The Resurrection of Jesus Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Resurrection of Jesus - Assignment Example Mathew only mentions Mary Magdalene and does not indicate the existence of the other women (The Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 28). They did not find the stone that was covering instead, two angels appeared to them in shining garments and asked them why they were seeking Jesus among the dead. In the book of Mathew, Jesus appeared to the disciples on their way to telling the disciples about the risen Christ. The other three books do not account for this. He told them to remind the disciples that they were to meet him in Galilee. According to Luke, Peter, who did not believe left for the empty tomb to confirm what the women had said to them (The Gospel according to Luke, Chapter 24). The other books do not portray these happenings. While on their way to Emaus with a colleague, Cleopas, Jesus appeared to them but they did not recognize him until the time he broke bread. Jesus was not human he was fully of heavenly glory because he vanished from them. They left immediately for Jerusalem where they met the eleven disciples and informed them of the risen Christ and how he had appeared to Simon. As they narrated what happened to them on the way, Jesus appeared amidst them and informed them to remain in peace. They were so terrified thinking he was a spirit. He showed them of the scars on his feet and hands, but the disciples did not believe him yet Jesus ate a broiled fish t before them narrating how a spirit has neither flesh nor bones (Bible, 2000). All the other three books cover these happenings except the book of John. The books of Mark, John and Luke cover how Jesus revealed to the disciples His fathers blessings to them. He explained how they were to be witnesses of the remission of sins and they were to preach his name to all the nations. As he blessed them, he was parted into the sky up to the heavens. The different authors portrayed the resurrection of Jesus as they did because there

African American Identity Essay Example for Free

African American Identity Essay It was a hot August day as sweat beat down on Thomas Jefferson Brown. He had been working in the field 2 hours before the hot sun had made its presence known. He looked back over the drying field, hoping that this crop would provide for his family better than last years crop had. Thomas watched his oldest son, Nathan, who worked down one row of the field while staring intently at the cotton plants as he picked the cotton. Nathan was a very inquisitive young man who had just yesterday asked his father what it was like being a slave for Mr. Walter Johnson. When his father had told him that in a lot of ways life was so much easier than now, Nathan had given him a look that allowed Thomas to know that his son could not understand. How could he understand? Nathan had not grown up a slave and seen that while it was extremely difficult, there was a feeling of stability to life then. Yes, Thomas Jefferson Brown had endured the beatings and yes he had watched as his Mother and eventually his sisters had been sexually assaulted, but how do you tell a young man such as Nathan that such was the way of life; it was to be expected, along with the comfort of knowing where your next meal was going to come from. Since Tomas had been freed after the great war, He s and his family had endured much more than that; having watched the lynching of two of his brothers and numerous friends. They were the lucky ones though, Thomas thought, while looking up at the fiery ball of heat known as the sun. They did not have to endure other hardships; their suffering was over. Yes it was hard for Nathan to know that life was indeed easier as a slave than a freed man, and maybe, just maybe, things would change during Nathans lifetime. Thomas Jefferson Brown wiped his brow once more and continued on picking the cotton? Even though the civil war ended in 1865, African Americans still faced an uphill battle to obtain rights that were afforded other Americans. This was in spite of the fact that 24 African American soldiers earned our Nations highest honor; the Congressional Medal of Honor, during the Civil War. Even with the passing of the 13th Amendment in 1865 banning slavery and the 14th Amendment giving African Americans citizenship and equal protection under the law, there were still so many other issues that would deprive African Americans of their lawful rights, such as having the first African American elected into the 41st Congress in 1869 continuing through 1901 with the 57th congress, which had no African Americans. This trend would continue until the election of 1929 before another African American was elected to congress. In 1873 the Supreme Court decision ruled that the 14th-Amendment guarantee of equal protection of the laws extended only to federal civil rights, thus removing southern states from the duty to protect the civil rights of African