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Reading religious book. Source:  4Max / Adobe Stock

Does The Iliad Deserve Reverence as Scripture Like The Bible?

Ten thousand years from now, when humanity has moved out among the stars, and an alien race discovers the Earth and explores it, can you imagine one of them coming across the Bible and reading it?...
This is the rare 3,300-year-old Hittite bracelet that a Turkish farmer found in his field, which he turned in to the proper authorities.		Source: Anadolu Agency

Farmer Finds 3,300-year-old Rare Hittite Bracelet in Field in Turkey!

While plowing his field, a farmer in Turkey’s central Çorum province came across something highly unusual. The plow of the farmer, from Çitli village in the Mecitözü district, had struck a bracelet...
The common perception of the cherubim as baby-faced angels, as depicted in Pieter de Grebber’s Adoration of the Shepherds. Source: Public domain

Were the Cherubim of the Hebrew Bible the Chariots of the Gods?

The cherubim are a somewhat mysterious topic that occurs numerous times in the Hebrew Bible, but is never truly explained. We are given only brief glimpses into their role and their nature. Since the...
Curse of the Buried Pearl: Tomb Curses, Spirits and the Hunt for Ancient Treasures – Part I

Curse of the Buried Pearl: The Hunt for Ancient Treasures – Part I

In economics one hears talk of “the curse of oil” – and one might say wherever there is buried treasure there will be a curse, hyper-real or real. The most famous of all curses is of course that...
The Jersey Devil

The Devil Walks Among Us: The Legend of The Jersey Devil

Inhabiting the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States, is a creature known as the Jersey Devil. This legendary being has been described as a kangaroo-like creature with the head of a goat...
Transylvanian Fortified Church in Harman, Romania. Source: Calin Stan / Adobe Stock

Sacred Defense in the Middle Ages: Transylvanian Fortified Churches

One would think that a church is a place of refuge, of spiritual comfort and protection - where violence has no place to exist. Usually, this is exactly the case and throughout the world churches are...

Hala Sultan Tekke: Muslim Holy Site and a Historic Landmark of Cyprus

The history of Cyprus is very colorful and shaped by diverse ancient cultures and modern civilizations. As such, it proves time and time again that it is a true treasure trove of historical sites...
Boat on the Aegean Sea at night in Santorini, Greece - Poseidon

The Realm of Poseidon: A Mythical Voyage Around the Aegean

Poseidon the great god I begin to sing, he who moves the earth and the desolate sea… You are dark-haired you are blessed you have a kind heart. Help those who sail upon The sea In ships. ~Homeric...
Victims of Arrogance and Cruelty: The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612

Victims of Arrogance and Cruelty: The Pendle Witch Trials of 1612

Witch trials are among some of the cruelest events in European history. Thousands of innocent women were murdered by people who provided fake accusations. In England, one of the most famous witch...
Garden of the Hesperides

Garden of Eden Depicted in Ancient Greek Religious Art

If the early chapters of the Book of Genesis present a true account of human origins, then ancient secular human history must connect in significant ways to that account. In fact, ancient Greek...
The fire temple of Baku, c. 1860. Hindus, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians have worshipped here. Source: Public domain

Zoroastrianism: 4000 Years of Faith, Fire and the Battle Between Good and Evil

The origins of Zoroastrianism can be traced back to nearly 4,000 years ago. It was the first monotheistic faith in the world and even Persia’s official religion from 600 BC to 650 AD. And it still...
 “Litany of Ra” scene in the tomb of King Merenptah (KV8), Valley of the Kings, Luxor; design by Anand Balaji

Echoes of Eternal Egyptian Art: Masters of Form and Finesse—Part I

The ancient Egyptians were pioneers of various forms of art and architecture. Down the millennia, the world has been left awestruck by the design and purpose of their grandiose monuments, their...
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 white rock at Vilcabamba. Source: Walter_Xim / Adobe Stock.

The White Rock at Vilcabamba: The Sacred Heart of the Inca?

In the Inca heartlands of Peru, hidden away in the mountains and overshadowed by the more famous Inca ruins at Machu Picchu and around Cusco lies a seldom visited and obscure carved rock at...
Various biblical images that are painted on the burial vault found in Bruges.	Source: Raakvlak

Painted Medieval Burial Vaults Surface In Belgium

Excavations at the Church of Our Lady in the heart of historic Bruges, Belgium, have unearthed a third medieval burial vault. Just like the first one discovered back in May, this one also features...
Archaeologists at work in the ancient city of Doliche, Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, in October 2021.

Excavations at Historic Doliche, Turkey Reveal Ancient Religious Diversity

Located in southeastern Turkey just north of the city of Gaziantep, the village of Doliche (Dülük) at first glance seems small and unremarkable. But it is one of the oldest human settlements in the...
3: The Perfect Number - Trinity Symbolism in World Religious Traditions

3: The Perfect Number - Trinity Symbolism in World Religious Traditions

“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...” The concept of a Trinity or triadic nature of the divine has been a part of our psyche for thousands of years, and has appeared in creation...
A monk inquisitor. Source: Shaman-foto /Adobe Stock

Magic, Scandal and Promiscuity, All in a Day’s Work for a Maltese Inquisitor

The Inquisition is normally associated with the ardent renegades of the Renaissance who preferred to die defending science and humanism than go along with the religious dogma that persecuted free-...
Saint Paul writing his epistles in a painting attributed to French painter Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632 AD). The works supposedly add up to what is known as St. Paul’s Bible.           Source: Valentin de Boulogne / Public domain

The Mystery of St. Paul’s Lost Bible: Is Someone Hiding Something!

The noise that woke the neighbors in the twilight was the sound of trucks carrying the earth from the excavations in that small house in the neighborhood. What were they looking for in that little...
Anubis, the god of death in ancient Egypt, is a jackal-like creature with immense powers. The hieroglyph for Anubis is shown in the center.        Source: MiaStendal / Adobe Stock

Overlords of the Underworlds: 10 Gods of Death From Around the World

Death always held great significance amongst the ancient cultures of the world. For many, death was a gateway into a new and different life in the underworld that was governed by the gods of death (...
Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan friars order, as depicted in the Madonna del Sasso Sanctuary in Locarno, Switzerland.

Ireland’s Franciscan Friars: Men in the Middle of a Divided Society

The origins of Christianity in Ireland trace back as far as the 5th century, when the Bishop Palladius was sent from Rome on a mission to convert the Irish people in 431 AD. Palladius was followed a...
Deriv; Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt., El Castillo (pyramid of Kukulcán) in Chichén Itzá, Mexico, Candi Sukuh in eastern Central Java

Mysterious GodSelf Icon Found Worldwide: Lost Symbol of an Ancient Global Religion?

Significant evidence now exists that ancient cultures worldwide were all connected by a powerful religious symbol which I call the “GodSelf Icon,” that is especially conspicuous among the pyramid...
Templar knight

Secrets of the Knights Templar: The Knights of John the Baptist

Soon after the Knights Templar founded their order in the Holy Land in 1118 AD they assimilated into a very ancient gnostic tradition and lineage known as the Johannite Church, which had been founded...
Spiritual Marriage and Holy Virginity: The Medieval Practice of Sexless Marriage

Spiritual Marriage and Holy Virginity: The Medieval Practice of Sexless Marriage

The institution of marriage dates back to almost the beginning of written history, with countless variations on how it has been practiced throughout the ages in different cultures and religions. The...

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