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Relics

Etching by Francisco Heylan depicting the discover of the Lead Books of Sacromonte. Source: Public domain

The Lead Books of Sacromonte: Historic Forgery or a True Christian Relic?

The Lead Books of Sacromonte, also known as the Libros Plúmbeos or the Sacromonte manuscripts, are a collection of purportedly ancient religious texts that were supposedly discovered in the 16th...
The miracle rings of Ourense. Source: YouTube screenshot / BBC Reel.

Divine Relics: The Miracle Rings of Ourense (Video)

In a realm where history intertwines with faith, there exists a set of ancient relics that have captivated the imaginations of scholars and believers alike. Known as the "miracle" rings of Ourense,...
Nursing Madonna (Madonna Lactans) by anonymous master from the School of Bruges. At the Chapel of the Milk Grotto in Bethlehem, Virgin Mary milk powder is sold as a cure for infertility. Source: Public domain

Even Today, Virgin Mary Milk Powder is Used as a Cure for Infertility

The Virgin Mary’s breast milk has been the subject of veneration for centuries and even today couples battling infertility often imbue it with miraculous powers. This is especially true at the Chapel...
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...
A beautifully restored medieval pendant has been discovered to contain bones, possible relics of a saint. Source: Sabine Steidl, LEIZA

Neutron Imaging Reveals Hidden Relics Inside Medieval Pendant

Scanning with a neutron beam has helped researchers crack the mystery of a gold-plated medieval pendant found in the German town of Mainz in 2008. The non-invasive and non-destructive technique has...
A Byzantine depiction of the Three Wise Men (526 AD) from the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy. Source: Nina-no / CC BY-SA 2.5

The Feast of Epiphany: Who Were The Three Kings and Where Did They Come From?

In Western Christianity, the feast of Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day, is celebrated annually on the 6th January to commemorate the visit of the Magi , wise men, or kings from the East to...
St. Francis of Assisi was said to preach to animals as well as humans.	Source: J. Ossorio Castillo / Adobe Stock

St. Francis of Assisi: The Transformation from Spoiled Rich Kid to Saint

St. Francis, born Giovanni di Pietro Bernadore, was a mystic Italian Catholic friar. To this day, he is one of the most revered of all the saints and is remembered as the founder of the Franciscan...
Composite image combining stereoscopic image of Eton College with portrait of King Henry VI. Source: Public domain and Public domain

In Ironic Twist of Fate, Elitist Eton Was Founded to Educate the Poor

When Eton says their school has history, they’re really not kidding. The famed £46k per year boys boarding school is a British brand synonymous with elitism, even though the school was originally...
Depiction of Anubis supervising mummification from a sarcophagus painting dating back to 400 BC. Source: André / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Healing Arts and Spiritual Mumbo-Jumbo in the Ancient World

The history of medicine is an amazing tale. Not only that, but a peek beneath the covers can hopefully help us understand some of the bizarre worldviews confronting us today in the realm of...
An ancient Buddhist statue (a replica) amidst the ruins of a rescued Buddhist monastery at Nagarjunakonda, India.     Source: Ms Sarah Welch / CC0

Rescued From A Dam: Nagarjunakonda, India’s Flooded Buddhist Center

Nagarjunakonda is a historical town located in what is now Guntur district of the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It was a very important Buddhist site and center of learning from the...
Christopher Columbus and His Son at La Rábida by Eugène Delacroix (1839) National Gallery of Art (Public Domain)

The Papal Public Relations Operation Behind Christopher Columbus’ Discovery Of The New World

Was there a Papal conspiracy around Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America? Is it possible that the history of the ‘discovery of America’ has been told omitting details that only now re-emerge...
17th-century icon of the Translation of the Relics of Saint. Nicholas of Myra. Historic Museum in Sanok, Poland. (Public Domain)

Furta Sacra: Medieval Trafficking In Saintly Relics

It is hard to imagine that the gruesome topic of bodysnatching and the ghastly, gory and gorgeous world of relics would be a main focus of religious veneration throughout the Middle Ages. Through...
Detail of 16th-century prayer roll under analysis. Source: Gail Turner / Journal of the British Archaeological Association

16th-Century Prayer Roll Exposes Medieval Religious Cult

A first-time study of a privately owned 16th-century prayer roll from England is a valuable addition to knowledge on medieval England’s Christian ‘cult of the Cross’ in which the Holy Cross was...
The holy relics and reliquary of Saint Ivo of Kermartin (St. Yves or St. Ives; 1253–1303 AD) in Tréguier, Brittany, France.

