Fox News Latest Headlines
'Hamnet' Review: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal lead moving Shakespeare family drama
Some of the best films are the ones that catch you off guard, ones that you don't expect to like or that resonate with you after the credits roll. "Hamnet" is one of them.
Adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name, "Hamnet" tells a fictionalized depiction of the death of William Shakespeare's only son, Hamnet, told through the perspective of his wife Anne Hathaway — referred to in the film as Agnes.
Jessie Buckley stars as Agnes, a rebellious farm girl who sparks a romance with Will (Paul Mescal), an aspiring playwright and poet. An unplanned pregnancy leads them to tie the knot and going on to have three children: Susanna followed by twins Hamnet and Judith.
‘ZOOTOPIA 2’ REVIEW: DISNEY'S ANIMATED CRIME CAPER DELIVERS FUN FOR THE LITTLE CRITTERS
While Agnes is raising the children in the countryside, Will travels back and forth from London in hopes to propel his career while Agnes raises the children in the countryside. It is unfortunately when he is away that tragedy strikes the Shakespeare household as the plague claims the life of 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe). Will's absence during the family crisis puts a strain on his fragile marriage.
Buckley is not yet a marquee name — though her immense talent warrants it. She’s been a darling of indie films, delivering one standout performance after another ("Wild Rose," "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," "The Lost Daughter," and "Women Talking," just to name a few). Her transformative portrayal of Agnes could make her an Oscar contender, taking audiences on an emotional roller coaster from pure bliss to utter anguish.
‘WICKED: FOR GOOD’ REVIEW: ARIANA GRANDE, CYNTHIA ERIVO WORK THEIR MAGIC IN A DARKER FINAL ACT
Mescal, a rising star in his own right — best known for last year's "Gladiator II" — continues to earn his place in the company of our generation's leading men playing the renowned writer, coping with the loss of his son by putting together a tragedy called "Hamlet."
While strong performances from Buckley and Mescal are expected, it's twelve-year-old Jacobi Jupe who truly impresses as the emotionally intelligent Hamnet, showcasing both innocence and heartbreak not often seen from child actors. Expect him to have a long career ahead.
If "Hamnet" is an orchestra, then Chloé Zhao is its conductor, delicately preserving a beautiful melody between the terrific performances, her piercing screenplay and the rich cinematography of Lukasz Zal.
Zhao, the writer/director of the 2021 Best Picture winner "Nomadland," exceeds herself here. It's no surprise that Hollywood giants Steven Spielberg and Sam Mendes signed on as producers.
"Hamnet" is an incredibly moving period drama that showcases tender storytelling, cinematic artistry and spectacular performances. It's films like this that should make us grateful we have the ability to feel as humans, even if it's agony. It's why we go to the movies.
"Hamnet" is rated PG-13 for thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity. Running time: 2 hours, 5 minutes. In theaters now.
Martha Stewart reveals unconventional end-of-life plan
Martha Stewart has her end-of-life plans already set.
During an appearance on Shawn Killinger's "50+ & Unfiltered" podcast, Stewart said she plans on being "composted" when she dies.
"Oh, I’m going to be composted. When one of my horses dies, we dig a giant hole really deep in one of my fields," Stewart began. "We have a pet cemetery. And the horse is wrapped in a clean, white linen sheet and very carefully dropped down into this giant lovely grave."
"I want to go there," she plainly stated.
MARTHA STEWART ADMITS SHE HAD AN AFFAIR DURING MARRIAGE BUT EX 'NEVER KNEW ABOUT' IT
Stewart owns a 150-acre farm in Katonah, New York, which serves as her primary residence. She owns farm animals and horses.
Killinger asked Stewart if her plan is "legal" or "allowed," and the Emmy Award winner appeared uninterested in the legal semantics.
"It’s not going to hurt anybody, it’s my property," Stewart said.
She made it clear that being buried in a traditional way is off the table.
"But these coffin things and all that stuff, no way," Stewart added.
The process that Stewart plans on going through after her death is called terramation.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
According to Return Home, a company that offers terramation, it's "the process of transforming human remains into nutrient-rich soil through controlled natural decomposition, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burial and cremation."
