Young Ancients

Ancient Near Eastern texts such as The Baal Cycle portray the pagan god Baal as a rebel—the hero of a revolution, worshiped and glorified for his long string of victories. In The Baal Book: A Biography of the Devil, Fr. Stephen De Young shows that the Hebrew Scriptures consciously turn the Baal story on its head, depicting him as a failed and defeated rebel who nonetheless tries to steal the glory that belongs to Almighty God. From these Scriptures, the figure of the Devil emerged within Jewish and Christian Tradition.

Rev. Dr. Stephen De Young, creator of the popular The Whole Counsel of God blog and podcast, traces the lineage of Orthodox Christianity back to the faith and witness of the apostles, which was rooted in a first-century Jewish worldview. The Religion of the Apostles presents the Orthodox Christian Church of today as a continuation of the religious life of the apostles, which in turn was a continuation of the life of the people of God since the beginning of creation.

Many Christians today divide ancient Jewish and Christian literature into two categories: what is in the Bible and what is not. The Christian East, however, has traditionally described a third category considered beneficial for Christians to listen to in the home: “apocrypha.” These texts, from the centuries before and after the Incarnation of Jesus Christ—beyond even the larger canons of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Old Testaments—reveal to us the religious world and theological framework of the apostles and early Church Fathers.

Imagine the following scene: Eric Schliemann having to get the permission of scientists, telling them that, based on Homer’s descriptions, he believes he can discover the mythical Troy. Besides laughing their hearts out, do you believe there would even be the slightest chance for Schliemann to have gotten their permission? And it is not just Troy nor just Knossos nor just the Mycenae, most major archaeological findings in the entire world, despite the references in the ancient texts, were a complete surprise for the scientific establishment. If that establishment had full control, all ...

The Roman Republic stood at the edge of collapse. The Senate cowered. Only one man refused to bend. The story of Rome's last defender and the impossible choice that made him immortal —Roman Stoic Marcus Porcius Cato, Stoic philosopher, incorruptible Roman senator, and Caesar's most relentless opponent, spent his life defending constitutional government against the forces tearing it apart. He walked barefoot with his troops, managed Rome's treasury without stealing a coin, and opposed Caesar for two decades with absolute conviction. But principle without power couldn't save the Republic. ...

Violence in the Old Testament has long been a stumbling block for Christians and skeptics alike. God Is a Man of War offers a fresh interpretation of Old Testament accounts of violence, by exploring them through the twofold lens of Orthodox tradition and historical context. Father Stephen De Young examines what these difficult passages reveal about the nature of Christ and His creation, bearing witness to a world filled not only with pain and suffering - often of human making - but also with the love of God.

The centuries after the Protestant Reformation brought about a radical reinterpretation of the epistles of St. Paul, disconnected from any historical reality. But Paul operated, during his entire life, as a faithful Pharisee within the Roman Jewish world. In Saint Paul the Pharisee: Jewish Apostle to All Nations, Fr. Stephen De Young surveys Paul’s life and writings, interpreting them within the Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church.

Discover the captivating world of Greek mythology From the primordial emergence of the universe from Chaos to the end of the heroic age, this book chronicles the complete sweep of Greek mythological tradition that has shaped Western civilization for over 3,000 years. Journey through fifteen engaging chapters that explore the greatest stories ever told: The Birth of the Gods: Witness the dramatic rise of Zeus and the Olympians as they overthrow the Titans in an epic battle for control of the universe. Meet the twelve major gods—from wise Athena to passionate Aphrodite—and discover their ...

In The Whole Counsel of God, popular writer and podcaster Fr. Stephen de Young gives an overview of what the Bible is and what is its place in the life of an Orthodox Christian, correcting many Protestant misconceptions along the way. Issues covered include inspiration, inerrancy, the formation of the biblical canon, the various texts and their provenance, the place of Scripture within Orthodox Tradition, and how an Orthodox Christian should read, study, and interpret the Bible.

A young Queen. A realm in decline. An impossible choice. A broken Prince. Two wounded warriors. An unthinkable decision. The realm of Ardvalla is slowly dying and ancient tradition dictates its queen must choose a husband. Queen Elinor is not in any hurry to marry but if she were to find a suitable partner and produce an heir then maybe she could bring precious hope to her people. However, she can only choose from the Highborne families and her options are dismal. Then, a mysterious healer comes to the palace and another possibility opens up but it’s fraught with risk. She decides to ...

