King Herod’s secrets revealed

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we see new life spring from a WWII tragedy, unearth a biblical villain’s long-lost pleasure palace, learn why this Friday hits a religious trifecta … and discover that great white sharks can change their color—if not their appetites. Plus, a 370th birthday for Sir Isaac Newton.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIC LIEBOWITZ, NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBC UNIVERSAL/GETTY IMAGES

The musical Jesus Christ Superstar portrayed King Herod as an impish, rocking, mocking monarch who challenged the man Christians call the Messiah to prove miracles—and to relax, chill out, and party at his place.

The real Herod (not Alice Cooper, shown above in a 2018 version of the play) did indeed have a pleasure palace and a magnificent tomb. But the biblical villain’s resting place had been hidden for centuries. In recent years, excavations have discovered it—and cast new light on Herod’s turbulent reign and its effect on the early Jesus.

Read the full story here.

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STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY SOLSKIN, GETTY IMAGES

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WHERE IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY SHIN SIRACHAI ARUNRUGSTICHAI, @SHINALODON

A shark paradise—and onetime battleground: This nation in Micronesia is known for its pristine marine environment and abundance of sharks, but it also was a major battleground in World War II. Photographer Shin Sirachai Arunrugstichai and Nat Geo Explorer Kiliii Yüyan saw how one casualty in the U.S.-Japan conflict, a sunken Japanese warplane, has helped nurture the growth of coral, sponges, and reef fish. Where is it? Click here to find out.

WHERE’S THIS WARPLANE?

THE NIGHT SKIES

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW FAZEKAS

Not just any full moon: If it is clear when darkness falls Thursday, you’ll see the nearly full moon smack dab in a super-bright pattern of stars known as the Winter Hexagon (illustrated above). The stars include Sirius from Canis Major, Procyon from Canis Minor, and Castor and Pollux, side-by-side, in Gemini. January’s full moon, known as the Wolf Moon, officially occurs at 6:08 p.m. EST Friday. — Andrew Fazekas

MOONS OF THE YEAR

LAST GLIMPSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY PORAS CHAUDHARY, THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX

More meaningful travel: You want to discover your heritage? Travel with several generations of family? Follow your passions? These are trends in travel heading into 2023, Nat Geo reports. What are you looking for in travel now? Let us know! (Above, hikers along the Trans Bhutan Trail in the Himalaya kingdom known for happiness.)

FOLLOW YOUR ARROW

Today’s soundtrack: Everything’s Alright, by Sara Bareilles, John Legend, and Brandon Victor Dixon (from a 2018 version of Jesus Christ Superstar)

This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link? We’d love to hear from you at david.beard@natgeo.com. Thanks for reading.

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King Herod’s secrets revealed

King Herod’s secrets revealed

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