84-470: The Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum is a permanent exhibition of 27 carved Pictish stones in the centre of the village of Meigle in eastern Scotland . It lies on the A94 road running from Coupar Angus to Forfar . The museum occupies the former parish school, built 1844. The collection of stones implies that an important church was located nearby, or perhaps a monastery. There is an early historical record of
168-412: A Christian cross). Most of the stones date to the 9th or 10th century AD and were intended as tombstones. The stones are carved from the local sandstone , which is suitable for fine sculpture. Some stylistic elements of the stones show the influence of Northumbria . The Pictish stones at Meigle have a distinct local style that includes an emphasis on aggressive biting beasts, the decorating of crosses with
252-460: A chain over the centre of the river. A house of prayer open to all who believed in God was built nearby, and fishing was prohibited for a certain distance up and down the river; fish that swam in that section of the river had heads that glinted like gold, and ungodly persons who entered the sacred precinct would miraculously drown in the river. To this day the tomb is a popular site of pilgrimage. Daniel
336-415: A club-wielding human figure is positioned behind the aggressor. The stone has lost some detail due to erosion, although this is concentrated at the lower part of the cross itself and suggests that some form of human activity regularly caused abrasion of that portion - the opposite side being less worn. Meigle 3 dates to the 9th century AD. One side has a cross, with a part of a Pictish double-disc symbol to
420-567: A cross slab, with interlace pattern flanking the head of the cross. Meigle 32 is a fragment from a cross slab, containing the left arm of the cross and part of a panel containing spiral patterns. Meigle 33 is a fragment of sculpture with a circular pattern. It is of later date than the rest of the stones in the museum. Meigle 34 is a carved fragment with a scroll engraved on it. 56°35′16.355″N 3°9′45.021″W / 56.58787639°N 3.16250583°W / 56.58787639; -3.16250583 Pictish stone A Pictish stone
504-471: A diagonal key pattern and the usage of rounded heads on cross-slabs. The sandstone used to sculpt the monuments is old red sandstone , a relatively soft stone that lends itself to detailed carving but is susceptible to erosion. The monuments are likely to have been worked with iron tools such as chisels, punches and hammers, together with hammerstones and wooden mallets. The sculpted designs may have been copied from painted vellum pattern books. According to
588-533: A grass-covered mound called Vanora's Grave. Some of the stones appear to have been trimmed and placed near the Grave in the 16th and 17th centuries in order to decorate it. Meigle 1 is a cross-slab. The stone was originally used as a standing stone two millennia before it was sculpted by the Picts, it has cup and ring marks low down on the back of the stone. The cross is Greek in style, with full circles at each of
672-410: A griffin. The opposite side has depictions of a corpse being consumed by two beasts, four interlaced naked human figures and a further two beasts. The end of the stone is carved with a manticore and a human figure. Meigle 27 is a piece from a cross slab and depicts a figure sitting in a chair, with his servant sat on the floor behind him. Meigle 28 is the bottom piece of a broken cross slab, it has
756-402: A horizontal base panel filled with a spiral pattern, and two vertical panels filled with a diagonal key pattern. Meigle 29 is a fragment depicting two clerics, one of whom appears to be sitting on a chair. The more complete of the two figures has two shoulder brooches holding the folds of his clothing. Meigle 30 is a fragment carved with a coiled beast. Meigle 31 is the upper portion of
840-430: A kneeling camel, as well as a Pictish Beast, salmon, a serpent and Z-rod, a mirror, a comb, a dog's head, animals and horsemen. This stone originally stood on the west side of the northern entrance to the churchyard, opposite Meigle 2. Meigle 1 may be the oldest stone at Meigle, possibly carved in the late 8th century. Meigle 2 stands nearly 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high. It has a cross on one side and depicts Daniel in
924-456: A more typical estimate is "around thirty", or "around forty" according to Historic Scotland . These include geometric symbols, which have been assigned descriptive names by researchers such as: and outline representations of animals such as: Some are representations of everyday objects, such as the "mirror and comb" , which could have been used by high-status Picts. The symbols are almost always arranged in pairs or sets of pairs, often with
