Revisiting Dr. Michael Stone's groundbreaking 22-level Gradations of Evil Scale, a hierarchy of evil behavior first introduced in the book The Anatomy of Evil, Stone and Dr. Gary Brucato, a fellow violence and serious psychopathology expert, here provide even more detail, using dozens of cases to exemplify the categories along the continuum. The New Evil also presents compelling evidence that, since a cultural tipping-point in the 1960s, certain types of violent crime have emerged that in earlier decades never or very rarely occurred. The authors examine the biological and psychiatric factors behind serial killing, serial rape, torture, mass and spree murders, and other severe forms of violence. They persuasively argue that, in at least some cases, a collapse of moral faculties contributes to the commission of such heinous crimes, such that evil should be considered not only a valid area of inquiry, but, in our current cultural climate, an imperative one. They consider the effects of new technologies and sociological, cultural, and historical factors since the 1960s that may have set the stage for the new evil. Further, they explain how personality, psychosis, and other qualities can meaningfully contribute to particular crimes, making for many different motives.Relying on their extensive clinical experience, and examination of writings and artwork by infamous serial killers, these experts offer many insights into the logic that drives horrible criminal behavior, and they discuss the hope that in the future such violence may be prevented.

In this collection of Armenian apocryphal texts, Michael E. Stone focuses on texts related to heaven and hell, angels and demons, and biblical figures from the Hebrew Bible and apocrypha. The texts, introductions, translations, annotations, and critical apparatus included in this volume make this collection a key resource for students and scholars of apocryphal and pseudepigraphical literature.

Fresh translations of early Jewish texts 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch, written in the decades after the Judean War, which saw Jerusalem conquered, the temple destroyed, and Judaism changed forever.

This handy volume makes these two important texts accessible to students, provides expert introductions, and illuminates the interrelationship of the texts through parallel columns.

Ancient Judaism questions a broad range of basic assumptions made by students of Second Temple Judaism and calls for a radical rethinking of approaches to Jewish history studies. Michael Stone challenges theologically conditioned histories of ancient Judaism devised by later orthodoxies, whether Jewish or Christian, and he stresses the importance of understanding religious experience as a major factor in the composition of ancient religious documents. Addressing the Dead Sea Scrolls and apocalyptic literature as well as recent theories, Stone emphasizes the stunning complexity of both the raw data and the resulting picture of Judaism in antiquity.

This book includes new texts from Armenian manuscripts that are relevant to the development and growth of biblical themes and subjects. Most of these texts have not been published previously. Michael Stone has collected a fascinating corpus of texts about biblical heroes, such as Joseph and Jonah, Nathan the Prophet, and Asaph the Psalmist. In addition, he has included documents illustrating particular points of the biblical story. This work reflects not just on how the Bible was interpreted in medieval times, but also how its stories and details were shaped by and served the needs of the vivid and creative Armenian spiritual tradition. All texts are in scholarly editions with translations, notes and introductions.

This book includes new texts from Armenian manuscripts that are relevant to the development and growth of biblical themes and subjects. Most of these texts have not been published previously. Michael Stone has collected a fascinating corpus of texts about biblical heroes, such as Joseph and Jonah, Nathan the Prophet, and Asaph the Psalmist. In addition, he has included documents illustrating particular points of the biblical story. This work reflects not just on how the Bible was interpreted in medieval times, but also how its stories and details were shaped by and served the needs of the vivid and creative Armenian spiritual tradition. All texts are in scholarly editions with translations, notes and introductions.

In the later 1970s and up to 1982, Michael E. Stone conducted a number of expeditions to the Sinai peninsula, searching for ancient inscriptions and Armenian pilgrimage routes. The book describes the process of his search, crowned by the discovery of the most ancient Armenian inscriptions known. However, the focus of his interest and travel was much broader, and the book is replete with information about the Sinai, its denizens, its past and present, its human inhabitants, its flora and fauna, and its history.

In the later 1970s and up to 1982, Michael E. Stone conducted a number of expeditions to the Sinai peninsula, searching for ancient inscriptions and Armenian pilgrimage routes. The book describes the process of his search, crowned by the discovery of the most ancient Armenian inscriptions known. However, the focus of his interest and travel was much broader, and the book is replete with information about the Sinai, its denizens, its past and present, its human inhabitants, its flora and fauna, and its history.

