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The 5,000-year-old rock painting in this photo, may depict a Nativity-type scene like the 2,000-year-old scenes of Jesus’ birth. Dr. Morelli came across the cave painting in Egypt in 2005 but went public with it in 2016. Source: Marco Morelli, via Seeker.com

5,000-Year-Old Rock Art Suggests a Nativity Scene 3,000 Years Before Jesus’ Birth

About 5,000 years ago an artist in Egypt painted an apparent nativity scene onto the rocks of a small cave—a tableau similar to crèche scenes that depict Jesus being laid in a manager in a cave or...
Representational image of a woman giving a birthday present. Source: GrafitiRex / Adobe Stock

Gifts Across the Ages: When Did People Start Giving Birthday Presents?

For every individual, their birthday is an important and very meaningful date. Whether you’re nine or 90, you can’t help but feel happy and elated on your special day, especially when your friends...
Royal queen in her bedchamber. Source: Anneke / Adobe Stock.

What Giving Birth Was Like for Royal Mothers (Video)

Royal childbirths, a far cry from today's private affairs, were once grand spectacles, laden with political significance. Public scrutiny was the norm, with hundreds of onlookers present to confirm...
Representation of an Australopithecus family. The evolution of human birth takes us back to Australopithecus afarensis like “Lucy” that may have required some help in childbirth. Source:  Andrii/Adobe Stock

The Evolution of Human Birth: An Incredible Story a Million Years in the Making

Australopithecus afarensis, a human ancestor could have given birth in a way that combines the childbirth practices of chimpanzees and human beings a team of scientists have claimed. They reported...
How Agnes Bowker Gave Birth to a Cat and the Wild Trial

How Agnes Bowker Gave Birth to a Cat and the Wild Trial

On January 17 th , 1569, the simple, unwed house servant Agnes Bowker of Market Harborough, England, was in the throes of giving birth to a secret child. By her side were the midwives Margaret Roose...
The birthday of a Sun God became the birthday of the Son of God.

Why Christmas is Held on December 25th

According to popular tradition, Christmas is celebrated on December 25th to honor the birth of Jesus. However, no records exist in the Bible or elsewhere to suggest that Jesus was actually born on...
Ancient Eulogia Token Depicts An Unusual Nativity Scene

Ancient Eulogia Token Depicts An Unusual Nativity Scene

An ancient stone token depicting a deeply religious scene, the Nativity, was discovered in the Holy Land. It’s being described as being “unlike all others,” because it doesn’t feature Mary and Joseph...
Kosher Female Figurines in Judah During The Biblical Period?

Kosher Female Figurines in Judah During The Biblical Period?

Israeli archeologist Dr. Aaron Greener asks “what are clay female figurines doing in Judah during the biblical period?” My non-archeologist answer is; they represent kosher (suitable for religious...
The temazcal, sweat lodge, found in La Merced, Mexico City, Mexico. Source: INAH

Finding Temazcaltitlán: Aztec ‘Sweat Lodge’ Holds Sacred Meaning in Mexico

The ruins of a 14th century Aztec ‘sweat lodge’, known as a temazcal, have been unearthed in Mexico City . It is located in the historic La Merced district and helps experts pinpoint where...
Like a Virgin? The Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus

Like a Virgin? The Controversial Account of Mary, Mother of Jesus

The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, is one of the key symbols of Christianity and a woman whose cult changed the world. However, she may be one of the most misunderstood biblical people. According to...

A Christmas story: the arrival of a sweet baby boy – or a political power to change the world?

Robyn J. Whitaker / The Conversation Dear tiny Jesus, with your golden fleece diapers, with your tiny little fat balled-up fists … Dear 8 pound 6 ounce newborn infant Jesus, don’t even know a word...
God Speed’ (1900) by Edmund Leighton. William the Conqueror’s parents may not have been exactly like this knight and lady, but their love story is an interesting one!

William the Conqueror’s Parents: The Story of Robert the Bonk-erer and Herleva

What would you say if the mom of one of the most notorious kings of the Middle Ages was actually an embalmer’s daughter? Well, such an idea is actually not that far-fetched, especially because even...
The remains of a mother and fetus were buried alongside those of two other children in the early days of the Black Death in Italy, however researchers cannot say for certain that they died of the plague.

New Details Emerge on the Black Death by Examining a Plague Victim and her Tragic Coffin Birth

We can only guess about the life and times of a young mother and two children buried with her, possibly felled by the first wave of the bubonic plague in the 1340s in Italy. They were all buried in a...
A Boy, to Vei, to Venus? Piecing Together the Puzzle of the Etruscan Orvieto Necropolis

A Boy, to Vei, to Venus? Piecing Together the Puzzle of the Etruscan Orvieto Necropolis

Ancient Etruscan deities continue to puzzle researchers. Unveiling the truth about their cults and positions in the pantheon took decades, yet they still protect some of their secrets. One of the...
Where Royals Were Born: The 1,000-Year-Old Kukaniloko Birthing Site of Hawaii

Where Royals Were Born: The 1,000-Year-Old Kukaniloko Birthing Site of Hawaii

The Kukaniloko Birthing Site is an important cultural and historical site located in Central Oahu, Hawaii that is sacred to the native Hawaiians, as it was the place where many Ali’i (Hawaiian...
Are Stone Circles Ancient Pregnancy Calendars?

Are Stone Circles Ancient Pregnancy Calendars?

Even today, giving birth can be one of the most dangerous moments in a woman's life. In ancient times it would have been even more so. Matriarchal societies would have tried to ensure the safest...
The Elusive Egyptian Hall of Records and Hopi Lessons of Death and Rebirth

The Elusive Egyptian Hall of Records and Hopi Lessons of Death and Rebirth

The constellation of Orion is not wearing a belt. Instead, I think the middle star represents his navel. Medical scientists are just now finding out all the powers of the navel, the umbilical cord,...
A possible example of a ‘coffin birth’.

The Bizarre Phenomenon of Coffin Births

I was reading through an article yesterday from the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology titled The Non-Adult Cohort from Le Morne Cemetery, Mauritius: A Snap Shot of Early Life and Death after...