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#17327869913281008-464: A mounted huntsman with two hounds at the top, with an angel hovering above the dogs. Below this there is a procession of four horsemen, with three leading the fourth, who is distinguished by a large saddlecloth. The next row down is the Biblical Daniel scene, below this is a centaur holding an axe in each hand and branches trailing behind him. The lowest section depicts a beast grasping an ox,
1092-411: A person struggling against an animal. The inside of the cross is filled with interlace patterns. The reverse of the monument has tightly packed figures and symbols. A mounted horseman occupies the top of the stone, with two interlaced serpents behind. Under the horse's hooves is another entwined serpent, a Pictish Beast and another animal, with another horseman behind. A crescent with V rod symbol occupies
1176-478: A petition of any god or man for 30 days" except the Persian King. But Daniel continued true to Jerusalem. "His windows being open in his chambers towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." In Kitab al-Kafi , Imam Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin asserts that Allah revealed to Daniel that, "The most hated among my creatures are
1260-574: A prophet. Daniel's name means "God (El) is my judge". While the best known Daniel is the hero of the Book of Daniel who interprets dreams and receives apocalyptic visions, the Bible also briefly mentions three other individuals of this name: Daniel (Dn'il, or Danel ) is also the name of a figure in the Aqhat legend from Ugarit . (Ugarit was a Canaanite city destroyed around 1200 BCE – the tablet containing
1344-955: A reference to Daniel at Matthew 24:15, in reference to the abomination of desolation . He is commemorated in the Coptic Church on the 23rd day of the Coptic month of Baramhat . On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar , the feast days celebrating St. Daniel the Prophet together with the Three Young Men , falls on December 17 (during the Nativity Fast ), on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (the Sunday which falls between 11 and 17 December), and on
1428-401: A shallow slot in the top and sculpted panels on both long sides. One of the panels depicts a griffin , an interlace pattern, an elongated animal wrapped into a knot and two animals facing each other. The other panel is composed of an animal, a sitting person with his limbs entwined with the legs of a bird, another animal, some spiral patterns and a final section that is badly eroded. Meigle 10
1512-519: A suggested decipherment. Although earlier studies based on a contextual approach, postulating the identification of the pagan "pre-Christian Celtic Cult of the Archer Guardian", have suggested possible clausal meanings for symbol pairs. A selection of the Pictish symbols, showing the variation between individual examples. Each group is classified as a single type by most researchers. Only
1596-416: Is a fragment from the shaft of a small cross-slab. The shaft of the cross is filled with an interlace pattern, on the left are two fighting beasts, on the right side is another animal biting its own back. Meigle 16 through to Meigle 19 were all fragments of cross-slabs and are now lost. Meigle 20 is a fragment from the centre of a cross-slab. The shaft is filled with interlace and the fragment also has
1680-419: Is a fragmented cross-slab with the central portion missing, the surviving fragments are masterpieces of sculpture. Animals are carved on either side of the top of the cross, with their heads curving up to bite two animals forming the frame of the design. There is an animal below the left arm of the cross with elaborate entwined tail and horns. Opposite this, below the right arm of the cross, is the upper portion of
1764-652: Is a type of monumental stele , generally carved or incised with symbols or designs. A few have ogham inscriptions . Located in Scotland , mostly north of the Clyde - Forth line and on the Eastern side of the country, these stones are the most visible remaining evidence of the Picts and are thought to date from the 6th to 9th century, a period during which the Picts became Christianized. The earlier stones have no parallels from
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#17327869913281848-476: Is another recumbent monument and is the largest of the recumbent stones from Meigle. The long sides of the stone have deeply recessed panels with wide borders that once were decorated but are badly worn. The top of the monument is undecorated and has a wide slot at one end. One side of the stone has the sculpted images of three mounted riders accompanied by a dog, behind them is a humanoid figure with an animal's head and gripping two entwined serpents. The other side of
