FailedMessiah.com

The Earliest War

Archeologists have found massacred human remains that point to ancient warfare – the most ancient warfare ever known. 

Attention Cheders And Day Schools: New Study Indicates Students’ Cognitive Functioning Improves When Using Standing Desks

Do students think best when on their feet? A new study by the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health indicates they do.

Rabbis Again Claim King David’s Tomb Threatened By Government, Say Temple Artifacts And Davidic Kings’ Graves In Danger

"In the history books about King Herod, it is written that, at the time, he and his soldiers tried to enter the tombs of King David and a heavenly fire consumed them. How is it that there is no protest? This is a scandal and a disgrace to dig among the tombs of the Davidic kings. There is a hidden hand here that is trying to hide it all - maybe someone is trying to win favors with the Christians."

Genes May Make Some Nations Happier Than Others, New Research Finds

The citizens of nations which rate themselves happiest display a specific genetic feature: their DNA is more likely to contain a specific allele [gene] involved in sensory pleasure and pain reduction.

Religious Decline Does Not Equal Moral Decline, New Research Finds

Morality is not rooted in religion and religion matters less for moral values now than it did thirty years ago new research has found.

Roman Toilets Gave No Clear Health Benefit; Romanization Actually Spread Parasites, Researchers Find

The study found fish tapeworm eggs to be surprisingly widespread in the Roman Period compared to Bronze and Iron Age Europe. One possibility suggested for the rise in fish tapeworm is the Roman love of a sauce called garum.

Self-Criticism Can Be Lethal, Israeli Researcher Finds

"Self-criticism is a personality trait characterized as the tendency to set unrealistically high standards for one's self and an expression of hostility and derogation when these high standards are, inevitably, not met. This type of behavior leaves people depressed, anxious, suffering from other symptoms, and potentially suicidal."

Earliest Irish Population Had High Percentage Of Middle Eastern Origin, Scientists Find

The early farmer woman, who lived 5,200 years ago, has a majority ancestry originating ultimately in the Middle East, where agriculture was invented. She had black hair, brown eyes and resembled today's southern Europeans.

Chinese Bone Points To Mysterious Species Of Pre-Modern Human

A 14,000 year-old thigh bone found in China suggests an ancient species of human thought to be long extinct may have actually survived until as recently as the end of the last Ice Age and coexisted with modern humans.

Ancient History? Religion And Politics Leads To Social Tension And Conflict, Both Then And Now

New anthropological research appears to show that in the ancient world, religion was the great divider – not  the great uniter as previously proposed.

Israeli University Uses Virtual Reality To Find Ways To Protect Children Trying To Cross Streets

“Look both ways before you cross the street” may be sage advice, but it is also apparently necessary for children as old as 13, according to a new study by BGU researchers, who have pinpointed many of the behaviors that lead to child-pedestrians being hit by cars.

Study: Childhood Concussions Impair Brain Function

A new study has found that pre-adolescent children who have had concussions have impaired brain function two years following the injury.

Study: PTSD Resources For US Sex Abuse Victims Lacking

A new review study shows what almost every victim of child sex abuse and rape already knows: information and resources regarding effective therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not easily available.

Archaeologists Find Shocking Ancient Hebrew Letter Inscription Carved On Marble Slab

Excavations at the Kursi site on the shores of the Sea of Galilee have uncovered an inscription in Hebrew letters engraved on a large marble slab, dating back ca. 1,600 years. No similar artifact has been previously found. “The presence of a Jewish site on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee is a very rare phenomenon. Until now we have not had any proof that Jewish settlements existed during this period along the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee.”

‘Virtual Fossil’ Reveals Last Common Ancestor Of Humans And Neanderthals

We know we share a common ancestor with Neanderthals, the extinct species that were our closest prehistoric relatives. But what this ancient ancestral population looked like remains a mystery, because fossils from the Middle Pleistocene period, during which the lineage split, are extremely scarce and fragmentary. But for the first time researchers have now applied digital “morphometrics” and statistical algorithms to recreate a 3D skull of the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. And this is what our common ancestor looked like.

New Study Shows How To Make Bicycling Safer For Kids With ADHD

Kids with ADHD have more bicycle accidents at busy intersections because they're impulsive and struggle to pay attention. Here’s what you can do to help them bike safer.

