Movie you’ve watched more than six times using gifs.

(“Hard mode” no Star Wars, Star Trek, or LOTR)

Her name is Tallulah...

Diodoros I, Patriarch of Jerusalem, described his experience, after falling to his knees and praying "Sometimes I may wait a few minutes, but normally the miracle happens immediately after I have said the prayers. From the core of the very stone on which Jesus lay an indefinable light pours forth."

Even some religious leaders expressed scepticism, most notably in the late 16thC when Archbishop Melety Smotritsky says the miracle ceased for a time. Orthodox historians counter that there is no evidence it ceased, and Melety's unbelief was down to his being educated by protestants and catholics!

A European monk called Father Bernard is the earliest to mention the fire in ~865AD. With much jealousy between the various denominations, their leaders waiting in the wings to take over should deception be uncovered, many faithful appeal to the lack of proof of fraud over the centuries as evidence.

During the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish government's efforts to discredit the ceremony resulted in a search that became increasingly thorough, as they attempted to prevent the fire from being lit, due to conflicting beliefs about the resurrection in their religion.

None of them were eyewitnesses however. The only medieval Muslim eyewitness we have is Ibn Reihana al Biruni who seems to be entirely convinced, saying a ruler even tried to stop the miracle by replacing the lamp wick with copper, only to have it defeated.

It's not just the fire appearing in the tomb itself that's viewed as miraculous. Previous onlookers have described something akin to ball lightning bouncing around the building. And people's candles lighting spontaneously. There is a genuine belief that something supernatural is going on.

In the medieval period it was Muslims, then Crusaders, then Ottoman Turkish officials, now Israeli police. They represent the Roman guards who sealed and guarded the tomb in the 1st C. So now they seal it with a great wax seal, after searching it and the Patriarch to ensure no deception is going on.

Jesus knows what it's like to be falsely accused. He knows what it is like to not receive due process. He knows what it is like to be deprived the right to a fair trial. He knows what it is like to face punishment you did not deserve.

His death is the eternal promise that there WILL be justice.

Love this purple lady from 1799. I was convinced she must be later given how neat her up-do is compared to her contemporaries (see comparison).

But take a look at her reticule! A thing of beauty! A picnic basket full of filigree and carved agate cameo cabochons of Ancient Greek athletes. Lovely.

I love when you find idiosyncrasies in fashion plates. It may be that a worker was just in a hurry to get to the end of the working day, or that they didn't read the description so just made it up. This plate is for Les Dammes et Les Modes 1799, and is called The Pink Hat. Which do you like better?