
Maher-Shala-Hash-Baz, the Son of the Prophet Isaiah
The book of Isaiah features a long name: Maher-Shala-Hash-Baz. It is often considered the longest name in the Bible, though that depends on how you count. It first occurs in Isaiah 8:1: “Moreover the Lord said to me, ‘Take a la...

The Baptism of Poland: Unification and Christianization
Mieszko I was born around AD 930 and ruled from 960 until 992—over thirty years. He was baptized on Holy Saturday, April 14, 966, which serves as a good official date for the Christianization of Poland—at least the beginning of...

St. José Sánchez del Río, modern child martyr
At the beginning of the 20th century there was a conflict in Mexico that lasted from 1926 to 1929. As a part of the Mexican Constitution of 1917, the government attempted to make Mexico more secular—in the face of its deeply Ca...

Athaliah, ancient queen regnant of Israel
It’s important to get definitions right when trying to answer this question. Athaliah was the daughter of the king of Judah, king Ahab, and his wife, queen Jezebel. Through a series of political maneuvers, she became the first ...