In 2026, Chinese New Year will take place between 17 February and 3 March as we welcome the year of the Fire Horse. But what is the tradition behind Chinese New Year, how is it calculated, what are the traditions of the two-week festivals, and what are the meanings of the different animals that characterize... Continue Reading →

The Phoenician pantheon of gods was greatly influenced by surrounding cultures, with names and myths clearly borrowed and adapted to the local context. They usually worshipped a triad of deities, including a primary god, often called Baal (lord), his son, and a female goddess. She was most often known as Astarte, the Greek version of... Continue Reading →

In Sumerian mythology, Anzu was a large bird (eagle or vulture) who lived in the realm of the gods. He was originally a benign creature, but sometime around 2000 BCE, stories formulated that he rebelled against the gods, casting him as a demon destroyed by Ninurta or Marduk. He was conceived by the cosmic freshwater... Continue Reading →

In Zoroastrianism, Ahriman or Anga Mainyu was among the high-ranking enemies of Ahura Mazda, with Ahura Mazda leading the battle for good, and Ahriman leading the side of evil, and therefore sometimes considered equal to Satan. All Zoroastrians are encouraged to actively participate in the fight between good and evil but have the choice to... Continue Reading →

Sepharvaim was a pair of twin cities, Sippar Yahrurum and Sippar Amnanum, on the east bank of the Euphrates, captured by the Assyrians, according to the Bible. It was the center of worship for the god Adramelech, who the Jewish Rabbis say had the face of a mule and the feathers of a peacock. 2... Continue Reading →

The name Abaddon, or Apollyon in Greek, appears in both Jewish and Christian texts, but in two distinct contexts. In some cases, it seems to refer to Hell, or a specific place in Hell where the wicked are sent to suffer out of God’s sight. In other cases, Abaddon appears to be a demonic being... Continue Reading →

According to the Bible, Moloch was a god among the people of the Levant, especially the Canaanites and Phoenicians, whose worship was condemned in the Bible because it was associated with child sacrifice. God condemns people who “burn their sons and daughters in the fire of their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12.29-31). Moloch and Baal The name... Continue Reading →

The most powerful goddess in the ancient Mesopotamian world was known as Inanna during the early period, and then Ishtar from around the 3rd millennium BCE onwards. She was a strong and sexual goddess associated with both love and beauty, and war and conflict. She was at the center of Mesopotamian religion, seen as a... Continue Reading →

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Iranian religion that may date back to the 2nd millennium BCE and is still practiced in some parts of the world today. The religion is based on the teachings of the prophet Zarathustra Spitama, better known as Zoroaster. His teachings and other sacred texts are collected in the Avesta. The religion... Continue Reading →

Manichaeism emerged in the 3rd century CE out of the teachings of a Persian prophet called Mani, who lived in the Sasanian Empire between 216 and 277 CE. The Sasanians ruled in what is today Iran from 224 to 651 CE, and Manichaeism remained popular there until the end of the Empire. There is also... Continue Reading →