Elsewhere in the podcast, Stewart discussed never having plastic surgery done – but hasn't ruled the possibility out.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"Nope. I'm trying not to ever go under the knife. It doesn't appeal to me. I have this theory, if one takes care of oneself really well and follows strict, but not life-threatening kinds of disciplines, one can look good, feel good and be good for a whole life.
"I'm 84 years old and I'm trying really hard to look good," Stewart said.
The lifestyle guru also mentioned that she'll never be photographed nude. "No. I don't look good enough," she simply told Killinger.
Can coffee slow aging? New research says yes, but only if you drink the right amount
A few cups of coffee a day could play a small but surprising role in helping people with mental illness live healthier, longer lives — if consumed in moderation, according to a new study.
Researchers from King’s College London analyzed data from 436 adults and found that drinking up to four cups of coffee a day was associated with longer telomeres — protective caps on chromosomes that serve as markers of cellular aging — in people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychotic depression.
Those who drank three to four cups daily had telomeres consistent with a biological age about five years younger than participants who didn’t drink coffee at all, the researchers said.
SITTING ALL DAY? NEW STUDY SAYS CERTAIN FOODS MAY PROTECT YOUR HEART FROM DAMAGE
However, for those who drank more than four cups a day, the benefits disappeared, and they actually saw signs of more cellular stress, according to the findings, which were published in late November in BMJ Mental Health.
The apparent sweet spot aligns with guidance from health agencies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which generally recommends limiting caffeine to about 400 milligrams a day, or roughly four cups of coffee.
Past studies in the general population have found mixed results, with some linking moderate coffee intake to longer telomeres, and others — especially those looking at instant coffee — finding no benefit.
"We know that coffee can help slow biological aging in the general population, but little is known about its effect on people with severe mental illness — a population whose lifespan is already shortened, in part due to age-related diseases," lead author Vid Mlakar, a Ph.D. student at King’s College London, said in a press release statement.
'ANTI-AGING' COOKING TRICK GOES VIRAL AFTER EXPERTS REVEAL COMPELLING HEALTH BENEFITS
Telomeres naturally shorten with age, and the process appears to happen faster in people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
They tend to die about 15 years earlier than the general population, often from age-related diseases like heart disease and cancer, the researchers noted.
Telomeres are also sensitive to oxidative stress and inflammation, which can both be ramped up in those with severe mental illness. The researchers believe that coffee's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds help shield cells from wear and tear.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
"Coffee is a beverage that many people consume daily," senior author Dr. Monica Aas, a research fellow at King’s College London, stated in the release.
"On one hand, we know that excessive coffee consumption can have negative effects on health, such as reducing sleep quality. However, our new study suggests that coffee consumption up to a certain point may have benefits for biological aging."
While many life experiences are out of people's control, coffee consumption is something we can "actively modify," Aas added. "Studies such as this also support the idea that we should move away from viewing coffee as simply ‘good or bad,’ and instead consider a more balanced view."
The authors stressed this was an observational study, meaning it cannot prove that coffee itself slows aging, but only establishes an association.
Participants simply reported how many cups they drank a day, and the team didn’t know the type of coffee, cup size or how much caffeine they were getting from other sources, such as tea or energy drinks.
Larger, long-term studies are needed to confirm whether coffee truly slows biological aging.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The researchers also cautioned that excessive caffeine can trigger health issues like poor sleep, jitters and heart palpitations.
"Broadly, [the findings] align with prior research where coffee as a beverage often correlates with better aging-related biomarkers — while caffeine itself can show mixed associations," Dr. Anoop Singh, a psychiatrist at Mindpath Health in San Francisco, told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
"The new question is whether this is a true biological effect, or a marker of functioning, sleep and routine," added Singh, who was not involved in the research.
The expert referred to telomeres as a "noisy biomarker" — useful for spotting trends in large populations, such as smokers generally having shorter telomeres, but too variable to reliably interpret as a person’s individual "biological age."
Singh reiterated that the association between coffee intake and telomere length is notable, but not proof of cause, as many lifestyle factors and medical conditions could also influence the result.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
JMU athletic director pleads with fans to stop throwing snowballs after punter is nearly hit: 'Please stop'
A college football conference championship descended into a snowball fight on Friday that resulted in a player nearly being hit in a moment that may have impacted the game.
