51. Name of Allah Al-Haqq
The Truth, The True, The Just. The One who truly exists.

52. Name of Allah Al-Wakeel
The Trustee, The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.

53. Name of Allah Al-Qawee
The Most Strong, The Powerful. The One with the Complete Power.

54. Name of Allah Al-Mateen
The Firm, The One with Extreme Power which is un-interrupted and He never get tired.

55. Name of Allah Al-Waliyy
The Supporter, The Protecting Friend. The One who defend whoever on his side.

56. Name of Allah Al-Hameed
The Praiseworthy, The Commendable. The Praised One who deserves to be Praised.

57. Name of Allah Al-Muhsi
The Counter, The One who the count of every thing are known to him.

58. Name of Allah Al-Mubdi’
The Originator, The Beginner, The Starter, The Founder. The One who started the Being That is He created.

59. Name of Allah Al-Mu^eed
The Reproducer, The One who brings back the creatures to life after death.

60. Name of Allah Al-Muhyee
The Restorer, The Bestower, The Life Giver. The One who took out a living human from semen that does not have a soul. He gives life by giving the souls back to the worn out bodies on the resurrection day, and He makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge.

61. Name of Allah Al-Mumeet
The Bringer of Death, The Death Giver. The One who renders the living dead.

62. Name of Allah Al-Hayy
The Alive, The Ever Living. The One attributed with a life that is unlike our life and is not that of a combination of soul, flesh or blood.

63. Name of Allah Al-Qayoom
The Self-Subsistent, The Eternal. The One who remains and does not end.

64. Name of Allah Al-Wajid
The Perceiver, The Opulent, The Finder. The Rich who is never poor. Al-Wajd is Richness.

65. Name of Allah Al-Wahid
The Absolute One, The Unique. The One without a partner.

66. Name of Allah Al-Majid
The Noble, The Illustrious. The One who is Majid.

67. Name of Allah Al-Ahad
The Only One, the Unique.

68. Name of Allah Al-Samad
The Independent, The Master who is everything rely on him. and everything revert to him.

69. Name of Allah Al-Qadeer
The Able, The Capable. The One attributed with Power.

70. Name of Allah Al-Muqtadir
The Powerful, The Dominant. The One with the Perfect Power that nothing is withheld from him.

71. Name of Allah Al-Muqaddim
The Expediter, The Promoter, The Presenter, The Advancer. The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.

72. Name of Allah Al-Mu’akhkhir
The Delayer, The Retarder, The Fulfiller, The Keeper Behind, The Deferrer. The One who delays what He wills.

73. Name of Allah Al-’Awwal
The First, The One whose Existence is without a beginning.

74. Name of Allah Al-’Akhir
The Last, The One whose Existence is without an end.

75. Name of Allah Az-Zahir
The Apparent, The Exterior, The Manifest, The One that nothing is above Him and His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.

76. Name of Allah Al-Batin
The Hidden, The Interior, The Latent. The one that nothing is underneath Him and His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.

77. Name of Allah Al-Wali
The Governor, The Ruler, The Master. The One who owns things and manages them.

78. Name of Allah Al-Muta^ali
The Most Exalted, The High Exalted, The One Above Reproach. The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.

79. Name of Allah Al-Barr
The Source of All Goodness, The Righteous, The Benefactor, The Pious. The One who is kind to His creatures, who covered them with His sustenance and specified whoever He willed among them by His support, protection, and special mercy.

80. Name of Allah At-Tawaab
The Acceptor of Repentance, The Relenting, The Forgiver. The One who grants repentance to whoever He willed among His creatures and accepts His repentance.

81. Name of Allah Al-Muntaqim
The Avenger, The One who victoriously prevails over His enemies and punishes them for their sins. the One who destroys them.

82. Name of Allah Al-^Afuww
The Forgiver, The Effacer, The Pardoner. The One with wide forgiveness.

83. Name of Allah Al-Ra’uf
The Compassionate, The One with extreme Mercy, The Ever Indulgent. The Mercy of Allah is His will to endow upon whoever He willed among His creatures.

84. Name of Allah Al-Muqsit
The Just, The Equitable. The One who is Just in His Judgment.

85. Name of Allah Al-Jaami^
The Collector, The Comprehensive, The Gatherer. The One who gathers all His creatures on a day that there is no doubt about, that is the Day of Judgment.

