Here you will find the most important news of the day, the most popular stories from SPIEGEL + and tips for your evening.
The theme of the day: On the trail of biblical heroes
Hardly any book has shaped world history as much as the Bible. Generations of excavators wanted to know whether the Holy Scriptures not only tell stories - but also stories. What is true of stories about King David, the Philistines or Moses.
DNA analyzes were carried out, the language examined, excavation sites researched.
Corinna Kern / THE MIRROR
Israeli archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel with SPIEGEL reporter Dietmar Pieper: "David went back and forth here"
Many of the impressive stories, my colleague Dietmar Pieper writes, fall into the realm of mythology. For example, Moses remains a phantom, and there is no historical trace of Abraham. Who came up with all this - and why?
Pieper was on the gravel roads through the Israeli highlands with an archaeologist when they suddenly heard an explosion. A smoke mushroom rose a little way away. Security forces had blown up a dud that had been fired from the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Such political tensions also shape the way we deal with the Bible: "The question of which of the ancient stories contain a historical core affects the national self-image," says Pieper.
I recommend the current SPIEGEL cover story.
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The quote of the day: "Cultural and ethnic genocide is underway in China"
Jewher Ilham campaigns for the Uyghurs, which the Chinese government has held hundreds of thousands in camps. Ilham calls these camps "concentration camps". It calls for the EU to do more for the minority. It was only on Wednesday that she accepted the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament. Ilham's father also campaigned for the rights of the Uighurs - and was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment. I recommend the interview to you.
Jean-Francois Badias / AP
Jewher Ilhambhat has been awarded the Sakharov Prize
News: What you need to know today
- The British House of Commons has voted for Johnson's Brexit deal. The draft ratification law was adopted by a large majority at second reading: 358 members voted in favor, 234 against. This will allow Britain to leave the EU on January 31.
- The Federal Council approved the grand coalition's climate package. In January 2021, the CO2 price of 25 euros per ton is to come into force and the commuter allowance is to be increased. The changes are the result of a compromise that the Conciliation Committee decided on Monday night.
- The Federal Council has approved tightening of arms law. This should make it more difficult for extremists to access weapons. See a multimedia story about the new weapons law.
- The Bundeswehr has doubts about its operational capability. According to SPIEGEL information, the defense department apparently does not assume that the Bundeswehr can meet its own equipment and personnel goals.
- An ex-model has sued Harvey Weinstein. Kaja Sokola accuses Weinstein of abusing her as a minor. She declined a multi-million dollar agreement. Disney may be liable.
SHAUN MADER / Patrick McMullan / Getty Images
Kaja Sokola at an exhibition in New York in 2014
Opinion: The most discussed comments, interviews, essays
Farewell to a long-lost German decade: Ten years ago, the Germans were sworn that everything would shrink. A spectacular misjudgment that explains why there are now too few apartments, craftsmen and skilled workers. The column by Thomas Fricke.
I am not to blame for long waiting times at the airport: The Federal Audit Office says business class passengers are causing traffic jams at security controls. Of course that's nonsense, says Harald Schmidt. Here is the video.
THE MIRROR
Stories: The most read texts at SPIEGEL +
A father fights Boeing: Klaus Philipp lost his daughter when the Boeing 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia. He says: "The death of Marie should make aviation safer." About history.
Ute Swart / REUTERS
Police officers at the scene in the Tiergarten in Berlin last August
Did the contract killer have helpers in Berlin? A tattoo indicates that the alleged zoo murderer belonged to a Russian special unit. Investigators believe that he couldn't have acted alone.
How Germany failed in police training in Afghanistan: German officials should help build the Afghan security apparatus. According to US documents, the operation was a letdown.
My evening: The recommendations for your evening
Lana Del Rey's album art "Norman Fucking Rockwell"
What you can hear when you can no longer hear "Last Christmas": Yes, the heavy rotation of the Christmas hits is just around the corner. However, because you will certainly need your nerves for this fourth weekend in Advent, I recommend you the best pop albums of the year, as a kind of refuge. My colleague Andreas Borcholte put it together. Do it as follows: headphones on ear, then set to "very loud". Sit on a park bench. Eyes closed. And leave for California with Lana del Rey. This way.
I wish you a peaceful fourth Advent.
warmly
Maria Stöhr from the Daily team
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