During James Madison's Sun Belt Conference championship game against Troy on Friday, James Madison athletic director Matt Roan had to send a PA message to home fans, warning them to stop throwing snowballs onto the field or risk a penalty for JMU.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Roan’s warning came shortly after Troy punter Evan Crenshaw was nearly hit by a snowball while punting from the end zone with the JMU student section behind him. Crenshaw shanked a 26-yard punt that helped set up the Dukes’ first score, a 40-yard field goal.
Fans in the student section began throwing snowballs during pregame warm-ups when the Dukes’ marching band got pelted. They kept it up for most of the first half, despite repeated warnings over the PA system.
Harrisonburg received about 1 1/2 inches of snow on Friday, its first measurable snowfall of the season.
No. 19 JMU has an outside shot at making the College Football Playoff field with a win over Troy and a loss by No. 16 Virginia to Duke in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
911 calls from deadly Texas Hill Country flood reveal heartbreaking pleas
Five months after the deadly Texas Hill Country flood, newly released 911 calls reveal panic, desperation and heartbreaking pleas.
The two emergency dispatchers on duty were overwhelmed as they were inundated with calls from individuals dealing with an increasingly dire situation. Among the more than 400 calls to emergency services were people stuck in or on their homes, their summer camp cabins and even trees. Some called multiple times to let rescuers know where they were and to alert them that their situations were becoming increasingly urgent.
"We're okay, but we live about a mile down the road from Camp Mystic, and we've already got two little girls who have come down the river, and we've gotten to them, but I'm not sure how many else are out there," one caller said.
TEXAS FAMILY MOURNS 'SHINING LIGHT' 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER CONFIRMED DEAD IN CAMP MYSTIC FLOOD DISASTER
Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian summer camp located along the Guadalupe River, lost 25 campers and two teenage counselors in the floods. The camp's longtime director and co-owner, Dick Eastland, tragically died in the floods while trying to rescue the campers.
Britt Eastland, the co-director of Camp Mystic and Dick's son, called 911 as well, asking for the National Guard to be called because as many as 40 people were missing, The Associated Press reported.
A counselor at Camp La Junta called as water filled a cabin "super fast," as screams of campers could be heard in the background. Everyone in the cabin and the rest of the campers at Camp La Junta were rescued, according to the AP.
In another call, a woman frantically says that she and two elderly people were trapped in a house and could not get out. She begged for help and told the dispatcher that she was scared.
‘RIVER OF ANGELS’ MEMORIAL RISES IN KERRVILLE AS FLOOD VICTIMS REMEMBERED
Yet another caller said that there were people floating by screaming for help as others went into their attics and onto their roofs in an attempt to escape the rapidly rising waters.
"We have people in water, I guess, floating that are screaming for help and we, we can't get to them," the caller said. "People are in their attics and on their routes if there's anybody that can get to us with a helicopter or something?"
The dispatcher informed her that help was on the way but that the water was "slowing us down a little bit."
"The tree I’m in is starting to lean, and it’s going to fall. Is there a helicopter close?" Bradley Perry, a firefighter, calmly told a dispatcher, adding that he saw his wife, Tina, and their RV wash away, according to the AP.
Perry did not survive, making him one of the more than 130 people killed in the deadly July 4 floods. The AP reported that his wife was later found alive, clinging to a tree.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
BROADCAST BIAS: Networks blast Trump ‘tirade’ but not $1B Somali scam rocking Minnesota
Many local stories that could be harmful to Democrat politicians don’t become national TV stories for an obvious reason. In the case of the massive welfare fraud committed by Somalis in Minnesota under Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 running mate, that is doubly obvious.
The focus launched with conservatives on Nov. 19 with a City Journal article by Christopher Rufo and Ryan Thorpe with a rather unforgettable sentence: "The largest funder of [al Qaeda-linked] al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer." Fraudulent social-service payments were sent to Somalia, and ended up in a dangerous place.
