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TheCollector

TheCollector
Napoleon’s Rise, Fall, and Legacy in History Born on the island of Corsica in 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte came to prominence as a brilliant military...
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Born on the island of Corsica in 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte came to prominence as a brilliant military commander during the French Revolution. After taking power in Paris in November 1799, Napoleon made himself emperor in 1804. He led a series of victorious campaigns to dominate...
TheCollector
8 Most Important Works of Socialist Realism Socialist Realism was the dominant cultural doctrine in the Soviet Union. Artists were expected to...
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Socialist Realism was the dominant cultural doctrine in the Soviet Union. Artists were expected to create works that were realistic, inspiring, and easily understandable even by those who never encountered art before. Socialist Realist paintings celebrated labor and glorified...
TheCollector
The Jacobin Movement: Revolutionaries and Radicals The late 18th century in France was a tumultuous time, marked by the rise of revolutionary...
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The late 18th century in France was a tumultuous time, marked by the rise of revolutionary ideologies. To end the grip of the absolute monarchy, people had to take the matter into their own hands. The result was the French Revolution. One of the most influential groups of the...
TheCollector
10 Locations from the Odyssey and Their Real-Life Counterparts Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, “The Odyssey,” slated for release on July 17, 2026, is a...
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Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, “The Odyssey,” slated for release on July 17, 2026, is a cinematic adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem. The narrative follows Odysseus, portrayed by Matt Damon, on his arduous journey home following the Trojan War, encountering...
TheCollector
5 Medieval & Renaissance Jokes That Made People Laugh While comedy might seem like a modern art form, the desire to joke, pun, or play pranks on others is...
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While comedy might seem like a modern art form, the desire to joke, pun, or play pranks on others is a basic human trait, versions of which can be found during all periods of recorded history. A few examples of Renaissance and Medieval jokes stand out as especially significant,...
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Satyrs in Greek Art: Rowdy Party Animals Satyrs were creatures linked strongly with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, pleasure, and theater....
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Satyrs were creatures linked strongly with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, pleasure, and theater. These party-loving, mischievous, and uninhibited creatures were an exception in ancient Greek art because there was no solid mythological tradition around satyrs. Instead, they were...
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The Tomb and Body of Alexander the Great: New Clues from an Egyptologist Few historical figures have captured the imagination as much as Alexander the Great, the conqueror...
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Few historical figures have captured the imagination as much as Alexander the Great, the conqueror of Persia who never lost a battle and whose empire stretched from Greece to India. Yet, despite his legacy, the location of his tomb and body remains one great unsolved mystery. In...
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Venus Cloacina: Meet the Roman Sewer Goddess Over the course of their history, the Romans built a complex and dense network of sewers in the city...
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Over the course of their history, the Romans built a complex and dense network of sewers in the city of Rome. However, only one of them was held in the highest regard. It was the oldest sewer in the city, and it was called Cloaca Maxima (“The Greatest Sewer”). In the beginning,...
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Who Caused the Trojan War? The Story of Helen, Paris, and the Gods According to the legendary epic poem by Homer, the Trojan War was one of the most destructive in...
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According to the legendary epic poem by Homer, the Trojan War was one of the most destructive in Greek history. It involved nearly every Greek state in a unified siege against the walled city of Troy, in Asia Minor, which would last for 10 years. But what started the war?...
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An In-Depth Guide to Medieval York: History & Major Monuments York is one of England’s most famous medieval cities, with its cobbled streets and wobbly buildings....
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York is one of England’s most famous medieval cities, with its cobbled streets and wobbly buildings. Originally a small Celtic settlement before the Romans left their 400-year-long mark, by the Anglo-Saxon Period, York was a thriving medieval city. Today, visitors to the city can...
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Pope Francis Dies at 88 Today, the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, at age...
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Today, the Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, at age 88. The pope’s death comes just one day after he addressed a crowd of thousands in St. Peter’s Square following Easter Sunday Mass.   “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome,...
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Eos: Goddess of the Dawn in Greek Mythology In Greek mythology, Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Though, like other primordial gods, she was not...
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In Greek mythology, Eos was the goddess of the dawn. Though, like other primordial gods, she was not widely worshiped by the ancient Greeks, Eos was nevertheless essential to the Greek understanding of the universe, playing an important role in mythology. Perhaps one of the most...
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Titus: The Roman Emperor Who Conquered Jerusalem Titus Caesar Vespasianus ruled Rome for just two years from 79-81 CE after the death of his father...
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Titus Caesar Vespasianus ruled Rome for just two years from 79-81 CE after the death of his father Vespasian, the founder of the Flavian Dynasty. His younger brother and successor, Domitian, implied that Titus was just a historical footnote and that he was his father’s true...
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Auguste Comte: The Life & Legacy of the Philosopher of Positivism Auguste Comte developed a way of thinking that says you should have evidence and reasons for what...
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Auguste Comte developed a way of thinking that says you should have evidence and reasons for what you believe. Comte had a big effect on how people in the 19th century thought. He came up with some really new ideas. They changed completely how people looked at things like history...
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10 Must-See Ancient Monuments Around the World Ancient times refer to the period spanning from the early development of human civilizations to the...
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Ancient times refer to the period spanning from the early development of human civilizations to the end of classical antiquity, roughly 3000 BCE to 500 CE. This era saw the rise of powerful empires, complex societies, and remarkable advancements in art, architecture, and...
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Science and Philosophy: Are They So Different? Any expression, headline, or news containing the word scientific is often awarded high authority...
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Any expression, headline, or news containing the word scientific is often awarded high authority within mainstream media and the community. It is thought that the use of the scientific method for the pursuit of an investigation guarantees its validity and reliability. However,...
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What Is the Story of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle? The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important artifacts of English history. As a text, it...
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The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important artifacts of English history. As a text, it is a remarkable record of events that helps shine a light onto the so-called “Dark Ages.” However, the Chronicle is more than just a record. In many ways, it is more than a mere...
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American Civil War: Maps, Battlefields, and Generals The fighting of the American Civil War ultimately reached nearly every state in the Northern and...
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The fighting of the American Civil War ultimately reached nearly every state in the Northern and Southern territories, with key battles fought in places like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina. While Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant led their respective armies,...
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4 Must-Read Works by Søren Kierkegaard, Father of Existentialism Søren Kierkegaard is largely considered to be the father of existentialism. He wrote extensively...
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Søren Kierkegaard is largely considered to be the father of existentialism. He wrote extensively about subjects such as the human condition, despair, anxiety about existence, and how to achieve an authentic and actualized Self. Kierkegaard never shied away from the messy parts of...
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Typhon: The Monster Who Threatened Olympus in Greek Mythology Typhon, or Typhoeus as he was also called, was a monstrous, serpentine creature with a hundred heads...
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Typhon, or Typhoeus as he was also called, was a monstrous, serpentine creature with a hundred heads that could shoot fire from his eyes. He spoke with a myriad of sounds and voices, sometimes bellowing like a bull, barking like a dog, or roaring like a lion. He was the greatest...
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Socialism vs. Capitalism: What’s the Difference? As philosophy, politics, and economics evolve, the debate between socialism and capitalism becomes...
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As philosophy, politics, and economics evolve, the debate between socialism and capitalism becomes increasingly important. These ideologies differ in how they distribute resources and structure society. Socialism aims for more equality by having shared ownership. Capitalism...
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5 Quotes by Plato Explained Plato, the most intelligent of Socrates’ students, laid the foundations of ethics, aesthetics,...
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Plato, the most intelligent of Socrates’ students, laid the foundations of ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, and early forms of science.   When Socrates was sentenced to death by the Athenian government, Plato decided to travel to learn all he could about philosophy,...
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5 Special Forces Groups of World War II World War II spawned innovations in all aspects of warfare. From jets to rudimentary guided rockets...
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World War II spawned innovations in all aspects of warfare. From jets to rudimentary guided rockets and missiles, this conflict forever changed the face of war. The rise of special forces units within the militaries of the participants was also a significant development within...
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Who Is Ruby Bridges? On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became one of the first Black students to attend an...
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On November 14, 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became one of the first Black students to attend an all-white public school in the South. Escorted by federal marshals through crowds of segregationists, Ruby stepped onto her new school’s campus and into the history books. Ruby is...
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4 Fashion Designers Who Celebrate Craftsmanship The unsettlingly rapid development of ultra-fast fashion altered our relationship with clothes and...
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The unsettlingly rapid development of ultra-fast fashion altered our relationship with clothes and the cost of their creation. With thousands of items of clothing available at just one click, fashion historians, anthropologists, and environmental activists are concerned about the...
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Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus: Key Similarities and Differences Life in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century was unstable; wars, economic crises, a...
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Life in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century was unstable; wars, economic crises, a pandemic—it was hard not to feel humanity was facing one “existential crisis” after another. One philosophical response to this historical context was the philosophy of...
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What We Know About Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ So Far For his next historical blockbuster, award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan is taking on The...
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For his next historical blockbuster, award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan is taking on The Odyssey. The film, set to be released next year, will likely be the most ambitious—and the most expensive—adaptation of Homer’s epic Greek poem to date. Read on to discover newly...
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Antiochus IV & the Siege of Jerusalem: What Really Happened For centuries, the people of Judaea had seen many foreign dynasts claim hegemony over them; the...
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For centuries, the people of Judaea had seen many foreign dynasts claim hegemony over them; the Greeks were but the latest. Antiochus IV’s interactions with the Judaeans were, to put it mildly, troubled. Does Antiochus IV deserve the mantle of villainy that ancient sources such...
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Elizabethan vs. Jacobean Theatre: What are the Differences? Before Elizabeth I ascended to the British throne, theatre was broadly seen as sinful and crude. The...
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Before Elizabeth I ascended to the British throne, theatre was broadly seen as sinful and crude. The Renaissance, accompanied by the Reformation and philosophical Humanism, elevates the artform from traditional church led ‘mystery plays’ to classical drama. It could be argued...
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Heracles Steals the Cattle of Geryon: The Hero’s Tenth Labor King Eurystheus tasked Heracles with stealing the cattle of the three-headed giant Geryon, ruler of...
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King Eurystheus tasked Heracles with stealing the cattle of the three-headed giant Geryon, ruler of Erytheia, an island at the westernmost edge of the world. During his journey to the mysterious island, Heracles crossed the scorching Sahara Desert and argued with the god of the...
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A Guide to the Best Historic Sites in South Korea Though many visit South Korea for its K-Dramas and K-Pop, the peninsula and islands also feature...
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Though many visit South Korea for its K-Dramas and K-Pop, the peninsula and islands also feature numerous cultural charms and historic sites as well. South Korea has an expansive history, and tales of monks, soldiers, indigenous peoples, and royalty linger in these locations....
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11 Historical Places to Visit in Oxfordshire Home to some of England’s most known poets, scientists, and religious figures, the county of...
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Home to some of England’s most known poets, scientists, and religious figures, the county of Oxfordshire can trace its roots back 5,000 years to Neolithic times. Discover C. S. Lewis’s house, Oxford’s Castle and Prison, abbey ruins, an ancient Iron Age Hillfort, and a wealth of...
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9 Myths About the Greek Goddess Hera In Greek mythology, Hera was the goddess of women, marriage and married life. She was the queen of...
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In Greek mythology, Hera was the goddess of women, marriage and married life. She was the queen of the gods by her marriage to Zeus. In art, she was generally depicted wearing a crown and a peplos, a long sleeveless robe that was customary for women in ancient Greece. She was a...
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What Is the Epistle of Jude About? Though the Epistle of Jude addresses much of the same content that the other epistles do, how the...
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Though the Epistle of Jude addresses much of the same content that the other epistles do, how the author does it is different. He quotes from the Book of Enoch and refers to Sodom and Gomorrah, the epic tale of destruction in the Old Testament. His use of this source material is...
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What Did Albert Camus Really Mean by the Absurd? It is widely (but wrongly) believed that what Camus means by the absurd is something like life...
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It is widely (but wrongly) believed that what Camus means by the absurd is something like life viewed from a distance is completely meaningless. What Camus actually says is that life viewed in a particular way only appears meaningless. The crucial nuance, often missed, is that...
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Is The Prince of Egypt (1998) an Accurate Portrayal of Ancient Egypt? The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 award-winning animated film based on the Book of Exodus in the Bible....
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The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 award-winning animated film based on the Book of Exodus in the Bible. Set in ancient Egypt, the main characters reference actual historical figures. In this article, we will examine how life in ancient Egypt is shown in the movie to find out how...
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Where Was King Arthur’s Mount Badon? War between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons started in c. 430 CE and continued for centuries. For...
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War between the Britons and the Anglo-Saxons started in c. 430 CE and continued for centuries. For some time, the Anglo-Saxons faced little difficulty in conquering new territory. However, a war leader, either named Ambrosius Aurelianus or King Arthur, helped the Britons fight...
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Who Are the Pharisees in the Bible? The New Testament presents the Pharisees as a group that vehemently opposed the ministry of Jesus....
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The New Testament presents the Pharisees as a group that vehemently opposed the ministry of Jesus. Yet, a select few among the Pharisees were open to considering what Jesus taught and even defended his ministry. The Pharisees played a significant role in Jewish society and...
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The Expulsion of Polish Jews From Nazi Germany: Polenaktion Explained In the early hours of October 28, 1938, Berlin resident Mendel Max Karp was still sleeping when...
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In the early hours of October 28, 1938, Berlin resident Mendel Max Karp was still sleeping when police officers burst into his apartment to order him to leave the territory of the German Reich. He was then arrested and deported to the German-Polish border on a special train. Mr....
