Hurricane Katrina Message Boards

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RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Re: [Melungeon] D.N.A. and the Future of Affirmative Action

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Re: [Melungeon] D.N.A. and the Future of Affirmative Action: "I strongly object to anyone using this genealogy based forum as a vehicle to impose their own - or anyone else's - political views upon other people - as has been done in this case.

With, that said, I am withdrawing from this mail list.

Burt Crosswhite"

Islam's Spanish Eyes (washingtonpost.com)

Islam's Spanish Eyes (washingtonpost.com): "For centuries after its consolidation in the 750s of our era, Islamic Spain -- known in Arabic as al-Andalus -- had the richest culture, by far, of all of Western Europe. The Christian north, still emerging from the ruins of the fallen Roman Empire, could only gape at the wonders found south of the Pyrenees. In economy, technology, learning, cultural diversity and artistic sophistication -- in literature, philosophy, science, music, architecture, cuisine and all the decorative arts -- there was nothing like Islamic Spain. If the northerners at long last caught up in the later Middle Ages, it had a lot to do with what they had been able to beg, borrow, buy and steal from their neighbors to the south.

This exhibition's 89 objects include works of decorative art in cloth, stone, wood and ceramic as well as manuscripts, astronomical instruments, maps and many coins. All but a handful are from the collection of the Hispanic Society in New York, which agreed to this rare loan show in celebration of its 100th birthday. Though this is said to be the country's finest collection of art from Islamic Spain, it's still small and full of holes. (The exhibition lacks any examples of the fantastic metalwork developed by Spanish Muslims, for instance.) Shown without loans from other institutions, the Hispanic Society's holdings can provide only a hint of that culture's surviving treasures. But for the purposes of calling to mind the illustrious and complex history of the Spanish Middle Ages, even an assortment of minor objects can do the trick.

Staring at a vitrine full of old coins, for instance, is not most art lovers' idea of a good time. But for those with even a passing interest in Europe's past, the coins in 'Caliphs and Kings' are irresistible. Anyone who has seen"

The Historic New Orleans Collection

The Historic New Orleans Collection: "Exhibition
In the waning days of the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson shocked the world by leading a ragtag force of local and state militia, regular U.S. troops, free men of color, Choctaw Indians, and Baratarian pirates to a crushing victory over an invading army of proud, tested, elite British soldiers determined to seize New Orleans. A new exhibition at The Historic New Orleans Collection entitled The Terrible and the Brave: The Battles for New Orleans, 1814-1815, brings both American and British perspectives to bear on this watershed event. "

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Science -- Long in the tooth

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Science -- Long in the tooth: "Mother lode
To follow this conversation for long you need a vocabulary word: mitochondrial DNA.

Most people are familiar with nuclear DNA � our genes that come to us courtesy of our mother and father, when the sperm fertilizes the egg and both sets of genes mix.

As a tool for genetic anthropologists, nuclear DNA is troublesome because all that reshuffling of genes makes it tough to trace a direct genetic line from individual to individual.

But the mitochondria, the cell's energy-producing bodies, also have tiny genomes, and these are inherited only from our mothers. Because there is no mixing with male genes, Smith explains, mitochondrial DNA stays the same from generation to generation, except when random mutations occur.

And mitochondrial DNA is abundant in cells compared to nuclear DNA and therefore more likely to be extracted. It will never be enough to clone an early cave man, but for Kemp, Smith and other genetic anthropologists, mitochondrial DNA is the mother lode.

'This is what's allowing us to construct a history where there is no written record,' Smith says.

The reason they can do this is because the rate of mutation in mitochondrial DNA remains constant over time � in each individual, from prehistory to modern-day, changes occur at the same rate. That rate of change is used as a measuring stick for time known as the molecular clock.

To make sense of all the mutations, scientists group individuals with similar sets of mutations into families known as haplogroups. Haplogroups are further divided into smaller groups called haplotypes. OYKCM belongs to haplotype D, one of five founding lineages that appear in North America. But his haplotype is rare.
'When I first saw it, I wasn't sure what I was looking at,"

Pennsylvania: Eccentric but entertaining

Pennsylvania: Eccentric but entertaining: "Pennsylvania: Eccentric but entertaining 'Weird' writer praises the commonwealth as perhaps the wackiest state of all

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

By Cristina Rouvalis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Matt Lake may have a British accent, but he has an eye for Pennsylvania weird.
Just how weird? As weird as a man being buried in the driver's seat of his Corvette.

