This tomb inscription has puzzled experts for a century

An inaccessible hermitage, a lonely lighthouse, and more. Email not displaying correctly? [View in your browser](. [73ed94ee-f881-4ea1-8e1f-44f98483021c.png]( August 28, 2020 [Mysterious Tomb Inscriptions]( [“I lay with another but I love you, the one most dear to me.” This single, mysterious inscription in a cave located in Israel’s Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park has puzzled experts for more than a century. Is it a playful love poem? Is it a coded message? Is it part of a sarcastic ask for payment? We may never know.]( [Read more →]( [Stunning Aerial Views]( [Center-pivot irrigation was not invented to look pretty, but it doesn’t hurt that it’s a beautiful sight to behold from the air. Developed by a Nebraskan farmer in 1948 as an alternative to groundwater-irrigation methods, this technology contains distinct circles within squares that, when seen from above, look like they belong on the walls of the MoMA.]( [Read more →]( [Caramanico Terme, Italy]( [Hermitage of San Giovanni all'Orfento]( [This is arguably one of central Italy’s most spectacular hermitages. San Giovanni all’Orfento was allegedly the home of the retired 13th-century Pope Celestine V, whose goal was to seek solitude in an inaccessible place. It’s inaccessible, alright—visitors have to crawl and wriggle across a distance of three meters directly above a perilous drop. Please don’t look down.]( [Read more →]( [Atlas Obscura Experiences]( [Science Accidents That Made History]( [Back by popular demand—tonight's edition of Accidental Discoveries will share a new round of unexpected inventions that shaped our world for the better. Join your host, Kelly Reidy, as she leads you down a rabbit hole of missed targets and wacky circumstances.]( [Learn more →]( [50 States of Wonder]( [9 W(hole)some Oregon Holes and Hollows]( [Along with the rest of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon has been shaped by volcanic activity. Over tens of thousands of years, these geological hotspots have left many holes in their wakes, including deep craters, narrow canyons, and subterranean lava tubes. Here are a few of the most intriguing voids that Oregon has to offer.]( [Read more →]( [Olomouc, Czechia]( ['The Thief']( [Glance up at the facade of Czechia’s Olomouc Museum of Art to spot a robber—specifically, a sculpture of a robber. Erected in 2017, the installation features the thief escaping the museum with a prized piece of art in his rucksack, and also features various mechanisms that allow the sculpture to move and shout down to visitors as he dangles.]( [Read more →]( [Iceland]( [Þrídrangaviti Lighthouse]( [Few places in the world are as lonely as Þrídrangaviti Lighthouse, located on tall cliffs off the coast of the Westman Islands, which themselves are about 4.5 miles from mainland Iceland. When building commenced in 1938, builders had to scale the cliffs to reach the pillar’s pinnacle, laying out the groundwork by hand.]( [Read more →]( [Atlas Obscura Trips]( [Dive into Europe’s History]( [Many of Europe’s incredible stories remain hidden in the shadows of its most famous landmarks. We’re turning an inquisitive eye toward its lesser-known (but no less thrilling) past, where we’ll stand before Greece’s Gate to the Underworld and learn about the history of space travel from cosmonauts in Russia’s Star City.]( [Learn more →]( [Help Keep the World Wondrous]( [Atlas Obscura celebrates and supports the world's hidden places and unique stories. Join the growing community that directly supports our mission by becoming a member today.]( [Learn more →]( [Add a place to the Atlas]( [Subscribe to our other newsletters]( [The definitive guide to the world's hidden wonders.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Visit AtlasObscura.com]( · [View in Browser]( · [Unsubscribe]( · [See All Newsletters]( 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222