The Dead Sea Scrolls essays

The Dead Sea Scrolls essays In the scorching, blistering Jordan desert in the Middle East there lies a cave that is home to one of the greatest archeological discoveries of the century. The Dead Sea Scrolls wrapped in linen cloth, enclosed in jars contains the unexplained excerpts of the Bible. Around 150 BCE a group of people known as the Dead Sea Sect, who are believed to be the ancient biblical people called the Essenes, wrote numerous scrolls about their ways of life, and their ways of religion. The discovery of the scrolls in Qumran and the insight it contained, questioned the interpretation of the Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls are also known as the Qumran manuscripts because the scrolls were found in a group of caves surrounding the Dead Sea in Jordan called Qumran. The scrolls were found at the lower elevations of the Dead Sea. Along with the scrolls artifacts were later found at Qumran, which dated back to the Iron Age 2, which was between the eight-seventh century BC. This site was later named Ir Ha-Melah City of Salt. The discovery of the scrolls was not by archeologists, but rather a boy from a Bedouin tribe called Muhammad Adh-Dhib. This boy accidentally stumbled upon the scrolls while looking for treasure in the Qumran caves. The scrolls were discovered in several broken jars with many other broken pieces surrounding them. The scrolls were made of leather, except for two scrolls, which were made of copper. Each scroll was wrapped in torn linen cloth. When Muhammad saw this paper he thought he could get some money for it. He sold the scrolls in the market for money. After th ey were in the market an archeologist by the name of E.L. Sukenik realized the importance of them. He smuggled them back to the United States to be translated, but then later brought them back to the Middle East. Scientist realized that these scrolls were different form all other biblical archeological discoveries. Upon translating they found that some o...

Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment Quotes and Analysis

Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment Quotes and Analysis Russian author Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment was originally published in 1866 as a series of monthly installments in the literary journal The Russian Messenger, but has since gone on to become one of the most influential works of literature of its time, riddled with numerous quotes ranging from a poor mans murderous thoughts to the guilt felt in the aftermath of a crime. The story focuses on Rodion Raskolnikovs moral dilemmas and mental suffering after he formulates and successfully plots to kill a pawnbroker to take her money, arguing that with the money he takes from her he can do good that would offset the crime he committed in murdering her. Like Frederich Nietzsches Ubermensch theory, Dostoevsky argues through his character that some people even have the right to perform such vigilante actions as murdering an unscrupulous pawnbroker for the greater good, arguing multiple times that murder is okay if done in the pursuit of the greater good.​ Quotes About Pity and Punishment With a title like Crime and Punishment one can correctly assume that Dostoevskys most famous work is riddled with quotations about the idea of punishment, but it can also be said that the author implored his punishers to have pity on the guilty and suffering the narrator must endure for committing his crime.   Why am I to be pitied, you say, Dostoevsky writes in Chapter Two, Yes! Theres nothing to pity me for! I ought to be crucified, crucified on a cross, not pitied! Crucify me, oh judge, crucify me but pity me? This question lends to the idea that there should be no pity given to the guilty - that it is not for a judge to pity the felon but to punish him appropriately - in this case, the speaker argues by crucifixion. But punishment does not only come in the form of a judge reaching a verdict and sentence for a criminal, it also comes in the form of a guilty conscience, wherein the morality of the criminal himself is pitted as the ultimate punishment. In Chapter 19 Dostoevsky writes, If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake; that will be  punishment - as  well as the prison. The only escape from this personal punishment, then, is to ask forgiveness of mankind and of God. As Dostoevsky writes at the end of the 30th chapter, Go at once, this very minute, stand at the cross-roads, bow down, first kiss the earth which you have defiled, and then bow down to all the world and say to all men aloud, I am a murderer! Then God will send you life again. Will you go, will you go? Quotes on Committing Crime and Acting on Impulses The act of committing murder, of taking another persons life, is discussed multiple times throughout the text, each time with the implication that the speaker cannot believe he is about to commit such a heinous act. From the very first chapter, Dostoevsky makes this point clear as a contention element of the protagonists life, writing Why am I going there now? Am I capable of that? Is that serious? It is not serious at all. Its simply a fantasy to amuse myself; a plaything! Yes, maybe it is a plaything. This is almost a justification for the speaker to act later on impulse, an excuse to give into his carnal desires, painting murder as a mere plaything. He argues this concept again, coming to terms with the reality of committing murder, in chapter five wherein he says can it be, can it be, that I shall really take an axe, that I shall strike her on the head, split her skull open...that I shall tread in the sticky warm blood, blood...with the axe...Good God, can it be?   Would the crime be worth the moral implications, or the known punishment for such an act? Would it defy the very idea of living a good life itself? Dostoevsky also answers these questions through a variety of quotes in the book Quotes on Life and the Will to Live Especially given the idea of committing the ultimate crime of taking someone elses life, the ideas of the will to live and living a good life come into play many times throughout Crime and Punishment. Even as early as chapter two, Dostoevsky discusses the possibility that mankind may have its ideals of a good life skewed, or at least that mankind is in and of itself skewed from a good reality. In Chapter Two, Dostoevsky writes What if man is not really a scoundrel, man in general, I mean, the whole race of mankind - then all the rest is prejudice, simply artificial terrors and there are no barriers and its all as it should be. However, in Chapter 13, when faced with the idea of being punished by being put to death, Dostoevsky visits an old adage of waiting for death for eternity being better than actually dying in a moment to observe the reality of a persons will to live: Where is it Ive read that someone condemned to death says or think, an hour before his death, that if he had to live on some high rock, on such a narrow ledge that hed only room to stand, and the ocean, everlasting darkness, everlasting solitude, everlasting tempest around him, if he had to remain standing on a square yard of space all his life, a thousand years, eternity, it were better to live so than to die at once! Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be! In the Epilogue too, Dostoevsky speaks of this hope, mans never-ceasing desire to continue breathing for at least one more day, saying of the two characters that they were both pale and thin; but those sick pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future, of a full resurrection into a new life. They were renewed by love; the heart of each held infinite sources of life for the heart of the other.

