Why Are Native Groups Protesting Catholicism’s Newest Saint?
Nearly 250 years after Junipero Serra founded California’s first missions, questions linger about his legacy
New Proof That Ancient Egyptians Bred Birds of Prey
A recent 3-D scan of a mummified falcon shows it was force fed sparrows and mice
Carbon Dating Reveals One of the Oldest Known Copies of the Quran
Manuscript fragments found in U.K. library were written between 568 and 645
A Playmobil Figure of Martin Luther Has Become the Fastest-Selling of All Time
The first edition of 34,000 figurines sold out in 72 hours
Two Eerie Medusa Heads Watch Over Turkey’s Waterways
Why the Greek monster stares out from an ancient cistern in Istanbul
Pittsburgh Has a Huge Collection of Relics
St. Anthony’s Chapel contains the largest number of relics outside of the Vatican
The Science of the Red Sea’s Parting
It is physically and scientifically possible for a body of water to part
Living in Tough Environments Makes People More Prone to Belief in God
People living in harsh natural environments are more likely to believe in a tough, moralizing god
Guy Fawkes May Be the Root of the Word “Guys”
The word’s meaning has changed a lot throughout the centuries
An Awe-Inspiring Altar Remembers One Latino Artist’s Guiding Spirit
At the American History Museum, an installation reimagines the life story of a Latina artist and writer
The Pope Would Like You to Accept Evolution and the Big Bang
The Roman Catholic Church is pro-evolution and Big Bang, but with a twist
How Did “Mana,” An Austronesian Religious Idea, Become a Gaming Staple?
Anthropologist Alex Golub tracks the path of mana, from ancient Taiwan to fantasy gaming culture
The “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife” Is Most Likely Not a Modern Fake
Chemical analyses show the text was written thousands of years ago
Some Visions of the Crucifixion Aren’t T-Shaped
Jesus and others who were crucified didn’t necessarily die with their arms pinned straight out, the way we often imagine them
Byzantine Monks Built Walls With Asbestos, Too
In millennia past, asbestos has also been used to make stronger pottery and flame-proof napkins
Archaeologists Had Forgotten About Nine of the Dead Sea Scrolls
For the past 60 years, these Dead Sea Scrolls had just been sitting around in a storeroom
Archaeologists Uncover New Zealand’s Oldest School
Archaeologists discovered the remains of a 200-year-old school in northern New Zealand
How Medieval People Decided Whether Sex Was Acceptable or Not
Spoiler alert: your sex is definitely Medievally sinful
See the First Photographs Ever Taken of Jerusalem
Since 1844, millions of photographs have probably been taken of Jerusalem. But these blurry snaps are the very first.
The Mystery of the Five Wounds
The first case of stigmata—the appearance of marks or actual wounds like those Christ received during the Crucifixion—was recorded in 1224
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