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What Is the History of Arizona’s London Bridge? Many have heard the rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down,” and many know that the current London...
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Many have heard the rhyme “London Bridge is Falling Down,” and many know that the current London Bridge was not the original. However, did you know that a bridge that used to be in London actually took a trip overseas, and now resides on a completely different body of water?  ...
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Sejanus: The Praetorian Prefect With Imperial Ambitions Tiberius Caesar had the unenviable task of succeeding his stepfather Augustus. He would always be a...
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Tiberius Caesar had the unenviable task of succeeding his stepfather Augustus. He would always be a pale shadow of the charismatic founder of the Roman Empire. Tiberius’s time in power was also scarred by the influence of Sejanus, the prefect of the emperor’s Praetorian Guard....
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Painting vs. Sculpture: The Renaissance Battle for Supremacy in Art It seems like humans always need to know who or what is the best in any category. Renaissance people...
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It seems like humans always need to know who or what is the best in any category. Renaissance people were no different. A quest to find the superior art between painting and sculpture led to lengthy discussions about the purpose of art and the limits and qualities of each medium....
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An Overview of the Xia, Shang, & Zhou Chinese Dynasties According to Chinese tradition, Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old, though the ancient China of...
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According to Chinese tradition, Chinese civilization is 5,000 years old, though the ancient China of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties was far smaller than modern China and largely confined to the Yellow River basin. Over time, its peoples expanded further afield and...
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The Great Seljuk Empire: History, Culture, Facts In the late 10th century, a nomadic chief named Seljuk broke away from his Khazar overlords in the...
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In the late 10th century, a nomadic chief named Seljuk broke away from his Khazar overlords in the north of the Caspian Sea. Thus began his tribe’s migration from the lands of modern-day Kazakhstan down to Iran and Azerbaijan.   The Great Seljuks (ca. 1038-1194), a nomadic people...
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Hel: The Giantess Queen of the Norse Underworld Helheim The giant Hel was one of the children of the trickster giant Loki. Born half-living and half-dead,...
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The giant Hel was one of the children of the trickster giant Loki. Born half-living and half-dead, she was a terror to look upon and feared by the gods, so Odin banished her to the underworld, where she became its queen. Her power in Helheim was absolute; not even Odin could...
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Great Wall of China Is Centuries Older Than Previously Thought Dating back millennia and once spanning over 13,000 miles, the Great Wall of China is one of the...
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Dating back millennia and once spanning over 13,000 miles, the Great Wall of China is one of the most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken by humans. Recent excavations at the ancient monument suggest that its oldest sections were built 300 years earlier than...
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The 10 Museums With the Largest Ancient Egyptian Collections Egyptian artifacts are showcased at international museums across the Western world. If anyone was...
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Egyptian artifacts are showcased at international museums across the Western world. If anyone was determined to see every great collection of ancient Egyptian art, they would need to travel across three continents. The museums on this list have tens of thousands of Egyptian...
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How South Sudan Won Its Independence South Sudan, which split from Sudan in 2011, is one of the youngest countries in the world and the...
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South Sudan, which split from Sudan in 2011, is one of the youngest countries in the world and the youngest in Africa.   It represents one of a handful of cases in which an independence movement has actually succeeded and generated a fully sovereign state recognized by the United...
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What Were the Economic Effects of the Iran-Iraq War? In September 1980, fearful of the fiery Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran and taking advantage...
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In September 1980, fearful of the fiery Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran and taking advantage of the resulting chaos (including Western sanctions), Iraq invaded. At the time, Iraq was flush with cash thanks to high oil prices resulting from the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. Taking...
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William Gladstone: Britain’s Record-Breaking Prime Minister The Victorian era featured many political giants. Robert Peel, Benjamin Disraeli, and Lord Salisbury...
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The Victorian era featured many political giants. Robert Peel, Benjamin Disraeli, and Lord Salisbury are some obvious examples. Yet the man who spent the most time as prime minister was none other than William Gladstone.   Gladstone was Great Britain’s prime minister for twelve...
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Augustine vs Baudrillard: Are Words Signs of Reality or Hyperreality? To say that the famous pessimist Augustine wrote prolifically because of his hope in the power of...
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To say that the famous pessimist Augustine wrote prolifically because of his hope in the power of the word is not to speak rashly. Words, Augustine thought, illuminate the ontology of human existence. Contrastingly, the French postmodern philosopher and cultural theorist, Jean...
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10 Ancient Greek Islands to Visit Greece, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, traces its history back to at least 7000 BCE, when...
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Greece, one of the world’s oldest civilizations, traces its history back to at least 7000 BCE, when Neolithic settlements emerged across the region. By 3000 BCE, the Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean civilizations flourished, setting the stage for Greece’s cultural and intellectual...
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Who Was Jan Hus? The Priest Who Defied the Pope Before Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany, before...
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Before Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg, Germany, before Gutenberg’s printing press, and even before the Protestant Reformation, opposition to the theology and hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church was rare. One of the more prominent...
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What Bible Translations Existed Before and During the Protestant Reformation? For various reasons, up until well after the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church...
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For various reasons, up until well after the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church generally resisted the translation of the Bible into vernacular, or common, languages. However, the Catholic Church was unable to stem the tide for various reasons, particularly in the...
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Prohibition & Bootlegging: The 18th Amendment, Organized Crime, & More The Prohibition period lasted from January 1920 to December 1933. Its supporters wanted to end the...
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The Prohibition period lasted from January 1920 to December 1933. Its supporters wanted to end the consumption of alcohol, which brought suffering to many families. However, Prohibition was ultimately unsuccessful, and instead, allowed government corruption, widespread criminal...
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Understanding Beethoven in 5 Compositions Ludwig van Beethoven is labeled as an innovator and a rebel in the world of music. To paraphrase Bob...
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Ludwig van Beethoven is labeled as an innovator and a rebel in the world of music. To paraphrase Bob Marley’s song, No Woman No Cry, “No Beethoven, no modern music.” Despite his growing and eventual deafness, he composed some of the world’s most memorable music. His association...
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The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: How Russia Left World War I In both World Wars, people assume the Allied Powers had a crushing advantage and would have...
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In both World Wars, people assume the Allied Powers had a crushing advantage and would have inevitably won the conflicts. World War I, however, was almost a victory for Germany. Far from the American focus on the Atlantic Ocean, Germany had also been fighting Russia, which was an...
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Still-Life: 8 Facts About the Most Underrated Genre Still-life painting is one of the oldest genres in history, yet it is often dismissed as too simple...
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Still-life painting is one of the oldest genres in history, yet it is often dismissed as too simple and not serious enough to be considered “high” art. Still, this genre has a long history spanning from antiquity. Still-life painting has evolved with human society, adapting to...
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Trove of Ancient Gold Jewelry Found in Egypt’s Karnak Temple Ongoing excavations at Egypt’s Karnak Temple Complex revealed a cache of ancient gold artifacts....
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Ongoing excavations at Egypt’s Karnak Temple Complex revealed a cache of ancient gold artifacts. Stashed for centuries inside a ceramic vessel, the collection of jewelry, amulets, and statuettes remains remarkably well-preserved.   Karnak Temple Jewelry Dates Back to Egypt’s 26th...
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Bayeux Tapestry Fragment Rediscovered in Germany A missing piece of the Bayeux Tapestry, one of the world’s most famous medieval artworks, was...
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A missing piece of the Bayeux Tapestry, one of the world’s most famous medieval artworks, was recently rediscovered in Germany. The epic embroidery, which depicts events leading up to William the Conqueror’s victory over King Harold II, dates back to the 11th century.   Fragment...
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9 Myths About the Greek Goddess Demeter Demeter was one of the twelve Olympian gods believed by the ancient Greeks to rule over the cosmos....
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Demeter was one of the twelve Olympian gods believed by the ancient Greeks to rule over the cosmos. She was the sister of Zeus and patron goddess of agriculture. She was commonly depicted wearing a veil and carrying a torch or sheaves of wheat. One of her major centers of worship...
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Who Was Jan Smuts & Why Is He Important to World History? Jan Smuts is well known in South Africa as a major historical figure. He helped establish South...
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Jan Smuts is well known in South Africa as a major historical figure. He helped establish South African autonomy while still a subject of the British crown and was vital to the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.   His influence, however, spread far beyond the...
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Grace Kelly: Her Life, Death, & Royal Legacy Grace Kelly is a ubiquitous name in history. She was the symbol of a sort-of American fairytale as a...
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Grace Kelly is a ubiquitous name in history. She was the symbol of a sort-of American fairytale as a famous actress in her own right who met and fell in love with the Prince of Monaco. Grace Kelly’s life and death are still the subject of modern intrigue, as she is one of the […]
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Who Won the Battle of Hampton Roads? The Union blockaded the Confederate coast during the American Civil War as part of the Anaconda...
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The Union blockaded the Confederate coast during the American Civil War as part of the Anaconda Plan. To fight the overwhelming Union advantage in manpower and ships, the Confederacy adopted a new technology: the ironclad vessel. These low-profile ships were covered in metal...
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The Valois Dynasty: Crisis, Triumph, and Downfall Upon the death of Philip IV in 1314, the French Crown was the most powerful in Europe. The new king...
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Upon the death of Philip IV in 1314, the French Crown was the most powerful in Europe. The new king Louis X was the successor of Clovis, Charlemagne, and Saint Louis; his royal patron St Denis watched over the dynasty which had maintained an unbroken patrilineal succession for...
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5 Quotes by Aristotle Explained The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, one of antiquity’s greatest thinkers, was a student of...
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The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, one of antiquity’s greatest thinkers, was a student of Plato and a tutor to Alexander the Great. Aristotle had insights far ahead of his time; his understanding of human psychology wasn’t much worse than modern scientists. Only a quarter...
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How Did the Seljuks Pave the Way for the Ottoman Empire? In 1071, a small nomadic dynasty—named the Seljuks after their founder—fought a battle against...
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In 1071, a small nomadic dynasty—named the Seljuks after their founder—fought a battle against Byzantine forces under the command of Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes. The Seljuk victory in this battle opened up Anatolia to nomadic Turkic settlers, including the likes of Osman, founder...
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10 Must-Visit Historic Small Towns in Minnesota Minnesota’s history is filled with defining moments that left a lasting imprint on the land, from...
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Minnesota’s history is filled with defining moments that left a lasting imprint on the land, from its early Indigenous heritage and fur trading posts to the formation of the state itself in the mid-19th century. Key events such as the 1848 territorial convention in Stillwater...
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What Is an Ideal Government? A Philosophical Approach What makes a perfect government? Is it one governed by the wisest people or one that ensures the...
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What makes a perfect government? Is it one governed by the wisest people or one that ensures the greatest possible happiness for the largest number of citizens? These questions have fascinated thinkers since ancient times—from Plato and other classical philosophers to John Locke...
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The Stroop Effect: Can Your Brain Glitch? The Stroop effect is one of the most fascinating discoveries of experimental psychology that...
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The Stroop effect is one of the most fascinating discoveries of experimental psychology that uncovers how our brain processes information. Named after psychologist John Ridley Stroop, it reveals how cognitive interferences can make seemingly simple cognitive tasks surprisingly...
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Arthur Wellesley: The Iron Duke of Wellington Who Beat Napoleon Undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest heroes, Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, is known...
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Undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest heroes, Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington, is known mainly for his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, which ended over seven centuries of conflict between England and France.   His influence, however, spread...
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Meet the Prime Ministers: 10 Men Who Served Queen Victoria Who were the ten British prime ministers of Queen Victoria’s reign? What were the highlights of...
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Who were the ten British prime ministers of Queen Victoria’s reign? What were the highlights of their careers, and what did they achieve on behalf of the United Kingdom? Most importantly, what was the nature of their relationship with Queen Victoria herself?   Let us now step...
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8 Locations in Greece Related to the Odyssey Homer’s The Odyssey has been a cornerstone of Western literature for millennia, chronicling the epic...
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Homer’s The Odyssey has been a cornerstone of Western literature for millennia, chronicling the epic journey of King Odysseus as he strives to return home after the Trojan War. This timeless narrative has inspired countless adaptations, with the latest being Christopher Nolan’s...
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Who Won the Battle of Fort Donelson? Initial Union attempts to storm the nearby Confederate capital city of Richmond, Virginia had been...
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Initial Union attempts to storm the nearby Confederate capital city of Richmond, Virginia had been unsuccessful in 1861. Thus, the Union began the process of retaking Confederate territory in the Western Theater west of Virginia. The first target was Tennessee, the “top” of the...
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What Do Lutherans Believe? The Lutheran Church originates directly from Martin Luther, the renowned reformer. Luther objected...
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The Lutheran Church originates directly from Martin Luther, the renowned reformer. Luther objected to the abuses, immorality, and worldliness of the Catholic Church but never intended to oppose or rebel against the authority of the Church. Rather, he wanted to reform the Church...
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What Are the Origins of the Folk Horror Genre? Originating in British cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, classic works of folk horror such as The...
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Originating in British cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, classic works of folk horror such as The Wicker Man (1973), have created their own set of features usually used as shorthand by folk horror creators in many mediums. Featuring isolated, rural communities grappling with the...
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The Mind-Body Problem & Consciousness: Dualism vs. Materialism Dualism is the idea that while the body is made of physical material, the mind is made of something...
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Dualism is the idea that while the body is made of physical material, the mind is made of something immaterial. The counterpart to this is materialism, which posits that both the mind and body are composed of the same material, physical substance. There is much more to each...
