Images

Thor fighting the mighty giant serpent Jörmungandr during a fishing trip with Hymir the giant. Painting by Henry Fuseli, 1788. Royal Academy of Arts, London.

A representation of Ganesha, one of the most important gods in the Hindu pantheon. He is considered to be the patron of intellectuals, travellers, commerce and new projects. In his hands he often holds a bag of sweets and either...

Here the Hindu god Shiva is depicted as the Lord of the Dance or Nataraja and is represented in his triple role as Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. He stands within a flaming halo representing Time, which is cyclical...

A scroll written by Babatha, a Jewish woman living in the 2nd century CE and found in the Cave of Letters, Israel, in 1960-1 CE. The document here refers to a date orchard.

Simorgh or Senmurv, the Sassanian Royal Symbol and the Mythology of Persia.

This map shows the territorial expansion of the Sasanian Empire from 226 to 651 CE.

Statue of Kosrau I (r. 531-579 CE), a Sassanian king who was known to be a great patron of philosophy and knowledge.

Four Armed Vishnu statue, 8-9th Century

The colossal head of Athena from an acrolith statue dating to the late 1st century CE and believed to be a copy of an original by Phidias. Provenance: Tor Paterno. (The Vatican Museums, Rome).

The colossal statue of Antinous, favourite of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who drowned in the Nile in 130 CE and was officially made a god by the emperor. Excavated from the site of Hadrian's villa. (The Vatican Museums, Rome).