the island of Sehel, near Aswan, Egypt, Wikimedia

Many documentations of Imhotep revolve around the seven year famine. The Famine Stele was carved during the Ptolemaic Period (332-30BC) depicting the famine that happened hundreds of years earlier. Interesting enough, it also depicts the land grant the priests had from Djoser and Imhotep making them exempt from the taxes.

Saqqara stone pillars, Ancient Egypt, Wikimedia

On the southern side of the Saqqara complex, there was a narrow entrance. These pillars carved from stone created natural cubbies, large enough for a cashier to collect the money for grain (see the man in the light blue shirt tucked away?). The customer was then taken back to the granaries, where a runner would descend the stairs to collect the allotted grain based on the size of the customer's bag. The customers then filed out, returning as they ran out of grain.

There are so many astounding facts about Imhotep, but I will leave you with this: The primary silo at Saqqara (designed by Imhotep) was fed by eleven other silos in a downward motion. As the level of grain depleted in the main granary, the others filtered grain into it to replenish it. 

One grain superior to the eleven others? Sound familiar?

There is one potential flaw in the theory that Imhotep and Joseph are the same guy. Originally Imhotep and Pharaoh Djoser's timeline was assigned around 2600 BC and that doesn't line up with the Bible timeline. Lately, however, some Egyptologists are beginning to think the timelines they had followed COULD be inaccurate and different Pharaohs/dynasties could have been reigning at the same time.

What do you think? Could Joseph and Imhotep have been the same guy?

For further study visit 

Joseph in Egypt- The Research and Discoveries of Ron Wyatt
and
Joseph the architect of the First Pyramid and How the Pyramids Were Built

As tragedy ravages the camp, can She’erah step up and complete the outpost?

She’erah is a woman trying to leave her mark in a man’s world. Her vision and ability surpasses her father’s, yet she remains second-in-command as they are tasked to build Pharaoh’s outposts in Canaan. She knows she is worthy of the task, but her clan is skeptical.

The last place She’erah expects support is from her charioteer, but Lateef is the lone voice of encouragement. His integrity and steadfastness is a plumb-line in She’erah’s life and she can no longer deny her growing feelings for him.
Acts of sabotage threaten the construction and the shaky foundation of She’erah’s pride. It’s up to She’erah to break generations of rivalry, distrust, and jealousy—if she can learn to rely on the strengths and abilities of those around her to help.

Will she learn to trust God and others before her life’s legacy comes crumbling down around her?

Author of Biblical fiction, avid reader, pastor's wife, Naomi loves reading the Bible and imagining how things were at the time. When she’s not serving in various areas at church or trying to stay on top of mountains of dishes, you'll most likely find her enjoying a good book and a cup of coffee. Naomi co-hosts #BehindTheStory on YouTube and helps facilitate Biblical Fiction Aficionados Community on Facebook. When not writing or trying to wrangle social media, Naomi attempts to get her rescue dog to be cute on command for the many pics she takes throughout the day.

Preorder She'erah's Legacy here 

Love Potions Over Time (with giveaway) By Donna Schlachter

Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

 

With February being the Love Month, I thought I’d look at the history of love potions, which are simply aphrodisiacs by another name. Originally named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, there were attempts by ancient civilizations to control something they didn’t understand. In fact, even today, while scientists can explain what happens when two people are attracted in an amorous fashion, they still struggle to explain why.  

 

The first recorded potions were memorialized as far back in time as 4000 BC, when the witch doctor or shaman or other member of a tribe or clan prepared various concoctions to increase libido. This is understandable, since cultures depended on multiplying their numbers through their offspring. No sexual desire, no babies. That was a fact of life and survival.

Ancient Greeks, known for their refined and genteel ways, believed that ground up orchids that were then added to wine solved any sexual dysfunction in both men and women. This became so popular and widespread that for a time, the orchid plant became extinct. It didn’t help the availability of the plant when the ancient Romans also adopted the use of the orchid, this time brewing it into a delicately aromatic tea. Perhaps one solution to this scarcity was the introduction of insects, such as Spanish Fly or Blister Beetle, into love potions.

Photo by Max Avans from Pexels

Ancient Egyptians associated seafood with sexual potency, and so banned all seafood from consumption by their celibate priests. Imagine a life without lobster or flounder.

Natives of the Orient thought garlic contained special properties that encouraged romantic relationships and promoted its use widely throughout their part of the world.

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

During the Middle Ages, the focus of those trying to increase amorous advances changed, often incorporating more personal and increasingly bizarre ingredients, such as human sweat, reproductive organs from male animals, and even by-products of the birthing process. Often, these ingredients were mixed with wine to make them more palatable. As if anything could.

Love potions can be found in literature from the Middle Ages and beyond. However, perhaps in keeping with the tragedy of the story and the facts that most didn’t work, these often-magical experiments rarely worked. The Celtic story Tristan and Isolde includes a successful ingestion of the potion, leading to the infatuation of the couple. Which might be thought as a success, except she was already engaged to another.

Midsummer Night’s Dream includes the tale of Titania, who unknowingly consumes a potion in her sleep. Her estranged husband perpetrated this evil deed, hoping she’d fall back in love with him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there when she opened her eyes, and instead she falls for another.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

In the 1600s, magical poems became popular—perhaps because nobody wanted to drink the potions. An instruction book was released entitled The Book of Secrets of Albertus Magnus, which told the reader to crush earthworms with periwinkle and feed it to the afflicted spouse. Other recipes included the fat of a snake, the head of a sparrow, the blood of a bat, or the heart of a pigeon.

