The acclaimed author team incorporates a dynamic combination of poetic narratives and enlightening commentary to make the myths come alive for students. Offering historical and cultural background, they also examine the enduring survival of classical mythology and its influence in the fields of art, literature, music, dance, and film.

Learn the stories of the most famous coins of the Bible from the widow's mite to the infamous thirty pieces of silver in Art Coins of the Bible. Discover the historical and cultural details of the lies and times of the ancient peoples of Biblical days. Keep the coin replicas that come in each book as reminders of days past but still important in the history of the western world.

One hundred years ago, Gabriel Wells, a New York bookseller, committed a crime against history. He broke up the world's greatest book, the Gutenberg Bible, and sold it off in individual pages. This is the story of an Australian man's hunt for those fragments and his family's debt to an act of literary vandalism..

In 1921, Wells' audacity scandalized the rare-book world. The Gutenberg was the first substantial book in Europe to have been printed on a printing press. It represented the democratization of knowledge and was the Holy Grail of rare books.

Was the break-up a sacrilege or a canny deal? New Yorkers were divided. For every frown of disapproval, there was a lick of the lips. It was the Roaring Twenties, the Gatsby era of fabulous wealth. Tycoons were in a feeding frenzy to acquire items that would demonstrate their refinement. Wells marketed the pages as 'Noble Fragments', they sold like hot cakes, and he died a rich man.

Half a century later, Sydney journalist Michael Visontay stumbled upon a mysterious legal document that linked Wells to his own family. He became obsessed by the Gutenberg's invisible imprint on his life, and set out to track down the pages of the broken bible.

Part detective story and part memoir, Noble Fragments is an expedition into the arcane world of book collectors and their eccentric passions, and a journey of discovery about how Wells's gamble set off a chain of events that changed a family's destiny.

ORIGINAL SIN is an investigation of the first acts of pedophilia within the Christian church. It is a book about the promotion and defense of child rape as a sacred Christian mystery.

The West's most venerated social, religious and political ideals stem from a cultural war waged against the human body. ORIGINAL SIN reveals the origin of this war.

Using the influence of the first Christian Emperors, and the moral authority of their political organization, powerful bishops of the early Church promoted the performance of sacred mysteries in which young children were starved, drugged, and sodomized. In ceremonies meant to test their purity, exorcist priests victimized young children from the ranks of the orphans and homeless who populated the large cities of the ancient world.

ORIGINAL SIN focuses on the writings of Christian priests themselves and the pagans who condemned their immoral activities. It shows that Church actively promoted and defended the rape of children, and that such crimes were present from the very earliest days of Christianity.

ORIGINAL SIN draws from ancient internal documents, written by venerated church leaders - written in Latin - who actively promoted the rape and molestation of children. Bishops, monks and priests of the early Church successfully defended themselves from legal prosecution for centuries. As the Roman public railed on priests for sexually exploiting children, the church leadership used its growing political influence to prevent any of the child rapists within the clergy from coming to justice.

ORIGINAL SIN also traces the divine feminine voice through Western history.
The potent combination of natural drugs and the feminine voice is the basis for western civilization. ORIGINAL SIN explores the foundation of western society as the product of a peculiar interaction chemical and biological forces

The pagan world was aware of the sexual crimes committed against these orphans, and waged a lengthy campaign against the priests who perpetrated these rapes.

Christian priests claimed that by sodomizing children, they were saving them from possession by the demons of the pagan religions. Christian theologians justified these acts of rape by pointing to some of the earliest writings of the apostles and even the acts of Jesus himself.

Exorcist priests specifically victimized young children from the ranks of the orphans and homeless who populated the large cities of the ancient world. The pagan world was aware of the sexual crimes committed against these orphans, and waged a lengthy campaign against the priests who perpetrated these rapes.

The Christian hierarchy claimed these children were being sexually tested in order to prevent them from being used in pagan rituals that required the same children to remain sexually inexperienced. Christian priests claimed that by sodomizing children, they were saving them from possession by the demons of the pagan religions.

Christian theologians justified these acts of rape by pointing to some of the earliest writings of the apostles and even the acts of Jesus himself. In the early church, groups of Christians in Asia Minor even formed their own associations that claimed the performance of such acts was a means of assuring the salvation of both the victims and the perpetrators.

