There's so much symbolism in this ~ charm, ice melting, gift-giving ~ inevitably, deception lies at the heart of it ~ Babylon?
Doves, what are your thoughts?
Shalom!
Dale <><
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Doves, what are your thoughts?
Shalom!
Dale <><
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Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes
For Your Discernment
For Your Discernment
Quote:
"A
2,700 year-old silver chalice may be a new token of friendship between
the United States and Iran, at least that's the way Iran's cultural
heritage chief sees it.
Whatever the case, Mohammad-Ali Najafi was palpably delighted Friday to see the ancient Persian artifact return to its homeland. The ceremonial drinking vessel -- or rhyton -- had gotten snagged in a U.S. customs warehouse for years, held up by bad diplomatic relations.
It had been in New York since 2003, when an art dealer smuggled it into the country from Iran.
Customs officials have long wanted to return the rhyton to Iran, according to a New York Post report. But decades of frigid relations between Washington and Tehran kept it frozen in bureaucratic limbo.
Winning Hearts
President Obama broke that ice Friday with a historic phone chat with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, as the Islamic republic's leader was just about to leave the United States.
It was the first time a U.S. president has spoken to his Iranian counterpart since 1979.
The thaw may have been enough to free up the rhyton, which takes the shape of a mythical beast with the body of a lion and the head of a bird of prey. It was fashioned in the Achaemenid era, the early Persian Empire, around 700 BC."
Whatever the case, Mohammad-Ali Najafi was palpably delighted Friday to see the ancient Persian artifact return to its homeland. The ceremonial drinking vessel -- or rhyton -- had gotten snagged in a U.S. customs warehouse for years, held up by bad diplomatic relations.
It had been in New York since 2003, when an art dealer smuggled it into the country from Iran.
Customs officials have long wanted to return the rhyton to Iran, according to a New York Post report. But decades of frigid relations between Washington and Tehran kept it frozen in bureaucratic limbo.
Winning Hearts
President Obama broke that ice Friday with a historic phone chat with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, as the Islamic republic's leader was just about to leave the United States.
It was the first time a U.S. president has spoken to his Iranian counterpart since 1979.
The thaw may have been enough to free up the rhyton, which takes the shape of a mythical beast with the body of a lion and the head of a bird of prey. It was fashioned in the Achaemenid era, the early Persian Empire, around 700 BC."