86. Name of Allah Al-Ghaneiyy
The Rich, The All Sufficing, The Self-Sufficient. The One who does not need the creation.

87. Name of Allah Al-Mughnee
The Enricher, The Sufficer, The Bestower. The One who satisfies the necessities of His creatures.

88. Name of Allah Al-Mani^
The Preventer, The Withholder. The Supporter who protects and gives victory to His pious believers.

89. Name of Allah Al-Daarr
The Distresser, The Afflictor, The Bringer of Adversity. The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed.

90. Name of Allah Al-Nafi^
The Benefactor, The Propitious. The One who gives benefits to whoever He wills.

91. Name of Allah Al-Noor
The Light. The One who guides.

92. Name of Allah Al-Hadi
The Guide, The One whom with His Guidance His believers were guided, and with His Guidance the living beings have been guided to what is beneficial or them and protected from what is harmful to them.

93. Name of Allah Al-Badee^
The Wonderful, The Beautiful Maker, The Inventor, The Incomparable. The One who created the creation and formed it without any preceding example.

94. Name of Allah Al-Baqi
The Enduring, The Everlasting, The Eternal. The One that the state of non-existence is impossible for him.

95. Name of Allah Al-Warith
The Inheritor, The Heir. The One whose Existence remains.

96. Name of Allah Al-Rasheed
The Rightly Guided, The Conscious, The Guide to the right path. The One who guides.

97. Name of Allah Al-Saboor
The Most Patient, The Enduring. The One who does not quickly punish the sinners.

98. Name of Allah Malik Al-Mulk
The Ruler of His Kingdom, The King of the Universe. The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed.

99. Name of Allah Zul-Jalaal wal-Ikraam
The Lord of Majesty and Generosity. The One who deserves to be Exalted and not denied.

Allah Almighty have 99 Beautiful Names, ‘Allah’ is a special name of God containing them all. Allah, He who has the Godhood which is the Power to Create the Entities.

Prophet Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him said “To Allah ‘God’ belongs 99 names, 100 minus 1, anyone who Memorizes them will Enter His Paradise. He “Allah” is Odd and He Like Odd numbers Because He is One And the Only One. and He loves Odd numbers such as 99. “Allah! There is No God But He! To Him Belong The Most Beautiful Names” – (Holy Qur’an 20:8)

It is not possible to perfectly translate the 99 Names of Allah from their original Arabic Language into English. However, those are fairly close explanations along with their Arabic Pronunciation in English Letters.

“He is Allah (God), the Creator, the Originator, The Fashioner, To Him belong The Most Beautiful Names, Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, All declare His Praises and Glory! And He is the Exalted in Might, The Wise” – (Quran 59:24)

Please note that “‘” equal “Hamza” and “^” equal “Ein” letters in Arabic Language.
“The most beautiful names belong to Allah (God): so call on Him by them” – (Quran 7:180)

1. Name of Allah Al-Rahmaan
The Compassionate, The Beneficent, The Most Merciful, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.

2. Name of Allah Al-Raheem
The Merciful, The most Compassionate. The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.

3. Name of Allah Al-Malik
The King, The Sovereign Lord, The Monarch. The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.

4. Name of Allah Al-Quddoos
The Holy, The Pure. The One who is Pure from any imperfection and Clear from children and adversaries.

5. Name of Allah Al-Salaam
The Source of Peace, The Peace, The Tranquility. The One who is free from every imperfection.

6. Name of Allah Al-Mu’min
The Guardian of Faith, The Faithful, The Trusted. The One who witnessed for Himself that no one is God but Him. And He witnessed for His believers that they are truthful in their belief that no one is God but Him.

7. Name of Allah Al-Muhaimin
The Protector, The Vigilant, The Controller. The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.

8. Name of Allah Al-^Azeez
The Mighty, The Almighty, The Strong, The Powerful. The Defeater who is Never defeated.

9. Name of Allah Al-Jabbaar
The Compeller, The One that nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He willed.

10. Name of Allah Al-Mutakabbir
The Majestic, The Haughty, The Imperious. The One who is Clear from the attributes of His Creatures and from resembling them.

11. Name of Allah Al-Khaliq
The Creator, The Maker. The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence.

12. Name of Allah Al-Bari’
The Evolver, The Artificer. The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.

13. Name of Allah Al-Musawwir
The Fashioner, The Organizer, the Designer. The One who forms His Creatures in different pictures.

