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Tibetan Star Mandala
A 19th century CE Tibetan mandala, a tool used in some Buddhist schools and also in Hindu and Jain tradition. Mandalas are ritual images designed to facilitate different psychophysical practices such as meditation.

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Star Roundel, Rock-Cut Tombs of Qizqapan
Detail of the relief carved at the façade of the rock-cut tombs of Ashkawt-i Qizqapan (Kurdish: The Cave of the Ravisher or the Cave of the Raped/Abducted Girl). This roundel lies at the right side, above the square entrance into the main...

Definition
Pawnee
The Pawnee are a Native American nation of the Plains Indians culture originally from the region of modern Nebraska. Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, they were among the most powerful of the Plains Indian tribes numbering...

Definition
Tamar of Georgia
Tamar was the queen of Georgia from 1184 to 1213 CE. She is considered one of the greatest of medieval Georgia's monarchs, and she presided over its greatest territorial expansion, taking advantage of the decline of other major powers in...

Video
The History of New Zealand's Matariki: Maori New Year and Star Cluster
Matariki is the name of a star cluster that can be seen from New Zealand in the early morning of the months in mid-winter. New Zealand's Matariki is the name for the Maori New Year and the star cluster. It is one of the brightest star clusters...

Article
Nativity of Jesus
The nativity of Jesus of Nazareth is told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. In Christian theology, the existence of two nativity stories by two different writers provided a prooftext for the historicity of the event. However, the two versions...

Definition
Philistines
The Philistines populated the coastal regions of Canaan from the 12th century BCE to their disappearance in 604 BCE. The word "Philistine" derives from the Hebrew ha-Plištim for the combination of several tribes of Syria and Judea with the...

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Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle, towering atop Castle Rock, has served Scotland for centuries, at one time or another acting as a fortress, royal residence, seat of government, armoury, and prison. The scene of countless sieges, royal births and deaths...

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David with the Head of Goliath
A painting by Caravaggio (1571-1610 CE) of David, the future king of Israel, with the head of the giant Goliath whom he slew with a sling stone. (Galleria Borghese, Rome)

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Michelangelo's David
The marble statue of the biblical figure King David by Michelangelo, 1501-1504 CE. The figure is much larger than life size, around 5.20 metres (17 feet) tall. (Academia Gallery, Florence)