This volume introduces a cycle of stories about Abraham as preserved in fifteen unpublished, late medieval manuscripts in Armenian, published here in English for the first time with commentaries, annotations, and critical apparatus. The texts present embroidered Abraham stories dealing with his youth, his life in Egypt, the binding of Isaac, the story of Melchizedek, and other tales. Embedding Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and other ancient traditions, these texts demonstrate mutual borrowing and influence over centuries.

Fourth Ezra is a magnificent commentary, the definitive and standard work for generations to come.

In a collection of original essays, this book offers new insights on the question of the lost book of Noah, as well as studies of Noah's figure in postbiblical literature. It focuses on ancient Jewish literature, including the Septuagint, the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, and rabbinic literature, but Christian sources, especially Christian iconography, gnostic literature, and Syriac material, as well as later sources such as the Qur'an and Jewish medieval traditions, are also consulted. The contributors are Michael E. Stone, Vered Hillel, Aryeh Amihay, Michael Tuval, Daniel Machiela, Claire Pfann, Esther Eshel, Jeremy Penner, Rebecca Scharbach, Benjamin G. Wright III, Nadav Sharon and Moshe Tishel, Albert Geljon, Sergey Minov, Erica Martin, and Ruth Clements.

This volume introduces a cycle of stories about Abraham as preserved in fifteen unpublished, late medieval manuscripts in Armenian, published here in English for the first time with commentaries, annotations, and critical apparatus. The texts present embroidered Abraham stories dealing with his youth, his life in Egypt, the binding of Isaac, the story of Melchizedek, and other tales. Embedding Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and other ancient traditions, these texts demonstrate mutual borrowing and influence over centuries.

This short volume is at once a survey of recent particular discoveries which bid to transform our knowledge of Judaism in the Hellenistic Era, and a synthesis of the history of Judaism . . . The richness and freshness of Professor Stone's understanding of Judaism in the Hellenistic Age stems not only from his mastery of new lore; it arises also from a broad and objective humanistic mind prepared to relinquish cherished but antiquated views and bold to make new constructions. --Frank Moore Cross, Jr. Hancock Professor of Oriental Languages Harvard University This work integrates the important finds of the past thirty years into a fresh picture of Second Temple (Intertestamental) Judaism--its varieties, its contacts with Gnosticism and Hellenism, the ancient roots of its apocalyptic--whose dynamic complexity was never before imagined; a book widely learned yet readily accessible to the common reader. --Moshe Greenberg Professor of Bible Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor Michael Stone's Scriptures, Sects and Visions is not only an achievement in compactness, but a welcome elucidation of new discoveries and reinterpretations essential to the understanding of postbiblical Judaism and the beginnings of Christianity. --Judah Goldin Professor of Oriental Studies University of Pennsylvania

This book explores the legend of Adam's Contract with Satan that was made after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This legend was current in the Eastern Orthodox churches of SE Europe as well as in the Caucasus. Unknown forms of the legend have been found in two traditions, the Romanian and the Armenian, and are investigated here. Notably this legend has found its way into folk stories and sometimes into folk music, showing how widely it was accepted and distributed. This legend also inspired images in both traditions. In Romania the most striking illustration are to be found in Bukovina province, in frescos on the famous painted churches of that region, as well as in manuscript. In Armenia features of this story are incorporated into the iconography of the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan.

The Armenian tradition is particularly richly endowed with tales of biblical heroes such as such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Solomon, Daniel and Susanna, and more. Michael E. Stone translates these stories from medieval manuscripts into English and shows how some ancient traditions dating to the Second Temple period were transmitted and transformed by Armenian authors. The texts reflect the richness of Armenian creativity stimulated by piety and learning.

The Armenian tradition is particularly richly endowed with tales of biblical heroes such as such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Solomon, Daniel and Susanna, and more. Michael E. Stone translates these stories from medieval manuscripts into English and shows how some ancient traditions dating to the Second Temple period were transmitted and transformed by Armenian authors. The texts reflect the richness of Armenian creativity stimulated by piety and learning.