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COLLESSEUM

A MUSEUM-THEATRE FOR SCRIPTS*

 The creator and curator is Brian Edric Colless,

pictured with ancient Egyptian rulers and deities in the background,

and an early copy of the alphabet in the foreground.

A Bronze-Age tablet showing the original pictorial form of the alphabet.

                        In the top-left corner is a house with a courtyard; with its end-walls removed it became H.

                        Next to the house is the head of an ox with horns; inverted it became A (Alpha).

                        Further along is a door on its post: D (Delta). Then a house (door ajar?):  B (Beta).

                        G (Gamma) was a boomerang (below the A). L was a shepherd's crook (further down).

                        For more enlightenment see ANCIENT SCRIPTS below, and The alphabet when young 

                     *The word script is here used in as many meanings as it will allow.

THE HEBREW SYLLABARY : The Alphabet in Early Israel

THE GEBEL TINGAR STATUE: Israel in Ancient Egypt

                    INDEX OF COLLESSEUM PAGES

PUBLICATIONS of Brian Edric Colless (click to see the list)

OCEANS OF STORIES OF OCEANS

RELIGION AND COMMERCE IN SE ASIA

ARMENIAN TRADERS

ANCIENT SINGAPORE

    SYRIAC MYSTICISM

Syriac Christian Mysticism : Summary

The Wisdom of the Pearlers : Anthology of Syriac Christian Mysticism 

Pearl Wisdom : Analysis of the Anthology

The Hymn of the Pearl : Introduction 

The Hymn of the Pearl : Interpretation

The Book of Steps : Eukhitism and Messallianism

John Saba of Dalyatha : Syriac Mystic Supreme

The Legacy of Syriac Christianity

    ANCIENT EGYPT

The Palette of Narmer : Unification of Egypt

The Cosmology of Heliopolis : Creation by Atum

The Cosmology of Memphis : Creation by Ptah

The Cosmology of Akhetaton :  Hymn to the Aton

The Cosmology of Thebes : Hymns to Amon-Rey

The Book of the Dead

The Story of Sinuhe : Memoirs of an Egyptian in Canaan

The Battle of Qadesh : Ramesses II

    ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

The Epic of Atrakhasis : Flood Story

The Tablet of Destinies : New Year Ritual

The Empire of Sargon : Legend and Chronicle

The Empire of Hammurabi : Lawcode

    ANCIENT LEVANT

The Epic of Ba`al : Ugaritic Cosmology

The Epic of Aqhat : Ugaritic Story

The Inscriptions of King Mesha` : Moab and Israel

The Prophet Elijah and the Prophets of Ba`al

    ANCIENT ANATOLIA

The Hattian Empire: Hittite Documents

Hattian Myths : Hittite Mythology

    ANCIENT PERSIA  

Ancient Iranian Religion : Texts, Languages, Scripts

Zoroastrian Scriptures : Hymns from the Avesta

Ancient Persian Rulers : Cyrus and Darius

    ANCIENT INDIA

Buddhist Scriptures 1 : Early Life of the Buddha

Buddhist Scriptures 2 : Later Life of the Buddha

Buddhist Scriptures 3 : Previous Lives of the Buddha

Buddhist Teachings 1 : The Four Noble Truths

Buddhist Teachings 2 : The Unprofitable Questions

Buddhist Teachings 3 : The Marks of a Great Man

Buddhist Teachings 4 : The Punishments in the Hells

Buddhist Teachings 5 : The Dharma Path of the Buddha

Buddhist Teachings : The Dharma Decrees of King Ashoka

Buddhist Teachings : The Questions of King Milinda (Menander)

    MYTH AND EPIC  

The Beowulf Epic

The Völsung Saga

The Nibelung Epic 

The Saga of Niall

The Kalevala Epic

The Divine Comedy : Introduction

The Divine Comedy : Inferno

The Divine Comedy : Purgatorio

The Divine Comedy : Paradiso

The Golden Fleece Quest : Jason and Medea

The Holy Grail Quest : Introduction

The Gold Grail : Perceval 

The Stone Grail : Parzival 

The Blood Grail : Perlesvaus

The Grail Secrets: Parsifal (Wagner's music-drama) 

   ANCIENT SCRIPTS

WEST SEMITIC

Alphabet Evolution : Pictographs to Letters

Alphabet and Hieroglyphs : Orly Goldwasser

Alphabet and Hieroglyphs : Gordon Hamilton

West Semitic Logo-syllabary: The Byblos Script

Megiddo Signet Ring : Decipherment verification

Deir Rifa Amulet : Syllabic inscription from Egypt

Phoenicians in Jamaica : Inscribed Copper Cup

Phoenicians in Michigan: Huron Stone

Stone Seal : Provenance unknown (Hyksos Egypt?)

Thebes Ostrakon 1 : The alphabet when young 

Cuneiform Alphabet : Based on the picto-proto-alphabet 

Gezer Cult-Stand Sherd : Temple offering stand

Lakhish Death Dagger : Inscribed dagger in a tomb

Beth Shemesh Ostrakon : Carousing in the wine bar

Izbet Sartah Ostrakon : An ancient abagadary (abecedary) 

Izbet Sartah Ostrakon : Musings of a student scribe

Qeiyafa Ostracon : Oracle on David and Goliath

Qeiyafa-Shaaraim: King Saul's Stronghold

The Hebrew Syllabary : The Alphabet in Early Israel

Yrb`al Inscription: Judge Gideon Jerubbaal

Gebel Tingar Statue: Israel in Goshen

CRETO-CYPRIAN   

Semitic Crete : Semitic language in ancient Crete

Aegean Syllabic Scripts : Crete and beyond

Aegean Syllabic Signs : From Pictorial to Linear

Phaistos Disc Inscription: Not a forgery 

Phaistos Syllabic Script : On tablets, disc, ax

Cyprus Syllabic Scripts : From Linear A to Linear C

Cyprian Archaic Inscription : Early Enkomi tablet

Cyprian Shekel Weight :  Enkomi clay weight

Cyprian Inscribed Seals : Twelve brief inscriptions

Cyprian Inscribed Cylinder : Enkomi cylinder

Cyprian Inscribed Balls : Enkomi clay balls

Cyprian Name List :  Tablet from Ugarit

 

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