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Religion

The Lough Kinale Book Shrine was discovered in an Irish lake in 1986.

These Medieval Monks Scribbled Notes in the Margins of Their Books More Than 1,000 Years Ago

A new exhibition in Dublin showcases historic manuscripts written in Irish monasteries. The show also features medieval artifacts, such as a rare book shrine found in a river in the 1980s

 Cards from the Sola Busca, the earliest extant example of a complete 78-card tarot deck, made in Italy in the late 1400s.

The Colorful History of Tarot Is as Mesmerizing as the Decks Themselves

The original meaning behind the cards, first created 500 years ago, still remains elusive. But that didn’t stop our reporter from traveling to Milan in an effort to find out

Crews were repairing a sinkhole in York, England, when they stumbled upon the remains of a large medieval hospital.

Cool Finds

A Sinkhole Opened Up on a Busy Street in England, Revealing the Remains of a Massive Medieval Hospital

Centuries ago, the site was home to St. Leonard’s Hospital, a sprawling monastic facility that provided care to sick individuals and supplied meals for prisoners at nearby York Castle

Ma’amoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie often enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays, made by combining semolina flour with butter and milk, forming it into a dough, and filling it with nuts or dates.

The History of Ma’amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a ‘Love Letter’ to Our Ancestors

Stuffed with nuts or dates, the shortbread cookie is enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays

Radiocarbon dating requires destroying small samples of the fragile scrolls.

New Research

The Dead Sea Scrolls Changed Our Understanding of the Bible. Could Some of Them Be Even Older Than We Thought?

A new study combines A.I., radiocarbon dating and handwriting analysis to estimate new dates for some of the ancient scrolls, thought to be some of the earliest surviving fragments of the Old Testament

Experts are concerned about the dome's structural integrity.

Coastal Cities of Europe

Experts Think the Hagia Sophia Is in Danger. They’ve Got a Plan to Protect It From Earthquakes

Turkey is located near two fault lines, leaving the 1,500-year-old structure vulnerable to damage. Architects and engineers will be investigating how to best preserve it

Newly transferred fragments of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on view in Beijing on May 18

The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China

The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion

This ebony figurine was found in a child's grave.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Unearth Two Rare African Figurines in 1,500-Year-Old Christian Burials in Israel

The artifacts were buried in the graves of a young woman and child, who may have converted to Christianity in Africa before traveling to the region, researchers say

The reconstructions show that the Parthenon’s internal appearance was constructed to provoke maximum awe—and even fear.

New Research

Step Into a Painstakingly Recreated 3D Model of the Parthenon, Now Restored to Its Ancient Glory

A researcher simulated the Athenian temple’s lighting conditions at different times of the day, discovering that its interior was actually “quite dark and dim”

In 1947 New Jersey, leaders of the New York-based YIVO open crates of salvaged artifacts from Europe.

These Irreplaceable Yiddish Artifacts Would Have Been Lost to History If They Weren’t Evacuated to New York After World War II

The founding of a research institute 100 years ago has helped to provide insight on Yiddish culture in the United States and around the world

The Newark Earthworks in Ohio consist of three sections of preserved earthworks: the Great Circle Earthworks, the Octagon Earthworks and the Wright Earthworks.

An Ohio Earthwork Where Thousands Once Gathered for Celestial Observations and Religious Ceremonies Is Open to the Public

An earthen enclosure called the Octagon is drawing much-deserved attention to the state’s history-filled mounds built some 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell culture

Leo XIV made his first appearance as pope on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on May 8.

The New Pope Is Calling Himself Leo—Just Like 13 Other Pontiffs Who Came Before Him. Who Are They?

When Robert Prevost was elected pope this week, he chose one of the most popular papal names. The lives of the Pope Leos who preceded him may offer insight into his approach to the papacy

The gems were found in a stupa in northern India.

India Is Trying to Stop the Sale of Hundreds of Ancient Gems Associated With the Buddha

The 300 sacred jewels are part of a larger trove found in India in 1898. They’re scheduled to be sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong, where bidding will start at roughly $1.3 million

Pope Francis meets with Martin Scorsese on January 31, 2024 in Vatican City.

Martin Scorsese’s New Documentary Will Feature One of Pope Francis’ Final Interviews

The film focuses on a project founded by the pope that encourages small communities around the world to tell their stories through cinema

Pope Francis greets crowds in St. Peter's Square in 2014.

Five Ways Pope Francis, Religious Leader Who Pushed to Modernize the Catholic Church, Was a Man of Firsts

The pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at age 88, strived to make the church more inclusive. But critics believed his reforms either went too far or not far enough

Researchers investigated 12th- and 13th-century manuscripts from an abbey in France that were clad in furry outer covers.

Some ‘Hairy’ Medieval Books Were Covered in Sealskin, and Researchers Don’t Know Exactly Why

Historians were surprised when analyses revealed Catholic monks used pinniped hides for the protective outer layer on some manuscripts, rather than skins from the local boars and deer

Tutankhamun's burial mask is made of gold and precious stones.

New Research

Clay Artifacts Found in King Tut’s Tomb May Have Been Part of a Ritual Honoring the Egyptian God Osiris

The four clay troughs were initially thought to have served as stands for gold-plated staffs. Now, a researcher has presented a new theory about their purpose

The well-known Nabulsi knafeh consists of crumbled Nabulsi cheese topped with fried kataifi pastry.

The TikTok-Famous Dubai Chocolate Traces Its Origins to the 13th-Century Middle East

Generation Z is putting its own spin on knafeh, a dish first designed to quash a caliph’s hunger pangs

The figures adorn the wall of a tomb found in a necropolis near one of Pompeii’s city gates.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Uncover Two Nearly Life-Size Statues Carved Into the Wall of a Tomb in Ancient Pompeii

The figures appear to represent a married couple. Experts think the woman, who is holding laurel leaves, may have been a priestess

Almost all the buildings at the Buddhist Gounsa Temple complex were destroyed in the fires

South Korea’s Worst Ever Wildfires Ravage Ancient Buddhist Temples and Menace Historic Villages

One monk said his old temple was ‘reduced to heaps of ashes,’ as the fires continue to rage across the country

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