The potent combination of natural drugs and the feminine voice is the basis for western civilization. ORIGINAL SIN explores the foundation of western society as the product of a peculiar interaction chemical and biological forces.

Some early church fathers believed Jesus had several relationships with young boys. Prominent church leaders argued that the apostle Mark was aware of this when he wrote in his gospel that Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane in the presence of a naked teenage boy.

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Note: The material in Hillman's first book, CHEMICAL MUSE, and here in ORIGINAL SIN was part of His dissertation research. While they could find no flaws in the work, his dissertation committee was so outraged by the material that Hillman found in the ancient texts - written in Latin, which he reads fluently - that they refused to pass the dissertation or award the doctorate unless he deleted the material. He did so and published the material about the used of psilocybin mushrooms and the emergence of Western Civilization. ORIGINAL SIN reveals more of the forbidden information that Dr. Hillman was uncovered.

Because of this work, Dr. Hillman has been black balled from academic classics - even though CHEMICAL MUSE has been widely acclaimed. He now teaches Latin in a private girls' school to inch out a living to support his wife and two children.

What one author said about Hillman's discoveries and his expulsion from Classics.

The role of psychoactive drugs has been airbrushed out of the conventional picture of Western civilization. The academics who have created this drug-free Greco-Roman world have found their nemesis in Dr. Hillman's The Chemical Muse. With clarity and directness the author gives us back a lost chapter of our Classical heritage and by doing so restores our understanding of this past.--Richard Rudgley, author of Lost Civilizations of the Stone Age

In this engaging study, Allan Chapman shows how the Holy Land took on new meaning for Europeans during the Victorian era. Previously, most Europeans had viewed the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern bank of the Jordan River as a literary backdrop for biblical narratives. During the nineteenth century, however, they began to take interest in this region as a literal, physical place. Technological inventions such as steam-powered travel, telegraphy, and photography made the Holy Land more accessible. In public museums, ordinary people could view artifacts ranging from Egyptian mummies to statues from Nimrud and Nineveh. In linguistics, translations of Egyptian hieroglyphs and Assyrian cuneiform broadened Europeans' awareness of myths, legends, and history. These discoveries in archaeology and linguistics brought new energy to nineteenth-century debates about whether the Scriptures were based on factual history.

In addition to explaining how Holy Land studies changed during the Victorian era, Allan Chapman identifies key people who facilitated those changes. He introduces readers to a diverse demographic that includes adventurers, astronomers, missionaries, ministers, learned women of independent means, and Queen Victoria's eldest son. Driven by a wide range of professional and personal motives, these individuals had a powerful impact on the Victorian public's understanding of the Holy Land.

The Turin Shroud is an intriguing scientific journey exploring one of the greatest mysteries of the world. It has captivated the curiosity of international scientists, as well as religious and non-religious inquirers. Hopefully, this book will elucidate insights which a casual observer may not think to consider, thereby enabling nonscientists to grasp the significance of findings that so astounds the scientific community. The Jewish perspective is also unique and intriguing. It elicits important insights: placing events and transporting readers into its historical context with surprising results. All facts have been meticulously documented with hundreds of notes and references. Foreword by Mark Antonacci, who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Shroud.

The author, Constantine Tischendorf, was one of the world's leading biblical scholars of his time. He spent much of his life searching for ancient biblical manuscripts, with his primary goal being to provide the world with the earliest scriptures in existence. Starting in 1844 Tischedorf's greatest discovery was made. While visiting St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai, he found what would later be confirmed as the oldest complete New Testament bible ever found. Most of the Old Testament was included as well. This book is his entire first-hand account of this amazing discovery, followed by his assessment of its historical importance. It took him three trips, altogether, to convince those in the monastery to trust him and allow this bible to be shared with the world. Most of it was brought to Russia, but it was later sold to the British Museum in 1933 after they bought it from the Russian government for 100,000 British pounds. The Mount Sinai Manuscript of the Bible, also included here in this Book Tree published edition, was written shortly after the arrival of the manuscript in England. It outlines the known history of this bible and its importance to the world. Today, after years of study by scholars, this codex has revealed what the original scriptures may have looked like and what portions could have been later added.