Drivers of automobiles using cellular phones Essay

Drivers of automobiles using cellular phones - Essay Example Use of cell phone while driving is no less dangerous than drunk driving, and thus, should be condemned equally. People tend to deny that using cell phones while driving is dangerous and see it as a debatable topic. Cell phone use while driving is dangerous and the biggest evidence of this is the acknowledgement of dangers associated with this practice by the people who indulge in it. According to Gallup and Gallup (2003, p. 432), two-thirds of people that make use of cell phone as they drive disregard the idea that this practice is safe. There has been considerable law-making against eating while driving and sitting a child on the lap of the driver while he/she drives. Cell phone use while driving is much more dangerous than any of these cases because this practice distracts the driver mentally and makes him/her mentally absent while he/she is physically on the driving seat. The risk of using cell phone while driving increases considerably with age. As people age, they decline in the ir agility of reflexes and are not able to make best use of their capabilities. Ranney and Pulling (1990) have noted declines in the processing of information with increase of age. Arenberg (1982) determined increased difficulty in problem solving with increased age while Temple (1989) found that increase in age causes short term memory. All of these factors make the driving increasingly riskier. Findings of these researchers suggest that old people are more susceptible to accidents when they use cell phones while driving as compared to the young people. A lot of research has been conducted in the past to suggest that use of cell phone while driving is dangerous. Use of cell phones instantly slows down the reaction time of drivers and hence, makes them more susceptible to be caught in accidents. Young people hearing calls along with driving are no better than sleepy septuagenarians. David Strayer, the Professor of Psychology in the University of Utah conducted a comprehensive resear ch to analyze the effects of cell phone use on the capability of drivers. The team of researchers determined in 2001 that even the hands-free calls play an important role in distracting the drivers. A reason for this was found in 2003 as a result of the continued research. They found that although the cell phone using drivers look, yet they are not able to see because their mind is focusing on the conversation. If you put a 20-year-old driver behind the wheel with a cell phone, their reaction times are the same as a 70-year-old driver who is not using a cell phone †¦ It’s like instantly aging a large number of drivers †¦ Once drivers on cell phones hit the brakes, it takes them longer to get back into the normal flow of traffic †¦ The net result is they are impeding the overall flow of traffic. (Strayer cited in Britt, 2005). Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign second the results derived by Strayer and his team. Arthur Kramer, the re search leader said that the cell phone using drivers of any age are not able to pick out significant changes in the surroundings, and their reaction time is also longer accordingly (Britt, 2005). Number of deaths in US per year that can be attributed to the use of cell phones while driving is 26000 while 330000 injuries happen because of accidents that