14. Name of Allah Al-Ghaffaar
The Great Forgiver, The Forgiver. The One who forgives the sins of His slaves over and over again.

15. Name of Allah Al-Qahhaar
The Subduer, The Dominant, The Almighty. The One who has the perfect Power and is not unable over anything.

16. Name of Allah Al-Wahhaab
The Bestower, The Donor. The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return.

17. Name of Allah Al-Razzaaq
The Provider, The Sustainer.

18. Name of Allah Al-Fattaah
The Opener, The Reliever. The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldly and religious matters.

19. Name of Allah Al-^Aleem
The Most Knowledgeable, The all Knowing, The Omniscient. The One who nothing is absent from His knowledge.

20. Name of Allah Al-Qabid
The Constricter, The Retainer, The Withholder, The Contractor, The Restrainer, The Recipient. The One who constricts the sustenance.

21. Name of Allah Al-Basit
The Expander, The Englarger. The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.

22. Name of Allah Al-Khafid
The Abaser, The Humbler. The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction.

23. Name of Allah Al-Rafi^
The Exalter, The Raiser, The Elevator. The One who raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

24. Name of Allah Al-Mu^iz
The Honorer, The Exalter. He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him, And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

25. Name of Allah Al-Muzil
The Dis-Honorer, The Humiliator, The Abaser, The Degrader, The Subduer. He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him, And He degrades whoever He willed.

26. Name of Allah Al-Samee^
The All-Hearing, The Hearer. The One who Hears all things that are heard by His Eternal Hearing without an ear, instrument or organ.

27. Name of Allah Al-Baseer
The All-Seeing, The Seer, The discerning. The One who Sees all things that are seen by His Eternal Seeing without a pupil or any other instrument.

28. Name of Allah Al-Hakam
The Judge, The Arbitrator. He is the Ruler and His judgment is His Word.

29. Name of Allah Al-^Adl
The Just, The Justice, The Equitable. The One who is entitled to do what He does.

30. Name of Allah Al-Lateef
The Subtle One, The Gracious, The Most Gentle. The One who is kind to His slaves and endows upon them.

31. Name of Allah Al-Khabeer
The Aware, The Sagacious. The One who knows the real truth of things.

32. Name of Allah Al-Haleem
The Forebearing, The Clement, The Gentle, The most patient. The One who delays the punishment for those who deserve it and then He might forgive them.

33. Name of Allah Al-^Azeem
The Great One, The Mighty. The One deserving the attributes of Exaltment, Glory, Extolment, and Purity from all imperfection.

34. Name of Allah Al-Ghafoor
The All-Forgiving, The Pardoner, The Forgiving. The One who forgives a lot.

35. Name of Allah Al-Shakoor
The Grateful, The Appreciative, The Thankful. The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.

36. Name of Allah Al-^Ali
The Most High, The Sublime, The Exalted. The One who is clear from the attributes of His creatures.

37. Name of Allah Al-Kabeer
The Most Great, The Big. The One who is greater than everything in status.

38. Name of Allah Al-Hafeez
The Preserver, The Protector, The Guardian. The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.

39. Name of Allah Al-Muqeet
The Maintainer, The Guardian, The Feeder, The Sustainer, The Nourisher. The One who has the Power.

40. Name of Allah Al-Haseeb
The Reckoner, The Noble. The One who gives the satisfaction.

41. Name of Allah Al-Jaleel
The Sublime One, The Beneficent, The Majestic, The Honorable, The Exalted. The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.

42. Name of Allah Al-Kareem
The Most Generous, The Bountiful, The Gracious. The One who is clear from abjectness.

43. Name of Allah Al-Raqeeb
The Watcher, The Watchful, The Guardian. The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence it’s meaning is related to the attribute of Knowledge.

44. Name of Allah Al-Mujeeb
The Responsive, The Hearkener. The One who answers the one in need if He asks Him and rescues the yearner if He calls upon Him. The Responder. The One Who Answers.

45. Name of Allah Al-Wasi^
The Vast, The All-Embracing, The Englober. The Enricher, The Omnipresent, The Knowledgeable.

46. Name of Allah Al-Hakeem
The Most Wise, The Judicious, The Judge of Judges. The One who is correct in His doings.

47. Name of Allah Al-Wadood
The Affectionate, The Loving. The One who loves His believing slaves and His believing slaves love Him. His love to His slaves is His Will to be merciful to them and praise them.

