Ancient Religion

In this astute mix of cultural critique and biblical studies, John H. Walton presents and defends twenty propositions supporting a literary and theological understanding of Genesis 1 within the context of the ancient Near Eastern world and unpacks its implications for our modern scientific understanding of origins. Ideal for students, professors, pastors, and lay listeners with an interest in the intelligent design controversy and creation-evolution debates, Walton's thoughtful analysis unpacks seldom appreciated aspects of the biblical text and sets Bible-believing scientists free.

In "The Kena Upanishad 101," Dr. Matthew Barnes, chemist, biochemist, and bestselling author of "The Emerald Tablet 101," "The Kybalion 101," "The Hermetica 101," and "The Tao Te Ching 101," brings the profound teachings of the Kena Upanishad to life. With clarity and insight, Dr. Barnes breaks down this ancient wisdom, making it not only accessible but also deeply relevant to today’s listeners.

Now available in audio, the best-selling edition of the most important noncanonical apocalyptic text. The Book of Enoch's vision of the apocalypse takes a very different view than that of Western Christians, although it is part of the biblical canon for Ethiopian and Eritrean Christians.

This volume contains a complete English translation of the famous Ethiopian work, The Kebra Nagast, i.e. the Glory of the Kings [of Ethiopia]. This work has been held in peculiar honour in Abyssinia for several centuries, and throughout that country it has been, and still is, venerated by the people as containing the final proof of their descent from the Hebrew Patriarchs, and of the kinship of their kings of the Solomonic line with Christ, the Son of God.

In our modern age the biblical Genesis flood account has been probed and analyzed for answers to scientific, apologetic, and historical questions. It is a text that has called forth flood geology, fueled searches for remnants of the ark on Mount Ararat, and inspired a full-size replica of Noah's ark in a biblical theme park. Some claim that the very veracity of Scripture hinges on a particular reading of the flood narrative. But do we understand what we are reading? Longman and Walton urge us to ask, what might the biblical author have been saying to his ancient audience?

Have you noticed that President Russell M. Nelson keeps reminding us that the modern temple endowment has “ancient” roots? If you do not know what this means—if you do not have a solid understanding of what was done in the temples of ancient Israel—then you are missing many of the most basic and important aspects of your temple experience. Unfortunately, it is very common for someone to enter the temple for the first time with little to no understanding of what to expect.

Prayer is an intensely personal communication that covers the range of human experience: From gratitude, worship, and celebration, to grief, affliction, and suffering. In How to Pray the Shaman’s Way, author José Luis Stevens offers an insightful guide to this universal, transformative practice, and explains how engaging in shamanic prayer can lead to deeper healing, a more grounded outlook on life, and an ever-expanding sense of connection with the natural world, our fellow human beings, and the divine universe.

The Ancient Wisdom is an insightful exploration and simplification of H. P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine. It makes for an important contribution to that text. The various chapters cover the main theosophical topics found in her books.

How did human societies scale up from small, tight-knit groups of hunter-gatherers to the large, anonymous, cooperative societies of today - even though anonymity is the enemy of cooperation? How did organized religions with "Big Gods" - the great monotheistic and polytheistic faiths - spread to colonize most minds in the world? In Big Gods, Ara Norenzayan makes the surprising and provocative argument that these fundamental puzzles about the origins of civilization are one and the same, and answer each other.

The Holy Spirit inspired Jude to quote Enoch for a reason. The Ancient Book of Enoch opens by addressing those in the Tribulation period. It contains numerous prophecies about the flood and fire judgments and the two comings of the Messiah. It teaches that the Messiah is the son of God and that he will shed his blood to redeem us and even predicts the generation that this would occur.

Some say it's the second coming and the rapture, others are suspicious of the visitors. One thing's for sure, Earth will never be the same. S.E. Meyer combines ancient alien astronaut theory, ancient Sumerian codices, current religious beliefs from around the world and the book of Revelation in a way that tears down the veil of traditional thinking to reveal new though provoking theories on the origins of the human race and its many traditional beliefs. The Prodigal Sun will wow you with a fact filled, thrilling and intricately blended story that interweaves mythologies and religions in new...

What if you could practice magick anytime, without the use of ceremonial spells, altars, or magickal tools? Items such as candles, special ingredients, and exotic symbols are necessary to perform many types of magick, but these items aren't always feasible, attainable, or even available. The purest form of magick—tapping into your own energetic awareness to create change—is accessible simply through the power of your will. Popular author Christopher Penczak explains how to weave natural energies into every facet of life by inspiring listeners to explore their own individual willpower.

In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible - the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire - reflect the world of the later authors.

Unlock the secrets of the neteru and harness the transformative magic of Heka with this comprehensive guide to Kemeticism for the modern practitioner.

In addition to the regular demands of preaching and shepherding, modern pastors feel undue pressure to entertain congregants and increase attendance numbers. Often, churches resort to the latest business models to keep pace. But true, life-giving guidance lies in Scripture and the wisdom of those having come before us. Ancient Wisdom for the Care of Souls helps pastors to embrace a classic, biblical vision of ministry through the study of selected pastoral virtues and early church figures.

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?

Dan Allender's lyrical book about the Sabbath expels the myriad myths about this "day of rest," starting with the one that paints the Sabbath as a day of forced quiet, spiritual exercises, and religious devotion and attendance. This, he says, is at odds with the ancient tradition of Sabbath as a day of delight for both body and soul. Instead, the only way we can make use of the Sabbath is to see God's original intent for the day with new eyes. In Sabbath, Allender builds a case for delight by looking at this day as a festival that celebrates God's re-creative, redemptive love.

The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ. What may at first seem to be simply an arbitrary arrangement of ancient holy days, or liturgical seasons, this book explains their essential relationship to one another and their ongoing meaning to us today. It is an excursion into life from the Christian perspective, from the viewpoint of those who set out not only to follow Jesus but to live and think as Jesus did.

Bringing to life the world of the Old and New Testaments, the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Don’t Know Much About® series transforms dry, difficult reading into colorful and realistic accounts. Relying on new research and improved translations, Kenneth C. Davis uncovers some amazing questions and contradictions about what the Bible really says: Jericho’s walls may have tumbled down because the city lies on a fault line; Moses never parted the Red Sea; There was a Jesus, but he wasn’t born on Christmas and he probably wasn't an only child....

Tracing the migrations of the Denisovans and their interbreeding with Neanderthals and early human populations in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas, Andrew Collins and Greg Little explore how the new mental capabilities of the Denisovan-Neanderthal and Denisovan-human hybrids greatly accelerated the flowering of human civilization over 40,000 years ago. They show how the Denisovans displayed sophisticated advances, including precision-machined stone tools and jewelry, tailored clothing, celestially-aligned architecture, and horse domestication.