From 'Weird Pennsylvania' by Matt Lake Outside a strip mall in the Delaware County town of Springfield is a tree stump carved into a spider-monkey devil. As weird as the legendary Green Man of Pittsburgh.

As weird as a spider-monkey devil tree stump outside a strip mall.Lake spent more than a year tracking down the offbeat, the bizarre and the gross in his adopted homeland, and compiled them into the breezily written book 'Weird Pennsylvania.'

Lest you get insulted by the title, he explains, 'Weird is not a bad thing. Weird is a good thing.' His book debunks the notion that America is one big bland wasteland of cookie-cutter people who live in suburban subdivisions and shop at chain stores.

'It is only homogenized if you go the fastest way from one point to another. If you find the road less traveled, you find weird around every corner.'

Not to be jingoistic, the native of England praises Pennsylvania as perhaps the weirdest state in the American nation ... but only time will tell if he is right, as there is a plan to publish a weird book on every state in the nation in this ongoing series. 'Weird New Jersey' was first and 'Weird US' followed. 'Weird Texas' and 'Weird New England' books will be released soon.

'There is a lot of high-grade weird in Pennsylvania,' Lake says. 'It's like Pennzoil or Quaker State. It's the good stuff. It's good gre"

Cranberry Journal, News and information for Cranberry pa, Zelienople Pa, and Mars Pa.

Cranberry Journal, News and information for Cranberry pa, Zelienople Pa, and Mars Pa.: "State's oddities chronicled in book

By Kathryn Sheranko, Staff Writer

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Every town in America has some tidbit of folklore, a bizarre or macabre legend or infamous former resident that provokes head-scratching, eye-rolling or yarn-spinning that invariably ends with 'well, that's what I heard.'

One man logged thousands of miles traversing the Keystone State seeking out and investigating such tales, then spent an entire year compiling them into 'Weird Pennsylvania,' published by Sterling Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Barnes and Noble, Inc.

'Everywhere you drive, it seems someone is doing something bizarre,' says author Matt Lake, who appeared last week at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Cranberry promoting the work.

The book evolved from 'Weird New Jersey,' a newsletter created and published by Mark Moran and Mark Sceurman. The newsletter gained readership and a cult following over 12 years, and was followed in 2003 by the full-length book, 'Weird N.J.: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets,' written by Moran and Sceurman and edited by Lake. "

Weird Pennsylvania

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Re: [Melungeon] The Newest Indians

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Re: [Melungeon] The Newest Indians: "I originally got interested in genealogy in an effort to document the American Indian ancestry which was known to be in my father's family. That was a good eight years ago and it was as result of that quest that I foundout about Melungeons. In all that time I have never seen or heard anyone anywhere in any way shape or form claim to have an "Indian princess" intheir family, Cherokee or otherwise(except, perhaps, for people who claim to be descended from Pocahontas). Yet this old chestnut keeps being repeated over and over again whenever the subject of "white" people searching for their known or suspected Indian ancestry comes up. Like the "wannabe" label, it is demeaning and dismissive, and I really wish people who write and speak on this topic would cut it out.

In the case in point above, I think it's interesting that someone who made such a search for nearly forgotten Indian roots herself would so ridicule others trying to do the same thing. There is in this a cautionary tale for those of use who are trying to confirm or deny Melungeon roots.

Dennis
"

Click here to join MelungeonOrigin

Medical or miracle?

Medical or miracle?: "Medical or miracle?
Tales of healing emanating from a Troy Hill chapel spur the debate over religion's role in medicine
Sunday, October 15, 2000
By Christopher Snowbeck, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
A GROUP OF DOCTORS gathering in Pittsburgh for a convention this month sat before a resolute little nun named Sister Margaret Liam Glenane and received a crash course in the anatomy of holiness."

