The Last Secret of the Temple

Abbas, Mahmoud Successor to Yasser Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority. Born 1935. Also known as Abu Mazen.

Abraham Jewish patriarch, considered the father of the Jewish people.

Abu Simbel Archaeological site in southern Egypt. Location of one of Egypt’s greatest monuments, the Sun Temple of Ramesses II.

Abu Za‘abal Egyptian prison near Cairo.

Abydos Cult centre of the god Osiris and burial ground of some of Egypt’s earliest pharaohs. Located 90km north of Luxor.

Ahl el-Kitab Literally, ‘People of the Book’. Muslim term for Jews and Christians, whose scriptures were incorporated into Islam.

Aish baladi Pitta-type bread made from wholemeal flour.

Akhenaten Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1353–1335 BC. Father of Tutankhamun.

Al-Ahram Literally, ‘The Pyramids’. Best-selling Egyptian newspaper.

Al-Akhbar Egyptian newspaper.

Al-Quds Arabic name for Jerusalem.

Alim al-Simsim Egyptian version of US children’s show Sesame Street.

Aliyah Literally, ‘Going up’. Emigration to the land of Israel.

Al-Wadi al-Gadid Egyptian prison in Kharga oasis.

Amarna Modern name for Akhetaten, a city built by the pharaoh Akhenaten on the east bank of the Nile midway between Cairo and Luxor.

Amenhotep I Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1525–1504 BC. His tomb has never been conclusively identified.

Amenhotep II Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1427–1401 BC.

Amenhotep III Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1391–1353 BC. Father of Akhenaten, grandfather of Tutankhamun.

Amir, Yigal Jewish extremist. Assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.

Ankh Cruciform symbol. The ancient Egyptian sign of life.

Antonia Fortress Fortress adjacent to the Temple complex in ancient Jerusalem. Built by Herod the Great.

Arafat, Yasser Figurehead and de facto leader of the Palestinian people from the late 1960s until his death in November 2004. President of the Palestinian Authority from 1996. Born 1929. Also known as Abu Ammar.

Arminius Ancient German warrior hero. Lived c.18 BC–AD 21. Famed for defeating the Roman army at the Battle of the Teutoberger Wald (AD 9).

Ashkelon An Israeli prison.

Aya A verse of the Koran.

Ayalon, Ami Former head of Shin Bet (1996–2000).

Babaghanoush Egyptian dish made from tahina and mashed aubergine.

Babi Yar A ravine near Kiev, site of an infamous World War Two massacre in which a hundred thousand people, mainly Jews, were shot dead by Nazi firing squads.

Banana Island A Luxor beauty spot. Renowned as a haunt for homosexuals.

Bar mitzvah Jewish ceremony marking a boy’s coming of age.

Barak, Ehud Former Israeli Prime Minister (1999–2001).

Barghouti, Marwan Popular Palestinian activist and politician. Born 1958. Imprisoned by the Israelis in 2002.

Basbousa Egyptian sweet pastry made with semolina, nuts and honey.

Batya Gur Popular Israeli author.

Beir Zeit University Palestinian university, in Ramallah.

Beni Hassan Important Middle Kingdom necropolis on the east bank of the Nile, midway between al-Minya and Mallawi.

Bezalel Revered Jewish craftsman from the time of the Exodus. Created the Ark of the Covenant and the first Menorah.

Borscht Beetroot soup.

Buchenwald Nazi concentration camp, in Germany.

Butneya An area of Cairo renowned for its thieves and drug dealers.

Cabbala Mystical teaching of Judaism.

Caleche A horse-drawn carriage.

Camp David The US President’s country retreat in Maryland. Scene of abortive peace talks in July 2000 between the then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat.

Cardo Covered street in the Jewish quarter of Old Jerusalem. Formerly the main thoroughfare of Roman Jerusalem.

Carter, Howard English archaeologist, discoverer in 1922 of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Lived 1874–1939.

Champollion, Jean François French scholar who deciphered hieroglyphs. Lived 1790–1832.

Chicago House The home of the University of Chicago Archaeological Mission in Luxor.

Chicken kneidlach Chicken soup with dumplings. Popular Jewish dish.

Constantine I Known as ‘The Great’. First Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. Lived c. AD 274–337.

Dahlan, Mohammed Palestinian politician and activist. Born 1961.

David Jewish hero and king. Lived c. eleventh to tenth centuries BC. Father of Solomon.

Debir (Holy of Holies) The most sacred part of the ancient Temple.