What Did That Menorah Look Like, Anyway? Why Chabad's Late Rebbe Was Completely And Totally Wrong

The late rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, insisted the Temple menorah had straight branches coming out from its trunk at sharp angles. Schneerson's claim – which is not backed by any historical or archaeological evidence at all, has become a Chabad totem anyway – hence the strangely shaped giant menorahs Chabad uses on Hanukkah to represent "authentic Judaism" to the public. Here's proof Schneerson was completely, totally and spectacularly wrong.

New Research Differentiates Facial Growth In Neanderthals And Modern Humans

"This is an important piece of the puzzle of evolution. Some have thought that Neanderthals and humans should not be considered distinct branches of the human family tree. However, our findings, based upon facial growth patterns, indicate they are…"

Seal Of King Hezkiyahu Found Next To Temple Mount In Jerusalem

The Ophel excavations at the foot of the southern wall of the Temple Mount, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Archaeology under the direction of Dr. Eilat Mazar, have unearthed an impression of the royal seal of King Hezekiah (727–698 BCE).

Human Nature’s Dark Side Helped Us Spread Across The World

New archaeological research suggests betrayals of trust are the missing link in understanding the rapid spread of our own species around the world. As commitments to others became more essential to survival, and human groups ever more motivated to identify and punish those who cheat, the ‘dark’ side of human nature also developed. Moral disputes motivated by broken trust and a sense of betrayal became more frequent and motivated early humans to put distance between them and their rivals.

Important New Study Shows Increase In Infant Deaths Attributed To Crib Bumpers

A new study shows that the number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to crib bumpers (like those shown in the photo to the right) has spiked significantly in recent years. The findings stem from an analysis by a professor emeritus at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and two former researchers with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The study authors recommend that sale of the items be banned.

New Research Disputes Continuum Theory Of Sexual Orientation

The results help show why so-called conversion therapy (also known as reparative therapy), like that offered by JONAH and backed by haredi and Modern Orthodox rabbis, is dangerous. The results also establish a group of people that are, in effect, bona fide heterosexuals. Then there's another group that is not a continuum but an assemblage, a variety of people united in their same-sex sexual orientation but who may reflect diverse sexual identities. Discrimination and bigotry shown to people with same-sex attraction is thought be a significant cause of the much higher rate of depression and related disorders found among same-sex people.

Following A Healthy, Doctor Recommended Diet But Still Can't Lose Weight? Israeli Researchers Discover Why

Ever wonder why you and friend can eat an almost identical diet, choose the same foods and follow the same recipes, but she loses weight or maintains a healthy weight while you lard on the pounds? Israeli researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science appear to have discovered why.

“Fourth Strand” Of European Ancestry Originated With Hunter-Gatherers Isolated By Ice Age

The first sequencing of ancient genomes extracted from human remains that date back to the Late Upper Palaeolithic period over 13,000 years ago has revealed a previously unknown “fourth strand” of ancient European ancestry.

Do We Need Religion To Be Altruistic?

Can an atheist really be altruistic? A common claim made by religious fundamentalists, including haredi kiruv rabbis and Chabad shluchim is that without God and religion, people would not be kind, helpful and giving to others. We wouldn't support a children's cancer charity or an old age home, or help feed the poor if there wasn't a religious basis for doing so. But is that claim true? Science has studied altruism and found several reasons that cause people to act kindly, even without religion to guide them. In other words, the proper question might really be, are people who give in the name of religion really acting on inherent altruistic impulses all living creatures seem to have, impulses that have an evolutionary basis?

Astronomers Eager to Get a Whiff of Newfound Venus-like Planet

The collection of rocky planets orbiting distant stars has just grown by one, and the latest discovery is the most intriguing one to date. The newfound world, although hot as an oven, is cool enough to potentially host an atmosphere. If it does, it's close enough (only 39 light-years away) that we could study that atmosphere in detail with the Hubble Space Telescope and future observatories like the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Early Farmers Exploited Beehive Products At Least 8,500 Years Ago, Scientists Show

"The most obvious reason for exploiting the honeybee would be for honey, as this would have been a rare sweetener for prehistoric people. However, beeswax could have been used in its own right for various technological, ritual, cosmetic and medicinal purposes, for example, to waterproof porous ceramic vessels."