In Troy Hill, a community's beacon to go dark tomorrow

In Troy Hill, a community's beacon to go dark tomorrow: "You have no idea how much this will affect us mentally and socially as far as how we think about our neighborhood,' Mary Wohleber, 88, a fifth-generation Troy Hill resident, told council members. 'Our firehouse is the heartbeat of a town within a town.'
To understand Troy Hill, it is necessary to understand it's topography. The community, which in the 2000 census had 2,540 residents, was settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s on a plateau that today forms the easternmost neighborhood on the city's North Side.
Down one side of the plateau is Route 28 and the Allegheny River; down the other is a valley.
'It's a very narrow ridge, 600 yards. I know because I measured it,' said Wohleber, the neighborhood historian. 'We're only a little bit over a mile long. We're all dead-end streets. We just do not naturally flow into other neighborhoods like other neighborhoods do.
'You really have to have a reason to come here. It's not a neighborhood you just pass through. It's not that simple.'
But while topography may have cut the community off from others, it just as likely has had a role in making it tight-knit. Generations of people have made their homes on the hill, where American flags fly from neat rowhouses and houses of brick and wood. There are shops, professionals' offices, restaurants, small parks, churches (one with the second-most religious relics in the world, St. Anthony's Chapel), North Catholic High School and historic landmarks."

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L The Newest Indians

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L The Newest Indians: "August 21, 2005

The Newest Indians

By JACK HITT

New York Times Magazine

On a crisp morning in March at the Jaycee Fairgrounds near Jasper, Ala., the powwow was stirring. Amid pickups with bumper stickers reading ''Native Pride'' and ''The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth,'' small groups gathered to check out the booths selling Indian rugs, dancing sticks, homemade knives and genealogy books. On one side, under her camper's tarp, sat Wynona Morgan, a middle-aged woman wearing a modestly embroidered Indian smock and some jewelry. Morgan had only recently discovered her Indian heritage, but, she said, in some ways she had known who she was for years. ''My grandmother always told me that she came from Indians,'' Morgan told me. She is now a member of one of the groups meeting here in Jasper, the Cherokee Tribe of Northeast Alabama, which itself is new, having organized under that name in 1997. The tribe is committed to telling its story, in part through an R.V. campground named Cedar Winds that will eventually expand to include an ''authentic, working Cherokee Indian Village.'' "

Choctaw Clothing

Choctaw Clothing: "Clothing styles of the Primitive Choctaw

by Lucas Graywolf

By the year 1833, the Choctaw Indians of Mississippi were already on their way to adopting the styles of the European settler who had begun arriving in their villages in great numbers. Tradecloth, a bulky, loose-knit material dyed in bright colors, was brought into the Choctaw villages by both the French and British, as were the pipe-tomahawks that were to become a symbol of the tribe.

Like the women of other tribes, Choctaw women took long lengths of the material, full bolt width, and simply folded it in half, cutting a hole for the head to pass through. In order to assure fullness in the dress, full length gussets were sewn into each side. The dress was then ornamented according to the desires of the women, but usually following some traditional customs. These might include sea shells, fringe, feathers or even beads. As European glass beads became more available, the Choctaw women stopped making them from berries, seeds and rocks.

It was during this same time period that many of the Choctaws, including the men, began to adopt some of the clothing styles of the Cherokee and Seminoles who came to trade in Choctaw villages.

In 1847, French artist Alfred Boisseau painted a picture titled, 'Choctaw Indians Walking by the Bayou in Louisiana.' In that picture the Choctaw man is shown wearing only a very long shirt, made of brightly colored print material, a blanket, leg wrappings and moccasins. This print shirt (slipping off one shoulder) is common to those worn by the Seminoles of Florida during the same time period. The two women are only depicted with large blankets wrapped around their bodies and a small child seems to be wearing an oversized plain shirt with the sleeves rolled up and covered with a poncho made of blanket material.
I"

Genealogical DNA test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Genealogical DNA test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Genealogical DNA tests allow one to identify their recent and far distant ethnic and geographic origins. Most commonly, one uses Y chromosome (Y-DNA) testing and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. Y-DNA & mtDNA tests are by far the most common and often people refer to them as the only genealogical DNA tests. However, additional tests are available for distant and recent ethnic origins."

MelungeonResearch

MelungeonResearch: "Milton Music is the brother of my 2nd greatgrandfather Abraham Musick. I think this picture of Milton makes him look absolutely Asian!
Abe was a larger man than Milton according to descriptions I have of him. He was a blacksmith, but I must assume that he had a similar look to his brother Milton.

Here is the genealogy for this family going back to the grandmother of these two men who was a Harris, a common Melungeon surname, and for whom I have found no other family data. I am descended from Milton Music's brother Abe Musick and his partner, Mary Collins. I believe that this Collins line is also of Melungeon ancestry as the Harris line may also be."