Deir el-Bahri Site of the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut (ruled c.1473–1458 BC). On the west bank of the Nile at Luxor.

Deir el-Bersha Middle Kingdom necropolis on the east bank of the Nile, opposite the modern town of Mallawi.

Deir Yassin Former Palestinian village on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Scene of an infamous massacre by Jewish paramilitaries in 1948.

Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft The German Oriental Society. An institution devoted to studying the history and archaeology of the Near East.

Djellaba Traditional robe worn by Egyptian men and women.

Djellaba suda Black robe worn by Egyptian peasant women.

Djoser Third Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.2630–2611 BC. His step pyramid at Saqqara was the world’s first monumental stone building.

Dunum Measurement of land, equivalent to a quarter of an acre.

Ecole Biblique Institute founded in 1890 for the study of the Bible and the archaeology of the Holy Land.

Eid el-Adha The Feast of Sacrifice, one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar.

Eighteenth Dynasty Ancient Egyptian history is divided into Kingdoms (Old, Middle and New) which are in turn subdivided into dynasties. The Eighteenth Dynasty comprised fourteen rulers and covered the period c.1550–1307 BC. It was the first of the three dynasties of the New Kingdom (c.1550–1070 BC).

Elijah Hebrew prophet.

El-Kab Archaeological site on the east bank of the Nile, 70km south of Luxor. Has a spectacular town enclosure dating from the Early Dynastic Period (2920–2975 BC).

Erekat, Saeb Palestinian politician and academic.

Eretz Israel Ha-Shlema Literally, ‘the Whole of Greater Israel’ – i.e. the entire land that in the Bible God granted to Abraham.

Erez Checkpoint Main crossing point from Israel into the Gaza Strip.

Even Shetiyah Literally, ‘Foundation Stone’. The exposed rock of Mount Moria on which the ancient Temple was built.

Ezra Ancient Jewish lawgiver.

Faience A material made of fired quartz, with a glazed outer layer. Used extensively in ancient Egypt for jewellery, small vessels etc.

Farid A make of Middle Eastern cigarette.

Fatah Palestinian faction founded by Yasser Arafat in the late 1950s. The word is both the Arabic for ‘victory’ and an acronym for ‘The Movement for the National Liberation of Palestine’.

Fellaha (pl. fellaheen) Peasant.

Frumm Yiddish word meaning ‘strict in religious observance’.

Gaddis, Attaia Famous Egyptian photographer. Lived 1887–1972.

Gaiseric King of the Vandals AD 428–477. Sacked Rome in AD 455.

Garden Tomb Site considered by some to be the burial place of Christ.

Gebel Dosha Archaeological site in northern Sudan.

Gefilte fish Traditional Jewish dish of boiled fish balls.

Goldstar A make of Israeli beer.

Goldstein, Baruch Jewish extremist. Shot dead twenty-nine Muslim worshippers in Hebron in 1994 before he himself was beaten to death. Regarded as a hero by right-wing Jewish settlers.

Goy (pl. goyim) Derogatory Yiddish term for a non-Jew.

Groppi’s Famous chain of Cairo coffee houses.

Gross-Rosen Nazi concentration camp in Poland.

Gush Shalom Literally, ‘The Peace Bloc’. Israeli peace group.

Ha’aretz Israeli daily newspaper.

Halakhah The entire body of Jewish law, both written and oral.

Hallah A plaited loaf eaten by Jews on the Sabbath.

Hamas Militant Palestinian nationalist Islamic movement, founded in 1987. Hamas is both the Arabic for ‘zeal’ and a reverse acronym for ‘The Islamic Resistance Movement’. Its figurehead, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, was assassinated by the Israelis in 2004.

Hanukkah Jewish festival commemorating the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Seleucid Greeks and the cleansing of the Temple.

Haram al-Sharif Literally, ‘the Noble Sanctuary’. The enclosure in Old Jerusalem containing the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in the Islamic world. Overlies the remains of the ancient Jewish Temple.

Haredi Ultra-orthodox Jew.

Hasidic A branch of ultra-orthodox Judaism.

Hawagaya Egyptian term for a foreigner.

Hazzan A cantor. One who leads the singing in synagogue.

Hizbollah Literally, ‘Party of God’. Militant Shi’ite Islamic group based in Lebanon.

Horemheb Last pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Ruled c.1319–1307 BC.

Horns of Hattin Battle in 1187 in which Saladin defeated the crusaders.