Scientists Say Alzheimer's Is Probably A Collection Of Diseases That Should Be Classified And Treated Separately

Deciphering the mechanism that underlies the development of Alzheimer's disease in certain families but not in others, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Faculty of Medicine have proposed that the malady is actually a collection of diseases that probably should be treated with a variety of different approaches.

Religious Kids Far More Selfish Than Atheist Kids, New Study Finds

If you want your child to be kind and giving, don't teach him or her about God, a new study suggests. Even though religious parents are more likely to describe their children as empathetic and concerned about justice than are non-religious parents. But new evidence shows the opposite is true – religious kids are less caring and more selfish than their atheist peers. The findings support the notion that the secularization of moral discourse may serve to increase rather than decrease human kindness, the researchers say. So why are religious kids so often more selfish? The answer may be religion itself.

“Stunning” Ancient Judean Seal Found – In Non-Jewish Grave In Southern Russia

A 2,700-year-old seal from ancient Judea was found in a 2,000-year-old unlooted grave this summer. The find is spectacular for several reasons, not the least of which is that the grave is located in southern Russia near the Black Sea, and the woman warrior buried in it does not appear to have been Jewish.

Plague In Humans “Twice As Old” As Previously Thought, Ancient DNA Reveals

New research dates plague back to the early Bronze Age, showing it had been endemic in humans across Eurasia for millennia prior to first recorded global outbreak, and that ancestral plague mutated into its bubonic, flea-borne form between the 2nd and 1st millennium BC. (It was an outbreak of this plague and the false belief that people were dying because the "Jews poisoned the wells" that led to the first European pogroms and other forms of persecution against Jews.)

Life On Earth Started Much Earlier Than Previously Believed, New Discovery Shows

Geochemists have found evidence that life likely existed on Earth at least 4.1 billion years ago — 300 million years earlier than previous research suggested. The discovery indicates that life may have begun shortly after the planet formed 4.54 billion years ago (roughly 4.54 billion years before Adam and Noah, in haredi and fundamentalist Christian terms).

Holocaust Survivors’ Memories Help Researchers Map Brain Circuitry Of Gratitude

“In the midst of this awful tragedy, there were many acts of bravery and life-saving aid,” said lead author Glenn Fox, a post-doctoral researcher at the Brain and Creativity Institute at USC who led the study. “With the Holocaust, we only typically associate the awful things. But when you listen to the survivors, you also hear stories of incredible virtue, and gratitude for the help they received.”

Some Patients In A Vegetative State Are Aware Of Their Surroundings, Doctors Find

New insight into a vital cerebral pathway has explained how some patients in a vegetative state (not brain dead or brainstem dead patients)  are aware of their surroundings despite appearing to be unconscious and being behaviorally unresponsive.

Israel Likely Had The First Hummus In The World, But It Wasn't Jews Who Ate It

Inhabitants of the Land of Israel likely ate the first hummus in the world, but those inhabitants weren't Jews – and they also weren't Arabs. So who were they?

Using Magnets, Scientists Reduce Belief In God

"We think that hearing criticisms of your group's values, perhaps especially from a person you perceive as an outsider, is processed [by the brain] as an ideological sort of threat. One way to respond to such threats is to 'double down' on your group values, increasing your investment in them, and reacting more negatively to the critic. [But] when we disrupted the brain region that usually helps detect and respond to threats, we saw a less negative, less ideologically motivated reaction to the [critic] and his opinions."

Simple Dietary Supplement Might Fix Ailing Body Clocks, Israeli Researcher Find

A simple inexpensive dietary supplement appears to be able to repair damage to the body's circadian rhythms. That would not only improve sleep, it might also fight off Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, body inflammation, and even some forms of cancer.

The Science Of Evolution Explains The Origins Of The "Yetzer Tov" And "Yetzer HaRa"

What science has to say about the origins of good and evil is much more profound than anything ever posited by religions, even by Judaism. And besides being more profound, it is also appears to be stunningly accurate.