1932-422: Is decorated with a diagonal key pattern. The back of the monument has a double disc and Z-rod and a comb. Meigle 8 is a small fragment measuring 0.22 metres (8.7 in) across. It has an eroded cross on one side and the upper portion of two animals on the reverse, facing each other with forelegs in the opposing beast's mouth. A symbol above them may represent a tool. Meigle 9 is a recumbent tombstone. It has
2016-785: Is not a prophet in Judaism: prophecy is reckoned to have ended with Haggai , Zechariah , and Malachi . In the Hebrew Bible his book is not included under the Prophets (the Hebrew Bible has three sections, Torah, Prophets and Writings), but nevertheless the eight copies found among the Dead Sea Scrolls and the additional tales of the Greek text are a testament to Daniel's popularity in ancient times. The Jewish rabbis of
2100-501: Is not named but appears to be Jeremiah ) that Jerusalem would be desolate for 70 years. Daniel repents on behalf of the Jews and requests that Jerusalem and its people be restored. An angel refers to a period of 70 sevens (or weeks) of years. In the final vision, Daniel sees a period of history culminating in a struggle between the "king of the north" and the "king of the south" in which God's people suffer terribly; an angel explains that in
2184-409: Is now lost. It was a carved rectangular panel depicting a horse pulling a carriage bearing a driver and two passengers, the monument also showed a crouching archer and several beasts. The sculpture probably formed a part of a low church screen, possibly separating the chancel and the nave . The stone had been moved inside the old church for protection and was destroyed in the fire of 1869. Meigle 11
2268-426: Is one of the last monuments from Meigle. It is a recumbent gravestone sculpted with a lozenge pattern along the upper surface and with a fish monster and an animal on one side. The other side has a dog biting the leg of a deer and two bulls charging each other. Both ends of the monument are damaged. Meigle 13 was a piece of a broken cross-slab, now lost. Meigle 14 is a fragment of a cross-slab. Another fragment of
2352-527: Is the main character of the Book of Daniel . According to the Hebrew Bible , Daniel was a noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon , serving the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus , all the while remaining true to the God of Israel. While some conservative scholars hold that Daniel existed and his book
2436-439: Is widely known and still used in the field. In particular, the classification may be misleading for the many incomplete stones. Allen and Anderson regarded their classes as coming from distinct periods in sequence, but it is now clear that there was a considerable period when both Class I and II stones were being produced. Later Scottish stones merge into wider medieval British and European traditions. The purpose and meaning of
2520-480: The Celtic god Cernunnos or else a siren , cross-legged with the entwined legs terminating in fish-tails. The figure is flanked by two animals with prominent claws. Meigle 23 is a small tombstone with a ringed cross on one side between two seated figures and with two pairs of animals decorating the back. The upper pair of animals have their heads apparently joined together, the lower pair are entwined and each bites
2604-461: The Glasgow area. The ridge of the stone is carved with an elongated beast with its head at the higher end of the monument, the beast has the tail of a fish at the tapering end if the stone. The creature's head is similar to the heads of animals on Meigle 1 and Meigle 5. Meigle 26 is an exceptionally fine recumbent gravestone. It has a socket at one end to hold a vertical cross or stone. The top of
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2688-504: The Northern Isles . Simple or early forms of the symbols are carved on the walls of coastal caves at East Wemyss , Fife and Covesea , Moray . It is therefore thought likely that they were represented in other more perishable forms that have not survived in the archaeological record, perhaps including clothing and tattoos . Some symbols appear across the whole geographical range of the stones while, for example, six stones with
