The discovery of a 5,000 year old stone raises a big question about the birth of Christianity

Researchers discovered 5,000-year-old rock art on the ceiling of a cave in the Egyptian Sahara desert. Credit: Marco Morelli

Italian researchers have discovered what might be the oldest nativity scene ever found — 5,000-year-old rock art that depicts a star in the east, a newborn between parents and two animals. The scene, painted in reddish-brown ochre, was found on the ceiling of a small cavity in the Egyptian Sahara desert, during an expedition to sites between the Nile valley and the Gilf Kebir Plateau.

"It's a very evocative scene which indeed resembles the Christmas nativity. But it predates it by some 3,000 years," geologist Marco Morelli, director of the Museum of Planetary Sciences in Prato, near Florence, Italy

Nativity of Jesus - Wikipedia

Morelli found the cave drawing in 2005, but only now his team has decided to reveal the amazing find. "The discovery has several implications as it raises new questions on the iconography of one of the more powerful Christian symbols," Morelli said.

The scene features a man, a woman missing the head because of a painting detachment, and a baby.

"It could have been interpreted as a normal depiction of a family, with the baby between the parents, but other details make this drawing unique," Morelli said.

He noted the newborn is drawn slightly above as if raising to the sky. Such a position, with the baby not yet between the parents, would have meant a birth or a pregnancy.

"As death was associated with Earth in contemporary rock art from the same area, it is likely that birth was linked to the sky," Morelli said.

The scene becomes more symbolically complex if the other figures, two animals and a small circular feature, are taken into consideration

On the upper part is a headless lion, a mythical beast that appears in several rock art drawings from the same area, while below in the scene a baboon or an anthropomorphic monkey can be seen.

In the east, the Neolithic artist drew what appears to be the star.

The researchers called the site the "Cave of the Parents."

"No doubt it's an intriguing drawing," Morelli said. "We didn't find similar scenes until the early Christian age."

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Human blood, organs, and a surprising virus CCHFV detected in ancient pottery

photo: C. Wiktorowicz, et.al. Journal of Archaeological Science

Sometime between 600 and 450 B.C.E., a high-status individual in what is today Germany developed some disturbing symptoms: large bruises, bleeding from the nose and gums, and bloody diarrhea and urine. His fellow villagers, shocked—or perhaps intrigued—by his condition, stored his blood and organs in pottery vessels after he died, and interred them in a burial mound. 


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Now, using a novel technique based on analyzing ancient proteins, archaeologists have reconstructed the contents of these vessels to conclude that the individual likely died from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a severe tick-borne disease that still kills people across the world today.

Crimean‐Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) ResearchGate

"This is the first identification of CCHFV or any hemorrhagic fever virus in the archaeological record," says Conner Wiktorowicz, the study's lead researcher and a Ph.D. candidate in archaeology at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV) structure A. Viral ResearchGate

It’s also the only known example of human blood and organs being buried in pottery vessels during this time in this region, raising the question of whether this was a more widespread practice, previously unknown to archaeologists.

Human blood, organs, and a surprising virus detected in ancient pottery

The contents of ceramic vessels decay over time, leaving a film of residue containing proteins from any organic matter stored within. 

Archaeologists are exploring new ways to recover and analyze these proteins. In the new study, a team led by Wiktorowicz ground up a small portion of each of the pottery fragments (or sherds), used detergent and other chemicals to dislodge any proteins stuck to them, and isolated and analyzed the protein fragments using various techniques. The team then fed this information into a national protein database.






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375 years ago on 8 January aged 77 : Died the visionary who achieved the impossible

Galileo showed the Doge of Venice how to use the telescope (Fresco by Giuseppe Bertini) photo: wikipedia

On January 8th 1642 died the Italian Galileo Galilei, mathematician, astronomer and physicist Italian Renaissance.

Galileo escaped in extremis by burning at the stake, but was jailed at home until the end of life, for the impudence to present realities heliocentric system. Galileo was rehabilitated until 31 October 1992, nearly 350 years after his death, by Pope John Paul II.

