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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Mother Shipton’s Cave. Source: GetFocusArt / Adobe Stock.

Mother Shipton’s Cave Turns Objects into Stone… Literally! (Video)

Nestled within the quaint village of Knaresborough lies a place steeped in folklore and mystery – Mother Shipton's Cave . The origins of this age-old tourist attraction are shrouded in uncertainty,...
Mother Shipton's Cave

Mother Shipton’s Cave of Magic, Mystery, and Prophecy

According to legend, one of the most famous mystical women of England was born in a cave in Knaresborough, Yorkshire. The place of her birth, now known as Mother Shipton’s Cave, continues to be a...
Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Source: Haris Gunawan / Adobe Stock

The Meaning of Mecca, Islam’s Holiest City

Mecca (also spelled as Makkah) is regarded as the holiest city in Islam. Apart from the fact that Mecca was the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, it is also the city where Islam’s holiest place of...
Detail of a Manicheanism scene.

Manichaeism: The Ancient Religion that Rivaled Christianity

Manichaeism is a multi-faceted religion that was founded by Iranian prophet Mani. After a revelation with the angel Eltaum, Mani prepared for 12 years to proclaim himself to the people. Manichaeism...
Saul and the Witch of Endor

The Biblical Witch of Endor: Contacting the Spirit of a Prophet

The Witch of Endor is also known as the biblical Medium of Endor. According to legend, she was a medium who apparently summoned the Prophet Samuel's spirit. She is known from the Old Testament but...
Painting of Zarathustra (Zoroaster) at a temple in Isfahan, Iran.

Who Was Zoroaster and How Did He Gain Religious Followers?

Zoroaster was a prophet of ancient Persia, whose teachings laid the foundation for the religion known as Zoroastrianism, which largely dominated the land of Iran until the arrival of Islam after the...
Muhammad and Abu Bakr flee Mecca, as depicted in ‘The Outline of History’

The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Spreading Islam from Mecca to Medina

The Prophet Muhammad is often called the founder of Islam, but he is also something of a mystery because there is little concrete biographical information about his life in the Qu’ran. To learn more...
The Cube of Zoroaster at Naqsh-e Rustam - an ancient necropolis located in Fars Province, Iran, with a group of ancient Iranian rock reliefs cut into the cliff, from both the Achaemenid and Sassanid periods.

The 2500-year-old Cube of Zoroaster To Stay Shaken But Not Stirred

Many archaeologically significant sites are under threat from the elements or because of environmental issues. For some time, one of the most important monuments in Iran was believed to be under...
9th century painting of Jean Baptist Huysmans showing an Islamic Egyptian family during an evening prayer.

A History of Islam: The Second Largest Religion in Today’s World Began With a Divine Revelation

The word ‘Islam’ means ‘submission or surrender to the will of God’. Islam is one of the major world religions, and with over 1 billion adherents, is the second largest religion in the world today...
Stained glass representation of the Prophet Isaiah by Valentin Bousch.

What is the Legacy of Isaiah the Prophet?

Isaiah the prophet is known for having urged Israel to rely on Yahweh, their national god, instead of on the political power, and the gods of nations like Egypt or Assyria for protection and...
St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt (Wikimedia Commons)

The Monastery of Saint Catherine: A Controversial Agreement Across Faiths

At the foot of Mount Sinai is Saint Catherine’s Monastery, described as ‘the oldest Christian monastery still in use for its initial function’. It is officially known as the Holy Monastery of the God...
This 2,700-year-old seal impression contains the Hebrew name for "Isaiah" and may refer to the biblical prophet who lived at the same time.

The Mark of a Prophet? This May Be the Signature of Isaiah

Back in 2009, archaeologists working near Temple Mount came across a collection of clay seals. One was identified in 2015 as belonging to King Hezekiah, an 8th century BC biblical king. Now, another...
A shepherd (Jesus? Tammuz? Other?) with his flock.

Tammuz and Jesus: More Than a Distant Connection?