48. Name of Allah Al-Majid
The Most Glorious One, The One who is with perfect Power, High Status, Compassion, Generosity and Kindness.

49. Name of Allah Al-Ba^ith
The Reserrector, The Raiser from death. The One who resurrects for reward and/or punishment.

50. Name of Allah Al-Shaheed
The Witness, The One who nothing is absent from Him.

To Be Continued on Part 2 ..

 Nick Vujicic: a man with no limbs who teaches people how to get up

Nick Vujicic was born in Melbourne, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and having one small foot with two toes protruding from his left thigh. Despite the absence of limbs, he is doing surf and swimming, and playing golf and soccer. Nick graduated from college at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting and Financial Planning. He began his travels as a motivational speaker, focusing on the topics that today’s teenagers face.

Nando Parrado: survived airplane crash and 72 days in the Andes

72 – Days of ordeal, Nando Parrado and other survivors of a plane crash in Andes had to endure before being rescued. Flying over the mountains on a Friday the 13th, the young men and their families who boarded the charter plane joked about the unlucky day when the plane’s wing hit the slope of the mountain and crashed. On impact, 13 passengers were instantly dead while 32 others were badly wounded. Hoping to be rescued, the survivors waited in the freezing -37C temperature, melting snow for drinks and sleeping side by side to keep themselves warm. Food was so scarce, everyone had to pool whatever food they can find for a rationed pool.

9 days after the crash, due to dire desperation and hunger, the survivors called for an important meeting. One member proposed that they eat the dead. The 2 hours meeting ended with a conclusion. If any of them died in Andes, the rest had the permission to use the corpse as food. After 2 weeks, their hope of being found dashed when they found out via their radio transistor that the rescue effort was called off. 

On the 60th day after the crash, Nando Parrado and 2 other friends decided to walk through the icy wilderness for help. By the time they left, Nando Parrado said, the crash site was “.. an awful place, soaked in urine, smelling of death, littered with ragged bits of human bone and qristle”. Wearing 3 pairs of jeans and 3 sweaters over a polo shirt, he and his friends trekked the mountains with human flesh as their ration.

Knowing that they must search for rescue, the team endured frozen snow, exhaustion and starvation, walking and climbing for 10 days before finding their way to the bottom of the mountain. The team was finally helped by Chilean farmer who called the police for help. Parrado then guided the rescue team via a helicopter to the crash site.
On the 22nd December 1972, after enduring 72 brutal days, the world founds out that there were 16 survivors who cheated death, in the mountain of Andes. 8 of the initial survivors died when an avalanche cascaded down on them as they slept in the fuselage.

During the ordeal, Nando Parrado lost 40 kg of his weight. He lost half his family in the crash. He is now a motivational speaker.

Jessica Cox: became the first pilot with no arms, proving you don’t need ‘wings’ to fly

Jessica Cox suffered a rare birth defect and was born without any arms. None of the prenatal tests her mother took showed there was anything wrong with her. And yet she was born with this rare congenital disease, but also with a great spirit. The psychology graduate can write, type, drive a car, brush her hair and talk on her phone simply using her feet. Ms Cox, from Tuscon, Arizona, USA, is also a former dancer and double black belt in Tai Kwon-Do. She has a no-restrictions driving license, she flies planes and she can type 25 words a minute.

The plane she is flying is called an Ercoupe and it is one of the few airplanes to be made and certified without pedals. Without rudder pedals Jessica is free to use her feet as hands. She took three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft licence, had three flying instructors and practiced 89 hours of flying, becoming the first pilot with no arms.

Sean Swarner: 1st cancer survivor to complete the 7-summits, the highest peaks of the 7 continents

The 29,035-foot giant known as Mount Everest tortures its challengers with life-threatening conditions such as 100 mph winds, the dramatic loss of oxygen, snowstorms, and deadly avalanches. Climbers of Everest are faced with incredible dangers, but for Sean Swarner the obstacles he overcame prior to his summiting make his story even more compelling.

