The pagan origins of three Catholic practices

A few traditions in the Roman Catholic Church can be traced back to pagan cults, rites, and deities.

Photo by Josh Applegate / Unsplash
  • The Catholic rite of Holy Communion parallels pre-Christian Greco-Roman and Egyptian rituals that involved eating the body and blood of a god.
  • A number of Catholic holidays and myths, such as Christmas, Easter, and Mardi Gras, graph onto the timeline of pre-Christian fertility festivals.
  • The Catholic practice of praying to saints has been called "de-facto idolatry" and even a relic of goddess worship.
Keep reading Show less
ancient world egypt feminism nature christianity

A mummy murder has been solved after 2,600 years

Researchers confirmed that the mummy known as Takabuti died from a stab wound to the back.

Ulster Museum
  • The mummy Takabuti has inspired a great deal of speculation since it was first unwrapped in 1835.
  • Takabuti died when she was between 20 and 30, leading researchers to wonder about her cause of death.
  • New techniques have enabled researchers to determine that Takabuti died from a stab wound to the back, among other interesting findings.
Keep reading Show less
ancient world egypt death violence archeology mummy murder

Listen: Scientists re-create voice of 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy

Scientists used CT scanning and 3D-printing technology to re-create the voice of Nesyamun, an ancient Egyptian priest.

  • Scientists printed a 3D replica of the vocal tract of Nesyamun, an Egyptian priest whose mummified corpse has been on display in the UK for two centuries.
  • With the help of an electronic device, the reproduced voice is able to "speak" a vowel noise.
  • The team behind the "Voices of the Past" project suggest reproducing ancient voices could make museum experiences more dynamic.
Keep reading Show less
museums egypt speech ancient world

Why Nikola Tesla was obsessed with the Egyptian pyramids

The inventor Nikola Tesla's esoteric beliefs included unusual theories about the Egyptian pyramids.

Mstyslav Chernov/Wikimedia
  • Nikola Tesla had numerous unusual obsessions.
  • One of his beliefs was that the Great Pyramids of Egypt were giant transmitters of energy.
  • He built Tesla Towers according to laws inspired by studying the Pyramids.
Keep reading Show less
nikola tesla physics egypt pyramids invention technology energy

Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus to be opened on live TV this weekend

The artifact will be opened on Sunday, for the first time in millennia, at an undisclosed location in Egypt.

Egyptian mummy. (Photo Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock)
  • The show is called Expedition Unknown: Egypt Live and it airs Sunday, April 7, at 8 p.m. E.T.
  • The undisclosed site is reported to have produced multiple ancient artifacts.
  • It might be little more than a media spectacle, but some say that's not a problem as long as it gets people interested in the preservation of ancient artifacts.
Keep reading Show less
history egypt television archeology