History of the Crusades: Origins, Politics, and Crusaders
Introduction The Crusades of medieval times have rather proved to be a contentious subject matter, especially given its association with religious fanaticism. But beneath this…
Levant
Ramesses II: The Powerful Warrior Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt
Ramesses II (also called Ramses, Ancient Egyptian: rꜥ-ms-sw or riʕmīsisu, meaning ‘Ra is the one who bore him’) is considered as one of the most…
Knights Hospitaller: 10 Things You Should Know
Introduction Often counted among the better known medieval Christian military orders, the Knights Hospitallers or the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John…
Crusade-era bronze ring bearing the image of St. Nicholas found by an Israeli gardener
Back in 2016, we talked about a unique specimen of a Crusade-era ‘hand grenade‘ that was discovered quite fortuitously by the late Marcel Mazliah, an…
The 9,500-year old face ‘behind’ the Jericho Skull is reconstructed by archaeologists
The plastered human skulls of ancient Levant represent some of the oldest art forms of Middle East, made during some time between 8200 BC and…
Behold the ancient ‘thinker’ – A rare 3,800-year old pottery found in Israel
When it comes to the history of sculptures and a pensive figure, we as enthusiasts have reveries of ‘The Thinker’ (Le Penseur), the male figure…
Take a gander at the world’s oldest masks with their seemingly sinister visages
Back in March of 2014, an exhibition at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem brought forth a collection of what was touted as the “world’s oldest…
