Month: May 2019

The African Meeting House

Also known as the First African Baptist Church, the African Meeting House in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest existing African-American church building in the US. Completed in 1806, the meeting house became a place for religious, educational, and social gatherings as well as for political and anti-slavery meetings. During the Civil War, it served as a military recruitment center. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. What purpose did it serve for much of the 20th century? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mutation

In biology, a mutation is a sudden, random change in hereditary material, such as a gene, that can alter an inheritable characteristic. Most mutations are not beneficial, since any change in the delicate balance of an organism that is highly adapted to its environment tends to be disruptive. As the environment changes, however, mutations can prove advantageous and thus contribute to evolutionary change in a species. Mutations may be spontaneous or induced by outside factors, such as what? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tomb of Herod the Great Is Discovered (2007)

Herod the Great was the Roman-appointed king of Judaea in the first century BCE. Infamous today for his role in the Biblical account of the slaying of the infants of Bethlehem, Herod was known during his lifetime for his ambitious building projects, including fortresses, aqueducts, and theaters. The location of his tomb, described by the first-century CE Roman-Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, remained a mystery until 2007, when an Israeli archeologist found it where? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Chandan Yatra

Chandan Yatra is held during the waxing half of Vaisakha. During the festival, believers honor various Hindu deities, but most of their devotions are reserved for Lord Jagannatha, an expression of Krishna. Observed throughout Orissa, the celebration is always most elaborate at Puri, which is the final destination of a 42-day-long procession carrying icons of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, and other deities. At the final site, a large water tank in Puri called the Narenda, the idols are placed in decorated boats and undergo sacred baths to the accompaniment of music. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Desert Fathers

The Desert Fathers were ascetics who began moving into the Scetes desert of Egypt in the 3rd century CE. By the time the most well-known of the Desert Fathers, St. Anthony of Egypt, died in 356, thousands had moved into the desert and established monastic communities that came to exert a major influence on Christianity. St. Anthony saw withdrawal from society and asceticism as an alternative to the tradition of martyrdom after Rome’s legalization of Christianity in what year? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hidrellez Festival

The Hidrellez Festival is observed in Turkey every May 6. It is marked as the day that two prophets, Hizir and Ilyas, met each other on Earth; the word Hidrellez is a fusing of the two names. The festival is a joyous celebration of the coming of spring. People prepare for Hidrellez by thoroughly cleaning their homes; they also purchase fresh new clothes to wear for the Hidrellez Festival, and prepare special food, such as fresh lamb or lamb’s liver. On Hidrellez night, people leave purses and pantries open and put out food bowls, in the belief that Hizir will bring abundance to the homes he visits. Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary