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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Relief depicting an unknown man at the twin fortress of Rabana-Merquly. Was the site also a sanctuary to the water goddess Anahita? Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Parthian Fortress in Iraq May be a Sanctuary for Goddess Anahita

At the remote, ancient mountain fortress of Rabana-Merquly in Iraqi Kurdistan, German archaeologists have made a surprising discovery. Evidence has emerged that suggests the site had been used as a...
Representational image of Saint Thomas Aquinas. Source: ckybe / Adobe Stock

Who Was Thomas Aquinas and Why Is He Mentioned So Often?

Thomas Aquinas, who lived from 1225 to 1274 AD, played a crucial role in medieval Catholic theology and philosophy. Thanks to his profound insights and masterful integration of faith and reason,...
The Bible tells an overall story about the history of the world.  Source: Pixabay/Pexels/The Conversation

Who wrote the Bible?

Philip C. Almond /The Conversation The Bible tells an overall story about the history of the world: creation, fall, redemption and God’s Last Judgement of the living and the dead. The Old Testament (...
The Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, originally serving as the spiritual center of Eastern Christianity, played a symbolic and historical role in the Great Schism of 1054. Source: LALSSTOCK / Adobe Stock

East vs. West: The Untold Story of Christianity's Great Schism

Christianity is one of the foremost religions in the world. It has a long history, which was often fraught with crises, struggles, and persecutions. Of course, as the centuries passed, so did...
Rastafarian playing reggae music. Source: Victor / Adobe Stock

Reggae Music Lyrics are Intimately Linked to Historic Babylon

Next time you find yourself swaying along to Bob Marley’s Exodus , pay attention to the lyrics. “We know where we’re going. We know where we’re from. We leaving Babylon. We going to our Father’s Land...
The liberation of prisoners in Malaga by the Catholic Monarchs, as part of the Reconquista in 1487. Source: Public domain

Reclaiming Iberia: The Epic Tale of the Reconquista in Spain

The Reconquista , a pivotal chapter in medieval European history, represents the centuries-long struggle in the Iberian Peninsula as Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim their territories from...
5,500-Year-Old Neolithic Cranial Amulets Shed Light on Ancient Belief System

5,500-Year-Old Neolithic Cranial Amulets Shed Light on Ancient Belief System

In 1914, a Swiss amateur archaeologist, Ernest Roulin, approached the Museum of Science and Art in Ireland with an incredibly rare discovery – two ancient amulets made from fragments of human cranium...
Prehistoric Jomon dogu statue with large eyes and hips, Ebisuda Site in Tajiri, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.  1000–400 BC. Source: World Imaging/CC BY-SA 3.0

Ancient Dogu Figurines With Large Goggle-eyes Defy Scholarly Explanation

The Jomon Period is the earliest identifiable period in Japanese history and is broken into several categories—Incipient, Early, Middle, and Late. Comprised of a sedentary culture, the Jomon people...
Left; Representational image of the torture endured by Anabaptists whose bodies were displayed in Münster’s famed metal cages. Right; The three cages hanging from Münster Gothic Church of St. Lambert.  Source: Left; Dawn / Adobe Stock, Right; Rüdiger Wölk, Münster/CC BY-SA 2.5

Münster’s Hanging Cages Provide a Chilling Reminder of Religious Intolerance

If you ever find yourself in Münster, Germany, be sure to visit the Gothic Church of St. Lambert on the main market square. Three metal cages hanging off the church spire serve as a 16th-century...
Steaming cup of coffee. Source: alexandarilich / Adobe Stock

Coffee Sparked a Controversial Caffeine Crackdown in Mecca

Coffee drinking is part and parcel of everyday life, though it hasn’t always been that way. Curiously enough, coffee drinking was deemed so controversial in the early 16th century that it was banned...
Numa Pompilius giving the Laws to the Romans.  Source: Public Domain

Numa Pompilius: The Legendary Second King of Rome

Every great kingdom and empire have to start somewhere, right? One of history’s greatest realms was the Roman Empire, but even so, it began as a struggling city-state, supposedly led by kings. But...
Japanese Christian. Source: leungchopan / Adobe Stock.

