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=> Bright Shiny Beads

Bright Shiny Beads
Posted by Farid (Moderator) - Wednesday, November 12 2003, 12:27:13 (EST)
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There's a sort of spine-tingling moment in Oates', "Babylon", where she discusses the ancient Babylonians' fascination with antiquities. It gives you some idea for how really old "Old" is...and how we once knew how to value our Heritage...centuries ago....where we could give a shit today...

"Indeed the ordinary citizens of Babylonia had long been aware of the riches contained in its ancient mounds, as can be seen in this letter from a son to his father, dated over 1000 years ago...

'I have never before written to you for something precious I wanted. But if you want to be like a father to me, get me a fine string of beads, to be worn around the head. Seal it with your seal and give it to the carrier so that he can bring it to me. If you have none at hand, DIG IT OUT OF THE GROUND WHEREVER SUCH OBJECTS ARE FOUND and send it to me. I want it very much...'"

The greatest invention ever was the invention of language and then writing. Everything we have came from that. You can't even properly think without words. More than gold, more than sculptures or beads or buildings or ruins...the written word, conveying ideas expressed in books, is by far the greatest of all treasures. You suppose if the world's museums contained gold objects as yet unseen...they'd have remained there...in the dark? Why are we, of all people, indifferent? How many more doctors do we need? Why is everyone else so uninterested? Curious no?



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