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{"id":18116,"date":"2017-08-24T01:19:18","date_gmt":"2017-08-24T05:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/?p=18116"},"modified":"2017-07-08T19:39:02","modified_gmt":"2017-07-08T23:39:02","slug":"newgrange-religion-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/bibleandculture\/2017\/08\/24\/newgrange-religion-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Newgrange and the Religion of the Past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

This mound is 93 yards in diameter, and 15 yards high. It\u2019s like a low lying ancient domed stadium. $\"ng1\"$ <\/a> The passage leading into the center of the chamber is 19 yards long, and there are stones carefully stacked to form walls and ceilings along the way. The entrance way is aligned so that the sun will enter directly into the center of the chamber on the winter solstice\u2013 Dec.21. Here is the entrance itself. $\"ng8\"$ <\/a>
\n $\"ng3\"$ <\/a> There are some 97 stones, called kerb stones, surrounding the mound, and there are other smaller circles\u2026
\n $\"ng4\"$ <\/a> You will notice the decoration on the lintel stone above the entrance way. We must bear in mind that the ancients were considerably shorter than human beings tend to be today. $\"ng6\"$ <\/a> $\"ng7\"$ <\/a>
\n Since photography is forbidden in the passage tomb itself, there is a recreation of it in the visitor\u2019s centre. Here is some of that. $\"ng9\"$ <\/a> $\"ng10\"$ <\/a> $\"ng12\"$ <\/a> You will notice that the swirl patterns on the stones outside are also found on the stones inside. Located on the top of a knoll, and not far from the river, one can imagine various sun, moon, stars, water rituals and rites of passage. $\"ng13\"$ <\/a> But the giant mound itself, the construction of which was no small feat, is worth the trip, all by itself. The ancients, were not as primitive or as barbaric and some moderns think. And they were also very religious, in their own ways. In order to ease the pain of not being able to take away your own piece of history from this place, the gift shop provides the consolation prizes\u2026.
\n $\"ng14\"$ <\/a> <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"