The New York Times arrived late to the story on Nov. 30. The online headline was "How Fraud Swamped Minnesota’s Social Services System on Tim Walz’s Watch." The front page in the paper was notably softer: "The Social Services Corruption That Preyed on Minnesota Nice." A better term would have been "preyed on Minnesota Woke."
On "Meet the Press," host Kristen Welker began with the obvious method of broadcast-network introduction of a story — taking exception to something President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. He tagged Walz with the R-word, or as Welker put it, "a slur widely regarded as derogatory towards people with intellectual disabilities." Walz then unloaded two minutes of denouncing Trump for "meanness."
WALZ 'HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE FAILURE' IN COMBATING FRAUD, SAYS GOP GUBERNATORIAL CHALLENGER ROBBINS
For her second question, Welker arrived at the billion dollars of fraud, and, showing she’d read the New York Times, cited that amount is "more than Minnesota spends each year to run its Department of Corrections, so I want to give you a chance to respond to this. Do you take responsibility for failing to stop this fraud in your state?"
Walz dodged: "Well, certainly, I take responsibility for putting people in jail." That’s fake news. Walz has put no one in jail. Federal agents and the United States attorney for the District of Minnesota investigated, exposed and prosecuted the fraudsters. Then her questions worsened again, as Welker asked Walz to explain how Trump’s suffering a major cognitive decline.
On Dec. 1, the New York Post reported that almost 500 state employees tweeted, "Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response." The broadcast networks passed on it.
On Dec. 2, "NBC Nightly News" broke the silence in one sentence of a White House roundup by reporter Gabe Gutierrez: "Federal prosecutors have charged dozens of people in Minnesota's Somali community for allegedly stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money meant for social service programs."
ABC, CBS and PBS just shamelessly ran Trump’s angry response that night without any context of massive fraud: "We're going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage. Her friends are garbage. These aren't people that work…. They complain and do nothing but bitch."
The same context-free pattern on Trump’s "presidential tirade" continued on Wednesday morning shows on ABC and NBC, while "CBS Mornings" included a small mention by reporter Nancy Cordes, that Trump’s "been talking about Somalis ever since the story broke last week about a fraud ring in Minnesota, which has the nation’s highest concentration of Somali Americans."
EMMER SLAMS WALZ, DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY OVER ALLEGED RETALIATION TIED TO MINNESOTA FRAUD
On Wednesday night, White House reporter Mary Bruce finally produced a snippet of context: "The New York Times reports 59 people have been convicted in schemes involving more than $1 billion in stolen taxpayer money that was supposed to go to children and other social services. President Trump seizing on this story as he widens his immigration crackdown."
Trump "seized" on the scandal, while ABC whiffed. Bruce then let the Democrats respond. "But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defending the Somali community." Frey said "He’s wrong and we want them here." Wait. He’s wrong about the billion dollars in fraud?
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
One reason Trump might have been called Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar "garbage" is her connections to the fraudsters in the Somali community. The New York Post reported on Thursday that Omar and her staffers defended the fraudulent charity called "Feeding Our Future." Guhaad Hashi Said, who worked on Omar’s 2018 and 2020 campaign as an "enforcer" who oversaw Somali voter mobilization, pleaded guilty in August to running a fake food site called Advance Youth Athletic Development, where he falsely claimed to serve 5,000 meals a day and pocketed $3.2 million out of the food program.
The worst broadcast interview on the topic this week happened with Omar on National Public Radio’s "Morning Edition." Co-host Michel Martin did the spoon-feeding of Omar: "I just wondered what went through your mind when he said things like they contribute nothing and should go back to where they came from and so on." Omar replied: "His vile rant really wasn't a surprise to me. He has trafficked in racism, in xenophobia, in bigotry and Islamophobia for as long as he has held office."
On the fourth question, Martin finally laid out that fraud occurred, and then just asked "do you have any reaction to that information?" Omar said she was happy there was accountability. Martin followed up with another puffball: "Are you concerned that an entire community is being scapegoated because of the actions of this group of people?"
Never allow leftist broadcast media operatives to step onto a soap box and say they’re all about "holding government accountable." Scandals like this underline that every scandal somehow ends up as a Trump scandal. He said something uncouth about a Somali-organized fraud. Omar isn’t described as unleashing a "tirade" when she calls Trump a racist bigot and an Islamophobe. They agree with it, so it’s just righteous speech.