2772-703: The Roman Martyrology on July 21. Some local liturgical calendars of dioceses also list his feast, sometimes on July 21 and sometimes on another day. For example, the archdiocese of Gorizia celebrates the feast of St. Daniel, prophet and confessor, on September 11. The reading of the Mass is taken from the Book of Daniel, chapter 14; the Gradual from Psalm 91; the Alleluia verse from the Epistle of James 1; and
2856-469: The Babylonian and Persian courts in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, followed in turn by a set of visions in which Daniel sees the remote future of the world and of Israel. The tales in chapters 1–6 can be dated to the 3rd or early 2nd centuries BCE; it is generally accepted that these were expanded by the addition of the visions in chapters 8–12 between 167 and 164 BCE. In the third year of
2940-419: The Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego . Daniel and his friends refuse the food and wine provided by the king of Babylon to avoid becoming defiled. They receive wisdom from God and surpass "all the magicians and enchanters of the kingdom." Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a giant statue made of four metals with feet of mingled iron and clay, smashed by a stone from heaven. Only Daniel is able to interpret it:
3024-494: The Earth and the "Ancient of Days" (God) gives dominion to "one like a son of man". An angel interprets the vision. In the second, a ram with two horns is attacked by a goat with one horn; the one horn breaks and is replaced by four. A little horn arises and attacks the people of God and the temple, and Daniel is informed how long the little horn's dominion will endure. In the third, Daniel is troubled to read in holy scripture (the book
3108-638: The Gospel from Matthew 24. The Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod commemorates Daniel, together with the Three Young Men ( Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ), on December 17. Daniel ( Arabic : دانيال, Dānyāl ) is not mentioned by name in the Qur'an , but there are accounts of his prophet-hood in later Muslim literature, which tells how he was rescued from lions with
3192-690: The Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland . Three stones with Pictish symbols are known outside areas normally recognised as Pictish: in Dunadd , Argyll ; Trusty's Hill in Dumfries and Galloway ; and Edinburgh in Lothian . All three are located at major royal power centres. Two Pictish Class I stones are known to have been removed from Scotland. These are Burghead 5 from Burghead Fort in Moray , showing
3276-514: The Jewish temple as serving vessels for his extravagant feast , a hand appears and writes a mysterious message on a wall, which only Daniel can interpret; it tells the king that his kingdom will be given to the Medes and Persians, because Belshazzar, unlike Nebuchadnezzar, has not acknowledged the sovereignty of the God of Daniel. The Medes and Persians overthrow Nebuchadnezzar and the new king, Darius
3360-523: The Mede , appoints Daniel to high authority. Jealous rivals attempt to destroy Daniel with an accusation that he worships God instead of the king, and Daniel is thrown into a den of lions , but an angel saves him, his accusers are destroyed, and Daniel is restored to his position. In the third year of Darius, Daniel has a series of visions. In the first, four beasts come out of the sea, the last with ten horns, and an eleventh horn grows and achieves dominion over
3444-669: The North East of the country in lowland areas, the Pictish heartland. During the period when the stones were being created, Christianity was spreading through Scotland from the west and the south, through the kingdoms of Dál Riata , which included parts of Ireland , and the extension into modern Scotland of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Bernicia and Northumbria . Areas that show particular concentrations include Strathtay , Strathmore , coastal Angus , Fife , Strathdee , Garioch , Moray , Strathspey , Caithness , Easter Ross ,
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3528-655: The Persian king Ahasuerus (better known as Artaxerxes – Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 15a, based on the Book of Esther 4, 5), but he was killed by Haman , the wicked prime minister of Ahasuerus (Targum Sheini on Esther, 4, 11). The 1st century Jewish writer Josephus reported that Daniel's body lay in a tower in Ecbatana in Parthia , alongside the bodies of the kings of the Medes and Persians; later Jewish authorities said he
3612-734: The Sunday before Nativity. Daniel's prophecy regarding the stone which smashed the idol ( Daniel 2:34–35 ) is often used in Orthodox hymns as a metaphor for the Incarnation : the "stone cut out" being symbolic of the Logos (Christ), and the fact that it was cut "without hands" being symbolic of the virgin birth . Thus the hymns will refer to the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) as the "uncut mountain". The Roman Catholic Church commemorates St. Daniel in
