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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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The statue of Galileo Galilei outside the Uffizi colonnade in Florence and Galileo’s middle finger, Museo Galileo, Florence.  Source: BlackMac/Adobe/Stock, Zde/CC BY-SA 4.0

Galileo Gives the Finger: Defiance of the Catholic Church Immortalized

Who hasn’t heard of the legendary Renaissance era polymath, astronomer, physicist and engineer, who was declared a heretic by the Catholic Church - Galileo Galilei? The Italian’s defiance towards...
Buddha’s finger became a sacred relic of healing and well-being in Buddhism faith.  Statue Source: Natthapong/Adobe Stock

A Digit of Devotion: Buddha's Finger Bone

Relics are important in Buddhism in that they provide tangible links to enlightened figures and their teachings. When the Buddha's finger bone was discovered in an ancient Chinese monastery,...
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...
The San Galgano sword on display in Montesiepi, Italy. Source: Superchilum / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Legend of Montesiepi: The Sacred San Galgano Sword in the Stone

One of the most famous British folk tales is that of King Arthur and the sword in the stone. According to the various versions of the story, the sword could only be pulled out of the stone by the...
14th century Goryeo painting of Ksitigarbha holding a cintamani. (Public domain)

Eight of the Most Powerful Mythical Objects in History

Myths and legends abound with exciting tales of mystical objects and powerful artifacts that unlock great power and unimaginable treasures. From the Chintamani stone of Hindu mythology to the Spear...
The Precious Blood of Christ reliquary recovered by Arthur Brand. Source: Arthur Brand

Precious Blood of Christ Relic Returned By Wary Thieves

One of the most sacred relics of the Catholic Church, known as the ‘Precious Blood of Christ,’ contained in an elaborate golden shrine, was stolen from Fécamp Abbey Church in Normandy, France on June...
The Russian warship Moskova (CC by SA 4.0).

Did A Fragment of The True Cross Just Sink with Russia’s Destroyed Warship?

Was the recently sunk Russian flagship, The Moskova , carrying a fragment of the ‘true cross' of Christ? The Moskva was Russia's Black Sea fleet flagship. The warcraft sank last Thursday after an...
The gatehouse of Bury St Edmunds Abbey. Source: Charles / Adobe Stock.

Bury-St-Edmunds Abbey: Shrine of the King, Cradle of the Law

If you’ve never visited the Suffolk region of southern England, you may not have heard the name of Bury-St-Edmunds. But this small medieval town is home to one of the most important and powerful...
Footprints, Fairies and even a Foreskin: 10 Bizarre Relics from History

Footprints, Fairies and even a Foreskin: 10 Bizarre Relics from History

From time immemorial, people had the need to venerate objects of great significance: religious relics, mythical symbols, or depictions of holy figures. And as if answering this need, the religious...
The Curse of the Mijikenda Vigango Statues

The Curse of the Mijikenda Vigango Statues

During the 1980s, Coastal Kenya experienced the largest heist of ancestral artifacts in history. Over 300 wooden Vigango statues were taken from the sacred grounds of several Mijikenda tribes. These...
The Shining History of Gold: From Ancient Treasure to Modern Tech

The Shining History of Gold: From Ancient Treasure to Modern Tech

Gold is arguably the human race’s most valued commodity and a lot could be written about the history of this metal. The luster, beauty, resistance to tarnishing, malleability, and overall brilliance...
Is the Blood of Jesus Really Held in the Basilica of the Holy Blood?

Is the Blood of Jesus Really Held in the Basilica of the Holy Blood?

Bruges in Belgium is a world-famous city, known for its incredible architecture. The Basilica of the Holy Blood, a Roman Catholic basilica, stands proud among the many incredible buildings. The...
The Shroud of Turin: modern, digitally processed image of the face on the cloth [left] and the full body image as seen on the shroud [right].

The Shroud of Turin: Jesus' Bloodstained Burial Cloth or a Fascinating Forgery?

The Shroud of Turin is believed by many to be the bloodstained burial cloth Jesus of Nazareth was wrapped in after his crucifixion. But skeptics say it is a forgery, or at best only a religious...
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.”...
Surprise Discovery of a Headless Buddha Statue Beneath Chinese Apartments

Surprise Discovery of a Headless 'Buddha' Statue Beneath Chinese Apartments

A huge, headless religious statue has been discovered carved into the rock face under apartment buildings in China. It is of questionable age - some claim it’s from the Republican era and others...
Stolen Roman Marble Fragment Returned by Regretful Thief

Stolen Roman Marble Fragment Returned by Regretful Thief

Tourists from all over the world visit the Italian capital to see its remarkable Roman remains, such as the Colosseum. However, one tourist was so impressed with the ruins that she stole an ancient...
‘Anne Boleyn in the Tower’ by Édouard Cibot. (Public Domain)

What Happened to Anne Boleyn’s Heart?

Anne Boleyn is arguably one of the most famous women of the Tudor period. She was the second, and most notorious, wife of Henry VIII (whether she deserves her reputation, though, is a matter 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...
The gold cross found in Bulgaria.

Archaeologists Find ‘World’s First’ Golden Cross, But Will it Contain Fragments of the Cross of Jesus?

Archaeologists have announced the discovery of a golden cross, thought to contain remnants of the Holy Cross of Jesus, in the medieval capital of the Bulgarian Empire. The cross is a striking piece...
3-dimensional model of the Shroud of Turin imprint

Investigators use a Volunteer and Real Blood in Forensic Testing of the Shroud of Turin

It is reported in several news outlets that another test has been conducted on the controversial Shroud of Turn which indicates that it is most likely a forgery. This shroud is believed by many to be...
The supposed St Clement relic that was found by Envirowaste workers in London, UK.

Bones of the First Pope Found in a London Rubbish Bin? It would have to be a Miracle

A rubbish removal firm in London has made a potentially staggering archaeological discovery, in a pile of waste. According to the respected Smithsonian Institute, Envirowaste workers, while looking...
The heart of Saint Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin, returned to Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.

Tip-off leads Dublin Police to the Stolen Holy Heart of St Laurence

An 800-year-old relic that was taken from Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, has been returned by the gardai (police) 6 years after it was stolen. The religious item is believed to be the...
The center of Calcata, Italy

The Hippie Town of Calcata - Hiding-Place of the Holy Foreskin of Christ

One of the most important relics in Christendom, the Holy Prepuce (Jesus’s circumcised foreskin) put this clifftop town on the map in the 16th century as a place of pilgrimage. In the 20th century it...
The Shroud of Turin: modern, digitally processed image of the face on the cloth

Blood on the Shroud: An Interview with the Blood Investigator of the Shroud of Turin Research Project

In 1978 a large team of American scientists under the auspices of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) spent over two years prior to embarking for Turin, planning a large number of specific...

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