<p>A 1,800-year-old Roman-era ring was found by a teenager who was hiking in northern Israel. The ring had an image of a Roman goddess holding a sword and spear engraved on&nbsp;it.</p>

<p>The ring looks like is made of bronze and has a depiction of Minerva - who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena and only wears a helmet.</p>

<p>During the Roman period, Minerva was a popular goddess in the region and was "considered, among other things, as the goddess of war and military strategy, and also as the goddess of wisdom," said Nir Distelfeld, inspector at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Theft Prevention Unit, and&nbsp;Eitan Klein, of the IAA's Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, in a&nbsp;statement.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/human-remains-dating-back-to-7th-century-discovered-at-a-hotel-in-uk-741231">Human remains dating back to 7th century discovered at a hotel in UK</a></p>

<h2><strong>Teen explains how he stumbled upon the ring</strong></h2>

<p>The 13-year-old Yair Whiteson discovered the ring when he was hiking with his father in the region of Haifa.</p>

<p>The father and son were crossing an ancient quarry on Mount Carmel when Yair, who has a passion for collecting interesting fossils and rocks, saw a "small green item" on the ground.</p>

<p>In a statement, Yair said, "It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty bolt. I thought about heating it, but then fortunately I understood it was a ring. At home, I saw it had an image on it. At first glance, I thought it was a warrior."</p>

<p>Subsequently, his family reached out to the IAA who sent the artefact&nbsp;to Israel's National Treasures Department.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>All about the Roman-era ring</strong></h2>

<p>According to the researchers, the small ring must have belonged to a girl or woman during the Late&nbsp;Roman&nbsp;period (second to third centuries AD).</p>

<p>The ring was discovered in Khirbet Shalala, which is an archaeological site on a hilltop close to the quarry which is filled with the remains of a Roman-period farmstead.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Italian PM Giorgia Meloni likely to visit China in July end</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/italian-pm-giorgia-meloni-likely-to-visit-china-in-july-end-738170/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"There are two burial caves on the quarry's edge," said Distelfeld and Klein, in the statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The ring may have belonged to a woman who lived on this farm. Or, it might have fallen from a quarry worker, or it may have been a burial offering from these nearby graves. There are many possibilities," it&nbsp;added.</p>

<p>The ring will be put on display at the Archaeology of Israel's Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus in Jerusalem.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


A 1,800-year-old Roman-era ring was found by a teenager who was hiking in northern Israel. The ring had an image of a Roman goddess holding a sword and spear engraved on it.

A 1,800-year-old Roman-era ring was found by a teenager who was hiking in northern Israel. The ring had an image of a Roman goddess holding a sword and spear engraved on it. The ring looks like is made of bronze and has a depiction of Minerva - who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena and only wears a helmet. During the Roman period, Minerva was a popular goddess in the region and was "considered, among other things, as the goddess of war and military strategy, and also as the goddess of wisdom," said Nir Distelfeld, inspector at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Theft Prevention Unit, and Eitan Klein, of the IAA's Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, in a statement. Also Read: Human remains dating back to 7th century discovered at a hotel in UK Teen explains how he stumbled upon the ring The 13-year-old Yair Whiteson discovered the ring when he was hiking with his father in the region of Haifa. The father and son were crossing an ancient quarry on Mount Carmel when Yair, who has a passion for collecting interesting fossils and rocks, saw a "small green item" on the ground. In a statement, Yair said, "It was corroded, and at first, I thought it was just a rusty bolt. I thought about heating it, but then fortunately I understood it was a ring. At home, I saw it had an image on it. At first glance, I thought it was a warrior." Subsequently, his family reached out to the IAA who sent the artefact to Israel's National Treasures Department. All about the Roman-era ring According to the researchers, the small ring must have belonged to a girl or woman during the Late Roman period (second to third centuries AD). The ring was discovered in Khirbet Shalala, which is an archaeological site on a hilltop close to the quarry which is filled with the remains of a Roman-period farmstead. Watch: Italian PM Giorgia Meloni likely to visit China in July end "There are two burial caves on the quarry's edge," said Distelfeld and Klein, in the statement. "The ring may have belonged to a woman who lived on this farm. Or, it might have fallen from a quarry worker, or it may have been a burial offering from these nearby graves. There are many possibilities," it added. The ring will be put on display at the Archaeology of Israel's Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus in Jerusalem. (With inputs from agencies)

Roman-era ring, engraved with image of goddess, found abandoned in Israel's ancient quarry

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Mexico marks 45th anniversary of the discovery of a lunar goddess sculpture with an exhibition

Thousands of people dressed in white take to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to lay flowers and other gifts for Yemanja, the goddess of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian religions of Umbanda and Candomble.

