Trivia Advent Calendar

[J. Beckert]

The New Jersey State House dome? Gen Washington raided the Hessian camp next to it on Christmas in the 1770's and Lincoln laid in State under it in 1865. Weak - but its all I got.....

[Gene C]

This looks a bit like the "Dome of the Rock", a Muslim shrine in Jerusalem.
it predates the Lincoln assassination by a few years. Mary claimed they had talked (on the day of the assassination?) about visiting Jerusalem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dome_of_the_Rock

[J. Beckert]

On second thought, Lincoln didn't lay in State in New Jersey, but he did visit the State House in 1861. This one is mind bending, Eva.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Brilliant guesses, Joe - but kudos to Gene, this is correct!!!

We have discussed all mentionings of Abraham Lincoln's alleged desire to visit Jerusalem here:
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...m#pid37088
(...and I wonder what maharba thinks about this...)

I chose the Dome of the Rock (which is admittedly rather of Jewish and Islamic than Christian importance) as this is Jerusalem's most recognizable landmark.

And since Xmas (here at least ) means 2,5 paid days off, also for non-Christians, I find it appropriate (and it doesn't harm eiter) to, whether you believe or not, know a little about the "why", the cultural background, era and area.

Jerusalem is about six miles from Bethlehem. 31 days after birth, the time came for Mary and Jesus to be presented at the temple in Jerusalem for the purification service.

"When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord'), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: 'a pair of doves or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:21-38)

Circumcision, as part of the naming ceremony for baby boys, was required by Jewish law and still is today. It is done to remind Jewish people of the agreement that God made with Abraham in the Old Testament of the Bible. It normally takes place on the 8th day after birth and during the ceremony the baby is officially named.

Jesus had to be presented, like all new babies, to be 'paid for'. This was a way of recognising that the baby was a gift from God and really belonged to him, so the parents had to symbolically 'buy back' the baby from God. The amount that had to be paid for a baby was about 60 grams of silver.

Mary had to go to the temple to be symbolically made clean and pure for the blood that she had lost when she gave birth. To be made pure, a dove or other bird had to be sacrificed; and to be made clean, a lamb to be sacrificed. However, if you were poor, a dove could be sacrificed instead of a lamb, i.e. a pair of doves or pigeons.

The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat Al-Sakhrah) is a shrine located on the Temple Mount, the site where the Jewish First Temple and Second Temple had stood. The Western Wall, which you see in front, was once a part of the Second Temple.
           
The Second Temple was destroyed in 70AD by the Romans, who built a temple to Jupiter on the site. The Dome was completed in 691AD and is one of the oldest works of Islamic architecture. Unfortunately I had to resize the (second) photo and cut down the bits, the original photo shows the magnificent artwork much better.

At the heart of the Dome is the Foundation Stone:
   
It is the holiest site in Judaism. According to the Talmud, this rock was the first part of the Earth to come into existence, and the place where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. And in Islam, the rock is the spot from which the Islamic prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel to pray with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

BTW, the birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the year 0AD but slightly earlier, in about 5, 6 or 7BC. The dates that we use now were set by Monks and religious leaders in the Middle Ages and before. It's also quite likely that Jesus was actually born in the autumn (during Tabernacles), not in the winter! It can get very cold in the winter in Israel and it is thought that the census would have most likely taken place during the spring or autumn, at a when many pilgrims, from all over the country, came to visit Jerusalem. Also during the winter, it's less likely that the shepherds would have been keeping sheep out on the hills (as those hills can get quite a lot of snow during winter sometimes!).

Some of this and more on Wiki, and this nicely done site:
http://www.whychristmas.com/story/newborn.shtml

PS: I think the occurance of Halley's Comet (interpreted as the Star of Bethlehem) sometime between October 12BC and February 11BC is also seen as an indication for an earlier date.

I apologize for the a little off-course question and lengthy post. Now I hope you enjoy Edith Piaf's take on this:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U8yUPEFmlBk

[L Verge]

Congratulations, Gene! I would never have guessed that in a million years - and thanks for the Biblical lessons, Eva. If you google Old Naval Observatory, one of the sites has a photo of the dome of that building in 1866. I have been to that building and knew that Lincoln had visited it several times. That's what made me immediately think of it when seeing the photo. Needless to say, the government could not afford a golden dome, however.

P.S. Edwin Booth was born as Halley's Comet streaked through the sky.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks, Laurie (I was just going to delete as I thought it not interesting to anyone...)

Forgot:
Laurie 7
Gene 5
Joe 5
Roger 3
Rogerm 2
Thomas 1

(I am sure Roger would have known, too.)

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Eva, for everything!! I like Edith Piaf, too, and my absolute favorite of hers is here.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks, Roger - this is probably my favorite Piaf song, too, and a good attitude/philosophy IMO.

[Dave Taylor]

(12-16-2015 08:51 PM)L Verge Wrote:  P.S. Edwin Booth was born as Halley's Comet streaked through the sky.

Actually, Edwin Booth was born during the annual Leonid meteor shower which peaks in the month of November. The night of his birth in 1833 was during one of the most brilliant showers in the Leonids' recorded history.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Fascinating - thanks for sharing, Dave! (PS: I miss your participation...)

[L Verge]

(12-17-2015 08:49 AM)Dave Taylor Wrote:  

(12-16-2015 08:51 PM)L Verge Wrote:  P.S. Edwin Booth was born as Halley's Comet streaked through the sky.

Actually, Edwin Booth was born during the annual Leonid meteor shower which peaks in the month of November. The night of his birth in 1833 was during one of the most brilliant showers in the Leonids' recorded history.

Thanks for the correction, Dave. Never had an astronomy lesson in my life, and I guess my Booth history is failing also. Yesterday was not one of my stellar performances in participating on this forum! Sorry, y'all.

[Dave Taylor]

(12-17-2015 09:14 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Fascinating - thanks for sharing, Dave! (PS: I miss your participation...)

Thank you, Eva. I'm sorry for being such a stranger. I'm at a new school and a new grade this year and so my day to day duties have increased and have been keeping me busy. I barely have time to read the forum most days, let alone compose an articulate or researched response. You'll notice my blog has been pretty dead lately as well. I'm looking forward to Christmas break starting Saturday but Kate and I will be traveling home to Illinois and will be otherwise occupied with family festivities. I do miss researching though. Unfortunately teaching third graders takes a lot of effort and time.

All the best and an early "Merry Christmas" to you.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thank you, Dave - to you, too, and my best wishes for a wonderful and "reinvigorating" time in Illinois! (And I sure understand.)

[Thomas Kearney]

Happy Holidays to you Dave! Can't wait for this years Christmas spoof! If you're passing through Springfield, say hi to the ALPLM for me!

---

(12-16-2015 07:32 PM)Gene C Wrote:  The disco ball at The Lincoln Inauguration Ball?

Is it in Washington DC?

Looks like it could be a church roof's dome

Disco wasn't invented until the 1970's!

---

(12-16-2015 08:27 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  Brilliant guesses, Joe - but kudos to Gene, this is correct!!!

We have discussed all mentionings of Abraham Lincoln's alleged desire to visit Jerusalem here:
http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...m#pid37088
(...and I wonder what maharba thinks about this...)

I chose the Dome of the Rock (which is admittedly rather of Jewish and Islamic than Christian importance) as this is Jerusalem's most recognizable landmark.

And since Xmas (here at least ) means 2,5 paid days off, also for non-Christians, I find it appropriate (and it doesn't harm eiter) to, whether you believe or not, know a little about the "why", the cultural background, era and area.

Jerusalem is about six miles from Bethlehem. 31 days after birth, the time came for Mary and Jesus to be presented at the temple in Jerusalem for the purification service.

"When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, 'Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord'), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: 'a pair of doves or two young pigeons." (Luke 2:21-38)

Circumcision, as part of the naming ceremony for baby boys, was required by Jewish law and still is today. It is done to remind Jewish people of the agreement that God made with Abraham in the Old Testament of the Bible. It normally takes place on the 8th day after birth and during the ceremony the baby is officially named.

Jesus had to be presented, like all new babies, to be 'paid for'. This was a way of recognising that the baby was a gift from God and really belonged to him, so the parents had to symbolically 'buy back' the baby from God. The amount that had to be paid for a baby was about 60 grams of silver.

Mary had to go to the temple to be symbolically made clean and pure for the blood that she had lost when she gave birth. To be made pure, a dove or other bird had to be sacrificed; and to be made clean, a lamb to be sacrificed. However, if you were poor, a dove could be sacrificed instead of a lamb, i.e. a pair of doves or pigeons.

The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat Al-Sakhrah) is a shrine located on the Temple Mount, the site where the Jewish First Temple and Second Temple had stood. The Western Wall, which you see in front, was once a part of the Second Temple.

The Second Temple was destroyed in 70AD by the Romans, who built a temple to Jupiter on the site. The Dome was completed in 691AD and is one of the oldest works of Islamic architecture. Unfortunately I had to resize the (second) photo and cut down the bits, the original photo shows the magnificent artwork much better.

At the heart of the Dome is the Foundation Stone:

It is the holiest site in Judaism. According to the Talmud, this rock was the first part of the Earth to come into existence, and the place where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac. And in Islam, the rock is the spot from which the Islamic prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven accompanied by the angel Gabriel to pray with Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

BTW, the birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the year 0AD but slightly earlier, in about 5, 6 or 7BC. The dates that we use now were set by Monks and religious leaders in the Middle Ages and before. It's also quite likely that Jesus was actually born in the autumn (during Tabernacles), not in the winter! It can get very cold in the winter in Israel and it is thought that the census would have most likely taken place during the spring or autumn, at a when many pilgrims, from all over the country, came to visit Jerusalem. Also during the winter, it's less likely that the shepherds would have been keeping sheep out on the hills (as those hills can get quite a lot of snow during winter sometimes!).

Some of this and more on Wiki, and this nicely done site:
http://www.whychristmas.com/story/newborn.shtml

PS: I think the occurance of Halley's Comet (interpreted as the Star of Bethlehem) sometime between October 12BC and February 11BC is also seen as an indication for an earlier date.

I apologize for the a little off-course question and lengthy post. Now I hope you enjoy Edith Piaf's take on this:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U8yUPEFmlBk

The Roman Census of Quirinius took place in 4 BCE according to legend, which is when Christ was believed to be born, as Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, where Joseph's ancestors were from.

[Eva Elisabeth]

#18 is easy, no?
   

Thomas, your comment to Gene made me curious. Didn't check disco invention (guess you are correct), but disco ball, and Wiki reads:
"What are now sometimes called 'disco balls' were first widely used in nightclubs in the 1920s. They were already in existence and use before then, appearing in a description of a ballroom dance in 1897 in Boston." This picture shows the Lousoana Five jazz band in 1919 (see in the middle of the upper margin):
   
And some thousand years ago the Chinese already used to hang up exactly such divice in a drafty place in their temples, lit by candles.