“7 Pillars of Wisdom” was originally intended to be about seven ancient Arab cities. It is also a reference to the Book of Proverbs 9:1 which says: “Wisdom hath built her house, she has hewn out her seven pillars."
Lawrence had traveled throughout the region as an archeologist, so the area was familiar to him when he was called into service during World War I. A reluctant soldier, an unlikely hero, he once said of himself: “I've been & am absurdly over-estimated. There are no supermen & I'm quite ordinary, & will say so whatever the artistic results.” He craved anonymity, yet could not avoid the spotlight.
He was also a lover of music. One entire room of his house at Clouds Hill, near Wareham, England, was devoted to his record collection, which included much classical music.
T. E. Lawrence was a man who was placed in extraordinary historical circumstances; a man caught between two cultures that he loved equally. He was born on August 16, 1888, and died on May 21, 1935. If you’ve never read the book, read it!
Lawrence once said, "This creed of the desert seemed inexpressible in words, and indeed in thought." Tom Rasely has dared to attempt to express it in music. You can see the video of "Off the Pilgrim Road" at Tom's Youtube site.
Read more...