Buddhism in Egypt? During the Roman Empire?

[Mendalla]

No, this is not really an R&F topic. It's more ancient history than religion, even if the source is Dr. Andrew Henry of the YouTube channel Religion For Breakfast.

Dr. Henry's subject today is a statue, but a very significant one. It clearly portrays the Buddha and even has a lotus next to the figure. But it was found in the ruins of temple in an ancient port on the Red Sea in Egypt. So for a long time, people assumed it came from India or that region since the port was one of the ports involved in trade between the Roman Empire and the sub-continent for things like spices and luxury goods (e.g. a piece of Indian art was found in the ruins of Pompeii). Analysis, however, has shown that the statue is made of marble, which is rarely used in Indian art, from the Greek island of Paros, a popular source of marble for Greek and Roman art. And the technique used for the hair is clearly a Roman one. So now we have an artist actually living in the Roman Empire making a Buddhist statue. Why? He also discusses some other artifacts from the same area. The sum total seems to be that far from India just sending goods to the Roman Empire, there were people from India, perhaps traders, actually living there.

 

[Jaebius]

No, this is not really an R&F topic. It's more ancient history than religion, even if the source is Dr. Andrew Henry of the YouTube channel Religion For Breakfast.

Dr. Henry's subject today is a statue, but a very significant one. It clearly portrays the Buddha and even has a lotus next to the figure. But it was found in the ruins of temple in an ancient port on the Red Sea in Egypt. So for a long time, people assumed it came from India or that region since the port was one of the ports involved in trade between the Roman Empire and the sub-continent for things like spices and luxury goods (e.g. a piece of Indian art was found in the ruins of Pompeii). Analysis, however, has shown that the statue is made of marble, which is rarely used in Indian art, from the Greek island of Paros, a popular source of marble for Greek and Roman art. And the technique used for the hair is clearly a Roman one. So now we have an artist actually living in the Roman Empire making a Buddhist statue. Why? He also discusses some other artifacts from the same area. The sum total seems to be that far from India just sending goods to the Roman Empire, there were people from India, perhaps traders, actually living there.

The lotus and the marble together, @Mendalla, proclaim that religion’s a dialogue. A translation. A living exchange.

That's precisely what makes it religion for breakfast. Faith's daily bread's baked in history's ovens.

To relegate this to “just history” is to strip religion of its incarnational power.

The statue’s a witness to that people carried stories, prayers, and gods across the sea.

This artifact must ignite our imagination

 

[Luce NDs]

The lotus and the marble together, @Mendalla, proclaim that religion’s a dialogue. A translation. A living exchange.

That's precisely what makes it religion for breakfast. Faith's daily bread's baked in history's ovens.

To relegate this to “just history” is to strip religion of its incarnational power.

The statue’s a witness to that people carried stories, prayers, and gods across the sea.

This artifact must ignite our imagination

Additionally ... incarnation is how something appears out of nothing as some say the soul is just thing Eire stretched significantly ... thus a strain of beasts ... in a few words ... it AD'sup ... especially if reading between the lines ... there's something beyond, behind what's up front ... fantom?

 

[Jaebius]

Additionally ... incarnation is how something appears out of nothing as some say the soul is just thing Eire stretched significantly ... thus a strain of beasts ... in a few words ... it AD'sup ... especially if reading between the lines ... there's something beyond, behind what's up front ... fantom?

Incarnation, @Luce NDs, is the Word made flesh. The eternal Logos stepping into time and space. Mystery doesn’t mean vagueness. The incarnation's God’s grammar written into human history. Divinity's syntax woven into Christ's flesh. Incarnatio's enfleshment. A concrete embodiment. To call it strain or shadow misses the fiery reality. God chose to dwell among us as presence. The soul’s breathed life. Christ’s incarnation's the ultimate declaration that what lies behind's now brought up front. God with us, Emmanuel

 

[Luce NDs]

Incarnation, @Luce NDs, is the Word made flesh. The eternal Logos stepping into time and space. Mystery doesn’t mean vagueness. The incarnation's God’s grammar written into human history. Divinity's syntax woven into Christ's flesh. Incarnatio's enfleshment. A concrete embodiment. To call it strain or shadow misses the fiery reality. God chose to dwell among us as presence. The soul’s breathed life. Christ’s incarnation's the ultimate declaration that what lies behind's now brought up front. God with us, Emmanuel

Isn't that incomprehensible to folk that have been told that knowledge is evil? Generates an ecclesiastical conflict ... to learn or not to be out as sanctified ... stand off's!

My dictionary declares that incarnation is "how it appears" ... sometimes "in the flesh" when uncovered and naked as a jay bird ... temporal as it is here and then it is gone ... life is like that and then it gets quiet! Until then? Waht ... some say watt ... and thus that power down by the river ... that glimpse in the rye (Rae-uncovered) ... imagined naked truth in a world where it don stand up that well ... thus we are trumped ... as I see stupid proceeding ...

Are fallout from up there stunned? Sacra Blue ... and also sad songs of Sadducees ... all wrapped up ... leads to hedonism ... an experience in bed clothes ... passe? Something has to go ... reminds me or reciprocal sensations ... stuff entered into? Clothes to transpiration ... sweat lodges ... volition is the job ...

Volition is said to be something of the cognitive ... it is just how it goes off there ... the known part is lost ... behind a tree? Epis Tema logical ... stumped?

 

[Jaebius]

Isn't that incomprehensible to folk that have been told that knowledge is evil? Generates an ecclesiastical conflict ... to learn or not to be out as sanctified ... stand off's!

Knowledge, @Luce NDs, is light.

To call learning a threat's to confuse the serpent’s lie in Eden with the Spirit’s gift at Pentecost.

I stand fiery against the notion that sanctification means ignorance. Scripture commands us, “Love the Lord your God with all your mind!”

The word logos's the name given to Christ in John 1. To despise knowledge's to despise the Word.

True faith's not afraid of testing. Probing. Discerning.

Ecclesiastical stand-offs dissolve when we remember that God’s truth's not fragile.

Knowledge's worship

 

[Luce NDs]

Light ... Christ man are you sure of that when so many are trying to turn something off ... as Kristopher son on a turn coming down ... the mystery expands as if a covenant was tossed over ide ... the wee people have to wiggle and dig like Zacchaeus in the tree ... vewy snaky ... be Eire about that!

Can you abstract all the plots made against wisdom and Sophy ... on an Odyssey (peculiar puddle)? Developed into a progressive Caduceus ... that could identify PRIONs that authority ignores ... proteinaceous infections ... overlaps in solid domains and the other kind ... like creeps in the night that get folded in ... the labels vary ... one must venture a great distance ...

 

[Luce NDs]

How doth 1 know such stuff?

Sometimes by taking the odyssey ... the peculiar lam' with strange shade ... pink ease ... anti McCarthy is M ... t' ruck 'n along ... ruck is a word worth looking up ... in a populace that generally looks up to the alternate item ... will? Thought is thus out there ... as I declared elsewhere sanctioned ...

The great mystery gave us such things to see if we could puzzle ... enigmatic eh? A! Could be exponentially innate ... and thus it sinks ...