In today’s History newsletter: An assassination plot that changed the course of history, the war that got Nat Geo into the map business, and why the mafia fought a war over artichokes. 

But first: a new book on the Virgin Mary makes five radical claims.

For two thousand years, Mary—the mother of Jesus—has been honored in cathedrals, hymns, and paintings as the Virgin Mother of God. Yet behind the halo and icons lies a very different woman, one whose flesh-and-blood life has been obscured by centuries of theological patina. According to biblical scholar James Tabor’s provocative new book, recovering the historical Mary could not only reshape our understanding of Jesus but also rewrite the origins of Christianity itself.

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter, edited and curated by William O'Connor and produced by Amanda Petty. Sign up here to get our future adventures in your inbox.