High-brow New Jersey suburb's high school launches Socialist Club with Karl Marx imagery
A promotional flyer obtained by Fox News Digital shows that a high school in a well-to-do New Jersey suburb is advertising a brand-new club for young socialists.
The Highland Park High School Socialist Club in New Jersey held its first meeting Thursday at lunchtime, according to the flyer. The teen anti-capitalists are advised by a Mr. Girvan.
"WE WANT YOU," the flyer says above an image of infamous communist Karl Marx, who is pointing toward the reader. The image is a play on the famous "I WANT YOU" illustration, a WWI Army recruiting poster that features "Uncle Sam."
"Learn ways to solve social problems that don't involve exploiting the working class," the flyer says.
'FULL-BLOWN BATTLE' BREWING IN DEM PARTY AS MAMDANI-STYLE CANDIDATES RISE IN KEY RACES
Further promotional slogans include, "Learn what socialism is — not just what they tell you," "Learn media and literacy skills along the way," and "To help us build a better world!"
"Workers of the world unite!" the bottom of the flyer says, employing one of the most common socialist phrases.
Highland Park is located southwest of New York City, and the median household income is more than $100,000, according to Census Reporter, which is well higher than the national average of $83,730.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST
A March 2025 survey by the Cato Institute showed that young people increasingly favor socialism.
While minors weren't surveyed, Cato found that 62% of 18-to-29-year-olds view socialism favorably. Meanwhile, 14% of respondents said they favored full-fledged communism. The sample size of the poll was 2,000 people.
Last month, avowed socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected to be the next mayor of New York City. The Associated Press reported that three quarters of New Yorkers under the age of 30 who voted in November voted for the 34-year-old soon-to-be mayor.
In response to several questions, Fox News Digital received a brief reply from Highland Park School District Superintendent Kristina Susca.
"All high school clubs are subject to the Equal Access Act requiring that school districts permit extracurricular clubs, regardless of their political content," she said.
Taylor Swift's elaborate fairytale wedding plans take shape at prestigious Ocean House resort: report
Taylor Swift may be writing her biggest love story yet.
Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island — an ultra-luxe resort near a home Swift owns — is suddenly at the center of a celebrity wedding storm.
Sources told Page Six that Swift paid off another bride who had the venue booked for June 13, 2026 — the date she was allegedly determined to lock down for her own wedding with NFL star Travis Kelce.
TAYLOR SWIFT AND NFL STAR TRAVIS KELCE ARE ENGAGED AFTER 2 YEARS TOGETHER
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the resort denied the claims.
"Ocean House prides itself on being rooted in client confidentiality, integrity, loyalty, and service," the hotel said. "The team at Ocean House is committed to offering each of our brides, grooms, their families, and friends an experience of a lifetime when hosting a wedding at our resort.
"When clients and their families choose Ocean House as their wedding venue, it is an agreement and commitment between our team and that family. Ocean House would not and is not allowing another party or entity to buy a wedding group out of a contracted wedding date. We appreciate the interest in our brides and grooms yet allow them to confirm their wedding location with who they choose."
Representatives for Swift and Kelce did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
If Swift and Kelce do plan their wedding at Ocean House, the venue easily matches the scale of their rumored guest list — which reportedly includes Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid as bridesmaids, according to Page Six.
Ocean House is one of New England’s most prestigious hotels.
The AAA Five Diamond and triple Forbes Five-Star property — a distinction held by only 14 resorts worldwide — has become the epicenter of celebrity wedding speculation.
At Ocean House, luxury comes with a serious price tag.
Standard rooms start at $660 a night and can exceed $1,000, while suites reach up to $7,845 per night. The Penthouse Suite is priced at $10,000 a night. Its Ocean & Harvest Spa and COAST fine-dining restaurant are Forbes Five-Star rated.
Dining at the luxury resort includes 10 on-site options ranging from COAST’s fine dining to lobster boils, casual beach fare and champagne bars.
