During the nineteenth century, Cornell University was sometimes called the "Godless University." In contrast to most other colleges and universities of the time, Cornell was not affiliated with any church or religious group. The university did, however, collect an impressive archive of materials related to religion throughout the United States and around the world. Today, the Cornell University Library hosts Gods and Scholars, an online exhibition of this diverse archival material. Visitors can browse this collection, which includes religious texts, art, objects, and architecture, by a variety of themes. Texts can be browsed by linguistic region, including East and Central Asia, Near East, and Europe and the Americas. Other categories include The Study and Practice of Religion, Witchcraft and Witch Hunts, and Reformation. Items of note include a complete nineteenth century Quechua prayer book, Aramaic incantation bowls dated from the sixth through ninth centuries CE, and a series of biographical sketches of Martin Luther. Best of all, a well-developed zoom feature lets visitors examine these texts and objects in detail.
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