International Relations Theories and Business Essay

International Relations Theories and Business - Essay Example Two positivist schools of thought are prevalent: the realism and liberalism theories. This article will discuss the realism and liberalism theories as well as the popularly-known theory on Marxism, functionalism and constructivism, and their impacts on small businesses. The realism theory has several assumptions. Among these is the unitary form of nation-states with geographically-based actors having no authority above capable of regulating relations between states, hence, the assumption regarding the non-existence of a true world government. Further, the theory assumes that the sovereign states are the principal actors in international relations rather than non-government organizations. This leads to a situation where states compete with one another. The state also acts as the main actor for its own security and economic interests with a view that international corporations have little long-term independent influence. Moreover, there is a general distrust for long-term cooperation and alliance. In sum, the realist view that man is self-centered and competitive.2 The effect which this theory has on small businesses may be discussed in the micro and macro level. In the micro level, small businesses view themselves as competitive and self-centered. Since customer satisfaction is the main key for the survival of a business, enterprises initiate methods which make their products and services competitive in the market place such as product development and innovation. They also specialize so that consumers will go on their specialized products when they need them. Competition has its main advantage in product development and more efficient services, which mainly include quality, usefulness and beauty of the product or service. However, failing to diversify means more problems on a small enterprise who fails to cope with stiff competition in the market place. This results in smaller profits and huge expenses in the enterprise. In the macro level, the country develops its own protective policies which restrict the entrance of international markets and foreign investments, except when needed. As a result, small businesses may be provided with protection against foreign competitors that seek to attract the local market given its new technology and creative workforce. On the other hand, since the government is the main actor for its economy, foreign competitors may be replaced with government-owned and controlled corporations in competition with small enterprises. The Liberalism Theory on Small Businesses Liberalism values state preferences more than state capabilities as the determinant of state behavior. Plurality is the key term in defining state actions. There will be varying preferences from state to state and international relations are not only based on political matters but also on economic matters whether through international organizations, commercial firms, partnerships or individuals. The concept of liberalism flows in international cooperation and wider notions of power.3 The impact of liberalist policies on small enterprises is material. As a result of government's liberal concept, less restrictive economic policies are being initiated that invite foreign competition. The local small business enterprises may have difficulty in coping with foreign competitio

Euthanasia in the Netherlands Essay -- Euthanasia, Physician Assisted

As most countries abstain from the right to euthanasia, the Lower House of Parliament on November 28, 2000 passed a bill, legalizing euthanasia in the Netherlands. Will this law impact the beliefs and ideals of other countries and cause them to re-evaluate their medical procedures? In â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law,† Jos V. M. Welie provides a descriptive overview of the history of the Dutch penal code on euthanasia in the Netherlands. In â€Å"Euthanizing Life,† John F. Kavanaugh discusses an anorexic patient who was illegally euthanized and presents Judge Miner’s offered opinion based on equal protection of the law. In â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law,† Welie introduces the audience to the origin of the law and states his opposition to it. The next few paragraphs describe the history of article 40 of the Dutch penal code and how it excused physicians from euthanizing at a time when it was illegal. â€Å"Article 40 waives the liability to punishment for anyone who commits a crime while compelled to do so by force majeure, that is, by a psychological or moral force so strong that the perpetrator could not resist it† (Welie 42). Many doctors felt liable in not obeying the law, however, they felt morally wrong in prolonging a particular patients’ suffering. Physicians are faced with the dilemma of whether or not relieving a patient’s suffering is worth the risk of being prosecuted and losing their license to practice medicine. How would courts measure this so called â€Å"psychological or moral force† described in Article 40 of the Dutch penal code? Welie states that when confronted with prosecution, physicians would base their defense on â€Å"medical exception... ... resist medical treatment, which may result in death, but are unable to have a doctor do the unfortunate job for us. Welie’s article makes a great transition from describing the history of euthanasia to reflecting upon the present situation. He proposes many of his own thoughts to the issue and makes the reader question the differences in medical law between America and the Netherlands. Kavanaugh, in his article, tells a surprising story that keeps reader intrigued and follows it with an informative viewpoint from a judge. Overall, these articles do a plausible job on describing how euthanasia is practiced in another country.       Works Cited Welie, Jos V. M. â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law.† The Hastings Center Report Jan/Feb 2002: 42-44 Kavanaugh, John F. â€Å"Euthanizing Life† America May 2001: 28