3696-645: The Ugaritic Daniel and probably took the name of their hero from Ezekiel; the author of the visions in the second half in turn took his hero's name from the tales. Some scholars have suggested identifying the Daniel character in Ezekiel 28 with King David's son Daniel. The Book of Daniel begins with an introduction telling how Daniel and his companions came to be in Babylon, followed by a set of tales set in
3780-539: The aid of the prophet Jeremiah (in Bel and the Dragon it is the prophet Habakkuk who plays this role) and interpreted the king's dream of a statue made of four metals destroyed by a rock from heaven, as having interpreted the writing on the wall, investigation, etc. All sources, both classical and modern , describe him as a saintly and righteous man. Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872–1953) in his Qur'anic commentary says: Daniel
3864-415: The carved image of a rider. Meigle 21 is a portion of a cross slab. It was tall and narrow, the head of the cross being filled with a diagonal key pattern while the circle of the head was formed by sculpted ropework. The shaft of the cross is decorated with an interwoven pattern. Meigle 22 is a piece of an architectural frieze bearing a sculpture of what has been identified as either the Pictish form of
3948-449: The dream signifies four kingdoms, of which Babylon is the first, but God will destroy them and replace them with his own kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great tree that shelters all the world and of a heavenly figure who decrees that the tree will be destroyed; again, only Daniel can interpret the dream, which concerns the sovereignty of God over the kings of the earth. When Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar uses consecrated vessels from
4032-405: The end the righteous will be vindicated and God's kingdom will be established on Earth. The Greek text of Daniel contains three additional tales, two of which feature Daniel (the third is an expansion of the tale of the fiery furnace). The last mention of Daniel in the Book of Daniel is in the third year of Cyrus ( Daniel 10:1 ). Rabbinic sources suppose that he was still alive during the reign of
4116-633: The figure of a bull, now in the British Museum , and the Crosskirk stone ( Caithness ), presented to the King of Denmark in the 19th century, but whose location is currently unknown. Daniel (biblical figure) Daniel ( Aramaic and Hebrew : דָּנִיֵּאל , romanized : Dānīyyēʾl , lit. 'God is my Judge'; Greek : Δανιήλ , romanized : Daniḗl ; Arabic : دانيال , romanized : Dāniyāl )
4200-513: The first millennium CE reckoned Daniel to be the most distinguished member of the Babylonian diaspora, unsurpassed in piety and good deeds, firm in his adherence to the Law despite being surrounded by enemies who sought his ruin, and in the first few centuries CE they wrote down the legends that had grown up around his name. His captivity was foretold by the prophet Isaiah to King Hezekiah in these words, "they (Hezekiah's descendants) shall be eunuchs in
4284-404: The four handles between the shaft and the arms. The inside of the cross is decorated with interlace patterns, the cross-point being decorated with spirals. The cross shaft itself is flanked by images of mythical beasts. It has an uncoordinated jumble of symbols arranged around a hunting scene on the other side. Among these are images of a winged figure that perhaps represents a Persian deity and of
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#17327869913284368-484: The geometric and object types are represented here, not the animal group. Only a few stones still stand at their original sites; most have been moved to museums or other protected sites. Some of the more notable individual examples and collections are listed below (Note that listing is no guarantee of unrestricted access, since some lie on private land). Pictish Symbol stones have been found throughout Scotland, although their original locations are concentrated largely in
4452-456: The grounds that the non-uniform distribution of symbols – taken to be evidence of writing – is little different from non-linguistic non-uniform distributions (such as die rolls), and that the Exeter team are using a definition of writing broader than that used by linguists. To date, even those who propose that the symbols should be considered "writing" from this mathematical approach do not have
