Interesting Facts - Page 5

The Greek island of Santorini was devastated by a huge volcanic eruption around 1600 BC. Some people think that this event inspired the myth of Atlantis.

The English Channel is known to the French as La Manche. Translation: "The Sleeve".

Europeans brought many diseases to the New World. But they may have brought one back. The earliest recorded European outbreaks of syphilis happened shortly after Columbus returned from his first voyage.

Syphilis has been called "The French Disease" by Italians, "The Italian Disease" by the French, and "The Christian Disease" by Arabs. In reality, it probably came from the New World.

In Jewish mythology, Adam had a wife before Eve. Her name was Lilith.

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+23

Level 28

Apr 29, 2018

Wonderful how French and Italians hate each other so much.

+22

Level 78

Nov 23, 2019

The French hate all their major neighbors. Simplified European history is basically France and a neighbor fighting. They have fought the Spanish, Italians, Germans, the Dutch, and the British.

Level 20

May 19, 2020

true

+13

Level 78

Nov 2, 2020

Eh, simplified European history is everyone fighting each other until the middle of the 20th century.

Level 83

Nov 26, 2023

kind of unfortunate though for the people caught up in it, I knew a woman who was half-French half-Italian and she had a bad time of it in both countries apparently

Level 71

Jun 4, 2018

In 726 the eruption of Santorini (known then as Thera) was interpreted as a sign of God's displeasure of the Byzantine Empire's worship of icons, and so partially triggered the first period of iconoclasm :-)

Level 45

Nov 2, 2018

Some people now think the Eye of Africa is what Plato described as Atlantis. It's miles wide, to the southwest, would've been in the Atlantic if the sea levels were higher, almost perfectly circular, has mountains to the north, and looking at the sahara, the lines running across it could have been made by a massive amount of water shifting.

Level 46

Oct 16, 2019

But why would have the sea levels been higher in ancient times ?

It's supposed to have been rather stable these past few thousands of years and before that it was lower as the earth was leaving an ice age.

Level 59

Oct 27, 2020

It's a conspiracy theory. Don't take it too seriously.

Level 82

Jul 14, 2018

I was just watching a documentary about how contrary to popular opinion syphilis might have been given to native Americans by Europeans and not the other way around. Not sure how widely accepted this is or is not. Their evidence was some remains of people dug up in Europe that appear to have had syphilis and died before Columbus.

Level ∞

Oct 1, 2018

Here's what Wikipedia says: "The exact origin of syphilis is disputed.[2] Syphilis was definitely present in the Americas before European contact,[54] and it may have been carried from the Americas to Europe by the returning crewmen from Christopher Columbus's voyage to the Americas; or it may have existed in Europe previously, but went unrecognized until shortly after Columbus returned."

Occam's razor is pointing in a pretty clear direction here. There would have to be some pretty solid evidence to convince me that syphilis existed in the Old World before Columbus.

Level 59

Jul 8, 2020

maybe it was somehow brought to the new world by viking explorers. there's signs that they made it down to the western tip of newfoundland so maybe they transmitted it to some native americans.

Level 71

Aug 15, 2021

Note that the inhabitants of the New World did not originate in the New World. People inhabited the New World from Asia when land bridges made it possible. These people originated in Africa as we all do. Who is to say where Syphilis originated for people had moved around quite a lot during the history of the human race.

Level 89

Oct 9, 2018

That's why she always shot down Frasier when he acted like he was made in God's image.

Level 45

Nov 2, 2018

#24: The blame game

Level 45

Nov 2, 2018

#25: The white queen of Narnia is a descendent of Adam and Lilith.

Level 45

Nov 19, 2018

#21: I saw a documentary that talked about whether this event caused the ten plagues of Egypt or not.

Level 76

Jul 23, 2019

I remember learning number 25 in my Goddess Worship class in college. That was such a fun class.

Level 51

Nov 2, 2019

Who was Adam's divorce attorney and does he perform any pro bono work?

Level 24

Jan 16, 2020

Can we talk about how Syphilis didn't exist in humans until Columbus brought it to the new world, and it didn't exist in Europe until the people from the new world brought it back from the Americas? Let's talk about how the only animals Syphilis was found in until the were LLAMAS.

Level 71

Mar 9, 2020

The Llama theory is a myth.

Level 83

Nov 26, 2023

And even if it was true, the implications of it aren't necessarily what everyone seems to think. In the same way that HIV probably spread through eating undercooked meat rather than more... questionable means

Level 60

Jul 12, 2020

The Jewish mythology must be inspired from the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga which had Lilith but not Eve and also had Adam...

One of the most complicated Anime I have ever seen

Level 56

Oct 13, 2022

They both use the word genesis, i think the bible might actually be Evangelion reference!!!

Level 54

Oct 31, 2020

This must be why the beaches in Santorini are all black.

Level 38

Feb 23, 2021