Sean isn’t just a cancer survivor; he is truly a medical marvel. He is the only person in the world ever to have been diagnosed with both Hodgkin’s disease and Askin’s sarcoma. He was diagnosed in the fourth and final stage of Hodgkin’s disease at the age of thirteen, when doctors expected him to live for no more than three months. He overcame his illness only to be stricken a second time when a deadly golf ball-sized tumor attacked his right lung. After removal of the Askin’s tumor, Sean was expected to live for less than two weeks. A decade later and with only partial use of his lungs, Sean became famous for being the first cancer survivor to climb Mount Everest.

After the summit of Everest, Sean had a desire and dream to continue moving forward and reaching people around the world. Climbing the highest mountain on each continent became his next goal. Proving to others that anything is possible, Sean successfully summited Mt. McKinley, to be the first cancer survivor to complete the seven summits.

Randy Pausch: inspired thousands of people with his dying speech

Randolph Frederick “Randy” Pausch (October 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) was an American professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pausch learned that he had pancreatic cancer, a terminal illness, in September of 2006. He gave an upbeat lecture entitled “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. He then co-authored a book called The Last Lecture on the same theme, which became a New York Times best-seller. Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.

In his famous speech, Pausch showed a list of his childhood dreams, and explained how he achieved each of them. His dreams were being in zero gravity, playing in the National Football League, being the author of a World Book Encyclopedia article, meeting and being Captain Kirk, being “one of the guys who won the big stuffed animals in the amusement park”, and becoming a Disney Imagineer.

He was given 3 months of life, he lived 3 more years.

Ben Underwood: the boy who could “see” with his ears

Ben Underwood was a remarkable teenager, who loved to skateboard, ride his bicycle and play football and basketball. For the most part, the Californian 14-year-old was just like other kids his age. What made Underwood remarkable was his ability to master these activities despite the fact that he is blind. Underwood had both eyes removed after being diagnosed with retinal cancer at age two. To most people’s amazement upon meeting him, he seems completely unfazed by his lack of sight, defying common stereotypes about blindness as a disability. So how does he do it? The answer is echolocation: the sonar navigation technique used by bats, dolphins, several other mammals and some birds. As Underwood moved about, he habitually made clicking noises with his tongue; these sounds bounce off surfaces and, with each return, add to Underwood’s perception of his surroundings. 

He’s so good at it that he could tell the difference between a fire hydrant and a rubbish bin, distinguish between parked cars and trucks, and — if you took him to a house he’s never been to before — he would tell you he could ’see’ a staircase in that corner and a kitchen in the other. He could even distinguish between different materials. 

An unflinching faith in God guided Ben and his mother his last few months as cancer spread to Ben’s brain and spine. He finally died on January 2009 at the age of 16.

 Patrick Henry Hughes: born blind and crippled, now “marches” in the Louisville marching band

Patrick is a remarkable young man who was born without eyes and without the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, making him unable to walk. Additionally, two steel rods were 
surgically attached to Patrick’s spine to correct scoliosis.

Despite circumstances, Patrick has overcome these physical issues to excel as a musician and student. Patrick started playing the piano at the age of only nine months, and also plays the trumpet and sings. He even participates in the University of Louisville School of Music Marching and Pep Bands with help from his father (Patrick John Hughes), who tirelessly maneuvers his wheel chair through the formations with the other 220+ members of the 
Cardinal Marching Band. 

A virtuoso pianist, vocalist and trumpet player, Patrick has won numerous competitions, as well as winning awards acknowledging the circumstances he has overcome to achieve these heights. He has been featured on ESPN, ABC-TV, Oprah, CBS-TV, The Ellen Show, Extreme Make Over Home Edition, FOX-TV, CSTV, NBC-TV, Million Dollar Round Table, The Grand Ole Opry, People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Star Magazine, and many, many others.

The Holy Grail

According to Christian mythology, the Holy Grail was the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers. The connection of Joseph of Arimathea with the Grail legend dates from Robert de Boron’s Joseph d’Arimathie (late 12th century) in which Joseph receives the Grail from an apparition of Jesus and sends it with his followers to Great Britain. The development of the Grail legend has been traced in detail by cultural historians: It is a legend which first came together in the form of written romances, deriving perhaps from some pre-Christian folklore hints, in the later 12th and early 13th centuries. The early Grail romances centered on Percival and were woven into the more general Arthurian fabric. Some of the Grail legend is interwoven with legends of the Holy Chalice.