Pella, Greece; 341 B.C. Alexandros is a middle child caught between two warring spouses, born to both a king and queen, but never meant to rule himself. When a mysterious young man arrives from the north, fleeing his own family, and meets Alexandros in a garden in the Macedonian capital, the bond that's created between them will soon become unbreakable and ultimately define both the direction of the Ancient World and ours.

A Samantha Moon Side Series. Three Paranormal Mysteries in the Vampire for Hire World Please note: This is a non-canonical series inspired by the characters and world of Vampire for Hire. These stories exist outside the main continuity. The Immortal Council has kept the peace among the undead—until now. When a young vampire goes missing, Samantha Moon is pulled into a secret world of supernatural politics, ancient magic, and dangerous alliances. What begins as a single case becomes a deeper conflict threatening everything the Council has built… and Sam may be the only one who can stop ...

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, ...

Here are the great stories of the Heroic Age, from the myths of the making of the universe to the death of Heracles. Set against the colorful background of Greece and the Aegean, the adventures of heroes such as Perseus the Gorgon-slayer, Dionysus, Theseus, and Jason and the Argonauts once again come to life.

What if your dreams weren't dreams at all, but whispers of someone calling to you from the future? She lived before history. He’s yet to be born. Their destiny was forged in battle. Their love, written in the stars. 24,000 B.C. When a falling star fractures her primitive world, young hunter Kaya is thrust onto an epic journey of survival, ancient magic, and self-discovery. Haunted by visions of Ethan, a young man from a dystopian future, she struggles to unravel the mysterious threads of time that bind them together and the star-crossed love that defies fate. But some secrets should never...

KID DETECTIVE ZET: The World's Favorite Way To Learn About Ancient Egypt 12-year-old Zet is on the trail of his latest mystery: priceless amulets are disappearing all over ancient Egypt. Worse, his best friend is being treated more like a prisoner than a student at a secretive jewelry apprentice school. Are the evil teachers and jewel thefts related? When Zet receives a desperate message hidden inside an amulet, he's determined to rescue his friend. Armed with a brainy sister who can read and write hieroglyphics, Zet searches for clues. Can he expose the wicked plot and take down the ...

Your sensitive child isn't broken. They're just like young Jesus. Does your child notice everything? Feel too deeply? Ask questions that surprise you? In ancient Galilee, six-year-old Jesus discovers that seeing what others miss isn't a burden. It's a gift. When strange marks bloom on his hands and the world starts responding to his attention, he faces every sensitive child's choice: hide who you are, or embrace it. What readers are saying: "My daughter finally understands why she's different" ★★★★★ "Nothing's read me this close before" ★★★★★ "My 8yo asked to read it ...

It is the first century BC. Cleopatra, the third of the pharaoh’s six children, is the one that her father has chosen to be the next queen of Egypt. But when King Ptolemy is forced into exile, Cleopatra is left alone to fend for herself in a palace rife with intrigue and murder. Smart, courageous, ambitious and sensuously beautiful, she possesses the charm to cause two of history’s most famous leaders to fall in love with her. But as her cruel sisters plot to steal the throne, Cleopatra realizes there is only one person on whom she can rely—herself.

Welcome back to the world of Zet, where a kid can be a hero and fight for the good of all.When Zet learns that an Egyptian princess has vanished into thin air, he's determined to investigate. When Pharaoh himself asks him to help, he's ready. The only problem? Zet must travel far from home and family, down the Nile River to an ancient pyramid construction site. With his best friend tagging along, things are bound to turn messy. Hui always manages to find trouble. The two boys set sail on an exciting adventure. But with a suspicious boat captain on their tail and temple pillars mysteriously ...

Judea has always been the crossroads and battlefield of contending nations. It is no less so in this biblical time of the Judges. Uriah Tarhund's Hittite home is destroyed by invading Greeks. His dying father tells him to go south to seek a Canaanite named Sisera. When he saves a young boy from being sacrificed to Moloch, he is given succor for a time by the Hebrews. Later, he finds Sisera and joins him in war against these same people. When the Canaanites are defeated, the young Hittite has the opportunity to come to peace with himself, the Hebrew people, and their God.