TAYLOR SWIFT ENGAGED TO TRAVIS KELCE: HOW NFL STAR CROSSED THE GOAL LINE AFTER OTHER STARS FUMBLED
Seafood lovers can visit the Verandah Raw Bar or the resort’s signature seafood restaurant, while Théa at Dune Cottage offers an exclusive beachside escape reserved for guests and members. For a more lively vibe, Dalia serves Spanish-style tapas, wine and cocktails.
The sprawling 13-acre oceanfront property also features a private 650-foot white-sand beach, manicured gardens and classic Victorian architecture.
With lawns, herb gardens, ballrooms and waterfront dune cottages, the resort can host lavish ceremonies of any size.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Ocean House offers 46 guest rooms, 23 signature suites and 10 beachside cottages, restored with more than 5,000 historic furnishings and architectural elements from the original property. Guests can enjoy marble-finished bathrooms, custom wooden furnishings, sweeping ocean views and modern amenities expected at a top-tier resort.
Other amenities include yoga, cooking classes, movie nights, wine tastings, sunset yacht excursions and a luxurious spa — complete with a saltwater lap pool and high-end fitness and wellness studios.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
For ultimate VIP treatment, Ocean House offers a "land and sea" package: a private cruise on the Aphrodite yacht once used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Shirley Temple and Fred Astaire, according to The Providence Journal.
Individual sailings start at $5,000, while a three-night suite stay paired with the yacht trip exceeds $42,000.
Swift and Kelce announced their engagement on Aug. 26 after two years of dating.
The couple shared their major relationship milestone on Instagram with the caption, "Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married."
In photos Swift shared, Kelce was seen kneeling as Swift caressed his face during the intimate moment.
The "Love Story" singer began dating Kelce in 2023.
Ancient silver cup may show world's oldest cosmic creation scene, researcher says: 'Chaos prevailed'
Researchers believe they've found the oldest-known depiction of cosmic creation — carved into a small silver cup unearthed over half a century ago.
The ˁAin Samiya goblet, discovered in the West Bank in 1970, is the subject of new research about how ancient people viewed the universe — and primordial chaos — in antiquity.
The cup was found in a sealed shaft tomb near the Palestinian town of Kafr Malik in the West Bank. It dates back to the Intermediate Bronze Age, roughly between 2650 and 1950 B.C.
ANCIENT CHRISTIAN FIGURINES DISCOVERED IN 1,500-YEAR-OLD DESERT GRAVES
The cup depicts the moment of cosmic creation, when the universe was created and the cosmos formed, according to a study published in November in the Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society.
Study author Eberhard Zangger, a geoarcheologist and the president of the Switzerland-based organization Luwian Studies, told Fox News Digital the cup presents "two remarkably precise scenes."
"On the left, we see a bull-man: a single human upper body with two faces, joined to two bull hindquarters — four hind legs in total," he said. "On the right, two human figures once stood, although only one is fully preserved today."
Zangger added, "Together, they hold a semicircular arch in which a radiant, human-like face appears. In both scenes, a serpent is present — dominant in the left panel, subdued in the right."
Zangger said he considers the depiction exceptionally unique, as no similar depiction has been found before.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
"What makes the goblet extraordinary is that it offers, for the first time, a graphic representation of how people imagined primordial chaos, the state that existed before creation," he said.
"In the Hebrew Bible, this state is called tohu wa-bohu. Echoes of it appear as late as Greek philosophy. … The cup visualizes this earlier, undifferentiated state from which the ordered world later emerged."
He said the artist likely belonged to the Third Dynasty of Ur in southern Mesopotamia, now southern Iraq.
"It provides insight across a vast geographical area and over at least two millennia, likely far more. Creation myths certainly evolved and differed from region to region, but fundamental ideas recur with striking consistency."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Previously, scholars believed the cup depicted a mythological combat scene — something that Zangger disputes based on his interpretation.
"We interpret the arch held by the two figures on the right as a celestial boat," he said, citing similar art from Mesopotamia, Egypt and Anatolia.
"The symbolism highlights the stability, order and cyclical nature of the cosmos: the rebirth of the sun each morning, the renewal of vegetation in spring and the dependable rhythms that make human life possible," he said.
