✨Exploring Palestine's Cultural Richness: From Ancient Statues to Modern Dreams✨
Palestine, a land steeped in history and brimming with cultural treasures, offers a fascinating blend of ancient artifacts and contemporary aspirations.Let's explor into the country's archaeological wonders, the enduring influence of Japan on Palestinian society, and the unique stories that bridge past and present, tradition and modernity.
Warning:My post is only Cultural,it highlights great cultural points.I took the care with sensitivity. I don't bring in politics,I won't meddle with.
A) The Bronze Statue of Apollo in Gaza:
Gaza, often in the headlines for its political tensions, holds a treasure from the ancient world that speaks to its rich cultural heritage. The discovery of a Bronze Statue of Apollo, dating back to antiquity, sheds light on Gaza's historical significance as a crossroads of civilizations. This remarkable artifact serves as a reminder of Gaza's role in the ancient world and the cultural exchanges that occurred in the region. However, the current whereabouts of this statue are unknown, leaving its fate uncertain amid the region's instability.
The Story:
Lost for centuries, a rare bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo has mysteriously resurfaced in the Gaza Strip, only to be seized by police and vanish almost immediately from view.
Word of the remarkable find has caught the imagination of the world of archaeology, but the police cannot say when the life-sized bronze might re-emerge or where it might be put on display.
A local fisherman says he scooped the 500kg (1,100lb) god from the seabed last August, and carried it home on a donkey cart, unaware of the significance of his catch.
Others soon guessed at its importance, and the statue briefly appeared on eBay with a $500,000 (£300,000) price tag - well below its true value. Police from the Islamist group Hamas, which rules the isolated Palestinian territory, swiftly seized it and say they are investigating the affair.
Archaeologists have not been able to get their hands on the Apollo - to their great frustration- and instead must pore over a few blurred photographs of the intact deity, who is laid out incongruously on a blanket emblazoned with Smurfs.
From what they can tell, it was cast sometime between the 5th and the 1st century BC, making it at least 2,000 years old.
"It's unique. In some ways I would say it is priceless. It's like people asking what is the [value] of the painting La Gioconda [the Mona Lisa] in the Louvre museum," said Jean-Michel de Tarragon, a historian with the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem.
"It's very, very rare to find a statue which is not in marble or in stone, but in metal," he told Reuters television.
The apparently pristine condition of the god suggested it was uncovered on land and not in the sea, he said, speculating that the true location of where it was unearthed was not revealed to avoid arguments over ownership.
"This wasn't found on the seashore or in the sea ... it is very clean. No, it was [found] inland and dry," he said, adding that there were no signs of metal disfigurement or barnacles that one normally sees on items plucked from water.
Palestinian fisherman Joudat Ghrab tells a different tale. The 26-year-old father of two said he saw a human-like shape,lying in shallow waters some 100 metres offshore, just north of the Egyptian-Gaza border.
At first he thought it was a badly burnt body, but when he dived down to take a closer look he realised it was a statue. He says it took him and his relatives four hours to drag the treasure ashore.
"I felt it was something gifted to me by God," Ghrab told Reuters. "My financial situation is very difficult and I am waiting for my reward."
His mother was less happy when she saw the naked Apollo carried into the house, demanding that his private parts be covered. "My mother said: 'What a disaster you have brought with you' as she looked at the huge statue," said Ghrab.
The discoloured green-brown figure shows the youthful, athletic god standing upright on two, muscular legs; he has one arm outstretched, with the palm of his hand held up.
He has compact, curly hair, and gazes out seriously at the world, one of his eyes apparently inlaid with a blue stone iris, the other just a vacant black slit.
Ghrab says he cut off one of the fingers to take to a metals expert, thinking it might have been made of gold. Unbeknownst to him, one of his brothers severed another finger for his own checks. This was melted down by a jeweller.
Family members belonging[ I doubt if his family ever had ties to Hamas,either directly either indirectly ] to a Hamas militia soon took charge of the statue, and at some stage the Apollo appeared on eBay, with the seller telling the buyer to come and collect the item from Gaza.