Huckleberry Finn Essay

Morality is what sets humans apart from the animal kingdom. We act on our beliefs, instead of our instincts, which perhaps makes us the flawed species. As humans, we all develop our own set of morals of which we use to make decisions in our day to day life. We use this moral compass to differentiate between right and wrong, but what we see as the right thing to do is not necessarily our own opinion, but societies. Adventures of Huckleberry finn by Mark Twain demonstrates that morality and society are one and the same. Huck has the opinions and morals of society constantly thrown in his face, and instead of giving into those values, he creates his own. Huck was raised without a mother, who provides an essential role in determining a child’s morals and beliefs. Huck’s motherless upbringing allowed him to develop morals of his own based on experience, not on hand-me-down morality. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn also shows us how stereotypes created by society influence the way we act towards others. Religion is definitely the largest component to determining one’s morality. Look more:  religion in huckleberry finn essay Religion literally lays out societies laws and values, and how can one argue with something when they believe their afterlife depends on it. These were not only issues that came up in our past, but in our present and most definitely our future. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will always be relevant to society as long as humans walk the earth. By nature, humans desire to fit in with society and fear rejection. Huck teaches us that society isn’t always right, it is our individual opinions that should determine our actions, not what the general population believes. If there weren’t people to voice their opinions about the treatment of african americans, then we would still have slave to this very day. Also, if these lessons are not continually taught to future generations, history may one day repeat itself. Morals tend to get passed down from generation to generation. You raise your kids the way you parents did you, and their parent did for them. You teach them what you think is right and what you think is wrong, and that becomes their morals, â€Å"The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me† (Twain 3). Translation, â€Å"The Widow Douglas she took me for her son so she could brainwash me into believing her own set of morals. † The Widow took Huck into her home, not out of the goodness of her heart necessarily, but out of the desire to mold him into one of societies little clones. The moral compass we create in our own head is easily molded by outside influence, for Humans seem to have this compelling desire to fit in with the rest of the population. Huck grew up without a mother so he was essentially a â€Å"blank slate† that was able to develop his morals based on his own personal experiences, not those forced upon him, â€Å"Huck Finn, a motherless, isolated child who has neither well-developed cognitive skills nor solid perceptions of social reality, does in fact develop morally† (Altschuler 32). Hucks isolation from society, many would assume, would make Huck a rather immoral and almost barbarian like individual, but instead Huck is found to be more ethical than most of society at that time. Huck’s moral compass is relatively non judgmental. Despite his pre-programmed definition of a black person, he still be-friends Jim and goes well out of his way to help free him, risking his own life for a man that is just considered property. Huck, even when he thinks that he is making the wrong decision (though it would actually be considered a selfless and caring path), follows to the beat of his own ethical drum as opposed to that of societies. Huck exhibits what John Locke would consider genuine human nature. Huck is naturally selfless and caring for others, sometimes that faith in people gets him stuck with the wrong crowd (such as the King and Duke). The fact that Huck grew up isolated from society seems to have allowed Huck to develop a sense of morality unlike that of the rest of society. Hucks motherless childhood allowed Huck to become a true human being, not a carbon copy like everyone else. While Huck doesn’t have the same morals as the rest of society at that time, some stereotypes do rub off on him. When Huck first meets Jim, he thinks of him as just a slave, but as he gets to know him, he struggles with one side of him saying that Jim was property and the other telling him he is a friend. Jim was basically a manifestation of the inner battle of societies morals vs Hucks. Although he thinks Jim belongs to Miss Watson and that freeing him would cost him his afterlife, he still did it out of the friendship he and Jim shared. Huck actually says that Jim was white on the inside. While that does show that he still has a preconceived notion about slaves, it was still a revelation for Huck to discover that a slave could be more than just property. That is a lesson Huckleberry Finn teaches, that you cannot determine who or what someone is just by the the stereotypes that society labels different sexes, sexualities, religions, and races with. Everyone is an individual, â€Å"As ‘an agent of aggression— aggression against the self or against another,’ conscience deprives the individual of free choice and subject him or her to painful restraint† (Derwin 438). The preconceived notions about others is what causes prejudice in the first place. Twain shows that while someone appears to one simple being on the surface, they can actually be an entire spectrum of human emotion. Jim is first portrayed as a simple, uneducated slave, but when his friendship with Huck begins to flourish, Jim is shown as a caring friend that has suffered much throughout his life. Religion is the foundation of all cultures. It creates laws and morals, but also creates conflict and segregation. America was, and still is, founded on strong Christian beliefs. This is clearly illustrated by Twain as Huck has to make the decision between what he believes is right, and the Bible says (although, based on his actions, he seems to have better christian views than some of those teaching him about it). Huck many times tries to pray and follow the bible, and while he seems to believe in it, he accepts that he just wasn’t meant to pray and that the words just won’t come. When challenged between whether he should help free Jim or tell Miss watson, he chooses the â€Å"wicked† path which he believes will sent him to hell, just to help Jim, shows how selfless Huck really is, â€Å"Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company† (Mark Twain) Huck is literally willing to go to hell and reject everything he had been taught to believe in just to free a friend. This allows Huck to become a role model to students that are struggling between the religion that they have been raised into, and their own personal beliefs, giving them motivation to generate their own identity and their own values, initially becoming their own person. Adventures of Huckleberry finn clearly illustrates battles that go on between oneself and society everyday. It is frowned upon to disagree with the majority of society, or to reject the religious views of your community and/or family, and these are all topics that are addressed in Mark Twain’s novel. It seems that even Mark Twain disliked society and felt the need to write the nspirational story of Huckleberry Finn to encourage those who have different views or are just trying to fit in. â€Å"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect† (Mark Twain). Society is flawed. Mark Twain new this, and anyone with a reasonable head on their shoulders would agree. Twain uses Huck to show what pure human behavior is like. It is not just going with what everyone else believes, it is about you own morality. Being different while walking the halls can be a harsh four year sentence in high school. Students need to be encouraged to voice their opinions, and disagree. If we all had the same values then we wouldn’t be humans, we would be clones. Allowing Huckleberry Finn to be taught in school is allowing motivation and confidence (something that many students don’t have) to voice their opinions and stand up for their own â€Å"Jim†. Also teaching the effects racism and discrimination had on our country, to help prevent history from looping back on itself. Teaching Huckleberry Finn would hopefully create a ripple effect throughout the generations creating a country where voicing opinions isn’t frowned upon, and a place that is more accepting to those with different beliefs.

TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THERE A “MID TUDOR CRISIS” DURING THE...

TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THERE A MID TUDOR CRISIS DURING THE REIGNS OF EDWARD VI AND MARY I? The mid-Tudor crisis is a term often used by historians to describe the reigns of Edward VI (1547-1553) and Mary I (1553-1558). This period can be seen as a crisis, due to the fact that there were so many problems financially, socially, religiously and constitutionally, which led to rebellions, and placed the country in a very unstable position. It is clear that many of the origins of this crisis have their roots in the reign of Henry VIII. He left a very difficult legacy to his successors, but it must be remembered that Somerset provoked the problems already in existence and Northumberland and Mary I then had the difficult task of resolving them.†¦show more content†¦Northumberland also established the Privy Coffer to provide contingency funds. Mary herself reformed the customs and introduced the book of rates in 1558. There was also, as Guy perceives a shift towards national finance. Although the period 1552-8 is still described as a crisis, it must be remembered that there were some productive reforms and that the situation did not decline. Historians such as Pollard who see government as sterile, impotent and unproductive at this time do not seem to have taken into account these positive financial developments. It is evident that Henry was at the root of the financial problems and that Somerset exacerbated them. However the positive achievements of Northumberland and Mary must not be forgotten. Somerset lacked charm and made enemies easily. His arrogance and pride created resentment. He was a weak administrator who refused to listen to the experts. The crisis came for Somerset, in 1559 when he failed to deal decisively with rebellions in the west and in Norfolk (which had been partly caused by his own policies). As Dale Hoak points out his colleagues decided to get rid of him at this point not because he supported the poor but because he was incompetent. When Northumberland came into power, even though his reforms were far more extreme, with no possibility of alternative