Month: November 2020

George Cruikshank

Cruikshank was a self-taught English caricaturist, illustrator, and etcher who illustrated more than 850 books. One of England’s most popular satirists, he once received a royal bribe for a pledge not to embarrass the king. In his later years, he made many drawings depicting the evils of alcohol. His illustrations notably appeared in the works of Charles Dickens. However, his relationship with Dickens soured, and, in 1871, he accused Dickens of having stolen the plot of what novel from him? Discuss

Birth of Baha'u'llah

The anniversary of the birth in 1817 of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i religion, is a holy day on which work is suspended. Mirza Husayn Ali, later known as Baha’u’llah (“Glory of God”), was born in Tehran, Persia (now Iran). He was an adherent of Islam, and later a follower of the Bab, who founded the Babi faith, an independent messianic religion. Thirteen years after the Bab’s execution in 1850, Husayn Ali declared himself the messenger of God, foretold by the Bab. Discuss

The Queen of Sheba

Said to have been a descendent of Abraham, the Queen of Sheba was a monarch of a biblical-era kingdom of great wealth, thought to be located near modern-day Yemen or Ethiopia. The story of her visit to King Solomon of Israel appears in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious texts and in Ethiopian legends, but the accounts vary widely. In some, she lavishes Solomon with gifts and challenges him with riddles. In others, she marries him or is converted by him. Who is said to have been their son? Discuss