Horus Ancient Egyptian god, son of Isis and Osiris. Portrayed with a human body and the head of a hawk.

Houris (pl.) Virgins who minister to the needs of Muslims in the afterlife.

Humvee Acronym for High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle.

Hypostyle hall A hall with a roof supported by columns.

IDF Israel Defence Force. The Israeli army.

Imam Leader of congregational prayer in the mosque.

Imma (pl. immam) Headscarf or turban. Worn by men throughout Egypt.

Insha-allah Literally, ‘if Allah is willing’. Common Egyptian term.

Intifada Literally, ‘shaking off’. A popular uprising by the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The First Intifada lasted 1987–1993. The Second, or al-Aqsa Intifada, erupted in 2000 and is ongoing.

Isaac Jewish patriarch. Son of Abraham and half-brother of Ishmael. It is from Isaac that the Jewish people are said to be descended.

Ishmael Eldest son of Abraham, by the concubine Hagar. It is from Ishmael that the Arab people are said to be descended.

Isis Ancient Egyptian goddess. Wife of Osiris and mother of Horus. Protector of the dead.

Islamic Jihad Militant Palestinian Islamic group, founded in late 1970s.

Jacob Jewish patriarch. Son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham.

Jeremiah Jewish prophet of the sixth century BC. Foretold the destruction of the Temple of Solomon by the Babylonians. Said to have died in Egypt.

John of Gischala One of the leaders of the Jewish revolt against Rome of AD 66–70. Sentenced to life imprisonment after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Jonah A Hebrew prophet.

Joshua Brother of Moses. Leader of the Israelites after Moses’ death.

Judah Maccabee Jewish military leader of the second century BC. Reconquered Jerusalem from the Seleucid Greeks.

Ka‘ba Cube-shaped building within the precincts of the Great Mosque at Mecca. Holiest shrine in Islam.

Kahane, Meir Brooklyn-born Jewish extremist. Advocated forcible removal of all Arabs from the Biblical land of Israel. Born 1932. Assassinated 1990.

Karkaday An infusion of hibiscus petals, popular throughout Egypt.

Katif Shredded wheat soaked in honey. Popular Egyptian dessert.

Keffiyeh A headdress worn by Arab men.

Ken Yes (Hebrew).

Kerovah A Jewish prayer that can either be chanted or sung.

Ketziot Notoriously harsh Israeli prison in the Negev Desert.

Khaghoghi derev Traditional Armenian dish of stuffed vine leaves.

Kiddush Jewish prayer recited on the Sabbath and at festivals.

Klog iz mir Yiddish for ‘Woe is me!’

Kneidl Dumpling.

Knesset Literally, ‘Assembly’. The Israeli Parliament.

Kohenim (pl.) Hereditary priests of the Temple.

Kor Archaeological site in northern Sudan.

Kufr Name given to those who do not follow Islam. Unbelievers.

Mangonel A war engine used for hurling giant stones.

Maniak Hebrew for arsehole.

Mashrabiya Traditional Egyptian woodwork.

Matmidim (pl.) Jewish scholars devoted to the study of the Talmud.

Matzah Unleavened bread eaten by Jews during the Passover festival.

Mauristan An area in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Mea Sharim A suburb of Jerusalem, just north of the Old City.

Mendil Headscarf worn by Palestinian women.

Mengele, Josef Nazi doctor at Auschwitz. Nicknamed the Angel of Death. Escaped to South America after the war. Died in Brazil in 1979.

Menorah A seven-branched candelabrum, one of the oldest symbols of Judaism and the emblem of the state of Israel.

Merenptah Nineteenth Dynasty pharaoh, ruled c.1224–1214 BC.

Meshugina Yiddish for ‘crazy person’.

Mezuzah A small box containing verses from the book of Deuteronomy attached to the doorpost of orthodox Jewish homes.

Midan Tahrir Literally, ‘Liberation Square’. The hub of modern Cairo.

Mishnah The corpus of Jewish oral law, compiled in the second century AD.

Molochia Green leafy plant similar to spinach.

Moser Yiddish for betrayer or traitor.

Mount Moria Site of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, where Abraham was supposed to have almost sacrificed his son Isaac.

Mubarak, Hosni President of Egypt since 1981.

Muezzin Mosque official who summons the faithful to prayer five times daily.

Nebbish Yiddish for someone who is weak-willed or timid.

Nemes headdress A type of headdress worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

NGO Non-government organization.