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A Brief History of the Hungarian Soviet Republic The idea of a communist Hungary is usually associated with the Cold War that arose post-World War...
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The idea of a communist Hungary is usually associated with the Cold War that arose post-World War II. Hungary, however, had a brush with communist leadership several decades before, in the aftermath of the First World War.   The short-lived Hungarian Soviet Republic ultimately...
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An Overview of the Qin and Han Chinese Dynasties In 221 BCE, King Ying Zheng of Qin conquered the rival warring states and established the Qin empire...
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In 221 BCE, King Ying Zheng of Qin conquered the rival warring states and established the Qin empire as Qin Shi Huangdi (The First August Emperor of Qin). The Qin emperor centralized state administration, built an extensive road network, and built the first Great Wall.   While...
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10 Ancient Cities That You Can Still Visit Today The term ancient times generally refers to the period before the Middle Ages, spanning from the rise...
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The term ancient times generally refers to the period before the Middle Ages, spanning from the rise of the first civilizations around 3000 BCE to roughly 500 CE. It was an era defined by towering empires, complex societies, and monumental achievements in art, architecture, and...
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Goryeo Celadon: The Famed Ceramics of Medieval Korean Art The precise craft of making celadon ceramics in Korea from the 10th century until the 14th century...
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The precise craft of making celadon ceramics in Korea from the 10th century until the 14th century produced timeless art objects that are still admired today. They were created with a jade-green glaze on top of painstakingly etched inlay, the pinnacle of technological advancement...
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6 Terrible Historical Facts About Typhus Epidemic typhus is one of the oldest diseases known to affect humankind, and despite advances in...
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Epidemic typhus is one of the oldest diseases known to affect humankind, and despite advances in modern medicine, it continues to be a contemporary concern. Often infiltrating human existence hand in hand with disasters such as war and weather phenomena, typhus has demonstrated a...
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Who Are the Main Aboriginal Clans from West & Central Australia? Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland form the macro-region known as Eastern Australia, along...
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Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland form the macro-region known as Eastern Australia, along with the Tasmanian Island, Jervis Bay Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory. The remaining mainland states of South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory...
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Who Was Flavius Josephus? The Problematic Chronicler of the Jewish War Flavius Josephus was a Jewish aristocrat who was initially a general in the Jewish rebellion of...
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Flavius Josephus was a Jewish aristocrat who was initially a general in the Jewish rebellion of 66-71 CE, but soon surrendered to the Romans and became a collaborator during the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. He famously ingratiated himself with the Romans by...
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Who Were the Aboriginal Leaders of the Frontier Wars? 4 Key Figures Most of what we know about the people involved in the Australian Frontier Wars, and the massacres...
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Most of what we know about the people involved in the Australian Frontier Wars, and the massacres that unfolded, comes from the journals of those who were involved in them; that is, European settlers, pastoralists, and government officials. They also come (especially with regard...
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How to Keep Your Head in King Henry VIII’s Court Treason, tyranny, and terror are fabled words of King Henry VIII, one of history’s most...
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Treason, tyranny, and terror are fabled words of King Henry VIII, one of history’s most controversial autocrats and matrimonial monsters. During his reign, King Henry VIII would marry six times, beheading two of his queens and two of his trusted ministers.   Historians concur...
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Iron Age Necropolis Discovered in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced that the first major Iron...
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Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced that the first major Iron Age necropolis in the United Arab Emirates has been unearthed in the Al Ain region of Abu Dhabi. According to archaeologists, the discovery offers rare insights into the region’s...
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10 Historic Maritime Sites on the East Coast Stretching from the rocky harbors of Maine to the barrier islands of North Carolina, the East Coast...
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Stretching from the rocky harbors of Maine to the barrier islands of North Carolina, the East Coast of the United States is a living archive of the nation’s maritime history. This coastline saw merchant ships launch into global trade, naval battles that helped shape independence,...
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Psychology of Color: Why Are We Attracted to Gold? Gold is among the most coveted colors in jewelry, fashion, decor, artifacts, and designs....
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Gold is among the most coveted colors in jewelry, fashion, decor, artifacts, and designs. Historically, it has been cherished across all cultures and generations. What is the secret behind our timeless love of gold? Does it merely represent luxury and status for us, or does its...
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History of Christian Missionaries: From Apostles to Modern Day Christians believe Jesus Christ came to Earth with a divine message. After the Ascension, the...
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Christians believe Jesus Christ came to Earth with a divine message. After the Ascension, the followers of Jesus took the baton from him and picked up the task of spreading that same message. These messengers were called missionaries. This post will investigate Christian...
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10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in Mississippi From its early indigenous cultures to European settlement and its role in pivotal moments like the...
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From its early indigenous cultures to European settlement and its role in pivotal moments like the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, the Magnolia State has been at the heart of American history. Known for its Delta blues, rich literary tradition, and Southern hospitality,...
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Crusading Against Crusaders: Clement V’s Persecution of the Templars On March 18th, 1314, Jasque de Molay, the 23rd Grand Master of the monastic order of the Knights...
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On March 18th, 1314, Jasque de Molay, the 23rd Grand Master of the monastic order of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake on an island in the middle of the river Seine. After years and years of torture, confessions of heresy, and trial, the 23rd Grand Master of one of...
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What Is the Book of James About? The Book of James is a short but powerful epistle with similarities to Proverbs. The author writes...
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The Book of James is a short but powerful epistle with similarities to Proverbs. The author writes to an audience of Jewish descent to instruct them on a range of issues and to encourage them to stand firm in times of trial. His view on difficult times was that they provide...
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10 Oldest Museums in the U.S. Museums have long been places of curiosity and wonder, housing objects that tell the stories of...
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Museums have long been places of curiosity and wonder, housing objects that tell the stories of civilizations past. The idea of collecting and displaying artifacts for public study dates back centuries. Consider the Mouseion of Alexandria, an ancient Greek institution devoted to...
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Egypt Announces First Royal Tomb Discovery Since King Tut The royal tomb of King Tutankhamun, located in Egypt’s famous Valley of the Kings, was discovered in...
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The royal tomb of King Tutankhamun, located in Egypt’s famous Valley of the Kings, was discovered in 1922. Now, for the first time since then, another royal tomb has been unearthed in Egypt: that of King Thutmose II. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiques has dubbed the...
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Eye of Horus Symbol: Meaning & Myth Egyptian religion was filled with magical symbols, amulets, and totems. The Eye of Horus, often...
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Egyptian religion was filled with magical symbols, amulets, and totems. The Eye of Horus, often called the Wadjet or Wedjat Wye, was one of the most significant. Sometimes seen as a distinctive goddess, it was also represented as an aspect of the sky god, Horus, and seen as a...
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Ancient Tomb with Gladiator Epitaph Discovered in Italy Excavations at a necropolis in southern Italy’s Liternum Archaeological Park revealed two ornate...
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Excavations at a necropolis in southern Italy’s Liternum Archaeological Park revealed two ornate tombs—one of which belonged to a gladiator, according to an etched marble epitaph.   “This necropolis, thanks to its excellently preserved wall structures and tombs, adds an important...
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10 Charming Historic Towns in Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland was founded in 843 AD when Kenneth MacAlpin unified the Picts and Scots,...
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The Kingdom of Scotland was founded in 843 AD when Kenneth MacAlpin unified the Picts and Scots, though its story stretches back much further—to the ancient standing stones of Orkney, the Roman frontier of the Antonine Wall, and the shadowy reigns of the early Celtic kings....
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What Are the Top 5 World Heritage Sites in the Philippines? The Philippines is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world. Connecting 7640 islands, it...
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The Philippines is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world. Connecting 7640 islands, it is a canvas where nature has painted some of its most magnificent wonders. With a history spanning hundreds of years, the country attracts tourists from all over the world for its...
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Who Won the Siege of Petersburg? Despite having much of its most valuable territory retaken by the summer of 1864, the Confederacy...
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Despite having much of its most valuable territory retaken by the summer of 1864, the Confederacy continued to resist. If it could hold on, perhaps it could win the war by wearing down the Union enough to seek peace terms. Thus, new general-in-chief Ulysses S. Grant needed to...
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The Devil Wears Galliano: A Look at Fashion’s Enfant Terrible The creative genius of John Galliano rose four decades ago but managed to remain relevant and...
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The creative genius of John Galliano rose four decades ago but managed to remain relevant and exciting. He is known for being scandalous and provocative, both in his work and, sometimes, in his life. Despite all controversies and scandals, Galliano seems to have redeemed his...
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10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in North Carolina North Carolina has played a major role in American history, from being the first colony to call for...
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North Carolina has played a major role in American history, from being the first colony to call for independence with the Halifax Resolves in 1776 to its significance in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Its early settlements shaped politics, trade, and industry, leaving...
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Is Capitalism Reliant on Fossil Fuels? Energy-dense ‘fossil fuels’ – such as coal, oil, and natural gas – are derived from fossilized...
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Energy-dense ‘fossil fuels’ – such as coal, oil, and natural gas – are derived from fossilized organic matter. However, their combustion releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, fuelling global warming on an industrial scale. Indeed, since the Industrial Revolution, the...
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Baroque Music: Contrast and Drama The Baroque Era’s genesis lay in Italy, established during the Council of Trent between 1545 and...
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The Baroque Era’s genesis lay in Italy, established during the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1653. The Council’s mission was simple: How could they inspire people to follow the Catholic faith and come back to the Church’s fold? Where the Protestants opted for simplicity, the...
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10 Historic Towns in Queensland Worth Exploring Australia’s story stretches back over 60,000 years, beginning with its First Nations peoples and...
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Australia’s story stretches back over 60,000 years, beginning with its First Nations peoples and evolving through waves of colonial exploration, gold rushes, wars, and modern nation-building. While major cities reflect this layered past, Queensland in particular holds a distinct...
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The Philosopher of Nature: Who Was Friedrich Wilhelm Schelling? Schelling is among the most influential German philosophers in history. As a post-Kantian thinker,...
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Schelling is among the most influential German philosophers in history. As a post-Kantian thinker, he is considered a midpoint between the Fichtean and Hegelian philosophical systems along the development of German Idealism. Unlike his predecessors, Schelling placed nature at the...
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The Arch of Titus in Rome: Iconography and Ideology The Arch of Titus is one of the most magnificent ancient monuments surviving in Rome and offers a...
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The Arch of Titus is one of the most magnificent ancient monuments surviving in Rome and offers a fascinating insight into one of the most volatile periods in Roman imperial history. The Flavians bridged the end of Augustus’s Julio-Claudian Dynasty, when the Romans still...
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What Is the First Epistle of Peter About? There is no doubt that the audience the First Epistle of Peter (1 Peter) had in mind was suffering...
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There is no doubt that the audience the First Epistle of Peter (1 Peter) had in mind was suffering persecution. Whether it was from Nero before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE or during the reign of Domitian a decade or so afterward, the readers can find wisdom and...
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Himmler, Hitler, & Occultism: The Nazi Search for the Arcane The Nazi regime’s fascination with the occult has long captivated and horrified people in equal...
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The Nazi regime’s fascination with the occult has long captivated and horrified people in equal measure. The idea that one of history’s most brutal regimes actively pursued mystical artifacts and esoteric beliefs seems almost unfathomable. Yet, as this exploration reveals,...
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Puebla: Where Mesoamerican and Spanish History Collide In a region packed with historically important cities, few can claim to have played such a long and...
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In a region packed with historically important cities, few can claim to have played such a long and pivotal role as Puebla. Long before the Aztec, it was the Vatican of Mesoamerica, where priests and pilgrims flocked to the largest pyramid in the world. It was the site of one of...
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Lascaux Cave Paintings: Secrets of Prehistoric Art Amid the Second World War, four young boys unearthed a Paleolithic masterpiece when they stumbled...
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Amid the Second World War, four young boys unearthed a Paleolithic masterpiece when they stumbled upon a cave in southwest France. The boys were entranced by the vivid hues of red, yellow, and black that formed vast scenes of animals appearing to move across the cave walls....
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The Impact of NASA’s Shuttle-Mir Program on Space Exploration When the Soviet Union collapsed, the space agencies of the United States and Russia began working...
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When the Soviet Union collapsed, the space agencies of the United States and Russia began working together like never before. The culmination of the new partnership was the Shuttle-Mir program, a mission that took place over several years and saw American astronauts working...
TheCollector
10 Must-See Monuments on the Acropolis Athens, the cradle of Western civilization, has stood as a beacon of culture, philosophy, and...
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Athens, the cradle of Western civilization, has stood as a beacon of culture, philosophy, and democracy for over 3,000 years. Once the heart of ancient Greece, this city flourished during the 5th century BCE, producing legendary figures like Socrates, Plato, and Pericles. Its...
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Why European Militaries Collectively Downsized After the Cold War Throughout the Cold War, European militaries were very well-armed and capable of fighting intense...
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Throughout the Cold War, European militaries were very well-armed and capable of fighting intense conflicts over an extended period. Centuries of warfare on the European continent had conditioned people throughout Europe that war was a fact of life. Yet by the 1990s and early...
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6 Fascinating Facts About Niki de Saint Phalle In her multifaceted artistic career, Niki de Saint Phalle explored femininity, gender inequality,...
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In her multifaceted artistic career, Niki de Saint Phalle explored femininity, gender inequality, violence, and joy. She continually rejected traditional conventions in art and society, caring little for what others thought about her work. Saint Phalle created highly expressive...
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How World War I Reshaped Fernand Léger’s Art The first truly global military conflict, World War I, scarred and reshaped entire generations of...
