https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/71056 Wed, 06 May 2026 11:51:06 GMT 2026-05-06T11:51:06Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90202 Title: Historical geography of Herodian Galilee : a study in geography, society, and trade Abstract: The aim of this study is to try to reconstruct some aspects of the historical geography of Galilee, the northernmost region of Palestine, in the Herodian period, from the reign of Herod the Great (40BC) to that of Agrippa I (AD44). Before doing so, I sought to give a short account of the political background of the region. The above-mentioned aspects will include geography, society and trade. Special attention will be given to the Phoenician language in the concluding paragraphs. Galilee was the province where Jesus was brought up by his Galilean parents, lived, met some of his apostles and preached his teachings. In Galilee, he turned water to wine (John 2:1-12), he healed a blind man (Mark 8:22-26), he fed the multitude (Matthew 15:29-39), he restored the widow's son to life (Luke 7:11-27) and tamed the storm (Matthew 8:23-27). Some of these locations will be explored in this essay. Section one relates the history, the political development and the corresponding changes in the political boundaries of the region. Section two discusses the topography and geographical features of the province. This shows the effect of topography on human settlements. Section three deals with communications, demography, villages, and cities of Galilee. Section four treats some features of the Galilean society, with special care given to the languages of the region. The final section talks about the economic resources and trade relations within the region and between Galilee and other provinces. In writing this essay, I have made use of various literary/ classical sources and archaeological data. A great part of this essay is indebted to the works of the great scholars, in particular, George Adam Smith, Michael Avi-Yonah, Richard Horsley, and Sean Freyne. The classical sources which I have made use of are the works of Josephus and the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Encounters and references to the Mishnah and other Rabbinic writings was done exclusively through secondary sources. In this essay, I have used the Hebrew toponyms to refer to geographical locations and sometimes the Greek name where pertinent (e.g. Bippus). However, I have put the Arabic equivalent to these place nan1es in the list of appendices. Common place names such as Jerusalem are written in English for obvious reasons. The word Palestine in this work does not include all the lands of the Bible, but refers only to the land west of the Jordan. A note to the reader to cross reference a certain figure is inserted where it might be helpful to do so. The following paragraph gives a brief history of the term Galilee. Description: B.A.(HONS)NEAR EASTERN STUD. Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90202 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90201 Title: Word, initiation and literary aspects of Jeremiah 1 Abstract: Chapter 1 aims at providing the reader with an outline of the topics that the essay goes into. The latter are essentially three, namely; the relationship of the future prophet with the revealed word in Jer 1 (Chapter 2), the literary structure of Jer 1 as an autobiographical text (Chapter 3) and Jer 1 as a document of initiation (Chapter 4). Chapter 1 tries to mount a perspective of how the discussion of these three topics will be expanded. Chapter 2 has the Word as a topical red-line. It discusses Jeremiah as prophet and poet and his formative development through the Word's revelation. Chapter 3 is concerned mostly with the text of Jer 1 as a literary piece. It takes on the task of analysing the narrative's episodes in literary terms. This chapter goes specifically into the text of the call narrative. Chapter 4 deals exclusively with Jer 1 as an account of a rite of passage. The main stages of the initiatory passage together with relevant symbols are discussed. Chapter 4 ends with a brief return to a textual analysis restricted to the context of initiation. Chapter 5 closes the essay with brief remarks about the main issues in the study. It takes up a brief discussion about the dialogic structure and about the hypostatic logic of Jer 1, expanding on the former and questioning the second. Description: B.A.(HONS)NEAR EASTERN STUD. Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/90201 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/89906 Title: Funerary customs and beliefs in ancient Egypt from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom Abstract: The aim of this essay is to highlight the Egyptians' perception of death and their perception of death and their preparations to the hereafter, from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. In doing so, I sought to emphasise the importance this people gave to this phenomenon, through their beliefs and customs, during the specified period. This reveals a great deal about the Egyptians' overwhelming desire to secure and perpetuate in the afterlife the "good life" enjoyed on earth, regardless of their social status. Egyptian culture was an ancient one, with traditions reaching back to the start of history. Along with the Sumerians, the Egyptian deliver our earliest - though by no means primitive - evidence of human thought. As far back as the third millennium BC, the Egyptians were concerned with questions that remain unanswered even today - questions about being and nonbeing, about the meaning of death and about the essence of time. Some of these questions will be explored in this essay. Section one discusses the beliefs of the Egyptians regarding life after death. Section two discusses the funerary literature from the Old Kingdom to the New Kingdom. This reveals a great deal more about their vision of the netherworld and what they expected to find there. Section three discusses the various types of archaeological evidence such as tombs, mummies, iconography and artefacts in relation with the Egyptian obsession of death. The final section discusses the Egyptians' traditions and rituals when it comes to burying their king or a family member. This also gives us an idea of the journey the deceased undertakes, from the moment he dies till he achieves his ever-aspired heaven. The following brief introduction to Egyptians' religion gives a better understanding of Egyptian thoughts and beliefs. Description: B.A.(HONS)NEAR EASTERN STUD. Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/89906 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/79013 Title: Setting standards : Muslim women in first century Islam Abstract: The subject of this long essay is the role played by different women, who came to the fore during the struggle of an emerging society. Based on reports and narrations, this long essay seeks to draw out some of the factors, which influenced an ancient society, and which had a long lasting impact up to the present day. Going as far back as possible, this work therefore: considers a number of women who were active in the first century of Islam. Description: B.A.(HONS)ARABIC Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/79013 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z