#Swallowsong #greekfolksong #lyric

For those of you who may not have a copy of Campbell or Loeb's Lyra Graeca or Trypanis
here is the SWALLOW SONG in a slightly larger font size and double spaced

This should print out or save to one a4 page

SWALLOW SONG

ἦλθ̓ ἦλθ̓ χελιδὼν

καλὰς ὥρας ἄγουσα,

καλοὺς ἐνιαυτούς,

ἐπὶ γαστέρα λευκά,

ἐπὶ νῶτα μέλαινα.

παλάθαν σὺ προκύκλει

ἐκ πίονος οἴκου

οἴνου τε δέπαστρον

τυροῦ τε κάνυστρον.

καὶ πύρνα χελιδὼν

καὶ λεκιθίταν

οὐκ ἀπωθεῖται. πότεῤ ἀπίωμες ἢ λαβώμεθα;

εἰ μέν τι δώσεις. εἰ δὲ μή, οὐκ ἐάσομες.

ἢ τὰν θύραν ϕέρωμες ἢ τὸ ὑπέρθυμρον

ἢ τὰν γυναῖκα τὰν ἔσω καθημέναν.

μικρὰ μέν ἐστι, ῥᾳδίως νιν οἴσομες.

ἄν δὴ φέρῃς τι, μέγα δή τι φέροις.

ἄνοιγ̓ ἄνοιγε τὰν θύραν χελιδόνι.

οὐ γὰρ γέροντές ἐσμεν, ἀλλὰ παιδία.

Notes and translations in next post

Visit and Help

More on people misreading Matthew 25 #biblestudy #greeknewtestament

VISIT THE SICK doesn't just mean get well messages.

Yes VISIT is the simplest translation but lets take a look at the Greek Verb used in Verses 36 and 43.

EPISKEPSASTHE is an aorist middle form of EPISKOPEOO.

Yes its related to the same word we get BISHOP from!!!

So it is visiting but visiting with thoughtful regard to look into or at a situation.

If you have access to a Liddell and Scott  in any format online or print look at the entry for EPISKOPEOO.

Ah you say maybe I'm reading too much into the verb!?

Think about the rest of the passage. Its about helping people!

You visit the sick to help them with food or treats or making sure they have adequate medical care or helping change bandages or checking they can cover their bills or need a lift to the hospital or doctor or clinic.

You visit to help. 

Even if how you can do is pass on health care tips online thats still helping though probably best to that if its something you have personally experienced for seen work for another.

You could also help the sick by doing first aid training and by supporting private charities or public health plans.

And do please look up the verb at Perseus or elsewhere or in your library!

LSJ Liddell Scott and Jones

and before anyone asks what I do or have done ... by odd coincidence I am now working in health care only part time and limited hours since I have health issues myself ... and yes I have first aid training!

Another Eagle Coin

I'm still working on the Swallow Song notes and translation so here's another #eagle #coin

This one is Hellenistic and was issued by one of the Ptolemies. Note the lettering and that the eagle is holding Zeus' thunderbolts. The Greeks excelled at Sculpture on a small scale as well as large!

The least of these and Strangers too.

#biblestudy #greeknewtestament

Yesterday there was a brief twitter storm over some media pundit who claimed to understand Greek stating two verses in Matthew referred to helping the Christian poor only.

MATTHEW 25

Verse 28  talks about taking away from someone for not using the money they were given.

However even a single talant would have a small fortune by the standards of that time.

Verses 35 to 36 The Son of man enthroned as King welcomes those who fed the hungry gave drink to the thirsty and welcomed a stranger and clothed the naked, comforted the sick and visited prisoners.

Now Xenos can mean Stranger or Guest but once a Xenos has received hospitality and entered a household then he or she is a guest with certain rights  and the verse talks about welcoming strangers without specifiying anything about their background, rich, poor, Jewish, Greek, Roman.

Then Verse 40 the words of my brothers the least of these are used and again in 45 the words least of these are used. The word for least is elakhistos the very smallest a superlative form of micros.

Finally anyone who thinks brethren means fellow Christians only urgently needs to reread the story of the Good Samaritan or Peters Vision in Acts.

Minoan Swallow Vessel

#minoan #ceramics

Our next bird will be the #Swallow

This ceramic vessel shows the Hellenic admiration for the grace and beauty of swallows dates back to the beginnings of the culture and isn't just limited to the Thera frescoes.

Note how effectively the decoration makes use of a three color system of slips,

 yellow ochre, iron red and iron black.

READ UNDERSTAND ACT

#biblestudy #anaginooskoon #noeoo

Matthew 24:15 ends with a clause probably inserted by a later editor but the insertion is a very sensible piece of advice whether one is reading biblical or classical greek or other ethical texts.

LITERALLY

HE WHO READS THINK

ho anaginooskoon noeitoo

Present Active participle followed by a Present Imperative

Anaginooskoo - to know something and think about it also to read in NT  greek and note it is followed for emphasize by an Imperative form of NOEOO to see something and and think before taking action.


READ the TEXT Biblical or other THOUGHTFULLY and THINK about it as well as ACT.

Bible or other study is NOT how much text you read but knowing and understanding the text and taking action. Since the two chapters are linked you might want to take a look at the end of Chapter 25?

Sicilian Eagle Coin

#greekcoinage #greekcoins #eagle

In  keeping with our #bird theme here is a particularly beautiful #Sicilian #coin depicting two eagles from one of the Greek Colonies on that island . I have no why a grasshopper is in the background! Note that the prey is an HARE not a rabbit!

Leavetaking and the Rapture

#rapture #biblestudy #paralambano

Matthew 24 is rather disturbing and trickier than it looks in English because of the constant shifting of tenses.

At first Jesus seems to be talking about the destruction of the Temple during the Jewish Wars then he seems to be forecasting future persecutions and the Second Coming but than he returns to stating these things will happen very soon Verse 34
'that not will pass the generation this until heoos in greek all these things have happened"Now that seems to fit the destruction caused by the Jewish Wars also forecast in verse 2!?

However disturbing has those forecasts are I want to draw your attention to two verses used to support a belief in the Rapture and depictions of the Righteous being raised into heaven.

In some unknown day and hour in the future (see verse 36 ) two men may be working side by side in a field

tote duo esontai en tooi agrooi

one will be taken as one left

likewise of two women working in a mill the

The verbs are  paralambano and  aphieemi in presnet passive forms.

There's nothing there about an ascent into heaven ???

Paralambano is take along receive or accept

Aphieemi can mean forgive or remit debts or sins , be let go, or left behind,

so a disturbing thought to me ... 

what its the sinners who get taken away for judgement 

and the forgiven who are left behind ?

Meanwhile we must Verse 13 endure to the end  hupomeinas eis telos and performing good works to demonstrate faith?

Skip ahead to the end of 25 and read and  remember what we have to do!