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The first truly global military conflict, World War I, scarred and reshaped entire generations of men and women. For many, it seemed that art in its usual sense could no longer exist after such destruction. For a promising young Cubist called Fernand Léger, combat was a traumatic...
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How to Decode Goryeo Buddhist Paintings in Korean Art Among Korea’s rarest and most beautiful religious artifacts, the Goryeo Period Buddhist paintings...
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Among Korea’s rarest and most beautiful religious artifacts, the Goryeo Period Buddhist paintings were largely lost due to colonization and war. Retrieved from Japanese temples, their imagery is now interpreted to represent stories of the afterlife. Alongside their religious...
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Aristotle’s Unexplored Discovery: Being as Implication Parmenides’ thoughts on the nature of Being painted the nature of reality as monistic and...
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Parmenides’ thoughts on the nature of Being painted the nature of reality as monistic and unchanging, derived from the axiom of “nothing can come from nothing.” Aristotle’s reply to Parmenides’ views on change allowed for breakthroughs in the history of human thought. Some of...
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When Did Baseball’s Negro Leagues Occur? 19th-century America regularly enforced segregation, especially after the American Civil War. This...
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19th-century America regularly enforced segregation, especially after the American Civil War. This also included baseball, the rapidly growing sport dubbed “America’s Pastime.” Black teams formed before the American Civil War, playing white, integrated, or other black teams. But...
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Newly Discovered Frescoes Reveal Ancient Ritual in Pompeii A century before the ancient city’s destruction, artists adorned the walls of a Pompeii banquet hall...
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A century before the ancient city’s destruction, artists adorned the walls of a Pompeii banquet hall with a procession of Dionysian revelers. Brightly colored and nearly life-sized, the newly identified fresco figures dance, hunt, and imbibe in the name of the god of wine.  ...
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What Is the History of Utopian Societies? The term Utopia is derived from Sir Thomas More’s 1516 literary work titled Utopia. The book...
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The term Utopia is derived from Sir Thomas More’s 1516 literary work titled Utopia. The book described an ideal fictional island nation that used a communal social system. He got the term from the Greek word ou-topos which meant nowhere. The satirical book was More’s attempt to...
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You Cannot Step Into the Same River Twice: What Was Heraclitus Trying to Say? Heraclitus, a mysterious philosopher from ancient Greece, said something that has stuck with people...
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Heraclitus, a mysterious philosopher from ancient Greece, said something that has stuck with people for centuries: “You can’t step into the same river twice.” It sounds like a pretty straightforward observation about the world we live in. But is it? What did Heraclitus mean when...
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How Did Grigori Rasputin Contribute to the Russian Revolution? Grigori Rasputin was a mystic who was originally only a peasant, so how did he become entangled with...
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Grigori Rasputin was a mystic who was originally only a peasant, so how did he become entangled with the Emperor of Russia, and did it contribute to their downfall during the Russian Revolution? It all was to do with the youngest child and only son of Tsar Nicholas II and his...
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10 Must-Visit Historic Towns in Washington Washington State has a history as expansive and layered as its landscapes. Long before statehood in...
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Washington State has a history as expansive and layered as its landscapes. Long before statehood in 1889, the region was home to numerous Indigenous tribes who shaped its identity and geography. The arrival of explorers, traders, and pioneers brought about a new chapter, marked...
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The Shocking Truth About Salvador Dali The king of Surrealism, the revolutionary filmmaker, and one of the greatest businessmen of his...
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The king of Surrealism, the revolutionary filmmaker, and one of the greatest businessmen of his era—these titles all righteously belong to Salvador Dali. But there are also other characteristics: domestic abuser, violent narcissist, fascist, and a terrible friend. These bold...
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Who Was Edward Said & His Groundbreaking Orientalism? Edward Said grew up in Palestine before moving to the United States. His lived experience and his...
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Edward Said grew up in Palestine before moving to the United States. His lived experience and his study of Western perceptions of the Middle East were the basis for Orientalism, which contends that Western superiority complexes are concealed behind depictions of the East that...
TheCollector
Zeno’s 4 Paradoxes About Motion and Time Can you imagine a speedy Achilles never overtaking a tortoise crawling at a snail’s pace? Or an...
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Can you imagine a speedy Achilles never overtaking a tortoise crawling at a snail’s pace? Or an arrow in mid-flight frozen stiff? These are just some of the mind-bending conundrums Zeno of Elea set out over two thousand years ago. And they’re still vexing philosophers and...
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Skara Brae: The Mysterious Neolithic Village of Scotland Nestled in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, Skara Brae is a prehistoric village that has intrigued...
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Nestled in the Orkney Islands of Scotland, Skara Brae is a prehistoric village that has intrigued archaeologists and historians for generations. Built over 5,000 years ago, it predates even the Egyptian pyramids. The village, perfectly preserved under layers of sand for...
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Frick Collection Unveils $220 Million Renovation Situated alongside New York City’s Central Park, the famed Frick Collection is reopening to the...
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Situated alongside New York City’s Central Park, the famed Frick Collection is reopening to the public after its first-ever comprehensive upgrade. With an expanded suite of exhibition and programmatic spaces, the new Frick’s inaugural events season will include a two-week music...
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Who Were the 5 Most Important Lutheran Reformers? Any student of the Protestant Reformation will be intimately familiar with the likes of Luther and...
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Any student of the Protestant Reformation will be intimately familiar with the likes of Luther and Melanchthon, both of whom spearheaded the reforms in the western church in the first half of the 16th century. However, their legacy only endured because of those who followed their...
TheCollector
Joséphine Bonaparte: Empress of the French Napoleon’s impact on the world cannot be understated. He upset the entire balance of power in the...
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Napoleon’s impact on the world cannot be understated. He upset the entire balance of power in the world and conquered most of Europe in armed conflicts that would see the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.   Behind the man who led armies into battle was his wife,...
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Was the Spanish Inquisition Really That Harsh? (Truths & Myths) When most people think of the Spanish Inquisition, they picture horrific scenes of torture and...
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When most people think of the Spanish Inquisition, they picture horrific scenes of torture and cruelty, thousands of people burning at the stake, and a tyrannical religious regime with too much power. What led to these misconceptions and propaganda surrounding the Inquisition,...
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Brazil in World War II: The Forgotten Ally In the 1930s, Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas pushed to expand and industrialize his country’s...
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In the 1930s, Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas pushed to expand and industrialize his country’s economy—until the outbreak of World War II upended his plans. In response to repeated Axis attacks on Brazilian shipping, Brazil joined the Allies in 1942 and made significant, though...
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Monet Landscape Could Fetch Over $30 Million at Auction Next month, Claude Monet’s 1891 landscape Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule will hit the...
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Next month, Claude Monet’s 1891 landscape Peupliers au bord de l’Epte, crépuscule will hit the auction block at Christie’s New York. The iconic Impressionist’s painting of a poplar tree-lined riverbank at sunset carries a pre-sale estimate of $30 million to $50 million.   Monet...
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Did Jephthah Sacrifice His Daughter in the Bible? Judges 11:29-40 tells the intriguing story of a mighty warrior named Jephthah who made an...
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Judges 11:29-40 tells the intriguing story of a mighty warrior named Jephthah who made an irresponsible vow to God that was not required of him. He vowed that if God gave his enemies in his hand, he would sacrifice whatever came out of the doors of his house when he returned...
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Preacher & Religious Author: Who Was John Bunyan? Among the written works which came out of the Protestant Reformation, probably the most surprising...
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Among the written works which came out of the Protestant Reformation, probably the most surprising is the widely popular work The Pilgrim’s Progress, a work of fiction from an untrained preacher called John Bunyan. His book was not any sort of treatise of theology; instead, it...
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The Authorship Debate: Who Is the Real Shakespeare? William Shakespeare is widely attributed as the author of 39 plays and 154 sonnets. They are lauded...
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William Shakespeare is widely attributed as the author of 39 plays and 154 sonnets. They are lauded as works of poetic and theatrical genius. Their all-encompassing nature demonstrates a thorough knowledge of classical texts, world travel and other languages. It is partly this...
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What Do Mormons Believe? Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), have a unique faith in...
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Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), have a unique faith in Christendom. Where most Churches hold scripture in high regard, they have other sacred sources that inform their faith and practice. They are a late development on the Christian...
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6 Stunning Similarities Between Ancient Rome and the United States Some of the similarities between ancient Rome at its height and the United States are obvious — from...
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Some of the similarities between ancient Rome at its height and the United States are obvious — from the sheer size of both countries to their forms of government, and the rise of their major historical figures. However, some are surprisingly subtle and require a closer look to...
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How the Song of Roland Shaped the Way We (Still) Think of Charlemagne The Song of Roland, one of the earliest pieces of French literature, started as a verbally shared...
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The Song of Roland, one of the earliest pieces of French literature, started as a verbally shared poem that was eventually written down. Several manuscripts of it exist, but Digby 23 has had the most influence. Because The Song of Roland sings the praise of Charlemagne, it is...
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Voter Turnout and Political Ideologies in the US: An Overview Today, we frequently hear that we are in unprecedented times when it comes to politics and voting....
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Today, we frequently hear that we are in unprecedented times when it comes to politics and voting. But is that actually the case? Are there historical parallels and precedents to today’s political landscape? Over time, voter turnout and political ideologies have evolved in the...
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What Was Isaiah Berlin’s Political Philosophy? Isaiah Berlin had a major influence on 20th-century political philosophy that continues to be felt...
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Isaiah Berlin had a major influence on 20th-century political philosophy that continues to be felt today through his essay “Two Concepts of Liberty.” In this work, Berlin examines the tension between individual freedom and collective governance. Negative liberty is about being...
TheCollector
Yoko Ono’s Tate Modern Retrospective Heads to US After a sell-out stint at London’s Tate Modern, a major Yoko Ono retrospective is hopping across the...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
After a sell-out stint at London’s Tate Modern, a major Yoko Ono retrospective is hopping across the pond. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago announced it will be the only American institution to host Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind. The exhibition will open on October 18, 2025,...
TheCollector
Balto the Dog: A Famous Canine Hero In the 1920s, Alaska was one of America’s last remaining frontiers. The isolated region was one full...
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In the 1920s, Alaska was one of America’s last remaining frontiers. The isolated region was one full of hardship but offered a quiet existence. After a mining boom that waned in the early 20th century, Nome, on the Western coast, became a city occupied by brave souls. Driving, or...
TheCollector
El Greco Altarpieces Reunited For First Time in 200 Years Nine monumental paintings by El Greco once decorated monastery walls in Toledo, Spain, where the...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Nine monumental paintings by El Greco once decorated monastery walls in Toledo, Spain, where the Greek-born artist spent most of his career. Most of these canvases eventually ended up elsewhere—but now, thanks to Madrid’s Prado Museum, they are hanging together again for the...
TheCollector
What Are Five Major Historical Misconceptions? As we revise the study of our human history and find more archival materials and documents, our...
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As we revise the study of our human history and find more archival materials and documents, our understanding of how things really happened has often changed. Sometimes rumors started from the smallest of scraps of evidence, or common gossip at the time. Here are some of the...
TheCollector
Was the New Testament Canon Chosen at the Council of Nicaea? Thanks to Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, and its film adaptation, many people think that the...
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Thanks to Dan Brown’s novel, The Da Vinci Code, and its film adaptation, many people think that the books that constitute today’s New Testament (NT) were first chosen in the 4th century at the Council of Nicaea. However, early in the 2nd century, Church Fathers had already...
TheCollector
Who Won the Battle of Gaines’ Mill? With the Union and Confederate capital cities so close together, it seemed common sense for the...
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With the Union and Confederate capital cities so close together, it seemed common sense for the Union to use its manpower and industrial advantage to take the quickest route to end the war: seize the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The Peninsula Campaign of 1862 was an...
TheCollector
How Did the Crusades Reintroduce the Classical Tradition to the West? Intellectual life in the modern West traces its origins to the ancient Greeks and Romans. However,...
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Intellectual life in the modern West traces its origins to the ancient Greeks and Romans. However, by the launch of the First Crusade, Latin Christendom had lost touch with large parts of the classical tradition. During the crusading period, Western Christian nations came into...
TheCollector
Agatha Christie: Discover the Woman Behind the Mystery Known as the “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie was a prolific novelist and playwright from England....
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a month ago
Known as the “Queen of Crime,” Agatha Christie was a prolific novelist and playwright from England. Some of her most-known works include books like And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. She invented beloved fictional detectives like the iconic Hercule Poirot...
TheCollector
Lucrezia Borgia: Femme Fatale or Innocent Pawn? Five centuries ago, Italy was a dangerous and brutal place for the nobility and the general...
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Five centuries ago, Italy was a dangerous and brutal place for the nobility and the general populace. Political machinations resulted in swift changes, with assassinations and war commonplace.   Born into this dynamic was Lucrezia Borgia, one of the most complex and intriguing...
TheCollector
Centuries-Old Buddhist Temple Destroyed by Wildfires Wildfires tearing through the southern regions of South Korea have killed at least 28 people and...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Wildfires tearing through the southern regions of South Korea have killed at least 28 people and destroyed or threatened hundreds of historical sites. As of Thursday, the wildfires have burned at least 88,980 acres of land, according to the South Korean government’s disaster...
TheCollector
What Did Einstein Say About Capitalism? Albert Einstein’s brain, Roland Barthes once wrote, “is a mythical object.” His genius is...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Albert Einstein’s brain, Roland Barthes once wrote, “is a mythical object.” His genius is immortalized in the public imagination through a single, elegant equation: E = mc². His theories of relativity, his wild grey hair, and his outstretched tongue define his image. However, far...
TheCollector
Simone Weil: Did George Herbert Convert the French Mystic? Despite living about 300 years before her, George Herbert drastically influenced the life of Simone...
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Despite living about 300 years before her, George Herbert drastically influenced the life of Simone Weil, a Jewish philosopher of the early to mid-20th century. Weil, accustomed to terrible migraines, was reading one of Herbert’s poems when she had an experience that changed her...
TheCollector
Are We Justified in Using Inductive Reasoning? Imagine being a scientist developing a new drug. You test it on over 1,000,000 patients of...
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Imagine being a scientist developing a new drug. You test it on over 1,000,000 patients of widespread backgrounds, and none experiences any side effects. You put it on the market and, once again, receive no notification of undesired outcomes. Imagine then prescribing it to one of...
TheCollector
Emotivism: Are Moral Statements Mere Emotions? The concept of morality is often recognized as difficult to define. Discerning moral from immoral is...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
The concept of morality is often recognized as difficult to define. Discerning moral from immoral is bound to result in heated debates, so much so that it often appears impossible to reach an agreement on the outcome of discussions on the matter. What is it then—within the nature...
TheCollector
Archaeologists May Have Found Second Pharaonic Tomb in Egypt The recent discovery of King Thutmose II’s long-lost royal tomb has been touted as Egypt’s most...
3 months ago
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The recent discovery of King Thutmose II’s long-lost royal tomb has been touted as Egypt’s most impressive archaeological find since King Tut. Now, just days later, the same archaeologists say there is a yet-undiscovered second tomb of Thutmose II located nearby.   The Royal...
TheCollector
Battle of the Milvian Bridge: The Battle That Shaped Christianity? The victory of Emperor Constantine during a civil war allowed for some of the most dramatic events...
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The victory of Emperor Constantine during a civil war allowed for some of the most dramatic events in Roman history. The emperor’s tale of divine intervention at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge proved to be the key event in the legalization of Christianity and its subsequent...
TheCollector
Tristan da Cunha: An Island at the Edge of the World Located in the South Atlantic, directly between Cape Town in South Africa and Buenos Aires in...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Located in the South Atlantic, directly between Cape Town in South Africa and Buenos Aires in Argentina, the island of Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited place on the planet. It is a windswept place of natural beauty that has been home to a unique community for more...
TheCollector
Embalming Lenin: Why Was the Soviet Founder Permanently Preserved? At the edge of Moscow’s Red Square, by the walls of the Kremlin, stands a stone mausoleum that is...
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At the edge of Moscow’s Red Square, by the walls of the Kremlin, stands a stone mausoleum that is home to the preserved body of Vladimir Lenin, the founding father of the Soviet Union. While other world leaders throughout history were embalmed and later buried, Lenin’s remains...
TheCollector
Why Is the Gospel of Mark so Short? Of the four gospels in the Biblical canon, the Gospel of Mark is the shortest by a significant...
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a month ago
Of the four gospels in the Biblical canon, the Gospel of Mark is the shortest by a significant margin. The writer of John had a different approach to compiling and describing the message he wished to convey, so a difference in length would be understandable. With Matthew and...
TheCollector
Pop Art and Surrealism: What Do They Have in Common? Surrealism and Pop Art remain some of the most popular and loved art movements of the 20th century,...
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Surrealism and Pop Art remain some of the most popular and loved art movements of the 20th century, well-known even by those who are not deeply interested in the history of art. The aestheticized weirdness of Surrealist art gave birth to countless images and ideas that settled in...
TheCollector
Interview With Adriano Marinazzo: Michelangelo Masterpieces in the US TheCollector recently had the pleasure of speaking with curator Adriano Marinazzo about...
3 months ago
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TheCollector recently had the pleasure of speaking with curator Adriano Marinazzo about Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, an exciting new exhibition held at the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. On view from March 6 to May 28, 2025, the...
TheCollector
What Is the Difference Between Sunni and Shia Islam? According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad’s prophetic status was well-established among his followers...
3 months ago
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According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad’s prophetic status was well-established among his followers before his death. However, a disagreement emerged soon afterward about the prophet’s death regarding his intent for the leadership structure of the fledgling Muslim community. The...
TheCollector
Attalid Kingdom of Pergamon: A Great Power of the Hellenistic World During the Hellenistic era, an obscure city in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey) became one of the...
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During the Hellenistic era, an obscure city in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey) became one of the leading states of the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE. The Attalids, who ruled Pergamon, were a curious dynasty. Unusually harmonious in an era known for intra-dynastic strife, they were...
TheCollector
What Do Pentecostals Believe? The Pentecostal Movement exploded onto the ecclesiastical scene in 1906, and the growth of this...
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The Pentecostal Movement exploded onto the ecclesiastical scene in 1906, and the growth of this movement has been remarkable. The origins of Pentecostalism can be traced to Topeka, Kansas, and the ministry of Charles Parham, but it was not until a student of Parham moved to Los...
TheCollector
Mexican Muralism: Defining a Nation’s Post-Revolution Identity After the Mexican Revolution, the country was left fragmented and impoverished. In this context, the...
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After the Mexican Revolution, the country was left fragmented and impoverished. In this context, the construction of a new national identity based on revolutionary ideals—such as social justice and inclusion—was necessary to unify the country and legitimize the ruling party,...
TheCollector
The 8 Must-See Rooms at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) is home to one of the world’s most spectacular...
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New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) is home to one of the world’s most spectacular collections of art, sculpture, and artifacts. The museum offers a wide array of exhibits spread across multiple galleries, from a fully reconstructed Egyptian temple to mosaics and...
TheCollector
6 Famous Land Artists You Should Know Land Art, also known as Earth Art, is a name applied to artworks that operate within the natural...
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Land Art, also known as Earth Art, is a name applied to artworks that operate within the natural realm rather than in artistic studios, using earth, stones, and other natural materials. In some ways, Land Art was a category of art rather than a coherent movement. Artists who...
TheCollector
What Was the Significance of Ephesus? By the first century CE, Ephesus was already ancient. Established sometime around 1000 BCE in what...
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By the first century CE, Ephesus was already ancient. Established sometime around 1000 BCE in what is now Turkey on with access to the Aegean Sea, Ephesus had played an important role in the growth of Greek history.  The Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient...
TheCollector
5 Crimes Henry Kissinger Committed in Latin America Henry Kissinger was a consequential American diplomat who served as U.S. National Security Advisor...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Henry Kissinger was a consequential American diplomat who served as U.S. National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, helping shape American foreign policy for much of the 1970s. In the broader context of the Cold War, Kissinger led American diplomacy with pragmatism and...
TheCollector
Beyond Human: Supernatural Beings in Medieval England In our secular age, most of us scoff at the supernatural. Consequently, it is difficult to put...
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In our secular age, most of us scoff at the supernatural. Consequently, it is difficult to put ourselves in the mindsets of our medieval counterparts who still lived in a world of unexplored wilderness and unexplained phenomena. God’s natural creation was potentially infinite,...
TheCollector
The Battle of Raban, 958: The Byzantine Empire Breaks the Hamdanids In 944, Sayf al-Dawla established himself as the head of the independent Hamdanid Emirate of Aleppo....
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a month ago
In 944, Sayf al-Dawla established himself as the head of the independent Hamdanid Emirate of Aleppo. Sayf’s rule over his emirate and his entire reputation rested on jihad against the infidels. In his case, the Byzantine Empire with whom he shared a border. He quickly became the...
TheCollector
12 Unexpected Facts About Samuel Johnson There are many basic but essential facts to be learned about Samuel Johnson. For example, he was...
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There are many basic but essential facts to be learned about Samuel Johnson. For example, he was born in 1709 and died in 1784. His life spanned the reign of four British Monarchs: Queen Anne (1702-1714), King George I (1714-1727), King George II (1727-1760), and King George III...
TheCollector
What Are the Names of God in the Bible (and Why Are There So Many)? In the Bible, there are many names for God. Some apply to God in general, while others refer to...
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In the Bible, there are many names for God. Some apply to God in general, while others refer to Jesus specifically. Most of these names are expressions of character. They highlight specific aspects of who God is and generally correlate with the circumstance and situation God...
TheCollector
The 1999 Apartment Bombings in Russia: History & Unanswered Questions In late 1999, a series of explosions destroyed apartments across Russia. When Chechen separatists...
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In late 1999, a series of explosions destroyed apartments across Russia. When Chechen separatists were found guilty of orchestrating the attacks, the Second Chechen War began, and Vladimir Putin’s popularity skyrocketed. Today, the bombings have become one of the most debated...
TheCollector
Mummified Cats: Companion Cats and Feline Worship in Ancient Egypt While it is common to see cats in modern households, cats are among the most recently domesticated...
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While it is common to see cats in modern households, cats are among the most recently domesticated animals. Archaeological evidence indicates their presence among human communities from approximately 9,000 years ago, far more recent than dogs, nearly 30,000 years ago, or even...
TheCollector
10 Beautiful Places in Florida Tourists Tend to Overlook Florida is filled with loads of activities to do ranging from the world class amusement parks down...
a month ago
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a month ago
Florida is filled with loads of activities to do ranging from the world class amusement parks down to local springs. If you are planning a visit to the Sunshine State don’t fret, we’re here to help. If you want to take a journey off the beaten path there is still an abundance of...
TheCollector
What Is the Armor of God in Christianity? Paul often used metaphors his audience would have been familiar with to explain spiritual realities....
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Paul often used metaphors his audience would have been familiar with to explain spiritual realities. In Ephesians 6 he identifies the enemy in distinctly spiritual terms, using phrases such as “… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,” “cosmic powers over this present...
TheCollector
Was Chernobyl the Catalyst for the Soviet Union’s Collapse? On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant exploded. The fallout left large parts of modern-day...
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On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant exploded. The fallout left large parts of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus uninhabitable. Six years after the explosion, the Soviet Union collapsed. Many historians, including Mikhail Gorbachev himself, believe Chernobyl was the real...
TheCollector
Was Lilith Adam’s First Wife? Learn About This Biblical Myth The Lilith myth holds that Eve was not Adam’s first wife. His first wife, Lilith, had some issues...
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The Lilith myth holds that Eve was not Adam’s first wife. His first wife, Lilith, had some issues with Adam’s patriarchal tendencies and refused to be dominated by him. The contention between them resulted in Lilith leaving Eden and settling in a remote, desert environment that...
TheCollector
Excavations Reveal Ancient “Mosaic House” in Pergamon Turkish archaeologists discovered 2,000-year-old mosaics in Pergamon, an important center of power...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Turkish archaeologists discovered 2,000-year-old mosaics in Pergamon, an important center of power and culture in Hellenistic Greece. The “ornate” tile floors, which belong to a Roman period residence, offer new insights into the lives of the ancient city’s elite.   Mosaic House...
TheCollector
What Is Black History Month? Originating in the United States, BHM has become an annual celebration of the history and...
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3 months ago
Originating in the United States, BHM has become an annual celebration of the history and achievements of black people in many countries across the world, such as the UK and Canada. The months predominantly used for celebration are February and October, with the celebrations...
TheCollector
What Is the Song of Solomon About? The Song of Solomon is different from any other book in the Bible. Some people are surprised at its...
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The Song of Solomon is different from any other book in the Bible. Some people are surprised at its content. It seems like letters two lovers wrote one another where the male and female describe the other from their perspective. The poems express excitement at the thought of the...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of Jasher and Why Is It Not in the Bible? The Bible mentions the Book of Jasher twice. The Book of Jasher was lost sometime in antiquity, and...
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The Bible mentions the Book of Jasher twice. The Book of Jasher was lost sometime in antiquity, and no mention of it appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls, early Jewish or Christian tradition, or early Rabbinic writings. During the Middle Ages, a time notorious for people passing off...
TheCollector
The 12 Best Places to Visit in Chile for History Buffs Chile has endured a long and at times tumultuous history over the years. Although the brutal...
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Chile has endured a long and at times tumultuous history over the years. Although the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet continues to influence many of the country’s struggles, it is not—or rather should not be—the historical event that defines it most. With a...
TheCollector
10 Top Tourist Destinations in Japan It is undeniable that Japan is a land with many things that make it unique. From its history to its...
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It is undeniable that Japan is a land with many things that make it unique. From its history to its culture to its magnificent natural beauty, Japan has been enticing tourists for centuries. It is one of the world’s most visited countries, and for good reason!   Packed into...
TheCollector
Excavations at Pompeii Reveal Rare Life-Sized Statues An ongoing excavation at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii yielded an unusual pair of marble...
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An ongoing excavation at the ancient Roman city of Pompeii yielded an unusual pair of marble funerary statues. The figures depict a man in a toga and a bejeweled woman, who experts believe may have been a Pompeiian priestess.   Statues Found at Pompeii’s Porta Sarno Necropolis  ...
TheCollector
10 Myths About the Greek God Dionysus Dionysus was one of the twelve Olympian deities the ancient Greeks believed ruled over the cosmos....
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Dionysus was one of the twelve Olympian deities the ancient Greeks believed ruled over the cosmos. He was the patron god of wine and merriment, credited with the discovery of the grapevine. He was also known to cause madness in those who offended him. Dionysus was commonly...
TheCollector
10 Must-See Historic Sites in Tennessee Tennessee’s story is built on moments that shaped the course of American history. It was the last...
