Fig 26 - uploaded by Mohamed Amin Kenawy
Content may be subject to copyright.
Statue of King Mentuhotep II in the Jubilee Garment (c. 2051-2000 B.C.) From Thebes, Deir el-Bahri (Source: http://www.flickr.com/).
Source publication
Based on the available and scattered reports, this
article reviews the insects that were known to ancient
Egyptians (butterflies and moths, honey bee, locust, praying
mantis, beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, bed-bugs, fleas and
head lice). The mythological and religious significance and
associated diseases (malaria, filariasis, leishmaniasis and
p...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... filariasis is thought to have affected humans since approximately 4000 years ago as artifacts from ancient Egypt show possible elephantiasis symptoms. Although there are no written records however, the swollen limbs of a statue of the Egyptian Pharaoh Mentuhotep II from about 2000 B.C. (Fig. 26) provide evidence that he was suffering from elephantiasis and a painting in the temple of Hatshepsut shows that the queen might even suffer from Elephantiasis (Cox, 2002). Preventive measures included prayers, various kinds of magic, and wearing of amulets. ...
Similar publications
The core tenet of modern integrated pest management (IPM) advocates a combination of methods to suppress and live with pest populations rather than simply obliterating them via environmentally damaging pesticides. Ecologists often trace the roots of the modern IPM movement to the late 19th century, when farmers and others drew on common knowledge a...
Citations
... Scarabs were of high reverence in Carthaginian Empire. Plentiful of these beetles were found in their tombs (Fig. 5) (Kenawy & Abdel-Hamid, 2015). Scarab beetles were used as totems by certain groups of aboriginal Australians. ...
Modernization has altered the relevance of insects and their various roles in human cultural affairs. On a brighter side, there are still many who adore observing and understanding these six-legged tiny companions on earth. People have kept insects breathing in mythological modes of thought, expression, and communication. The historical records, anthropological descriptions, and ethno-entomological elucidation or footnotes in travel logs and journals have been a quick fix in unraveling the lost aesthetics of insects. Lately, the cultural cognizance and the outspread aesthetic of insects have picked up popularity. The celebration of the qualities associated with insects and their quirkiness by famous artists and writers, the aesthetic value of insects and their role in human culture is now accepted as a worthwhile endeavor. The significance of insects as subjects of recreation goes on to perfuse the creative minds of people. This chapter is an attempt to compile the information on insects in culture and their relevance in molding human life.KeywordsCultural entomologyEthnoentomologyScarab beetleButterflyInsects-human interactionLiteratureInsect-sports
... In ancient Egypt, scarab beetles were believed to be the force that moved the sun across the sky [12,13]. Moreover, scarab beetles were associated with the self-created God Atem, who was associated with resurrection and new life [14]. The ancient Greeks and Romans adopted, to varying degrees, the sacred Egyptian scarab and regarded it as a good luck charm [15]. ...
Japanese people are perceived to have a relatively more favorable disposition towards insects than individuals from other nations. Given that insects frequently appear in myths from all over the world, I researched Japanese mythology as a potential origin of this positive outlook toward insects. I reviewed the ancient records Kojiki, Nihonshoki, and Fudoki, and found seven cases where insects appear. In all cases, the insects played relatively minor roles. They did not speak, nor were they under the command of gods or emperors. They did not feature as main characters in ancient poetry, and gods/emperors did not take the shape of any insects. In only two instances were insects featured in a positive light. In general, relationships between gods, emperors, and insects are weak in Japanese mythology, and hence mythology does not appear to be the primary source of Japanese affinity for insects.
... Several stories regarding human-arthropod relationships have been recorded during ancient (Pharaonic) Egyptian times; for example, stories from the Bible indicate how people were plagued by insects, such as locusts (Kenawy and Abdel-Hamid 2015). In contrast to the bad associations with locusts in the Christian Bible, a well-known Islamic folklore story paints spiders, which are usually frightening to people, in a more positive light. ...
... The Egyptian civilisation was known for the fact that they deemed some insects exceptionally special and even worshipped them, for example dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Coleoptera were known to Egyptians as 'Atem', the creator god of Heliopolis (one of the oldest cities in ancient Egypt and was known as the City of the Sun) (Kenawy and Abdel-Hamid 2015). Not all of the human-arthropod interactions are from ancient Egypt. ...
... (a) An ink drawing of a mantid on papyrus(Kenawy and Abdel-Hamid 2015). (b) A mantid mummy with original coffin found in Egypt(Keimer 1938) Mantids featuring in (a) American(Fandom 2015) and (b) Chinese films(Cityonfire 2014) ...