4536-478: The ignorant ones who disrespect the scholars and do not follow them. The Most beloved to Me in My servants are the pious ones who work hard to become entitled for greater rewards, who always stay close to the scholars, follow the fore-bearing people and accept (the advice of) people of wisdom". Shiʾa hadith affirm Daniel as a prophet of God, and affirm the events aligning to the biblical narrative of Daniel as well. Daniel
4620-436: The left, below the arm. On the other is inscribed a mounted warrior wearing a sword below his cape, the scabbard tipped with a chape . The warrior is seated on a striped saddle cloth and carries a spear in his right hand. Meigle 3 is a low gravestone and the warrior may be a portrait of the deceased person. The stone was cut shorter at least twice in antiquity, its original height may have been 0.6 metres (24 in). Meigle 4
4704-469: The lions' den on the other. The form of the head of the cross is possibly based on that of a jewelled metal cross and is unique. The projecting boss at the centre of the cross has eight smaller bosses around it that probably symbolise the eight days of Passion Week running from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday inclusive. The shaft of the cross contains three pairs of sculpted animals facing each other, with interlaced tails and tongues, while other beasts fill
4788-467: The local records, eight stones were lost before the close of the 19th century, including Meigle 10. Some of the surviving stones are parts of larger monuments and it is probable that other fragments are buried in Meigle churchyard or have been used in the construction of walls. Before being moved into the museum, Meigle 1 and Meigle 2 stood on either side of the northern entrance to the churchyard, in front of
4872-407: The lowest portion of the stone. Meigle 5 has a cross carved in high relief on one side. The base of this Greek-style cross sports the unusual decoration of two animal heads. Each quarter of the background contains a single beast. Meigle 5 is a small monument and was carved as an upright headstone for a grave. The back of the stone depicts a lone horseman with a decorated saddle-cloth. On one edge of
4956-462: The meanings of the symbols. Class I and II stones contain symbols from a recognisable set of standard ideograms , many unique to Pictish art, which are known as the Pictish symbols. The exact number of distinct Pictish symbols is uncertain, as there is some debate as to what constitutes a Pictish symbol, and whether some varied forms should be counted together or separately. The more inclusive estimates are in excess of sixty different symbols, but
5040-406: The monument are inscribed two symbols; the so-called Pictish Beast and a mirror. Meigle 6 is the central fragment of a cross-slab. The surviving shaft of the cross is decorated with a diagonal key pattern. The back of the stone has, from top to bottom, a horse and rider, a double disc symbol, a crescent and a dog wearing a collar. Meigle 7 is the top portion of a rounded cross-slab. The cross
5124-400: The monument is decorated with two intertwined animals followed by a dog and a bear, one above the other, and an unidentified object. To the right of these is a panel of twelve bosses encircled by serpents. At the extreme right is a wheel of seven bosses set within a frame formed of two upright animals with entwined tails and gripping the extremities of a human figure in their mouths. Meigle 12
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#17327869913285208-661: The object type, such as the mirror and comb, below the others, and the animals are generally found only in combination with the abstract types. Hence some think they could represent names, lineage, or kinships, such as the clans of two parents, analogous to the Japanese mon . According to Anthony Jackson the symbol pairs represent matrilineal marriage alliances. A small number of Pictish stones have been found associated with burials, but most are not in their original locations. Some later stones may also have marked tribal or lineage territories. Some were re-used for other purposes, such as
5292-489: The old church. The present church building dates to about 1870, the previous building having been destroyed in a fire on 28 March 1869. The stones were rescued by William Galloway immediately after the fire. The stones are Christian monuments to the dead of the Pictish warrior aristocracy, who are depicted on the stones bearing their weapons or hunting. The museum building was originally the village schoolhouse. The building
