Ancient Cults

Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically reenacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings.

Africa may have given rise to the first human beings, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later. From the Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria to the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Ancient Egyptians produced several wonders of the world, revolutionized architecture and construction, created some of the world’s first systems of mathematics and medicine, and established language and art that spread across the known world.

A world abandoned by the gods, mystifying cosmic forces, unimaginable power for those willing to ascend, and a hero who would rather . . . go fishing??? When summoned to a fantastical world and granted powers by a broken System, most freshly minted protagonists would strap on their big-boy boots...

Ancient Rome - Ancient Greece - Occult History - Gnosticism - Secret Societies - Mystery Religion - Ancient Mysticism - Roman History In the ancient world, the most powerful religious experiences were not public. They happened behind locked doors, sworn to secrecy so absolute that some of history's greatest mysteries have never been solved. Ancient Mystery Cults and Secret Societies takes you inside three of the ancient world's most guarded traditions, where initiation promised a transformed relationship with death itself. In Eleusis: The Mysteries of Demeter and Persephone, walk the sacred...

Military Sci-Fi & Space Opera Adventure The war for the galaxy has entered its most dangerous phase. The Rebel fleet is outnumbered, betrayed, and running out of time as a fanatical cult moves to unleash an ancient god older than civilization itself. After years of brutal victories, Captain Derek Hamilton knows the rules of war. This enemy doesn’t follow them. Ritual attacks shatter defenses once thought unbreakable. Fleets vanish without warning. Trusted allies fracture under fear and prophecy. As panic spreads across civilian worlds, the Empire hesitates - paralyzed by politics and ...

In a series of fast-paced essays, Leaky Aqueducts, War Pigeons, and Mystery Cults answers 36 questions that ancient historian Garrett Ryan has been asked in the classroom and through his popular YouTube channel ToldinStone. As in the previous books in Ryan's fun and fascinating series, the emphasis is on the curious details of daily life in the classical world.

There is a reason the name Isis endured long after empires collapsed. She was not a distant myth. She was the goddess people turned to when life broke—when illness struck, when loved ones died, when the future felt uncertain. Her worship spread across continents because it worked. It answered questions that never go away. This book takes you inside that world. Step into the myths that shaped one of history’s most powerful divine figures Understand the rituals that brought ancient magic into everyday life Decode the symbols that carried meaning from Egypt to Rome Discover how ordinary ...

This two part series is filled with mysterious twists and erotic turns, as Jane uncovers the mysterious society that has claimed her since birth. Part I: Submission Jane Durant lives a carefree life full of designer clothes, parties, and the popularity that comes with being a rich, pretty girl--oh, and she's obsessed with James Donovan. He's the handsome billionaire with an aura of intelligence and mystery that leaves Jane waking up wet and bothered. Jane just turned 18 and is coasting through her senior year, when suddenly her entire world goes topsy turvy. A choice made in her family's ...

Sarah Wright has a job to die for. She never asked for it, never even filled out an application. To be fair, she didn’t ask to die either. Ever since she woke up as a vampire, she only wanted to unlive in as ordinary a way as possible. Alas, the realities of undeath and awakening to the greater existence of the supernatural made certain demands of the family. Now Sarah runs errands for the vampire boss of Seattle. It isn’t such a bad gig when she’s not being shot at, chased, clawed up, thrown around, or scrambling to keep her family safe.

This program includes an introduction read by the author. "Pulls you into the depths of a secret world from the first page. Ian Smith’s novel is unmissable." —Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author of Missing You Spencer Collins thinks his life at Harvard will be all about...

Where did God come from? What do the bible stories really tell us? Who or what was Jesus Christ? This audiobook challenges everything we think we know about the nature of religion.

Trapped in an underwater cave, a group of academics must face a series of deadly, supernatural trials—each one demanding they confront their darkest sins—in this chilling aquatic cult horror debut from Megan Bontrager. Grad student Caro has no idea what she wants to do with her life, but...

The ancient Greeks didn't just read about Odysseus. They worshipped him. In the 1930s, archaeologist Sylvia Benton dug into a collapsed cave above Polis Bay on the island of Ithaca and found something that should not exist: the remains of at least a dozen bronze tripod-cauldrons — the exact prestige gifts the Odyssey says Odysseus brought home — buried among a thousand years of offerings. Deeper in the deposit lay a broken piece of pottery scratched with a dedication that has haunted scholars ever since. It reads, in effect, to Odysseus. Not about him. To him — the way a Greek ...

The people of ancient Sumer are gathered to celebrate the rite of the Sacred Marriage, a joyous and glorious testament to the unity of Goddess and Man. Times are tough, crops are failing, and this year’s ceremony holds special significance. But for the priestess Simi, the fertility rite is very personal. Because it is Simi who will be locked in a room with a stranger to carry out the blessed responsibilities. Only this time, the stranger is no stranger at all....

Power is returning to the world after millennia, ancient constructs are stirring back to life, and one man is doing his best to ignore all that noise. Fischer has everything he needs in life: blossoming friendships, a menagerie of cute animal companions, a waterfront property with easy access to...

Four friends. One viral post. A nightmare they'll never tweet about. Mia and her friends were chasing a ghost—an impossibly perfect, sapphire-blue swimming hole hidden deep in the Jersey wilderness, known only by its hashtag. The plan was simple: drive in, get the perfect shot for their feeds, and be home by dark. It was meant to be an escape from their curated lives, a quest for something real to post about. But when their car breaks down and their phones lose signal, the vast, silent forest begins to feel less like an adventure and more like a trap. They are not alone. The strange ...

One Aztec Secret. One Rogue Programmer. One Chance to Save the World. Cryptographer Nicholas Foxe is looking forward to a quiet getaway with his new wife, Nina, in the red rock canyons of Sedona. Still adjusting to married life and the pressure of academic deadlines, Nick welcomes a break—but unease sets in when a mysterious note warns them not to trust anyone. When a fellow guest at their resort vanishes and whispers of a Y2K catastrophe begin to surface, Nick and Nina are pulled into a global conspiracy tied to a forgotten Aztec code. As the clock ticks toward midnight on December 31, ...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Is the classic, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomplete? The authors of The Messianic Legacy present a provocative and meticulously researched look at Christ and the history of Christianity. “Enough to seriously challenge many traditional...

Explore Captivating African Mythology and Egyptian Gods Two captivating manuscripts in one book: African Mythology: Captivating Myths of Gods, Goddesses, and Legendary Creatures of Africa Egyptian Gods: A Captivating Guide to Atum, Horus, Seth, Isis, Anubis, Ra, Thoth, Sekhmet, Geb, Hathor and Other Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt The continent of Africa is home to fifty-four countries that together harbor over three thousand cultures, each with their own ways of life and each with their own stories. Some of these stories have their origins in the folk beliefs of people native to their ...

An empire has fallen, another blooms in its wake, and one man— who would rather be fishing, thank you very much—has finally accepted his role as its leader. Thanks to overwhelming might, a cadre of violent animals, and a weaponized fish or two, Tropica has wiped Gormona's royal forces from...