Amenhotep Kings

18TH DYNASTY PHAROAHS- Amenhotep kingsThe 18th Dynasty was a period full of powerful Kings and Queens. It starts by King Ahmose who ruled from 1570-1546, one of the most outstanding in the history of ancient Egypt. His principal achievement was to weaken the Hyksos, who had dominated Lower Egypt for some 300 years, by taking Avaris, their citadel in the north. He pursued them into southern Palestine and laid siege to Sharuhen for three years. Amenhotep I (Amenophis) was the son of Ahmose I and his queen Ahmose-Nefertari - and ruled from 1546 to 1526. He undertook military campaigns in Libya and in Nubia (up to the 3rd cataract) using boats on the Nile to transport his army, and extended the boundaries of his empire by establishing a vice-royalty in Nubia. On reaching the throne, Amenhotep I very quickly had to defend Egypt's borders - the Libyans had taken the opportunity of Ahmose I's death to launch an invasion in Egypt's delta - Amenhotep I led an army to the Western border and defeated the Libyans and their allies. Next was a rebellion by Nubia, Amenhotep I this time led an army to the southern border and very quickly restored order.Amenhotep I had an interest in art and architecture and intiated elaborate building projects - such as the Karnak temple complex at Karnak . Amenhotep I was also the first pharaoh who separated his mortuary temple and tomb.Amenhotep II , the 7th king of the 18th dynasty, son of Thutmose III, ruled Egypt from 1450 to 1425 BC. He continued the military exploits of his father, particularly in Syria, where he crushed an uprising and demanded oaths of loyalty from local rulers. His mummy was discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Amenhotep II was famed at the time for his sportsmanship - he was very athletic and had a great love of horses.His greatest feat of sportsmanship was the shooting of copper targets with arrows, while driving a chariot with the reigns tied round his waist. Upon the death of Tuthmosis III, Amenhotep II inherited a vast empire, it was not something that he intended to lose - any rebellions were severely dealt with and a series of campaigns were made into Syria.Amenhotep III ruled (1417-1379 BC) Egypt at the height of its power. His father was Tuthmosis IV by one of that king's chief queens, Mutemwiya. She may have, though mostly in doubt now, been the daughter of the Mitannian king, Artatama. That queen was indeed probably sent to Egypt for the purposes of a diplomatic marriage. He was more likely between six and twelve years of age at the time of his father's death. Amenhotep III's own chief queen, was not of royal blood, but came from a very substantial family. She was Tiy, the daughter of Yuya and his wife, Tuya, who owned vast holdings in the Delta. Yuya was also a powerful military leader. His extensive diplomatic contacts with other Near Eastern states, especially Mitanni and Babylonia, are revealed in the Amarna tablets. Of the great temple he built near Thebes, only two statues, the so-called colossi of Memnon, remain. Amenhotep's wife Tiye, a woman of humble birth, was prominently associated with him during his long and peaceful reign.We know at least six of his children consisting of two sons and four daughters (other daughters including Henuttaneb and Nebetiah). However, his probable oldest son, Tuthmosis died early leaving the future heretic king, Amenhotep IV, otherwise known as Akhenaten, as the crown prince. His extensive diplomatic contacts with other Near Eastern states, especially Mitanni and Babylonia, are revealed in the Amarna tablets. Of the great temple he built near Thebes, only two statues, the so-called colossi of Memnon, remain. After the military problems seem to have been settled, we find a long period of great building works and high art. It was also a period of lavish luxury at the royal court. The wealth needed to accomplish all of this did not come from conquests, but rather from foreign trade and an abundant supply of gold, mostly from the mines in the Wadi Hammamat and further south in Nubia. . During his reign, we find a marked increase in Egyptian materials found on the Greek mainland. We also find many Egyptian place names, including Mycenae, Phaistos and Knossos first appearing in Egyptian inscriptions We also find letters written between Amenhotep III and his peers in Babylon, Mitanni and Arzawa preserved in cuneiform writing on clay tablets.Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV) (1350-1334), The second son of the great Amenhotep III, Akhenaten came to the throne when his elder brother and heir to the throne, Thuthmose, died while still a child.At this point the young Akhenaten was still known by his original name - Amenhotep (IV), it was only when he ascended the throne that he would change his name. Immediately he took up the offices and teachings of a prince regent, including studying at the centre of intellectual learning for Egypt - Heliopolis. was invested as king not in the Amen temple at Karnak as custom dictated, but at Hermonthis, where his uncle Inen was High Priest of Re and immediately began building a roofless temple to the Aten, the disk of the rising sun. He soon forbade the worship of other gods, especially of the state god Amen of Thebes. In the 6th year he changed his name from Amenhotep ("Amen is satisfied") to Akhenaten ("beneficial to Aten") and left Thebes for a new capital at Akhetaten (El Amarna). Amenhotep IV's reign was a time of many changes, for not only did he decide to change his name to Akhenaten, he found a perfect site along the banks of the Nile where he could be build a new capital of Egypt - Akhetaten, the Pharaoh found a plain within a semicircle of cliffs - here he set up an altar and made an offering to the Aten in thanks for leading him to this chosen place. Later at the foundation ceremony of the city, Akhenaten expressed how the city had been revealed to him alone by his father, the Aten, as his chosen seat.Living there with his queen Nefertiti, six daughters, and possibly several sons, he fostered new styles in art and literature. The confiscation of the wealth of the Amen temples wreaked havoc upon its priesthood. Akhenaten used these riches to strengthen the royal control over the army and his officialdom. His concentration on internal affairs brought about the loss of some of the Egyptian possessions in Canaan and Retenu (Syria) and of the Egyptian naval dominance, when Aziru defected to the Hittites with his fleet. His religious reforms didn't survive his reign and monotheism in its pure form was forgotten in Egypt, even though it found a new expression in the trinity of Re, Ptah and Amen. The Aten temples were demolished, and Akhenaten came to be called "the Enemy." Tutankhamen (r. 1361-1352 BC), the son in law of Akhenaten, succeeded his brother Smenkhkare when he was only nine years old. His vizier Ay restored the traditional polytheistic religion, abandoning the monotheistic cult of Aten of Akhenaten, its religious centre at el Amarna and returning to the capital Thebes. By reviving the cult of the state god Amen he strengthened the position of Amen's priesthood. The pharaoh changed his name Tutankhaten, (living image of Aten), to Tutankhamen, (living image of Amen), During his reign, the general Horemheb sought to 'pacify' Palestine and fought against the Hittites in northern Syria allied to the Assyrians.

The Mercy of Others

The Mercy of Others

These photographic images reveal through the lives and faces of individuals an 'interior presence' whose poignant energy and pathos communicate to the viewer the conflicting dynamics of love and alienation. Initially, each image comes alive as a living metaphor symbolizing the alienatation of the individual from the moral and spiritual bonds of communoity. But, more profoundly, each image penetrates beyond the 'metaphor of alienation' and discovers in the dynamic core of the person a certain restless and irresistible 'crying out for love and community.'The metaphorical quality of this 'crying out for love and community' gives these images a unique capacity to establish a profound and lasting dialogue with the viewer. To be sure, each image presents a brutal and unsettling presence of moral and spiritual alienation. Many who see them will hesitate, grow uncomfortable, and perhaps recoil. Some may even take flight.But, for those who go deeper, there is much more. For, by going beyond alienation, the veil over community is lifted as the viewer and the image are melded together in simple humanity. Each viewer becomes reminded of their 'higher self' and the potential they have for love and compassion, understanding and mercy. They feel a glowing sensation. Yet, they also awaken a sensitivity to their own vulnerability. Life is contemplated as though it were apart from the love and compassion of others. They imagine its horrors. They recognize their own 'crying out for love and community,' and realize in their need to 'belong' a dependency on others. They know that only love and compassion can ease the pain of aloneness, and recognize the moral indifference and emptiness of the contrary. A simple truth has been discovered: community can be forged out of the crucible of alienation only through the mercy of others.Herein lies the crux of America's current social predicament. Only as a similar dialogue is replicated in the lives of individuals throughout America will the wounds of personal alienation be healed, and the ills of our society be ameliorated. If we but seize the moment, and set in motion a creative dynamic that will energize each of us to care for and to help one another through individual acts of love, compassion, understanding, and mercy the moral and spiritual bonds of community will be strengthened, the dynamics of our most fundamental institutions -- the family, the schools, and the churches -- will be renewed, and the quality of life for all Americans will be enhanced.

