All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

deity

Detail of Khnum, the ram-headed ancient Egyptian god. Source: PTimm/Deviantart

Khnum – Ancient Egypt’s Lord of the Land of Life

Who was Khnum? The oldest and most important deities in the Egyptian pantheon are often the most mysterious and lacking in scholarly information. They are old – so old - that they’re veiled in a mist...
Sarcophagus of Tutankhamun with close up on the crook and flail. 	Source: Public Domain

Why Did the Humble Crook and Flail Symbolism Appeal to the Pharaohs?

Kings and queens, monarchs, emperors and rulers all over the world, through time immemorial, have had the responsibility of leading their people and defending their kingdoms. Monarchs are viewed as...
Lion hunt. Mosaic from Pella (ancient Macedonia), late 4th century BC, depicting Alexander the Great and Craterus. Housed in the Pella Museum. Image: Public Domain

Alexander the Great: God of Youth and Ambition?

Alexander III of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), was a Macedonian king who ruled over an expansive empire that reached from Greece to the Gandharan regions of Pakistan...
Hindu goddess Saraswati

Saraswati: Hindu Goddess of Wisdom and Protector of the Universe

A deity with as many attributes as arms, Saraswati (or Sarasvati) is the Hindu goddess of aesthetics. These include music, the arts, wisdom and learning. She can be compared, in many ways, to the...
Dennis Piechota (from left), Adam Middleton, and Joe Green work on the ancient Egyptian coffin of Ankh-Khonsu with a team at the Semitic Museum. Source: Kris Snibbe / Harvard Gazette.

Image of God Found in Ancient Egyptian Coffin

Experts at Harvard University in the United States have made an astonishing discovery in a 3,000 year-old Egyptian coffin . They have found a painted image of an ancient deity inside a casket. It was...
Egyptian gods. Source: Catmando / Adobe Stock

Polytheistic Religion: How Pantheons Reigned in the Ancient World

Over the years there have been gods for creation, death, love, war, and everything in between. Zeus, Hera, and their companions on Mount Olympus, Odin, Frigg, and the rest of the Æsir, Osiris, Isis,...
Fertility goddesses can be found in all cultures and times. Source: zolotareva_elina /Adobe Stock

Praying For Life – Top 10 Ancient Fertility Goddesses

Throughout the ancient history of the world, polytheism - commonly known as paganism or heathenism - was the defining aspect of all societies and civilizations. Our ancestors had complex and...
The wrapped cat mummy and the 3D reconstruction of what is hidden inside. Source: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes

You Don’t Always Find What You’d Expect in a Cat Mummy

Gone are the days when a mummy had to be unwrapped to discover what’s inside. Improvements in medical technology and the application of that technology to archaeological research has helped...
Nayanar statue of the Bhakti movement. Source: Lightofchairat / Adobe Stock.

Who Were the Tamil Saints of the Bhakti Movement?

Broadly speaking, the Tamil saints refers to the holy men and women of Hinduism who lived in Tamilakam, the geographical area inhabited by the ancient Tamil people which covers the southern tip of...
Heryshaf depicted as a ram wearing symbolic headdress. (Rama / CC BY-SA 3.0)

The Egyptian God Heryshaf – Mysterious Lord of Heracleopolis

We all know that the wonders of the ancient Egyptian pantheon are many and so amazing – and the deities that lurk within that pantheon are almost impossible to count and mention. Many of these...
Towers of Silence, Iran (delbars / Adobe Stock)

Achaemenid Religion: Lighting the Spirit of Ancient Persia

The Achaemenid Persian Empire is historically important for the Western world because of the influence of the Persian civilization on both the ancient Greeks and the ancient Jews. Because of this...
Goddess of Egypt, Bastet. Credit: MiaStendal / Adobe Stock

Egyptian Cat Goddess Bastet, Protector of the King

The wondrous world of Egyptian deities is filled with all manner of fantastic creatures, each one captivating in its unique depiction. This vast pantheon features hundreds upon hundreds of deities,...
The goddess Hathor

Hathor: Goddess of Joy and Motherhood Near the Nile

The shadow of Hathor is still present in many places related to the monumental history of ancient Egypt. She was one of the most important goddesses near the Nile and remains one of the best-known...
Old druid with wooden mug (tverdohlib/Adobe Stock)

Dagda, Potbellied Chief Deity of the Celtic Pantheon

To date Celtic mythology remains one of the more enigmatic of the collective European folklore. Its deep-rooted legends, imaginative fables and magical myths deserve exploration to provide valuable...
Ares, God of war in ancient Greece.

The Power of Ares: Greek God of War, Lust, and Protection

Ares is one of the most popular gods of the Greek pantheon. He is also one of the earliest documented deities, known from the texts much older than the Iliad. This deity is primarily known as a...
The Finnish sky god Ukko. Source: Risukarhi / Public Domain.

Ukko, The Mighty Finnish God of Thunder and Lightening

Every culture has its sky deity or old man of the heavens. The ancient Greeks had Zeus . The Romans had Jupiter . For the Norse , Thor essentially played this role. The Finns are no exception. For...
The wooden arm was found at the bottom of an ancient Roman well. Source: Oxford Archaeology

Wooden Arm Found in Roman Well in England Is a Real Oddity

Archaeologists in England have made an unusual discovery in a Roman well. They found a wooden arm at the bottom that is remarkably well-preserved and remarkably skillfully carved . This find is one...
Entrance to Balankanchè Cave. Source: Artix Kreiger 2 / CC BY-SA 2.0.

Maya Gateway to the World Below: Balankanché Cave, Throne of the Tiger Priest

Caves are central to the cosmologies of many world cultures , used by humans from the dawn of time. They are associated with powerful natural forces and are believed to be dwelling places for...
Representational image of Enki.

Enki: The Epic Mesopotamian Water God Who Saved Humanity

In the belief system of the Sumerians, Enki (known also as Ea by the Akkadians and Babylonians) was regarded to be one of the most important deities. Originally Enki was worshipped as a god of fresh...
A depiction of Quetzalcoatl as a feathered serpent in Teotihuacan

Quetzalcoatl: From Feathered Serpent to Creator God

Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent or ‘plumed serpent’, was one of the most important gods in the ancient Mesoamerican pantheon. The name Quetzalcoatl is a combination of two Nahuatl (the language of...
Sumerian warriors

The Sumerian Seven: The Top-Ranking Gods in the Sumerian Pantheon

The Sumerian religion was polytheistic in nature, and the Sumerians worshipped a great number of deities. These deities were anthropomorphic beings, and were meant to represent the natural forces of...
Illustration of Anubis statues (MiaStendal / Adobe Stock)

Anubis, Egyptian God of the Dead and the Underworld

As god of embalming and the dead, the afterlife and lost souls, Anubis is one of the most prominent and mystical gods of ancient Egypt . He was known since the earliest periods in the history of the...
Mesopotamian god

Utu - Shamash: Mesopotamian God of the Sun, Justice and the Underworld

Utu was a solar deity and god of justice in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon, and also served as a judge in the Underworld. Whilst Utu was the god’s name in Sumerian, he was known in Akkadian as...
Osiris, Egyptian God of the Underworld

The Outstanding Story of Osiris: His Myth, Symbols, and Significance in Ancient Egypt

Osiris, the green-skinned god of the underworld, lord of the afterlife and judge of the dead, is one of the best-known gods from ancient Egypt. His story provided his followers with reassurance for...

Pages