Ik ben Myriam
Ik ben een vrouw en woon in Edegem (Belgium) en mijn beroep is .
Ik ben geboren op 15/04/1953 en ben nu dus 71 jaar jong.
Mijn hobby's zijn: .
Hello, this blog is dedicated to my foreign friends.I like Music,Mystical,Astrology,Airplanes,Nature,Sea. Because I am a heartpatient,I need sometimes a day off, to rest.But do my very best to make this a place to enjoy...
It seems a long story, but I think it is a very interesting one also. So I hope you all like to read about it. It's not every day that I come and tell you something bizard, but when I do it, I do it good ! Hope you like to read about it ! Good weekend !!
Judaism, as a general rule, rejects physical manifestations of spirituality, preferring instead to focus on actions and beliefs. Indeed, the story of Judaism begins with Abraham, the original iconoclast, who, according to ancient sources, shattered the idols that were the conventional method of religious observance at the time. Worship of graven images is harshly condemned throughout the Torah, and perhaps the greatest sin the Israelites collectively committed was the construction of the Golden Calf ,intended to serve as a physical intermediary between them and God. Today, Jews do not venerate any holy relics or man-made symbols.
But early in the history of the Jewish people, there was one exception to this rule, one man-made object that was considered intrinsically holy. The Ark of the Covenant, constructed during the Israelites' wanderings in the desert and used until the destruction of the First Temple, was the most important symbol of the Jewish faith, and served as the only physical manifestation of God on earth. The legends associated with this object, and the harsh penalties ascribed for anyone who misuses it, confirm the Ark's centrality to the Jewish faith of that period; the fact that Jews and non-Jews alike continue to study and imitate it confirms its centrality even today.
Building the Ark
The construction of the Ark is commanded by God to Moses while the Jews were still camped at Sinai . The Ark was a box with the dimensions of two-and-a-half cubits in length, by one-and-a-half cubits in heights, by one-and-a-half cubits in width (a cubit is about 18 inches). It was constructed of acacia wood, and was plated with pure gold, inside and out. On the bottom of the box, four gold rings were attached, through which two poles, also made of acacia and coated in gold, were put. The family of Kehath, of the tribe of Levi, would carry the ark on their shoulders using these poles.
One artist's rendition of what the Ark looked like.
Covering the box was the kapporet, a pure gold covering that was two-and-a-half by one-and-a-half cubits. Attached to the kapporet were two sculpted Cherubs, also made of pure gold. The two Cherubs faced one another, and their wings, which wrapped around their bodies, touched between them.
The contents of the Ark has been debated through the centuries. The general consensus is that the first tablets containing the Ten Commandments, which were broken by Moses, and the second tablets, which remained intact, were contained in the Ark .According to one opinion in the Talmud, both Tablets were together in the Ark; according to another, there were two Arks, and each contained one set of Tablets .
The Ark was built by Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, who constructed the entire Tabernacle the portable Temple used in the desert and during the conquest of the land of Israel. The Tabernacle was the resting place for the Ark, and also contained other vessels that were used in the physical worship of God. The Biblical commentators argue over why God commanded Moses to build a Tabernacle in the first place: According to Rashi .God realized after the sin of the Golden Calf that the Israelites needed an outlet for physical worship, and commanded that they build the Tabernacle as a way of expressing their own need for physical representation of God. According to Nachmanides , however, the Jews were commanded to build the Tabernacle even before the sin of the Golden Calf; rather than filling a human need, the Tabernacle was God's method of achieving continuous revelation in the Israelites' camp. These two opinions as to whether the Tabernacles, and the Temples that followed them, were an a priori necessity or a necessary evil demonstrate the controversial role of physical worship in Judaism as a whole.
The Role of the Ark
The Ark was used in the desert and in Israel proper for a number of spiritual and pragmatic purposes. Practically, God used the Ark as an indicator of when he wanted the nation to travel, and when to stop. In the traveling formation in the desert, the Ark was carried 2000 cubits ahead of the nation (Num. R. 2:9). According to one midrash, it would clear the path for the nation by burning snakes, scorpions, and thorns with two jets of flame that shot from its underside ,another midrash says that rather than being carried by its bearers, the Ark in fact carried its bearers inches above the ground .When the Israelites went to war in the desert and during the conquering of Canaan, the Ark accompanied them; whether its presence was symbolic, to provide motivation for the Jews, or whether it actually aided them in fighting, is debated by commentators.
