Tag Archives: king solomon

Quran So Far Away

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Nathan

I’ve now read through the Quran, mostly using this translation. I know it’s really only considered authentic in Arabic, but I can’t read that language. Discussing Islam can be kind of awkward, especially because the amount of Islamophobia in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Arabian, Book Reviews, Christianity, Gnosticism, History, Islam, Judaism, Language, Magic, Middle East, Mythology, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You Can’t Sit at Our Table

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Nathan

Today, I wanted to look at the Table of Nations from Genesis 10. The Hebrew word that’s usually translated “nations” is goyim, which became gentilis in the Latin Vulgate. Both words have come to mean non-Jewish people in general, and … Continue reading →

Posted in African, Christianity, Egyptian, Ethnicity, Etymology, Families, Greek Mythology, History, Judaism, Language, Monsters, Mythology, Names, Prejudice, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When the World and I Were Young

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Nathan

Continuing on the theme of calendars from another recent post, I’ve done some investigation into different calculations of the age of the world. The Jewish calendar and the traditional Byzantine one both date from the Anno Mundi, or Year of … Continue reading →

Posted in African, Babylonian, Chinese, Christianity, Eastern Orthodox, Egyptian, Greek Philosophy, Hinduism, History, Judaism, Mathematics, Mayan, Mythology, Native American, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Semitic, Zoroastrianism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You Should Have Put a Ring on It

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Nathan

The Wizard of Oz has been said to be the ultimate chick flick, as it’s about two women fighting over shoes. But then, J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium is one where a lot of world conflicts arise from jewelry, so maybe that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Arabian, Authors, Fairy Tales, Greek Mythology, Greek Philosophy, J.R.R. Tolkien, Magic, Music, Mythology, Norse, Philosophy, Semitic, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Baum vs. the Bible

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Nathan

When we discussed John R. Neill’s Lucky Bucky in Oz on the old Nonestica mailing list, J.L. Bell mentioned how Bucky recalled the story of Jonah and the Whale when riding inside Davy Jones. Biblical allusions are uncommon in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Religion, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Theosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sorcerous Servitude

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Nathan

I don’t know where the idea of supernatural beings assisting magicians originated, but perhaps the most prominent example are the jinn that will serve anyone who releases them from bottles. King Solomon is said to have had a ring that … Continue reading →

Posted in Arabian, Atticus Gannaway, Fairy Tales, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Prejudice, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Doubters of the Divine

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Nathan

Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World, by Tim Whitmarsh – This book is partially a response to the idea that atheism is a new idea, a product of the age of science and reason that turns against ancient … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Christianity, Fairy Tales, Feminism, Greek Mythology, Greek Philosophy, Hellenistic Greece, History, Humor, Mythology, Philosophy, Religion, Robert Rankin, Roman Empire | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If I Could Talk with the Animals

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Nathan

While they can often amount to the same thing in narrative, there’s a clear difference between animals speaking in human language and people being able to understand animal language. Dr. Dolittle is probably the most famous example of the latter, … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, L. Frank Baum, Language, Magic, Mythology, Norse, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You Always Hurt the One You Love

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Nathan

Beth sent me a link to this post the other day, and there’s also been a lot of talk about the football player who got in trouble for hitting his kid. I can’t say I’m totally decided on whether corporal … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Current Events, Education, Families, Fundamentalism, Relationships, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Demon-stration

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Nathan

The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale is not one of L. Frank Baum’s better known fantasies, and really there’s a reason for this, as it’s not one of his better works. That said, people do tend to like one … Continue reading →

Posted in Arabian, Characters, Christianity, Greek Mythology, Greek Philosophy, Islam, Judaism, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Philosophy, Religion, Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments