“Santa is dead; I have been to all three of his tombs!” That tongue-in-cheek potential presentation title is the idea of beloved former student, now-former colleague, and fine scholar, J Mark Nicovich. The conundrum of three tombs (plus many other claimed relics) arises from the traditions that St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra in Asia Minor … Continue reading The Places and Faces of St. Nicholas: St. Nick’s Not-So-Final Resting Place? Part 3 (Pic of the Day 2017-12-26)
Tag: POTD
This is a brief intermediate follow-up to “Part 1 of St. Nick's Not-So-Final-Resting-Place,” before we get to the conclusion in Part 3 (that will make it a trilogy!). Here I will focus on the city where St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) was bishop and what can be seen there. Ancient Myra was a typical Greco-Roman city … Continue reading The city of Myra in Asia Minor: St. Nick’s Not-So-Final Resting Place? Part 2 (Pic of the Day 2017-12-25)
As I write this, it is Christmas Eve, and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is already performing its annual national defense duty: (that of tracking Santa on his rounds). It occurred to me that we can attempt to track Santa's movements in antiquity—or at least those of his remains . . . . As … Continue reading St. Nick’s Not-So-Final Resting Place? Part 1 (Pic of the Day 2017-12-24)
This post and Pic of the Day is inspired by an article that I shared on Facebook earlier today. The article claims (and I am not going to argue with the premise) that a large personal library with an increasing number of unread books is a good thing. This made me feel better, as I … Continue reading Pic of the Day 2017-12-14: Books are a Good Thing
Tonight marks the beginning of Hanukkah, so it seemed appropriate to dedicate a Pic of Day post to some Menorot (singular, Menorah) I have photographed in situ at ancient sites or in museums. I'll include a few bulleted notes among the photos—some general info, and a couple of random observations I have made over the … Continue reading Pic of the Day 2017-12-12: The Light of Freedom
Ruins of the ancient city of Knidos (also Cnidus) lie at the end of a long peninsula jutting into the Aegean Sea from SW Turkey. In antiquity one came there mostly by sea, as did the Apostle Paul (Acts 27:7) while a prisoner en route to Rome. Knidos: View west over the Apollo and Round … Continue reading Pic of the Day 2017-12-10 (and 2015-07-11): “Lord Help”
One of the most glorious things to do in Istanbul is take in the sunset and twilight light on Hagia Sophia. The proper vantage point is between the venerable church (then Mosque, then museum) and the nearly equally famous (but not nearly as impressive or historic) Blue Mosque, from which nice views of the latter … Continue reading Pic of the Day 2017-10-08 (belated)