Spiritually, the Ark was the manifestation of God's physical presence on earth (the shekhina). When God spoke with Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the desert, he did so from between the two Cherubs (Num. 7:89). Once the Ark was moved into the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple, it was accessible only once a year, and then, only by one person. On Yom Kippur, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol) could enter the Holy of Holies to ask forgiveness for himself and for all the nation of Israel (Lev. 16:2).
The relationship between the Ark and the shekhina is reinforced by the recurring motif of clouds. God's presence is frequently seen in the guise of a cloud in the Bible ,and the Ark is constantly accompanied by clouds: When God spoke from between the Cherubs, there was a glowing cloud visible there; when the Jews traveled, they were led by the Ark and a pillar of clouds; at night, the pillar of clouds was replaced by a pillar of fire, another common descriptor of God's appearance ; and when the High Priest entered presence of the Ark on Yom Kippur, he did so only under the cover of a cloud of incense, perhaps intended to mask the sight of the shekhina in all its glory
The holiness of the Ark also made it dangerous to those who came in contact with it. When Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aaron, brought a foreign flame to offer a sacrifice in the Tabernacle, they were devoured by a fire that emanated "from the Lord" .During the saga of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines, numerous people, including some who merely looked at the Ark, were killed by its power. Similarly, the Priests who served in the Tabernacle and Temple were told that viewing the Ark at an improper time would result in immediate death.
History of the Ark
The Ark accompanied the Jews throughout their time in the desert, traveling with them and accompanying them to their wars with Emor and Midian. When the Jews crossed into the land of Canaan, the waters of the Jordan River miraculously split and the Ark led them through .Throughout their conquest of the land, the Jews were accompanied by the Ark. The most dramatic demonstration of its power comes when the Jews breached the walls of Jericho merely by circling them, blowing horns and carrying the Ark
After the conquest was completed, the Ark, and the entire Tabernacle, were set up in Shiloh. There they remained until the battles of the Jews with the Philistines during the Priesthood of Eli. The Jews, after suffering a defeat at the Philistines' hands, took the Ark from Shiloh to Even-Ezer in hopes of winning the next battle. But the Jews were routed, and the Ark was captured by the Philistines. Back in Shiloh, Eli, the High Priest, immediately died upon hearing the news).
The Philistines took the Ark back to Ashdod, their capital city in the south of Canaan, where they placed it in the temple of their god Dagon. The next day, however, they found the idol fallen on its face. After replacing the statue, they found it the next day decapitated, with only its trunk remaining, and soon afterward, the entire city of Ashdod was struck with a plague. The Philistines moved the Ark to the city of Gath, and from there to Ekron, but whatever city the Ark was in, the inhabitants were struck with plague. After seven months, the Philistines decided to send the Ark back to the Israelites, and accompanied it with expensive gifts. The Ark was taken back to Beit Shemesh, and, according to midrash, the oxen pulling the Ark burst into song as soon as it was once again in Israel's possession .The actual text of the story, however, tells a much grimmer tale: The men of Beit Shemesh were punished for staring disrespectfully at the Ark, and many were killed with a plague.
From Beit Shemesh, the Ark was transported to Kiryat Yearim, where it remained for twenty years. From there, King David transported it to Jerusalem. En route, however, the oxen pulling it stumbled, and when Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark, he died immediately. As a result of this tragedy, David decided to leave the Ark at the home of Obed-edom the Gittite. Three months later, he moved it to Jerusalem, the seat of his kingdom, where it remained until the construction of the First Temple by David's son Solomon .When the Ark was finally placed in the Temple, the midrash reports that the golden tree decorations that adorned the walls blossomed with fruit that grew continuously until the Temple's destruction .
The Ark's Whereabouts
The Church of St. Mary. The Treasury that is said to contain the Ark is in the background on the left.
