Religious History | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/religious-history/RSS feed for Religious HistoryenFri, 22 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000This Jewish Community in the Caribbean Smuggled Gunpowder to the Patriots During the Revolution. A British Admiral Condemned the Island as a 'Nest of Vipers'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/A new exhibition at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, in Philadelphia, spotlights the little-known wartime contributions of the Jews of St. EustatiusFri, 22 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-jewish-community-in-the-caribbean-smuggled-gunpowder-to-the-patriots-during-the-revolution-a-british-admiral-condemned-the-island-as-a-nest-of-vipers-180988740/An English King Minted These Coins to Ward Off a Viking Invasion. Instead, the Seafaring Raiders Turned the Pennies Into Jewelryhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-king-minted-these-coins-to-ward-off-a-viking-invasion-instead-the-seafaring-raiders-turned-the-pennies-into-jewelry-180988716/Aethelred the Unready viewed the attacks on his kingdom as divine retribution. He hoped that a show of public penance, including the creation of coins featuring religious imagery, would help earn God's forgivenessTue, 12 May 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/an-english-king-minted-these-coins-to-ward-off-a-viking-invasion-instead-the-seafaring-raiders-turned-the-pennies-into-jewelry-180988716/A Tourist Damaged Florence’s 'Fountain of Neptune' While Attempting to Grope Its Marble Statue on a Darehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-tourist-damaged-florences-fountain-of-neptune-while-attempting-to-grope-its-marble-statue-on-a-dare-180988623/Fixing the fountain’s horse sculptures and frieze will cost nearly $6,000. The alleged offender is the latest tourist to harm artwork in response to peer pressure or in pursuit of social media cloutMon, 27 Apr 2026 17:52:24 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-tourist-damaged-florences-fountain-of-neptune-while-attempting-to-grope-its-marble-statue-on-a-dare-180988623/A Collection of Maps Owned by England's First Queen Spent Centuries Overlooked in a Family Library. Now, the Rare Volume Is on Sale for $1.6 Millionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-collection-of-maps-owned-by-englands-first-queen-spent-centuries-overlooked-in-a-family-library-now-the-rare-volume-is-on-sale-for-16-million-180988604/Created for Mary I, the first woman to rule England in her own right, the book is "perhaps the most significant artifact of Tudor intellectual history still in private hands," the seller saysMon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-collection-of-maps-owned-by-englands-first-queen-spent-centuries-overlooked-in-a-family-library-now-the-rare-volume-is-on-sale-for-16-million-180988604/Rolled Up in a Cellar for Decades, This Artemisia Gentileschi Painting Is Now Up for Auction. Why Is Mary Magdalene's Face Missing From the Portrait?https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rolled-up-in-a-cellar-for-decades-this-artemisia-gentileschi-painting-is-now-up-for-auction-why-is-mary-magdalenes-face-missing-from-the-portrait-180988537/Found in Berlin, the artwork was probably damaged in the chaotic aftermath of World War II. Despite the gaping hole in the canvas, it could sell for upwards of $180,000 later this monthMon, 13 Apr 2026 17:10:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rolled-up-in-a-cellar-for-decades-this-artemisia-gentileschi-painting-is-now-up-for-auction-why-is-mary-magdalenes-face-missing-from-the-portrait-180988537/Jesus's Burial Cloth or Medieval Forgery? DNA Evidence Further Complicates the Debate Over the Shroud of Turinhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jesus-burial-cloth-or-medieval-forgery-dna-evidence-further-complicates-the-debate-over-the-shroud-of-turin-180988514/A new analysis revealed traces of various plants, animals and humans on the controversial linen cloth. But outside experts are skeptical of the findings, which could complicate efforts to identify the shroud's original wearerThu, 09 Apr 2026 15:17:46 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/jesus-burial-cloth-or-medieval-forgery-dna-evidence-further-complicates-the-debate-over-the-shroud-of-turin-180988514/Experts Are Carefully Restoring a 15th-Century Masterpiece by Giovanni Bellini—and You Can Watch Them Workhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-are-carefully-restoring-a-15th-century-masterpiece-by-giovanni-bellini-and-you-can-watch-them-work-180988466/The two-year project is expected to cost around $580,000, and visitors to the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice will be able to observe the process in personThu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:57 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/experts-are-carefully-restoring-a-15th-century-masterpiece-by-giovanni-bellini-and-you-can-watch-them-work-180988466/