Ancient Customs

Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Schmitt opens the door to the world behind the words of Scripture—bringing fresh understanding to familiar passages by exploring the cultural details that made Jesus’ teachings so vivid to His first listeners. Each chapter focuses on a single phrase, image, or action rooted in the daily life of the ancient world and draws out the spiritual depth we sometimes miss in modern readings. With warmth, clarity, and pastoral insight, Dr. Schmitt weaves together biblical teaching, personal reflection, poetry, and questions for study or discussion. Whether you’re reading alone...

Eliot Stein has traveled the globe in search of remarkable people who are preserving some of our most extraordinary cultural rites. In Custodians of Wonder, Stein introduces listeners to a man saving the secret ingredient in Japan's 700-year-old original soy sauce recipe. In Italy, he learns how to make the world's rarest pasta from one of the only women alive who knows how to make it. And in India, he discovers a family rumored to make a mysterious metal mirror believed to reveal your truest self.

Legends of Norse Mythology is your practical guide for navigating the Norse realms and revealing the origins of these mythical stories, ranging from the gripping narratives of revered gods to Viking sagas of the Scandinavian seafaring adventures with longships, to the timeless rituals of the Nordic people.

This annotated edition includes: The complete Histories in nine books, unabridged, in the 1890 translation of G. C. Macaulay Macaulay's own scholarly apparatus — more than 1,400 notes on the Greek text, the manuscripts and the disputed readings A critical study of some 15,000 words, in eight parts, on the invention of inquiry and the ancient quarrel over Herodotus' honesty A biographical essay separating the little that is known about Herodotus from the much that is merely reported A note on the text recording the copy-text and the corrections made to it A live table of contents; the nine...

From bestselling novelist Nadia Hashimi—a gripping, occasionally terrifying, yet ultimately hopeful novel focusing on the women of Afghanistan in the years since the Taliban regained power. In February 2020 the US began to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after nearly twenty years of...

Thomas Bulfinch introduces us to the gods of the Greek, Roman, and Norse mythologies. We learn their stories and we also observe the similarities between the deities of yore. Comparing these stories and characters to those of some modern religions may produce some surprising results!

Uncovering Roman Mythology takes listeners deep into the legendary world of ancient Rome, where gods ruled human fate and myths shaped an empire. Explore the powerful stories of Jupiter, Juno, Mars, Venus, and more along with the heroes, creatures, and legends that defined Roman culture, politics, and belief. Blending timeless myths with clear explanations and historical insight, this audiobook reveals not just the stories themselves, but the deeper meanings behind them.

Norse Paganism for Beginners Through the Wisdom of the Northern Traditions: Discover the Ancient Beliefs, Mythology, Sacred Symbols, Rituals, and Spiritual Heritage of the Norse World transports listeners to a rich spiritual landscape molded by the beliefs, traditions, and values of the ancient Norse people.

Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one's own fate that combines the cultural flavor and emotional resonance of the works of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See. In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted...

What if Halloween’s familiar traditions began with older fears? The Haunted History of Halloween: Creepy Origins, Ancient Beliefs, Forgotten Customs, and the Traditions That Shaped Spooky Season explores the eerie evolution of Halloween from ancient seasonal turning points to the modern celebration of costumes, candy, haunted houses, horror entertainment, and spooky nostalgia. Before Halloween became a night of porch pumpkins and trick-or-treating, it was shaped by harvest endings, winter darkness, firelight, wandering visitors, beliefs about the dead, household rituals, religious ...

An empire divided by magic. A nation on the brink of rebellion. After losing their parents in the last doomed uprising, two siblings will find themselves at the center of an epic struggle for power. When Ella witnesses an enchanter saving her brother's life, she knows what she wants to be. But...

Delve into the mystical worlds of Celtic enchantment, the heroic sagas of Bulfinch's lore, the enigmatic tales of Slavic spirits, the celestial dances of Japanese deities, the profound fables of Turkish origins, the creation epics of Sumerian and Mesopotamian civilizations, the rich tapestry of Native American heritage, and the captivating chronicles from the Filipino archipelago.

Award-winning ancient historian, archaeologist, and social media sensation Dr. Jess Venner re-creates Pompeii’s final day before Mount Vesuvius’s eruption, revealing not just how its people died but how they lived. While today the ruins of Pompeii stand silent and preserved in ash and stone...

Unveil the secrets of an ancient civilization renowned for its mystique and splendor through E.A. Wallis Budge’s unabridged collection. This expertly curated trilogy, featuring Legends of the Gods, Egyptian Magic, and The Book of the Dead, invites you to explore the depths of Egyptian mythology, magic, and the afterlife.

The first robot to walk the earth was a bronze giant called Talos. This wondrous machine was created not by MIT Robotics Lab, but by Hephaestus, the Greek god of invention, more than 2,500 years ago. In this groundbreaking account of the earliest expressions of the timeless impulse to create artificial life, Adrienne Mayor tells the fascinating story of how ancient Greek, Roman, Indian, and Chinese myths envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices, and human enhancements - and how these visions relate to and reflect the ancient invention of real animated machines.

Under the order of King Pelias, Jason embarks on a perilous journey to steal the Golden Fleece from the Land of Colchis. Far from heroic, Jason is the typical everyman. Often compared with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Jason and the Argonauts is the only surviving poem from the Hellenistic period and was hugely influential on later literature, especially the Roman poetry of Virgil and Ovid.

What if the secrets of the ancient world still shaped every step you take today? Few people realize how much of modern life—our work, our families, our rituals, even our fun—was first lived on the forgotten streets of Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Beneath the ruins lies a story not of kings and conquests, but of ordinary people whose lives still echo in ours. In Shadows of the Ancient World, historian Eleanor Whitcombe takes you inside the marketplaces, kitchens, homes, and festivals that defined ancient civilization. You’ll discover how bakers, farmers, scribes, mothers, and children...

What if the most festive season of the year was born from a cosmic crisis? For centuries, we’ve cherished the comfort of Christmas, but we’ve forgotten the primal terror that birthed it. Before Santa’s sleigh, before tinsel and mandatory cheer, the deepest part of winter was a war against chaos, isolation, and the chilling possibility that the sun might never return. This is the story of the necessary shadow that gives the holiday light its meaning. Historian Elias Shepherd meticulously uncovers the lost traditions of Europe, revealing why the old ways were so terrifying, yet so vital...

What if the Christmas traditions you cherish are not Christian at all, but whispers from a forgotten, ancient world? Step into the heart of winter, and you will uncover a story far older than the nativity. Beneath the twinkling lights and familiar carols lies a truth carved into the bones of the season itself, echoed in firelight and carried on the breath of ancient gods. This is an invitation to explore the untold origins of the world’s most celebrated holiday. For centuries, the story of Christmas has been a paradox—a Christian holiday built upon the bones of pagan ritual. The early ...

Africa’s myths are not just tales—they are living echoes of ancient wisdom, power, and identity. If you've ever felt the pull to reconnect with heritage, explore the roots of a rich cultural legacy, or simply lose yourself in unforgettable storytelling, this book will be your guide.