Free Republic

The dominant literary culture of the late 20th century loved to tear down the heroes of the past, focusing almost entirely on their flaws while belittling the virtues, beliefs, and deeds that made them worthy of admiration in the first place. I have written about this annoying tendency previously on several occasions, including here and here. In our own time, we are afflicted with a slightly different problem: cultural arbiters who know almost nothing about the great men and women who went before them, save the cherry-picked anecdotes that magically seem to support their political cause of the moment. It...

The mysterious location of the tomb of Alexander the Great might finally have been confirmed. Alexander the Great was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon from 336–323 BC and after conquering the Greek city-states he rolled over Persia founding an empire with 70 cities across three continents covering an estimated two million square miles. Now, a piece of masonry from an ancient tomb discovered in the foundations of St Mark ’s in Venice matching the dimensions of a sarcophagus in the British Museum might confirm the location of the tomb of Alexander the Great, and what’s more,...

Watch as Josh Gates and researchers use augmented reality to match a Macedonian funerary block from the Crypt of St. Mark to a sarcophagus found in Alexandria, suggesting the remains may belong to Alexander the Great. By reconstructing the missing blocks, they reveal the complete tomb’s appearance for the first time, confirming a precise physical fit between the sarcophagus and it's casing.Josh Gates Uncovers Alexander's Lost Tomb | Expedition Unknown | 4:09Discovery | 5.88M subscribers | 88,165 views | July 5, 2024

Alexander the Great was the world most feared warrior king. He died Pharaoh of Egypt and his body was a powerful political tool that enabled anyone possessing it to claim Egypt for themselves. His tomb was seen in the 4th Century AD in ancient Alexandria, and ever since people have searched hoping to find this holy grail of archaeology. Now using evidence from Alexander’s own journey through Egypt, we are perhaps close to solving one of history’s most enduring mysteries.

Twelve seconds of silence is an awkward eternity on television. Amr Adeeb, perhaps the most prominent talk show host in Egypt, leaned forward as he searched for a response. “The Copts of Egypt … are made of … steel!” he finally uttered. Moments earlier, Adeeb was watching a colleague in a simple home in Alexandria speak with the widow of Naseem Faheem, the guard at St. Mark’s Cathedral in the seaside Mediterranean city. On Palm Sunday, the guard had redirected a suicide bomber through the perimeter metal detector, where the terrorist detonated. Likely the first to die in the blast,...

This past weekend seated on my favorite bench in Tompkins Square Park, while finishing up the must-read neighborhood history “St. Marks is Dead,” by Ada Calhoun, I heard strains of a second-line New Orleans jazz funeral, a perfect dirge for the read. The procession wended its way along Avenue A and crossed on the corner at St. Mark’s Place, where fittingly a new Starbucks is soon to open. A woman was pulling a child’s little red wagon with some sort of sculptural object in it. When they crossed over to the park, I could see that it was a thick,...

New church founded By Cara Eastwood rep4@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle CHEYENNE - Episcopalians seeking a more conservative church might find refuge in a new, as of yet unaffiliated group founded by a veteran in the Episcopal denomination. The Church of St. Peter, Apostle and Confessor will begin meeting Jan. 18, and the Rev. H. W. "Skip" Reeves is eager to plow new ground with his congregation. Initial attendance, estimated between 75 and 150 people, will be comprised mainly of Episcopalians who stopped going to church after last year's controversial appointment of a gay bishop. "I'm the last person...

CHEYENNE (AP) -- An Episcopal priest will leave his job, though not the church, over the recent approval of an openly gay bishop and blessing of same-sex relationships by the church. The Rev. H. W. "Skip" Reeves Jr., rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, announced his decision in a letter to parishioners. He is also resigning as chairman of the church's Commission on Ministry and its Committee on Evangelism and as a member of its Diocesan Council. "It's the hardest thing in my life," Reeves said. "I'm not trying to lead any band or parade or anything like that. It's...

Local Episcopal rector resigns from diocesan duties By Allison Fashek rep8@wyomingnews.com Published in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle CHEYENNE - A local Episcopal rector is stepping down from his diocesan positions due in part to concerns over the Episcopal Church's recent appointment of an openly gay bishop. Rev. H. W. "Skip" Reeves Jr., rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, sent a letter to parishioners earlier this week confirming the move. He has resigned from his posts as chairman of the Commission on Ministry, chairman of the Committee on Evangelism and member of the Diocesan Council and from his role in coordinating the...