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Tennessee’s story is built on moments that shaped the course of American history. It was the last state to secede and the first to rejoin the Union after the Civil War. It witnessed the birth of country music, the struggle for civil rights, and the presidency of Andrew Jackson....
TheCollector
Snorri Sturluson: Our Most Important Source for Norse Myth? Most of the surviving information we have about Norse mythology and legendary Viking history was...
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Most of the surviving information we have about Norse mythology and legendary Viking history was written by Snorri Sturluson, a Christian historian and politician living in Iceland in the 13th century. Consequently, much of what we know about Norse mythology and Viking religion...
TheCollector
10 Oldest Universities in Continuous Operation in the U.S. Universities have long been the backbone of intellectual progress, dating back to ancient...
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Universities have long been the backbone of intellectual progress, dating back to ancient institutions like Nalanda and the Academy of Athens. The medieval era saw the rise of structured higher education in Europe, with Bologna (1088) and Oxford (1096) becoming global centers of...
TheCollector
How Did Apostle Paul’s Letters Shape Thessalonica’s Heritage? With a long history stretching back to ancient Greece, Thessalonica (known today as Thessaloniki) is...
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With a long history stretching back to ancient Greece, Thessalonica (known today as Thessaloniki) is Greece’s second-largest city. The church of Thessalonica was the last congregation of the New Testament era to which the apostle Paul wrote two of his epistles. What were these...
TheCollector
What is Purim? Exploring the Story of Esther and Jewish Resilience The most well-known Jewish holiday is probably either Passover or Hanukkah. Passover is prescribed...
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The most well-known Jewish holiday is probably either Passover or Hanukkah. Passover is prescribed in the Bible, while Hanukkah commemorates events that happened after the Hebrew Bible was written. These two holidays are similar, however, since they both celebrate divine...
TheCollector
Language Is Fake! (And Here’s Why) Many of us grew up hearing from teachers, parents, and other adults that there are right and wrong...
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Many of us grew up hearing from teachers, parents, and other adults that there are right and wrong ways to speak. While grammar rules enable streamlined, coherent communication, the point of language—to convey an idea to another person—can be accomplished without adhering to...
TheCollector
Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education: An In-Depth Guide If you’re an educator, student, or just someone who loves to learn, it’s worth checking out Paulo...
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If you’re an educator, student, or just someone who loves to learn, it’s worth checking out Paulo Freire. His educational philosophy changed the game. Freire believed that teaching shouldn’t be about bossing kids around—and that schools shouldn’t reproduce systems of oppression....
TheCollector
10 Beautiful Libraries in the U.S. You Should Visit Libraries have long stood as pillars of knowledge and culture, evolving from ancient archives to...
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Libraries have long stood as pillars of knowledge and culture, evolving from ancient archives to modern public institutions. The earliest known libraries date back to the 7th century B.C., such as the Library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh, which housed a vast collection of cuneiform...
TheCollector
The Surprising Ways Tomb Robbing Changed the Course of Egyptian History In ancient Egypt, the physical memory of the deceased was essential. They believed that another life...
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In ancient Egypt, the physical memory of the deceased was essential. They believed that another life would begin in the afterlife that was the same as life on Earth but without any problems. Their tombs were packed with objects necessary for survival in this afterlife....
TheCollector
Is Lying Always Wrong? Exploring Different Ethical Routes Have you ever felt that telling the truth is morally overrated? There are certainly many situations...
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Have you ever felt that telling the truth is morally overrated? There are certainly many situations where total transparency could trigger disastrous outcomes for all parties involved. Wouldn’t lying then be a moral duty in order to mitigate such negative consequences?  These...
TheCollector
“To Be Is to Be Perceived”: The Concept of Berkeley’s Idealism Ever thought about whether the world is there only because you think it is? That’s what George...
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Ever thought about whether the world is there only because you think it is? That’s what George Berkeley meant with his philosophy of idealism. The 18th-century philosopher came up with a pretty wild idea: “To be is to be perceived.” According to him, we don’t find objects, and...
TheCollector
What Is the Book of Hebrews About? Some refer to the Book of Hebrews as the “better book.” It compares the Old Testament ceremonial...
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Some refer to the Book of Hebrews as the “better book.” It compares the Old Testament ceremonial system and its fulfillment, highlighting how the fulfillment is, in every instance, better than the type that pointed to the antitype. It is arguably the best link between Old...
TheCollector
Ancient “Woodhenge” Discovered in Denmark Newly unearthed evidence of a Stonehenge-like circle in Denmark, which has been dubbed “Woodhenge,”...
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Newly unearthed evidence of a Stonehenge-like circle in Denmark, which has been dubbed “Woodhenge,” may offer new insights into shared belief systems across Neolithic-era Europe.   “The Timber Circle is a Window into the Past”   According to experts, the recently discovered...
TheCollector
Split-Brain: Two Selves in One? We tend to perceive ourselves as something unified and immutable—whether we call it our soul,...
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We tend to perceive ourselves as something unified and immutable—whether we call it our soul, essence, or self. Yet, whenever we try to explain it, the questions start. Is it just perception itself? Could it be composed of several elements or even just be an illusion? There has...
TheCollector
Christian Views on Limbo Explained: Definition & History The concept of Limbo is a theological view that many Roman Catholics held from the time of the...
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The concept of Limbo is a theological view that many Roman Catholics held from the time of the Church Fathers until recently. The “Limbo of the Infants” was never an official doctrine of the Catholic Church, while the Limbo of the Fathers and Patriarchs was. Limbo refers to a...
TheCollector
Archaeologists Find Ancient Tomb of Egyptian Military Commander The ancient tomb of a military commander has been uncovered in Egypt, reported the country’s...
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The ancient tomb of a military commander has been uncovered in Egypt, reported the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The burial site belonged to a high-ranking leader who served under King Ramesses III, who is considered to be the last pharaoh of Egypt’s New Kingdom...
TheCollector
Facts and Myths About Harriet Tubman There are few Americans today who do not know the name Harriet Tubman. Famous for her work on the...
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There are few Americans today who do not know the name Harriet Tubman. Famous for her work on the Underground Railroad, Tubman is a beloved historical figure of the Civil War era. Yet common knowledge about her and her work is plagued by half-truths and exaggerations. As...
TheCollector
What Is the Third Epistle of John About? The Third Epistle of John (3 John) is the shortest book in the New Testament, with a word count of...
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The Third Epistle of John (3 John) is the shortest book in the New Testament, with a word count of 219 words in the original Greek, though it has more verses than 2 John. It is also the only New Testament book that does not mention the word, Jesus or Christ, though it alludes […]
TheCollector
Roman-Era Hermes Statue Found in Ancient City of Aspendos Turkish archaeologists unearthed an ancient statue of Hermes, the winged messenger of the gods, in...
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Turkish archaeologists unearthed an ancient statue of Hermes, the winged messenger of the gods, in the Greco-Roman city of Aspendos. It was found alongside objects associated with other major deities in Greek mythology.   Turkish Archaeologists Uncover Fragmented Hermes Statue  ...
TheCollector
Paul Cezanne’s Metaphysical Paintings in 3 Works: A Failed Synthesis? Paul Cézanne’s late works attempted to relay nature, as well as his own impressions of it, with...
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Paul Cézanne’s late works attempted to relay nature, as well as his own impressions of it, with minimal artifice. He eschewed the weighty influence of artistic tradition—especially the rules of linear perspective—and increasingly relied upon the pure tones of individual...
TheCollector
Paul Delaroche’s Artistic Career: A Master of History Paintings Paul Delaroche was a 19th-century French painter who specialized in and earned his fame in history...
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Paul Delaroche was a 19th-century French painter who specialized in and earned his fame in history paintings. Most of his work focused on emotional tales taken from English history. Delaroche experienced massive success among his contemporaries, and his paintings continue to...
TheCollector
What Is the Second Epistle of John About? Tradition held that the Johannine Epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) were the work of John, the beloved...
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Tradition held that the Johannine Epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) were the work of John, the beloved apostle. These works discuss similar themes to those of the Gospel of John and, at times, allude to what the Gospel of John proclaimed. The Second Epistle of John addresses Docetism,...
TheCollector
Who Were Ancient Israel’s Boy Kings? After Solomon’s death, the ancient Kingdom of Israel split into two realms. The northern half was...
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After Solomon’s death, the ancient Kingdom of Israel split into two realms. The northern half was called Israel and the southern Judah. At different times in the period that followed, known as the Divided Kingdom, three boys under thirteen-years-old—Joash, Manasseh, and...
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Archaeologists Find World’s Oldest Known Bone Tools in Africa Early hominids were systematically producing bone tools at least one million years sooner than...
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Early hominids were systematically producing bone tools at least one million years sooner than archaeologists previously believed, according to a new study published in Nature. Researchers from the CSIC-Spanish National Research Council unearthed an ancient bone toolkit in...
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Director of Dreams: Who Is Akira Kurosawa? Today, the world knows Japanese cinema. Whether anime, 1950s Godzilla movies, or rogue samurai,...
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Today, the world knows Japanese cinema. Whether anime, 1950s Godzilla movies, or rogue samurai, Japanese movies have undoubtedly caused a splash the international realm of modern and contemporary film. Master Director, Akira Kurosawa, etched his mark deeply in his home country of...
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The Battle of Navarino: The Last Battle of the Age of Sail The Battle of Navarino on October 20, 1827 sits between two eras. As the first steam-powered ships...
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The Battle of Navarino on October 20, 1827 sits between two eras. As the first steam-powered ships took to the seas, two great masses of wooden sailing ships clashed in one last fleet action with the fate of an empire on the line. For a final time fleets of sailing ships impacted...
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What Technological & Cultural Advances Were Achieved During the Gupta Empire? The Gupta Empire is widely regarded as India’s Golden Age. Although it existed for only about 230...
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The Gupta Empire is widely regarded as India’s Golden Age. Although it existed for only about 230 years (from the 3rd century AD to 543 AD), it had a profound influence on many areas of Indian society, including arts and science. The empire was established by Sri Gupta who came...
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Who Are Jannes and Jambres in the Bible? When Paul mentioned Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy 3:8, his audience likely knew who these men...
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When Paul mentioned Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy 3:8, his audience likely knew who these men were, but readers today often do not. According to Jewish tradition, they were the magicians who opposed Moses when he called on Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. On...
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Bikers, Outlaws, and Mobsters: A Brief History of New Hollywood By the end of the 1950s, Hollywood studios were verging on economic disaster after forty years of...
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By the end of the 1950s, Hollywood studios were verging on economic disaster after forty years of ruling U.S. and world cinema. Much of their core audience had grown up and moved to the suburbs, away from the grand city theaters but infinitely closer to their new living-room TVs....
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Ulrich Zwingli: A Forgotten Pillar of the Reformation When discussing the Reformation, names like Martin Luther and John Calvin are often at the...
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When discussing the Reformation, names like Martin Luther and John Calvin are often at the forefront. However, Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss reformer, also played a pivotal role in shaping Protestant theology and influencing religious history. Zwingli was instrumental in the Swiss...
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Who Was Saint Paul? A Short Biography Saint Paul authored more epistles in the New Testament than any other apostle. Most of Christian...
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Saint Paul authored more epistles in the New Testament than any other apostle. Most of Christian theology builds on his writings at least in part. Few people who knew Saul (Paul) as a young man would have thought he would make such a significant impact on Christianity seeing that...
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9 Historic Gems in Peru: From Inca Ruins to Colonial Cities Peru’s history dates back over 5,000 years, making it an intoxicating and addictive destination for...
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Peru’s history dates back over 5,000 years, making it an intoxicating and addictive destination for history enthusiasts. While Machu Picchu and the ancient Inca Empire may claim most of the attention, there is much more of Peru’s history to discover. As the birthplace of ancient...
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The Liberation of Rome in WWII: Here’s What Happened In September 1943, the Western Allies—the US, Britain, and Canada—invaded fascist Italy, which was...
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In September 1943, the Western Allies—the US, Britain, and Canada—invaded fascist Italy, which was allied with Nazi Germany by longtime dictator Benito Mussolini. Although the Allies had made secret plans that would lead to the bloodless surrender of the weakest Axis power, the...
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3 Key Muslim Leaders Who Rose During the Second Crusade Pope Urban II’s call for a crusade to the Holy Land saw an astonishing response across Western...
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Pope Urban II’s call for a crusade to the Holy Land saw an astonishing response across Western Europe. A desire for wealth, adventure, and salvation saw the launch of the First Crusade in 1096. Three years later, Jerusalem fell to Christian advances. Shock waves rippled...
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Derrida vs. Saussure: Structuralism’s Criticism of Logocentrism Jacques Derrida is one of the foremost thinkers associated with “poststructuralism,” a tendency in...
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Jacques Derrida is one of the foremost thinkers associated with “poststructuralism,” a tendency in the latter half of the twentieth century to overturn structuralism. The disjuncture between the two hinges on a whole constellation of theoretical and attitudinal differences, but...
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Escaping the Void: What Is the Human Paradox? The intellect has crowned the human being at the summit of the animal kingdom. With their...
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The intellect has crowned the human being at the summit of the animal kingdom. With their unprecedently refined ability to rationalize, analyze, and self-reflect, humans could manipulate and control their environment like no other species. However, such an extraordinary gift of...
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Who Was Leo Strauss? (Bio and Philosophy) Leo Strauss was not just an ordinary philosopher or political thinker; his influence spanned...
