Rachel Wilson
HIS. 101
January 25, 2015

Historical Image Journal Topic One:
Moses and the Ten Commandments
The Image of Moses and the Ten Commandments is an image that most of us are familiar with even if we don’t know the story behind Gods laws. These stone tablets were believed to be written by God and given to Moses around 1450 BCE. The Ten Commandments can be found in several books of the Bible but this particular time is from the book of Exodus chapter 20 verse 1-17. The story begins when God presented Moses with the Ten Commandments three months after he and the Israelites fled from Egypt, escaping Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. After arriving at Mount Sinai where God appears to them, Moses Climbs to the top of the mountain. There at the top of the mountain God presents Moses with two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were meant to be laws regarding general, ethical behavior, personal property, social justice and sacrifices. While most of recognize these laws as The Ten Commandments, they have not always been referred to as that. In Torah they are referred to as Aseret ha-Davarium. Over the years there has been much controversy about these laws but these laws were a promise from God. Looking at the image we see Moses standing tall while presenting these laws to the people below. He looks proud of the new laws from God, just as we should be.
Works Cited Citation:
1. Fordham.edu
2. Our Western World
3. Sparknotes.com
4. Grtep.com
Historical Image Journal Topic Two:
The Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid of Ancient Egypt is a fascinating piece of archeology history. Believed to be built over a twenty year time period in or around 2540 BC. The pyramid covers over thirteen acres of land, it required more than two million blocks of limestone. While doing the research for this particular image I kept asking myself how they could build such a large structure, knowing or thinking that they didn’t have much to work with. The Limestone blocks were mined in a quarry and then transported to the build site. According to some Egyptologist, they theorize that the workers used either rollers or slippery clay to drag the blocks from the quarry. Workers worked on the pyramid three months out of the year, when it was flood season making it impossible for farmers to farm the land. Egyptians were one of the first cultures to believe in the afterlife. Their belief was that a second person called a Ka lived within them, and when they passed away Ka lived eternal life. The Pyramids were built to serve as a burial chamber to protect the body from exposure and provide a place for their personal belongings. Often times Egyptians would be buried with their most prized possessions, because their belief was that Ka could enjoy them in the afterlife.
The Great Pyramids of Ancient Egypt was considered to be the tallest structure until the beginning of the 20th century. Although they have withstood the test of times and their outer layers have been gone for some time, they are still considered a marvel of Egyptian history.
Works Cited Citation:
1. Historyguide.org
2. Our Western World
3. Grtep.com
4. Ushistory.org

Historical Image Journal Topic Three
The Death of Socrates
Socrates, whom lived between 469-399 B.C, was considered to be one of the most honorable and intelligent Sophists of his time. During his youth he fought during the peloponnesion wars, later however he became immersed in Philosophy and often neglected his private affairs. In 399 B.C he was charged with impiety by a jury of fellow comrades. According to Socrates most famous student, Plato, the charge extend from him being “an evil-doer and curious person, who searched into things under the earth and above the heavens.” Socrates was sentenced to death by his fellow comrades, however they did offer to let Socrates pay a small fine for his convictions, but he declined to do so. He also declined the help of some of his