5376-504: The other's tail. Meigle 24 is one of the lost monuments. It was a small cross-slab. Meigle 25 is a hogback tombstone dating to the late 10th century. The sides of the monument are decorated with carved rooftiles and the ridge of the recumbent stone is sculpted with a fishtailed beast. The stone tapers at one end, and the sides of the monument together with this tapering end are sculpted with concave-sided roof-tiles. The stone demonstrates stylistic affinities with early hogback stones from
5460-405: The palace of the king of Babylon." This misfortune was turned to a blessing when Daniel and his three companions were able to show their mutilated bodies to Nebuchadnezzar and so prove their innocence of charges of leading an unchaste life. Daniel kept the welfare of Nebuchadnezzar in mind continually, and when the king was condemned by God to live as a beast for a certain period Daniel prayed that
5544-462: The period of punishment should be shortened, and his prayer was granted. When Nebuchadnezzar was dying he wished to include Daniel among his heirs, but Daniel refused the honour, saying that he could not leave the inheritance of his forefathers for that of the uncircumcised. Daniel also restored the sight of king Darius, who had wrongly thrown the pious Daniel into prison on false charges, upon which many converted to Judaism. The New Testament makes
5628-552: The rabbis reckoned him to be the most distinguished member of the Babylonian diaspora, unsurpassed in piety and good deeds, firm in his adherence to the Law despite being surrounded by enemies who sought his ruin, and in the first few centuries CE they wrote down the many legends that had grown up around his name. He is considered a prophet in Christianity, and although he is not mentioned in the Quran, Muslim sources describe him as
5712-442: The reign of Jehoiakim , Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar , king of Babylon . The four are chosen for their intellect and beauty to be trained in the Babylonian court, and are given new names. Daniel is given the Babylonian name Belteshazzar ( Akkadian : 𒊩𒆪𒈗𒋀 , romanized: Beltu-šar-uṣur , written as NIN 9 .LUGAL.ŠEŠ ), while his companions are given
5796-620: The rest of the British Isles, but the later forms are variations within a wider Insular tradition of monumental stones such as high crosses . About 350 objects classified as Pictish stones have survived, the earlier examples of which holding by far the greatest number of surviving examples of the mysterious symbols, which have long intrigued scholars. In The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland (1903) J Romilly Allen and Joseph Anderson first classified Pictish stones into three groups. Critics have noted weaknesses in this system but it
5880-405: The same monument was built into the old church and was destroyed in the fire. The surviving fragment of cross is filled with interlace and a diagonal key pattern. The reverse side shows a robed cleric carrying a book and a part of a second similar figure, the lost section had the rest of this second figure and a third figure almost identical to the first, facing in the opposite direction. Meigle 15
5964-502: The single symbol of a bull found at Burghead Fort suggest that this represented the place itself, or its owners, despite other examples appearing elsewhere. A team from Exeter University, using mathematical analysis, have concluded that the symbols in the Pictish image stones "exhibit the characteristics of written languages" (as opposed to "random or sematographic (heraldic) characters"). The Exeter analysts' claim has been criticized by linguists Mark Liberman and Richard Sproat on
6048-444: The space between the cross and the outer border of the monument. The monument is the work of a master sculptor with the figures being cut in deep relief and arranged in an orderly fashion. Meigle 2 has projecting tenons on its top and sides and was probably intended to slot into a screen or wall. Local folklore holds that the representation of Daniel in the lions' den depicts King Arthur 's wife Guinevere , known locally as Vanora . She
6132-614: The spot. Today six cities claim Daniel's Tomb : Babylon , Kirkuk and Muqdadiyah in Iraq , Susa and Malamir in Iran , and Samarkand in Uzbekistan . The most famous is that in Susa, (Shush, in southern Iran ), at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal. According to Jewish tradition the rich and poor of the city quarreled over possession of the body, and the bier was therefore suspended from
6216-413: The stone has three coiled snakes wrapped around each other at one end, with a design consisting of twelve bosses in the middle and two sea-horses facing each other at the lower end. The left and right borders are marked with interlace patterns that end in birds' heads at one end, at the other end animal jaws open to frame a hollow slot. The sides of the monument are also decorated; one has a hunting scene and
