Einstein's Letter on God Sold for $404,000
	The letter sent by Albert Einstein to philosopher Eric Gutkind in January 1954 - " one year before the physicist's death" - detailing his beliefs about God and the Jewish people was auctioned on Thursday at Bloomsbury Auctions in London, and sold for the sum of 404,000 US dollars, including the buyer's premium. The letter had an auction starting price of 8,000 US dollars, 25 times less than that the obtained price. Acco ... [read more >>]
	17 May 2008, 04:07GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Vatican: Nothing Wrong in Believing in Aliens
	Astronomer Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory, revealed in an interview published yesterday that the Vatican believed that alien life might exist and that it didn't necessarily mean it contradicted the belief in God. Makes you remember the cheerful days of the middle ages, doesn't it? "How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere. Just as we consider earthly creatures as & ... [read more >>]
	14 May 2008, 09:48GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Egyptian Gods and Christianity
	The pantheon of the ancient Egyptians was rich in diverse deities. The question inevitably arises: how could this polytheist religion influence later monotheist religions? The Sun God The main Egyptian deity was Amon Re, the king of all gods and the Sun God. The Sun had a central position in the religion of the ancient Egyptians. First, it was represented as the golden scarab Hepri, symbolizing the coming into bein ... [read more >>]
	13 May 2008, 10:21GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Mysteries of the Egyptian Sun
	The Sun had a central position in the religion of the ancient Egyptians. First, it was represented as the golden scarab, Hepri, symbolizing the becoming. Then, the hieroglyph of Sun, the proper god Ra (Re), appeared, as a circle with a point in the middle. A first rank god, Ra personified the Sun as source of vital force, but also as a star implying light as reality and symbol. He was the supreme judge of the Universe. Worshiped in Egy ... [read more >>]
	27 March 2008, 10:10GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Don't Miss the Japanese Penis Festival
	You are more familiar with cultural festivals, focused on music or movies, or maybe with Oktoberfest. But those tiny hard working Japanese, so sober at a first glance, can go crazy in some occasions. If you hurry up, in just about 2 weeks you can be a participant in the annual three-day Kanamara (Iron Phallus) Festival, held at the beginning of April on a Sunday at Wakamiya Hachimangu Shrine in Kawasaki, Aichi province (Japan ... [read more >>]
	20 March 2008, 14:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

God Compared to Google
	It’s easy to just pick a story whenever there’s a slow news day and write off-topic, but when the topic is as high in the clouds as this one, there’s nothing really left to do but stare at the picture for minutes without blinking and trying to make sense of all the underlying logic and implications. What else is there to say? The banner was spotted in Los Angeles and was thought of by the Hollywood United Methodist Church, in ... [read more >>]
	19 March 2008, 16:31GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Oracle of Delphi: Apollo Talks
	Placed in the center of Greece, north of the Gulf of Corinth, the sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi represented, for centuries, the most sought and famous oracle of the ancient world. The spiritual influence and the magic connotations the oracle caused in the mind of the people made the city located at the base of the Parnassos Mountain to be considered an "omphalos" (center of the world) of the antiquity. The Greek mythology say ... [read more >>]
	18 March 2008, 17:21GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Kalash: The People of the Nine Skies
	These people are said to descend from the soldiers of Alexander the Great, stranded and established in foreign lands. Kalash people call the peak of the mountains with a word that does not require explanations: Olympus. The discovery in the '80s of Greek inscriptions in a former Kalash area in Afghanistan further came to strengthen this opinion. Ancient Greeks traded with inhabitants of very remote areas, like Himalaya and Hindu-K ... [read more >>]
	18 March 2008, 16:46GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Sacred Sharks
	Sharks are amongst the least understood creatures. A complex mythology depicting the shark as a mystical animal emerged in many cultures. Polynesian myths and legends talk about Kauhuhu, the shark god, which lives in a deep submarine cave or palace that cannot be seen by anybody. Up to 11 shark-gods are found in the Hawaiian mythology. Kamohoali'i was the most worshiped of the shark gods, being the older and favored brot ... [read more >>]
	15 March 2008, 07:46GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Moses Probably High on 'Weed'
	Well, the truth is we don't know much about whether or not the son of God, Jesus Christ, ever existed in this world, but there is a good probability that Moses did. He is depicted throughout multiple religions as a prophet of God. The Holly Bible describes in the Old Testament how Moses, who was leading the exodus out of Egypt, stops at Mount Sinai to talk to God during which time He gave to Moses the Ten Commandments. Again, we have ... [read more >>]
	05 March 2008, 09:50GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Inca Human Sacrifices
	Just like the Aztecs, the Inca empire had only one century to flourish. The empire was built around the city capital of Cuzco. The Incas conquered and assimilated their neighboring populations so that, at the arrival of the Spaniards, their empire had about 12 million inhabitants, speaking 20 different languages and belonging to over 100 distinct cultures. The Inca formed the largest empire in the pre-European South America, stre ... [read more >>]
	20 February 2008, 14:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