Tips for Encouraging Children To Write

Tips for Encouraging Children To Write

Publishing Guidelines: Feel free to publish the following article in its entirety in your ezine, website, or print newsletter. The resource box must be included with an active link. Please send a courtesy copy of the publication in which the article appears to: deborah@fiveminuteparent.com Word wrap to 60, (507 words)Tips for Encouraging Children to WriteBy Deborah SheltonWant to encourage your child's love of writing? Or inspire one who would rather do anything but write? The answer may be as simple as finding the right pen. Just as your child may have had a security blanket or an impossibly dirty teddy bear that she refused to let you kidnap to the dark recesses of the washing machine, she may need a special writing tool that's all her own.This doesn't mean that you need to run out and buy a "special" $500 Mont Blanc fountain pen. Perhaps a pen with a case in her signature color would work. Maybe the ink needs to be just the right shade of purple. Take your little one on a stroll through the pen section of an art supply or stationery store and let her choose. Seeing such a wide array of writing supplies may spur interest on its own.Once you have tracked down a favorite pen, try to do as many creative things as you can think of to get your child to use it.1. Everyday Writing: Use everyday situations to help children practice their writing. For example, the next time you write a grocery list, have your child sit next to you and write a list of her favorite foods. Whenever you write thank-you notes, your child can write a miss-you letter to Grandma and Grandpa. Time to pay bills? Have your little one write about a recent dream while you write checks.2. Ghost Messaging: Dip a cotton swab into a small container of lemon juice. Use the swab to write a message on a sheet of construction paper. When you're finished, set the paper in direct sunlight and wait for the message to ghostly appear. It's creepy and fun!3. Hometown Reporter: Read through a newspaper together to get an idea of the kinds of stories journalists write about, and how they word headlines. Encourage your child to write his own articles: investigative, human interest, community events, celebrity profile, etc. "Publish" the article in a word processing program and send copies to friends and family. If the article is of mass interest, send it to the local newspaper!4. Sidewalk Chalk: Give your little ones the power to express themselves and have a ton of fun at the same time. Use sidewalk chalk to write poems, jokes and short stories on the driveway. 5. Letter Puzzles: This project is fun for the writer and the reader! First, write a letter to someone on a sheet of paper. When you're finished, use a pair of scissors to cut the note into interlocking puzzle pieces. Place the pieces into an envelope and mail or hand-deliver it. The recipient must assemble the puzzle in order to read the letter!6. Dear Editor: Encourage your children to voice their thoughts and opinions publicly by writing letters to the editors of children's magazines, local newspapers and even radio stations! Keep a scrapbook of all published clips, or frame them as a constant reminder of their writing accomplishments.

Water-Distillers

They are the devices that are helpful in getting the purest form of waters in domestic and commercial usage. They are Ideal for allergy sufferer’s .The distillers are widely used in laboratories, pharmacies, hospitals, doctors and surgeries. When they are filled with distilled waters they make 4 liters of distilled water in approximately 5 hours.
Steam distilled water: These are the purest form of water. A water distiller takes in nature's process of evaporation and condensation in a chamber, leaving all impurities after such as inorganic minerals, chemicals etc.
The Distillation procedure takes off waterborne contaminants, which are furnished such as:
Viruses
Bacteria
Organic and inorganic chemicals
Toxic metals (including fluoride)
Volatile gases
Cysts and other contaminants