Watching The Popular Crime TV Shows "Law And Order" Appears To Reduce Sexual Assault

The survey of 313 college freshmen explored the influence of watching the three most popular crime drama franchises: "Law & Order," "CSI" and "NCIS." Watching "Law & Order" was associated with viewers' increased intentions to adhere to expressions of sexual consent and to refuse unwanted sexual activity. In contrast, watching "CSI" was associated with decreased intentions to both ask a partner for consent and to adhere to a partner's consent decisions.

Ancient Genome From Africa Sequenced For The First Time

The ancient Ethiopian genome reveals previously unknown extensive Eurasian population admixture – i.e., what we might call intermarriage and populations shifts today – throughout the African continent that took place about 3,000 years ago, approximately the time King David and his son Solomon supposedly lived. “Roughly speaking, the wave of West Eurasian migration back into the Horn of Africa could have been as much as 30% of the population that already lived there – and that, to me, is mind-blowing.…"

Negative Spiritual Beliefs Associated with More Pain and Worse Physical, Mental Health

“In general, the more religious or spiritual you are, the healthier you are, which makes sense [because of reduced stress levels and greater sense of community and purpose]. But for some individuals, even if they have even the smallest degree of negative spirituality – basically, when individuals believe they’re ill because they’ve done something wrong and God is punishing them – their health is worse.”

Genetic Analysis Supports Prediction That Spontaneous Rare Gene Mutations Cause Half Of All Autism Cases

A new study appears to show devastating “ultra-rare” gene mutations play a causal role in roughly half of all cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

DNA Science Now So Sophisticated, It Can Be Used To Recover "Lost Bits" Of History, Researchers Say

If you go back far enough, all people share a common ancestry. But some populations are more closely related than others based on events in the past that brought them together. Now researchers have shown that it's possible to use DNA evidence as a means to reconstruct and date those significant past events. The findings suggest that evidence in our genomes can help to recover lost bits of history.

Study Shows How Men And Women Differ In Choosing Long-Term Sexual And Marriage Partners

The study revealed that men and women differed in the percentage indicating: it was ‘desirable/essential’ that their potential partner was good-looking (M 92 percent vs. W 84 percent); had a slender body (M 80 percent vs. W 58 percent); had a steady income (M 74 percent vs. W 97 percent); and made/will make a lot of money (M 47 percent vs. W 69 percent).

The Rabbis Were Wrong: Birds Reveal The Evolutionary Importance Of Love

Many rabbis tell their followers that love as a prerequisite for marriage is a non-Jewish concept that has no actual benefit in real life and, in fact, too often is a detriment to happiness. But now a new study shows what the evolutionary basis for romantic love likely is, and it shows that the search for a true love is likely a deeply human need with a strong evolutionary basis.

Video: New Species Of Human Ancestors Found

Buried deep underground in a cave whose opening is so narrow special small stature archaeologists had to be recruited to excavate it are thousands of ancient bones from two previously unknown ancestors of modern humans. With small chimp-like heads and very small brains, they resemble apes. But one of two newly-discovered species, Homo naledi, has human-like feet, long legs (for the size of its body), walked upright – and apparently buried its dead, all things similar to humans. Watch the full PBS Nova / National Geographic report, Dawn of Humanity, here now.

New Species Of Human Ancestor Found In South African Cave

The discovery of a new species of human relative that buried its dead and had other rituals despite having a brain about the size of a chimp's was announced today, 10 September 2015, by the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University), the National Geographic Society and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF).

Shouldering The Burden of Evolution

As early humans increasingly left forests and utilized tools, they took an evolutionary step away from apes. But what this last common ancestor with apes looked like has remained unclear. A new study led by researchers at UC San Francisco shows that important clues lie…in the human shoulder.

First Ancient Genome Recovered From The Mediterranean Area

The first farmers entering Europe about 8,000 years ago coming from the Near East spread through the continent following two different routes: one to Central Europe via the Danube, and the other towards the Iberian peninsula following the Mediterranean coast.…Analysis of the genome from Cova Bonica has allowed us to restore the appearance of these pioneer farmers, who had light skin and dark eyes and hair. This contrasts with previous Mesolithic hunters who…had blue eyes and a darker skin than current Europeans.

Israeli Researchers Use Ancient Tools To Reconstruct–And Eat–Prehistoric Cuisine

A group of intrepid Israeli researchers recently went back to the dawn of the Stone Age…and made lunch.