Constructing their essays around specific cultural artifactsthat were created in the period and locale under study, thecontributors describe the cultural interactions among differentJews–from rabbis and scholars to non-elite groups, includingwomen–as well as between Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world.What they conclude is that although Jews have always had their ownautonomous traditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered thefixed product of either ancient ethnic or religious origins.Rather, it has shifted and assumed new forms in response to thecultural environment in which the Jews have lived. Mediterranean Origins , the first volume in Cultures ofthe Jews , describes the concept of the “People” or “Nation” ofIsrael that emerges in the Hebrew Bible and the culture of theIsraelites in relation to that of neighboring Canaanite groups. Italso discusses Jewish cultures in Babylonia, in Palestine duringthe Greco-Roman and Byzantine periods, and in Arabia during theformative ye

The first edition, released in 1995, was lauded by seasonedpractitioners and beginners alike. And no wonder. While most of theearly English-language books on feng shui were dauntingly mysticalor relied on complex calculations or culturally specific designpractices, Feng Shui Made Easy took a more holistic approach,clearly explaining the fundamentals while guiding readers on aninner journey of understanding. Thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated, the book isstructured around an “architecture of consciousness” that is reallythe inner landscape. The book explores each “house” of thebagua—the chart representing one’s journey through life;relationships with parents, loved ones, and community; creativity;spirituality; and connectedness to the source of life—and thesymbolism of the corresponding I Ching trigram. Feng Shui Made Easyhelps readers discover the nature of these connections, as well aslearn what obstructions must be removed to change fixed patterns ofbehavior and rest

In this gripping narrative history, Lesley Hazleton tells thetragic story at the heart of the ongoing rivalry between the Sunniand Shia branches of Islam, a rift that dominates the news now morethan ever. Even as Muhammad lay dying, the battle over who would takecontrol of the new Islamic nation had begun, beginning a successioncrisis marked by power grabs, assassination, political intrigue,and passionate faith. Soon Islam was embroiled in civil war,pitting its founder's controversial wife Aisha against hisson-in-law Ali, and shattering Muhammad’s ideal of unity. Combining meticulous research with compelling storytelling, Afterthe Prophet explores the volatile intersection of religion andpolitics, psychology and culture, and history and current events.It is an indispensable guide to the depth and power of theShia–Sunni split.

For anyone who has ever wondered about the mysteries that liebeyond everyday experience, or doubted the reality of theafterlife, Angels in My Hair is a moving and deeply inspirationaljourney into the unseen world. For as long as she can remember, Lorna Byrne has seen angels. Asa young child, she assumed everyone could see the otherworldlybeings who always accompanied her. Yet in the eyes of adults, herabnormal behavior was a symptom of mental deficiency. Today, sickand troubled people from around the world are drawn to her forcomfort and healing, and even theologians of different faiths seekher guidance. Lorna is trusted for her ability to communicate withspirits and angels—and by sharing her intimate knowledge of thespiritual world she offers a message of hope and love to usall. Angels in My Hair is an engrossing chronicle of Lorna’sincredible life story. Invoking a wonderful sense of place, shedescribes growing up poor in Ireland, finding work in Dublin, andmarrying the

Featuring 8 board books in a handy carry case, this Animals Learning Library will help develop children s picture word recognition while stimulating imagination and expanding their vocabularies. Packed with colourful photographs of familiar objects, each spread contains simple words and bright contemporary images that parents and children will love to share. The lightweight, chunky board book format makes these books perfect for little hands.

At the approach of the first millennium, the Christians ofEurope did not seem likely candidates for future greatness. Weak,fractured, and hemmed in by hostile nations, they saw no futurebeyond the widely anticipated Second Coming of Christ. But when theworld did not end, the peoples of Western Europe suddenly foundthemselves with no choice but to begin the heroic task of buildinga Jerusalem on earth. In The Forge of Christendom, Tom Holland masterfully describesthis remarkable new age, a time of caliphs and Viking sea kings,the spread of castles and the invention of knighthood. It was oneof the most significant departure points in history: the emergenceof Western Europe as a distinctive and expansionist power.

In a mixture of travel, adventure, and scholarship, historianTudor Parfitt sets out in search of answers to a fascinatingethnological puzzle: is the Lemba tribe of Southern Africa reallyone of the lost tribes of Israel, descended from King Solomon andthe Queen of Sheba? Beginning in the Lemba villages in South Africa, where hewitnesses customs such as food taboos and circumcision rites thatseem part of Jewish tradition, Parfitt retraces the supposed pathof the Lembas' through Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Tanzania, taking insights like Zanzibar and the remains of the stone city GreatZimbabwe. The story of his eccentric travels, a blend of theancient allure of King Solomon's mines and Prester John withcontemporary Africa in all its beauty and brutality, makes for anirresistible glimpse at a various and rapidly changingcontinent. And in a new epilogue, Parfitt discusses recent DNA evidencethat, amazingly, lends credence to the Lemba's tribal myth.

