History and Geography

Abstract

History and Geography Christopher T. Begg, Thomas Hieke, and Victor H. Matthews Christopher T. Begg Catholic University of America Thomas Hieke Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz Victor H. Matthews Missouri State University 327. [A Political History of Egyptian Temples from Artaxerxes III to the End of the Argedai (342–ca. 305 b.c.e.)] Damien Agut-Labordère, "Gods in the Gray Zone: A Political History of Egyptian Temples from Artaxerxes III to the End of the Argedai (342-ca. 305 BCE)," Times of Transition, 177-86 [see #787]. In his essay, A.-L. sets out to refute the twofold claim promoted by some ancient historians concerning Alexander, according to which the second Persian domination of Egypt (341–336 b.c.e.) was a time of oppression for the Egyptian temples, whereas Alexander himself displayed piety toward the Egyptian gods. Taking his cue from two prominent indicators of Persian royal policy toward the Egyptian temples—the royal subsidizing of building works in the temples and the burials of the sacred bulls in Memphis and Armant—he shows that different Persian kings adopted very different policies regarding the Egyptian [End Page 106] temples and that Alexander's generosity to those temples was a short-lived interlude. Whereas Alexander's early successors did subsidize the cult of the sacred animals to secure the support of the Egyptian population at large, they neglected the temples themselves on the basis of financial and political calculations. Moreover, the dramatic cuts in royal subsidies to the temples, which aimed to fill the royal coffers at the expense of the temples, reflected a long-term tendency that was initiated shortly after Cambyses's conquest of Egypt in 526 b.c.e. and was steadily continued by the pharaohs of the period of Egyptian independence in the 4th cent. b.c.e. and by the Macedonian rulers up till Ptolemy II Philadelphus. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] Google Scholar 328. [Middle Kingdom Royal Patronage] Martina Bardonova, "The 'Prince's Court Is Like a Common Fountain': Middle Kingdom Royal Patronage in the Light of Modern Sociological Concept," Middle Kingdom Palace Culture, 77-100 [see #789]. Patronage, in the many senses of the word, has been discussed extensively in Egyptology in recent years. It has become clear that it was one of the basic realities of ancient Egyptian socio-economic relationships. The existence of patron-client bonds during the Middle Kingdom is a generally accepted fact, and Middle Kingdom societies provided many opportunities for the formation of patron-client relationships at various levels. These could be formed among the elites or between the elites and the lower classes. Questions remain, however, about the details of these types of relationships, e.g., could they exist between the king and certain of his subjects? This study examines the challenges that are encountered when studying the above topic and how they might best be dealt with. The paper is intended to provided an introduction to and description of Middle Kingdom royal patronage relationships. In so doing, the paper seeks to develop a framework within which this particular topic can best be studied. In the first instance, my paper aims to identify key topics to be discussed, and then identifies the most fruitful directions for future research efforts. These issues are studied by way of an examination of the textual sources dealing with six elite officials of both the central and provincial administrations, all of them dating to the time span between the reign of Mentuhotep II and the end of the 12th Dynasty. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] Google Scholar 329. [The Nukheileh Dolmen Field] Uri Berger, Haim Goren, and Gonen Sharon, "In the Footsteps of Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales: Rediscovering the Dolmen Field," IEJ 70 (2, 2020) 129-49. On April 25, 1882, Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales (the later King George V), guided by R. E. Conder of the Palestinian Exploration Fund, began an exploration of the sources of the Jordan River. On their way westward to Dan, in a region known as the Nukheileh, they discovered several dolmens...