Americans, but it was just not their rights that were taken; but their lives as well. Between 1882 and the end of 1900, 1751 African Americans and 1105 white Americans were lynched for trying to further the African American cause (National). Given all of this discrimination and violence, it is hard to imagine that anyone would be willing to further the African American cause, but many stood ready to not only give of themselves, but perhaps even to give their life for this noble cause. African American writers were presented with these problems of equality and self esteem, and yet have truly transformed and continue to support a freed people, to obtain all of their rights. What follows is from three writers who each in his own way contributed mightily to the African American cause. They are W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and Glen Loury. First, we have W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt) Dubois, who was born on February 23, 1868 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Dubois was one of the most influential black leaders of the first half of the 20th Century. Dubois shared in the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, in 1909. He served as its director of research and editor of its magazine Crisis until 1934. He was the first African American to graduate from Harvard University, which he accomplished in 1896. At first, Dubois thought that African Americans could be freed through the Social Sciences, but quickly became disillusioned with this idea and began to believe that freedoms could only come about by agitation and protest(Chew). Dubois recognized that the African Americans of his day faced many problems, not the least of which were of the life threatening variety. After his disillusionment with helping African Americans through the social sciences, Dubois thought that African Americans needed to develop their own culture, which was definitely more American than African. Dubois enjoyed the unique African American culture, particularly that of the Negro spiritual songs. Dubois thought that African Americans should not give in to what white Americans expectations were of African Americans, but to continue to develop as a people. Dubois wrote that all people regardless of their culture, heritage, sex, should be treated as equals. Dubois also thought that African Americans should not worry about competing with the world as a group, but that they should join together to help each other. He eventually was forced to leave the United States because the government considered Dubois an agent of the Soviet Union. That is why he immigrated to Ghana, first obtaining Ghana citizenship, joined the communist party and eventually died there in 1963. Dubois was there for all future African Americans to follow his example. Dubois founding of the NAACP led to many victories for the rights of all Americans, most of which he never saw. Next we have Marcus Mosiah Garvey, who was born in Jamaica on 17 August 1887. Mr. Garvey is best remembered as a pivotal figure in the struggle for racial equality, not just in the United States but throughout the world as well. He founded the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) and African Communities League in 1914 while still in Jamaica, and also championed the back to Africa movement of the 1920s. Of the Africans who departed, Garvey thought, some had left independently while others were brutally removed for economic gain and exploitation. Garvey perceived that the main problems facing not only African Americans, but Africans as well was that they must first go back to Africa and free their African brothers before moving on to other parts of the world. Through the organizations that Garvey had formed (UNIA and ACL), he reasoned that until Africa is free and redeemed, not only in name but in reality, no one would be free, Black or White. Garvey reasoned that no matter what ones race was we are all bound together by the Creator, which is Spirit. The Creator has a purpose for everyone and that purpose did not include being made a slave or subject to anyone for that matter. While Dubois and Garvey did not see eye to eye on the issues involving African Americans, Garvey did align himself closely with Dr Robert Love, and Dr Loves teachings that a race could progress no further than the dignity and esteem of their women and younger girls. Garvey and Love thought that the best way to plant the seeds of dignity and self-esteem would be through the woman and younger girl. Last, we have Glen Loury, who was born in 1948. Mr. Loury is a professor of economics at Boston University while also being a consultant to the Federal Trade Commission. Mr. Loury has devoted a major portion of his career to the study of race and public policy. He is the author of On the Need for Moral Leadership in the Black Community, Responsibility and Race, Impact of Affirmative Action on Equal Opportunity: A New Look, and most recently A New American