A noted historian of religion traces manifestations of thesacred from primitive to modern times, in terms of space, time,nature and the cosmos, and life itself. Index. Translated byWillard Trask.

World-renowned Buddhist teacher Roshi Kapleau brings a newintroduction to his twenty-five-year-old classic. Useful to bothinitiates and long-term disciples alike, the comprehensive guide isan overview of the profundities of Buddha. (Philosophy)

Indonesia,Southest Asia——the next front in the war on terrorism may be the most difficult…and explosive. Long before SZeptember11,2001,terrorism s global elite was already zeroing in on Indonesia——the worlds most populous lslamic nation,and its largest archipelago,where dense jungles and intricate,unpatrolled coastlines conceal almost endless hiding places.Acclaimed journalist and filmmaker Tracy Dahlby takes us into this dangerous terrain,both before and after9/11,interweaving the divergent perspectives of Koran thumping preachers,hardened holy warriors,military commandos,and embattled Muslim moderates,in a first-rate reporting adventure that sheds new light on the epidemic chaos now threatening our international community. By turns harrowing,thought-provoking,and humorous,Allah s torch charts a fascinating course through a sprawling land unknown to most Americans where the home-bred Jemaah Islamiyah,Asias answer to Al Qaeda,pursues its deadly ambition of pressing all of Southeast Asia unde

This intimate, affectionate portrait of Pope John Paul II byhis longtime secretary and confidant reveals fascinating newdetails about the opinions, hopes, fears, and dramatic life of thispublic man. “I had accompanied him for almost forty years: twelve in Krakówand then twenty-seven in Rome. I was always with him, always at hisside. Now, in the moment of death, he’d gone on alone. . . .Andnow? Who is accompanying him on the other side?” —From A Life with Karol Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz worked side by side with Pope JohnPaul II for almost forty years, enjoying unique access to both thepublic and private man. In A life with Karol, he provides aclose-up glimpse into the Pope’s life and the critical events ofhis papacy. Dziwisz was sitting next to the Pope during the assassinationattempt in 1981. He recounts the Pope's reaction to 9/11,describing his thoughts and feelings on that day. And theCardinal’s moving de*ion of the Pope’s haunting memories ofWorld War II unco

In this revelatory exploration of one of our most revered icons,a critically acclaimed author and professor takes us back to earlyChristianity to ask how a box of handwritten scrolls became theBible, and forward to see how the multibillion-dollar business thathas brought us Biblezines and Manga Bibles is selling down theBible's sacred capital. Showing us how a single official text wascreated from the proliferation of different *s, Beal tracesits path as it became embraced as the word of God and Book ofbooks. Among his surprising insights: * Christianity thrived for centuries without any Bible--there wasno official canon of *ures, much less a book big enough tohold them all. Congregations used various collections of scrollsand codices. * There is no "original" Bible, no single source text behind thethousands of different Bibles on the market today. The farther wego back in the Bible's history, the more versions we find. * The idea of the Bible as the literal Word of God is relativelynew--only about a century

Here, Roshi Kapleau addresses how Westerners can adapt andpractice Zen.

The Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism contends that each one ofus is already a Buddha — the enlightenment we seek is always withinus, waiting to be realized through mindfulness and concertedspiritual work. This truth pushes us toward practice, in the hopesthat we may awaken our potential and live up to what is insideus.?This is a?notion taught widely by ninth century Zen Master LinChi, and in his tradition Thich Nhat Hanh employs the teachings andwritings of Mahayana Buddhism to discuss specific topics inBuddhist study and practice. With these teachings, readers have thetools to awaken the Buddha within.

