/u/aerovistae's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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What do we know because of the Dead Sea Scrolls that we wouldn't have known otherwise?

3671 upvotes

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In the movie Seven Samurai, a character accuses the samurai (all of them, as a caste of society) of destroying villages, raping women, and stealing from poor farmers. Samurai are usually portrayed as lawful -- is there any legitimacy to this accusation?

3389 upvotes

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How did so many different countries come to converge on a higher education system that universally offered Master's degrees and PhDs?

2537 upvotes

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Why are there lines carved into the concrete on the inside of the German D-Day bunkers?

535 upvotes

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Why didn't Japan's 1931 invasion of Manchuria result in a war between the Japanese and Chinese?

83 upvotes

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Why did the UK grow to a modern population of 66 million while Ireland today has less than 5 million residents?

43 upvotes

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Where did the tradition of the 'last meal request' for those sentenced to death originate?

40 upvotes

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Did medieval armies ever actually march over long distances, or did they mostly walk?

38 upvotes

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How likely is it that there are still undiscovered scrolls from the BC era buried in the middle east?

33 upvotes

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In the opening pages of the novel "The Pillars of the Earth," it is said that the jeweled chalice a thief stole was so valuable that it would be impossible to sell. Would that be true in 12th century England?

25 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
What do we know because of the Dead Sea Scrolls that we wouldn't have known otherwise?	3671
In the movie Seven Samurai, a character accuses the samurai (all of them, as a caste of society) of destroying villages, raping women, and stealing from poor farmers. Samurai are usually portrayed as lawful -- is there any legitimacy to this accusation?	3389
How did so many different countries come to converge on a higher education system that universally offered Master's degrees and PhDs?	2537
Why are there lines carved into the concrete on the inside of the German D-Day bunkers?	535
Why didn't Japan's 1931 invasion of Manchuria result in a war between the Japanese and Chinese?	83
Why did the UK grow to a modern population of 66 million while Ireland today has less than 5 million residents?	43
Where did the tradition of the 'last meal request' for those sentenced to death originate?	40
Did medieval armies ever actually march over long distances, or did they mostly walk?	38
How likely is it that there are still undiscovered scrolls from the BC era buried in the middle east?	33
In the opening pages of the novel "The Pillars of the Earth," it is said that the jeweled chalice a thief stole was so valuable that it would be impossible to sell. Would that be true in 12th century England?	25