Occitane language A French dialect, now largely defunct, used in the Languedoc region of southern France. The lingua franca of medieval troubadour poets.

Osiris Ancient Egyptian god of the underworld.

Oslo Peace Accords Set of peace proposals between Israelis and Palestinians, negotiated in secret in Oslo and signed in Washington in 1993.

Ostracon (pl. ostraca) Piece of pottery or limestone bearing an image or text. Effectively the ancient equivalent of the modern-day doodling pad.

Palestinian Authority (PA) Semi-autonomous Palestinian governing body with authority over the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Created by the Oslo Peace Accords (1993).

Pe’ot (pl.) Sidelocks worn by ultra-orthodox Jews.

Peace Now Main Israeli peace movement. Founded 1978.

Pesah Passover. Jewish festival commemorating the Exodus from Egypt.

Pilum Spear or javelin used by Roman soldiers.

Protocols of Zion Bogus document published in Russia in 1905 purporting to be a Jewish masterplan for world domination. Although it was subsequently proved to be a forgery, it has fuelled anti-semitism ever since.

Pylon Massive entrance or gateway standing in front of a temple.

Qasr Dush Site of an ancient Roman temple, near the oasis of Kharga.

Qubbat al-Sakhra Arab term for the Dome of the Rock, the principal Islamic shrine in Jerusalem.

Quftan Caftan. A long-sleeved cloak.

Qurei, Ahmed Palestinian Prime Minister since 2003. Also known as Abu Ala. Born 1937.

Rafah Palestinian town in the Gaza strip, near the Egyptian border. Scene in 2004 of a heavy-handed Israeli military operation that left many Palestinian civilians dead.

Rajoub, Jibril Palestinian activist and politician. Born 1953.

Ramadan War Arab name for the Yom Kippur war of 1973.

Ramesses II Third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. Ruled c.1290-1224 BC. One of ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs.

Ramesses III Twentieth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1194–1163 BC. His mortuary temple at Medinet Habu is one of the most beautiful monuments in Egypt.

Ramesses VI Twentieth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1151–1143 BC.

Ramesses IX Twentieth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1112–1100 BC.

Ramesseum Mortuary temple of Ramesses II, on the west bank of the Nile, at Luxor.

Rashi Jewish scholar and commentator, lived AD 1040–1105. Real name Solomon ben Isaac.

Rek’ah Prayer cycle.

Rodef Hebrew for traitor.

Romema A suburb of Jerusalem, in the north-west of the city.

Rosicrucians An esoteric religious society. Its emblems are the rose and the cross.

Sabra Nickname for a native Israeli. The sabra is a cactus plant and, like the cactus, Israelis are supposed to be prickly on the outside with a soft centre.

Sabra and Chatila Palestinian refugee camps in West Beirut, scene of an infamous massacre in 1982. Although the atrocity was carried out by Lebanese Christian militiamen, Israel was considered complicit since its army controlled West Beirut at the time.

Saladin Anglicized form of the name Salah al-Din. Great Muslim military leader. Lived AD 1138–1193.

Saqqara Necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital at Memphis. A vast desert burial ground covering almost seven square kilometres, including the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, 20km south of Cairo.

Schal Cloth shawl or wrap worn by Egyptian men.

Schlomo Artzi Israeli musician.

Sephardee A Jew of Spanish origin.

Seti I Nineteenth Dynasty pharaoh, father of Ramesses II. Ruled c.1306–1290 BC.

Shaaban Abdel-Rehim Egyptian musician.

Shabbat Hebrew word for the Jewish Sabbath.

Shabti Small mummiform figure, usually of wood or faience, placed in a tomb in order to perform tasks for the deceased in the afterlife.

Shaduf A wooden hoist used to lift water from the Nile.

Shahada Muslim profession of faith.

Shaheed An Islamic martyr.

Sharon, Ariel Controversial Israeli soldier and politician. Prime Minister of Israel since February 2001. Born 1928.

Shebab Literally, ‘youth’. Young Palestinians.

Shema The central prayer of the Jewish faith, made up of three Biblical passages: Deuteronomy 6: 4–9, Deuteronomy 11: 13–21, and Numbers 15: 37–41.

Shin Bet Israel’s internal security service. The equivalent of MI5 or the FBI.

Shisha pipe A water pipe. Smoked throughout the Middle East.

Shtetl Yiddish for ‘small town’. Term used for settlements in Eastern Europe with a mainly Jewish population.

Shtreimel Large fur hat worn by ultra-orthodox Jews.

Shul Yiddish word for a synagogue.

Shuma A staff or walking stick.

Siga An Egyptian board game, also known as tab-es-siga. Similar to draughts.

Simon Bar-Giora One of the leaders of the Jewish revolt against Rome of AD 66–70. Executed after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Solomon King of Israel in the tenth century BC. Son of David.

Soujuk Traditional Armenian dish of spicy sausages.

Star of David A six-pointed star, one of the primary symbols of Judaism. Known in Hebrew as the Magen David – The Shield of David.

Sura A chapter of the Koran, the holy book of Islam. Each of the 114 suras is divided into a number of ayat, or sections.

Table of the Shewbread One of the holy objects in the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. It held the sacred bread used in temple services.

Tallit A prayer shawl worn by Jews for worship.

Tallit katan A shirt-like garment with fringes at each of its corners, worn by ultra-orthodox Jews beneath their everyday clothes.

Talmid Hakhamim (pl.) Literally, ‘Disciples of the Wise’. Those devoted to the study of Jewish law.

Talmud Collection of scholarly opinons and debates on Jewish law.

Tamar hindi Refreshing drink made from dates.

Tarha Cloth worn over the head by traditional Egyptian women.

Taybeh A Palestinian beer.

Teffilah (pl. teffilin) Small box containing Biblical passages. Orthodox Jews bind these to their forehead and arm during certain types of prayer.

Tel el-Fara’in Literally, ‘Mound of the Pharaohs’. Archaeological site in northern Egypt.

Termous Type of bean.

Theban massif Range of hills on the west bank of the river Nile at Luxor.

Theban Triad Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The three ancient Egyptian gods to whom Karnak was sacred.

Thobe Embroidered dress or caftan worn by Palestinian women.

Tish B’Av Literally, ‘The ninth of Av’, the date in the Jewish calendar when both the First and Second Temples were destroyed (by the Babylonians and Romans respectively). A time of great mourning for Jews.

Titus Son of the Emperor Vespasian. Commander of the Roman army that conquered Jerusalem in AD 70. Ruled as emperor AD 79–81.

Torah The central text of the Jewish faith, comprising the first five books of the Bible. Also referred to as the Pentateuch.

Torly A traditional Egyptian casserole or stew.

Torshi A mixture of pickled vegetables. Popular Egyptian snack.

Tuna el-Gebel Archaeological site on the west bank of the Nile, near the town of Mallawi.

Tuthmosis II Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh. Ruled c.1492–1479 BC.

Umm ali Cake soaked in milk, sugar, raisins and cinnamon. Popular Egyptian dessert.

Umm Kulthoum Iconic female Egyptian singer.

Lived c.1904–1975.

Ummah The Muslim community.

‘umra A pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike the more important Hajj pilgrimage, it can be made at any time of the year.

Vandals Germanic tribe who sacked Rome in AD 455.

Vespasian Roman Emperor AD 69–79.

Via Dolorosa Literally, the ‘Way of Sorrow’. The route through old Jerusalem that Christ supposedly followed on his way to the cross.

Wadi Biban el-Muluk Literally, ‘Valley of the Gates of the Kings’. Arab name for the Valley of the Kings.

Wadi Halfa Town in northern Sudan. Site of many important archaeological remains from pharaonic times.

Ward-i-Nil Literally, ‘Nile flower’. Common Egyptian water plant.

Western Wall The remains of the retaining wall of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, the only part of the building left after the Romans destroyed it in AD 70. Also known as the Wailing Wall and, in Hebrew, the Kotel. The most holy site in the Jewish world.

Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum in Jerusalem.

Yahrzeit The anniversary of the death of a relative or loved one.

Yansoon Popular Egyptian aniseed drink.

Yarmulke Skullcap worn by Jews during prayer. Orthodox Jews wear one all the time.

Yathrib Original name of the Arab city of Medina.

Yediot Ahronot Highest circulation Israeli daily newspaper.

Yehudi (pl. Yehudi-een) Jew.

Yeshiva A Jewish religious school devoted to study of the Talmud.

Yutzim (pl.) Yiddish for fools, simpletons.

Yuya and Tjuyu A noble couple, lived in the fourteenth century BC. Great-grandparents of Tutankhamun.

Za’atar Aromatic Middle Eastern plant. From the mint family.

Zedakah box Charity box. A fixture in many Jewish homes.

Zemirot (pl.) Literally, ‘Songs’. Psalms and hymns sung by Jews during worship.