The Ark remained in the Temple until its destruction at the hand of the Babylonian empire, led by Nebuchadnezzar. What happened to it afterward is unknown, and has been debated and pondered for centuries. It is unlikely that the Babylonians took it, as they did the other vessels of the Temple, because the detailed lists of what they took make no mention of the Ark. According to some sources, Josiah, one of the final kings to reign in the First Temple period, learned of the impending invasion of the Babylonians and hid the Ark. Where he hid it is also questionable according to one midrash, he dug a hole under the wood storehouse on the Temple Mount and buried it there. Another account says that Solomon foresaw the eventual destruction of the Temple, and set aside a cave near the Dead Sea, in which Josiah eventually hid the Ark
One of the most fascinating possibilities is advanced by Ethiopian Christians who claim that they have the Ark today. In Axum, Ethiopia, it is widely believed that the Ark is currently being held in the Church of Saint Mary of Zion, guarded by a monk known as the "Keeper of the Ark," who claims to have it in his possesion. According to the Axum Christian community, they acquired the Ark during the reign of Solomon, when his son Menelik, whose mother was the Queen of Sheba, stole the Ark after a visit to Jerusalem. While in the not-so-distant past the "Ark" has been brought out for Christian holidays, its keeper has not done so for several years due to the tumultuous political situation in the country. The claim has thus been impossible to verify, for no one but the monk is allowed into the tent.
A more plausible claim is that of archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer, who has conducted research on the Temple Mount and inside the Dome of the Rock. He claims to have found the spot on the Mount where the Holy of Holies was located during the First Temple period. In the precise center of that spot is a section of bedrock cut out in dimensions that may match those of the Ark as reported in Exodus. This section of the mount, incidentally, is the one from which the creation of the world began, according to midrash .Based on his findings, Ritmeyer has postulated that the Ark may be buried deep inside the Temple Mount. However, it is unlikely that any excavation will ever be allowed on the Mount by the Muslim or Israeli authorities.
The Role of the Ark Today
The Ark remains a topic of study even today, over 2000 years after it was last seen. A great deal of research has attempted to explain the wonders that are attributed to the Ark in the Bible. One recent study suggests the possibility that the Ark represented man's first harnessing of electricity. The accounts given of peoples' sudden deaths from touching the Ark are consistent with death by a high voltage, lethal electrical charge. Such a charge could have resulted from the constant exposure of the box to static electricity, which builds up quickly in a hot, dry climate like the Middle East. The materials that the Ark was made of further support this theory: gold is one of the most powerful electrical conductors, and wood is an excellent insulator.
The only remnant of the Ark in Jewish life today is the Holy Ark in which Torah scrolls are kept in synagogues. These Arks often are decorated with copies of the Tablets, reminiscent of the contents of the actual Ark of ancient times. The Ark itself plays no role in Jewish life today. Nonetheless, it remains a potent symbol of the Jewish peoples' past, and of the messianic era many believe is waiting in the future.
Ironically, the Ark is most famous today as the subject of the 1981 film "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark." The movie tells of a hero's attempt to prevent the Ark from falling into the hands of the Nazis, who would harness its power for evil. While there is no evidence of Hitler ever having had an interest in the Ark, the movie does an admirable job of capturing the mystique of one of the worlds' most ancient unsolved mysteries.
I am sorry, I have waited so long, before coming back here. When I first was asked to make a blog, I thought, " well if I can't make it, every day what will happen then ", and you see, it happened indeed. There was no time to come here and write about everything...I didn't know how to find, text about mysteries, not always that simple ! I tried and find some, but they were too big, the format wasn't fitting in the blogpage, so the site wasn't nice either, it looked as everything had been pulling out, in the large...
In the meantime, I have been thinking, what to write about, maybe a Diary...like so many others do...and maybe that isn't such a bad idea, it works all the time ! And, then I have also some time to look for more mystery stories, to put in here !
There was a time, when I had written my text, and had put a picture also, the picture was too big, and my text was missing, so I thought, what the hec, I'll do it some other time, but one text in never the same written as the first one...I know that now...
So, mea culpa and I hope to find some interesting textes, and that can enjoy again, being here to read !
The way to succes you can apply by reading The Secret, the very well known book, where everyone talked about a few months ago ! it was also in the media.
Step by step the book explains how you can have a better life. This book, shows you how easy you can bring " The Secret Way of Life . into practice With this book you can learn to fulfil all your wishes and desires.
