Thanks, considering it as my next tat… in a few years time, don’t want to make a mistake and regret 🙂

just sent my request.
A nice eye or horus

Oops, just realised I’m only set up to accept friend of friend requests, now updated to everyone, d’oh, sorry

Thanks, my email is fairly similar to my screen name (and my profile pic is Egyptian, you’ll know 🙂 ) I’ll remove this in a tick. Many thanks again R

Hi I am replying here to keep this somewhat secret.
I will be checking the new members of the group.
If I find the one I think is you, I will send a friend request.

Otherwise, get to be friends with Andrea Gardner. She has my contact infor

Black Bomber Cheddar

It’s so long since I read about the subject (all in library-books) that I can’t remember any titles. I should think looking up ‘Philistines’, ‘Phoenecians’, ‘Carthage’ and the like on Wikipedia should give some leads.

No harm 🙂 All of this is seriously fascinating. Can you recommend a book?

Oh dear, I didn’t want to disillusion you… Maybe next time you can do a Philistine temple? They get a very bad press in the Old Testament, but probably the ancient Hebrews were just jealous. I’ve always thought they were much the most civilised pagans in the ancient world, having decided to worship both trees (in their “groves and high places”) and what used to be called the “generative principle” (i.e. sex). Of course that led to their scandalised neighbours accusing them of forcing prostitutes into their temples for depraved orgies, but apparently it wasn’t at all like that—consensual, very discreet and well, civilised. Besides which, they were a modestly prosperous lot, with their monopoly on Tyrian purple dye, nice sidelines in ivory decorative panels and bronze wares in any style you wanted: Greek, Egyptian,Babylonian or whatever, as well as being expert sailors who traded throughout the Med and founded Carthage (originally Qarta-Shadat or ‘New Town’) on an uninhabited bit of coastline—and never seem to have gone to war with anyone.

Way to shatter my illusions Mark!