Watch: Brazilians celebrate sea goddess Yemanja on Rio beach

<p>A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports.</p>

<p>The statue, carved out of limestone and 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) long, was discovered by a farmer working on his land in Khan Younis.</p>

<p>“The statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat,” Jamal Abu Reda, chief of the Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities department, said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.</p>

<p>According to local folklore, Anat was one of the best-known Canaanite deities, symbolised as the goddess of love and war.</p>

<p>It was unearthed on what was an important “overland trade route for several civilizations” that lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, Reda said.</p>

<p>“We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field, told the BBC.</p>

<p>"We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he said.</p>

<p>"We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times," he added.</p>

<p>The statue of Anat was put on display on Tuesday in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums, the British media outlet reported.</p>

<p>Unveiling the artefact at a press conference, Reda said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts.</p>

<p>"Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said.</p>

<p>"This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation," BBC quoted Reda as saying.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports.

A farmer in Gaza Strip has found a Bronze Age stone statue dating back 4,500 years, depicting the face of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war, local media reports. The statue, carved out of limestone and 22 centimetres (8.6 inches) long, was discovered by a farmer working on his land in Khan Younis. “The statue represents the Canaanite goddess Anat,” Jamal Abu Reda, chief of the Hamas-run ministry of tourism and antiquities department, said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel newspaper. According to local folklore, Anat was one of the best-known Canaanite deities, symbolised as the goddess of love and war. It was unearthed on what was an important “overland trade route for several civilizations” that lived in what is now the Gaza Strip, Reda said. “We found it by chance. It was muddy and we washed it with water," farmer Nidal Abu Eid, who came across the head while cultivating his field, told the BBC. "We realised that it was a precious thing, but we didn't know it was of such great archaeological value," he said. "We thank God, and we are proud that it stayed in our land, in Palestine, since the Canaanite times," he added. The statue of Anat was put on display on Tuesday in Qasr al-Basha, a historic building that serves as one of Gaza's few museums, the British media outlet reported. Unveiling the artefact at a press conference, Reda said the statue was "resistant against time" and had been carefully examined by experts. "Such discoveries prove that Palestine has civilisation and history, and no-one can deny or falsify this history," he said. "This is the Palestinian people and their ancient Canaanite civilisation," BBC quoted Reda as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

Gaza farmer stumbles upon rare Bronze Age statue of goddess of love and war

<p>Delhi High Court on Friday asked social media giant Twitter to remove objectionable material relating to Hindu Goddess. The court observed that Twitter should respect sentiments of the public as it was doing business for them.</p>

<p>The bench said Twitter was doing a good job and people were happy with it.</p>

<p>"Things are going to be removed or not?" the court asked the counsel for Twitter.</p>

<p>"You should respect the sentiments of general public as you are doing business for public at large. Their sentiments shall be given due importance... Why you should do things like this. You should remove this," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said.</p>

<p>"You remove it. You have done it in Rahul Gandhi's case also," the bench added.</p>

<p>Sidharth Luthra, senior advocate representing Twitter, said that if the court mentions it in the order, Twitter will abide by the direction.</p>

<p>The matter will be heard further on November 30.</p>

<p>Petition, in this case, was filed by one Aditya Singh Deshwal who said that he came across highly objectionable posts on Hindu Goddess Kaali which was put up by user with the name @AtheistRepublic. He said in his petition that the goddess was represented in disgraceful and outrageous manner.</p>

<p>The petitioner, represented through senior advocate Sanjay Poddar, said he intimated the grievance officer of Twitter that the content put by the used was in grave contravention of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and non-compliance of the rules shall make Twitter lose its legal immunity provided under the Information Technology Act.</p>

<p>He claimed that Twitter repudiated that the content in the account is not of a category for which it takes action and therefore, it cannot be removed.</p>

<p>The plea sought direction for Twitter to remove the objectionable content from its platform and also permanently suspend the concerned used account.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Delhi High Court on Friday asked social media giant Twitter to remove objectionable material relating to Hindu Goddess. The court observed that Twitter should respect sentiments of the public as it was doing business for them.

Delhi High Court on Friday asked social media giant Twitter to remove objectionable material relating to Hindu Goddess. The court observed that Twitter should respect sentiments of the public as it was doing business for them. The bench said Twitter was doing a good job and people were happy with it. "Things are going to be removed or not?" the court asked the counsel for Twitter. "You should respect the sentiments of general public as you are doing business for public at large. Their sentiments shall be given due importance... Why you should do things like this. You should remove this," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said. "You remove it. You have done it in Rahul Gandhi's case also," the bench added. Sidharth Luthra, senior advocate representing Twitter, said that if the court mentions it in the order, Twitter will abide by the direction. The matter will be heard further on November 30. Petition, in this case, was filed by one Aditya Singh Deshwal who said that he came across highly objectionable posts on Hindu Goddess Kaali which was put up by user with the name @AtheistRepublic. He said in his petition that the goddess was represented in disgraceful and outrageous manner. The petitioner, represented through senior advocate Sanjay Poddar, said he intimated the grievance officer of Twitter that the content put by the used was in grave contravention of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and non-compliance of the rules shall make Twitter lose its legal immunity provided under the Information Technology Act. He claimed that Twitter repudiated that the content in the account is not of a category for which it takes action and therefore, it cannot be removed. The plea sought direction for Twitter to remove the objectionable content from its platform and also permanently suspend the concerned used account. (With inputs from agencies)

Twitter asked by Delhi High Court to remove objectionable content on Hindu Goddess

<p>The first time, I encountered the image of Kali, the dark goddess ferociously displayed as an old hag with her tongue sticking out staring wildly with intoxicated eyes, wearing a garland of human heads and a skirt of human arms. When I first visited the Kali temple in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as just a teenager, I wondered to myself what the attraction was. As I entered her famous temple at Kali Ghat, the stench of blood and guts on that hot, sultry day was enough to make even a slaughterhouse seem pleasant.</p>

<p>Yet hundreds of people came and went in a constant stream to offer obeisance to her. What on earth was going on? I later encountered her again much later in a Spielberg movie in which she was sensationally portrayed as a bloodthirsty goddess requiring human sacrifice. The filmmaker&rsquo;s imaginary version of the goddess no doubt came from William Henry Sleeman&rsquo;s 19th-century accounts of the Thugees he helped suppress while working as a British soldier.</p>

<p>Although there is certainly some truth to the relationship between dacoits and Kali worship during the colonial period, it wouldn&rsquo;t be the first time that such &ldquo;heathenry&rdquo; would be hyperbolically exaggerated to justify oppressive British military action. In any case, it is this image of roguish thugs (our English word derived from &ldquo;thugee&rdquo;) worshipping a demonic female that perversely fascinated people in the west who thought of India in both exotic and barbaric terms for much of the land&rsquo;s history, something we used to call orientalism.</p>

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<h5>Devi Mahatmya is the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts.</h5>
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<p>Given the biased western history of this celebrated Hindu goddess, who is she, really? She was rather obscure until the Devi Mahatmya (The Goddess Panegyric), a 700-verse long song which was most likely composed roughly 1500 years ago but crystallises as a section of the later Sanskrit text known as the Markandeya Purana, the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts.</p>

<p>Kept short and in verse form for easy memorisation and recitation, the &ldquo;glory of the goddess&rdquo; text refers to the Devi by a number of names, but focuses on a cycle of three stories, the most important of which in Kali&rsquo;s case is the one that describes the asura named Raktabija (blood drop), who had a boon that allowed each drop of his blood to generate into a new and fully formed demon upon hitting the ground, making him virtually impossible to defeat in battle.</p>

<p>It is precisely in this story that the Devi, created from all of the power of the male deities, appears as Kali, with a dreadful face, looking &ldquo;utterly gruesome&rdquo; with emaciated skin and carrying a sword and noose appears (7.5-7.7). With reddened eyes, a lolling tongue, and a massive roar that fills the universe, she attacks the asura army, lapping up each drop of Raktbija&rsquo;s blood with her tongue before the drops can hit the ground. In this manner, she defeats the evil one.</p>