Pope Joan

Pope Joan (also called La Papessa) is the name of a legendary female pope who supposedly reigned for less than three years in the 850s, between the papacies of Leo IV and Benedict III (though there were only two months between the two reigns). She is known primarily from a legend that circulated in the Middle Ages. Pope Joan is regarded by most modern historians and religious scholars as fictitious, possibly originating as an anti-papal satire. The story of Pope Joan is known mainly from the 13th century chronicler Martin of Opava – writing 500 years after the alleged Popess. Most scholars dismiss Pope Joan as a medieval legend. The Oxford Dictionary of Popes acknowledges that this legend was widely believed for centuries, even among Catholic circles, but declares that there is “no contemporary evidence for a female pope at any of the dates suggested for her reign,” and goes on to say that “the known facts of the respective periods make it impossible to fit [a female pope] in”. For those who are wondering what would happen if this were true (or were to ever be true): nothing; a female is not able to be a priest and a Pope cannot be crowned unless he is a priest first.

Fountain of Youth

The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Florida (ironically) is often said to be its location, and stories of the fountain are some of the most persistent associated with the state. Eternal youth is a gift frequently sought in myth and legend, and stories of things such as the philosopher’s stone, universal panaceas, and the elixir of life are common throughout Eurasia and elsewhere. Unfortunately, earlier native versions of the legend (from before the Old World became old) are not known outside of what snippets Spanish chroniclers managed to preserve of what is sure to have been a rich tradition.

Incubus and Sucubus

An incubus is a demon in male form supposed to lie upon sleepers, especially women, in order to have sexual intercourse with them, according to a number of mythological and legendary traditions. Its female counterpart is the succubus. An incubus may pursue sexual relations with a woman in order to father a child, as in the legend of Merlin, and some sources indicate that it may be identified by its unnaturally cold penis. Religious tradition holds that repeated intercourse with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death. A number of secular explanations have been offered for the origin of the incubus legends. They involve the medieval preoccupation with sin, especially sexual sins of women. Victims may have been experiencing waking dreams or sleep paralysis.

The Lost Tribes

The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to the ancient Tribes of Israel that disappeared from the Biblical account after the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed, enslaved and exiled by ancient Assyria. Many groups of Jews have doctrines concerning the continued hidden existence or future public return of these tribes. This is a subject that is partially based upon authenticated and documented historical fact, partially upon written religious tradition and partially upon speculation. There is a vast amount of literature on the Lost Tribes and no specific source can be relied upon for a complete answer. Some scientists have researched the topic, and at various times some have made claims of empirical evidence of the Ten Lost Tribes. However, religious and scriptural sources remain the main sources of the belief that the Ten Lost Tribes have some continuing, though hidden, identity somewhere. It should be noted that the Book of Mormon suggests that the Native Americans are from two of the lost tribes.

The Wandering Jew

The Wandering Jew is a figure from medieval Christian folklore whose legend began to spread in Europe in the thirteenth century and became a fixture of Christian mythology, and, later, of Romanticism. The legend concerns a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion and was then cursed to walk the earth until the Second Coming. The exact nature of the wanderer’s indiscretion varies in different versions of the tale, as do aspects of his character; sometimes he is said to be a shoemaker or other tradesman, sometimes he is the doorman at Pontius Pilate’s estate. The origins of the legend are debatable; perhaps one element is the story in Genesis of Cain, who is issued with a similar punishment — to wander over the earth, never reaping a harvest again, but scavenging.

Robin Hood

Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times, but who remains significant in popular culture where he is known for “stealing from the rich and giving to the poor” and fighting against injustice and tyranny. His band includes a “three score” group of fellow outlawed yeomen – called his “Merry Men.” The origin of the legend is claimed by some to have stemmed from actual outlaws, or from tales of outlaws, such as Hereward the Wake, Eustace the Monk, Fulk FitzWarin, and William Wallace. There are a number of theories that attempt to identify a historical Robin Hood, but for various reasons (such as the popularity of the name in the Middle Ages), it is unlikely to ever come up with any evidence that suggests he is not just a legend.

King Arthur

King Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur’s story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. The historical basis for the King Arthur legend has long been debated by scholars. One school of thought, citing entries in the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) and Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), sees Arthur as a genuine historical figure, a Romano-British leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons sometime in the late 5th to early 6th century, but the lack of convincing early evidence is the reason many recent historians exclude Arthur from their accounts of post-Roman Britain.

