For Baha’is, the next month is a period of intense activity all around the globe as Baha’i communities celebrate the “bicentenary” of the Birth of the Bab, after commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah two years ago.  “The Báb”, whose title means “the gate” was born into Persian society in the 19^th century and announced the coming of Baha’u’llah in dramatic and stirring fashion.  His story is incredibly compelling on many levels, as He was just a youth of 25 yrs old when he announced his mission, and he was only on this earth for only 6 more years before he was executed by the Persian government at the behest of the religious authorities.  During that time, He revealed some of the most remarkable Tablets in the history of religion.  

A major part of the Báb’s mission in preparing the way for Baha’u’llah was to explain the concept of progressive revelation and how God interacts with and is reflected in the world.  His Writings therefore are deeply profound and important for everyone to appreciate.  In commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of His birth, Sifter of Dust will devote the next month to the celebration of the life and writings of the Báb.  We will also post links to content being produced around the world in honor of this event.  A link is provided on our main page to the Bicentenary website produced by the Baha’i World Center, and a second link entitled “The Prophet of Shiraz” will collect the Sifter of Dust posts for ease of archival viewing, as well as advertise events in the Philadelphia area that are open to the public. Enjoy!