Dilemma. Mr. Loury saw many problems facing not only African American, but also all Americans, including the civil rights policies of 1960-1985, which seemed to have been based on equality of outcome rather than on equality of opportunity. Mr. Loury also thought that affirmative action policies created backlash. Loury maintained that all Americans should have equal rights with none being given favorable treatment over any other. Loury reasoned that it is hard to justify denying admission to an elite college to anyone who struggled to be able to pass the admissions exam; while admitting a member of a designated minority group, who did not work near as hard to earn his score and is only admitted based on his minority status. Such actions build resentment towards these policies and are only heightened when defenders of the policies claim that to question these policies is to engage in a racist act. Mr. Loury contends that giving preferential treatment with no sound explanation only led to more heightened tensions and is a very grievous error on the part of those who merely wish to be advocates of affirmative action. Loury did see, that there was a proper use of affirmative action, such as on police forces around the country that had a significant percentage of African American citizens and yet none on the police force. These Authors present their own conclusions and reasonings for what happened to the African Americans previous to, and of their own time. These writers used the influences of other African Americans and were also pioneers themselves. All of these writers believed in equality for everyone and thus did share at least one common goal. In Mr. Dubois we have a writer and scholar who originally thought that through a study of Social Sciences and doing what was right could African Americans receive their rights, and yet Dubois was able to refocus and remain firm in his opinions of helping each other and thus able to help not only the African Americans of his generation, but the ones to follow as well. Mr. Dubois saw all of the problems besetting African Americans and knew that they must unite, working together, to build a culture of their own, that would allow all African Americans to have a better life. Mr. Garvey on the other hand, perceived that until the rights and freedoms were restored in the entire African continent, Africans elsewhere would always be treated as second-class citizens. Garvey along with Dr Robert Love, thought that it was through the African women, especially the younger women, that Africans had a chance to make a difference in providing a better future. Mr. Loury saw problems that came about because of the Civil Rights movement, and that African Americans should not merely rely on being a minority to get ahead in life, but instead grab the opportunity that was before them so as not to create a political backlash. Each of these writers have stood their ground for what they believe in, and our world we live in today is better for it. Each of these writers, in their own time, helped frame not just African Americans lives but has truly transformed and continues to support a freed people, obtain all, of their rights. Works Cited Chew, Robin W. E. B. Dubois Sociologist, Author Civil Rights Leader 1868 ? 1963 February 26, 2005. 6 Feb 2006 Dr Coony, Mark Race and Affirmative Action 6 Feb 2006 Du Bois, W. E. B. Of our Spiritual Strivings. Cultural Conversations The Presence of the Past. Ed Stephen Dilks, et al. Boston: Bedford/St Martin, 2001. 131-145 Garvey, Marcus Motive of the NAACP Exposed Cultural Conversations The Presence of the Past. Ed Stephen Dilks, et al. Boston: Bedford/St Martin, 2001. 153-154 Loury, Glenn. Free at Last? A Personal Perspective on Race ad Identity in America. Cultural Conversations The Presence of the Past. Ed Stephen Dilks, et al. Boston: Bedford/St Martin, 2001. 173-180 Marcus Garvey Biography November 2000, K. W. Spence-Lewis Consultant Researcher Community Health and Planning Plant Science. The Making of African American Identity VOL II 1863-1917 National Humanities Center 6 Feb 06 Bibliography Chew, Robin W. E. B. Dubois Sociologist, Author Civil Rights Leader 1868 ? 1963 February 26, 2005. 6 Feb 2006 Dr Coony, Mark Race and Affirmative Action 6 Feb 2006 Du Bois, W. E. B. Of our Spiritual Strivings. Cultural Conversations The Presence of the Past. Ed Stephen Dilks, et al. Boston: Bedford/St Martin, 2001. 131-145 Garvey, Marcus Motive of the NAACP Exposed Cultural Conversations The Presence of the Past. Ed Stephen Dilks, et al. Boston: Bedford/St Martin, 2001. 153-154 Loury, Glenn. Free at Last? A Personal Perspective on Race ad Identity in America. Cultural Conversations The Presence of the Past. Ed Stephen Dilks, et al. Boston: Bedford/St Martin, 2001. 173-180 Marcus Garvey Biography November 2000, K. W. Spence-Lewis Consultant Researcher Community Health and Planning Plant Science. The Making of African American Identity VOL II 1863-1917 National Humanities Center 6 Feb 06.