Kakure Kirishitan: Japan’s Forbidden Faith (Video)

In 1614, a storm of persecution raged across Japan as Christianity was declared illegal. The crackdown led to the arrest and execution of missionaries, pushing the faithful underground. These...
The discovery of the word escencia has led historians to believe that the vase once belonged to the kakure kirishitan, or hidden Christians. Source: Nagasaki Prefectural Government

Hidden Christians’ Illicit Sacred Vase Brought to Light in Japan

A centuries-old relic associated with ancient Christian practice in Japan is causing a stir in the Japanese media. The item is believed to be an artifact preserved by Japan’s “kakure kirishitan” or...
Representative image of human skulls in one of the famous catacombs around the world. Source: mila103 / Adobe Stock

Tales from the Crypt: Exploring the World's Most Famous Catacombs

Beneath the streets and buildings of many of the world's most historic cities lie mysterious and ancient catacombs. These underground burial sites hold the remains of thousands of people and have...
The awe-inspiring Gopachal rock-cut Jain monuments in Madhya Pradesh, India. Source: sumit / Adobe Stock

India’s Gopachal Rock-Cut Jain Monuments: A Colossal Cultural Marvel

The Indian subcontinent boasts a rich history and is home to some of the world's most impressive ancient artworks. Among them are the awe-inspiring Gopachal rock-cut Jain monuments, which prompt...

Medieval Maverick: Roger Bacon's Quest for Knowledge and Truth

In the Middle Ages, knowledge was largely limited to what could be gleaned from ancient texts and the teachings of the church. However, there were those who refused to accept the limitations of their...
The Moors left behind a legacy of culture and architecture, such as the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, Spain. Source: lunamarina / Adobe Stock

15 Facts About the Moors You've Probably Never Heard

The Moors left a significant mark on medieval Europe, especially with their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD. They ruled over Spain for several centuries, transforming it culturally,...
Each of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse represent different aspects of the cleansing of the Earth, by Russian painter Viktor Vasnetsov. Source: Public domain

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Unleashing the End of the World

Throughout the history of civilization, the notion of the apocalypse has been a recurring theme in human history, transcending cultures and religions. It represents the ultimate reckoning, a...
Martyr of Fanaticism by José de Brito depicts a young woman being tortured during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth Behind the Black Legend (Part II)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
Auto de Fe in the Plaza Mayor, an oil painting from 1683 by Francisco Rizi. The painting depicts the ritual public penance carried out by heretics and apostates during the Spanish Inquisition. Source: Public domain

The Spanish Inquisition: The Truth behind the Dark Legend (Part I)

One of the most controversial organizations in history, the Spanish Inquisition has been poorly understood by the general public. This period of religious persecution, which took place between 1478...
Nursing Madonna (Madonna Lactans) by anonymous master from the School of Bruges. At the Chapel of the Milk Grotto in Bethlehem, Virgin Mary milk powder is sold as a cure for infertility. Source: Public domain

Even Today, Virgin Mary Milk Powder is Used as a Cure for Infertility

The Virgin Mary’s breast milk has been the subject of veneration for centuries and even today couples battling infertility often imbue it with miraculous powers. This is especially true at the Chapel...
Saint Bernard and the Virgin by Alonso Cano. Source: Public domain

The Virgin Mary Squirted Saint Bernard with Breast Milk

Mythology is filled with an array of outlandish and far-fetched stories. Christianity is no exception. One of the most surprising, at least for me, is the story of the 12th century monk, Saint...
Representational image of Saint Theodora of Vasta. Source: Francis Valadj / Adobe Stock

Saint Theodora of Vasta Spawned a Miraculous Church of Sprouting Trees

When discussing Saint Theodora , most people are referring to the rags-to-riches story of the prostitute-come-empress, and wife of Justinian I , who worked to promote women rights in the 6th century...
Lithography of Saint Helena by Fridolin Leiber. Source: Public domain

St Helena, Discoverer of the True Cross, Was the First Archaeologist

In 326 AD the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine set out on a legendary pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Dubbed the world’s “first archaeologist,” Saint Helena was posthumously credited with...

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