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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

Hanukkah

Toasting with champagne and sparklers is a New Year’s tradition, or is it a ritual? Source: Valerii/Adobe Stock

Why Rituals Have Been Crucial for Humans Throughout History

By Michelle Langley /The Conversation Each December, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, among others, take over our thoughts and our wallets as we participate in ceremonies our ancestors have practiced...
Ancient Oil Lamp Find Sheds Light on Middle Eastern History

Ancient Oil Lamp Find Sheds Light on Middle Eastern History

Archaeologists from Israel’s Antiquities Authority have announced an intriguing new discovery . In the city of Beit Shemesh, just 22 kilometers (14 miles) west of Jerusalem in Israel , they unearthed...
The Yavne gold coins were found during the Jewish holiday Chanukah. (Liat Nadav-Ziv / Israel Antiquities Authority)

Priceless Gold Coins Discovered in Ancient ‘Piggy Bank’ in Israel

Israeli archaeologists have discovered a small treasure trove of gold coins in an ancient ‘piggy bank’, which is believed to be the personal savings of a potter that worked in a kiln around 1200...
Hanukkah menorah with wailing wall in the background

Hanukkah Origins: ‘Miracle of Oil’ Exalted a Religious Freedom Victory in Ancient Jewish Temple

Known also as the Festival of Dedication, as well as the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah is a major Jewish holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees...