Ancient World Religion

Torchlight. Drumbeat. A crowded hall breathes in unison as a priest lifts an object only initiates can see. Outside, empires rise and fall. Inside, someone believes death just lost. Mystery Religions of the Ancient World takes you inside the three most intoxicating cults of the classical Mediterranean. Walk the Sacred Way to Eleusis. Swear oaths in a Mithraic cave beneath a Roman granary. Sail at dawn with the priests of Isis as they launch a ceremonial ship and promise safe passage in this life and the next. This is history with a pulse, told with the urgency of a thriller and the rigor of...

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.

For more than a century, archaeologists have been unearthing the tombs, temples, texts, and artifacts of the ancient Near East and the Mediterranean world. Using new approaches, contemporary scholars have begun to synthesize this material with the biblical traditions. The Oxford History of the Biblical World incorporates the best of this scholarship, and in chronologically ordered chapters presents the listener with an integrated study of the history, art, architecture, languages, literatures, and religion of biblical Israel and early Judaism and Christianity in their larger cultural contexts.

The gods of ancient Canaan once ruled the imagination of an entire region. They governed rain and drought, love and war, life and death. Their stories shaped the religious world out of which biblical faith later emerged—yet most modern readers know almost nothing about them. This book brings that forgotten pantheon back into view with clarity, intelligence, and narrative drive. An Introduction to Canaanite Deities takes you inside the sacred world of the ancient Levant and shows how ordinary people understood the forces that shaped their lives. Rather than presenting dry lists of gods and...

Ancient Mesopotamian religion continues to captivate people for many of the same reasons today's best known religions and their histories fascinate people. The religion practiced by the Ancient Mesopotamians provides a certain mix between the mundane and the surreal, and at the same time aspects of it are both familiar and bizarre to people today. Some find themselves drawn to it based on its preeminent position in religious history as the oldest documented religion in the world.

For 3,000 years, one God has shaped the destiny of nations, toppled empires, inspired revolutions, and transformed the world. Yet his full story has never been told — until now. The Rise of Yahweh: The Untold History of the World’s Most Enduring God is a sweeping, cinematic journey through the greatest epic in human civilization. Blending archaeology, ancient mythology, biblical history, comparative religion, and world-shaping events, this book reveals the astonishing rise of a desert storm‑god who became the most powerful and influential deity in history. From the Bronze Age to the ...

Step into the captivating realms of antiquity with "Enki and the World Order: A Beginner's Guide," and embark on an enlightening journey to the dawn of civilization. This meticulously researched book unravels the enigmatic world of ancient Mesopotamia, where Enki, the deity of wisdom, water, and creation, reigns supreme. As a pivotal figure in the pantheon of gods, Enki's influence extends far beyond the fertile banks of the Euphrates and Tigris, reaching into the very fabric of society and the natural order. Through engaging narratives and insightful analysis, this guide peels back the ...

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.

Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods is a work of monumental importance---the first book to introduce the shocking theory that ancient Earth was visited by aliens. This world-famous best seller has withstood the test of time, inspiring countless books and films, including the author's own popular sequel, The Eye of the Sphinx.

A fresh reading of the Old Testament text in light of the ancient Near Eastern context can open new avenues of awareness. Walton provides a clear, helpful guide to the nature of biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature that will help listeners avoid potential misuse and reclaim the message of the prophets for their lives.

According to historical sources, visual symbols are utilized to highlight individual ideas, concepts, groups or persons. In some cases, understanding what a symbol stands for is quite easy. But that’s not always the case. In fact, there are symbols that are complex and their interpretation may prove very challenging. And yet, their importance can be determined by realizing how they have contributed to understanding historical images. People from all over the world utilize symbols for expressing abstract notions or thoughts. They also use them to point out to specific ideologies, or ...

The West and Islam - the sword and scimitar - have clashed since the 17th century, when, according to Muslim tradition, the Roman emperor rejected Prophet Muhammad's order to abandon Christianity and convert to Islam, unleashing a centuries-long jihad on Christendom. Sword and Scimitar chronicles the decisive battles that arose from this ages-old Islamic jihad, beginning with the first major Islamic attack on Christian land in 636.

One of the most remarkable historical works of the 19th century came from the pen of French historian Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, a native of Paris. This amazing analysis of family and religious life among the ancient Greeks and Romans is the key to understanding ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The story begins in the misty period of the Bronze Age as the Indo-Europeans began to filter down into the Italian and Greek peninsulas. They brought with them a patriarchy that was based on ancestor worship and the veneration of hearth gods.

In Decoding the Torah: Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World, Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider reveals the timeless relevance of Old Testament laws for today's believers. After listening to this groundbreaking book, you will discover how to apply the ancient laws of the Torah to your modern-day walk with Christ.

In this groundbreaking new book, Decoding Göbekli Tepe: Biblical Anatolia & the Watchers, the authors reexamine the ancient site of Göbekli Tepe, offering a compelling new perspective that transforms its traditional interpretation as a communal center into a sacred space for ancestor deification. Key book themes: - Deified Ancestors: The ancients' sought immortality by deifying the first ancestors, regenerating the dead into gods and to the cosmos. Göbekli Tepe's central stone pillars represent deified Adam and Eve in this divine process. Adam is tied to the Sumerian bull-god Anu, ...

This kaleidoscopic book covers almost 3,000 years of Arab history and shines a light on the footloose Arab peoples and tribes who conquered lands and disseminated their language and culture over vast distances. Tracing this process to the origins of the Arabic language, rather than the advent of Islam, Tim Mackintosh-Smith begins his narrative more than a thousand years before Muhammad and focuses on how Arabic, both spoken and written, has functioned as a vital source of shared cultural identity over the millennia.

Walton and Walton offer in The Lost World of the Torah a restorative vision of the ancient genre of instruction for wisdom that makes up a significant portion of the Old Testament. In the ancient Near East, order was achieved through the wisdom of those who governed society. The objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God's favor and presence within the context of the covenant. Here listeners will find fresh insight on this fundamental genre of the Old Testament canon.

For centuries, the story of Adam and Eve has resonated richly through the corridors of art, literature, and theology. But for most moderns, taking it at face value is incongruous. Author John Walton explores the ancient Near Eastern context of Genesis 2-3, creating space for a faithful reading of Scripture along with full engagement with science for a new way forward in the human origins debate.

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.

Lynn Cohick provides an accurate and fulsome picture of the earliest Christian women by examining a wide variety of first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman documents that illuminate their lives. She organizes the book around three major spheres of life: family, religious community, and society in general.