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.

While Egypt’s sands stand the test of time, these goddesses left a mark of divine femininity that you can feel even to this day… 5,000 years ago, along the banks of the river Nile, a culture blossomed from the desert. Despite the harsh sun and dry winds, this culture became an icon of power, a symbol of progress, and a beacon of resilience throughout history. Today, you cannot discuss history without talking about Ancient Egypt.

Every monastery exudes the scent of holiness, but women's monasteries have their own special flavor. Join Constantina Palmer as she makes frequent pilgrimages to a women's monastery in Greece and absorbs the nuns' particular approach to their spiritual life. If you're a woman who's read of Mount Athos and longed to partake of its grace-filled atmosphere, this book is for you. Men who wish to understand how women's spirituality differs from their own will find it a fascinating listen as well.

The Essene Teacher of Righteousness was Apollonius of Tyana, who, in the year AD 325 at the Council of Nicea, was replaced by a fictitious messiah called Jesus Christ: the greatest fraud in history. Here, Raymond Bernard, PhD, has discovered several sources that supposedly tell the true stories about Jesus and his family as members of the Essene Jewish sect. The story of his life is commingled with tales of his alleged traveling to India and Japan. Jesus appears to be a person whose life and story were developed by the Essenes.

Around 13,000 years ago, three things happened at once: (1) Global temperature suddenly stopped rising and plunged back to ice age-frigidity. (2) The Western Hemisphere’s largest mammals, including the horse, camel, woolly mammoth, saber-toothed cat, and dozens more, went extinct. And (3) the uniquely beautiful stonework of the early American Clovis people disappeared from the archeological record. For the past half-century, scientists have struggled to explain the three events. Were they independent of each other, or could they have had a common cause?

Drawing directly from the actual surviving Icelandic books of magic, Stephen Flowers presents a complete system of magic based on Icelandic lore and magical practices from the 16th century onward. He explores the history of magic in Iceland in pagan and early Christian times and reveals specific practical techniques and ritual templates that readers can adapt to their unique purposes. Illustrating traditional Icelandic magical practices and the Icelanders’ attitudes toward them, he shares original translations of Icelandic folktales.

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.

During His darkest moments, Jesus uttered seven statements on the Cross that offer us tremendous wisdom in our own dark seasons when we feel alone, forgotten, and unable to surrender, forgive, or let go of our mistakes. In 6 Hours, 7 Lessons, Orthodox Christian priest Father Nicholas Louh and licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Roxanne Louh show us that there is no darkness so dark that our Lord hasn't already experienced it. Christs final words direct us toward the light of His love and protection while giving us the guidance we need to find hope and healing.

A wonderful journey through the splendors of the Pharaoh's Kingdom: Alexandria, Giza, Saqqara, Dendera, Deir El-Bahari, Deir El-Medina, Medinet-Habu, Karnak - Luxor, Elephantine, Assuan, Phile, Abu-Simbel and The tomb of Nefertari.

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.

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.

A hammer no mortal can lift. A flame-haired fiery storm god. A comic book alien-hero-god who defends humanity. The swastika. Even the name "Thursday" ("Thor's Day"). Despite the virtual disappearance of the indigenous Norse religion and mythology several centuries ago, modern society still regularly encounters the storm god Thor, who continues to be brought back to life in the form of literature and was recently the protagonist in a big-budget Hollywood movie.

In Jesus on Trial, New York Times bestselling author David Limbaugh applies his lifetime of legal experience to a unique new undertaking: making a case for the gospels as hard evidence of the life and work of Jesus Christ. Limbaugh, a practicing attorney and former professor of law, approaches the canonical gospels with the same level of scrutiny he would apply to any legal document and asks all the necessary questions about the story of Jesus....

The Orthodox Church's reverence for Mary the Mother of God can be a stumbling block for converts, and a fulfilling relationship with her can prove elusive for converts and lifelong Orthodox Christians alike. In this deeply personal but beautifully universal memoir, Brandi Willis Schreiber relates her own quest to know and love the Virgin Mary and to incorporate her as a vital participant in her spiritual life. Brandi's sparkling, vulnerable account invites the listener to join her in this quest.

From the author of The Scent of Holiness, The Sweetness of Grace is a collection of stories derived from conversations with Orthodox nuns, monks, and laypeople, along with experiences of Orthodox life in South Korea, Greece, and North America. Those who enjoyed Everyday Saints will enjoy these similar stories from other parts of the Orthodox world. The book includes conversations with monastics, priests, and laypeople and stories of the sweet and difficult aspects of Christian life.

What does it mean to follow Jesus? Has the West's hyper-individuality co-opted the concept of discipleship? Come and Die asserts that in many Christian circles, the idea of salvation has been subtly reshaped into a pathway for achieving personal comfort, material success, and superficial desires, rather than the radical means of meeting mankind’s deepest and most desperate need: reconciliation with God. This distortion has produced a shallow faith that promises prosperity but avoids the cross.

Embark on a journey through time with "The Apocrypha Collection," a treasury of ancient texts that have captivated seekers of truth and wisdom for centuries. Uncover the rich history and origins of these enigmatic writings, exploring their discovery, exclusion from the biblical canon, and resurgence among scholars and spiritual seekers.

¡Descubre Secretos Ancestrales que Pueden Cambiar tu Vida! Únete a un investigador escéptico, de una universidad estadounidense, mientras viaja al Himalaya, y descubre los secretos de un antiguo linaje de sanación que comenzó con el honorable médico de Buda. Durante miles de años, los más grandes sanadores del Himalaya, han estado refinando una poderosa ciencia de sanación para el tratamiento de dolencias físicas, trastornos psicológicos y desafíos espirituales.

The history of the Emerald Tablets is strange and beyond the belief of modern scientists. Their antiquity is stupendous, dating back some 36,000 years B.C. The author is Thoth, an Atlantean Priest-King who founded a colony in ancient Egypt, wrote the Emerald Tablets in his native Atlantean language which was translated by Dr. Michael Doreal.

Numbers is really a book about arrested progress. In a sense, it never should have happened. It took only 40 hours to get Israel out of Egypt - the Passover. But it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel.