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crucifixion

The Shroud of Turin: modern, digitally processed image of the face on the cloth. Source: Dianelos Georgoudis/CC BY-SA 3.0

Decoding the Enigma of the Shroud of Turin (Video)

In the tumultuous backdrop of Jerusalem in 33 AD, the narrative of Jesus Christ's final days unfolded dramatically. Following his triumphal entry into the city and subsequent confrontation within the...
Jesus on the cross. Source: ImagineDesign / Adobe Stock.

The Crucifixion Gap: Why it Took Hundreds of Years for Art to Depict Jesus on the Cross

The cross , or crucifix, is arguably the central image of Christianity. What’s the difference between the two? A cross is just that - an empty cross. It stands as a statement that Jesus is no longer...
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...
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...
Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo – Christ with Joseph of Arimathea Source: Public Domain

Did Joseph of Arimathea Bring the Holy Grail to Britain?

According to the Biblical Gospels , Joseph of Arimathea played a key role in the days following Jesus’ death and leading up to his resurrection . It is claimed that he removed Jesus’ body from the...
Representation of Jesus Christ in death. Source: nito / Adobe Stock

Doctor-Turned-Priest Determines How Jesus Died from the Shroud of Turin

A new study published in the journal Catholic Medical Quarterly claims to have discovered the specific cause of Jesus Christ’s death. He died from excessive bleeding caused by a severely dislocated...
According to the ancient text, Judas used a kiss to identify Jesus due to his abilities as a shapeshifter. Source: The Morgan Library & Museum

The Ancient Text That Describes Jesus as a Shapeshifter

It was in March 2013 when reports flooded the headlines about a newly deciphered Egyptian text, dating back almost 1,200 years, which controversially described Jesus as having the ability to change...
Roman executions at the Colosseum were a gruesome affair, as depicted in The Christian Marturs' Last Prayer by Jean-Léon Gérôme. Source: Public domain

Roman Executions in the Colosseum: The Stories of Laureolus and Androcles

Public order in ancient Rome was a priority for the elite, who contrived a range of gruesome punishments for purportedly serious crimes deserving the death penalty. As a result, a day of fun and...
Representation of holy nails of the Crucifixion and crown of thorns.	Source: vetre / Adobe Stock

More Hope For “The True Holy Nail”?

Archaeologists in the Czech Republic have discovered a secret chamber beneath a 12th century monastery floor. In it, they discovered an ancient box with a gold plate, inscribed with “Jesus is King.”...
Basilica of the Holy Blood – Does it Really Hold the Blood of Jesus?

Basilica of the Holy Blood – Does it Really Hold the Blood of Jesus?

The beautiful city of Bruges in Belgium is so well maintained it is said that strolling through town is like walking through a gallery of European architecture. But it’s not only the buildings which...
More Hope and Controversy Over Crucifixion Nails Linked to Jesus

More Hope and Controversy Over Crucifixion Nails Linked to Jesus

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is probably the central event in the Christian religion . Some researchers now believe that they may have found the crucifixion nails that were used in the death of...
The Garden Tomb, rock tomb in Jerusalem, Israel      Source: valenizi / Adobe Stock

Could the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem be the Site of Jesus’ Resurrection?

Jerusalem is an ancient city, founded as the City of David in 1010 BC, but there is evidence of settlements going back to 4500 BC. It has been conquered more than 40 times by various nations,...
Closeup of the front side of double-side mold recently found in Switzerland.                Source: Graubünden Archaeological Service

Does This Ancient Mold Depict Christ Or Odin? You Decide

A team of excavators at an archaeological dig in Chur, Switzerland have unearthed a 1000-year-old double-sided mold that was used to forge Christian jewellery . Or was it? The unusual double-sided...
Nazareth Inscription.

New Evidence Throws Doubt On Nazareth Inscription’s Ties To Jesus

During the 1930s, a stone tablet was sent from Nazareth to the Louvre Museum in Paris, which became the focus of religious scholars and biblical archaeologists after its inscription was translated...
Main: depiction of the crucifixion/death of Jesus Christ and the thieves, Gestas and Dismas. (Andrea Mantegna / Public domain).        Inset: The calcaneus of Yehohanon ben Hagkol, with transfixed nail. (Israel Museum / Ilan Shtulman)

New Crucifixion Evidence Sheds Light on the Death of Jesus Christ

An investigation into crucifixions reveals evidence using the latest medical technology on how the horrific form of execution was slow and excruciating, providing new insights into the death of Jesus...
Spring Goddess

The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter

Easter is a festival and holiday celebrated by millions of people around the world who honor the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred three days...
There is much debate between scholars to Jesus’ crucifixion date, but there is no real consensus. Is there anyway of us knowing the truth? Left: portrait of Sir Isaac Newton. (Public domain).     Right: representation of Jesus’ crucifixion. (Kovalenko I / Adobe stock)

Sir Isaac Newton’s Astronomical Dating of Christ's Crucifixion

Whether he existed as a physical person, or as some believe, was merely an archetype from Jewish mysticism, Jesus has taken the world by storm and according to the Complete Pilgrim , very rough...
Archaeologist Busted for Faking Artifacts Showing Jesus Crucifixion

Archaeologist Busted for Faking Artifacts Showing Jesus Crucifixion

Archaeologists stand on trial, accused of faking a collection of holy artifacts including the earliest depiction of the crucifixion of Christ. Archaeologist Eliseo Gil, geologist Óscar Escribano, and...
Return to the Convent by Eduardo Zamacois y Zabala (1868) Carmen Thyssen Museum (Public Domain)

Mockery of the Crucifixion: The Sacred Donkey and the Cross

In 1857 in a cell of the ruins of Imperial Palace on the Palantine Hill in Rome, a curious graffiti representing a crucified man ( corpus humanum... suffigitur in cruce ) but with the head and ears...
Sts Savinus and Cyprian are tortured (circa 1100) Abbey Church of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe (Public Domain)

Horrific Prolonged Capital Punishments in Ancient Times

All are familiar with the burning of witches and criminals – who often died by asphyxia or cardiac arrest before their flesh was consumed by the flames - but since antiquity the cruel ingenuity of...
Longinus piercing Christ’s side with the Holy Lance    Source: Gerrit De La Vallé / Public domain

Piercing the Veil: Uncovering the Secrets of The Holy Lance

Christianity, as one of the world’s most prominent and widely practiced religions, brings along a whole string of myths, stories, historical occurrences, and relics. From saints and their remains, to...
Medieval Masterpiece ‘Christ Mocked’ by Cimabue   Source: Eric Turquin Experts en Tableaux

Kitchen Mantelpiece Masterpiece Sold For Almost $27 Million

A long-lost medieval masterpiece by one of the fathers of Renaissance painting discovered this year has been sold at auction for an astounding sum, way exceeding the auctioneers estimate. The work...
A section of the Pilgrim’s Path dating to the Second Temple period.    Source: SHAI HALEVY/Israel Antiquities Authority

Evidence Indicates Pilgrim’s Path Was Built By Pontius Pilate

The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced it has found solid evidence the Pilgrim’s Path in Jerusalem dates from the 1st century AD. This means that it was possibly commissioned by Pontius...
Christ the Redeemer struck by lightning. Credit: Cecilia / Adobe Stock

Rio’s Christ the Redeemer Statue Survives Despite Lightning Strikes

Perhaps the best-known landmark in the vast country of Brazil is the colossal statue, ‘Christ the Redeemer’. At 125 feet high, it continues to stand tall despite the fact that it has been struck by...

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