8 Things You Did Not Know About the Hebrews of the Book
	1. The Israelite shepherd tribes wandered for centuries through the steppes and deserts of the Middle East until they left the nomad life for an agricultural one when, under the leadership of a man called Joshua, they established into Canaan (the Promised Land). But this happened only after chasing away the initial inhabitants of the country, the Canaanites, which had built walled cities. The Bible relates about this campaign. ... [read more >>]
	01 February 2008, 18:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

This Man Has a 32.5 cm (1.1 ft) Long Tail!
	If you do not have a proof of our evolutionary past, here comes this tea estate Indian worker: Chandre Oram, from Alipurduar of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal has a 13 inch (32.5 cm) long and one inch (2.5 cm) thick tail. Far from being frightening, this tail attracts thousands of poor people worshiping him as a human incarnation of Hindu monkey god Hanuman. The 5.6 ft (1.68 m) man enjoys climbing trees and eating bananas fo ... [read more >>]
	01 February 2008, 14:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

What Are the Totems?
	The word "totem" comes from the Ojibwa, an Algonquin language from the north of the Great Lakes of North America. "Ototeman" would mean "he is of my clan". The totem would express the belonging to a clan. Totem was an animal or plant, rarely an object, believed by a tribe to be its ancestor or protector, and therefore being worshiped. The wood carved totem poles of the tribes of western coast of North Ame ... [read more >>]
	31 January 2008, 07:27GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

12 Things You Did Not Know About Rattlesnakes
	1. Some Indian tribes avoid killing it while others adore it as a divinity. In the Precolumbian America, victims, especially children, were sacrificed to the Snake God. Hopi Indians from Arizona, during the Snakes' Dance, dance holding in their hands rattlesnakes, controlled using their mouths. The dance is the peak of a 9 days rite, whose aim is to get rich crops and plenty of rain. For 4 days, the Hopi Indians capture all the ra ... [read more >>]
	30 January 2008, 14:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Oh, Lord! The Politics and GodTube… Gimme a Break!
	If you always thought that religion is one of those areas where everybody finds inner peace in his/her own way, having a personal connection to whatever God he/she is praying to, you must not be a fan of Mike Huckabee. The Southern Baptist minister and Republican presidential candidate has just had the idea to go for the religious community for votes, just in case he hasn't already had them. Thus, he turned to GodTube. In a preachi ... [read more >>]
	29 January 2008, 11:46GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Mayans Sacrificed Boys, not Virgin Girls
	There were three great civilizations in America before its discovery by the Europeans: Aztec, Inca and Maya; but Maya of southern Mexico and Guatemala was by far the most advanced, culturally and artistically. The Maya built complex temples and palaces before the arrival of the Spaniards. The most important Maya cities were: Tikal, Copan, Coba, Chichen Itza, Palenque, Quirigua, and Uxmal. Many cities were pilgrimage religious centers, w ... [read more >>]
	23 January 2008, 02:53GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

New Aztec Pyramid Explains Many Mysteries
	The Aztecs founded their bloody empire around A.D. 1200, and their civilization lasted only 300 years, while their empire dominated the area only 100 years before falling under the sword of the conquistadors. Still, at its peak, the empire spread from central Mexico to Guatemala, and it was one of the most advanced civilizations of America, with cities as larger as those of contemporaneous Europe. An 800-year-old Aztec pyramid has rece ... [read more >>]
	09 January 2008, 02:44GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

7 Things You Did not Know About Olympic Games
	1.The five Olympic circles represent the five continents: Africa, North and South America, Asia and Australia. They are connected to symbolize the sports friendship amongst all the people in the world. 2.The Olympic motto "citius, altius, fortius" means "faster, higher, stronger" in Latin. 3.The Olympic flame burned on the shrine of Zeus during the ancient Olympic games. Today a torch is fired in the sunlight an ... [read more >>]
	07 December 2007, 08:17GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

