Jesus tomb found, says film-maker James Cameron
Jesus had a son named Judah and was buried alongside Mary Magdalene, according to a documentary, which examines a tomb found near Jerusalem in 1980. The film director James Cameron said statistical tests and DNA analysis backed this view. But the claim has been attacked as unfounded. Archaeologists said that the burial cave was probably that of a Jewish family with similar names. But Cameron said the combination of names found on the tombs convinced him of their heritage. According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, 6 of coffins were marked with the names Mary; Matthew; Jesua son of Joseph; Mary; Jofa (Joseph, Jesus' brother); and Judah son of Jesua. (bbc)
A Cathartic experience - Last stand against the might of the Vatican (Article no longer available from the original source)
Alec Kingham explored Cathar country in southern France and discovered a real treasure. We stood atop the walls of the stone fortress of Montségur, and I could almost hear the ghosts of the 10,000 Royal Catholic French troops and Crusaders of the Inquisition who amassed below. It was here in 1244 that the Cathars, a Gnostic group considered heretical by the Roman Catholic Church, made their last defiant stand against the might of the Vatican and the greedy French nobility. In 1885, Bérenger Saunière assumed control of a crumbling Cathar fortress. In 1891, he came into great wealth, rumour suggests he discovered the lost Cathar treasure. (icnetwork)
Rare medieval Book Discovered in Ireland Bog
The eagle-eyed worker was using a backhoe to dig up potting soil in central Ireland last week when he spotted the leather-bound book. Experts called to the site were amazed to find an ancient Psalter Book of Psalms lying in the mud. About 20 pages long and written in Latin, the book has been dated to between A.D. 800 and 1000. Experts are hailing this as one of the greatest finds in Ireland in recent history. Christianity is considered to have arrived in Ireland around the fourth or fifth century A.D. with St. Patrick. He also notes that the book dates to the early medieval period known as the Dark Ages, when Europe was in turmoil and many religious manuscripts were destroyed. (nationalgeographic)
An inside look at Opus Dei - The most controversial group
With no more than 3,000 members in the US and 85,000 worldwide, this offshoot of the Catholic church has been accused of using lavish riches and carefully cultivated clout to do everything. But most of all, it has been known for its silence. For all its uniqueness in mission and structure, Opus Dei is unquestionably best known for being "secretive." It has a supposedly secret greeting and its 1950 constitution barred members from revealing their membership without permission from the director of their center. (cnn)
Image of Jesus' crucifixion may be wrong, says study
The image of the crucifixion, one of the most powerful emblems of Christianity, may be quite erroneous, according to a study which says there is no evidence to prove Jesus was crucified in this manner. Around the world, in churches, on crucifixes worn as pendants, in books, paintings and movies, Jesus Christ is seen nailed to the cross by his hands and feet, with his head upwards and arms outstretched. But a paper published by Britain's prestigious Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) says this image has never been substantiated in fact. Christ could have been crucified in any one of many ways, all of which would have affected the causes of his death, it says. (unexplained-mysteries)
The holiest place in the world - The Temple of Jerusalem
The Temple of Jerusalem by Simon Goldhill: This little book describes, in popular terms, what is the most important place in world religion, sacred alike to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and its many-sided impact on our civilisation. The original temple, about which we know only from detailed descriptions in the Bible, was smashed up by the Babylonians in 586 bc, restored as the Second Temple 70 years later, looted and desecrated by the Syrians in 169-7 bc, again restored and then completely rebuilt by Herod the Great. (telegraph)