The real Jesus, according to archaeologists

 

THE REAL JESUS VIEW ONLINE

WHAT ARCHAEOLOGISTS  TELL US ABOUT THE  REAL JESUS  Friday, December 23, 2022

In today’s newsletter, we explore promising advancements in cancer vaccines, uncover archaeology’s latest findings on the real Jesus, see how Christmas has evolvedover the centuries … and meet the artisan forging medieval armor for mice (and cats).

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SIMON NORFOLK  First, scholars agree, the historical Jesus existed.  He walked in Galilee; he likely met his end in Jerusalem. They divide on details—the miracles, for example—but both skeptics and believers have turned to archaeologists to buttress their arguments.  Kristen Romey, an archaeologist-turned-Nat Geo journalist, went to the Holy Land for evidence of the man whose birth is celebrated by billions of people.  Here is what she found.  Please consider getting our full digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

The Pool of Bethesda: The Gospel of John says Jesus healed a paralyzed man at this ritual pool in Jerusalem surrounded by five colonnades. Many scholars doubted it existed until archaeologists discovered clear traces beneath the ruins of these centuries-old churches. At top, an icon that venerates the Madonna and child. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

New promise for cancer vaccines. What’s involved?  This artist creates medieval armor—for cats and mice  Don’t snack like Santa: Why WHEN to eat matters  The Christmas Eve plot to kill Napoleon  How the parents of Jesus got together  Who were the three kings in the Christmas story?

How Christmas has evolved over the centuries  Shocking number of Santas say: Yes, the beard is real  How fentanyl kills—and Narcan saves lives  How Kwanzaa came to be

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYOTA KAJI KAJITA  Where is this? Since 2010, Ryota Kajita has photographed patterns that occur both underneath and atop the layers of ice over this U.S. state’s rivers, lakes, swamps, and ponds. The under-ice formations he has photographed range from 10 to 30 inches in diameter, Kajita says. Many of the formations are frozen bubbles of gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trapped under ice. Where does Kajita photograph them? Click here to find out.  WHERE ARE THE BUBBLES?

LAST GLIMPSE

STEVE ALLEN PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES  A 1,000-year-old skyline: When you pass a bend of a river in central Myanmar (Burma), you see a myriad of rose-colored pagodas and temples (pictured above)rising above red soil and emerald green vegetation. You’ve reached the center of an ancient civilization. The sacred land, which contains one of the world’s largest concentrations of Buddhist temples, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.  READ MORE

Today’s soundtrack: Que Beleza, by Tim Maia This newsletter has been curated and edited by David Beard, Sydney Combs, and Jen Tse. To those who celebrate, happy holidays.

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