Scott Alexander reports on a 1990s Buddhist sun miracle in Bangkok that closely resembles the famous 1917 Fatima miracle, suggesting sun miracles may be a specific psychological phenomenon related to meditation practices rather than divine intervention. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a newly discovered 1990s Buddhist sun miracle in Bangkok that closely parallels the famous 1917 Fatima sun miracle in Portugal, where crowds reported seeing the sun spin and change colors. At the Dhammakaya Temple, 20,000 people witnessed similar phenomena during a ceremony, with testimonies describing the sun rotating, shifting colors, and displaying visions of their sect's founder. Scott argues this Buddhist case - occurring in an 'uncontaminated' religious context - strengthens the theory that sun miracles are a particular psychological/illusory phenomenon rather than divine intervention or simple suggestion, possibly related to kasina meditation practices. The post includes a call for Thai-speaking researchers to investigate further. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander investigates claims linking Pharaoh Djoser to Osiris and Joseph, finding little evidence for the Osiris connection but a small possibility of a link to the Joseph story. Longer summary

Scott Alexander investigates claims that Pharaoh Djoser was the inspiration for the god Osiris and the Biblical Joseph. He concludes that the connection between Djoser and Osiris is likely meaningless, but there might be a very small chance of a connection to Joseph. The post discusses Djoser's reign, the origins of Osiris worship, and the similarities between the Famine Stele legend about Djoser and Imhotep and the biblical story of Joseph. Scott examines various theories, including creationist interpretations and scholarly suggestions that the Joseph story may have been inspired by Egyptian legends. He ultimately cautions against too readily accepting such connections, noting the prevalence of similar motifs across ancient Near Eastern cultures. Shorter summary