Praying mantids (Mantodea) are not only apex predators with a ‘mystical’ status, but are also regarded as a kind of oracle and, in some cultures, as omens associated with good or bad. In the future, the cultural, mystical and religious values allocated to mantids over millennia can contribute not only to their own conservation, but also to conservation of arthropods in general. Historically, Mantodea influenced African, Greek, Egyptian, Japanese and Chinese cultures and they affected human culture in a variety of ways. Some of these are coin designs, hairstyles, swords, death rituals, war strategies, advertisements, children’s books and even modern music. Despite human fascination with mantids, this group of arthropods is unfortunately overlooked in terms of conservation and research. Conservation as a mitigation strategy to protect threatened and endangered species is influenced by philosophical and psychological aspects and requires more than a purely scientific approach. This paper highlights the role of praying mantids in human culture and the historical relationships between humans and other arthropods. Acknowledgement of these cultural aspects of the mantids may contribute to a positive change in people’s perceptions of arthropods and eventually in insect conservation. It is suggested that mantids could be used as a flagship or gateway species to advance awareness of insect conservation. We can generate much needed insect appreciation by building on the existing ‘global’ cultural values, fascination and intrigue of the charismatic mantid, therefore increasing wonderment of the small things that dominate the world we live in.
... The black rats, which came into contact with the Nile rats in the dirty cities, spread the flea and the plague throughout much of the ancient world. In almost all cases, plague epidemics strike areas with poor and cramped living conditions, much like the "Workmen's Village" section of Amarna where Eva Panagiotakopulu carried out her research [13]. She is the first to look at fossilized insect remains of the ancient city and found a very high frequency of fossilized human fleas, bedbugs and other insects and parasites that "present a picture of squalid living conditions" in and around the workers' houses [14]. ...
... pandemics. During her study, Eva Panagiotakopulu found plague in fossilized flea remains in ancient ruins in workmen's village at el Amarna and believed that the plague may have begun in Egypt rather than Central Asia, as has long been believed [13]. The workmen's Village at Amarna ( Figure 5) located at 270 km south of Cairo, had a very short occupation period (20-25 years, 1350-1323 BC) and consists of a group of well-preserved structures apparently built to house the workers involved in the construction and building of the tomb of Akhenaton [29,30]. ...
1.1 Objectives This article reviews and updates the epidemiological information, global distribution and prevention of bubonic Plague. Also discusses the origin and the possibility of disease occurrence /re-emergence in Egypt. 1.2 Material and methods The available published reports and several internet-based articles on Plague globally and in Egypt (geographical distribution, historical epidemics and present situation) were reviewed. 1.3 Results and conclusions Plague which is a zoonotic bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis and transmitted by fleas mainly Xenopsylla cheopis has been responsible for a number of high-mortality epidemics throughout human history. Evidence indicated that the plague may have begun in Egypt rather than Central Asia. Despite no available reports on present situation of plague disease in Egypt, however historically, the country had suffered from several epidemics. Moreover, Egypt is under risk of disease reemergence and transmission due to the existence of potential foci in the neighboring countries mainly Libya.
This project examines the Book of Joel by utilizing iconographic exegesis to intervene in interpretive debates around the book’s rhetorical structure, origins, and historical situation. In so doing, it begins by considering recent developments in the Book of Joel, the Book of the Twelve, and iconographic exegesis. The project engages in delimitation criticism to set the boundaries of textual units before identifying the iconic structure of a given text. Then it presents and considers relevant iconography from the ancient Near East that allows interpreters to visually contextualize the prophetic book. The project concludes by encouraging future studies of the Book of Joel, as well as other prophetic works from the Hebrew Bible, to engage visual materials as informative sources for contextualizing and materializing the texts within the ancient world. In so doing, it attempts to add images to the comparative toolkit of biblical exegesis.
Since the time that Homo sapiens took up farming, a battle has been waged against pests and diseases which can cause significant losses in crop yield and threaten a sustainable food supply. Initially, early control techniques included religious practices or folk magic, hand removal of weeds and insects, and “chemical” techniques such as smokes, easily available minerals, oils and plant extracts known to have pesticidal activity. But it was not until the early twentieth century that real progress was made when a large number of compounds became available for testing as pesticides due to the upsurge in organic chemistry. The period after the 1940s saw the introduction of important families of chemicals, such as the phenoxy acid herbicides, the organochlorine insecticides and the dithiocarbamate fungicides. The introduction of new pesticides led to significant yield increases, but concern arose over their possible negative effects on human health and the environment. In time, resistance started to occur, making these pesticides less effective. This led agrochemical companies putting in place research looking for new modes of action and giving less toxic and more environmentally friendly products. These research programmes gave rise to new pesticide families, such as the sulfonylurea herbicides, the strobilurin fungicides and the neonicotinoid insecticide classes.
Updated version of bibliography to 20.12.16
