A Modern Temple of Knowledge - Library of Congress

It's amazing to think about how knowledge from ancient Babylon influenced Greek thought and laid the groundwork for Western science and philosophy. The Babylonians were ahead of their time in astronomy and math. When Alexander the Great conquered Babylon, Greeks tapped into this knowledge, blending it with their own ideas. This exchange of knowledge flowed from Babylon to Greece, then to Rome, and eventually into modern Western thinking, continuing to shape how we understand the world today. A great example of this influence is how the Library of Congress reflects Greek Classical ideals as a modern-day temple of knowledge.


The Library of Congress, especially the Thomas Jefferson Building, strongly reflects Greek influence with its Corinthian columns and dome, showcasing classical architecture. The dome, topped with a torch representing the light of knowledge, emphasizes the building's focus on symmetry and traditional Greek and Roman styles. Below, the Court of Neptune Fountain connects the Library to the classical world of mythology, blending Greek and Roman influences.

Greek ideas are all over the Library of Congress, turning it into a modern-day temple of knowledge that celebrates the lasting impact of Greek and Roman contributions to Western civilization. However, Francis Schaeffer argued that when people reject God's truth and rely only on human reason, they end up with flawed thinking and moral relativism. Schaeffer believed that true enlightenment and meaningful knowledge come from acknowledging God's existence and the absolute truth revealed through Him. 

Even though men can think and pursue knowledge, can this pursuit alone truly make the world a better place? Can people live peacefully without a foundation in divine truth? How have places like the National Mall, along with so many iconic landmarks around the world, carried the same Babylonian spirit through the ages, all in the name of celebrating human achievement and reason?

Inside, the Library is adorned with symbols and motifs from Greek art and philosophy, who inspire the arts and sciences, like Minerva, symbolizing wisdom and learning.












One Far-Off Divine Event - Alfred Tennyson
In Revelation, Babylon represents a corrupt force that opposes God and leads people into sin. Its destruction symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and the coming of God's kingdom.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Al-Attas Garden in Janda Baik - 4 August 2012

Image
Besides being a well-known contentious writer, little do we know that Syed Hussein Alattas is also a self-taught gardener and an architect. He had built Taman Hana in Janda Baik from scratch and named after his wife.  Taman Hana sits on a 8-acre plot of land in the quiet village of Janda Baik. It boasts a collection of 1,000 species of plants including fruit trees, more than 700 big flower pots and five buildings that include the home of the Alattas family.  The good news is that it is open to visitors every day.  As we made our way past the entrance, this place appeared unkempt. It was well beyond its heyday (in 2008) but still showing off its faded beauty. Some parts were badly neglected, which was so unfortunate, because it originally was to be a quiet kampung retreat. A mix of traditional Malay, Peranakan, Indonesian and colonial British architecture and a Minangkabau styled roof. Syed Hussein had actually started building the structures in 1982 and he spent a lot of time
Read more

Spilling the Beans in Ipoh - 6 Apr 2012

Image
Ipoh's familiar specialty - Nga Choy Kai or the Taugeh (Bean Sprouts) Chicken. What else to accompany the poached chicken than the fresh, fat and crunchy Ipoh famous bean sprouts!! The bean sprouts are served blanched, with a dash of sesame oil, white pepper and soy sauce. Ipoh is a well-known food haven in Malaysia, and most will agree that Ipoh's bean sprout is the best in Malaysia. The premium-grade bean sprouts come from the Buntong New Village, which is also my husband's hometown. Growing bean sprout requires only water and more importantly, watering techniques. Madam Toon told us that there were at least 8 operators in Buntong. They were all family-owned businesses, and the three Toon brothers have been growing bean sprouts for more than 70 years.  Bean sprouts are grown from black mung beans imported from Myanmar. The beans need to be watered every 4 hours throughout the day for 5 days, no shortcut, otherwise they will be not be fat and juicy. At
Read more

A Potter Village in Sayong - 30 May 2013

Image
Pit Stop at the Perak royal town, Kuala Kangsar. The 1st rubber tree in Malaysia was planted in this town. That's about all I knew about this place. Labu Sayong or water pitcher from Sayong village, known for its health value to help migraine, lower blood pressure etc due to the special properties inherent in the local clay. Before this, we didn't know much of labu sayong.  We didn't go to the village or plan this visit. Out of curiousity, we bumped into this unassuming workshop at No. 3, Kg Setia, Enggor, run by Mohd bin Harun.  Pakcik was very open and gave us a tour of his workshop and how he makes labu sayong. His warm, friendly welcoming people made a lasting impression on all of us - a trait that we've lost in the big cities. The traditional way of making labu sayong uses hands to mould the clay into the shape of a 'labu' (gourd-like vase) but this is too slow. Now, the clay mixture is poured into standard mould blocks. It's
Read more