Re: Goins

Re: Goins: "Furthermore if you cannot get past Joseph Goins and Judith Pollard then you don't even know if you even descend from a Goins. Have you ever seen the records of Phyllis Goens who had illegitimate children by George Gibson? Are you sure you don't descend from this George Gibson and Phyllis Goins?

I have worked very hard since 1997 researching Melungeon families and locating historical articles etc., and sharing my work. By presenting this research to the forums and lists I know I have helped many people realize you can't prove you are a Melungeon by a bump, squat or disease.

All the best
Joanne"

Re: Goins

Re: Goins: ".......Well Jeanette this is not a 'FUN' forum it is a Melungeon Forum. You want fun you should try Nancy's list or Helen Campell's blog page.... they are fun. IMHO they don't have much to do with Melungeons but I've heard they are fun.

Furthermore if you are accusing me of 'slaughtering' this forum because I questioned the myths, stories and trash that has been published about the Melungeons, online and print, then I am really glad to see the hours and hours of work have finally payed off.

Jeanette also wrote;

'One thing, I think I am right about my Goins bloodline. Oh, maybe not What's-His-Name Gaeweene or Gaeweere. Who on earth is arrogant enough to say they can cypher between an 'n' and 'r' in old handwriting?'

.....Well apparently there were a few people arrogant enough to claim it was Gaweene and translated it to Goin/Gowen with no proof whatsoever. Yes no proof. That entire 'theory' is based on someone's interpretation of someone else's interpretaton. The original document does not exist. So why are you calling me arrogant? I will be glad to debate this with you and will gladly apologize if you can come up with an original document.

Furthermore if you cannot get past Joseph Goins and Judith Pollard then you don't even know if you even descend from a Goins. Have you ever seen the records of Phyllis Goens who had illegitimate children by George Gibson? Are you sure you don't descend from this George Gibson and Phyllis Goins?

I have worked very hard since 1997 researching Melungeon families and locating historical articles etc., and sharing my work. By presenting this research to the forums and lists I know I have helped many people realize you can't prove you are a Melungeon by a bump, squat or disease.

All the best
Joanne"

Congressman Alan B. Mollohan: Harrison County History

Congressman Alan B. Mollohan: Harrison County History: " Salem, located on Salem Fork, was formerly called New Salem. It was named for the town of Salem, New Jersey, where most of its settlers had originated. Salem-Teikyo University, a private institution, was created in 1989 when 101-year-old Salem College formed an educational partnership with Teikyo University of Japan."

(INDIAN) Tall Armenian Tale: The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide

(INDIAN) Tall Armenian Tale: The Other Side of the Falsified Genocide: "Navajo and Apache DNA matched those of Tuvans



A leading Russian geneticist claims he has taken a giant step toward identifying the precise origin of native Americans, based on his genetic studies of the Tuvan Turkish people in Siberia. Ilya Zakharov, deputy director of Moscow's Vavlov Institute Of General Genetics, says an expedition he led last year proved a DNA link between American Indians and the Ak-Dovurak region 2,100 miles southeast of Moscow. Tuva today is one of Russia's poorest and most mysterious regions, with ancient cultural traditions that include shamanism. The area, bridging Siberia's huge Taiga Forest and the steppes. or plains, lies north of Mongolia. The Tuvans are mainly Turkic-speaking nomadic pastoralists who herd camels, yaks, sheep, goats, and reindeer. Tuva formed part of the Chinese empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. Zakharov says his team was able to greatly narrow the focus with hair samples taken from about 430 Tuvans. DNA data from the hair roots was analyzed and then compared with that of Eskimos and Amerindian people, including the Navajo and Apache. Amerindian DNA makeup exactly matched the Tuvans � by 72 percent of one group of 30 samples and 69 percent of another group of 300.

Ahmet Toprak
Turkish Radio Hour

As reported in the December 15, 1998 issue of The Turkish Times"

Black History Counts

Black History Counts: "'History matters. It provides our identity, it structures our relationships, and it defines the terms of our debates. We must learn from it, even if doing so is, at times, annoying and uncomfortable. Yet experience makes clear that classrooms alone cannot be relied on to teach the lessons that must be learned by the vast numbers of Americans whose collective future may depend on that education. History must be taught not only in the academy but in the variety of nonacademic settings where Americans go to learn.'"

Re: Goins

Re: Goins: "Was this directed at me?

