Religion

Refugees wait for water at a camp in Delhi. The partition of India put millions on the move.

After Nearly 70 Years, the India-Pakistan Partition Gets a Museum

The Partition Museum is unrelenting in its portrayal of a brutal era

Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are just some of the Vatican Museums' vast holdings.

The Vatican Names Its First Woman Museum Director

Barbara Jatta just smashed through one frescoed ceiling

An interior shot of Hagia Sophia. Its name means "Holy Wisdom" or "Sacred Wisdom."

You Can Hear Hagia Sophia’s Sublime Acoustics Without a Trip to Istanbul

Stanford scientists have digitally created the building’s unique sound, taking listeners back to the Middle Ages

Patrons of the sciences once offered cash prizes, exotic pets and even islands for world-changing discoveries. Here, Louis XIV surveys the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences in 1667.

For Your Contributions to Science, I Humbly Bequeath You This Pet Moose

A history of motivating scientific endeavor through cash prizes, islands and exotic pets

The National Menorah and one of the state Christmas trees near the White House in 2009.

Someday, Maybe We’ll Have Hanukkah in July

Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the same day this year because not everyone follows the same calendar

Nazi Christmas ornaments

The Nazis Fought the Original War on Christmas

As they rose to power, party leaders sought to redefine the holiday to suit their own political needs

This Christmas, St. Peter's Square has a tree, a nativity scene and a message about refugees.

Pope’s New Nativity Scene Raises Awareness of Worldwide Refugee Crisis

It's a lavish display complete with a plea for racial tolerance

Do We Finally Know How the Holy Grail Disappeared?

How did an onyx cup thought to be the Holy Grail disappear from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 909 AD?

A detailed image of the baby crocodiles inside the mummy.

Crocodile Mummy Found Packed With Dozens of Smaller Crocodile Mummies

The little critters escaped notice until high-powered modern scanners tackled the mummified remains

What Pilgrims Heard When They Arrived in America

They came to America seeking religious freedom, but what did their prayers, and those of the local Native Americans, sound like?

Sylvester James Gates, a theoretical physicist and voice for faith and science.

Why Theoretical Physicist Sylvester James Gates Sees No Conflict Between Science and Religion

“I got used to the idea that questions had answers.”

The Birmingham Central Mosque in the United Kingdom.

How Astronomy Cameras Are Helping British Muslims Schedule Morning Prayers

The cameras would help track exactly when the sun rises

The historic St. Anne's Well after it was rediscovered and excavated.

A “Cursed” English Well Has Been Rediscovered

An old photograph led archaeologists to the long-lost well

An artist's rendering of the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope atop the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea.

Canary Islands Selected as Alternative Spot for the Thirty Meter Telescope

This alternate fate could help smooth tensions over the embattled instrument

The Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo sits atop a hillside overlooking Lake Alban.

Pope Francis Isn’t Using His Summer House, so the Vatican Is Letting the Public in

Get a rare look at the pope’s luxurious vacation home

One of the world's oldest-known carvings of the Ten Commandments will soon go up for auction.

The Oldest-Known Carving of the 10 Commandments Is Going up for Auction

But the buyer won’t be able to take it home

The Edicule which houses the remains of Jesus' tomb

Walls of "Jesus' Tomb" Exposed for the First Time in Centuries

During repair work, archaeologists removed the marble slabs that covered the walls of the limestone cave where Jesus was purportedly laid after crucifixion

These daisy wheels were found in Saxon Tithe barn in Bradford-on-Avon.

Join an English Scavenger Hunt for Spooky, Supernatural Scratches

"Witch marks" are all over old buildings in England—and this Halloween, a preservation group is calling on the public to help document them

The Exorcist's Rule Book

A serious manifestation of evil is never a pretty thing, but Catholic priests face down demons with precision

The bonfires of Samhain were said to welcome the spirits that could travel to Earth during this special time.

Halloween Owes Its Tricks and Treats to the Ancient Celtic New Year's Eve

During Samhain, the deceased came to Earth in search of food and comfort, while evil spirits, faeries and gods came in search of mischief

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