Archaeologists discover new language

 

Evidence for a forgotten ancient language which dates back more than 2,500 years, to the time of the Assyrian Empire, has been found by archaeologists working in Turkey.

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Researchers working at Ziyaret Tepe, the probable site of the ancient Assyrian city of Tušhan, believe that the language may have been spoken by deportees originally from the Zagros Mountains, on the border of modern-day Iran and Iraq.
In keeping with a policy widely practised across the Assyrian Empire, these people may have been forcibly moved from their homeland and resettled in what is now south-east Turkey, where they would have been set to work building the new frontier city and farming its hinterland.
The evidence for the language they spoke comes from a single clay tablet, which was preserved after it was baked in a fire that destroyed the palace in Tušhan at some point around the end of the 8^th century BCE. Inscribed with cuneiform characters, the tablet is essentially a list of the names of women who were attached to the palace and the local Assyrian administration.
The tablet is currently being stored in Diyarbakir, Turkey, where it is hoped that it will eventually go on public display. Dr MacGinnis’ report on its decipherment is published in the April issue of the Journal of Near Eastern Studies.

In brief...

• Archaeologists have been working at Ziyaret Tepe since 1997 and the site, in western Turkey, is widely thought to be the original site of the Assyrian frontier city of Tušhan. Zirayet Tepe, literally “pilgrimage mound”, consists of a central mound about 30 metres high, and a surrounding lower town of about 30 hectares.
• The tablet studied by John MacGinnis was found in what may have been the governor’s throne room in the remains of the palace on the site. It was written in Neo-Assyrian script (Cuneiform), and lists women attached to the palace. There are about 60 names and most belong to an unidentified language.
• The most plausible explanation is that this language is from Western Iran. We already know that the Assyrians deported people from the Zagros Mountains area of modern-day Iran, but we don't know anything about the language that they spoke. It has also been speculated that a language referred to by the Assyrian King, Esarhaddon, called Mehkranian, may be what we are seeing here.
• Deportation was a common practice in the Assyrian Empire. It was an approach which helped the Assyrians to consolidate power, by breaking the control of the ruling elite in newly-conquered areas. The deportees were set to work building cities or labouring in the agricultural hinterland of these new settlements.

Ordinariate Pilgrimage to Walsingham

The first official pilgrimage of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham to Walsingham itself. Led by Mgr Keith Newton. All are very warmly invited.

Timetable
Priests will be available to hear confessions from 11.00 a.m.
12.00 p.m. Angelus & Solemn Mass at the... National Shrine
2.30 p.m. Holy Mile & Rosary Procession to Anglican Shrine
3.15 p.m. Sprinkling at the Anglican Shrine

Pilgrims are invited to bring a picnic lunch. Parish Banners welcome. Concelebrants please bring alb and diocesan vestment, and cassock and cotta/surplice for the afternoon.

News of a new Ordinariate in Australia

The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, announced today that Pope Benedict XVI intends to announce the establishment in Australia of a Personal Ordinariate for former Anglicans to commence on 15th June 2012. This new community will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross under the patronage of St Augustine of Canterbury.

New CTS leaflet asks 'What is the Ordinariate?'

The Catholic Truth Society has published a short leaflet explaining the purpose and development of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. The leaflet, to be sold at just 25p, gives a simple explanation of the events leading up to the establishment of the Ordinariate, and also the Ordinariate's structure and day-to-day running. It is designed for those with little or no knowledge of the Ordinariate project, and is specifically to provide better information about Pope Benedict's generous outreach to Anglicans. Copies are available to order from the CTS website.

Gay Police Association expresses concern over branded Bibles

UNISON and the Gay Police Association in Scotland have expressed concern over an offer from the Gideons International to Scottish police forces of free Bibles branded with each one’s badge. GPA say no police force should ‘endorse a book containing text which condemns homosexuality’. GPA has suggested that the Gideons contact the Christian Police Association or distribute the Bibles themselves. (Read more, Pink News, 23/4)

Fivers becoming more popular again

Once hovering on the brink of being classified as an endangered species, the humble five pound note is back with a vengeance.

Britons are using 10 times more "fivers" than they were two years ago, the Bank of England said on Thursday, as the notes become more widely available in cash machines and scruffy old ones are replaced.
Consumers in Britain now withdraw almost 200 million pounds worth of fivers from cash machines every month, the Bank said.
As people use these notes to buy goods, shopkeepers become less inclined to hoard dirty old notes and these can then be removed from circulation more quickly.
Bank Governor Mervyn King said in 2007 he was concerned about the deteriorating condition of old notes in circulation. He said the public needed five pound notes but few banks issued them because it was cheaper for them to stock cash machines with 10 and 20-pound notes.
Two years ago, the central bank set lenders the goal of ensuring that at least 1.2 percent of the cash their hole-in-the wall machines dispensed was in five-pound notes by 2012.
Lenders adapted some of their cash machines so that they could hold the notes and now 1.5 percent of the money consumers withdraw from machines comes in fivers.

Kermit in trouble with German authorities!

He may be a felt amphibian, but that didn’t stop Kermit the Frog from getting a ticking off from po-faced media watchdogs in Germany.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ZAK, the federal body that regulates German airwaves, objected to a so-called 'Disney Day' on commercial network Pro7.

It featured Kermit presenting several family films, but he also plugged the theatrical release of 'The Muppets' on several occasions (presumably the reason he was shipped over there in the first place).

As the mentions of the film did not come with on screen disclaimers marking them out as adverts - which German Law requires - the coverage was deemed illegal product placement by ZAK.

Pro7 have admitted liability, but may not have to pay a fine. The regulating body can only highlight infringements, but can't enforce any financial penalties, so the legal ramifications are still a bit unclear.

It might just be a slap on the wrist for Kermit. We’re sure he’ll be relieved