6300-592: The stones are only slightly understood, and the various theories proposed for the early Class I symbol stones, those that are considered to mostly pre-date the spread of Christianity to the Picts, are essentially speculative. Many later Christian stones from Class II and Class III fall more easily into recognisable categories such as gravestones. The earlier symbol stones may have served as personal memorials or territorial markers, with symbols for individual names, clans , lineages or kindreds, although there are several other theories, and proposed explanations of
6384-444: The story is dated c. 1360 BCE.) This legendary Daniel is known for his righteousness and wisdom and a follower of the god El (hence his name), who made the god’s will known through dreams and visions. It is unlikely that Ezekiel knew the far older Canaanite legend, but it seems reasonable to suppose that some connection exists between the two. The authors of the tales in the first half of the Book of Daniel were likely also unaware of
6468-473: The two Congash Stones near Grantown-on-Spey , now placed as portal stones for an old graveyard. The shaft of an old cross is lying in the field. Another Pictish stone, the Dunachton Stone near Kincraig , was later used as a door lintel in a barn. This was discovered when the building was dismantled in 1870. The stone was re-erected in the field. Recently it fell, after being photographed in 2007, but
6552-410: The work of Thana , son of Dudabrach , who was at Meigle (recorded as Migdele ) in the middle of the 9th century during the reign of King Pherath . Thana was likely to have been a monk serving as a scribe in a local monastery that could have been founded in the 8th century. The stones contained in the museum were all found near Meigle, mostly in the neighbouring churchyard or used in the construction of
6636-497: Was a righteous man of princely lineage and lived about 620–538 B.C. He was carried off to Babylon in 605 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, the Assyrian, but was still living when Assyria was overthrown by the Medes and Persians. In spite of the "captivity" of the Jews, Daniel enjoyed the highest offices of state at Babylon, but he was ever true to Jerusalem. His enemies (under the Persian monarch) got a penal law passed against any one who "asked
6720-431: Was abducted by King Mordred and condemned by Arthur to be torn apart by wild beasts. The monument was said to mark her grave. Meigle 2 was originally located on the east side of the northern entrance to the churchyard, opposite Meigle 1, and in front of a mound identified in local folklore as Vanora's Grave. Apart from the scene representing Daniel, the back of the monument also contains various other sections. These include
6804-589: Was buried in Susa , and that near his house were hidden the vessels from the Temple of Solomon . Muslim sources reported that the Muslims had discovered his body, or possibly only a box containing his nerves and veins, together with a book, a jar of fat, and a signet ring engraved with the image of a man being licked by two lions. The corpse was reburied, and those who buried it were decapitated to prevent them from revealing
6888-551: Was purchased by the local laird Sir George Kinloch towards the end of the 19th century in order to protect the symbol stones. In 1936 the museum passed into the ownership of the State, it was renovated after the Second World War and reopened to the public in 1949. The building is Category C listed . About one third of the stones in the museum are Class II in nature (stones with symbols carved in relief and usually bearing
6972-581: Was re-erected again a few years later by the owner of Dunachton Lodge. The symbols are found on some of the extremely rare survivals of Pictish jewellery, such as the pair of silver plaques from the Norrie's Law hoard found in Fife in the early 19th century, and the Whitecleuch Chain . The symbols are also sometimes found on other movable objects like small stone discs and bones mostly from
7056-509: Was written in the 6th century BCE, most scholars agree that Daniel is not a historical figure and that much of the book is a cryptic allusion to the reign of the 2nd century BCE Hellenistic king Antiochus IV Epiphanes . Six cities claim the Tomb of Daniel , the most famous being that in Susa , in southern Iran , at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal . He is not a prophet in Judaism, but
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