Christianity has its origins in a Middle Eastern religion, Judaism, so it is little surprise that there are some residual similarities between Christian theological thought and ancient Middle Eastern...
Ior Bock.

The Ior Bock Saga: Is Everything We Know about History Wrong?

There are many disagreements among scholars regarding historical events and individuals, however there is a consensus that most historians follow - a mainstream view of world history. At the same...
David chops off the head of the giant, Goliath. Stained glass window.

Was David Just an Opportunist in a Rise to Power? Challenging the Story of the Valley of Elah — Part II

The story of David rise to power is very political. The well-known tale of the famous giant-slayer and second king of the Israelites, according to the Hebrew Bible, goes that after an exchange of...
David and Goliath, by Antonio Zanchi (1631—1722)

Did David Really Kill Goliath? Challenging the Story of the Valley of Elah — Part I

The story of David rise to power is very political. The tale of the famous giant-slayer and second king of the Israelites, according to the Hebrew Bible, starts with the slaughter of a tribe – women...
An artistic representation of Al-Muqanna, the Veiled Prophet.

Second Moon Uprising: How Science and Skullduggery Helped an 8th Century Prophet Raise a Revolt

“The 'Moon of Nakhshab' was an artificial moon which Hakim Ibn-e 'Ata, known as Muqanna' (the Veiled One), caused to arise from the Pit of Nakhshab. This moon had been prepared by means of [magical]...
Cairn T, at Loughcrew in Ireland, the site of the Prophet Jeremiah’s tomb. Source: © Laurence O’Bryan

Could Ireland’s Cairn T Really Be the Tomb of the Prophet Jeremiah?

Cairn T is at a junction of the Road of the Chariots in County Meath, in the Boyne Valley, Ireland. Unfortunately, it’s not on Google Maps yet, but nearby Loughcrew House is. Cairn T is nearer to the...
Imam Ali Mosque - Shrine of: 1st Shia Imam - Ali ibn abi Talib; Prophet Adam; and Prophet Nuh (Noah).

Is this the Final Resting Place of Noah? It is Certainly One of the Contenders

The tale about a huge ship (of Biblical proportions) that enabled the survival of all of the species of animals around the world sounds impressive, but also quite unbelievable. Nonetheless, its...
A painting said to be of Lozen on display at the International Native American Memorial in Saint Augustine, Florida.

Lozen: An Intelligent and Brave Apache Warrior Woman

Lozen was a female warrior of the Chiricahua Apaches (known also as the Members or Warm Springs Apache) who lived during the 19th century. Apart from her prowess as a warrior, Lozen is reputed to...
Prophet Elijah (Al-Khidr) Rescuing Nur ad-Dahr from the Sea, a scene from the Hamzanama, here imagined in a Persian miniature by Mir Sayyid Ali (c. 1550 C.E.).

The Strange Life of Al-Khidr, the Legendary Immortal Prophet, Mystic, Trickster and Sea Spirit

In ancient Islamic legend, there exists the wonderful, contrary figure of Al-Khiḍr, an immortal prophet who kills a youth out of mercy and who scuttles a boat of some travelers to deny the greed of a...
Deriv; Moses and the Messengers from Canaan, Christopher Marlowe

Questioning the Moses Timeline: Clues revealed in work of murdered playwright Marlowe

On May 29th, 1593, a government informer, Richard Baines, formally charged the famous playwright, Christopher Marlowe, with blasphemy. The complaint sent to Queen Elizabeth I read: “Containing the...
A old tomb of the Zoroastrianism religion in the Sulaymaniyah province, Kurdistan. The inside has been robbed and is empty.

Emergence of Zoroastrianism and The Legacy of Zarathushtra

Read Part One At first, Zarathushtra preached among ordinary people on the streets but met harsh resistance from the conservative priesthood, and his teachings were dismissed. For twelve years he...
Zarathushtra

Zarathushtra - The Revolutionary Iranian Prophet and First Philosopher in History

There was a time when the philosophy of oneness, one entity and one universal power emerged out of the polytheistic teachings. The Persian words goftare nik, pendare nik, kerdare nik meaning good...

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