On May 22nd and 23rd, an historic event took place in the Baha'i World. This event was the opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Bab, located on Mount Carmel, Israel. This was the conclusion of a project that started 10 years earlier and coincided with the anniversary of the Baha'i Holy Day observing the night that the Bab first declared his mission as the Bearer of a Divine Revelation. That was in 1844.
The original structure of the Shrine Of the Bab was erected by Abdu'l -Baha, to house the remains of The Bab, in 1909 . Later, an outer domed structure was erected, as can be seen in this 1950 photo . Canadian Architect, William Sutherland Maxwell, designed this .
The opening ceremonies were not only shown via satellite transmission, but also on the Internet as a web cast. My wife, Caryn, and I were up at midnight to view this webcast live. I must admit, it was a wonderful thing to behold. There are times when we just can't get over what marvels the computer and the Internet is. It is things like this that demonstrates how interconnected the world is.
An original oratorio based on the Tablet of Carmel by Bahá'u'lláh was composed by Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen. The Baha'i World Center commissioned him in 1998 for this task. It was Thoresen that decided to use Baha'u'llah's "Tablet of Carmel" as an inspiration for this.
Here is an excerpt from that Tablet:
`Call out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is manifest; His all-encompassing splendour is revealed. Beware lest thou hesitate or halt. Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that hath descended from heaven, the celestial Kaaba round which have circled in adoration the favoured of God, the pure in heart, and the company of the most exalted angels. Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the glad-tidings of this Revelation - a Revelation to which the heart of Sinai hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: "Unto God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven." Verily this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement, the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for revelation. Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee, and will manifest the people of Baha who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.'
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