Living by the principals of The Secret, starts with thinking positive , because your own mind is very powerful.
People who have read this book, experienced a whole lot of good things, they have learned to live how they want to. When I first bought the book, I was curious in what way this could change my life, but it did ! I learned that some people only come or stay in your life, for some reason. Only those who bring positive energy into your life are worth it, and the others with negative energy, you better let them be, because they only bring misery into your life. I experienced this also, and since I live by The Secret I have a better life. I decided that the way I was living my life, was not good for me, I lived in stress, I had health problems because of the bad energy I received from those people, so I started reading, in the book, I saw the dvd and bought the workbook, and did what they told me to do. I learned I had much more power inside then I thought I had, or was possible ! but I know now its better this way, I have no longer this nervous feeling inside me, I can see the things in another way and I feel much better also.
The Secret is all about the law of attraction, which means, everything positive you want in your life, you can get, and why ? because the Universe is listening to you. What you want, you can ask, as long as it is positive, you get it back. When you keep on thinking in the negative way, the only thing you get is negativity . Example : someone always thinks negative like : I am fat, I cant do this, I cant do that, so the Universe heards this, and he send back all the negative stuff down to earth, back to you ! but when you keep on thinking in the positive way, you get all the good things back..Maybe weard to read this, but its the way it is, like it is written in the book. Ishould say you should try it, read the book and see for yourself what is happening with you, and those around you ! Have a nice day. Love,
Although all of the caves at Ellora are stunning architectural feats, the Hindu Kailasa Temple is the jewel in the crown. Carved to represent Mt. Kailasa, the home of the god Shiva in the Himalayas, it is the largest monolithic structure in the world, carved top-down from a single rock. It contains the largest cantilevered rock ceiling in the world.
Mount Kailash.
Within the courtyard is the massive multi-level temple, its pyramidal form replicating the real Mount Kailasa, the Himalayan peak said to be the home of the Hindu god Siva.
The scale at which the work was undertaken is enormous. It covers twice the area of the Parthenon in Athens and is 1.5 times high, and it entailed removing 200,000 tonnes of rock. It is believed to have taken 7,000 labourers 150 years to complete the project.
The rear wall of its excavated courtyard 276 feet (84 m) 154 feet (47 m) is 100 ft (33 m) high. The temple proper is 164 feet (50 m) deep, 109 feet (33 m) wide, and 98 feet (30 m) high.
Kailasa Temple, cave #16 at Ellora, India
It consists of a gateway, antechamber, assembly hall, sanctuary and tower. Virtually every surface is lavishly embellished with symbols and figures from the puranas (sacred Sanskrit poems). The temple is connected to the gallery wall by a bridge.
Described as Cave 16, the Kailasa Temple is considered the pinnacle of Indian rock-cut architecture
The gigantic, 8th century Kailasa Temple at Ellora, Cave 16, was chiselled from solid stone. Click for bigger image
Kailasa Temple, cave #16 at Ellora, India Dramatic sculptures fill the courtyard and the main temple, which is in the center. It must have been quite a spectacular sight when it was covered with white plaster and elaborately painted.
These are my Wishes for you All. Enjoy while the sun is shining ! I hope we'll have a nice Summer...and not only one month, bathing in sunshine ! Love from,
Here we are again, from our trip to Holland..It was marvelous, a big garden, more a Park full of all kinds of flowers, tulips, hyacinths, violets, hanging baskets etc.
Many were already gone, bloomed out, and people were preparing exhibitions with baskets full of lillies....all kinds of color and shapes...it was a hot day, that day, and many visitors there in Keukenhof Lisse, Holland !
For those who haven't visit there, it's worth doing tho ! there are a lot of nationalities visiting there. I saw a Japonese woman, holding a paper umbrella, to protect herself against the hot sun, she looked as if she came right out of a scenery...with traditional clothes...oh yes...She looked very nice.
The weather was warm, dry and the birds were singing their song... We did a big tour, and saw lots of waterfalls, bridges over water...ducks and little ones swimming behind their parents...it was a lovely sight !
Hanging baskets, full of violets, surfinias, daffodils.
As usual we bought some souvenirs for those at home, and for myself I bought a small pair of procelain blocks ( tradional shoes in DELFT, Holland), and wooden tulips. These you can't find in Belgium.
