Religion

Jewish herbalism is experiencing a revival as educators like Naomi Spector uncover centuries of plant knowledge preserved through the diaspora. Blending the wisdom of Maimonides, Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions, and remedies passed from generation to generation, this forgotten ecological heritage reveals how Jewish communities adapted to new landscapes while keeping their cultural identity rooted in the natural world.

The 364-day calendar did not disappear entirely. Instead, it may have survived as an ideal: a memory of perfect time at Creation and perhaps a calendar to be restored in the End of Days.

Artificial intelligence is opening a new chapter in Dead Sea Scrolls research. By combining machine learning with chemical analysis, scientists hope to uncover where the ancient manuscripts were produced, identify connections between scribes, and reveal hidden patterns across more than 25,000 fragments that have remained unsolved for decades.

Immersing religious idols in Canada's lakes, rivers and coastal waters remains a contentious issue. While the practice is an important tradition for many Hindu communities during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, environmental regulations in many jurisdictions prohibit the disposal of foreign materials into natural waterways, even when the objects are intended as religious offerings.

The halal food market is now worth trillions globally, and companies are beginning to notice growing demand for halal-certified vegetarian and vegan products.

Shavuot is a holiday heavy with symbolism. While it marks the end of the counting of the omer, it also functions as a miniature jubilee. The fiftieth day like a tiny echo of the fifty year cycle. And in each of the seventh years during that cycle, acts of rest and liberation are performed, especially in the fiftieth year.

  How many of us looked twice when we saw that South Korea has ordained a robot as a budd? His name is Gabi, and he...

Can Zara speak with their recently departed mother through fungal networks? In April my mom passed away and I attended her funeral as a relative...

Abortion pills, often confused with Plan B (the morning-after pill), and historically referred to as RU486 (mifepristone), are part of a broader category of reproductive health medications that women have been using for decades. But they are not the same thing.

For centuries, the Sámi shaman drum was one of the most powerful sacred objects in northern Europe, and one of the most feared by church and state. If ISIS looks bad to us today for its religious fundamentalism, Christians were just as fervent. 

At a time when climate anxiety can feel abstract and overwhelming, and being Jewish something people may need to hide in big cities, Adamah Los Angeles is trying something different: turning Jewish values into local climate action with dirt-under-the-fingernails practicality.

As Passover approaches, a global online gathering is inviting people to explore the holiday’s ancient story of liberation through a modern lens of compassion,...

There’s feasting at home on the night and the next day, and to make sure everyone gets good things to eat, families send out packages of treats to friends and neighbors. Traditional goodies are hamentaschen, and other treats like our chocolate nut clusters .

A magic holy sidr bath to deflect the evil eye? It needs 7 powdered sidr leaves stirred into a bucket of warm water. The hadith of the Prophet Muhammad allows to repeat healing prayers and verses from the Koran to increase the water’s potency. 5 grams, or 1 tablespoon of sidr powder equals 7 leaves.

They came from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt… There are Sunni Muslims, Shiite Muslims, Jews (Orthodox and Reform), Orthodox Christians, Coptic Christians, Protestant Christians, Druze, Baha'is, a Scientologist.