Joanne Pezzullo"

Goins

Goins: "I am sad. This Forum has been slaughtered by a few people I really don't want to spend time with. It used to be fun.

One thing, I think I am right about my Goins bloodline. Oh, maybe not What's-His-Name Gaeweene or Gaeweere. Who on earth is arrogant enough to say they can cypher between an 'n' and 'r' in old handwriting?

I don't think my Goins-Gowen-Goan-Goin were Melungeons as mandated by some in this Forum, but they did have the mixture and the culture. They left Melungeon territory before the name was applied according to rules here. I still believe I've found what was so disturbing to my grandmother in that day and time."

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Re: [Melungeon] English Freemason Jews: Surnames

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Re: [Melungeon] English Freemason Jews: Surnames: "The name of the article is 'Jews in English Regular Freemasonry: 1717 -
1860'; it appears in the Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of
England, Volume XXV (25), 1977, pages 150 - 209. What is significant about it also
is that it supports Don Yates' and my theory that Jews were actively involved
in Freemasonry in England from an early date (we believe Scotland was even
earlier -- the 1100's, when Freemasonry was actually the Templars). There were
many Freemason Lodges throughout Melungeon areas; we believe that they
provided assistance to crypto-Jews entering the Colonies, prior to Jews being
'officially' welcomed. Beth"

Hebrew DNA Research Project

Hebrew DNA Research Project: "We have officially launched the 'Hebrew DNA Research Project.' If you have a family tradition, or other reason for believing that that you are of Hebrew descent, you are welcome to join this project. While most people who have expressed an interest are of the Jewish faith, the project is open to participants of any faith.

The Hebrew DNA Research Project is designed to identify common allele patterns among individuals who, based upon family tradition or otherwise, have reason to believe that they may have had Hebrew ancestors. The term Hebrew refers to individuals, or descendants of individuals, claiming descent from Abraham, Isaac and/or Jacob"

Are the Melungeons the Lost Tribes of Israel?

Are the Melungeons the Lost Tribes of Israel?: "Are the Melungeons the Lost Tribes of Israel?

WHO ARE THE DANITES OF ISRAEL?
By Israel Villa

Introduction

There are 12 tribes of Jacob who is Israel. The tribe of Dan was the fifth child born of Jacob. Each tribe had certain distinct functions in the nation; Judah is the leader and good with hands Deuteronomy 33:7, Genesis 49:10, Issachar knew the times to do things! Chronicles 12:32, the Levites were priests, and so on. The specialty of the Danites was the building of ships and commerce by sea, Judges 5:17."

Seeking the tribe of Dan - family links

Seeking the tribe of Dan - family links: "Do you know of Diana, The Way, The Veil and the place of Dan? I am looking for information in regard to a museum of the tribe of Dan somewhere in the Golan Heights, or with anyone who may have links with this particular people.

I have come across a picture of a pillar with writing on it in such a museum on Google, but there are no contact details for this establishment on any site that I have come across to date.

Any info would help as I am trying to establish a possible family link with this particular branch of the Jewish community. Emails to the Jewish national museum have not been replied to either."

Jewish Web Index - Making it easier for you to do your personal research

Jewish Web Index - Making it easier for you to do your personal research: "'If we go back far enough, we're all related'. Hello cousin ...

and welcome to my web site. This web site started out as a 'place holder' for those links that I had reviewed and felt were worthwhile to revisit in the future as I developed my own family tree. Later, when I became aware that the links and bits of information would benefit other genealogists , I made the decision to share this information with all who want to research their own Jewish roots.

Apparently it has helped --- as well over 122,000 visitors have viewed my site since its inception. Thanks! I'm pleased to have been of help.

When using my web site, you will find that each LINK provides you easy, one-click accessibility by Country and/or by specific Subject in alphabetical order -- to the thousands of web sites that I have visited over the past six years. Any address included in my web site has been verified that it offers some Jewish genealogical information. Some sites are very important - others are portals to other links or offer detailed information to help your research.

Most importantly, they represent an entr�e to the wonderful world of discovering your ancestral history. "

Sephardic Genealogy and Sephardim, Jewish Genealogy

Sephardic Genealogy and Sephardim, Jewish Genealogy: "Sephardic Genealogy Resources"

Jewish Web Index - Making it easier for you to do your personal research

Jewish Web Index - Making it easier for you to do your personal research: "'If we go back far enough, we're all related'. Hello cousin ...

and welcome to my web site. This web site started out as a 'place holder' for those links that I had reviewed and felt were worthwhile to revisit in the future as I developed my own family tree. Later, when I became aware that the links and bits of information would benefit other genealogists , I made the decision to share this information with all who want to research their own Jewish roots.