Discover Exciting New Treatments for Fibromyalgia Now you can take control of your fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) andbegin enjoying life again—today! This book dispels the myths andclearly lays out the truth about FMS and what you can do forrelief. Inside is compassionate, practical, and immediate guidancefor anyone affected by fibromyalgia, including: ·The causes, symptoms, and patterns of fibromyalgia ·How to find the right doctor and avoid costly and unnecessarytesting ·The latest drug treatments, including the use of antidepressantsand pain relievers ·How to minimize fatigue and sleep disturbance ·Lifestyle solutions to manage your life and your work, such asthe importance of exercise ·And much more! "Fibromyalgia is not a 'clean' disease like diabetes, preciselyclassified and precisely treated. My own experience has taught methat fibromyalgia is an illness much like other chronic conditionsthat must be considered from biological, psychological,

In this meticulously researched, unflinching, and reasonedstudy, National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer presentsshocking revelations about the role played by the Vatican in thedevelopment of modern anti-Semitism. Working in long-sealed Vaticanarchives, Kertzer unearths startling evidence to undermine theChurch’s argument that it played no direct role in the spread ofmodern anti-Semitism. In doing so, he challenges the Vatican’srecent official statement on the subject, We Remember. Kertzer tells an unsettling story that has stirred up controversyaround the world and sheds a much-needed light on the past.

A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven StoreyMountain is one of the most influential religious works of thetwentieth century. This edition contains an introduction byMerton's editor, Robert Giroux, and a note to the reader bybiographer William H. Shannon. It tells of the growing restlessnessof a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace andfaith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one ofthe most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist monks. At theAbbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," ThomasMerton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he hasfully immersed himself in it. The Seven Storey Mountain has been afavorite of readers ranging from Graham Greene to Claire BoothLuce, Eldridge Cleaver, and Frank McCourt. And, in the half-centurysince its original publication, this timeless spiritual tome hasbeen published in over twenty languages and has touched millions oflives.

Homeschooling is a large and growing phenomenon in U.S.society—the National Center for Education Statistics recentlyreported that in the last decade it grew at twelve times the rateof public school enrollments. Yet information about this populationis terribly incomplete. In this groundbreaking book, Robert Kunzmanuses his unprecedented access to six conservative Christianhomeschooling families to explore the subset of this elusive worldthat most influences public perception and rhetoric about thehomeschooling movement, from its day-to-day life to its broaderaspirations to transform American culture and politics.

Author Robert Sitler’s immersion in Mayan culture began with atransformative spiritual experience more than three decades ago inthe ruins of Palenque, Mexico. Led by a local to a nearby Mayanvillage, Sitler discovered firsthand what traditional Mayan lifewas like—a community of people living in peace with each other andtheir physical surroundings. In The Living Maya, he shares thisexperience and many that followed. In the process, he immersesreaders in a rich indigenous culture and offers a fresh view of the2012 phenomenon, focusing on the valuable lessons Mayan culture canteach us in this time of transition. Personal anecdotes areinterwoven with factual information about the roots of traditionalMayan customs and traditions, presenting a rare multifaceted viewof their simple yet profound way of life. The book showcases Mayaninfant care, community building, ties to nature, attitudes towardthe elderly, and orientation to spirituality. In The Living Maya,Sitler shows how following “the Mayan way” can he

In his brilliant long-awaited new book, Dr Brian Weiss revealshow our future lives can transform us in the present. We have alllived past lives. All of us will live future ones. What we do inthis life will influence our lives to come as we evolve towardsimmortality. In this new book, the bestselling author of ManyLives, Many Masters, has not only regressed his patients into thepast, but also progressed them into the future. He has discoveredthat our futures are variable - the choices we make now willdetermine the quality of our life when we return. For the firsttime, Dr Brian Weiss takes patients into the future in aresponsible, healing way. Using dozens of case histories, Dr Weissdemonstrates the therapeutic benefits of progression therapy tobring patients more peace, joy and healing, just as he has shownthat journeys into our past lives can cure physical or emotionalwounds in the present.

While in the service of India’s Nizam of Hyderabad, MarmadukePickthall converted to Islam and, with the help of Muslimtheologians and linguists, produced this clear and lovingly preciseEnglish interpretation of the Holy Koran. His work is honored bybeliever and non-believer alike for its unique combination ofpiety, scholarly rigor in its translation and explanatory notes,and deep feeling for the poetic beauty and moral grandeur of itsArabic original.

Colorstrology is a fascinating blend of astrology, numerology,and color theory that offers exciting new insights about our livesand relationships. Written by renowned astrologer Michele Bernhardtwith the artists at Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color,the system features 366 "birthday colors" that illustrate who weare and how we behave. For example, people born on January 29 (like Oprah Winfrey) sharethe color Keepsake Lilac; they are "ambitious" and "tender" and"born to make a difference . . . it is not uncommon to find [them]in front of an audience." People born on May 11 (like Salvador Dal) share the color Green Tea. They "have a vivid imagination and cansee new ideas and concepts more readily than others." Using Colorstrology, you'll quickly understand how to enhanceyour best personality traits with your birthday color. Thisfull-color book features detailed profiles of everyone you knowplus 366 perforated swatches so you can take your birthday colorwherever you go. PANTONE