Religion

Archaeologists uncover 5,000-year-old winepress, Canaanite folk worship evidence near Tel Megiddo

Discoveries near Tel Megiddo offer insight into ancient Canaanite life and urbanization. Finds include a 5,000-year-old winepress and ritual offerings positioned in sight of the city's main temple.

One of the oldest winemaking presses in the world, discovered in an excavation
FORMER HOSTAGE Omer Shem Tov speaks at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv last month. Since his return home, the entire Shem Tov family has embraced many Jewish traditions not only on Shabbat but also as part of their daily rituals, the writer notes.

No atheists in a foxhole: How Israelis embraced faith after October 7, 2023 - opinion

Chief rabbis of Jerusalem, Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Rabbi Arye Stern

Gov't proposal to expand rabbinate powers sparks alarm over ‘conditional Jewishness’

Remains of Blessed Longo

Pope Leo canonizes former Satanic priest Bartolo Longo as one of seven new saints


Caring as a Christian: Standing in solidarity and obedience - opinion

Though it may feel as though we are wandering in our own desert, we cling to the promises and steadfastness of God.

PASSAGES PARTICIPATES in the March for Israel on the National Mall in Washington, November 2023. Though it may feel as though we are wandering in our own desert, we cling to the promises and steadfastness of God, says the writer.

Tehran opens Virgin Mary metro station amid scrutiny over Iran's Christian rights

Iran opens a metro station named after the Virgin Mary, calling it a gesture of coexistence, while critics cite ongoing discrimination against minorities.

Tehran's new Virgin Mary metro station has drawn both praise and criticism for the treatment of Christians within Iran.

Sweden identifies suspect in Quran-burner murder case linked to 'foreign power'

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in January, referring to the killing, that "there is obviously a risk that there is a connection to a foreign power."

 Demonstrators burn the Swedish flag during a protest in Tehran against the insult to the Koran after the Muslim holy book was burned in Stockholm, July 21, 2023.

Psalms in tunnels: How scripture steadied Israel’s hostages

As the 20 living hostages return, faith plays a pivotal role in their survival and reunion. From prayers in captivity to blessings on release, spirituality shaped their journey home.

A Jewish person holds Tehillim, the book of Psalms, seeking solace in prayer on Memorial Day in Tel Aviv

Sukkot and the canopy of peace - opinion

Sukkot reminds us that the sukkah stands only because each beam supports the others.

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach out to shake hands at the White House last week. The world must support the Trump-Netanyahu framework in which Hamas is held accountable and peace can take root, says the writer.

Days of Awe: Israel’s turn toward tradition - opinion

Increasingly, Israelis are forgoing the religious-secular binary. Instead, many are locating themselves along a continuum.

Preparing for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, in the northern Israeli city of Safed, October 5, 2025

How a small town ‘Jewish hut’ has turned Sukkot into a cross-cultural shelter of peace - opinion

The Waterville Jewish community and the Center for Small Town Jewish Life have chosen a unique response to this moment of increased Jewish vulnerability and alienation.

The frame for the Waterville sukkah was up by workers from the city.

Two years in, some are asking if the war in Gaza is changing Judaism

Spiritual critiques are coming mostly from liberal Zionist thinkers and rabbis from the non-Orthodox denominations, who ask themselves, "Are we going to be able to defend Judaism?"

"Who do we become when we harden our hearts?” asked Rabbi Angela Buchdahl in a sermon. Above, a woman wears a Star of David and a necklace remembering the Israeli hostages during a rally at George Washington University, May 2, 2024.

Shabbat candle lighting times for Israel and US

See Shabbat times for your area.

Shabbat candles

Saving Gaza’s people: A sacred duty before Allah - opinion

Islamic law is founded on bringing benefit and preventing harm.

DISPLACED PALESTINIANS shelter in tents in the central Gaza Strip last week. More than two million Gazan Palestinians remain trapped in devastation; their suffering poses a moral and spiritual test for the Muslim world, the writer argues.

Gaza war drives young Israelis toward deeper faith and spirituality, study finds

According to the study, roughly one in four university students became more religious, while one in three described themselves as more spiritual.

Religious Jews gather on the eve of Tisha B'Av at a synagogue in Tel Aviv, August 12, 2024