The Dead Sea Scrolls Online

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Source: Googling the Dead Sea ScrollsClicking this link will lead to an external site.

I told you all of the cool stuff was happening in Israel.

When I was in graduate school, my professor showed us a newspaper image that he found a bit ridiculous. It featured a scholar holding in one hand a tiny fragment of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls with a pair of tweezers and in the other hand a magnifying glass and lit cigarette.

The world has changed a lot since then.

Nowadays you no longer need to go to a research library or order expensive fascicles to see the Dead Sea Scrolls yourself. You can view them online at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital LibraryClicking this link will lead to an external site..
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Recreating Ancient and Medieval Plants?

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Source: After 1,500 years, frankincense returns to the Holy Land in time for ChristmasClicking this link will lead to an external site.

Our stated purpose is to research and re-create the arts and sciences of Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Well, a botanist in Israel is literally recreating Ancient and Early Medieval agriculture.

In 2005, Dr. Elaine Solowey successfully began growing an ancient date palm from a 2,000 year old seedClicking this link will lead to an external site.! Clearly not the type of person to let extinction have its way, Dr. Solowey is now growing frankincense plants that disappeared from Israel 1,500 years agoClicking this link will lead to an external site..
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The British Numismatic Society Journal Online

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A few months ago, Master Reynard de la Rochefoucauld asked me for help with identifying a Greek coin from Roman Imperial times. It has been a few months, but I think we determined that it was minted during the reign of Severus AlexanderClicking this link will lead to an external site..

Move forward a few months as I am searching online for links of interest to SCAdians and I come across the British Numismatic SocietyClicking this link will lead to an external site.—numismatics being the study or collection of currency and related objects—which has published their journal onlineClicking this link will lead to an external site.. And that is not just a small sampling: they have almost every volume dating back to 1903!
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The British Library Catalog of Illuminated Manuscripts

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Illumination of the Arrival of Brutus

Arrival of Brutus, N. England (York?), 1st half of the 15th century.

Clicking this link will lead to an external site.
Source: British Library: Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts Blog – Exploring Our Catalogue of Illuminated ManuscriptsClicking this link will lead to an external site.

Just after Christmas, The British Library’s Medieval Manuscripts blog (@blmedieval) tweeted about their catalog of more than 35,000 public domain images of medieval manuscriptsClicking this link will lead to an external site.. As of 23 November 2012 they had images from over 4,200 different manuscripts!

If you are into the scribal arts, particularly illumination, this is a literal treasure trove of material. Even if, like me, you lack the skills (or patience) for the scribal arts, this catalog is the next best thing to travelling to the British Library yourself. Unless you know what you are looking for, I recommend checking their virtual exhibitionsClicking this link will lead to an external site..

I started with the Arthurian manuscripts. What did you start with?

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Ancient Temple Discovered in Israel

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Source: Temple and sacred vessels from Biblical times discovered at Tel MotzaClicking this link will lead to an external site.

Ancient Israel is a little early for the majority of the SCA, but how often do we get to discuss a nearly three-millennia-old archaeological find? The story linked above discusses temple ruins discovered near Jerusalem as part of preparations for highway construction! Israeli archaeologists date the ruins to the 8th Century BCE, around the time of King Hezekiah of Judah and the Prophet Isaiah.

Note: I originally came across this story via a Yahoo! articleClicking this link will lead to an external site., but chose to link to the Israeli government website because I found the original press release more informative.

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Proposed: Baronial Officer Policy

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I am reposting the Policies Draft on behalf of Mistress Arianna. Please see the instructions below.

Greetings My Fellow Lochmerie:

Attached is the latest draft of the “Policies and Procedures for Filling and Maintaining the Offices of the Barony of Lochmere.” Please take the time review the document keeping the following in mind:

  • Our policy cannot provide more flexibilities than what Corpora, Kingdom Law, and Kingdom Policy will allow;
  • Our policy can be more restrictive than Corpora and Kingdom Law and Policy;
  • Once approved, we will have to live with it for a while (That being said, it can be changed. But as you know, getting a large group to agree on anything can be a challenge and therefore time consuming); and
  • A copy of the final policy will be given to the Regional and Kingdom Seneschal and will be posted on the Baronial website under “Documents.”

If you have any comments, please send them to me and Their Excellencies via e-mail no later than December 19th. Be sure that your subject line states: “Comments on Baronial Office Policy” as we don’t want to miss your e-mail!

We will vote on the policy at January’s business meeting, January 7, 2013.

Thank you for taking the time to review the draft policy.

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