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Definition
Hara Castle
Hara Castle was originally built in 1496 as a subsidiary fortification to nearby Hinoe Castle, with upgrades made from 1599 to 1604. Later dismantled and abandoned by the then daimyo (lord) Matsukura Shigemasa (1574-1630), it was...
Definition
Assur - The Supreme God of the Ancient Assyrians
Assur (also Ashur, Anshar) is the god of the ancient Assyrians who was elevated from a local deity of the city of Ashur to the supreme god of the Assyrian pantheon. His attributes were drawn from earlier...
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Mahmud II - Reformist Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Mahmud II was one of the most influential sultans of the Ottoman Empire. As a radical reformer, he strove to implement military and governmental reforms to prevent the empire from collapsing. His removal...
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Fourteenth Amendment - Defining Birthright Citizenship
The Fourteenth Amendment is one of the most important and consequential additions to the United States Constitution. Ratified in 1868, it defines American citizenship as belonging to "all persons...
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Pazuzu - The Mesopotamian Demon of Destruction and Protection
Pazuzu is a Babylonian/Assyrian demon who was most popular in the first millennium BCE. He was the son of Hanbi (also Hanba), king of the demons of the underworld, and brother of Humbaba, the...
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Nergal - The Mesopotamian God of Death, War, and Destruction
Nergal (also known as Erra and Irra) is the Mesopotamian god of death, war, and destruction. He began as a regional, probably agricultural, god of the Babylonian city of Kutha in the Sumerian...
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Predynastic Period in Egypt - The Time Before History Began
The Predynastic Period in ancient Egypt is the time before recorded history, from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Age and on to the rise of the First Dynasty, and is generally recognized as spanning...
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Penelope - The Loyal Wife of Odysseus
In Greek mythology, Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and the mother of Telemachus. She is best known for her unwavering loyalty and fidelity to her husband during his 20-year-long absence and...
Definition
Ninurta - The Sumerian Hero-God of War
Ninurta (identified with Ningirsu, Pabilsag, and the biblical Nimrod) is the Sumerian and Akkadian hero-god of war, hunting, and the south wind. He first appears in texts in the early 3rd millennium BCE as an...
Definition
Late Period of Ancient Egypt - The End of Egyptian Rule of Egypt
The Late Period of Egypt (525-332 BCE) is the era following the Third Intermediate Period (1069-525) and preceding the brief Hellenistic period (332-323 BCE) when Egypt was ruled by the Argead...