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Leo Strauss was not just an ordinary philosopher or political thinker; his influence spanned continents and still generates discussion long after he died in 1973. So, who exactly was Leo Strauss? By delving into his time at the University of Chicago, how he approached classic...
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6 Famous Artworks That Are Lost Forever For centuries, humans have considered pieces of art important enough to preserve and cherish despite...
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For centuries, humans have considered pieces of art important enough to preserve and cherish despite their seeming impracticality. Still, in spite of our efforts to keep them intact, works of art too often fall victim to tragic accidents. Some pieces remain known only in art...
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10 Oldest Skyscrapers Around the World Skyscrapers weren’t always the shimmering glass-and-steel giants we know today. In the late 19th...
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Skyscrapers weren’t always the shimmering glass-and-steel giants we know today. In the late 19th century, the idea of building upward wasn’t just a necessity. It was a statement. Cities were swelling, land was expensive, and new engineering feats made it possible to defy...
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What Do Methodists Believe? Born in England from a revival in the Anglican Church, Methodism soon jumped across the ocean to...
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Born in England from a revival in the Anglican Church, Methodism soon jumped across the ocean to become a significant denomination among American churches. It originated with the brothers Wesley, John, and Charles, though the most notable name in Methodism was Francis Asbury....
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Understanding Philip Glass in 5 Compositions Philip Glass’s music is often labeled as minimalist. Minimalism is an art movement that erupted in...
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Philip Glass’s music is often labeled as minimalist. Minimalism is an art movement that erupted in New York during the 1960s. However, one could (and, perhaps, should), label him as an economical composer: “Every note, every movement, every gesture [is used] with purpose” as...
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The Curse Of Atreus and the House of Atreides in Greek Mythology In Greek mythology, the kings of Mycenae and Sparta, Agamemnon and Menelaus, are both members of the...
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In Greek mythology, the kings of Mycenae and Sparta, Agamemnon and Menelaus, are both members of the House of Atreus. These Atreides, or sons of Atreus, were heroes of the Trojan War but also afflicted by a hereditary curse that saw each generation succumb to murder, cannibalism,...
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What Is the Holy Spirit in Christianity, and Its Significance? The doctrine of the Trinity identifies the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Godhead. This...
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The doctrine of the Trinity identifies the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Godhead. This teaching was established at the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and defined the Godhead more clearly than ever. The books of the New Testament were foundational in developing the...
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What Were the Sociocultural Effects of the Iran-Iraq War? After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the start of the Iran Hostage Crisis, Iran fought its...
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After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the start of the Iran Hostage Crisis, Iran fought its neighbor Iraq for eight years. This war—the largest industrialized war since World War II—demonstrated the tenacity and radicalism of Iran’s Islamist regime. In battle, it used...
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New Study Challenges Origin Story of Sutton Hoo Helmet Where did the Sutton Hoo helmet come from? Archaeologists have long agreed that the iconic...
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Where did the Sutton Hoo helmet come from? Archaeologists have long agreed that the iconic Anglo-Saxon artifact was likely made in Sweden. But new research—along with a “strikingly” similar archaeological discovery in Denmark—is casting some doubt on the long-held assumption.  ...
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10 Best Places to Visit in Mexico for History Buffs Mexico might be renowned as a beach lover’s ideal destination, yet the allure for history lovers is...
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Mexico might be renowned as a beach lover’s ideal destination, yet the allure for history lovers is even greater. With a capital city built atop the ruins of ancient empires, a head-spinning array of sensational pre-Columbian ruins, world-famous pyramids, enchanting colonial...
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10 Must-See UNESCO Heritage Sites in India UNESCO World Heritage Sites are globally recognized landmarks celebrated for their cultural,...
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites are globally recognized landmarks celebrated for their cultural, historical, artistic, or environmental significance. From ancient cities and architectural wonders to biodiversity hotspots, these sites are legally protected to preserve their legacy for...
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Bodhidharma: The Legendary Founder of Kung Fu & Zen (Myth vs Facts) Zen Buddhism’s enigmatic teachings and its masters have influenced East Asian art, philosophy, and...
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Zen Buddhism’s enigmatic teachings and its masters have influenced East Asian art, philosophy, and poetry for over a thousand years. However, the entire tradition traces itself back to one legendary man, credited not only with bringing Zen to China but also with the development...
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What Does the Bible Say About the Tree of Life? Genesis 3 suggests that eating the fruit from the Tree of Life gave eternal life. After the Fall,...
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Genesis 3 suggests that eating the fruit from the Tree of Life gave eternal life. After the Fall, God prevented access to the tree by posting two cherubs at the entrance to the garden. Humans should not have access to eternal life while in their fallen state. Access to the tree...
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What Is the History of Maritime Law? Modern maritime law is a medley of some of the oldest seafaring principles and contemporary rules...
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Modern maritime law is a medley of some of the oldest seafaring principles and contemporary rules that became necessary as the industry evolved. Since ancient times, maritime law has addressed key maritime issues such as insurance coverage, salvage events, and the rights of ship...
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Why Is There So Much Blood in Mesoamerican Mythology? In the Aztec mythos, Huitzilopotchli sought revenge on his sister Coyolxauhqui for attacking their...
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In the Aztec mythos, Huitzilopotchli sought revenge on his sister Coyolxauhqui for attacking their mother, throwing her head into the sky to become the moon watching over. In the Maya mythos, Buluc-Chabta wore a necklace made of human eyes. Brutality and war were often the way of...
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7 of the Most Inhospitable Places on Earth If one thing can be said about the human species, it’s that we are incredibly resourceful. We can...
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If one thing can be said about the human species, it’s that we are incredibly resourceful. We can survive and put down roots virtually anywhere we choose, from the icy wastes of the Arctic to the searing heat of the Sahara.   Yet some places on the planet are so inhospitable that...
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Christie’s to Auction Basquiat Family Portrait Christie’s announced that a triple portrait by Jean-Michel Basquiat will headline the auction...
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Christie’s announced that a triple portrait by Jean-Michel Basquiat will headline the auction house’s 21st Century Evening Sale on May 14 in New York. Painted at the height of the artist’s career, Baby Boom is poised to fetch between $20 million and $30 million.   “Family...
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Justinian I’s Surprising Recapture of Rome: What Happened? The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I came close to uniting the former Roman Empire less than a century...
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The Byzantine Emperor Justinian I came close to uniting the former Roman Empire less than a century after its fall. However, popular discontent, foreign war, and a plague all combined to bring his dream of reestablishing Roman glory to an end, despite remarkable successes.   Rome...
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New Exhibition Focuses on Van Gogh’s Roulin Family Portraits When Vincent van Gogh moved in next door to Postman Joseph Roulin, he not only discovered a new...
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When Vincent van Gogh moved in next door to Postman Joseph Roulin, he not only discovered a new friendship. In each member of the Roulin family, the artist also found a new muse. Now, over a century later, the iconic Post-Impressionist portraits that resulted from this neighborly...
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How Did the Minoan Octopus Vase Get Cracked? Valuable ancient artefacts provide a direct connection to human history by revealing details such as...
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Valuable ancient artefacts provide a direct connection to human history by revealing details such as the old ways of life and the tools used at that time. They also provide valuable evolutionary insights that reveal how certain groups of people evolved from bygone eras. This is...
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The German Revolution of 1918-1919: The Birth of the Weimar Republic On November 10, 1918, Theodor Wolff, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Berliner Tageblatt,...
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On November 10, 1918, Theodor Wolff, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Berliner Tageblatt, announced that “the greatest of all revolutions” had occurred in Germany. The previous day, a wave of anti-war protests, collectively known as the November Revolution, had caused the...
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Connecting the Wrong Dots: What Is Apophenia? Apophenia is our tendency to find meaningful connections between unrelated things. Otherwise known...
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Apophenia is our tendency to find meaningful connections between unrelated things. Otherwise known as patternicity, it is a common phenomenon that highlights our intrinsic need for meaning and order in our lives. Can we dismiss apophenia as a mere cognitive bias, an error of...
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What Do Reformed Churches Believe? John Calvin is one of the most recognized names among the reformers, and for good reason. Calvinism...
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John Calvin is one of the most recognized names among the reformers, and for good reason. Calvinism is named after this theologian and the Reformed Churches have the doctrines that he espoused at their core. Though there are several similarities between Reformed Churches and...
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Honoring the Nameless: History of the US Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Perched atop a hill at Arlington National Cemetery, the American Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands...
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Perched atop a hill at Arlington National Cemetery, the American Tomb of the Unknown Soldier stands quietly, remembering those heroes lost to the annals of history. Guarded by the elite soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, this sacred memorial...
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Who Were the Windsor Beauties? 10 Portraits by Sir Peter Lely Who were the “Windsor Beauties”? Who commissioned and painted each of the portraits? Why were the...
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Who were the “Windsor Beauties”? Who commissioned and painted each of the portraits? Why were the sitters selected, and why have each of the women been depicted in such a similar fashion?   In this article, we will learn a little more about this most famous series by Sir Peter...
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Coherentism and Its Limits: Definition & Criticism Imagine waking up on a seemingly normal morning and discovering that all the knowledge you—and most...
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Imagine waking up on a seemingly normal morning and discovering that all the knowledge you—and most of the world—held accountable up to that moment was inaccurate and unreliable. While this seems like an implausible scenario, it is logically possible for some groundbreaking...
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Nietzsche’s Eternal Recurrence: A Metaphor for Embracing Life Nietzsche’s ideas concerning the eternal recurrence (or eternal return) were far from unique. But...
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Nietzsche’s ideas concerning the eternal recurrence (or eternal return) were far from unique. But his own interpretation of the thought that life repeats itself eternally formed the foundation of so much of his own philosophy. Did he mean for us to take it literally or...
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What Is Rudolf Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom? Do you want to learn about philosophy and how it affects our idea of freedom? If you do, then Rudolf...
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Do you want to learn about philosophy and how it affects our idea of freedom? If you do, then Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy of freedom is something you’ll find incredibly interesting. In his famous book The Philosophy of Freedom, Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, anthroposophist,...
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What Is the Story Behind Van Gogh’s “Café Terrace at Night”? One of the first works that come to mind when thinking about Van Gogh is his signature ink-blue sky...
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One of the first works that come to mind when thinking about Van Gogh is his signature ink-blue sky dotted with dazzling stars. Not content with painting a traditional night scene in austere dark paints, Van Gogh used color, movement, and contrast to bring life into his Café...
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Was Lancelot Really a French Invention? The Arthurian Legend Explained In the Arthurian legends, Lancelot is one of the most famous and popular characters. He was one of...
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In the Arthurian legends, Lancelot is one of the most famous and popular characters. He was one of Arthur’s best and most powerful knights. However, despite his initial loyalty, he eventually turned on Arthur, engaging in an affair with the king’s wife, Guinevere. This dramatic...
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What Is the Voynich Manuscript? History is full of manuscript books, scriptures, and codex collections that are preserved in...
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History is full of manuscript books, scriptures, and codex collections that are preserved in historical institutions for future generations to enjoy and study. The Voynich Manuscript is unique, because it is written in an undecipherable language, one which has been baffling...
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Memories From the Mire: 5 Revealing Bog Bodies In prehistoric Northwest Europe, it was not uncommon for the dead to be deliberately placed in the...
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In prehistoric Northwest Europe, it was not uncommon for the dead to be deliberately placed in the watery pools of peatlands. It was not the customary burial rite at the time, and many of these people ended up in bogs after meeting a very violent end, leading archeologists to...
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La Tène Period: The Flourishing of Celtic Art When people think of the historical “Celts,” they are really thinking of the various peoples that...
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When people think of the historical “Celts,” they are really thinking of the various peoples that lived across the European continent adjacent to the ancient Greeks and Romans and in Britain during the Iron Age who belonged to the La Tène culture. “La Tène” refers to the last...
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Discover Leah Chase: How a Black Chef Changed Food, Art, & History Chefs have over the years have become their own form of celebrities. While women were still getting...
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Chefs have over the years have become their own form of celebrities. While women were still getting a foothold in a former boy’s club, Leah Chase, a chef in New Orleans, Louisiana, broke the glass ceiling, becoming an author and television personality known today as the “Queen of...
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Prince William Forest Park: The National Park That Trained WWII Spies Just south of Washington DC lies a 15,000-acre oasis of piedmont forest that, despite being less...
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Just south of Washington DC lies a 15,000-acre oasis of piedmont forest that, despite being less than an hour from the nation’s capital, feels like another planet. Every summer, the park’s tall trees and meandering streams welcome thousands of visitors, including hundreds of...
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5 Great Achievements of the Roman Emperor Nerva Marcus Cocceius Nerva became emperor of the Roman Empire following the assassination of Domitian in...
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Marcus Cocceius Nerva became emperor of the Roman Empire following the assassination of Domitian in 96 CE. Chosen by the senate, he was the first in the series known as the “Five Good Emperors.” But his short reign is often overshadowed by the chaos and fear caused by his...
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Collectivization in the USSR: How Did It Work? From the 1920s onward, the Soviet Union began the process of industrialization with an aggressive...
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From the 1920s onward, the Soviet Union began the process of industrialization with an aggressive policy known as collectivization. However, transforming the rural economy over such a short space of time affected the lives of millions of people. To come to terms with how...
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10 Archeological Gems of South America (That Are Not Machu Picchu) South America, with its vibrant history and cultural diversity, is a paradise for history...
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South America, with its vibrant history and cultural diversity, is a paradise for history enthusiasts. While the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu often steals the spotlight, the sub-continent is home to numerous other archeological marvels that provide a fascinating...
