Main content

The Search for a State

Neil MacGregor takes a look at the attempts of some faiths to establish a state of their own.

An over-printed coin from 2nd century Jerusalem tells of the failed attempt of Shimon bar Kokhba to lay claim to a state for the Jews, free from Roman rule - while a white cotton flag, framed in pale blue, flew over Sudan after it had been taken by Mahdist forces and before the Islamic state collapsed in the mid 1890s.

(Photo: An over-printed coin from second Century Jerusalem. Credit: Trustees of the British Museum)

Available now

18 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 May 2018 18:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sun 20 May 2018 02:32GMT
  • Sun 20 May 2018 18:32GMT

Animations

Neil MacGregor tells the stories of some of the key objects in the series.

Living with the Gods - the Podcast

Your weekly dose of anthropology and spirituality to subscribe to or download