Ancient Religion History

At a time when America debates its values and the world braces for religious war, Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers Walking the Bible and Abraham, travels ten thousand miles through the Middle East to examine the question Is Religion Tearing Us Apart ... Or Can it Bring Us...

The most famous church in Jerusalem for nearly 2,000 years, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, often called the Church of the Resurrection, was built in the era of St. Constantine, and the church as a structure has no history separable from the city of Jerusalem and its environs. It is venerated as being on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried, and naturally, making it a crucial pilgrimage site for Christians, and it is now the home of the Greek Orthodox Jerusalem Patriarchate.

Bethlehem is amongst the oldest cities in the world, one that has been conquered and ruled by Caananites, Jews, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, the Mamluks of Egypt, and the Ottomans. In the last century alone, it has been controlled by various different parties. The British took Bethlehem during World War I and controlled the city from 1920-1948, and in the wake of the 1948 war between Israel and its neighbors, Jordan annexed Bethlehem and controlled it until the Six Day War in 1967.

In the campaign leading up to the election of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate frequently discussed the importance of moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. For many conservative Christian Americans and Israelis, this was tantamount to the United States agreeing to Jewish control over Jerusalem. As it stands now, the US has a consulate in Jerusalem, yet no country houses their embassy in Jerusalem due to the conflicting claims of the Israelis and Palestinians.

That Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 4 BC-30 CE) was crucified is the closest to a historical fact anyone can say about him. Biblical scholars have spent centuries debating the details of what Jesus did and said, but this crude fact - that Jesus suffered capital punishment at the hands of the Roman authority by crucifixion - is accepted by the overwhelming majority of scholars. That there once was a cross where Jesus suffered and died is, therefore, the sequential logical affirmation.

Noah and the ark makes it on everyone’s list of top-10 favorite Bible stories - right up there with Jonah and the whale, and David and Goliath. No biblical account has raised as many questions and has generated as much controversy as Noah and the ark. The story in the Bible is just the beginning! Was the massive ark seaworthy? Did the Flood cover the whole Earth? Has the ark been found on Mount Ararat? Where can you see the ark today? These questions and more are answered in Noah: The Real Story.

Atlantis - the mythical city that was first mentioned by Plato in his Timaeus and Critias. While largely believed to be fictional, Atlantis has made its way into literature and manages to flourish over the years. Through time, the myth became a legend that eventually enticed individuals to delve into this ancient city and find out whether Plato's references are mere fiction or actually a fact.

The ark of the covenant is perhaps the most legendary and mysterious relic mentioned in the Bible, fascinating Jews and Christians for thousands of years and even spurring some to search for it. It is mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as the Qur'an. Sources agree that the ark was the holiest relic in possession of the Israelites, and it was carried with the utmost care by priests during the Exodus out of Egypt.

Based on decades of research and the aid of scholars from around the world, God Kings brings a scholarly and educated look into the world of Royal bloodlines. The implications of this work are enormous as they involve a lineage traced back to Odin, once believed to be a Norse god, whose lineage then merged with the bloodline of Jesus Christ himself.

The Epistle of Barnabas is often quoted by the ancient church fathers. Although not considered inspired Scripture it was used to combat legalism in the first two centuries AD. Along with explaining why the Laws of Moses are not binding on Christians, the Epistle explains how many of the Old Testament rituals teach typological prophecy. Subjects explored are: Yom Kippur, the Red Heifer ritual, animal sacrifices, circumcision, the Sabbath, Daniels visions and the end-time 10-nation empire, and the Temple.

The town of Nazareth, located in Galilee in northern Israel, is a bustling settlement of over 60,000 people today. But more than 2,000 years ago it was an insignificant village of only a few hundred people - mostly farmers and some laborers who would travel to the nearby Roman settlements for employment. Yet it was in this unlikely location that the Holy Family lived.

We all know that we learn best through our failures—so why not learn also from the failures of others? In Bad Examples from the Bible, eminent author, scholar, and priest Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon provides us with a plethora of characters from the Bible whose bad decisions, character flaws, and sinful desires show us how not to live our lives. This book demonstrates how to avoid the mistakes made by Eve, Cain, Saul, Pilate, Delilah, and many others.

Inside this issue you'll find 100 of the greatest events in Church history.

The ancient Greeks were explorers in many ways. They traveled to new places, creating colonies in strange lands far from their original homes. They were survivors. They were honorable thieves. They used their cunning to explore the frontiers of philosophy and they wrested from the chaos of the surrounding wilderness the building blocks of civilization.

The Origins of Shintoism is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of Japan, as well as for those interested in the development and evolution of religions around the world.

This deep dive into the word of God addresses kids’ toughest Bible questions with theologically sound answers in a way that is relatable and engaging. It’s filled with fun facts, debunking of common misconceptions, and explanations of biblical and theological concepts. This audiobook will not only answer a kid’s Bible questions big and small, but it will also encourage spiritual conversations and a lifelong love of learning about the glory and wonder of faith, the Bible, and God.

King Solomon is one of the most famous men in the Bible but also one of the most elusive historical figures. He is credited with supervising the construction of the first Temple in Jerusalem, and excavations and archaeologists continue to dig in an effort to find it in places that are now religiously sensitive for Christians, Jews, and Muslims.

In this book, we discuss the life of arguably the most influential person in history: Jesus. Whether you believe Jesus truly existed as a flesh and blood human being or as simply an archetype representing an idea, there is no doubt that Jesus changed the world with his teachings. In saying that, I would like to point out that this book will not argue for or against the historicity of Jesus - that is for you, the listener to decide.

Explore la fascinante historia de Ur. Este audiolibro trata sobre la ciudad que alberga al poderoso Zigurat. La "Ur bíblica de los caldeos" donde supuestamente nació Abraham. El lugar cerca del cual se encontraron las primeras culturas humanas. El lugar que celebró la Dinastía Sumeria más gloriosa de la historia antigua. Esta es la historia de la ciudad que estaba destinada a morir y renacer aproximadamente cada milenio, una ciudad llena de intriga, magnificencia, tragedia y gloria.

This audiobook is about the city which houses the mighty Ziggurat - the Biblical “Ur of the Chaldees” where Abraham was supposedly born. The site near which the earliest human cultures were found. The site which held the most glorious Sumerian Dynasty in ancient history. This is the story of the city that was destined to die and be reborn every millennium or so, a city full of intrigue, magnificence, tragedy, and glory.