Abstract The image, in bronze, of the standing Buddha Nagapattinam from the 12th century belies some of the common popular assumptions about Buddhist iconography that a contemporary Westerner might hold if he or she was unfamiliar with the history of the Buddhist tradition of images in Asiatic art. This paper discusses the Nagapattinam, which depicts not the enlightened Buddha, but a teaching Buddha marked for enlightenment. It examines the philosophy behind the creation of Buddha in this particular image and presents a description of the physical features of this statue.
From the Paper "According to the scholar Jin Weinu, all "Buddhist images" however, regardless of origin, usually ?display the thirty-two lakshanas and eighty notable physical characteristics of the Buddha,? as does the 12th century Bronze Nagapattinam statue noted specifically above, at the beginning of this essay. These thirty-two characteristic physical markers indicate that the figure, over the course of its life, sought to ?seek dignity, a singular superb ness, in order to embody all excellences and good fortune and virtue,? over the course of the Buddha's specific life phase, or this specific Buddhist incarnation over the course of his many lives, even though the image might be of a pre-Enlightened part of the Buddha's biography. (Weinu, 1999)"
Abstract This paper discusses the historicity of the Biblical story of Joseph and whether it can be placed in the second intermediate Hyksos period (c. 1650-1550 BC). The author describes what is known about the Hyksos peple from written sources and archaeological excavations, and explains why researchers have claimed that the Joseph narrative can be made to fit in this period. The author goes on to show that on a textual basis, there is a growing inconsistency between the Joseph narrative, which contains elements which point strongly to a 7th or 6th century composition date, and the Hyksos period. Further, sufficient archaeological evidence has been presented to suggest, with reservation, a 12th dynasty date for the narrative should the late-dated Joseph narrative and its plausible historic context be discovered.
Outline:
Introduction
'Men of Obscure Birth from the East'
The Joseph Narrative
Excavations at Avaris, Tell el-Dab'a
Does Joseph Belong?
From the Paper "This paper agrees with two of Redford's principle assertions. First, that the Joseph narrative should be treated as a separate entity within the larger patriarchal narrative. Second, that Joseph was compiled in the 7th or 6th centuries BC. It diverges from Redford in questioning whether the narrative should be considered purely fictitious, in light of certain evidence both textual and physical, and that a degree of historicity does exist within the narrative. This paper's primary function, however, is to show whether the Joseph narrative can be placed in the Hyksos period, namely the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1650-1550 BC)."
