Cursive? Old-fashioned or worth reviving? (A Response to Alex's Post)

Alex's post (In the Know(ledge): Miscellaneous Mesopotamia) got me thinking about different forms of handwriting and the devolution of handwriting in the United States. Our letters haven't changed, but the style in which we write them has changed. Think back to the formality of the calligraphy used to write the Declaration of Independence and John Hancock's classic, lavish signature. . . Now think of your own signature. . . Are they of the same quality? Probably not, but does it matter?

Roman Plates

I really enjoyed going to the Special Collections yesterday. Seeing all the items there was really cool, especially the hand-made illustrated book (I don't remember whether it was actually a Bible or not) from France. Out of all the things we looked at, there was one that stood out to me as very different: the Roman military/citizenship document. As Rome is my focus civilization, I figured I'd write a short post on the plates.

Language affecting us

I happ'd across this link about language from dictionary.com. It kind of relates to what we talked about in class.

Enjoy :)

Hosanna! Preserve the Feelings of Oral Knowledge

        This is a bonus post that does not have to do with my ancient culture, but as we were talking in class today about history as it is experienced and history as it is written and interpreted, I thought about an experience I had yesterday relating to this. Thinking about the disconnect that happens between the reality of the past and interpretation of the past, much is lost. Regarding a religious, sacred experience, I believe the most important thing to preserve is not the finite details, but the feelings.  

          I had the opportunity to spend a day in Jerusalem in the days of Christ yesterday as an extra in the Church's new New Testament movie. I participated in the scene of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem with the task of embodying a young Jewish woman rejoicing to witness and worship her Savior. 

          In preparation for this experience, we were asked to read the passage depicting the account of this event in the 4 Gospels. Reading them in the King James version, I notice these are not identical accounts. I realize this consists of oral knowledge written down years later, so it makes sense that two people preserved the memory differently. In just expressing one sentence to describe what people said, you lose the finite details, especially individual experiences, but as long as you capture the actual feelings you want people to remember, does it matter? The biblical accounts are written in a formal language that reflects the sacredness of the experience in one concise sentence and fits into the institution of the bible for a medium of knowledge. 

Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (Matthew 21:9)

 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. (Luke 19:38)