After a two day trip, we went home again, to land in a hige traffic jam...Belgium and Holland, that is just the same myserie, when it becomes to trafiic jams ! On both sides of the highway, cars stood still, for hours...in a hot sun...oh oh...this I didn't like at all...I felt sick also. And when I was at home finally, my heart had these ritmefailors....because of the stress on the road.
It wasn't a relaxing trip this time, but anyway I enjoyed being there, and I can recommand everyone to bring once in your life, a visit at The Keukenhof. I am sure you will like it, when you like flowers, you certainly like the park !
Tomorrow, I'll be gone to Holland. I am back on Wednesday. My niece and myself, are bringing a visit at the Keukenhof in Holland ! A beautiful field with many flowers among them the Holland product Tulips ! We are staying in the Hotel nearby. So, I want you all to enjoy the lovely Sunday, because some of you, need to go to work again tomorrow, after a long weekend ! I'll enjoy my staying in Holland, and I am looking forward to go at Zeeland in June too ! So, byebye and till later again ! Love and thoughts !
My neighbour has a couple of doves living under the roof of his terrace ! They come and go, they are building their nest. They used an old box to sit on, and the male dove, brings on and on, dry branches...he let them fall in a plantpot, then fly off again, to look for other branches, the female stays on the branches and watches us when we come outside.
They are musical doves ! Sunday while my neighbour was listening to a music dvd, the male came under, looked at the TV, and flew up again, to his female, to build the nest further. Sometimes he comes and sit on the balustrade of my terrace for awhile, he looks at me, as he is saying...: well where is my nest gone ? So he is at the wrong terrace. Then I tell him to fly a bit further to the right terrace, and hup he is gone...
Nice and lovely to watch them so close by. I only hope they stay clean, otherwise the air can start smelling....
Sometimes it's hard to have spare time to come here...But, there was so much to do, these last few weeks...Monday , I have some time to come here, and write again, some beautiful stories for you ! I had contact with several people of organisations, and they all gave me positive reactions. I know that I can rely on people with the same illness as I have. I am no longer alone with this... This weekend, I shall look up, some stories to put here... Love, from ,
Yes....I know, it's been awhile, that I was here...I had severe problems with computer and health, and I didn't feel like sitting behind my pc...so...from now on I try to be here every day, when I feel ok, and write here beautiful stories for you all. You have seen, the subject is not so simple. I choose " Mysteries " because I wanted something diffrent then the people here are writing about ! That is also a reason, sometimes it's hard to find a good story. Tomorrow it's my birthday, so will propably celebrate with friends and parents. It's kind a strange..knowing that my mom went at the hospital, that day, April 15th, because I wanted to come out, I wanted to explore the world...what a day, what an experience ! I know, of what she told me, later then, when I understood things better..she went to the hospital with a pillow between her legs, because her water had broken, and she thought, I could fall out ! What a thought, but then, in that time things were TABOO ! For the rest, I want to wish you all a very nice Monday. Till later again. With Love
Because of a breakdown of my computer, I wasn't able to be here for a few days ! Something happened with one of my powerlines ( wireless internet), it burned out, so there was no longer a connection for internet !
I called the firm who provides me for internet, and yesteray the technician came to prepare it. When he was gone, I had another problem ! My pc didn't restart again, so by many tryings, I had to call another pc guy, to help me out, but I had to wait awhile longer. Because I didn't feel doing that, I tried it myself to fix it. I went at the system screen and tried several things, items were put back to work, and after a try of 3 times, he did it again. I could enter again, on my computer. Thank God ! I don't know, what I should do, if I had to wait for weeks before the thing was fixed again !
Tomorrow, if it still is working, I will tell you about another Mystery. You know, I like Mysteries a lot ! And with the cooperation of some people, there is still so much to tell about !
Have a nice evening, and sleeptight for later. Bye bye
Cinderalla's Castle ! Long long time ago....who doesn't like fairytales ? I do !
Sometimes it's hard to have spare time to come here...But, there was so much to do, these last few weeks...Monday , I have some time to come here, and write again, some beautiful stories for you !
I wish everyone a very nice and pleasant evening ! Enjoy this beautiful picture of the white dove....
Unicorns are beautiful creatures !