That would have been easier said than done, however, as Gaza is virtually sealed off from the outside world, with both Israel and Egypt imposing rigid controls on access to the impoverished enclave and its 1.8 million inhabitants.
Whether any potential buyers stepped forward is not clear, but when Hamas's civilian authorities found out about the artefact, they ordered the police to seize it.
Officials at Gaza's tourism ministry told Reuters the statue would not be shown to the public until a criminal investigation into who tried to sell it was completed.
However, Ahmed al-Bursh, the ministry's director of archaeology, said he had seen it and promised that Ghrab would receive a reward once the issue had been resolved.
"It is a precious treasure, an important archaeological discovery," said Bursh. Once the statue has been released by police, his ministry plans to repair it and put it on show in Gaza.
"International institutions have also contacted us and have offered to help with the repair process," he said, adding that a museum in Geneva and the Louvre in Paris wanted to take it on loan.
Like Ghrab, Bursh said the statue had been found at sea. The historian Tarragon said it was vital to know the true location of its discovery.
Some 5,000 years of history lie beneath the sands of the Gaza Strip, which was ruled at various times by ancient Egyptians, Philistines, Romans, Byzantines and crusaders.
Alexander the Great besieged the city and the Roman emperor Hadrian visited. However, local archaeologists have little experience to carry out any scientific digs and many sites remain buried.
Statues such as the Apollo cast would not have been held in isolation, meaning it may prove the tip of an historical iceberg, according to Tarragon.
"A statue at that time was [put] in a complex, in a temple or a palace. If it was in a temple, you should have all the other artefacts of the cult [at the site]," he said, adding that he hoped Hamas appreciated its potential importance.
"There is a feeling that they could find more and more [items] linked to the statue, more and more artefacts, so this is very sensitive," he said.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-palestinian-apollo-gaza-idUSBREA190NQ20140210/
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/4/8/what-happened-to-gazas-apollo-statue
B) An 11-Year-Old Palestinian Boy Pursues His Dream of Becoming a Chef:
In the midst of adversity, stories of hope and aspiration emerge, exemplified by the journey of an 11-year-old Palestinian boy who dreams of becoming a chef. Despite the challenges he faces, including limited resources and economic hardship, his passion for cooking fuels his ambition.
His story underscores the resilience and determination of the Palestinian people to pursue their dreams and overcome obstacles in pursuit of a brighter future.
Palestinian child Mahmoud Abu Nada cooks inside the kitchen of a local restaurant, in Gaza City on Oct. 13, 2018. Although blood cancer has forced him to leave school, 11-year-old Palestinian boy Mahmoud Abu Nada became a chef after receiving courses at a Gaza restaurant. TO GO WITH Feature: Gaza child suffering from cancer amazes people with cooking talent.
Source: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-10/16/c_137536471.htm
C) Palestinian-Japanese Cooperation For the restoration the mosaics of Hisham's Palace:
Hisham's Palace (Arabic: قصر هشام Qaṣr Hishām), also known as Khirbat al-Mafjar (Arabic: خربة المفجر), is an Vital early Islamic archaeological site in the Palestinian city of Jericho, in the West Bank. Built by the Umayyad dynasty in the first half of the 8th century, it is one of the so-called Umayyad desert castles. It is located 3 km north of Jericho's city center.In 2015, an agreement was signed between the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to enable the 825 square metres (8,880 sq ft) mosaic in the palace, one of the largest in the world, to be uncovered and readied for display.
On 2018 the collaboration between Palestinians and Japanese archaeologists has yielded remarkable results, including the recent display of the site.
This joint effort not only highlights the importance of international cooperation in preserving cultural heritage,but also deepens the cultural ties between Palestine and Japan.
Through shared endeavors in archaeology and cultural preservation, Palestinians and Japanese forge bonds of friendship and mutual respect, enriching both societies in the process.
https://pcpsr.org/ar/node/893
D) The Representation of Palestinian Girls in the Anime "Canaan":
In the world of entertainment, the original anime "Canaan" offers a unique portrayal of Palestinian girls, Alphard and Canaan, whose contrasting backgrounds and beliefs shape their identities and actions.