Consisting of spells, prayers and incantations, each section contains the words of power to overcome obstacles in the afterlife. The papyruses were often left in sarcophagi for the dead to use as passports on their journey from burial, and were full of advice about the ferrymen, gods and kings they would meet on the way. Offering valuable insights into ancient Egypt, The Book of the Dead has also inspired fascination with the occult and the afterlife in recent years.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Uncover the evocative history of The Road to Eleusis. Once held in hushed whispers, the Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of secret rituals and initiations in honor of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone. They stood as an enigmatic cornerstone of ancient Greek spirituality, capturing imaginations and fevered intrigue for close to two millennia. But beneath the veils of tradition and ceremony lay a potent secret.

First unveiled in this book's controversial 1978 release, a groundbreaking trio--a mycologist, chemist, and historian--proposed a radical theory: the sacred potion imbibed during these clandestine rites was infused with a potent, psychoactive entheogen. This was not just a challenge to conventional interpretations: it was a revolutionary reframe of the role that naturally occurring psychedelic drugs have played in spiritual rituals and rites since time immemorial.

The Road to Eleusis goes beyond dissecting ancient rites: it charts how the authors reshaped our modern understanding of entheogens' role in spiritual ceremony, revealing facets of the Mysteries previously thought lost to history. The authors share intriguing new insights on experiential religious practices, perspectives on the healing potential of psychedelics, and how--and why--the secrets of the Mysteries were deliberately concealed. The book's revelations reach beyond the scholarly into legal, social, and spiritual realms--all while recasting everything we thought we knew about the rites and rituals of Hellenic cults and expanding our understanding of foundational tenets of Western philosophical and spiritual thought.

This 30th-anniversary edition brings with it an enlightening preface by religious luminary Huston Smith and a renewed exploration of the chemical findings by Peter Webster. It powerfully argues for a reimagining of Western religious history and the transformative magic of entheogens.

First settled five thousand years ago by a mountain spring between the Mediterranean and Dead Sea, Jerusalem was named for the god (Shalem) that was worshipped there. When David reportedly conquered the city, ca. 1000 BCE, he transferred the Ark of the Covenant--and with it, the presence of the God of Israel--to this rocky outcrop. Here, David's son Solomon built a permanent house for the God of Israel called the first temple, and since then this spot has been known as the Temple Mount. After Babylonians destroyed Solomon's temple in 586 BCE, it was replaced by the second temple, which is the setting for many of the events described in the Gospel accounts. In 70 CE, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, leaving the Temple Mount in ruins. Two hundred and fifty years later, the emperor Constantine constructed the Church of the Holy Sepulcher around the spots where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried, and the church is now considered Jerusalem's holiest site by many Christians worldwide. In the late seventh century CE the focus shifted back to the Temple Mount, when an early Islamic ruler named Abd al-Malek enshrined the rocky outcrop in a monument that is still iconic of the city today: the Dome of the Rock. In 1099 Crusaders conquered Jerusalem, and although their rule was brief rule they left a deep impact on the city. Today, much of the old city retains its medieval appearance.

For followers of the three Abrahamic faiths, Jerusalem is the place where the presence of the God of Israel dwells--the meeting point of heaven and earth and the locus of divine and human interaction. Jerusalem through the Ages by Jodi Magness explores how these beliefs came to be associated with the city by introducing readers to its complex and layered history, providing a broad yet detailed account, including the most recent archaeological discoveries. Each chapter focuses on a key moment of transition from Jerusalem's beginnings to the Crusades of the medieval period, enabling readers to experience the city's many transformations as it changed hands and populations-Jebusites, Israelites, Judahites, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The book also includes a walking guide for visitors who wish to experience the city's many archaeological sites firsthand.

Margaret Barker believes that Christianity developed so quickly because it was a return to far older faith - far older than the Greek culture that is long-held to have influenced Christianity.

Temple Theology explains that the preaching of the gospel and the early Christian faith grew out of the centuries' old Hebrew longing for God's original Temple. These longings form the basis of the Old Testament exile theology and cause us reassess the relationship between Christianity and the Hebrew tradition. This is no fundamentalist work harking back to the idea that 'the oldest is the purest' Rather it is recognition that the Old Testament has a complex heritage and that those who shared this heritage did not share the same beliefs or scriptures - amongst these people were the first Christians.

In her exploration of temple theology, Margaret Barker finds clear references and beliefs in fundamental Christian concepts such as atonement, creation and covenant. This is a thorough and fascinating exploration of the theology of the original Jewish Temple.