What's An Obelisk?
	Their origins are traced in ancient Egypt, but they "traveled" around the world, reaching cities like Istanbul, London, Paris, Rome and New York. The obelisk is a stone column with four sides thinning towards the upper part and ending with a pointed, pyramidal top. The oldest obelisks are 4,000 years old, while the "youngest" about 2,000. Most obelisks are made of red granite carved by ancient Egyptians. They were ... [read more >>]
	29 November 2007, 02:56GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How About Some Brains to Go With The Breasts?
	Salma Hayek has a rather strange confession to make to us all. No, don't give me that look, she hasn't announced that she's a lesbian, although that would have made a whole lot of women out there really happy. And no, she's not pregnant again (in any case, if she is she's keeping it under wraps). The Mexican actress, famed for her curvy figure, has confessed that she used to be flat-chested when she was ... [read more >>]
	19 November 2007, 10:35GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Maya: The "Apocalypto" Civilization
	There were three great civilizations in America before its discovery by the Europeans: Aztec, Inca and Maya; but Maya was by far the most advanced culturally and artistically. Maya civilization developed in the area where nowadays we have Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and southern Mexico, in a mountain area of tropical forests. The clime is rainy, the soil limy and not very proper for agriculture. During the rainy season, the area becom ... [read more >>]
	10 November 2007, 03:47GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Who Were the Aztecs?
	"The enormous market swarmed of people; some buying, some selling...Amongst us were soldiers which had traveled in many parts of the world, from Constantinople to Italy and Rome, yet they said they had never seen a market of such proportions so harmonious and balanced, harboring so much people", wrote Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a soldier from the army of the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, about Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital ... [read more >>]
	03 November 2007, 05:33GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Living Dead: Hindu Widows
	They are "the outcast of the outcast": the Hindu widows. In the past, they used to end up in the pyre of their husband, but today the practice is forbidden by the Indian government. Upper-caste widows may not remarry, so many are abandoned by their families after the death of their husband in Vrindavan, "the City of the Widows", a pain ghetto on southern Delhi. Even their abandonment and marginalization co ... [read more >>]
	27 October 2007, 09:34GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Ancient Hunting
	Ancient Greeks believed that hunting was discovered by the gods, who taught people how to do it. Numerous legends and myths about hunting involve gods and semigods: centaurs are hunters, Perseus is considered the first hunter, while Castor learns on horseback the art of chasing the prey in the woods and to kill it by spear. Pollux chased and killed wild animals with the help of the dogs. Aristotle said that the hunt is just and natural ... [read more >>]
	27 October 2007, 03:31GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Aztec Lightning Bolts Found on the Bottom of a Volcanic Lake
	We know Aztecs were deeply religious and used to offer hearts, while still beating, to their mighty gods, pulled out from the chests of their victims. Now, archaeologists discovered into a crater lake of the snowcapped volcano Nevado de Toluca some wooden scepters with lightning bolts shapes fitting the description of Spanish priests and conquerors' writings, which are 500 years old, about the offerings the Aztecs made to their ra ... [read more >>]
	28 May 2007, 02:48GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Solve the Riddle – Find The Game's Name
	A very well known developer, whose name MegaGames can't divulge, has decided to leave out the boring announcement part, and instead release a set of cryptic clues, a poem really, to lead gamers to the name of the game. More than that, some rewards are in order for the one solving all the riddles. The developer has probably stage fright, as it doesn’t want to announce the game, wouldn't you say so? Kidding of course. Anyway, as ... [read more >>]
	10 May 2007, 02:45GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Heart Rippers Killed Children for the Rain God
	Aztecs, Mayas and their preceding civilizations in Central America are famous for their appetite for blood. The cruel and megalomaniac sacrifice rites produce stupor amongst modern people and these people knew very well how to use it against their enemies. Would you have opposed them when you were risking to be sacrificed by ripping off your heart from your chest while still alive? A new discovery adds another grues ... [read more >>]
	18 April 2007, 07:07GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Mexican Hairless Dog: Xoloitzcuintle
	What's the similarity between a whale, a worm and a Xoloitzcuintle? They have no hair... The body of this black dog breed is almost completely devoid of hair. Only the tip of the tail displays a white tuft of hair. This dog looks like a Pharaoh Hound, with a sleek body, almond-shaped eyes, large bat-like ears, and a long antelope neck. Many individuals may also lack several teeth and the degree of hairlessness varies from in ... [read more >>]
	10 April 2007, 10:20GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

God of War 2
	We've shown you some inside info with the preview for God of War 2 and now it's time for the big catch: the full God of War 2 game, all analyzed and discussed in this review. Enough bragging and let's get to the game, as it's been a most pleasing task to play it. I've been searching for bugs and defects throughout God of War 2, trying to find something that would make me give this game less than a perfect score. I ... [read more >>]
	28 March 2007, 07:17GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How Did Religion and Atheism Evolve?
	Different philosophies, atheism and religion may impose different ways of life or not, as there are intermediary shades, because in most cases, there is no perfectly homogeneous religiosity or atheism. Faithful people can be from bigots to those who do not practice any rite or cult accessories, but they do believe in an impersonal divine abstraction (deists, pantheists and so on), as also amongst atheists there are various hues, from r ... [read more >>]
	10 March 2007, 08:20GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Heaven & Hell Cheats and FAQ
	If you ever get tired of Populous or if you decide your Black & White creature gets much more attention than you and you want to try something different, then Heaven & Hell may be your source of fun for the next few days. You’re playing again as the divinity. You’ll have a choice of 4 nations that you can try your powers at and you can decide to play on the side of good – heaven – or bad – hell. However, there are many ... [read more >>]
	07 March 2007, 04:44GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Goddess of Marriage Found in Greek Ruins
	Greek archaeologists have found a 2,200-year-old statue of the goddess Hera, inside the walls of a city, near Mount Olympus, the place where ancient Greeks believed their gods lived. The headless marble statue was found during the 2006 diggings in the ruins of ancient Dion, some 53 miles (90 km) southwest of Thessaloniki, Greece's second city (after Athens) and the capital of Greek Macedonia. "The life-sized — by human dimens ... [read more >>]
	02 March 2007, 07:28GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia