A revised edition containing new chapters on the Shekhina.The Hebrew Goddess demonstrates that the Jewish religion, far from being pure monotheism, contained from earliest times strong polytheistic elements, chief of which was the cult of the mother goddess. Lucidly written and richly illustrated, this third edition contains new chapters of the Shekhina.

This study documents the history, traditions, tales, customs, and institutions of the Jadid al-Islam—"New Muslims."In 1839, Muslims attacked the Jews of Meshhed, murdering 36 of them, and forcing the conversion of the rest. While some managed to escape across the Afghan border, and some turned into true believing Muslims, the majority adopted Islam only outwardly, while secretly adhering to their Jewish faith.Jadid al-Islam is the fascinating story of how t...

The essays collected in this volume, some of which are presented for the first time in English translation, provide a rich harvest of Jewish customs and traditional beliefs, gathered from all over the world and from ancient to modern times.On Jewish Folklore spans a half-century of scholarly inquiry by the noted anthropologist and biblical scholar Raphael Patai. He essays collected in this volume, some of which are presented for the first time in English t...

From Sophia to Jaffa chronicles the fascinating saga of a population relocated.Within two years of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, an astounding 45,000 of Bulgaria's 50,000 Jews left voluntarily for Israel. This mass exodus was remarkable considering that Bulgaria was the only Axis power to prevent the deportation of its Jews to the death camps during World War II. After their arrival in Israel, the Jews of Bulgaria were recognized as a m...

The I, Claudius author's "lightning sharp interpretations and insights . . . are here brought to bear with equal effectiveness on the Book of Genesis" ( Kirkus Reviews).This is a comprehensive look at the stories that make up the Old Testament and the Jewish religion, including the folk tales, apocryphal texts, midrashes, and other little-known documents that the Old Testament and the Torah do not include. In this exhaustive study, Robert Graves p...

Here the late Raphael Patai (1910-1996) recreates the fascinating world of Jewish seafaring from Noah's voyage through the Diaspora of late antiquity. In a work of pioneering scholarship, Patai weaves together Biblical stories, Talmudic lore, and Midrash literature to bring alive the world of these ancient mariners. As he did in his highly acclaimed book The Jewish Alchemists, Patai explores a subject that has never before been investigated by scholars. Based on nearly sixty years...

This multicultural reference work on Jewish folklore, legends, customs, and other elements of folklife is the first of its kind.

"An excellent . . . introduction to the challenges and benefits of reading Genesis 1-11 as a genuinely ancient (specifically ancient Near Eastern) text." —Iain Provon, author of Seriously Dangerous ReligionOrigins turns much of what Christians learned in Sunday School on its head in a revealing comparison of the Genesis narrative to the competing pagan narrative of the day. Relatively few Bible readers are familiar with the world of the ancient Nea...

50 essential doctrines, clearly and succinctly explainedChristian doctrine must be confessed by the church, taught from generation to generation, and applied to daily life. In this volume theologian Gregg Allison unpacks fifty key doctrines of the Christian faith, including the foundational doctrines of● the nature and works of God● the Bible● God's created beings● Jesus● the Holy Spirit● salvation● the church...

A new edition of the "brilliantly original and highly sophisticated" study of saint worship after the fall of the Roman Empire ( Library Journal).In this groundbreaking work, Peter Brown explores how the worship of saints and their corporeal remains became central to religious life in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. During this period, earthly remnants served as a heavenly connection, and their veneration is a fascinating window into the...

Six thousand years. Sixty languages. One "brisk and breezy" whirlwind armchair tour of Europe "bulg[ing] with linguistic trivia" ( The Wall Street Journal).Take a trip of the tongue across the continent in this fascinating, hilarious and highly edifying exploration of the many ways and whys of Euro-speaks—its idiosyncrasies, its histories, commonalities, and differences.Most European languages are descended from a single ancestor, a language not un...

"A philosophical look at the history of our species which alternated between fascinating and frightening . . . like reading Dean Koontz or Stephen King." — Rocky Mountain NewsThe Lucifer Principle is a revolutionary work that explores the intricate relationships among genetics, human behavior, and culture to put forth the thesis that "evil" is a by-product of nature's strategies for creation and that it is woven into our most basi...