Ancient Spirituality

Richard Carrier, Ph.D., philosopher, historian, blogger, has published a number of papers in the field of ancient history and biblical studies. He has also written several books and chapters on diverse subjects, and has been blogging and speaking since 2006. He is known the world over for all the above. But here, together for the first time, are all of Dr. Carrier's peer reviewed academic journal articles in history through the year 2013, collected with his best magazine articles, research papers, and blog posts on the same subjects.

The book of Revelation is filled with angels and dragons, fantastic beasts and golden cities, bottomless pits and mysterious numbers. It’s dramatic, sure - but what exactly does that have to do with the tests we face today? Actually, a lot. When the apostle John penned the book of Revelation, believers lived in a time of deception and injustice. But his message doesn’t just reflect their cries for things to be made right; it reveals heaven’s perspective of the bigger picture.

Shatter the myths and lies about PMS and start believing the truth that comes with knowing how the body actually works. For three weeks out of every month, a woman is energetic, upbeat and even-tempered. Then something happens! Within seconds, she can move from being calm into depression or out to the edges of hostile anger. She can crave junk food, feel lethargic and not about to focus her concentration on even the simplest task.

Not simply satisfied with the signs, grips and words of workmen at temples, from a bygone past, the author wants to know what lies beyond these pedestrian tales told to the newly made mason, of our history. Brother Bush engages in justifiable pride examining the mysteries of ancient Egypt and Greece, which span centuries and helped to carve the path, which gave way for our modern fraternity. What are masonry's ties to the ancient Rites of Eleusis?

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.

Space is vast, but rarely do we think that time is vast, too. Are we the first to visit Earth? Are we the only ones to ever do so? Since ancient times there have been strange stories of strange visitors from the stars. Ancient man often referred to these beings as gods and goddesses, but with a more modern perspective, many have begun to see these age-old myths and legends much differently. One of the most remarkable new interpretations is the ancient astronaut theory.

There is an ancient pathway that leads to an endless well of great experiences. It is Jesus Christ, alive from the dead, beckoning hearts that burn for him, "Walk this way.... Come and find me here!" In his book Fasting, Michael challenges us to find a greater place of experiential union with Jesus by adventuring out into the deep waters of fasting as a lifestyle.

At a time when millions are searching for inner peace in a troubled world, the means to a richer, fuller life can be found in the Orient, where wise men long ago penetrated the veils of the spirit and found the path to serenity. Now, for the first time, this ancient wisdom is gathered into one audiobook and explained in clear and simple language. Here is a veritable dictionary of the occult, clarifying the mysteries surrounding its terms, from abhinisvesha to zen. Here is a remarkable audiobook - written by a remarkable man.

An investigation of how Moses was deceived and murdered by his father-in-law, Reuel: this audiobook shows how the magician Reuel staged the Burning Bush that spoke to Moses and assumed Moses’ identity after his murder; explains how early scribes edited the Exodus story to cover Moses’ assassination and replacement and fabricated Moses’ origin story; and builds upon the Moses research of Goethe, Christopher Marlowe, and Sigmund Freud - who spent the last 40 years of his life obsessed with solving Moses’ murder....

The Kybalion is a book originally published in 1908 by "Three Initiates" that purports to convey the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus. A modern Hermetic tract, it has been widely influential in New Age circles since the 20th century. A central concept in the book is that there are "seven Hermetic principles, upon which the entire Hermetic philosophy is based".

Ileana, Princess of Romania and Archduchess of Austria who in later life became Mother Alexandra, founder of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration in Pennsylvania wrote this memoir shortly after relocating to the US in the 1950s. It tells the story of a life full of suffering, tragedy, and exile, but all is suffused with the author's deep faith, hope, love, and even joy.

In 2010, using a specialized robotic camera, authors Tabor and Jacobovici, working with archaeologists, geologists, and forensic anthropologists, explored a previously unexcavated tomb in Jerusalem from around the time of Jesus. They made a remarkable discovery. The tomb contained several ossuaries, or bone boxes, two of which were carved with an iconic image and a Greek inscription. Taken together, the image and the inscription constitute the earliest archaeological evidence of faith in Jesus’ resurrection.

No end of books these days offer us techniques for self-improvement. Taking a different tack, Robin Phillips shows that God meets us where we are, in the pain and heartache of the present moment. Instead of looking for a way to escape from hardship, we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude, peace, and self-acceptance that will transform our experience of suffering.

Dr. Colbert discusses new medical breakthroughs as well as the most up-to-date findings to give hope to all who are afflicted with arthritis. Discover life-changing treatments and learn to apply good nutritional principles to prevent the onset of arthritis.

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.

This guide offers a modern interpretation of Hermetic doctrine, distilling its teachings into seven compelling principles that can be applied to self-development in daily life. For centuries, the legendary Egyptian man-god Hermes Trismegistus – regarded as the father of astrology, alchemy, and other magical arts – inspired writers and readers of occult literature. In 1908, the anonymous authors known as “Three Initiates” prepared this concise and engaging edition of the master’s teachings.

Kori Hahn has always done life her way - living off the grid as a young woman in Alaska; studying with spiritual teachers and soul guides in Mexico, Sri Lanka, and Morocco; surfing around the world. Whether she was seeking adventure, sunshine, or the perfect wave, her primary, perennial quest has been an inner one. To that end she evolved the practices she shares here, simple daily steps that create a veritable "stairway to heaven" and allow any listener to do life their own way, with maximum meaning and joy.

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.

This in-depth discussion of New Testament scholarship and the challenges of history as a whole proposes Bayes's Theorem, which deals with probabilities under conditions of uncertainty, as a solution to the problem of establishing reliable historical criteria. The author demonstrates that valid historical methods - not only in the study of Christian origins but in any historical study - can be described by, and reduced to, the logic of Bayes's Theorem. Conversely, he argues that any method that cannot be reduced to this theorem is invalid and should be abandoned.

The ancient historian Josephus is key to a proper understanding of the time of Christ and the early church era. This recording, an abridged paraphrase of two Josephus histories, will transport you back in time to the period 37 B.C. to A.D. 70, from the time Herod took Jerusalem to become "King of the Jews," to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and its temple.