The author, Constantine Tischendorf, was one of the world's leading biblical scholars of his time. He spent much of his life searching for ancient biblical manuscripts, with his primary goal being to provide the world with the earliest scriptures in existence. Starting in 1844 Tischedorf's greatest discovery was made. While visiting St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai, he found what would later be confirmed as the oldest complete New Testament bible ever found. Most of the Old Testament was included as well. This book is his entire first-hand account of this amazing discovery, followed by his assessment of its historical importance. It took him three trips, altogether, to convince those in the monastery to trust him and allow this bible to be shared with the world. Most of it was brought to Russia, but it was later sold to the British Museum in 1933 after they bought it from the Russian government for 100,000 British pounds. The Mount Sinai Manuscript of the Bible, also included here in this Book Tree published edition, was written shortly after the arrival of the manuscript in England. It outlines the known history of this bible and its importance to the world. Today, after years of study by scholars, this codex has revealed what the original scriptures may have looked like and what portions could have been later added.

The Bible is often dismissed as a book of myths, legends, fairy tales, and propaganda. Yet when we examine the archaeological evidence, its accuracy comes to light.

In Unearthing the Bible, Dr. Titus M. Kennedy presents 101 objects that provide compelling evidence for the historical reliability of Scripture from the dawn of civilization through the early church. Gathered from more than 50 museums, private collections, and archaeological sites, these pieces not only reinforce the reliability of the biblical narratives, but also provide rich cultural insights into the ancient world.

Using this visual guide, you can find context for your faith as you make your way through the Bible. Dr. Kennedy's photographs and detailed descriptions enable you to examine each piece of fascinating evidence for yourself.

From the earliest tablets of creation to artifacts connected with the life and resurrection of Jesus, Unearthing the Bible shows you can be confident there is an abundance of archaeological support for the history told in the Scriptures.

A Firsthand Look at a Groundbreaking Archaeological Discovery

In 2014, aerial photography revealed a submerged structure beneath the waters of Lake Iznik, near the ancient city of Nicaea. The structure appeared to be in the shape of an ancient basilica church, with a nave, aisles, and an apse pointing to the east. The discovery was named one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in 2014 by the Archaeological Institute of America. Earlier excavations in ancient Nicaea have revealed fourteen Byzantine churches in the city, but none of them can be dated as early as the fourth century.

Biblical scholar and archaeologist Mark Fairchild's work on the archaeological excavations in Turkey reveals what he argues is the likely location of the First Council of Nicaea. The Underwater Basilica of Nicaea includes:

• Beautiful images from the excavation
• Helpful maps from the dig site
• Fascinating insights for a location that could be the birthplace of Christian theology.

Jerusalem is the center of the universe, the hub of the three great monotheistic religions, yet how did a city located on the desert fringe, in the semi-arid southern highlands of Israel with little tillable land achieve such dominance? To provide answers to this enduring riddle, Israel Finkelstein has collected twenty-four of his best articles and essays covering the Middle Bronze Age to the late Hellenistic period. With critical and well-informed care, he analyzes archaeological evidence that often stands in tension with the biblical text. Topics of particular interest include the archaeology of the tenth century BCE; Saul, David, and Solomon in the Bible and archaeology; the first expansion of the city in the ninth century; its full growth in the late eighth to seventh centuries; Jerusalem and Judah under the Assyrian Empire; the days of King Josiah; and transormations in the Persian-Hellenistic era.

In Hermaphrodites, Gynomorphs and Jesus readers meet female gods with penises and discover how they impacted the development of western culture. Veneration of the Gynomorph is the basis for modern western law courts. The founders of democracy worshiped similar female divinities who possessed penises. Ritual sodomy as a means of celebrating hermaphroditic gods directly promoted the birth of western democracy. In fact, ancient priestesses responsible for guiding the worship of hermaphroditic goddesses laid the very foundations for democracy, science and philosophy.

Snake venoms used in cultic sex rituals were immensely popular in both Greece and Rome. In addition, abortion-inducing drugs promoted the first scientific investigations. Classical civilization relied heavily upon the use of cannabis, opiates, and hallucinogens, which were mixed with sexual stimulants. Hermaphrodites, Gynomorphs and Jesus reveals how the oldest western pharmaceuticals were sex drugs used in religious initiations in celebration of the Gynomorph.