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Archaeologists uncover mysterious Christian artifact near waters tied to Jesus’ ministry: ‘No known parallel’
Archaeologists have uncovered a one-of-a-kind artifact near the Sea of Galilee that may reveal new details about how early Christians practiced baptism.
The 1,400-year-old artifact was recently found in the ancient city of Hippos, a prominent bishop’s seat during the Byzantine era, according to a March 30 press release shared with Fox News Digital.
The city was once the only Christian city around the Sea of Galilee, controlling territory associated with Jesus’ ministry.
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The marble bloc was found in a hall of baptism called a photisterion. It may shed light on “a stage of the early Christian baptismal rite that has until now gone unrecorded,” officials said.
Hippos’ cathedral had two baptismal halls: one for adults, and another for infants and children, which is where the new object was found.
The smaller hall was constructed after 591 A.D. and was destroyed by an earthquake in 749 A.D. — meaning the object is roughly 1,400 years old.
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Officials described the artifact as “a rectangular block bearing three hemispheric cavities, found beside a baptismal font in a newly revealed ceremonial hall.”
Researchers believe the block may have held three different oils used during a threefold baptismal immersion ceremony.
Pictures of the object show the weathered marble block with three bowl-shaped basins, suggesting it was designed to hold liquids side by side.
Early Christian baptisms more commonly involved two anointings before and after the rite — which makes the three-part design particularly unusual.
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“The collapse buried the marble and bronze artifacts beneath the rubble, preserving them until their recent discovery,” the release noted.
Officials added, “After extensive examination and comparison, the scholars concluded that no known parallels to the artifact exist.”
Michael Eisenberg, a University of Haifa archaeologist who recently published the results in the journal PEQ, along with colleague Arleta Kowalewska, said the object was found among a variety of “remarkable liturgical objects,” including a bronze candelabrum used to hold candles.
“Only after careful research did we realize how unique they are for understanding Christian ritual practices in the cradle of Christianity by the Sea of Galilee,” he said.
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The object was “nothing special at first glance,” to the excavations, Eisenberg told Fox News Digital.
“But here is exactly where the archaeological and liturgical studies came into play.”
“Realizing that it is a one-of-a-kind artifact that may fill unknown regional and perhaps wider lacunae in one of the most ancient and sacred Christian ceremonies was a complete surprise.”
Eisenberg said the findings may “open a portal” to the development of baptism rituals in the early Christian world.
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“In different regions, distinct liturgical traditions developed, many of which are not documented in written sources,” the archaeologist said.
“This find offers a rare glimpse into how the baptismal rite was shaped and practiced in the Byzantine Christian community of Hippos.”
The find joins a long list of significant archaeological discoveries found at Hippos in recent years.
Last year, excavators in Hippos found a 1,600-year-old Christian care facility for the elderly, which is possibly the world’s oldest nursing home.
Last July, metal detectorists found a trove of ancient jewelry and gold coins near ruins in Hippos.
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‘The Drama’ Review: Robert Pattinson, Zendaya star as lovebirds facing utter turmoil in twisted dark rom-com
Has there ever been someone you thought you knew, but then they say or do something that completely changes your view of them?
That’s the predicament Robert Pattinson and Zendaya face in A24’s “The Drama.”
The two of them star as Charlie and Emma, who are just days from getting married. Their relationship could be pulled from any rom-com; they meet in a coffee shop, he’s a geek, she’s gorgeous but approachable, you know the drill.
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Their storybook romance hits unexpected turbulence when they are joined by their friends Mike and Rachel (Mamoudou Athie and Alana Haim) for a wine tasting and they engage in a game of sorts where they each reveal the worst thing they have ever done. Mike goes, and Rachel goes, and Charlie goes, all of them sharing their not-so-greatest moments.
But it was what Emma revealed that truly shook the others, especially Charlie.
Charlie basically has less than a week to grapple with Emma’s dark secret and whether it’s bad enough to not walk down the aisle.
Ironically, what makes “The Drama” work is that it’s a dark comedy. The biting, cringe moments bring plenty of levity as tension builds between Charlie and Emma. Pattinson, mostly known for serious work, is able to bring the funny out of Charlie while being increasingly terrified of his fiancée while Zendaya’s Emma brilliantly sends mixed signals as to whether she’s a changed person from what she once was.
“The Drama” marks Norwegian writer/director Kristoffer Borgli’s second English-language film following 2023’s underrated Nicolas Cage gem “Dream Scenario.” Based on both films, Borgli proves he has the rare gift of balancing humor and intensity. And when Ari Aster (“Hereditary,” Midsommar,” “Beau is Afraid,” “Eddington”) is listed as a producer, you know you’re in for something really twisted.
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The third act falters a bit but “The Drama” is a unique, thought-provoking film that brings rather disturbing fun to the wedding day rom-com and is elevated by Zendaya and Pattinson’s performances. It’s not exactly a must-see but it showcases the talents of its two buzzy leads as well as Borgli as an emerging filmmaker.
“The Drama” is rated R for language, sexual content, and some violence. Running time: 1 hour, 46 minutes. In theaters now.
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RFK Jr, EPA chief ‘declare war’ on microplastics amid growing evidence of health risks
Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin are declaring a war on microplastics.
