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Historian Stephen Tomkins (Photo by Fran Monks)

Puritans and the Mayflower . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustation of a pope

Holy smoke, antipopes and power struggles: a guide to popes and the papacy

Pope John XVII

Has there ever been a married Pope?

Three monarchs who stepped down through history: Kaiser Wilhem II; Anne of Cleves; and James VII and II. (Images by Getty)

Retiring royals: 9 rulers and royals who stepped down through history

Ayatollah Khomeini

General ancient history

A brief history of Iran

The weather was a matter of great concern to everyone during the Middle Ages, as society was dependent on agriculture and poor harvests could lead to real hardship. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Jumping beans, throwing shoes and weather forecasting: medieval ways to look ahead to the New Year

Westminster Abbey, London

A brief history of Westminster Abbey

A stained glass depiction of the nativity.

The history of the nativity: how much is known about the birth of Jesus?

(Illustration by Davide Bonazzi for BBC World Histories magazine)

Is the world still living in the shadow of the crusades?

The Crown of Thorns allegedly worn by Christ during the Passion. It was one of the prized possessions in Notre-Dame Cathedral until April 2019 – when it was rescued by the inferno that gutted the building. (Photo by: Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Father, son and holy goat? The dark side of medieval relics

Black and white portrait image of Cardinal John Henry Newman.

Who was Cardinal John Henry Newman?

Cardinal John Henry Newman

How to become a saint

The murder of Thomas Becket

Q&A: What happened to the assassins who killed Thomas Becket?

A c1616 edition of King James bible. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

5 reasons why the King James version of the Bible matters

The Temple Scroll, from the Dead Sea Scrolls

General ancient history

Digging for the Bible: 10 key discoveries from the Holy Land