Journeys End by RC Sheriff Essay -- Sherriff Journeys end essays

Sherriff's "Journey's End" On many occasions throughout the book of the play of "Journeys End", Sherriff uses methods to re-create the overwhelming stress of trench warfare. He describes every aspect of the trenches, the guns and the whole life. With this understanding of the trenches, the audience are helped in imagining what it must have been like to live there. In the play, all the narrative writing in the book has had to have been left out. Instead the directors must rely more on the acting and the scenery, which is not to do with Sherriff's work and vision. However the directors of these plays have to get the scenery correct if they are going to make the audience understand the unbearable stress suffered by the soldiers. Sherriff gives good guidance to the directors in the large columns of narratives, which have already been mentioned. With these the directors can strategically set the scenery in certain position to gain maximum effect while also having the benefit of knowing what the stage is meant to look like adding to the overall effects. The main way in which Sherriff re-creates the stress of warfare is in his large chunks of narrative. These are found on many pages throughout the book. He uses these to describe all about the lives of the men and the feelings of everyone. An example of this is on the first page where he introduces a very full-characterised captain. Of course these passages help the directors to grasp some aspect of the way the stage should look but also allows the reader to get his or her own picture in her head. With so many descriptive words throughout the book, it is hard not to imagine the front line in one way or another. This method is very effective as it does give ... ...the end of the book he re introduces Stanhope as an inspiration and tries to please him in many ways. Raleigh uses Stanhope has an idle to get him through the stress. The other way in which he looks to avoid the stress is by sending letters to his family, and having general conversations like the one with Osborne where Raleigh finds out Osborne played rugby for England. Other generalised ways in which the men in the book deal with the stress is through patriotism. Frequent jokes are made about the Germans and many of the troops, including officers only stay and fight because they feel the Germans are doing the world an injustice. Many of the men believe they are fighting for the safety of Britain and their families. The silence of the war is frequently mentioned throughout the book and many of the men gather in unity and sing songs to banish the quiet.

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: An Analysis :: Kill Mockingbird essays

An Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      To Kill a Mockingbird is a narrative written by Harper Lee. By definition T.K.A.M is a mediated presentation of a causally connected series of actions involving characters in conflict. Harper Lee uses mediation to create a theme that illustrates the injustices of prejudice, intolerance, and quick judgments of others. Harper Lee choose the setting as an imaginary (Maycomb) county in Alabama during the 1930's. She set the story during this time because it was a time of social turbulence , and a time when Americans began to start thinking about more modern social issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Harper Lee chose to tell the book from the eyes of Scout, because Scout's innocence and young age allow her to have a pure, untainted view on any event that takes place. In general, Scout observes, but has no preconception of the events that develop. Scout's point of view was also chosen because as a child, she can find the smallest bit of goodness that exists in anyone. For a child, it is easier to see the shades of gray of someone's character. A child cannot cite someone's age or gender etc... as a cause for their problems or shortcomings. After examining every character in the book through the eyes of Scout, not one character has made a conscious decision to be evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first character to be judged swiftly and wrongly is the Finch's neighbor Boo Radley. Boo is introduced as a hermit that lives shut up in his house, completely isolated from the outside world. Dill, Jem, and Scout spend most of their free time either ridiculing Boo or trying to lure him out of his house. By using the children's innocent fear of the unknown, Harper Lee succeeds in demonstrating the basis of all prejudice.In the end, the Finch's bizarre neighbor becomes a hero and saves the children from almost certain death. While the children imagined and concluded Boo was a monster of some sort, he ends up saving the children of whom he knows almost nothing about. This part also brings about a decision where abiding by the law would be an injustice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Harper Lee introduces and portrays Bob Ewell as a villainous and evil man, but she creates Bob in this way to illustrate how judgment is too quickly made. Harper Lee begins to unfolds the root of Bob's anger.

