[SunkenCiv]

An aerial view of the western camp in Jordan

[Steely Tom]

Reparations owed?

[nwrep]

This head of Marcus Aurelius was discovered about 2 decades ago (in the early years of the 21st century) near Petra, close to the site of one of these camps:

[nicollo]

An important aspect of these Roman and Sassanid sites is their origin and collapse prior to the rise of the Muhammadans.

Islam “arose” during a power vacuum, not from some great conquest of those prior powers (whom is defeated, but later). The implication is that when there is empty space (re. Russia 1917, etc.) it can be filled by anything.

The experience of early Christianity is precisely the opposite.

[Tax-chick]

Cool! Pretty darn obvious from the air, but you might not see it at ground level. And that’s with no jungle!