I have been spending a lot of time in the library, retrieving books, journal articles, and papers. The library is very new (2009 or 10). The dead body is that of a young man. He’s been there for about 1700 years (Well, he’s actually only been in the library for about 4 or 5 years) and was found when they did the archaeological work before they built.
There is also a display of some other random shards of pottery and a small stash of coins, all dating from the late Roman period, dug up at the same time as he was and are now on display in the lobby of the library. He is actually quite close to where he was found. I often make a point of stopping by to visit him when I am there.
I have been reading a dense paper by a French philosopher (uh-oh) who is working with 10th century Persian texts. It has been a bit of a slog, but in the end inspiring. It seems to have had an affect on my meditation practice, making the experience much more intense. It will be interesting to see if it lasts.
In The Temple of Men & Women 