Nutrition analysis verB

a. How many grams of fat can you consume in a day and not exceed 30 percent of your calories from fat? Use the CNPP recommendation for your daily calorie recommendation to calculate your answer. How did you do in this area for the day you recorded?On the â€Å"standard† daily calorie intake of 2,200 recommended for very active young women, the upper limit for fat intake is 73 grams (660 calories). If I was to be sedentary man or an active woman, I would roughly have to meet the same requirement, which is not to take in more than 73 grams of fat in a dayb. How many grams of saturated fat can you consume in a day and not exceed 10 percent of calories from saturated fat? How did you do in this area for the day you recorded?I need to consume only ten percent of calories from saturated fat, meaning, I may not exceed more than 300 mg of saturated fats in day. Saturated fats such as cholesterol, and trans fat which is not only bad for my diet but will also clog up my aorta(major hear t vein).c. For the day you recorded your intake if you ate a serving of a high-fat food, for example, lasagna, how could you avoid exceeding the recommended fat intake for the day?During the event that I eat food containing high amounts of fat, to be able to balance the amount of fat intake, I eat food that contain less fat and eat foods that were boiled, broiled or grilled. In doing so, I end up taking in less fat and still eating a lot. Because even if we avoid frying food it will still most likely contain fat, so I will at least minimize the amount of fat included in everything else I eat.d. If you could substitute a serving of lower fat lasagna for the higher fat choice, what effect would this have on your other food choices and on your calorie and nutrient intakes for that day?Replacing the lasagna, which contains a large amount of fat with lasagna that contains a lot less, will definitely make it a lot easier for someone to compensate concerning the other food options that I m ay have. Instead of having to choose low calorie and fat containing food, which may turn out to be bland, I can opt to eat regular food options that can not only fill my stomach but also fill my calorie requirement for the day.e. Considering regular lasagna, which ingredients most likely contribute most to the total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in the higher fat lasagna selection?Perhaps lasagna could be included in one’s diet once a week, like on Sundays or special holidays. Making lasagna, with all its calories and fats, a part of one’s daily diet is not only irrational but is also risky when it comes to one’s health.f. How could you change those ingredients to reflect a reduction in fat content?I can reduce the fat content of lasagna by placing whole-wheat lasagna instead of the regular pasta, decreasing the amount of virgin olive oil that is placed in it, placing less butter, and also using ground chicken rather than ground beef.g. How did the dayâ₠¬â„¢s recorded total for calories and vitamins compare with your recommended amounts? Did the day’s meals meet or exceed your need for energy? Describe how your actual intake varied from the CNPP recommendation.Happily, I was able to exceed the needed amounts for calories and vitamins for the day. As for the vitamins, I was happy to see that I exceeded it because it means that I am eating a healthy diet. Although for the calorie intake, it scares me a bit because eating a calorie pack food without expending it properly will result to added body fats.h. Did your meals present too little of any of the vitamins and minerals listed in the CNPP materials? Which ones?Actually, my vitamin intake for the day exceeded what was expected from me greatly. I was able to take in more than what was required from me according to CNPP, which means none of them where under-represented.i. What changes in your choices among those foods would have improved the energy or vitamin or mineral totals for the day?Improvement when taken in a standard meaning would actually mean to increase, but in my case, to improve my diet I would have to decrease my energy intake and simply maintain my vitamin and mineral intake for the day.j. Did your choices provide enough folate to meet your requirement?I am glad to say that I actually met the required amount of folate that I had to take in within one day. In fact I was able to take in twice the required amount of 400 micrograms and was able to take in 784.5 micrograms.k. What are the sources of niacin in your day’s meals?Niacin is not really that abundant in standard food. Niacin can actually be found in whole refined grains. When mills refine grain they are required by law to add folic acid, NIACIN, iron and riboflavin. So therefore eating refined grains at least once a day may add to my Niacin intake.l. What about Vitamin C? What percentage of your daily need of Vitamin C did your meals provide? Which individual foods were the main contributors? To what food groups do they belong?I was able to take in a total of 126.78% vitamin C within one day. Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid is abundant in Citrus filled drinks and meals such as lemons, oranges and lime, all of which are in the Fruits part of the Food Pyramid. Also aside from normal food intake, it is easy to receive vitamin C by simply buying it in a local drugstore.m. How did your total energy intake compare with your energy recommendation? Is this consistent with your nutritional goals?In my food intake, I was able to take 6604 kcal worth energy, which is three times more the recommended 2339 kcal goal for a day. It is very impressive to see that I was able to take in that much energy. However, it is also true that if I am not able to expend that energy within a day, it turns to body fat which is terrible to have.n. Which of your foods are â€Å"vitamin bargains†? Those would be foods which are vitamin-dense, providing the most vitamins for the fewest c alories.Fruits and vegetables of course give me the most amounts of vitamins without having to increase my total number of calories significantly. In fact it can be noted that the best source of vitamins are vegetables because they don’t contain fructose like fruits do, but they contain a minimal amount of starch which makes up a good low calorie diet.o. Breakfast cereals are a great source of vitamins. What characteristic of these foods makes them so rich in vitamins?Breakfast cereals are made from plants specifically corn, wheat, and grains. Corn in itself is full of vitamins and wheat and grains may contain some vitamins as well. In addition, the fact that when we eat cereals it always comes with full cream or filled milk, which adds a significant amount of vitamins in a persons diet.p. What can you say about your recorded food intake and the vitamins and minerals that you obtained from the foods you ate that day?I can say that I actually exceed the requirements that are s et for a balanced diet. Although this is not such a good thing because too much of certain food groups may cause complications to my health.ReferencesDietary guidelines and the Guide to the Food Pyramid. West Virginia University, December 22, 2007, from http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/fypubs/WLG_132_Food_Pyramid.pdfDietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, USDHHS, USDA, December 22,2007. fromKantor, L.S. December 22, 2007, from http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer772/aer772a.pdfLawrence J. Appel, M.D., M.P.H., Benjamin Caballero, M.D., Ph.D., and Fergus M. Clydesdale, Ph.D. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. December 22, 2007, from www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelinesNational Institute of Mental Health. (1990). Clinical training in serious mental illness (DHHS Publication No. ADM 90-1679). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Rebellion Against Big Brother essays

Rebellion Against Big Brother essays The book 1984, written by George Orwell, is about an over-bearing government and society with too many rules and regulations. Although many characters in the story seem happy with the way life is, some yearn to rebel and fight for their rights of true freedom; to lessen the constraints put upon them. In the novel, both Winston and Julia act out different types of defiance, and the proles hold the power to completely overturn Big Brother. During the book, Winstons actions and intentions to discover the truth and bring justice to life in Oceania are strong and wholehearted. When he is writing in the diary, he prints DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER over and over again (18). This shows that in both his heart and his mind, Winston wants to get rid of the tight noose Big Brother holds around everybodys neck, and he cannot deny the feeling of wanting something. He feels trapped because he remembers a time where the Party did not always rule, and although he is unsure of whether or not the Revolution was a better time, it was a big part of his childhood and it holds significance to him that could open up the past. While being quizzed by O Brien, he answers, Yes! You are prepared to commit murder? Yes! To betray your country to foreign powers? Yes! (172). This shows that Winston feels like he will do anything for the exposure of Big Brother. He sees through their techniques and wants to reveal it to the rest of the world. His action of agreeing to do horrible feats against his country shows his determination for freedom. Winston just wants to broadcast the web of twisted lies and deceit made up by the Party. Julia, while hating Big Brother, is not quite as committed as Winston in her insubordination. While Winston is talking about evidence against Big Brother and how it could aid future life, she says, Im n...

Biography of Sargon the Great, Ruler of Mesopotamia

Biography of Sargon the Great, Ruler of Mesopotamia Sargon the Great was one of the worlds earliest empire  builders. From roughly  2334 to 2279 BCE, he ruled a civilization called the Akkadian Empire, consisting largely of ancient Mesopotamia,  after conquering all of Sumer (southern Mesopotamia) as well as parts of Syria, Anatolia (Turkey), and  Elam  (western Iran). His empire was the first political entity to have an extensive, efficient, large-scale bureaucracy to administer his far-flung lands and their culturally diverse people. Fast Facts: Sargon the Great Known For: Creating an empire in MesopotamiaAlso Known As: Sargon of Akkad, Shar-Gani-Sharri, Sarru-Kan (True King or Legitimate King)  Sargon of Agade, King of Agade, King of Kish, King of the LandDied: c. 2279 BCE Early Life Almost nothing is known of Sargons early life. There is no birth date; the dates of