First published in 1938, this title presents the greater part of the 1933 Gifford Lectures in natural theology, given by Edwyn Bevan. The questions raised regarding the element of symbolism in religious conceptions takes the reader to the very heart of the religious problem, and addresses some of the most fundamental questions posed by theology and comparative religion: the nature of ‘Spirit’; the spiritual efficacy of sacred histories and the images they utilise, in particular those found...

First published in 1927, this title presents a well-regarded study of this intriguing and often over-looked period of Egyptian history, both for the general reader and the student of Hellenism.Edwyn Bevan describes his work as ‘an attempt to tell afresh the story of a great adventure, Greek rule in the land of the Pharaohs…which ends with the astounding episode of Cleopatra’. The result is a remarkable synthesis of historical scholarship, prose style and breadth of vision, which wi...

The Ptolemaic dynasty, sometimes also known as the Lagids or Lagidae, was a Macedonian Greek royal family, which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 to 30 BC. They were the last dynasty of ancient Egypt.This is the history of the House of Ptolemy.

The House of Seleucus, by noted historian Edwynt Bevan, chronicles the history of the Seleucid Empire, founded by Seleucus I Nicator following the death of Alexander the Great.

Firstpublished in 1940, this title presents four of the Gifford Lectures in natural theology given by Edwyn Bevan in 1933: ‘An Inquiry into Idolatry and Image-Worship in Ancient Paganism and Christianity’. Reference is made throughout all four lectures not only to the conventional disputes in Western Christianity, but also to the attitudes of Hebrew, Pagan, Patristic, Muslim and Eastern thinkers towards the role of symbols and symbolism in worship. In this way, a subject of perennial fasci...

The lectures contained in this volume were given for the University of Edinburgh on Lord Gifford's foundation in the years 1933 and 1934. I have delayed their publication in the hope that with process of time I might, by further reading and thought, be able to expand and modify them, so as to make them more worthy of presentation to the public in the form of a book. This hope has been so meagrely realized that it now seems best to let them go forth, with all their imperfections on their he...

First published in 1921, this title examines the relationship between what the author labels the ‘rationalist’ element in Western culture on the one hand, derived from the ancient Greeks, and Christianity, on the other. Bevan contends that these two traditions are distinct, but not mutually exclusive, and that to understand fully their mutuality and reciprocity it is necessary to examine the distinct history of both: their individual provenances, their fusion and interpenetration, and also...

First published in 1929, this title presents some reflections from one of the leading cultural commenters of his day, Edwyn Bevan, on the notoriously controversial subject of burgeoning Indian Nationalism during the twilight of the British Empire.Bevan’s analysis of the peculiarities, tensions and divisive issues of the Indian situation as it existed at the end of the 1920s is of particular relevance today, as historians attempt to develop a nuanced and, as far as possible, objecti...

The ancient world as a whole believed in the existence of a world of spirits beyond, or alongside, the visible, tangible world. They believed also that communications between these two worlds frequently took place: everywhere we find diviners and prophets, oracles and visionaries.First published in 1928, Sibyls and Seers investigates the various aspects of this ‘superstition’ in the Ancient Near East, in Homer, the Greek tragedians, and the myriad religions of the Roman Em...

The book delves into the intellectual and political roots of Pan-Germanism, tracing its development from early nationalist movements to the more organized and aggressive policies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bevan examines the ideas promoted by key figures in the movement, such as Heinrich von Treitschke and other proponents of German expansionism. He analyzes how Pan-Germanism intersected with broader European politics, particularly in relation to nationalism, imperialism, a...

The Pan-German Programme is a seminal treatise that articulates the aspirations of German nationalism in the late 19th century. Written anonymously, the text employs a persuasive rhetorical style, weaving together historical analysis, socio-political commentary, and fervent calls for national unity. The author's arguments are constructed around the notion of a Greater Germany, emphasizing the need for territorial expansion and cultural cohesion among all German-speaking peoples, a concept ...