Ancient Religion

There is a growing movement among young Christians returning to historic, creedal, and liturgical reflections of Christianity. Filled with stories illustrating the joy young adults have found in these ancient expressions of Christianity, Winfield Bevins introduces practices and principles that help the church engage our postmodern world.

Since the Victorian period, it has been understood that the story of Noah, iconic in the Book of Genesis, and a central motif in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, derives from a much older story that existed centuries before in ancient Babylon. But the relationship between the Babylonian and biblical traditions was shrouded in mystery. Then, in 2009, Irving Finkel, a curator at the British Museum and a world authority on ancient Mesopotamia, found himself playing detective.

Written with occasional humor and an easy style, and thoroughly referenced, with many entertaining "gotcha!" moments, Not the Impossible Faith is a must-listen for anyone interested in the origins of Christianity. Richard Carrier, PhD, is an expert in the history of the ancient world and a critic of Christian attempts to distort history in defense of their faith.

For our ancestors, collective intelligence was a normal part of life. We see it today as the mysterious force that enables flocks of birds, swarms of bees, and schools of fish to function together in perfect synchrony, communicating and cooperating at some undetectable level. At its most subtle, it’s an instantaneous knowing, shared by members of a group, of the wisest course of action that will benefit all.

There has always been a price for following Christ, and many have paid the ultimate price. The Voice of the Martyrs, co-authors of the bestseller Jesus Freaks, brings you a daily devotional filled with inspiring stories of courage, commitment, confession and compassion. In an age of extremes, you can find faith, strength, encouragement and hope through the stories of fellow believers from all over the world and from past centuries up to the present. These men and women, young and old, went to the outer limits of devotion. Each story is extreme. Each story will change your life.

In Selected by Extraterrestrials, Hollow Earth researcher Floria Benton (Ruth Ann Leedy) lays out her theories about the coming apocalypse, citing research by luminaries such as Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov. This rare Saucerian title was edited by Gray Barker prior to his death and features an introduction by the enlightened sage Valiant Thor.

For the curious minds wanting to uncover the secrets of ancient Greece, for the dreamers wishing to lose themselves in tales of valor, love, and betrayal, and for the scholars desiring a comprehensive yet engaging retelling of the world's most famous myths—this book is your beacon.

The ancient world was full of many fantastic cities and places, and like today’s major cities, the great ancient cities were hubs of trade, religion, and science. Writing was first invented in ancient cities, and many important scientific discoveries were also made in them, some of which are still used in the modern world. Among the many cities of the ancient world, Rome and Athens may come to mind first, but the city of Babylon in the land of Mesopotamia was already an ancient, venerated city when the others were still inconsequential settlements.

Mount Athos: The History of the Greek Mountain and the Center of Eastern Orthodox Monasticism looks at the unique region and what life has been like there since medieval times. You will learn about Mount Athos like never before.

Written by a group of friends, Seven Holy Women is a one-of-a-kind journey into the lives of seven women saints. Each section of the book includes a story from one saint’s life told vividly and imaginatively in the second person, additional information about the saint to give her context, a reflection on ways the writer, listener, and saint intersect on their journeys, personal surveys for the listener and a friend to complete, and a journal prompt that encourages the listener to explore and document her encounter with themes from the saint’s life.

From the author of The Scent of Holiness, The Sweetness of Grace is a collection of stories derived from conversations with Orthodox nuns, monks, and laypeople, along with experiences of Orthodox life in South Korea, Greece, and North America. Those who enjoyed Everyday Saints will enjoy these similar stories from other parts of the Orthodox world. The book includes conversations with monastics, priests, and laypeople and stories of the sweet and difficult aspects of Christian life.

By the end of Diocletian's reign in the opening years of the fourth century, the pagan world had collapsed into the arms of a multicultural religious movement which had spread from the eastern Mediterranean. These were the "mystery religions" which had been in competition with one another for a century. By the time of Constantine, they had spread everywhere within the empire. But one of these religions, Christianity, was chosen by the young emperor.

Africa may have given rise to the first humans, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later.

Most histories of the Cherokee nation focus on its encounters with Europeans, its conflicts with the U.S. government, and its expulsion from its lands during the Trail of Tears. This work, however, traces the origins of the Cherokee people to the third century B.C.E. and follows their migrations through the Americas to their homeland in the lower Appalachian Mountains.

Genesis 9 teaches that God gave moral law to all nations after the Flood. This is called Noahide Law. The apostle Paul taught that the Law of Moses, given at Mount Sinai, was added to Noahide Law to create a government structure for ancient Israel. Gentile nations were never under this Mosaic Covenant, and the Mosaic Covenant was set aside for the Jewish believers in Messiah at Jesus’ first coming. This is taught by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox denominations, as well as most cults.

It evolved from various traditional African religions and practices, and in the American South, incorporated elements of indigenous botanical knowledge. These practices taught believers how to invoke the blessings of spirits and deities through persuasion powers, herbs, rituals, spells, talismans, roots and nature.

This deeply researched and insightful book examines the causes, course, and historical significance of the Jews' failed revolt against Rome from 66 to 74 CE, including the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple. Based on a comprehensive study of all the evidence and new statistical data, Guy Rogers argues that the Jewish rebels fought for their religious and political freedom and lost owing to military mistakes.

The landmarks of Freemasonry have existed from time immemorial; however, Albert Mackey was the first Mason to collect them all together and explicitly define them for the greater benefit of the fraternity. Here he outlines what the 25 landmarks are, which bind together all Masonic lodges across the globe. These aren't opinions but instead they are the intellectual and philosophical foundations of our organization and something that every Mason should be familiar with and ready to defend.

Seneca was dedicated to Stoicism, and in his essays and letters he explained the stoic position on many fundamental issues: pleasure and the problem of desire, happiness, and contentment; anger, fear, living in the present, how to think for yourself, anxiety and tranquillity, goodness, freedom, trusting the universe; courage, opportunity, cruelty and how to deal with it, friendship, love and trust, death and how to live, learning , chance and fate, time, aspirations, wisdom - and more.

Uncover the astonishing mysteries behind one of humanity’s greatest wonders. In Pyramids of the Gods: Alien Architects of Ancient Egypt, explore the groundbreaking theories that challenge everything we thought we knew about the Great Pyramid.