4000 Years Ago, Gilgamesh Foreshadowed A Great Flood

The Epic of Gilgamesh dates to 2100 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. It provides a foundation for pre-history, mythology, and religion, with references to the Great Flood, which may have been the same flood described in the Book of Genesis, for which Noah built his ark. According to Genesis, Chapter 8, in the Old Testament, which was …

Galahad, Perceval, and the Holy Grail

Crash Course World Mythology: "In which Mike Rugnetta quests for knowledge of the Holy Grail of Mythology. Which is the actual, literal Holy Grail! The cup of Christ! Legends about the Holy Grail are often connected to the British legends of King Arthur, and this episode is definitely about this. Except we’re not talking much …

Is There Any Truth to the King Arthur Legends?

Ted-ED: "King Arthur has risen again and again in our collective imagination, along with his retinue of knights, Guinevere, the Round Table, Camelot, and of course Excalibur. But where do these stories come from, and is there any truth to them? Alan Lupack traces the evolution of King Arthur. Lesson by Alan Lupack, directed by …

Was George Washington Religious?

Religion for Breakfast is an educational Youtube channel "dedicated to the academic, nonsectarian study of religion. We promote improving the public's religious literacy by exploring humanity's beliefs and rituals through an anthropological, sociological, and archaeological lens. Religion for Breakfast does not endorse any particular religious tradition or non-religious perspective. Please be respectful in the comments! …

Myths of American History May Not Be Lies, But Aspirational

“Myth America: Historians Take On the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past,” is a new collection published and edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer, historians at Princeton. "Carol Anderson of Emory University discredits the persistent notion of extensive voter fraud in U.S. elections, showing how the politicians and activists who claim to …

Who Goes Nazi?

The American broadcast journalist Dorothy Thompson (1893-1961), who was personally kicked out of Nazi Germany by Hitler, wrote a classic essay for Harper's magazine in 1941 speculating on who among 12 friends and acquaintances -- archetypes, actually -- at a dinner party might become Nazis, or collaborators in a crisis, if, for example, the Germans …

Talleyrand: Archetype for Crafty, Cynical Diplomat

Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754-1838), 1st Prince of Benevento, then Prince of Talleyrand, was a French clergyman and leading diplomat. After studying theology, he became Agent-General of the Clergy in 1780. In 1789, just before the French Revolution, he became Bishop of Autun. Wikipedia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjtruFmuBk Dead Historian: Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord was "1st Prince of Benevento, then Prince …

What’s the Origin and History of the 7-Day Week?

We must go back 4,300 years ago to ancient Babylon to begin to understand the origin of the 7-day week. The Babylonians learned astronomy from their Italian neighbors. They studied the phases of the moon, and noted that the phases repeat each month. The four primary moon phases -- new moon, first quarter, full moon, …

Five Myths About the Kennedys; Black History; Biden; the Lost Cause

The Washington Post's long-running "Five Myths" series of columns in its "Outlook" section offers insights into current issues, historical figures and topics. In 2021, of special interest to historians were: Five Myths About the Kennedys. No, it wasn't just Vietnam that caused Robert Kennedy's split with Lyndon Johnson. Other myths: The Kennedys were inseparable. The …

A Day in the Life of an Ancient Greek Oracle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvdy0UQNO9E Ted-Ed: "Follow Aristonike, an Oracle-in-training in Delphi, as she studies to become the Pythia and communicate Apollo’s will and prophecies. -- As the sun rises over Delphi in 500 BCE, Aristonike hurries to the temple of Apollo where a single oracle known as the Pythia communicates Apollo’s will. Reserved only for women, this is …