Religious History
Archaeologists May Have Identified the Bones of a Celebrated Ninth-Century Bishop in Spain
Bishop Teodomiro was a central figure in the creation of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage
Ruins of Centuries-Old Palace That Housed Dozens of Popes Discovered in Rome
Before the papacy relocated in the 1300s, first to Avignon and then to the Vatican, pontiffs lived at the Lateran Palace
The Real Story Behind 'Firebrand' and Henry VIII's Tumultuous Relationship With His Sixth Wife, Catherine Parr
A new film dramatizes how the Tudor queen narrowly avoided execution on charges of heresy
The Myth of 'Bloody Mary,' England's First Queen
History remembers Mary I as a murderous monster who burned hundreds of her subjects at the stake, but the real story of the Tudor monarch is far more nuanced
'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' Demonstrates the Limits of Holocaust Fiction
A new mini-series dramatizes the best-selling 2018 novel that sparked debate over the line between history and memory
Oil Paintings Rescued From Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire Go on Display
Known as the "Mays," the artworks were created for an annual competition in the 17th century
How Jewish Soldiers Celebrated Passover in the Midst of the Civil War
A group of Union men from Ohio held a makeshift Seder in the western Virginia woods in 1862
Archaeologists Were Looking for a Medieval Hermitage. They Found a 'Monumental' Prehistoric Henge
The site in eastern England may have served as a sacred space for groups across thousands of years
One of the World's Oldest Surviving Books Is for Sale
The rare early Christian text was written in a monastery in Egypt between 250 and 350 C.E.
How the Hindu Deity Hanuman Inspired Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man'
The story of the half-human, half-monkey god mirrors the journey of the protagonist in Patel's directorial debut
Six New York Inmates Successfully Sue to Watch the Total Solar Eclipse
The state's prison agency settled a lawsuit with the incarcerated men, allowing them to watch the eclipse on religious grounds. But for now, the rest of New York's correctional facilities will remain locked down on April 8
What Indigenous Cultures From Around the World Believe About Eclipses
A Smithsonian folklorist looks back and finds stories that explain how a darkening of daytime skies provokes a foreboding of evil
Archaeologists Find Ancient Statue of Apollo That Probably Adorned a Magnificent Fountain
The marble bust sheds new light on the layered history of a 2,000-year-old Greek city
The Broken Seal of a Pope's 14th-Century Decree Has Been Found in Poland
The metal fragment was once part of a papal bull, an official communication distributed by the Catholic Church
A Medieval Pilgrim May Have Carried This Basilisk Pendant to Guard Against Evil
Found in Poland, the "pilgrim's badge" was likely worn by a Christian traveler hundreds of years ago
St. Patrick Opened a Portal to Purgatory on This Little-Known Irish Island
Medieval pilgrims flocked to the site for spiritual purification
You Can Spend the Night in the Secret Library Tucked Inside St. Paul's Cathedral
Airbnb is offering two guests the chance to sleep amongst 22,000 books in an area normally off-limits to visitors
The Moroccan Sultan Who Protected His Country's Jews During World War II
Mohammed V defied the collaborationist Vichy regime, saving Morocco's 250,000 Jews from deportation to Nazi death camps
A Brief History of How Carnival Is Celebrated Around the World
Here’s how Venice, Rio de Janeiro, Trinidad and Tobago, New Orleans, and Quebec City mark the pre-Lenten season
Why Is the Year of the Dragon Considered So Lucky?
The only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon has long been associated with prosperity and imperial power
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