his reign are approximate; and the end of his reign, 2279, is only presumably the year of his death. His name at birth also is unknown; he adopted Sargon later. Although his name was among the most famous in antiquity, the modern world knew nothing of him until 1870 CE, when Sir Henry Rawlinson, a British army officer and scholar of the Orient, published the Legend of Sargon, which he had found in the library of King Ashurbanipal  of Assyria while excavating the ancient Mesopotamian city of  Nineveh  in 1867. The Legend of Sargon, engraved in cuneiform on a clay tablet, supposedly represented his biography, though its often described as folklore. It reads, in part: My mother was a changeling, my father I knew not...My mother conceived me in secret, she gave birth to me in concealment. She set me in a basket of rushes, She sealed the lid with tar. She cast me into the river...The water carried me to Akki, the drawer of water. He lifted me out as he dipped his jar into the river, He took me as his son, he raised me, He made me his gardener. Sargons mother, said to have been a priestess in a town on the Euphrates River and perhaps one of an order of sacred prostitutes, couldnt keep the child. She hit upon an option strikingly similar to one involving Moses, although her baby supposedly floated down the Euphrates instead of the Nile. The future founder of the  Akkadian Empire was discovered by a gardener who served Ur-Zababa, the king of  Kish, a massive subterranean city on the island of Kish off the coast of Iran. Rise to Power Sargon eventually became Ur-Zababas cup-bearer, a servant who brought a king’s wine but also served as a trusted adviser. For unknown reasons, the king felt threatened by Sargon and tried to get rid of him: When Lugal-zage-si, the  king  of Umma who had conquered and consolidated many city-states in Sumer, came to conquer Kish next, Ur-Zababa sent Sargon to deliver a  clay tablet to the king, supposedly offering peace. The tablet, however, contained a message requesting that Lugal-zage-si kill Sargon. Somehow the conspiracy was thwarted, and the Sumerian king asked Sargon to join his campaign against the city. They conquered Kish and Ur-Zababa was deposed. But soon Sargon and Lugal-zage-si had a falling out. Some accounts say Sargon had an affair with Lugal-zage-si’s wife. At any rate, Sargon captured  Uruk,  an ancient land in southern Mesopotamia on the Euphrates River, from Lugal-zage-si and then defeated him in battle at Kish. Expanding His Realm A large part of  Sumer had been controlled by Uruk, so with both Ur-Zababa and Lugalzagesi out of the way, Sargon was the new ruler of an area from which to launch military campaigns and expand his empire. But Sargon also wanted to maintain the lands under his control, so he established an efficient  bureaucracy by placing trusted men in each Sumerian city to rule in his name. Meanwhile, Sargon expanded his empire, defeating the  Elamites to the East, who inhabited what is today western Iran. To the West, Sargon conquered parts of  Syria  and  Anatolia. He established his capital at Akkad, near Kish, becoming the first king of the Akkadian Dynasty. The city, which lent its name to the empire, has never been found. He conquered the nearby city-states of Ur, Umma, and Lagash and developed a commercial trade-based empire, with unifying roads and a postal system. Sargon made his daughter Enheduanna a high priestess of Nanna, Urs moon god. She was also a poet and is considered the world’s first author known by name, credited  with creating the paradigms of poetry, psalms, and prayers used throughout the ancient world that led to genres recognized in the present day. Death Sargon the Great is said to have died of natural causes around 2279 BCE and was succeeded by his son Rimush. Legacy Sargon Akkadian Empire lasted a century and a half, ending when it was displaced by the Gutian dynasty of Sumer during the 22nd century BCE. One of the results of Sargon’s conquests was the facilitation of trade. Sargon controlled the  cedar forests of Lebanon  and the silver mines of Anatolia, which provided valuable raw materials for trade in the  Indus Valley, as well as in civilizations in Oman and along the Gulf. The Akkadian Empire was the first political entity to make extensive use of bureaucracy and administration on a large scale, setting the standard for future rulers and kingdoms. The Akkadians developed the first postal system, constructed roads, improved irrigation systems, and advanced the arts and sciences. Sargon also is remembered for creating a society where the weak were protected. Stories say that during his reign, no one in Sumer had to beg for food, and widows and orphans were protected. Rebellions were common during his reign, though he reportedly said his enemies faced a â€Å"lion with teeth and claws.† Sargon the Great wasn’t regarded as a hero from humble beginnings who gained power to save his people, but his empire was considered a  Golden Age compared to those that followed. Sources Zettler, Richard L. Reconstructing the World of Ancient Mesopotamia: Divided Beginnings and Holistic History. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, 2003.Sargon of Akkad: Familiar and Legendary Tales of a Famous Mesopotamian King. Ancient Origins.Sargon of Akkad. Ancient History Encyclopedia.Sargon: Ruler of Mesopotamia. Encyclopaedia Britannica.