Relic Cults: Why Dead Saints Were So Important in the Middle Ages

The practice of preserving and enshrining the remains of saints and heroes, or other items associated with their life or death, has been ongoing for thousands of years dating back well into the pre-...
Chinese Find Ancient Xianyang, Lost Capital of the Qin Dynasty

Chinese Find Ancient Xianyang, Lost Capital of the Qin Dynasty

A team of archaeologists from the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology have been busy for the past few years working on an assignment worth envying, reports China Daily. Deep in the Chinese central...
A Secret Grail Crypt Under A London River? The Search Is On

A Secret Grail Crypt Under A London River? The Search Is On

An amateur archaeologist in England claims the Holy Grail is buried in a secret “Grail crypt” under a river in Hounslow, London. And an environment agency plans to drain the river to find out if the...
Crucifixion miniature, Rabula Gospels, with the legend "Loginos". Meister des Rabula-Evangeliums - The Yorck Project (2002) (Public Domain)

Piercing Christ: The Trials And Tribulations Of The Heilige Lanze

Traditional religious literature affirms that the Heilige Lanze (Sacred Lance), also called Spear of Destiny, Longinus Spear, Maurice’s Spear and a myriad of other names, was the weapon with which...
Solemn Knights Templar.

Greed and Decline: The Treasure of the Knights Templar and Their Downfall

The ‘Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon,’ more commonly known as the Knights Templar, or the Templars, was one of the most renowned military orders during the Middle Ages. The...
St Nicholas’ finger bone is included on a medieval relics list from Battle Abbey.           Source: Public Domain

Medieval Relic List Includes Santa’s Bone and Christ’s Crib

A medieval document has revealed connections between how we celebrate Christmas today and an English monastery. The document is a list of relics given to Battle Abbey, which was bestowed on by two...
Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and the Virgin Mary take Christ in the tomb watched by Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Evangelist by Titian (1559) (Public Domain)

Mummification in Christianity: The Incredible Exploding Pope

Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) exploded in 1956. To understand why this occurred, it is necessary to explore the (Catholic and Orthodox) Christian practice of mummification, which is rarely...
Catacomb Saint - Saint Gratian. Source: Xenophon / CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Beauty in Darkness: The Hidden Secrets of the Catacomb Saints

Death was always a source of mystery for people around the world. But what happens when we erase that invisible border and make the dead a thing to worship? Never too far from every major turn of...
Jean-Marc Fournier is chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade.

Heroic Priest Saved Ancient Crown of Thorns from The Flames of Hell

As the flames of every disaster fade, stories emerge about heroes and this is again the case in Paris where a brave French priest not only attended to the wounded after the Notre-Dame cathedral fire...
Fire in the frame of Notre Dame cathedral.

Notre Dame: How a Rebuilt Cathedral Could Be Just as Wonderful

The destruction of Notre Dame cathedral is lamentable. A wonderful icon has been largely destroyed by fire . However, we should not despair. Part of the reason this loss is so upsetting is because we...
Four of the Tucson Artifacts  Source: The Tucson Artifacts / Photographs by Robert C. Hyde. © Donald N. Yates, 2013. All rights reserved. Used by special permission.

Genuine Ooparts Crucial to History or a Colossal Hoax? A Thorough Examination of The Tucson Artifacts [Exclusive Images]

The Tucson Artifacts created quite a sensation when they were discovered in the 1920s. Over 30 crosses and other relics were recovered, and they tell the story of a group of Roman colonists who were...

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