Ancient Religion

Richard Carrier, Ph.D., philosopher, historian, blogger, has published a number of papers in the field of ancient history and biblical studies. He has also written several books and chapters on diverse subjects, and has been blogging and speaking since 2006. He is known the world over for all the above. But here, together for the first time, are all of Dr. Carrier's peer reviewed academic journal articles in history through the year 2013, collected with his best magazine articles, research papers, and blog posts on the same subjects.

In this "wise and wondrous" (David Quammen) exploration, a science writer reintroduces readers to The Snake, encouraging our initial reaction to the slithery creature to be one of awe rather than disgust. For millennia, depictions of snakes as alternatively beautiful and menacing creatures have...

While much of church planting today is approached as an innovative new effort, church leaders can take comfort in the truth that they are simply stewards of what the faithful church has been doing for millennia. By rediscovering the foundations of our heritage, we are able to build healthier, more faithful, and more effective churches. At the same time, the act of planting new churches can breathe new life into these ancient traditions as they are applied to a variety of cultural contexts.

When we look at the incredible feats of engineering that our ancestors were able to achieve, it leaves us in awe. Not just because these structures are beautiful and shrouded in mystery, but because they were constructed on a scale we can't comprehend, thousands of years ago.

Que Jesús de Nazareth (ca. 4 AC-30 DC) fue crucificado es una de las afirmaciones más cercanas a un hecho histórico que pueda hacerse sobre su él. Sobre los detalles de qué hizo o dijo la academia ha pasado siglos debatiendo, pero en este hecho, que sufrió la pena capital a manos de la autoridad romana por medio de la crucifixión, coincide la abrumadora mayoría de los historiadores del mundo antiguo. Este volumen sigue la complicada trayectoria de las dos reliquias existentes más importantes del cristianismo....

The culture of Native Americans is one of the oldest in the world. Over the centuries, the Shamans and teachers of the tribes have preserved the rich knowledge accumulated in their community in order to pass it on to the next generations. One of the many secrets they have kept is the extraordinary properties of the wheel of colors. The wheel of colors will allow you to discover the colors that are best for you, so you can realize and maximize your potential in the best possible way.

In this book, you'll explore the rich mythology and cultural significance of wind, and discover a powerful system to utilize the subtle, healing energies in your life. Winds of Spirit will teach you how to connect with your true inner self, use your body as a compass, and receive life-changing messages from nature.

For the faithful, religion remains a guiding force for every aspect of life. An understanding of the world's major religions is not only essential to the study of history, but also in order to comprehend today's complex global community. The Story of Religion introduces the six most dominant world faiths, explaining the origins, philosophies, and evolution of these incredibly influential belief systems. Discover how intricately these religions are entwined in the state of the world today.

The Place of All Possibility taps into a deep current interest about how creativity and imagination can help us build a better world. Drawing on the Torah, and the subversive interpretive strategies of ancient rabbis, The Place of All Possibility offers new creative strategies for building a meaningful life—and for responding to our current crises of climate change, racial injustice, and more.

First published in 1981 and long out of print, The Holy Angels has yet to be surpassed as a comprehensive and comprehensible account of the nature of the angels and their role in our salvation. In layperson's terms, Mother Alexandra presents the essence of everything the church has to teach us about the angels, beginning with the Old Testament, continuing through the New Testament, and concluding with the tradition of the church as expressed in her theology, hymnography, and iconography.

Au début de l'histoire de l'humanité, les dieux tout comme les cultes variaient d'une communauté à l'autre. Les premiers peuples chassés par la force de leur territoire ont craint que des divinités étrangères ou ennemies ne puissent les protéger. Des chefs ont alors fondé une nouvelle religion. Certains d'entre eux se sont basés sur des textes anciens et d'autres ont affirmé avoir eu des révélations.

The landmarks of Freemasonry have existed from time immemorial; however, Albert Mackey was the first Mason to collect them all together and explicitly define them for the greater benefit of the fraternity. Here he outlines what the 25 landmarks are, which bind together all Masonic lodges across the globe. These aren't opinions but instead they are the intellectual and philosophical foundations of our organization and something that every Mason should be familiar with and ready to defend.

There is not just a desire but a profound human need for enhancement - the irrepressible yearning to become better than ourselves. Today, enhancement is often conceived of in terms of biotechnical intervention: genetic modification, prostheses, implants, drug therapy - even mind uploading. The theme of this book is an ancient form of enhancement: a physical upgrade that involves ethical practices of self-realization. It has been called 'angelification' - a transformation by which people become angels.

Belief and Cult argues that belief isn't uniquely Christian but was central to ancient Roman religion. Drawing on cognitive theory, Jacob Mackey shows that despite having nothing to do with salvation or faith, belief underlay every aspect of Roman religious practices—emotions, individual and collective cult action, ritual norms, social reality, and social power. In doing so, he also offers a thorough argument for the importance of belief to other non-Christian religions.

This 2000-year-old scroll reveals the chronology from Creation through Cyrus' decree that freed the Jews in 536 BC. The Ancient Seder Olam uses Biblical prophecy to prove its calculations of the timeline. We have used this technique to continue the timeline all the way to the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in AD 1948.

This publication is the first translation into English of a Latin work, entitled Libellus de Corona Virginis, or The Little Book on the Crown of the Virgin. Traditionally, it has been ascribed to St. Ildephonsus of Toledo, a great monk, abbot, and bishop of the 7th century. St. Ildephonsus contributed powerfully to the dissemination of the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Our Lady in Western Europe, and to the popularization of fervent Marian devotion in Spain.

An Orthodox priest with a doctorate in counseling, Fr. Meletios Webber helps us to understand addiction and explores ways to overcome it. He clearly and skillfully explains the 12 steps of the fellowship of alcoholics anonymous. In correlating the 12 steps with basic Orthodox theology, Fr. Mel identifies the implication of the 12 steps for Orthodox, and for all Christians. Using examples from the life of the Orthodox Church, he shows how the steps can be a valuable resource for our own spiritual journey.

Master Sha's Soul Healing Miracles teaches and empowers humanity to create soul healing miracles. Listeners will learn sacred wisdom and apply practical techniques. Everyone can create his or her own soul healing miracles.

From self-realization and self-promotion to self-help and the selfie, the modern world encourages us to be self-obsessed. We are even told that finding ourselves is the key to happiness. Better to lose yourself! More than 2,500 years ago, the Buddha argued that the self is an illusion—and that our belief in it is the cause of most, if not all, of our suffering. How to Lose Yourself presents lively, accessible, and expert new translations of ancient Buddhist writings about the central, unique, and powerful Buddhist teaching of "no-self."

The book of Job fits chronologically between Genesis and Exodus, describing events that took place more than 150 years before Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Job was the first book to be written in fully developed Hebrew, and it is undoubtedly one of the first books in the history of mankind. In the end Satan, along with his cruel tactics, subtle deception, and even his system for world domination is completely exposed. Much of the book, however, is written in code that is prophetic of what is happening and about to happen today.