Christianity Archives

Cave of Horror: fresh fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls echo dramatic human stories

by History Guild | Apr 24, 2023 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 6 minutes
In March 2021 news broke of the discovery of fresh fragments of a nearly 2,000-year-old scroll in Israel. The fragments were said to come from the evocatively named Cave of Horror, near the western shore of the Dead Sea.

The finds were announced with attention-grabbing headlines that these were new fragments of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls and some of our earliest evidence for the biblical books of Zechariah and Nahum.

How did we come to celebrate Christmas?

by History Guild | Dec 21, 2022 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 6 minutes
The western date for Jesus’ birth is quite arbitrary. It was chosen by Pope Leo I, bishop of Rome (440-461), to coincide with the Festival of the Saturnalia, when Romans worshipped Saturn, the sun god. This was the day of the solar equinox, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, which officially marked the halfway point of winter.

The date of the feast varies within Christian denominations. Western Christians celebrate the Nativity on a fixed date, 25 December. Some Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate it on 6 January together with Epiphany, the revelation of the infant Jesus to three wise men. The Greek and Russian Orthodox celebrate Christmas on 7 January and Epiphany on 19 January.

Schnapps, whipping and sacks: how Christmas traditions evolved around the world

by History Guild | Dec 20, 2022 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 6 minutes
The celebration of Christmas has distinct variations around the world. Some of these local traditions are very interesting and arise from particular historical circumstances.

The borrowed customs and traditions of Christmas celebrations

by History Guild | Dec 19, 2022 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 6 minutes
Not long to go now before many of us get to spread some good tidings and joy as we celebrate Christmas.
The main ways we understand and mark the occasion seem to be rather similar across the world. It’s about time with community, family, food-sharing, gift-giving and overall merry festivities.

Harking back: the ancient pagan festivities in our Christmas rituals

by History Guild | Dec 15, 2022 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 5 minutes
When we think of the Romans, gift-giving, carol-singing and celebrating the birth of Christ don’t immediately present themselves. Waging wars, general oppression and a never-ending desire to rule the world are more likely to spring to mind.

But various Christmas traditions come from ancient pagan festivities, including the Roman celebration of the Saturnalia.

The busy Romans needed a mid-winter break too … and it lasted for 24 days

by History Guild | Dec 14, 2022 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Reading time: 5 minutes
The actual reasons for celebrating Christmas at this particular time in the year have long been debated. Links have often been drawn to the winter solstice and the Roman festival of Saturnalia. Some people have also associated it with the supposed birthday of the god Sol Invictus, the “unconquered sun”, since a fourth-century calendar describes both this and Christ’s birth as taking place on December 25.

The Cambridge Medieval History, Volume 01, The Christian Roman Empire and the Foundation of the Teutonic Kingdoms – Audiobook

by History Guild | Jul 26, 2021 | Audiobooks | 0

THE CAMBRIDGE MEDIEVAL HISTORY, VOLUME 01, THE CHRISTIAN ROMAN EMPIRE AND THE FOUNDATION OF THE...

How will our bodies be put back together? What about those eaten by cannibals? A brief history of Christian resurrection beliefs

by History Guild | Apr 3, 2021 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Easter celebrates the Christian belief that Jesus Christ rose...

Saint Patrick: A Story of Faith and Mythology

by History Guild | Mar 10, 2021 | Social and Cultural History | 0

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes By Michael Vecchio Every year on March 17th, much of the western...

Decking the halls of history: the origins of Christmas decorations

by History Guild | Dec 25, 2020 | Social and Cultural History | 1

Reading time: 5 minutes
The idea of hanging up decorations in the middle of winter is older than Christmas itself. Decorations are mentioned in ancient descriptions of the Roman feast of Saturnalia, which is thought to have originated in the 5th century BC.

Tag: Christianity