Apparently it has helped --- as well over 122,000 visitors have viewed my site since its inception. Thanks! I'm pleased to have been of help.

When using my web site, you will find that each LINK provides you easy, one-click accessibility by Country and/or by specific Subject in alphabetical order -- to the thousands of web sites that I have visited over the past six years. Any address included in my web site has been verified that it offers some Jewish genealogical information. Some sites are very important - others are portals to other links or offer detailed information to help your research.

Most importantly, they represent an entr�e to the wonderful world of discovering your ancestral history. "

JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy

JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy: "JewishGen�, Inc. is the primary internet source connecting researchers of Jewish genealogy worldwide. Its most popular components are the JewishGen Discussion Group, the JewishGen Family Finder (a database of 350,000 surnames and towns), the comprehensive directory of InfoFiles, ShtetLinks for over 200 communities, and a variety of databases such as the ShtetlSeeker and Jewish Records Indexing-Poland. JewishGen's online Family Tree of the Jewish People contains data on more than three million people"

North Side Leadership Conference

North Side Leadership Conference: "Troy Hill A Neighborhood with a View

On a plateau overlooking downtown Pittsburgh and the Allegheny River, Troy Hill offers historic streetscapes, a mix of homes and businesses, and easy access to downtown and major highways. Schools, churches, small parks, and numerous civic organizations all give texture to this community perched above the city.

It's All Here Adjacent to Route 28 and near Interstate 279, Troy Hill residents enjoy easy access to a wide variety of destinations in the greater Pittsburgh area. With more than two dozen businesses located here�the third largest district on the North Side�the community provides a degree of self-sufficiency.

In addition, Troy Hill offers four churches, three schools, three parks, and more than 15 organizations with activities for neighbors of all ages. History is strong here too, with five historic landmarks, plus the city's oldest fire hall and the only one with a bell. German Beginnings

Troy Hill was settled in the mid-1800s by German immigrants who worked in the mills, tanneries and breweries, and on the railroads along the Allegheny River. In the early days, a narrow brick road led up to the working class homes and vineyards spilled over the hillsides, reminiscent of Germany's Rhine Valley.
Community Involvement and Pride.

Troy Hill Citizens, Inc. was established in 1971 and plays an important community advocacy role in redeveloping both the residential and business communities and the monitoring of city services. The group also recruits volunteers for community clean-up and improvement projects, as well as providing employment assistance and public safety programs."

Biblical Pool of Siloam uncovered in Jerusalem

Biblical Pool of Siloam uncovered in Jerusalem: "Biblical Pool of Siloam uncovered in Jerusalem

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times

Workers repairing a sewage pipe in the old city of Jerusalem have discovered the biblical Pool of Siloam, a freshwater reservoir that was a major gathering place for ancient Jews making religious pilgrimages to the city and the reputed site where Jesus cured a man blind from birth, according to the Gospel of John.
The pool was fed by the now-famous Hezekiah's Tunnel and is 'a much grander affair' than archaeologists previously believed, with three tiers of stone stairs allowing easy access to the water, according to Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archeology Review, which reported the find yesterday.
'Scholars have said that there wasn't a Pool of Siloam and that John was using a religious conceit' to illustrate a point, said New Testament scholar James H. Charlesworth of the Princeton Theological Seminary. 'Now, we have found the Pool of Siloam ... exactly where John said it was.' A Gospel that was thought to be 'pure theology is now shown to be grounded in history,' he said.

The discovery puts a new spotlight on what is called the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a trip that religious law required ancient Jews to make at least once a year, said archaeologist Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, who excavated the pool.

'Jesus was just another pilgrim coming to Jerusalem,' he said. 'It would be natural to find him there.'
The newly discovered pool is less than 200 yards from another Pool of Siloam, this one a reconstruction built between A.D. 400 and 460 by the empress Eudocia of Byzantium, who oversaw the rebuilding of several biblical sites.

The site of yet another Pool of Siloam, which pre-dated the version visited by Jesus, is still "

DNA Links Ancient, Modern Indians

DNA Links Ancient, Modern Indians: "DNA Links Ancient, Modern Indians


A direct DNA link was found between Donna Yocum, left, and an archaeological site in Palmdale. With Yocum is John Valenzuela, chairman of the San Fernando Band of Mission Indians. Judy O'Rourke/The Signal.