"Maintaining this cosmic order was seen as a shared responsibility between gods and humans. Before cosmic order emerged, chaos prevailed — symbolized by the serpent. Chaos never disappears; it remains present but subdued as long as order is upheld."
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
A key point, Zangger added, is that artifacts "should not be viewed in isolation."
He stressed the importance of comparative archaeology — considering finds from other regions and time periods.
"When we do that, we see how early ideas about creation developed — many of which still resonate in modern cultures," he said, citing the star and crescent on Turkey's national flag as a modern echo of ancient celestial symbols.
"The long continuity of these symbols underscores how deeply ancient cosmological concepts remain woven into our cultural identities," Zangger concluded.
Hollywood star endorses Republican for California governor after ‘devastating’ Newsom admin
EXCLUSIVE: Hollywood icon Lorenzo Lamas is endorsing a pro-law enforcement Republican for California governor after he says that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has had a "devastating" impact on the state.
Lamas, who is best known for his action roles in the 80’s and 90’s, told Fox News Digital he is endorsing Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco for governor, saying, "The impact on the state of California with the current [Newsom] administration is nothing short of devastating."
Lamas said that "over the years I've been very careful about voicing an opinion politically," noting that "sometimes it can affect who you work for, depending on a company's or studio’s political point of view."
"But I think we're at a point now, not just in California, but I think nationwide, that we have to start at least voicing what we feel is wrong with what's happening," he explained.
UFC LEGEND ENDORSES PRO-LAW ENFORCEMENT PICK FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: 'WE NEED HIS STRENGTH
Lamas said he was motivated to finally speak out after long watching his home state be mismanaged despite its enormous economy and abundant natural resources. He described the Democratic Party’s grip on California as "a sickness that's permeated the state from the top to the bottom."
"We have to figure out what we're going to do with the people that are disenfranchised and living on the streets, the programs that supposedly are budgeted for these folks, where is that money? … There's nobody that's accounting for the millions of dollars that are spent on welfare programs that's not benefiting anybody that can use it," he said.
Regarding the several devastating natural disasters the state has experienced in recent years, Lamas said, "I grew up in Pacific Palisades, that fire devastated my hometown. The home I grew up in burned down. My elementary school burned down. Why? Because not enough budget was allocated to resources to fight the fire."
"Not only that, the people that lost their homes in the Palisades. Many of them were second, third generation people. They cannot afford to rebuild in the city that they grew up in, the city that they came to love. Why? Well, because, hey, guess what? It takes years to get rebuilding plans approved. There's just so much red tape, so much bureaucracy, and Chad wants to just eliminate it."
ERIC SWALWELL ANNOUNCES RUN FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR, VOWS TO BE 'PROTECTOR AND FIGHTER'
"I've watched the wealthiest state in the nation become completely mismanaged by the current administration," he went on. "It's just it's beyond the pale what's happened to my state."
Meanwhile, Lamas said that he believes Bianco, who has framed his candidacy around cost of living and public safety issues, "is the man that can really turn this thing around."
"We've got to have a governor that's pro-law enforcement, that's going to keep our moms and our daughters safe on the streets," he said, explaining, "I have two daughters that live in Los Angeles, and there I tell them, every single day [that] their heads got to be on a swivel. You see all the crime that's rampant, not just in California, but all around the country. It's permeating this beautiful nation of ours, and it really makes me sick."
Bianco is facing a steep uphill battle to win as a Republican in deep blue California. It has been nearly two decades since a Republican won a statewide race. On the Democratic side of the aisle, California Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Rep. Katie Porter, both progressives and vocal critics of President Donald Trump, are running to replace Newsom, who is term-limited.
On whether he believes California is ready to send a Republican to the governor’s mansion, Lamas answered, "What I see in Chad is a tremendous gift of being able to present his agenda with a commonsense foundation, and that's going to appeal to anybody with half of a brain."
"Last November 6th, America voted for commonsense. And I think it's time that California votes for commonsense, and the only person that I really feel can bring that to our state is Chad Bianco."
A spokesperson for Newsom brushed off Lamas' criticism, sending Fox News Digital a one-word response, simply asking, "Who?"
Bianco has also been endorsed by UFC legends Royce Gracie and Dan Henderson.