This postcard wasn't one that belonged to my grandmother. I actually purchased a few vintage postcards online recently that were particularly appealing to me, and this was one of them. It's gorgeous, even more so if you enlarge it.
Maybe the information is out there but I was unable to find, in a quick search, anything about the site where Moses was found by Pharaoh's daughter, or whether there has been a tree/series of trees planted on the spot for the eons to be able to identify and preserve a site thought to be where he was found among the bulrushes (which look like cattails in the photos I saw at Google images). As luck would have it, however, there is fairly fresh news relating to Moses, as reported by Thaindian News:
Staff of Moses may have been found in London
April 2nd, 2009 - 2:07 pm ICT by ANI
London, April 2 (ANI): A group of builders, digging at a site in London, have unearthed what they believe is the fabled Staff of Moses.According to a report in The Sun, the piece of wood was found by digger Charlie Kingston and his team as he dug a 20ft-deep trench on a site in east London.
At first, the workmen thought the historic artefact, which dates back to hundreds of years before Christ, was just an old tatty piece of wood.
But, after initial tests by archaeologists and biblical scholars, the iconic find is being hailed as one of monumental importance.
The Staff was at Moses’ side throughout key milestones in the Bible story of Exodus.
It was used to part the Red Sea, invoke a plague on the Egyptian Pharaoh, produce water from a rock and could even transform itself into a snake.
The exact location of the Staff has been kept secret to stop ‘treasure-hunters’ and onlookers flocking to the area.
“I was tipping out some earth when one of my mates Archie Tan shouted to stop, and pointed at the bucket,” Kingston said.
“When we scraped off the mud, we thought it might just be a beaten-up walking stick. “We’re amazed at what they are saying it could turn out to be,” he added.
The builders and their bosses could now be in for a huge windfall, with experts confident other relic could also be hiding beneath the soil.
However, a comprehensive archaeological dig could take months, if not years, to complete so it may be some time before they see any financial reward.
According to historian Dr Henry Jones, the Staff might well run into millions of pounds if it is sold at an auction.
“If this is the Staff of Moses, it is of unimaginable importance,” he said. (ANI)
I'm curious to know how it got to London, if it is indeed the staff of Moses. As with the truth and particulars of him being found as a baby, the story will undoubtedly be open to interpretation for a long, long time. . . . .
Orazio Gentileschi, 1630
Edwin Longsden Long, 1886
Sebastien Bourdon, 1650
Clive Uptton
Charles de la Fosse
Hendrik van the Elder Balen
English School
Gustav Dore, 1866
Claude Lorrain
Francis Hayman, 1746
Nicolas Poussin, 1638
Veronese, 1580
illustration from a catechismFrench School, late 19th century
Pietro Liberi
Harold Copping, 1927
Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1904(This one is my favorite among these paintings.)
Giovanni Francesco Romanelli, 1655-57obviously one painting of this event wasn't enough for him .....
Giovanni Francesco Romanelli, 1657
David Hayward (nakedpastor), 2009.
14 comments:
You see this is why i would never make a good disciple for any faith, because i immediately read the "moses staff" article and thought "yeeeesss.....but...."
Perhaps he stopped off on his way to the mountain (still in his Triumph)?
I did, however, hear a story that there was a particular idol or statue put in place by the Egyptians so that the sun would fall on its face precicely twice a year - both on holy days. The story went that modern man had to move the statue because it was threatened by changes to the river and even with modern computers they couldn't work out how the Egyptians had placed it vis a vis the sun...
Just goes to show we've forgotten more than we've learnt (assuming the story isn't an urban myth)
Gotta say that this kinda reminds me of the old anecdote about how there are enough supposed pieces of the true cross to build a ship....
Hello Lydia, and thank you for all your comments on my blog. You understand the interest, the binary language (IT = two poles), you must convey to his mind. There are many things to say about your article. "The ancient Egypt had been looted and the goods (equipment), intangible goods (ie, knowledge, ..) are jealously kept secret by ... Bookmanie.
Being skeptical by nature I fail to see how they could possibly prove that a staff found in London could be the one Moses used. I think some guys are promoting a myth to cash in.
I love the beautiful art work. I, too, love your favorite as well as the one above it.
Thank you for your effort in posting these pictures for our enjoyment.
Another great Old Postcard Wednesday! This one is particularly interesting. How did Moses's staff end up in London? It's quite the puzzler.
Err.....
Check the date on that staff of Moses article. If it was originally published on April 1, I would say we all have been 'punk'd.'
@Pixies- Now you have me curious about the Egyptian statue you mentioned. (Reminder to self: read about this.)
@YogaforCynics- I am not familiar with that old anecdote, but my mind is creating one from the framework of what you wrote.
@Bookmanie- Another tantalizing comment. You do intrigue me!
@Darlene- You are just sweet to send a thanks for the effort in posting those paintings. As I was doing it I thought: Am I nuts, or obsessive, or just a lover of research?!
After initial appreciation of the painting we both love, I looked further into the work of Alma-Tadema and my appreciation grew.
@Kim- Yes, quite the puzzler. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it because I doubt if it'll be proven or solved in my lifetime!
@Viridian- Good Point! Upon reading your comment I immediately checked urban legends at Snopes. Nothing came up, so we can all operate under the assumption that an "old tatty piece of wood" was indeed found in London and some believe/hope it to be the staff of Moses. Stay tuned . . . . but I don't know where, or to what.
I love the postcard and all the paintings. thanks for sharing. I thought just like you did, if it is Moses staff, how did it end up in London. I do know that some of Jesus' brothers ended up in France.
By the way, I loved your "I love my computer because my friends live in it." I hope you don't mind but I borrowed it from you :)
I think I am going to go down to the river and see if I can find a baby in a basket. He doesn't even need to be a great religious leader.
@Looking to the Stars- Glad you enjoyed the postcard and paintings. I'm so glad to have you borrow/steal the "I love my computer..." badge, just as I stole it from Daryl. There's so much truth to it!
@La Belette Rouge- Poignant. Touching. Funny. Just like you and your happy-sad heart.
The plot? Bookmanie defines a connection as opposed to the idea of an information given by a third person, to the receiver (a person's unconscious, his memoirs), blurred by third parties. (Through education, imposed culture, the environment). It is seen (the idea), loosely in a kind of fog, it can not arise with precision to the conscious (this). Bookmanie
Interesting news! If it is really what they think then it's going to be a legen...dary incident! :) All the paintings are so beautiful.
@bookmanie- ". . . loosely in a kind of fog . . ." -- I like that concept.
@Riyadh- It is interesting, yes, and so far I've not be able to find information disproving this news or saying it's another urban legend. We'll just have to see.
They are all beautiful, and all so different ....
Hello again Lydia,
This is just a note to let you know that I've just published the Call for Submissions for the next Festival of Postcards (Quadrupeds). If you're interested you can get information here:
http://acanadianfamily.com/2009/09/12/a-festival-of-postcards-5th-ed-quadrupeds-call-for-submissions/
Evelyn in Montreal
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