The need—or shall I say desire—for such potions spread to the New World and the Old. In Mexico, the story went that if a wife sprinkled crushed basil on her chest, her husband wouldn’t cheat on her. American Indians used hallucinogens such as peyote and psilocybin, derived from cactus and mushrooms respectively, to heighten romantic pleasure. And in India, wives intent on prolonging intimacy powdered their bodies with crushed henna leaves.

While certain foods such as oysters, onions, and honey are legendary in the aphrodisiac category, perhaps the genuine excitement came from the fact these foods were scarce and expensive. This meant if your date fed you with these, they must really think you’re special. Which ultimately could arouse amorous feelings for them. If you’re impressed by that sort of thing.

Plants, herbs, and flowers have been used over the years because they are easy to collect in native habitats. Apart from the once-near-extinct orchid, no other reports of over-harvesting were noted in researching this article.

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

In reality, any amorous feelings generated by these potions were likely circumstantial. In a culture limited by tribal or social norms, romance in general may have been just as awkward then as it can be now. Let’s face it—expressing your feelings to the object of your desire is like stepping out onto a diving board without knowing if the pool is full. You could be getting in over your head, or preparing to take a fall.

But with an entire month dedicated to love, surely there is hope for all to achieve their happily-ever-after.



Leave a comment, and I will draw randomly for a print copy (US only) or ebook – winner’s choice – of The Mystery of Christmas Inn, Colorado. Please remember to include your email address, disguising it like: donna AT livebytheword DOT com



About The Mystery of Christmas Inn, Colorado

Matthew returns to Christmas Inn to celebrate his anniversary, intending to join his beloved Sarah, who passed on to glory the previous January. He learns that the old inn will close its doors soon. Can he save the hotel—and his memories?

Edith Cochrane, a widow, comes to Christmas Inn to escape her greedy family. Ever since her husband’s passing, she’s found herself at loose ends. A body in a wall and a kidnap attempt rejuvenate her. But will it be enough?



Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Christmas-Inn-Colorado-ebook/dp/B0779HTH9C



About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 50 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both.



 

 

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Resources:

https://www.historyextra.com/period/ancient-history/love-potions-aphrodisiacs-facts-spanish-fly/

https://www.elitedaily.com/p/are-love-potions-real-heres-what-history-science-have-to-say-19298441



https://www.elitedaily.com/p/are-love-potions-real-heres-what-history-science-have-to-say-19298441

The History of the Peridot - August's Gemstone

Author: Amber D. Schamel

The August birthstone is one of the most beautiful, and as it turns out, the peridot stone also has a rich history and I'm excited to share it with you today!

The word "peridot" stems from the Arabic word "feridat" which means "gem." Most gems are formed in the earth's crust, however the diamond and the peridot are different. Peridot is formed in magma of the upper mantel of the earth. About 20-55 miles deep! Volcanoes did us the service of bringing them up to where we could find them. Some peridot gems also came to earth in meteorites, however this form is very rare and not likely to be sold in jewelry stores. (I tried to find one for my sister who is born in August, but they are thousands of dollars and usually sold out.)

The peridot has always been linked to light, in fact, the Ancient Egyptians believed it was the "gem of the sun." Perhaps that belief stemmed from the fact that it arrives in meteorites or lava. Some ancients believed that the gem could ward off evil spirits, or that the wearer was protected from the terrors of the night. Other cultures believed that peridot could dissolve enchantments. Medical uses have included placing the gem under the tongue of a person with fever, which was supposed to help lessen their thirst. Others believed the gem could cure asthma if used in powdered form.

Topazios Island, Egypt

Similar to the emerald, the peridot was mined as early as 1500 BC and seems to have first been discovered in Egypt. Early records and legends tell us that peridot was mined in Ancient Egypt on an island called Topazios (now known as St. John's Island or Zabargad) in the Red Sea. Although, given the name of the island, they probably didn't realize what stone they had. According to the legend, the island was infested with snakes, which made mining dangerous and difficult, until a clever pharaoh found a way to drive all the serpents into the sea.

People throughout most of history confused the peridot with other stones, such as topaz and emerald. Some historians believe that Cleopatra's emerald collection consisted of peridot rather than genuine emerald. People in medieval times confused the peridot with the emerald as well. The 200-ct. gems in the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in the Cologne Cathedral in Germany was believed to be emeralds for centuries...turns out they are actually peridot. 

Shrine of the Three Kings
Arminia / CC BY-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

The breastplate of the High Priest of Israel contained twelve stones, one to represent each tribe, and one of those gems is believed to be peridot. 

Today, there are five main sources of this rare gem. The best specimens come from Burma. Arizona and New Mexico source much of the commercial grade peridot for the United States. China, Vietnam and Pakistan are also among the sources. 

Between the peridot's beauty, unique formation, and rich history, it is a highly prized gem and one you can be proud of if you are born in the month of August. 

Comment below if you were born in the month of August and you may be the lucky winner of a free ebook from me! (Winner will have their choice of my ebooks.)

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for Christian Historical Fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

Between enjoying life as a newlywed, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples. Find her on any of the major social media sites.  Amber is an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!