These tiny bits of plastic, which are less than 5 mm in size, can persist in our environment for hundreds or thousands of years. They may also build up in our bodies, our hearts and our brains, causing untold damage.
For the first time, the EPA is adding microplastics and pharmaceuticals to its Contaminant Candidate List for drinking water, which will help to prioritize funding and pave the way for potential future regulation involving Congress.
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HHS is also launching the Systematic Targeting of Microplastics — or STOMP — to study how microplastics accumulate in the body.
Kennedy spoke with Fox News in an exclusive interview accompanying the EPA/HHS announcement.
“We do not have the science that distinguishes between the impacts of these different types of plastics, and maybe if we identify those impacts, the damaging ones can be immediately eliminated, because you can replace them with something else,” he said.
“Our job — and we are really at the limit of our power right now — is to try to answer those questions before we take another action.”
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Kennedy pointed to emerging science suggesting microplastics’ direct impacts on public health.
“Some of them may be benign – others are very, very harmful,” he warned. “The science shows if they cause inflammation, they cause oxidative stress.”
“As a body, they are endocrine disruptors, so they interfere with fertility,” he added.
As emerging research suggests a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and neurodegenerative disease when microplastics are present at the cellular level, “the time to act is now,” according to Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
During a panel accompanying the announcement, Trasande compared the issue to efforts to reduce lead exposure in the 1970s, when the government took action as soon as the danger was identified, even before all research was complete.
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Kennedy, who has a long history of fighting chemicals in the environment, blames big businesses for causing the problem and wants them to clean it up. “That’s a lesson we are all supposed to have learned at kindergarten – that you clean up after yourself, you don’t force the public to do it.”
The same approach applies to pharmaceuticals that make their way into the environment, he noted.
“Particularly for our children, it’s very alarming. They are swimming around now in a toxic soup. It’s coming from everywhere,” Kennedy warned. “It’s coming from their food. It’s coming from agriculture. It’s coming from the air and water, and it’s coming from pharmaceutical drugs.
“Lee has directed his agency under President Trump to do this study so we can start regulating the discharge of these chemicals,” he went on. “A lot of them you can remove through carbon technology and other technologies.”
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Administrator Zeldin said he believes the fight against microplastics is a bipartisan issue. He is calling for more education and transparency when it comes to microplastics and public health, cautioning against the federal government proposing a one-size-fits-all solution.
“You want to be able to get the answers, you want to see the gold-standard science,” he said. “You demand radical transparency. You’re looking through the website, and it’s ignoring what you came to that web page to look for. I feel like there’s a communication gap – and when there’s a communication gap, there’s a trust gap.”
Zeldin and Kennedy have been working closely under President Trump’s Make America Healthy Again agenda and say they enjoy working together.
“There’s no American in this country who can’t get heard somehow by Secretary Kennedy, and it’s just an honor to serve alongside him,” Zeldin said.
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Kennedy added, “I like everybody in that Cabinet, but Lee and I work with particular closeness, and I’ve really enjoyed the relationship.”
It is clear they would like this relationship to continue, even if their roles change. “You never know what’s going to happen,” Kennedy said.
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Tony D’Angelo stands tall as NXT champion after brutal four-way match at Stand & Deliver
Four men entered the ring at Stand & Deliver but only one left as the NXT champion on Saturday night.
Joe Hendry had one of his biggest challenges yet. He had to defend the NXT Championship in a fatal four-way match against Tony D’Angelo, Ricky Saints and Ethan Page. Hendry came into the match as the fan favorite as the crowd in St. Louis, Missouri, was singing his entrance music. But he faced three other hungry challengers.
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D’Angelo, who came into the match with a chip on his shoulder after being betrayed by a friend at last year’s event, walked out of Stand & Deliver as the new NXT champion.
Saints and Page came into the match aligned and tried to weaken Hendry as best as they could to start. They delivered suplexes and shots to the chest to take him out. But the duo’s rift would grow as Page hit a splash on Saints. But Saints got his revenge shot later in the match.
D’Angelo spent the first few minutes on the outside of the ring. Once he regained his composure, D’Angelo hit a spear and focused himself on Hendry before he was thrown to the outside of the ring. Page and Saints turned their attention to the former “Don of NXT.”
The teamwork would last a few moments before Hendry hopped over the ropes and took them both out. For a split second, Hendry was in control. But the numbers game got the better of him again about midway through the match.
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D’Angelo stepped back into the ring to face off against Hendry. He began to power up. Multiple German suplexes were doled out and it looked like D’Angelo was taking control of the match. He broke up a Standing Ovation to hit Hendry with a spear. He then speared Saints out of the ring and hit a second spear on Hendry.
With frustration mounting, Saints wiped out D’Angelo with a chair shot. He hit Hendry with a Revolution DDT onto the chair, too. Saints was going to hit Page with a chair as well, but Page took exception. Their own rivalry turned up a notch.
As Page carried Saints up to the stairs, he wanted to put him through the table. Out of nowhere, D’Angelo speared both men through the announce table. It came down to D’Angelo and Hendry.
D’Angelo hit the Dead to Rights and pinned Hendry to win the NXT Championship.
It is D’Angelo’s first reign as NXT champion.
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