The Heroic David

David is a masterpiece created by Michelangelo Buonorroti. It represents the Biblical hero David from 1 Samuel 17. The Israelites are fighting the Philistines, whose best warrior, Goliath, repeatedly offers to meet the Israelites best warrior in a man-to-man combat to decide the whole battle. None of the Israelite soldiers is brave enough to fight against the giant Goliath. Until David, accepted the challenge. Saul, the Israelite leader gave him armor and weapons but he declined. Instead, he goes with his sling shot and confronts the enemy. He hits Goliath in the head with a stone, knocking the giant down and then grabbed the sword and cut off his head.

This statue became a symbol that symbolizes the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Republic of Florence due to its heroic nature. It has the eyes of David that gives a warning glare towards Rome. The way it appears seem like he’s ready for battle. His neck is tense and the veins bulge out of his lower right hand. And the way he twist his body gives off a feeling that he’s in motion.

Later in 1873, the statue of David was removed from the piazza to be protected from damage and was placed in Accademia Gallery where it attracted many visitors. It is even listed as the largest and grandest among the ancient statues. Michelangelo’s David became one of the most recognized works and symbol of strength and youthful beauty. 

Parthenon of Athens

The Parthenon is a former temple that was dedicated to the Greek goddess, Athena, who people of Athens considered their patron. It is regarded as a symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and western civilization and one of the world’s greatest cultural monuments.

Athena is a Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, law and justice, strength and battle strategy. She only fought for reasons and would not fight without a purpose. She is portrayed as a shrewd companion of heroes and is a patron goddess of heroic endeavor. 

For a time, it served as the treasury if the Delian League, which later became the Athenian 

Empire. Later in the final decade of the 6^th century the Parthenon was converted into a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The Parthenon is a classic peripteral octastyle Doric temple with Ionic architectural features. It stands on a platform or stylobate of three steps. It is quite to the other Greek temples, it is a lintel construction and is surrounded by columns carrying an entablature. There are eight columns at either end and seventeen on the sides. There is a double row of columns at either end. The colonnade surrounds an inner masonry structure, the cella, which is divided into two compartments. 

At either end of the building the gable is finished with a triangular pediment originally filled with sculpture. The columns are of Doric order, with simple capitals, fluted shafts and no basses. Above the architrave of the entablature is a frieze of carved pictorial panel, separated by formal architectural triglyphs, typical of the Doric order. Around the cella and across the lintels of the inner element of the architecture is Ionic in style rather than Doric. 

To build the Parthenon. Its massive foundations were made of limestone and the columns were made of Pentelic marble. Pentelic marble is a material that was utilized for the first time. It is flawless white with a uniform, faint yellow tint which makes it shine with a golden hue under sunlight. This marble can be found in Mount Pentelicus or Pentelikon which is located in Attica, Greece.

The Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead contains a number of magic spells to assist the deceased to the afterlife. It was developed from a tradition of funerary manuscripts. The first funerary texts are called Pyramid text, it is written in hieroglyphic style. 

Hieroglyphics were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that is a combination of Iogographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphics for religious literature on papyrus and wood. 

Papyrus is a leading Egyptian merchant in graphical paper, office paper, facility supplies and in industrial packaging. 

These texts are written on the walls in the burial chambers exclusively for the use of the Pharaoh. The purpose of these texts was actually to help the deceased king to take his place amongst the gods.

Then in the Middle Kingdom a new version of funerary text emerged, this is called Coffin Text. These texts are commonly written in the inner surface of the coffin though they are usually found written on tomb walls or on papyri. These texts were available to wealthy individuals that numbers increased to those who are expecting to participate in the afterlife. This process is to be described as the “democratization of the afterlife”. 

Not only the book is magical it is as well religious. It was legitimate and activity as praying to the gods. Also the spells are used for amulets to keep the deceased from harm. Spells are very useful that they also appear on amulets wound into the wrappings of the mummy. 

Summary:

The Book of the Dead depicts the beliefs of the Egyptians about nature of death and the afterlife. Also it shows many scenarios to the reader what path they encounter. Many of hieroglyphs also represents humans or animals to prevent them causing any harm to the deceased Pharaoh. It contains a number of magical spells to help the deceased to the afterlife. Also they said that it has a purpose to help the deceased Pharaoh to take his place amongst the gods and to reunite with his divine father, Ra.