Cleopatra
At Giza, Egypt, five years later, a great museum is to open with 100,000 or more items to be transferred from the current archaeological museum in Cairo.
Japan is offering great support, including funds and IT facilities, to the new museum to be built near the Great Pyramids at Giza.
Mr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, expressed his big gratitude to Japan that is not only supporting the new museum but also the visitor center recently opened at Luxor.
According to Mr. Hawass, the year 2007 will be a great year for him due to their plan to open a new door discovered several years ago inside a Great Pyramid at Giza and development of excavation activities at an ancient burial mound near Alexandria where a dead body of Cleopatra might be found.
(Source: The Asahi Shimbun newspaper)
* * *
Japanese are highly interested in Egypt for its historical heritage. Cleopatra is also well known in Japan as one of three rare beauties in history.
Cleopatra's genealogical line is still a kind of mystery, though there is no doubt about who her father is. Her father Ptolemy had successfully gained support from Caesar to become and maintain his position as King of Egypt. Ptolemy spent a lot of money to win Caesar's favor. Compared with her father, Cleopatra who associated deeply with Caesar and Antonio looks like a nun in terms of morality.
According to a theory, Cleopatra's mother was a sister or a relative of King Ptolemy. Her mother, backed up by citizens in Alexandria, seized the power while her husband, namely the unpopular king Ptolemy, was in Rome but died soon after. Then immediately after her death, the oldest daughter of the king took over the power in Alexandria. But, when King Ptolemy returned to Egypt with Roman troops, she and her husband were killed.
King Ptolemy died several years later but he nominated Cleopatra and her younger brother as co-monarchs. However, Cleopatra was later thrown out of the power by a faction supporting her younger brother. It was Caesar who restored the position of Cleopatra when he visited Alexandria in his expedition.
* * *
There were many Israelites in Alexandria in those days.
Cleopatra was unique among embers of royalty in Egypt in that she could speak many languages, including local Egyptian and Hebrew. Traditionally, the royal family of the Macedonian-Ptolemaic Dynasty never spoke local Egyptian. Only Cleopatra spoke Hebrew.
When Antonio and Cleopatra tied up, she got various territories as a present from Antonio, then one of the three top leaders of the Roman Empire. However, she could not get Palestine or the kingdom of Herod, though she coveted for it. Antonio, for a certain reason, would not resolutely give it to her, though he gave to her almost everything she wanted.
It is suspected that there might be something between Cleopatra and Israelites in those days.
Even it is possible that her mother was remotely related by blood to Israelites.
* * *
This year, we may be reported on results of excavation activities at an ancient burial mound near Alexandria where a dead body of Cleopatra might be found.
It might symbolize or foretell something. We may see, this year, the fourth rare beauty in history.
But, remember that Japan is highly contributing to such research and discovery here and there.
(Today, Japan's Agriculture Minister committed suicide. He has been relentlessly attacked by the media and parties in opposition for some money scandals, not as a minister but as a politician, since last year. This is a very rare case. The Japanese Government itself has nothing to do with his money scandal. However, Japan's Upper House Election this summer is expected to heat up.)
"BECAUSE HE CANNOT BE FALSE TO HIMSELF"
At Giza, Egypt, five years later, a great museum is to open with 100,000 or more items to be transferred from the current archaeological museum in Cairo.
Japan is offering great support, including funds and IT facilities, to the new museum to be built near the Great Pyramids at Giza.
Mr. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, expressed his big gratitude to Japan that is not only supporting the new museum but also the visitor center recently opened at Luxor.
According to Mr. Hawass, the year 2007 will be a great year for him due to their plan to open a new door discovered several years ago inside a Great Pyramid at Giza and development of excavation activities at an ancient burial mound near Alexandria where a dead body of Cleopatra might be found.
(Source: The Asahi Shimbun newspaper)
* * *
Japanese are highly interested in Egypt for its historical heritage. Cleopatra is also well known in Japan as one of three rare beauties in history.
Cleopatra's genealogical line is still a kind of mystery, though there is no doubt about who her father is. Her father Ptolemy had successfully gained support from Caesar to become and maintain his position as King of Egypt. Ptolemy spent a lot of money to win Caesar's favor. Compared with her father, Cleopatra who associated deeply with Caesar and Antonio looks like a nun in terms of morality.
According to a theory, Cleopatra's mother was a sister or a relative of King Ptolemy. Her mother, backed up by citizens in Alexandria, seized the power while her husband, namely the unpopular king Ptolemy, was in Rome but died soon after. Then immediately after her death, the oldest daughter of the king took over the power in Alexandria. But, when King Ptolemy returned to Egypt with Roman troops, she and her husband were killed.
King Ptolemy died several years later but he nominated Cleopatra and her younger brother as co-monarchs. However, Cleopatra was later thrown out of the power by a faction supporting her younger brother. It was Caesar who restored the position of Cleopatra when he visited Alexandria in his expedition.
* * *
There were many Israelites in Alexandria in those days.
Cleopatra was unique among embers of royalty in Egypt in that she could speak many languages, including local Egyptian and Hebrew. Traditionally, the royal family of the Macedonian-Ptolemaic Dynasty never spoke local Egyptian. Only Cleopatra spoke Hebrew.
When Antonio and Cleopatra tied up, she got various territories as a present from Antonio, then one of the three top leaders of the Roman Empire. However, she could not get Palestine or the kingdom of Herod, though she coveted for it. Antonio, for a certain reason, would not resolutely give it to her, though he gave to her almost everything she wanted.
It is suspected that there might be something between Cleopatra and Israelites in those days.
Even it is possible that her mother was remotely related by blood to Israelites.
* * *
This year, we may be reported on results of excavation activities at an ancient burial mound near Alexandria where a dead body of Cleopatra might be found.
It might symbolize or foretell something. We may see, this year, the fourth rare beauty in history.
But, remember that Japan is highly contributing to such research and discovery here and there.
(Today, Japan's Agriculture Minister committed suicide. He has been relentlessly attacked by the media and parties in opposition for some money scandals, not as a minister but as a politician, since last year. This is a very rare case. The Japanese Government itself has nothing to do with his money scandal. However, Japan's Upper House Election this summer is expected to heat up.)
"BECAUSE HE CANNOT BE FALSE TO HIMSELF"