� Genetic fingerprinting connects Native Americans with an antecedent who lived more than eight centuries ago.

By Judy O'Rourke

Signal Staff Writer

Sunday, May 22, 2005

PALMDALE � Human bones turned up by earthmovers grading for an Antelope Valley housing development have produced a DNA link between living Native Americans and an ancestor who died some 800 to 1,000 years ago.

It's been about 15 years since DNA matching was undertaken on remains found in ancient burial sites, but scientists say the Palmdale discovery is unusual to unprecedented.

Members of the San Fernando Band of Mission Indians, made up of three different groups, hope the find will bolster their claims to federal recognition as a sovereign nation. Seven different criteria must be met before that goal can be achieved.

Besides the ancestral link, the dig in Palmdale has uncovered other new information about the Vanyumes, a Mojave Desert group who, with the Fernandeno and the Tataviam, make up the mission band.

The tribe hopes to one day build a cultural center in Santa Clarita, tribal Vice Chairwoman Donna Yocum said."

Invitation to join Melungeons@topica.com

Invitation to join Melungeons@topica.com: "I invite you or anyone else on here who wishes to do so to join my Melungeon mailing list. We have a great group of researchers and are growing every day. This is a family friendly list where there is NO fighting.
Simply send an e-mail to:

Melunegons-subscribe@topica.com"

www.Liberty Fund D.C.

www.Liberty Fund D.C.: "News Release
New committee formed by National Society Sons of the American Revolution aims to honor Black, Indian and women patriots who helped in the struggle for American liberty by expanding membership to include their descendants
Coordinated effort with National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. expected to add fuel to campaign to build a memorial to honor black patriots and freedom seekers on the Mall in Washington, D.C.
Louisville, Kentucky (August 4, 2005) -- Roland G. Downing, the newly-elected President General of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), announced today that he has created a National Committee to honor Black, Indian and women patriots and to help their descendants celebrate this heritage and join compatriots and fellow citizens in promoting the Nation's common history.
'Because it is a fact of history that the American Revolution was fought by whites, Blacks, native Americans and other minorities standing shoulder-to-shoulder and heart-to-heart, the SAR of the 21st Century is determined to reach out to Americans of every shade to encourage them to embrace their heritage and join us as brethren,' Mr. Downing said."

Melungeons, history, genealogy, research, articles - Hawkins County Archives Project

Melungeons, history, genealogy, research, articles - Hawkins County Archives Project: "Hawkins County Archives Project

by Wayne Winkler
August 2005

Photographs by Brent Kennedy

A project to restore and preserve records in Hawkins County, Tennessee is providing a unique view of life in the region since the formation of the county in the late 18th century. It is also shedding light on aspects of Melungeon history that previously were unknown or misunderstood.

An axiom taught to many graduate students in history, only slightly exaggerated, holds that every county courthouse in America burned sometime between 1840 and 1920. Certainly the loss of vital records is a situation with which nearly all historians and genealogists are familiar. Hawkins County

The Friends of Hawkins County Archives Project is an outgrowth of the efforts of genealogist and Melungeon researcher Jack Goins, author of Melungeons and Other Pioneer Families. Goins say the records cover court proceedings in Hawkins County from 1795 up to 1950. �We are cleaning them and placing in acid free legal size folders, and indexing them as per the rules of the Tennessee State Archives. After the circuit court records are completed a microfilm crew will film them as we start on the Chancery Court records following the same procedures.� Goins says that eventually all county documents, including marriage records, will be indexed, microfilmed, and preserved. "

My Bones Are Red

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Christopher Humble's article

RootsWeb: Melungeon-L Christopher Humble's article: "I am catching up on my reading of Melungeon-L archives. I saw several
references to Christopher Humble's article, 'A Visit to the Melungeons' that
appeared in the _Home Mission Monthly_ in September, 1897.

I have a photocopy of the original article (as does Jack Goins; I gave him a
copy several years ago at a VCHS gathering). The article is interesting as
it has 4 photographs in addition to the text; there is one of Mahala Mullins
in her house that is different from the image of her that is often
reproduced. These photos would not scan well as they are 'newspaper style'
and just look like lots of dots when you try to reproduce them."