The Children’s Crusade

The Children’s Crusade is the name given to a variety of fictional and factual events which happened in 1212 that combine some or all of these elements: visions by a French or German boy; an intention to peacefully convert Muslims in the Holy Land to Christianity; bands of children marching to Italy; and children being sold into slavery. A study published in 1977 cast doubt on the existence of these events and many historians now believe that they were not (or not primarily) children but multiple bands of “wandering poor” in Germany and France, some of whom tried to reach the Holy Land and others who never intended to do so. Early versions of events, of which there are many variations told over the centuries, are largely apocryphal. Recent research suggests the participants were not children, at least not the very young. The confusion started because later chroniclers, who were not witness to the events of 1212 and who were writing 30 years or more later, began to translate the original accounts and misunderstood the Latin word pueri, meaning “boys”, to mean literally “children”. The original accounts did use the term pueri but it had a slang meaning, similar to how the term “country bumpkins” is used as a derogatory term in the rural United States.

The astonishing 3D murals painted on the sides of buildings by a trompe l’oeil artist…

At first glance, it looks as if some natural disaster has shaken away the walls of these buildings to reveal architecture hidden for thousands of years.

And at second and third glance, it looks like that too.

But these spectacular images are not the unexpected result of an earthquake.

Treasure trove: An Egyptian style mural adorns a wall in Los Gatos, California. Pugh paints people into the mural to heighten the 3D effect

Greek tragedy: But the Doric-style columns apparently exposed in this university hall are nothing but paint

The incredibly lifelike scenes are actually huge works of art, painted on the side of perfectly intact buildings. Even that woman peering into the ruin above is not real.

The paintings, which have fooled many, were created by John Pugh, who specialises in trompe l’oeil – or ‘trick of the eye’ – art.

He uses his skills to delude the viewer into seeing 3D scenes painted on flat surfaces.

The Californian-born artist said: ‘It seems almost universal that people take delight in being visually tricked.’

His works can been seen all over the world, including in the artist’s home state. The ‘earthquake’ work shown here is located on Main Street in the town of Los Gatos and was created following a genuine earthquake in 1989.

The temple-like interior apparently exposed features jaguar gods, regarded as the creators of earthquakes by the Mayans.

Wonder wave: John Pugh’s Mana Nalu mural in Honolulu. Fire crews rushed to save the children from the mighty wave – before realising it was an optical illusion

Blurring the lines: A mural entitled Art Imitating Life Imitating Art Imitating Life, at the Cafe Trompe L’oeil, in San Jose, California

Another picture is of Taylor Hall at the California State University, Chico, where Pugh studied. The mural features Doric-style Greek columns behind the seemingly shattered wall and is called Academe.

Another work, featuring a colossal wave about to crash on to a pavement in Honolulu, Hawaii, took two months of studio work to plan and a further six months to execute with the help of 11 other artists.

It features Queen Lili’uokalani, the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands with Duke Kahanamoku – the ultimate father of surf.

The scene is so realistic that just as it was near completion, it attracted the attention of the fire brigade, which stopped its truck in the middle of traffic.

Mr Pugh said: ”They jumped out to rescue the children in the mural. They got about 15 feet away and then doubled over laughing when they realised what it was.’

Having a cow: Valentine’s Day, a mural unveiled during the Global Mural Conference in Twentynine Palms, California

Trick of the eye: John inserts a passer-by into the mural painted in Santa Cruz, California, entitled Bay in a Bottle, who is watching the ocean scene

Take a pew: This looks like a nice spot to rest your weary feet on a sidewalk in Sarasota County Health Center, Florida

This is the desired effect and Pugh enjoys the community-bonding properties of his public works.

He works on a large scale in public and residential areas and his paintings can be seen all over the world from New Zealand to Hawaii  – with many telling a story of the area where they are positioned.

Pugh is used to people’s amazed reactions when they pass his murals.

He said: ‘They say “wow did you see that. I thought that was real.”

‘Public art can link people together and stimulate a sense of pride within the community.

‘These life-size illusions allow me to communicate with a very large audience.

‘It seems almost universal that people take delight in being visually tricked.’

Pugh is currently working on a mural for a police station in California and also one for a recreation centre in Calgary, Canada.