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Left, The Trumpington Cross is found during the excavation of the burial in 2012. Top right, The Trumpington Cross. Bottom Right, Skull of Anglo-Saxon girl in the burial. Source: University of Cambridge Archaeological Unit

Rare Anglo-Saxon Trumpington Cross Girl Burial Has Been Given A Face

Who Was This Anglo-Saxon Girl? Face of Trumpington Cross Bed Burial Revealed In 2011, a mid-7th century Anglo-Saxon Christian burial of a 16-year-old teenage girl in a village had turned out to be...
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...
Ancient bible manuscript. Source: Cla78 / Adobe Stock.

Mysterious Manuscripts: The Fascinating Story of Ancient Bibles (Video)

Ancient religious texts have always been a source of fascination and intrigue, offering a glimpse into the beliefs and customs of people from bygone eras. A collection of mysterious and ancient...
Easter table decoration. Source: Viktoriia / Adobe Stock.

History of the Holidays: Easter (Video)

Easter is the holiest day on the Christian calendar, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, despite being a Christian holiday, the history of Easter has pagan and Jewish roots. The...
Pagan ritual. Source: Justinas / Adobe Stock.

Uncomfortable Truth: The Dark Origins of Easter? (Video)

The story of Easter is one that is steeped in tradition and has become one of the most celebrated holidays in the Christian calendar. However, many people are unaware of the pagan roots of this...
Jesus on the cross. Source: ImagineDesign / Adobe Stock.

Ye Olde Dragon Slayer: The Legend of St George (Video)

In a time long ago, in a land far away, there lived a legendary hero whose name echoed throughout the ages. He was a mighty warrior, a skilled knight , and a fierce dragon slayer. This hero's name...
‘A Dance to the Music of Time’ (1634-1635) by Nicolas Poussin. Source: Public Domain

Humans Have Been Making New Year’s Resolutions for Over 4,000 Years

New Year’s resolutions are a popular practice. Countless people begin to consider them every year as December 31st rolls around. Although big plans and ambitious goals can be difficult to follow...
There are many Christian martyrs, whose deaths were often evilly innovative. Shown: The central panel of the altarpiece of St. Sebastian. Source: Public Domain

Six Supremely Sadistic Deaths of Christian Martyrs

Standing up for what you believe in isn’t always easy. The early Christians are a prime example of this. They faced centuries of persecution at the hands of various Roman rulers. These early...
St. Patrick’s Bell (left) is a simple design. The shrine (right) later designed to cover it is quite intricate. Source: National Museum of Ireland / CC BY SA 2.0

St. Patrick’s Bell: The Story of an Iconic Irish Artifact

Ireland is home to many iconic historical artifacts and objects, from the Book of Kells to the Tara Brooch. Many of these items are beautifully designed but shrouded in mystery. Others have a long...
A drone shot of the monastery, including a single-aisle church, refectory, cistern, storeroom and kitchen. The nearby courtyard building, lower right, may be an abbot’s house or ‘bishop’s palace.’ Siniyah Island in Umm al-Quwain, United Arab Emirates.	 Source: Nasser Muhsen Bin Tooq / Department of Archaeology and Tourism of Umm Al-Quwain via AP

Pre-Islamic Ruins Found in UAE Belong to Rare 6th Century Christian Monastery

The ruins of a Christian monastery dating back to the sixth or seventh century have been discovered on sandy Siniyah Island (Al Sinniyah Island), which is located in the southern Persian Gulf just...
Excavations at the first known Christian church at Antakya, Turkey.   Source: Anadolu Agency

Digging Into The Hidden Chambers of Oldest Christian Church In The World

Archaeologists in Turkey have excavated the “world’s first church.” Within late Roman-era chambers they discovered smashed clay offering vessels which once held holy water. The team of Turkish...
Reconstructed face of a medieval woman from the 14th century, who was buried at Whithorn Priory, Galloway, Scotland.	Source: Dr Chris Rynn / University of Dundee

The Medieval Faces of Whithorn Priory’s Cold Case Project Revealed

A three-dimensional likeness of a young woman buried at Galloway, Scotland’s Whithorn Priory, laid to rest at one of Scotland’s earliest Christian sites centuries ago, is about to be revealed. The...
Replica of the “Saxon Princess” bed burial at Kirkleatham Museum. Source: Prioryman/CC BY-SA 3.0

Bed Burials Linked to Medieval Christian Husband Hunters

A burial practice among elite medieval Europeans was to be interred on their beds, a rite which archaeologists call “a bed burial.” An English researcher has now completed an analysis of 72 bed...
The ideas behind the Mormon creation theory are captured in the Replica of Christus (1838) by Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), located in the Temple Square North Visitors Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Source: Public domain

The Mormon Creation Theory and What it is Built Upon

From the time of early humankind, staring up at the night sky or watching the sunrise, we have wondered at the vastness and beauty of the world around us. Christians have a creation story, American...
Book pages curled into a heart for Valentine’s Day. 	Source: pirotehnik / Adobe Stock

Day of Love? The Complex Origins of Valentine’s Day

On February 14, couples from around the world recognize Valentine’s Day. For most, Valentine’s Day is a day of love, a day to shower your beloved with gifts and tokens of appreciation, to enjoy a...
The Jersey Devil

The Devil Walks Among Us: The Legend of The Jersey Devil

Inhabiting the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States, is a creature known as the Jersey Devil. This legendary being has been described as a kangaroo-like creature with the head of a goat...
Saint Oswald's Church, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England, dedicated to King Oswald of Northumbria, who became a saint. 		Source: Peter / Adobe Stock

King and Saint: King Oswald of Northumbria and His Lost Throne Quest

Much of English history was defined by critical wars, conflicts, and invasions. However, not everything was drenched in chaos and bloodshed. Throughout the ages, powerful rulers were there to keep...
Capuchin Catacombs and the 'Sleeping Beauty' mummy

The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo and Their Most Famous Mummy

Human beings have always had a fascination with death. In some cultures, the dead are never left alone, but continue to interact with the living. For instance, some set up ancestor cults to...
The reconstruction of the Pictish fort. Source: University of Aberdeen

Bringing History to Life: Immense Pictish Fort is Reconstructed in 3D

Scottish archaeologists have released a mind-boggling 3D reconstruction of the largest royal Pictish fort ever discovered. Burghead Fort was the largest settlement of northern Picts in what is today...
Ruins of the Byzantine Church which is now virtually reconstructed

Virtually Visit a Byzantine Church Built for a Mysterious Martyr

In 2017 Israeli archaeologists made a stunning discovery from the Byzantine period . They uncovered a Christian church that is elaborately decorated with breath-taking mosaics . The Byzantine church...
Ostracism: From Divine Punishment to Political Maneuvers

Ostracism: From Divine Punishment to Political Maneuvers

As the world’s powers perpetually rise and fall, exile and banishment have forever been ubiquitous elements of human history. Exile and ostracism have afflicted individuals and nations, inspiring...
The Venerable Bede and the Origins of the English ‘Nation’

The Venerable Bede and the Origins of the English ‘Nation’

How do you define a nation? Most people would probably think of a nation as being a defined geographical area governed by a political body of some sort which acts on behalf of its citizens, who are...
A young priest listens to confession.

Penitentials - Medieval Priests Had Handbooks to Deal with Sexual Deviance

Penance has played a prominent role in religions all over the world. And the interesting thing is there are documents spanning the globe which discuss penance and provide clear opportunities to find...
The Immovable Ladder at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

The Immovable Ladder: Bizarre Feud Prevents Ordinary Ladder Being Moved for 3 Centuries

The Immovable Ladder is an ordinary wooden ladder with an extraordinary history. It was placed under a window on the exterior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem and, due...

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