Plot:
A Palestinian teenaged girl and a mercenary, Canaan is dispatched by her unknown superiors to the city of ShanghaiWP in the People's Republic of ChinaWP where she meets up with Maria Ōsawa. Now a photographer, Maria reunites with her friend Canaan after being saved from harassment, during a trip to the Middle East years ago. Their presence in Shanghai, however, has been greatly overshadowed by the upcoming,crucial NBCR International Anti-Terrorist Conference in the same city where Alphard(Canaan's hateful rival) plans to stage a terrorist attack with her subordinates known as "Snakes".
💕The Palestinian girl Canaan is amazingly pretty(kawai).💕 Her eyes are now radiant red because of her synesthesia:An ability as a radar to locate others, to hack into mechanical systems, and to dodge/deflect bullets easily.
Through their characters, the anime explores themes of conflict, identity, and resilience, offering viewers a nuanced perspective on the Palestinian experience. While fictional, the depiction of Palestinian characters in "Canaan" reflects the diversity and complexity of Palestinian society, challenging stereotypes and fostering understanding.
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5th November 2022
[A.I.R.・PERFORMANCE]
Participating in a short term artist in residence within the program “Tsukide Art Camp 2022″, and will be presented collaborative performance at Ars Tsukide.
Performance date : the 5th November 2022, 13:30-14:30
Residence place and Performance venue : Ars Tsukide (Tsukide Kosya), Ichihara city, Chiba, Japan
https://tsukide.jp
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この度「月出アートキャンプ2022」のレジデンシーアーティストとして参加し、4名の参加作家の作品と月出工舎の空間と環境からインスピレーション得たパフォーマンスを発表します。
イベント開催中参加作家によるワークショップやその他催し、常設展示では岡田杏里、塩月洋生、鈴木敦夫、チョウハシトオル、岩間賢、竹村京、田中奈緒子、毛利悠子の作品をご覧いただけます。
https://tsukide.jp
■「月出アートキャンプ2022」作品展覧会
会期:2022年10月29日(土)〜12月25日(日)の土日祝日のみ
時間:各日12:00〜17:00
展示作家:綾乃文麿、髙橋凛、山口はるか、吉中媛香
会場:月出工舎体育館
住所:〒290-0527 千葉県市原市月出1045 (旧月出小学校)
観覧料:¥500
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■パフォーマンスプログラム
日 時:11月5日(土)13:30(開演)~14:30(予定)
会場:月出工舎体育館
出 演:中川 麻央
料 金:無料
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■The CURRY CAMP
月出アートキャンプ参加アーティスト髙橋凜が、月出界隈の食材をつかったキャンプ飯を振る舞います。
日 時:11月3日(木・祝)、5日(土)、6日(日)各日12:00~15:00
料 金:投げ銭 *売り切れ次第終了
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■ワークショッププログラム
里山の小学校でつくる、焚火焙煎珈琲(おやつ・お土産付き)
日 時:11月3日(木・祝)、6日(日)各日10:00~12:00
講 師:小野 剛(野良焙煎人、ヤマドリ珈琲主宰)
人 数:3名まで *事前予約制
対 象:中学生以上(中学生は保護者同伴)
料 金:1名3,000円
青写真教室
日 時:11月3日(水・祝)10:00~12:00
講 師:綾野 文麿
人 数:8組程度 *事前予約制
対 象:幼児から大人まで(小学生以下は保護者同伴)
料 金:1組500円
ツルピカ泥団子をつくろう
日 時:11月3日(木・祝)、6日(日)各日12:00~16:00
講 師:山口 はるか
人 数:先着順 *随時参加可能
対 象:幼児から大人まで(小学生以下は保護者同伴)
料 金:無料
森で食べられるものを採取して食す会
日 時:11月6日(日)10:00~12:00
講 師:吉中 媛香
人 数:8組程度 *事前予約制
対 象:幼児から大人まで(小学生以下は保護者同伴)
料 金:1組500円
記載していただきたい情報
1、ワークショップ名
2、日 付
3、参加者全員のお名前と年齢
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■アーティスト・リレートーク
日 時:11月5日(土)15:00~16:00
司会者:田中ジョン直人
登壇者:綾野 文麿、髙橋 凜、中川 麻央、山口 はるか、吉中 媛香
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Hello!I think your blog is great and I love your clear attitude.I have seen some questions about Sebaciel.Actually, the Sebaciel shipping is very controversial alongside Asian fans,too.I don't really in favor of this ship, but I believe that in season 1 and 2, also the ovas and MBD, there are much yaoi tendency, not only about Sebby and Ciel, but also about Claude and Alois, Eric and Alan, etc.And the staffs(mostly岡田麿里and清水博之)always try to explain the relationship of Sebby and Ciel somewhat yaoi
【Related post】
Dear Lorenzo151,
Hello! Thank you for your kind words!