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10 Historic Towns in Germany You Should Visit Germany’s past is written across its landscapes, from the Roman frontier to medieval fortresses and...
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Germany’s past is written across its landscapes, from the Roman frontier to medieval fortresses and the echoes of empire. It was here that Charlemagne forged the foundations of the Holy Roman Empire in the 9th century, where Martin Luther ignited the Protestant Reformation in the...
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Remains of Ancient Roman Wall Paintings Found in Spain Spanish archaeologists unearthed over 4,000 fragments of wall paintings that once decorated the...
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Spanish archaeologists unearthed over 4,000 fragments of wall paintings that once decorated the Roman villa of Barberes Sud in the town of Villajoyosa. By restoring and reassembling the painted pieces, conservators are beginning to reveal the rich decoration of the stately Roman...
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8 Best Places to Visit in Colombia for History Buffs Colombia is a captivating land rich in cultural heritage and ancient treasures, with countless tales...
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Colombia is a captivating land rich in cultural heritage and ancient treasures, with countless tales to tell. From sophisticated pre-Columbian civilizations to colonial triumphs and struggles, this country showcases its colorful history with abundant enthusiasm. Here is a guide...
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5 Events That Characterized Cold War Détente Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war, the two...
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Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war, the two ideologically opposed superpowers—the United States and the Soviet Union—looked for diplomatic solutions to ease the tension. Historians refer to this period with the French term...
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What Do Adventists Believe? The Adventist Church has a unique set of beliefs on several doctrines that set them apart from other...
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The Adventist Church has a unique set of beliefs on several doctrines that set them apart from other denominations. Their theology focuses on the Hebrew Sanctuary, they keep the seventh-day Sabbath, they believe people enter an unconscious state when they die, and they highly...
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When War Became Sport: The History of the Mesoamerican Ballgame Sports are an integral part of modern society. Going far beyond entertainment, sports and sports...
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Sports are an integral part of modern society. Going far beyond entertainment, sports and sports teams, ranging from high school and local teams to national teams at the Olympics, are closely tied to group identity and feelings of belonging. It should come as no surprise, then,...
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What Was the Influence of the Silk Road on the Spread of Religions? The Silk Road was a network of land and sea-based trade routes that connected parts of the African,...
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The Silk Road was a network of land and sea-based trade routes that connected parts of the African, Asian, and European continents. The network enabled trade-items such as fabrics, spices, jewels, and in some instances, cultures and religions to spread across the region. The...
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9 Defining Moments in British Medieval Warfare Interestingly, the medieval period in Britain begins with a battle. In 1066 CE, the Battle of...
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Interestingly, the medieval period in Britain begins with a battle. In 1066 CE, the Battle of Hastings marked the beginning of Norman rule and a new era in Britain. Medieval warfare in Britain was often used as a tool to help implement feudalism and maintain the centralization of...
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The Stono Rebellion: America’s Largest Slave Uprising By 1739, slavery in colonial America had been entrenched for over 100 years. The dependence on...
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By 1739, slavery in colonial America had been entrenched for over 100 years. The dependence on enslaved people to grow American crops was only increasing, but freedom was in the air. One September night, South Carolina slaves rose up to fight for their liberty. Though the exact...
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The Truth We Need: What Is Motivated Reasoning? We may think that our search for objective truth is divorced from our emotions, but evidence from...
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We may think that our search for objective truth is divorced from our emotions, but evidence from cognitive psychology shows that our logical conclusions can be determined by our emotional need for something to be true, whether or not it actually is.  Motivated reasoning, also...
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Who Are the Philistines That Appear in the Bible? The Bible presents the Philistines as notable enemies of Israel and they are involved in some iconic...
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The Bible presents the Philistines as notable enemies of Israel and they are involved in some iconic scenes from the Old Testament. Among these are the narratives of David and Goliath, the Philistine giant warrior who was defeated by a shepherd boy, and the time when the Ark of...
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9 Facts About St. Patrick’s Day You Never Knew Though St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, people all over the globe celebrate his feast...
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Though St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, people all over the globe celebrate his feast day, March 17, every year. Generally, in the United States, this celebration follows a standard order: don something green, go to a parade, eat corned beef and cabbage, and drink a...
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How Did the Arrival of Europeans Change North America? The process of colonizing North America transpired quickly between 1492 and 1620 with an increasing...
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The process of colonizing North America transpired quickly between 1492 and 1620 with an increasing number of settlers arriving in bigger groups after 1600. As more Europeans arrived in the region, demand for land escalated. Eventually, the invaders displaced Native Americans...
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Who Was Black Hawk? (Life & War) Leading a band of rebels against the forces of the United States, Black Hawk was a prominent Native...
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Leading a band of rebels against the forces of the United States, Black Hawk was a prominent Native American leader whose actions changed the lives of thousands of people. In his time, he was a controversial figure, both revered and reviled for his actions that took his people to...
TheCollector
10 Must-Visit Historic Sites in Vermont Vermont may be small in size, but it looms large in American history. From its fierce Revolutionary...
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Vermont may be small in size, but it looms large in American history. From its fierce Revolutionary War battles and independent 18th-century constitution to the quiet rise of a U.S. president, the Green Mountain State has witnessed defining moments that shaped both state and...
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The Truth About the Electoral College & How Your Vote Matters When US citizens vote in presidential elections every four years, it’s the controversial Electoral...
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When US citizens vote in presidential elections every four years, it’s the controversial Electoral College that determines the winner, not the popular vote. This unique and somewhat convoluted system devised by the Founding Fathers impacts everything from where candidates...
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Joya de Cerén: A Glimpse at the Mayan Pompeii While numerous Mayan discoveries and archeological sites can be found throughout Central America,...
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While numerous Mayan discoveries and archeological sites can be found throughout Central America, the distinctiveness of Joya de Cerén provides a peek at Mayan life in a small farming settlement over 1,500 years ago. A volcanic eruption and the resulting ash that froze the city...
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10 Myths About the Greek Goddess Artemis Artemis is one of the twelve Olympian gods in Greek myth, the daughter of Leto and Zeus. Unlike her...
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Artemis is one of the twelve Olympian gods in Greek myth, the daughter of Leto and Zeus. Unlike her twin brother, Apollo, who represented civilization and order, Artemis represented the untamed wilderness. Depicted as a young maiden, the goddess was very protective of her...
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5 Discoveries That Made Archaeologists Question the Origins of Art Discoveries in the archaeological record have sparked debate about how we should define art. Some...
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Discoveries in the archaeological record have sparked debate about how we should define art. Some researchers argue that art must go beyond simple representations and instead convey symbolic ideas, beliefs, or concepts that transcend what was immediately visible to the artist....
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The 10 Best Places to Visit in Argentina for History Buffs Argentina is one of the most captivating and varied destinations in Latin America. It is a nation...
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Argentina is one of the most captivating and varied destinations in Latin America. It is a nation enriched with centuries of fascinating history and indescribable natural beauty. Luckily, even in its remotest and most breathtaking regions, like Patagonia in the far south and...
TheCollector
Surprising Archeological Discoveries in the Heart of the Amazon Jungle In the heart of the dense Amazonian jungle, researchers are realizing that what was long believed to...
3 weeks ago
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3 weeks ago
In the heart of the dense Amazonian jungle, researchers are realizing that what was long believed to be an untouched wilderness is anything but. Recent archeological discoveries indicate that the rainforest’s native populations spent centuries modifying and transforming the...
TheCollector
5 Significant Islamic Philosophers of the Middle Ages Who were the most important thinkers of the Islamic world during the Middle Ages? While there would...
a month ago
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a month ago
Who were the most important thinkers of the Islamic world during the Middle Ages? While there would be too many to include in a single article, there have been several Islamic philosophers from the medieval period whose influence on philosophy stands out. This article discusses...
TheCollector
Deadly Earthquake Unearths Forgotten Monument in Myanmar A major earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, claiming thousands of lives and causing...
a month ago
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a month ago
A major earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, claiming thousands of lives and causing extensive damage across the Southeast Asian nation. Amidst the devastation, new fissures in the earth revealed long-buried ruins near Inwa, where the Burmese imperial capital of...
TheCollector
Leahy Law: Context, Overview, & History During the Cold War, the United States became a major exporter of weapons to countries fighting...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
During the Cold War, the United States became a major exporter of weapons to countries fighting communism around the world. The issue of US arms sales to foreign militaries accused of human rights violations has been the subject of intense debate in the American political arena...
TheCollector
Long-Lost City Ruins Likely Tied to Alexander the Great Once believed to be an ancient military outpost, an archaeological site in North Macedonia may...
a month ago
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a month ago
Once believed to be an ancient military outpost, an archaeological site in North Macedonia may actually be the remains of Lyncus, the lost capital city of the Kingdom of Lyncestis. Settled in the 7th century BCE, Lyncus was once an important hub for the Upper Macedonian Kingdom....
TheCollector
First Ancient Greek Theater Unearthed on Ionian Islands Following a decade of excavation efforts, archaeologists unearthed the remains of an ancient Greek...
a month ago
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a month ago
Following a decade of excavation efforts, archaeologists unearthed the remains of an ancient Greek amphitheater—the first of its kind to be discovered on the Ionian Islands.   Ionian Islands Discovery Is “Important and Imposing”   The ancient Greek amphitheater stands on a...
TheCollector
How Did The Spanish Civil War Affect Surrealism? In 1936, the eruption of the Spanish Civil War forced thousands of Spaniards to flee their country,...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
In 1936, the eruption of the Spanish Civil War forced thousands of Spaniards to flee their country, unsure if they ever could come back. Back home, the troops of Francisco Franco murdered tens of thousands and imposed conservative oppressive laws. Surrealist artists, usually...
TheCollector
What Was the Women’s Land Army? During WWI and WWII, the Women’s Land Army contributed greatly to food production in Britain. These...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
During WWI and WWII, the Women’s Land Army contributed greatly to food production in Britain. These women worked tirelessly on farms across the United Kingdom in an effort to support struggling farmers who had lost their mostly male workforce to the armed forces. They completed a...
TheCollector
Once-Stolen Egon Schiele Work Set to Fetch $1.9 Million at Auction Fritz Grünbaum, a Viennese art collector, acquired dozens of works by the enigmatic expressionist...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Fritz Grünbaum, a Viennese art collector, acquired dozens of works by the enigmatic expressionist Egon Schiele in the early 20th century. Grünbaum was murdered under Nazi Germany’s occupation of Austria, and his art collection was seized and dispersed. Now, a Schiele watercolor...
TheCollector
Who Was Rudolf Steiner? (Life and Philosophy) Do you ever think about the people who have changed our world and how we think? Rudolf Steiner was...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Do you ever think about the people who have changed our world and how we think? Rudolf Steiner was one such person. He wasn’t just a philosopher or writer, he was an innovative educator, esotericist, artist, and original thinker whose ideas still astound us today. Steiner’s...
TheCollector
Trofim Lysenko: The Controversial Scientist Who Changed the Soviet Union During the early 20th century, Trofim Lysenko was perhaps the most influential scientist within the...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
During the early 20th century, Trofim Lysenko was perhaps the most influential scientist within the Soviet Union. He steered Soviet biology and agriculture through the 20th century, and today he is remembered as a figure known for his controversial and dangerous theories. With...
TheCollector
Archaeologists Unearth First Roman Aqueduct in Slovakia Amidst excavations at a historic mansion in Bratislava, archaeologists discovered an ancient Roman...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
Amidst excavations at a historic mansion in Bratislava, archaeologists discovered an ancient Roman aqueduct system hidden beneath the dirt. It is the first of its kind to be discovered in Slovakia.   Ancient Aqueduct Found at 19th-Century Mansion   While working to research and...
TheCollector
Key Issues in US Presidential Elections Throughout History What are the heavy, dramatic, hard-hitting issues that define US presidential elections? From...
2 months ago
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2 months ago
What are the heavy, dramatic, hard-hitting issues that define US presidential elections? From states’ representation in the electoral college to taxation to national defense, what motivates voters to go to the polls? Sometimes, both major party nominees are almost in complete...
TheCollector
Walking Around Vienna: Pro Tips to Understand the City and Its History A walled-in city up until the late 19th century, Vienna has expanded over the last two-plus...
a month ago
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a month ago
A walled-in city up until the late 19th century, Vienna has expanded over the last two-plus centuries to include 23 “districts” and to incorporate a variety of foreign influences into its architecture. Historical figures like Mozart, Beethoven, and Freud have their roots here, as...
TheCollector
What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls (and Why Do They Matter)? Many people have doubted the accuracy of Biblical transmission over the ages. Claims that it no...
a month ago
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a month ago
Many people have doubted the accuracy of Biblical transmission over the ages. Claims that it no longer represents a true reflection of the original texts were commonplace. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in late 1946 or early 1947, those concerns were laid to rest....
TheCollector
Creepy Happenings at King Henry VIII’s Haunted Palace (Hampton Court) The Palace of Hampton Court, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is undoubtedly...
a month ago
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a month ago
The Palace of Hampton Court, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is undoubtedly the most famous residence associated with King Henry VIII. Over the last five centuries, the palace has acquired an enormous amount of history, and not all of it is particularly...
TheCollector
North America to Get its First Leonardo da Vinci Museum Leonardo lovers in North America are soon in for a rare treat. Following complex collaborations...
3 months ago
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3 months ago
Leonardo lovers in North America are soon in for a rare treat. Following complex collaborations between international parties, the first-of-its-kind Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America is officially heading to Pueblo, Colorado.   Leonardo da Vinci Museum Set to Open in...