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<h5>The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos.</h5>
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<p>Now, shouldn&rsquo;t we fear such an apparently dreadful slayer of demons? If so, then why did the mystic Ramakrishna repeatedly fall into trance calling out &ldquo;ma, ma,&rdquo; mother, mother, to her? The Devi Mahatmya ends with her being worshipped with offerings coming from the blood of her worshippers&rsquo; own limbs as a form of sacrifice because she is the support of the universe, greater than all of the masculine deities combined. From verse 13.1 of the text onward to its sudden conclusion the reader (or listener) is reassured that the great goddess grants release to all who worship her.</p>

<p>The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos. Some western feminists focus on her liberating power as a form of female emancipation from the shackles of patriarchal society, but deeper down, she is the one who, from the Hindu perspective, liberates human beings from the endless cycle of birth and death to achieve moksha, ultimate liberation. That is what draws Hindus to her, despite her fearful external appearance. Victory to the Mother!</p>


Maa Kali, the dreadful slayer of demons, defeats the negative forces and also liberates human beings from the endless cycle of birth and death

The first time, I encountered the image of Kali, the dark goddess ferociously displayed as an old hag with her tongue sticking out staring wildly with intoxicated eyes, wearing a garland of human heads and a skirt of human arms. When I first visited the Kali temple in Kolkata (then Calcutta) as just a teenager, I wondered to myself what the attraction was. As I entered her famous temple at Kali Ghat, the stench of blood and guts on that hot, sultry day was enough to make even a slaughterhouse seem pleasant. Yet hundreds of people came and went in a constant stream to offer obeisance to her. What on earth was going on? I later encountered her again much later in a Spielberg movie in which she was sensationally portrayed as a bloodthirsty goddess requiring human sacrifice. The filmmaker’s imaginary version of the goddess no doubt came from William Henry Sleeman’s 19th-century accounts of the Thugees he helped suppress while working as a British soldier. Although there is certainly some truth to the relationship between dacoits and Kali worship during the colonial period, it wouldn’t be the first time that such “heathenry” would be hyperbolically exaggerated to justify oppressive British military action. In any case, it is this image of roguish thugs (our English word derived from “thugee”) worshipping a demonic female that perversely fascinated people in the west who thought of India in both exotic and barbaric terms for much of the land’s history, something we used to call orientalism. Devi Mahatmya is the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts. × Given the biased western history of this celebrated Hindu goddess, who is she, really? She was rather obscure until the Devi Mahatmya (The Goddess Panegyric), a 700-verse long song which was most likely composed roughly 1500 years ago but crystallises as a section of the later Sanskrit text known as the Markandeya Purana, the first text to elevate the great goddess to a level on par with the deities Shiva and Vishnu, her male counterparts. Kept short and in verse form for easy memorisation and recitation, the “glory of the goddess” text refers to the Devi by a number of names, but focuses on a cycle of three stories, the most important of which in Kali’s case is the one that describes the asura named Raktabija (blood drop), who had a boon that allowed each drop of his blood to generate into a new and fully formed demon upon hitting the ground, making him virtually impossible to defeat in battle. It is precisely in this story that the Devi, created from all of the power of the male deities, appears as Kali, with a dreadful face, looking “utterly gruesome” with emaciated skin and carrying a sword and noose appears (7.5-7.7). With reddened eyes, a lolling tongue, and a massive roar that fills the universe, she attacks the asura army, lapping up each drop of Raktbija’s blood with her tongue before the drops can hit the ground. In this manner, she defeats the evil one. The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos. × Now, shouldn’t we fear such an apparently dreadful slayer of demons? If so, then why did the mystic Ramakrishna repeatedly fall into trance calling out “ma, ma,” mother, mother, to her? The Devi Mahatmya ends with her being worshipped with offerings coming from the blood of her worshippers’ own limbs as a form of sacrifice because she is the support of the universe, greater than all of the masculine deities combined. From verse 13.1 of the text onward to its sudden conclusion the reader (or listener) is reassured that the great goddess grants release to all who worship her. The Devi, in her form as Kali, the black goddess, is scary exactly because she needs to be so in order to defeat those negative forces that challenge the world order to create chaos. Some western feminists focus on her liberating power as a form of female emancipation from the shackles of patriarchal society, but deeper down, she is the one who, from the Hindu perspective, liberates human beings from the endless cycle of birth and death to achieve moksha, ultimate liberation. That is what draws Hindus to her, despite her fearful external appearance. Victory to the Mother!

The allure of a blood-drooling goddess clothed in human limbs

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