Yeah indeed, there are discussions about the appropriateness of SebaCiel in Japan too, for example. Just like in the English speaking fandom, there are people who argue that it’s just fiction, so it’s fine, while others are of the opinion that it is a perverse sexualisation of children.
The main difference between the Japanese fandom and non-Japanese fandom SEEMS to be that the Japanese one does not have the false rumour going on of ‘Kuroshitsuji’ originally being yaoi, or intended as one. I think most if not all Japanese audiences of the series see that the teasing is there. However, most also agree that those are just ‘teasings’, and not implications of true feelings.
Obviously wishful thinking in shipping is universal, so the same applies to some in the Japanese fandom as well. But then Editor Kuma’s list of facts about ‘Kuroshitsuji’ surely did make it very clear that Sebaciel is not canon.
“【The foundation of Kuroshitsji no. 16】 The butler is a demon and competent, that is the truth. However, there is no affection for his master. [Sebastian] supports his master in his revenge as a butler, but the nature of the contract is one where he will eat the soul after the completion [of the revenge]. The contract is the only reason [Sebastian] works so hard, he is a perverted gourmet. #Kuroshitsuji ” - Editor K.
As for the anime… well. The anime made a lot of choices to appeal to a broader audience (click here for an example about Grell). The most obvious choice was to make Sebastian manlier, more gallant and mature. The voice actor Ono Daisuke was explicitly instructed to play up the suave and emotionless side of the demon, and it worked like a charm for many people.
Q: What is the difference between the time of first season and the current production (Book of the Atlantic)?
Ono: “I feel more at ease playing him now. I was instructed to play Sebastian dispassionately with a low, low voice, and do my utmost best not to show any emotions. As such there really was a part of me that suffered. But this time his bond with Ciel has also gone a step forward and the enemies are also stronger, so I feel like I am finally able to release something in me that I’ve been made to suppress. During the acting I am now able to feel the passion, it’s like a treat to me.” - Ono Daisuke.
【Source: Animedia 2017 March Issue.】
Despite its popularity, ‘Kuroshitsuji’ is still not considered part of the mainstream world, like ‘One Piece’ or ‘My Hero Academia’ are. The airing time of ‘Kuroshitsuji’ was incredibly late, and so the series catered to a more niche audience. The target audience of the animated series were late teens and young adults who could afford to stay up very late at night to watch the series. Many of these people were yaoi fans. By the time the second season was released, the manga already had a very steady fanbase, and it was mostly the more shipping-inclined fans that stuck around for the anime. Hence the second series greatly catered to the hormon- uh I mean those fans’ tastes. Season II basically shouted: “You like Sebaciel but it’s not enough? Then worry not, have ANOTHER demon and child master-servant relationship for you to ship!!”
As we all must have noticed, there became a rather large divide between anime fans and manga fans of ‘Kuroshitsuji’.
Okada Mari is someone who seems to be very large on fan-service as evidenced by many things I discussed in the posts listed in this mini masterpost. Now, who is better suited for the job of catering to BL fans than her?
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