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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Representation of the holy grail. Source:  F. J. Carneros / Adobe Stock.

The Holy Grail: Could Valencia's Sacred Chalice Be the One? (Video)

In the realm of ancient mysteries and sacred relics, few objects captivate the imagination as powerfully as the Holy Grail . Often shrouded in enigmatic tales and elusive quests, the search for this...
Artist’s interpretation of the holy grail.

The Truth About the Holy Grail: Magical Chalices Around the World

Most people identify one special chalice as the only Holy Grail. Others point out that the Holy Grail legends composed in Europe during the 12th to 15th centuries enumerate more than ten different...
Representation of an Irish holy well. Source: Michal / Adobe stock

Believers Flock to Irish Holy Wells Seeking Solace From Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has led many people to seek comfort in a variety of ways. Some have returned to traditional customs and beliefs. In Ireland many people are making a pilgrimage to holy wells...
The Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

The Kaaba Black Stone: A Holy Stone from Outer Space?

Every day, five times a day, Muslims across the world face the holy site of Mecca and pray. Mecca is believed to be the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad but when followers visit the site, it is not...
he items found on Morgarten plain, possibly from an important 14th century battle.

Do these Weapons Show the True Site of the Battle of Morgarten?

Archaeologists found knives, arrows, a cavalier's spur and silver coins from what may be the site of the important 1315 AD Battle of Morgarten, during which Swiss peasants repelled an attack of...
Easter procession in Bilbao, Spain

Under the Hoods: The Brotherhoods (and Sisterhoods) of Spain’s Holy Week

“Spain is different!”. Napoleon took this view after his defeat by Spanish guerrilla warfare tactics. Generalissimo Franco’s government later made use of this slogan to promote Spain’s unique appeal...
Isle of May monastery ruins (Peter Yeoman) top left; Skeletal remains on May (Peter Yeoman/ British Archaeology Magazine); The foot bones of a teenager with syphilis (left). An enlarged skull, possibly due to hydrocephaly (right). (Images: Marlo Willows/British Archaeology) bottom left.

Sick Children’s Skeletons Unearthed on Holy Healing Isle

The lost history of a sacred Scottish “healing island” has revealed its holy secrets in the skeletal dna of sick children, archaeologists in Edinburgh have announced. This string of majestical...
Symbol of the Knights Templar

Alternative-Right Claims to March in Step with the Knights Templar – This is Fake History

When market trader Tina Gayle was banned from selling mugs featuring Knights Templar logos in a Loughborough Market, Charnwood Borough Council ruled that they were offensive to Muslims. A story in...
The Achievement of the Grail.

What Exactly is the Holy Grail – And Why Has its Meaning Eluded us for Centuries?

Leah Tether / The Conversation Leah Tether works at the University of Bristol. She received funding for this research from Anglia Ruskin University, Ghent University, Somerville College, Oxford and...
Oceanides, Gustave Dore (1860-1869).

The Secret of Long Life? It’s All in the Water: Sacred Springs & Holy Wells

The belief in sacred springs and holy waters goes far back into the earliest religious myths of humankind, and is ubiquitous across every continent. An ancient primordial connection between water and...
Sticker showing baby Krishna stealing milk from a cow.

Modern Hindus Forbidden From Eating Beef But Ancient Hindus Ate the Sacred Cow

Wendy Doniger / The Conversation Just this past June, at a national meeting of various Hindu organizations in India, a popular preacher, Sadhvi Saraswati, suggested that those who consumed beef...
Lindisfarne Castle on Holy island

Remains of Saxon Church Discovered on Viking Raided Lindisfarne Island

A team of archaeologists have recently excavated the remains of a church on Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in Northumberland. Experts describe the newly discovered church as one of the most significant...
Frederick Barbarossa awards the city of Haarlem with a sword for its shield or coat-of-arms. By Pieter de Greber, 1630.

Frederick I Barbarossa: A Megalomaniac Roman Emperor On a Crusade for Power

Some people believe they were born for greatness but fall short and some go on to exceed all expectations. Frederick I Barbarossa falls into the second category. His ambition for power was limitless...
Domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Why is the Holiest Shrine in Christianity Guarded by Two Muslim Families?

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is considered to be the holiest site in Christianity. According to tradition, this was the place where Jesus Christ was crucified, buried, and...
The Chalice of Magdalene – Is this the Holy Grail?

The Chalice of Magdalene – Is this the Holy Grail?

On January 12th this year BBC News ran a story concerning Mary Magdalene, the woman depicted as a close companion of Jesus in the New Testament. The Vatican has elevated her status amongst the saints...
Holy Yet Cursed Medieval Well Unearthed in England

Holy Yet Cursed Medieval Well Unearthed in England

Archaeologists working in England have excavated a holy well dated to the Medieval period. Local legends speak of pilgrims bathing in its waters to cure their eye and skin diseases. However, a later...
Viva La Muerte! Santa Muerte, Folk Saint and Holy Personification of Death, Healer and Protector

Viva La Muerte! Santa Muerte, Folk Saint and Holy Personification of Death, Healer and Protector

Some people become devotees on their own initiative, actively seeking out Santa Muerte upon the recommendation of friends or family members. Others receive an unexpected call or visit from the Skinny...
The beautiful and astounding archaeo-astronomical site, Kokino Observatory, or Tatic’s Stone.

The Exceptional Kokino Observatory – Ancient Megalithic Site, Holy Mountain

At the dawn of the 21 st century, at a place called Tatic's Stone , near the village of Kokino, in the Republic of Macedonia, archaeologists discovered an exceptional prehistoric megalithic site...
The holy egg at the Kunigami Shrine for healing haemorrhoids

The ancient Japanese shrine dedicated to curing haemorrhoids

Japan is known for having its fair share of unique and unusual ancient shrines and associated festivals, from the Mama Kannon temple dedicated to breasts to the Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the...
Agra Fortress

Archaeologists Dig For Treasure after Tip From Hindu Holy Man

Archaeologists have launched a furious dig for treasure beneath a 19 th century fort in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India after a well-known Hindu holy man predicted a substantial cache of...
Nazi Holy Grail

Nazis did search for the Holy Grail like in Indiana Jones

In a recent exhibition in Bremen in Germany it was shown that Heinrich Himmler visited Spain in order to hunt for the Holy Grail. Himmler was a leading member of the Nazis, as well as one of the...