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Early Jericho
The city of Jericho is remembered for the story in the Book of Joshua in the Bible regarding its destruction by the Israelites. Excavations have revealed that Jericho is one of the earliest settlements dating back to 9000 BCE. It also has...
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Early Muslim Conquests (622-656 CE)
Islam arose as a religious and socio-political force in Arabia in the 7th century CE (610 CE onwards). The Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE), despite facing resistance and persecution, amassed a huge following and started building...
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Spread of Christianity Map (up to 600 CE)
Map showing the spread of Christianity, showing both strongly Christianized areas before 325 CE and generally Christianized areas until 600 CE. The map also shows major Christian centers and the cities in which Christian councils were held.
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The Early History of Clove, Nutmeg, & Mace
The spices clove, nutmeg, and mace originated on only a handful of tiny islands in the Indonesian archipelago but came to have a dramatic, far-reaching impact on world trade. In antiquity, they became popular in the medicines of India and...
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The Early Three Kingdoms Period
The Early Three Kingdoms Period in ancient China, from 184 CE to 190 CE for the purposes of this article, was one of the most turbulent in China's history. With an ailing Han government unable to control its empire, brutal localised wars...
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Spread of Christianity 325-600 AD
This map shows the spread of Christianity around the Mediterranean and Europe. Dark Blue: Spread until 325 AD. Light Blue: Spread until 600 AD. Patrick O'Brien, ed (2003). Atlas of World History. New York: Oxford University Press...
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Early Media Coverage of the Sand Creek Massacre and Continuing Controversy
The earliest reports on the Sand Creek Massacre (29 November 1864) characterized it as a great battle in which the Third Colorado Cavalry under Colonel John Chivington defeated a large force of armed Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors. By the...
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Early Explorers of the Maya Civilization: John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood
The names of John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood are forever linked to the Maya and Mayan studies as the two great explorers who documented the ruins from Copan in the south to Chichen Itza in the north. The stories told by Stephens...
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Vladimir I Converting to Christianity
A 19th century CE fresco by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in kieve depicting the baptism of the Kievan Rus leader Saint Prince Vladimir (r. 980-1015 CE)
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Definition
Mystery Cults
Mystery cults, or mystery religions, were ancient religious associations characterized by secrecy and initiation rites. They typically surrounded one primary deity, but some mystery cults venerated multiple deities in their rites. Members...