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WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE REAL JESUS

Thursday, November 30, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we explore new findings about the centerpiece of Christianity;, discover what was once Earth’s biggest waterfall, investigate a widely used sleep aid ... and examine if fuzzy caterpillars really can predict winter.

A small Coptic Orthodox chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

PHOTOGRAPH BY SIMON NORFOLK

Believers call him the Son of God. Skeptics dismiss him as legend. In recent years, researchers digging in the Holy Land have been sifting fact from fiction.

Both believers and skeptics claim archaeology as their ally. What have we learned of the historical Jesus (above, a scene inside Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre)? Archaeologist and Nat Geo journalist Kristin Romey finds out.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Two buffalofish on a black background

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK

These fish can live past 100—and get stronger into their 80s and 90s

What do you need to do to live better—not just longer? Here’s what science says.

Does magnesium really help with sleep and anxiety?

Did Richard III really murder a boy, England’s rightful ruler, to seize the throne? A writer has new evidence.

California gold rush towns are booming again. Here’s what to see and do.

Can too many ultra-processed foods lead to cognitive decline? New studies show that they can.

Scientists finally understand hot flashes—and how to stop them

Add the olive oil. It's really good for you.

Healthy, life-extending ‘blue zone’ diets flourish in the United States

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Remnant of a lost landscape, this island of ancient soil—crowned by a crop of wheat—survived the ice-age floods that sculpted this region.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL MELFORD

World’s biggest waterfall? It is three miles wide and 400 feet high—ten times the size of Niagara Falls—and had plunge pools at its base suggesting the erosive power of an immense flow of water. Now nearly all the water is gone from this region (an island of wheat, above). In what U.S. state is it located?

A. Alaska
B. Colorado
C. Arizona
D. Washington

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A sandstone hieroglpyh dating to 2250 B.C. shows the goddess Isis, her son, and the god Hathor (far left).

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEEMAGE, CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES

Papyrus and periods: A sandstone hieroglpyh dating to 2250 B.C. shows the goddess Isis, her son, and the god Hathor (far left). There is evidence Egyptians used papyrus to manage their menstrual flow.

Related: How COVID interferes with your period
Also: How do women deal with having a period ... in space?

LAST GLIMPSE

A wooly bear caterpillar climbing on a plant

PHOTOGRAPH BY RUNK/SCHOENBERGER/ GRANT HEILMAN PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY

How cold will winter be? Can the black hairs of this woolly bear caterpillar really tell us how mild or severe winter will be? Although that folklore has been passed down for centuries, here’s what the experts say.

A WEATHER ORACLE?

Today’s soundtrack: Spirit 2.0, Sampha

We hope this newsletter brightened your Thursday! It was curated and edited by David Beard, Nancy San Martín, and Jen Tse. Know someone who might want our newsletter in their inbox? Here’s the signup. See you tomorrow!

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