Andreas Cellarius's illustration of the Copernican system, from the Harmonia Macrocosmica wikipedia

Galileo continued to receive visitors until 1642, when, after suffering fever and heart palpitations, he died on 8 January 1642, aged 77. The Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando II, wished to bury him in the main body of the Basilica of Santa Croce, next to the tombs of his father and other ancestors, and to erect a marble mausoleum in his honour.

Portrait von Ferdinando II de' Medici, Großherzog von Toskana. Öl auf Leinwand. 90 x 74 cm wikipedia

These plans were dropped, however, after Pope Urban VIII and his nephew, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, protested,because Galileo had been condemned by the Catholic Church for "vehement suspicion of heresy He was instead buried in a small room next to the novices'chapel at the end of a corridor from the southern transept of the basilica to the sacristy.

Tomb of Galileo, Santa Croce, Florence photo: wikipedia

He was reburied in the main body of the basilica in 1737 after a monument had been erected there in his honour;during this move, three fingers and a tooth were removed from his remains.One of these fingers, the middle finger from Galileo's right hand, is currently on exhibition at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy


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length.

The secret of longevity shared by the oldest man in the world. How he came to 146 years? VIDEO

Saparman Sodimejo, known more commonly as Mbah Gotho (born, reportedly, 31 December 1870) is an Indonesian man who unverifiably claimed to be the oldest person ever recorded. In May 2010, Solopos reported that enumerators of that year's census had recorded his age next birthday as 142, which would make him 19 years older than the official oldest recorded person, Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997.

Calment celebrating her 121st birthday in 1996 photo: wikipedia

The Liputan 6 website reported that Mbah Gotho's estimated age was 140, that he could not remember his date of birth but claimed to remember the construction of a sugar factory built in Sragen in 1880.

photo: thenewdaily.com.au

In August 2016, after a television report on Liputan 6, numerous international media outlets reported Mbah Gotho's claim,including photographs of his ID card (issued in 2014), which displays his claimed birth date. Although Indonesian officials at the local record office confirm the birth date there is no independent, third-party verification of his claimed age, which is required for the longevity claim to be recognized by record authorities such as Guinness World Records.

photo: thenewdaily.com.au

The story noted others of a similar claimed age including a woman named Maemunah and known as Ambu Unah, supposedly born in 1867, in Cimanuk, Pandeglang Regency.

He confessed to the audience that began to prepare for death in 1992, including taking tombstone that would be his tomb, at the end. But behold, 24 years later, he is still alive.

World's oldest person discovered in Indonesia - aged 145 photo: TheIndependent.co.uk

There are other people who claim to be the older of the world, but there were not yet official confirmation. James Olofintuyi in Nigeria, claiming they have 171 years and Ebba Dhaqabo in Ethiopia that would have turned 163 years without, however, documentary evidence in this regard.

Gotho celebrated birthday, marking 146 years of existence, along with his nephew, Suryanto, and his wife, Suwarni. During the celebration, family and neighbors came to his house to his modest wish a happy birthday to the delight of Gotho. He managed to extinguish the candles on the cake from the first breath

Asked by journalists came to interview him, the secret of longevity, Gotho answered them: "Patience."


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Here are 8 of the most horrific Mythological creatures of folklore around the world

Grotesques from Reims, France, photographed by Joseph Trompette (ca. 1870-90) (via Cornell University Library)

Mermaids, unicorns, and fairies have been romanticized through the ages, but what about the Pennsylvanian Squonk? Here is a motley assortment of mythical beasts and beings found in folklore from around the world. From soul-sucking cats to child-thieving shape-shifters, these are the oddballs found in the magical bestiary that haven’t gotten much love. 


The Squonk 

This sad, mythical creature hails from the legends of northern Pennsylvania. The Squonk was said to be a hideous forest animal with grotesquely loose, scaly skin entirely covered in warts and blemishes.

The Teary Squonk - Indrachapa J - Medium

The squonk as illustrated by Coert Du Bois from Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods. photo: wikipedia

The animal was so miserable over its own gruesome appearance and lack of companionship that it almost constantly wept. Local legend had it that the Squonk was quite easy to track; you could pretty much just follow the sound of the animal’s sobs and salty, tear-strewn trail through the woods. Capturing one proved much harder: when greatly distressed the Squonk was said to literally dissolve into a puddle of its own tears.


The Tiyanak

The Tiyanak takes various forms in Philippine mythology. In one version it is an evil dwarf-like creature posing as a human baby, in another it is an actual demon child. 

The Demon Child Vampire Tiyanak photo: bookroar

The Christian take on this mythical monster turns Tiyanaks into the restless ghosts of children who have died unbaptized. In any case, the Tiyanak is said to mimic the cries of a human baby to lure its victims in. Once picked up, out come the fangs and things get gory.

T is for Tiyanak - Supposedly the "true" form of the tiyanak

The Tiyanak also enjoys confusing travelers into losing their way, leading them deeper and deeper into the Philippine jungle with its cries. If you ever find yourself being lured astray by this monster baby, the traditional trick for escape is to turn your clothes inside out. According to Philippine lore, this amuses the Tiyanak to no end, and he may just think that you’re funny enough to let you live.


The Cat Sìth or Cat Sidhe


The Cat Sìth is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts the Scottish Highlands. The legends surrounding this creature are more common in Scottish folklore, but a few occur in Irish. Some common folklore suggested that the Cat Sìth was not a fairy, but a witch that could transform into a cat nine times

An Illustration from More English Fairy Tales from the story The King of the Cats photo: wikipedia

Fairy Myths: The Cat Sidhe The Paranormal

A large, dog-sized breed of black and white cat said to roam the Scottish Highlands, the Cat Sìth was believed to steal the souls from newly deceased bodies awaiting burial. In a wake called the Feill Fadalach (aka the “Lake Wake”), unburied bodies were watched over night and day to ensure that the Cat Sìth would not gain access to the corpse. Kitty distractions such as catnip and music were sometimes employed, as were games of leaping, wrestling, and riddles, all of which were thought to offer additional protection to unburied bodies.

The Cat Sìth or Cat Sidhe photo: pinterest

While some believed the Cat Sìth was a type of feline fairy, a common Celtic legend proclaimed that Cat Sìths were in fact witches who were capable of morphing into a magical cat eight times. Those attempting the transformation a ninth time would be permanently trapped in kitty form, hence initiating the myth that cats have nine lives.



The Yara-ma-yha-who 

A cross between a vampire and the bogeyman in Australian Aboriginal folklore, the Yara-ma-yha-who is a strange, red-skinned humanoid that dwells in the branches of fig trees, waiting to drop on unsuspecting victims. 

Yara-ma-yha-who A Book of Creatures

Yara-ma-yha-who photo: villains.wikia.com

The creature was said to have suckers attached to its hands and feet that it would use to drain its prey of blood, much like a giant leech. Once its victim was sufficiently weak, the Yara-ma-yha-who would ingest them whole, resting for awhile before regurgitating the person (still alive) and beginning the whole process again. With each regurgitation, the victim would return slightly shorter and a little bit redder in tone, finally becoming another Yara-ma-yha-who.


The Ijiraq

Things That Go Bump — Ijiraq - A shapeshifter from Inuit mythology Tumblr

An elusive Arctic shapeshifter found in Inuit mythology, the Ijiraq is said to live between the world of the living and that of the dead. The Ijiraq could take many forms, including that of a half-man, half-caribou monster called Tariaksuq, generally only seen when looked at from the corner of one’s eye. The shadowy form would vanish when looked upon directly.

The Ijiraq photo: Pinterest

In Inuit lore, the Ijiraq was a kidnapper of children, accused of stealing little ones to hide and then abandon in the Arctic cold. When a hunter stepped into the cursed Ijiraq’s territory he would become hopelessly lost and unable to find his way home.

Librum Prodigiosum — The ijiraq is a shapeshifting creature

Oddly enough, certain areas traditionally associated with Ijiraq activity are also home to large deposits of toxic sour gas, sulphur smoke, and geothermal activity. It’s possible that rising vapors sometimes created mirages; pockets of gas may even have been responsible for disorientation and hallucinations.


The Liderc

There are several types of Liderc in Hungarian folklore, all of which are said to hatch from the first egg of a black hen that has been kept warm in a human’s armpit or a heap of manure. 

The egg eventually hatches to reveal a magic chicken, a small imp-like creature, or a full-grown woman or man, sometimes even taking the form of a deceased lover or family member. In addition to behaving as an incubus or sucubus and performing its owner’s every wish, the Liderc immensely enjoys hoarding riches.

The Liderc photo: Pinterest

Over time, the owner of a Liderc will accumulate great wealth, but the arrangement is a deal with the devil. Periodically, the Liderc crawls atop its owner’s chest, drinking his or her blood, and gradually leaves them more and more weak. The Hungarian word for nightmare is lidercnyomas, which literally means “Liderc pressure” from the feeling of having the creature’s weight upon one’s chest. The only way to be completely rid of a Liderc is to command it to perform an impossible task. After trying its hardest to comply, the Liderc will grow so consumed with frustration that it will essentially implode.


The Impundulu

Found in the folklore of several South African tribes, the Impundulu, or “Lightning bird,” is a human-sized vampiric bird said to cause lightning by setting its own fat on fire. It is heavily associated with tribal witchcraft, and is believed to be immortal, allowing it to be passed down as a familiar through generations of female witches. 

The hammerkop, one believed manifestation of the lightning bird photo: wikipedia

The Impundulu was believed capable of morphing into human form to make love to his witch owner and to feed on the blood of her enemies, causing bad luck, sickness, and death.  

Impundulu the Lightning Bird – Southern Africa Travel

Traditionally, when a man became ill it was not uncommon for his wife to be accused of secretly harboring an Impundulu.


Puckwudgies

The forest fairy of North America, Puckwudgies are found in the folklore of several American Indian tribes. Oddly similar to their Celtic counterparts, Puckwudgies are small, magical woodland beings with poison arrows and the ability to appear and disappear at will. Legend has it that the Puckwudgies were once a friend of humans, but an accumulation of grievances and jealousies caused the little guys to turn against us. They’ve been known to attack people, kidnap children, burn down homes, and lead travelers astray, and are sometimes even blamed for staging suicides by pushing their victims off cliffs.

The Pukwudgies photo: Pinterest

Paranormal Encounters What Exactly Is A Puckwudgie?

Certain forested parks and pockets of wilderness in New England are still said to be rampant with Puckwudgies.


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A new organ was discovered in the human body and helps in better understanding evolution, devolution of man

Anatomical diagram of the mesentery. J Calvin Coffey/D Peter O'Leary/Henry Vandyke Carter/Lancet

Updated 14/05/2020

Last year – although a rather grim one by other measures – was a splendid one for research. From gravitational waves to cooing dinosaurs, we’ve uncovered a lot about the world around us, but as a remarkable new study has revealed, there’s a lot within us we’ve yet to discover too.

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Writing in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, scientists have officially announced the discovery of a new organ inside the human body. That’s right, there’s a brand new organ hiding in our abdomen and it’s only just been classified.

Known as the mesentery (meaning “in the middle of the intestines”), it can be found in our digestive systems. Leonardo da Vinci actually gave one of the first descriptions of it back in the day, but until around 2012 it was thought to be a series of separate structures keeping the intestines attached to the abdominal wall, like a series of support girders.

Mesentery - Mayo Clinic

A team from the University of Limerick, however, used complex microscopy work to confirm that the structures are all interconnected and appear to be part of one overall structure. Much of the research was conducted on patients undergoing an operation to remove most or all of their colon.

Having been taught to medical students since 2012 as being a new organ, it has now been added to the famous Gray’s Anatomy textbook and described in this new paper.

Gray's Anatomy (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)

“In the paper, which has been peer reviewed and assessed, we are now saying we have an organ in the body which hasn’t been acknowledged as such to date,” Calvin Coffey, a professor of surgery at the University of Limerick and coordinating author of the study, said in a statement.

Rather wonderfully though, apart from its supportive nature, medical experts aren’t any the wiser as to what the mesentery actually does. Its proximity to the intestines may give researchers a hint, but no definitive conclusions have yet been made.

New Organ Evolution

“We have established anatomy and the structure. The next step is the function,” Coffey added. 

“If you understand the function you can identify abnormal function, and then you have disease. Put them all together and you have the field of mesenteric science…the basis for a whole new area of science.”

Mesenteric Evolvinglymph nodes Pinterest

Blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic tubes – carrying a blood plasma-like fluid that is rich in white blood cells – go via the mesentery to the intestines, so it clearly has an active function. Far more research needs to be done to actually find out what it does, though.

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The horrifying story of Sawney Bean and King James I : The cannibal who killed over 1,000 people

The story of Alexander “Sawney” Bean might be real or a greatly exaggerated legend. However, past stories such as this one, true or not, are more interesting if we believe that they happened. Sawney was a man from Scotland, famous for killing and eating more than 1,000 people somewhere between the 13th and 16th centuries.

Early in his life, Sawney realized that he doesn’t have a taste for honest labor and left his home to get married to an atrocious woman who apparently shared the same “taste” for food.

The couple settled their home at Bennane Cave, by Ballantrae in Ayrshire, Scotland.  The entrance of the cave was usually flooded twice a day at high tide. Inside, the cave had many tunnels and passages. The couple remained there for 25 years, together with their 14 children and 22 grandchildren – many of them products of incest.

Entrance to Snib Scotts cave Bennane Head Ayrshire #Scotland Pinterest

Sawney Bean at the Entrance of His Cave. Note the woman in the background carrying a dismembered leg. photo: wikipedia

Since the Beans didn’t know honest work, they robbed strangers in the evenings, killing them and dragging the bodies into the cave where they were dismembered and eaten. Leftovers were pickled, and discarded body parts would sometimes wash up on nearby beaches. The missing people and body parts were of course noticed by the local villagers, but nobody could suppose that murders lived in the nearby cave which entrance was flooded.

Snib Torbett's Cave at Bennane Lea Wikimedia Commons

After a monstrous crime spree that lasted twenty-five unimaginable years, the Bean family had murdered so many people that King James VI of Scotland put together a manhunt to track down the culprits. When their remote cave home was finally uncovered, the inside was reportedly littered with the remains of over one thousand people. photo: gorgon-video.com

As the family grew bigger and bigger, so did their appetite, and they murdered more and more people. Once, as an elderly couple was returning from a fair, the Bean family attacked them and as they struggled, a group of 20 more people also returning from the fair came by. The Beans managed to mutilate the body of the woman but there were 20 witnesses and a husband who went before the Chief Magistrate of Glasgow.

Sawney Bean Inside Cave

After hearing what happened it was easy to connect the long list of missing persons and mysterious pickled body parts with the attackers. King James I himself went to Ayrshire with a small army of four hundred men and a pack of tracker dogs, and together with a band of local volunteers, launched one of the biggest manhunts the country had ever seen. What they didn’t expect to see is what they found in the cave with the help of the dogs.

James I  Biography, Religion, & Facts Britannica

Cave clan Sawney Bean in Ayshire photo: dailyrecord.co.uk

The Bean family fought but couldn’t win against the King’s army, so all the members were arrested and marched off to Edinburgh by the King himself. 

Sawney Bean » Tales of Crime

Even the justice system didn’t have a suitable punishment for the Bean family, so they were all sentenced to death. In the name of justice, the entire family faced the same fate as their victims – their legs and arms were cut off and they were left to slowly bleed to death, watched by their women. The women were burned like witches in huge fires.


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