The subject of sex was central to early Chinese thought. Discussed openly and seriously as a fundamental topic of human speculation, it was an important source of imagery and terminology that informed the classical Chinese conception of social and political relationships. This sophisticated and long-standing tradition, however, has been all but neglected by modern historians. In The Culture of Sex in Ancient China, Paul Rakita Goldin addresses central issues in the history of Chinese attitudes toward sex and gender from 500 B.C. to A.D 400.

Sheba, or Saba, is a region of high mountains and vast deserts situated in the southwest of the Arabian peninsula, in what is known today as Yemen. The mysteries and riches of Sheba and its people enticed the likes of Alexander the Great, the Emperor Augustus, and the kings of Ethiopia and Byzantium. From the eighth century to the first century B.C., the kingdom of Sheba dominated other realms in Southern Arabia, imposing its language, institutions, and artistic forms throughout the region.

In Arabia Felix from the Time of the Queen of Sheba, Jean-Francois Breton provides a detailed synthesis of this remote civilization, the uniqueness of the region's geography and climate, and the major events that shaped its history. He offers valuable insights into the Sabeans' daily life, their customs and religion, their relations with neighboring civilizations, and their modes of commerce.

A genuine renaissance is presently underway in the study of biblical interpretation and biblical culture in the early Christian age. The profundity and complexity of the early Christians engagement with Holy Scripture, in theology, in ecclesial and liturgical life, in ethics, and in ascetic and devotional life, are providing a rich resource for contemporary discussions of the Bible's ongoing "afterlife" within ecumenical Christian communities and contexts.

The Bible in Greek Christian Antiquity is a collection of wide-ranging essays on the influence of the Bible in numerous and varied aspects of the life of the Greek-speaking churches during the first four centuries. Essays appear under the general themes of (I) The Bible as a Foundation of Christianity; (II) The Bible in Use among the Greek Church Fathers; (III) The Bible in Early Christian Doctrinal Controversy; (IV) The Bible and Religious Devotion in the Early Greek Church. Individual essays probe topics as diverse as the use of the Bible in early Christian preaching and catechesis, appeals to Scripture in the conflicts between Jews and Christians, pagan use of Scripture against the Church, and the Bible's influence in early Christian art, martyrology, liturgical reading, pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and ascetical life.

Much of the volume constitutes a translation, revision, and adaptation of essays originally presented in the French volume Le monde grec ancien et la Bible (1984), Volume 1 of the series Bible de Tousles Temps. Four new studies appear, however, including an introductory essay on Origen of Alexandria as a guide to the biblical reader, and two essays on the biblical culture of early Eastern Christianmonasticism.

The Bible in Greek Christian Antiquity comes as an international project, the work of French, Swiss, Australian, and now Canadian and American scholars. It will be useful to students of early Christianity and the history of biblical interpretation, and will also serve as a useful introduction to the many dimensions of the reception of the Bible in the early Church.

This book compares Islamic and Western political formulations, highlighting areas of agreement and disparity. Building on this analysis, the author goes on to show that political Islam offers a serious alternative to the dominant political system and ideology of the West. Sabet argues that rather than leading to a "Clash of Civlizations" or the assimilation of Islam into the Western system, a positive process of interactive self-reflection between Islam and liberal democracy is the best way forward. Beginning this process, Sabet highlights key concepts of Islamic political thought and brings them into dialogue with Western modernity. The resulting synthesis is essential reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of Islamic and Middle Eastern politics, political theory, comparative politics and international relations.

A timely look at the church's presence in the Middle East The Middle East continues to dominate international news and global politics. From the perspective of religion, however, many Americans think of that area only in terms of Muslims and Israeli Jews and are unaware of the extensive Christian communities that still exist there. Who Are the Christians in the Middle East? chronicles the history and current state of Christianity in this highly volatile region of the world. Written by a married couple who has lived and worked a long time in the Middle East, this book is necessary reading for anyone who wishes to be au courant on the Christian dimension of the Middle East. The Baileys describe each Christian denomination now active in the region and provide country-by-country reports on the present situation of the church. They also discuss the history of the relationship between church and state in the Middle East, pointing out the challenges to the future of Middle Eastern Christians. In addition to these larger discussions, the book features introductory chapters on the Middle East and Christianity written by David A. Kerr, a professor of Christianity in the non-Western world, and Riad Jarjour, general secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches. Also included are an informative timeline and short vignettes on people and places of special historical significance to the church in the Middle East. Based on personal experience, official church documents, and extensive interviews, Who Are the Christians in the Middle East? looks at the conflicted Middle East region from a perspective that has received scant attention in the mainstream media.

It represents Asoka as a great humanitarian, wise statesman, good administrator, social reformer and upholder of truth, law and order. Nowhere else can we get such an immense wealth of information on the social and cultural milieu in the reign of this monarch.

Report on the archaeological survey of the southern and western slopes of Mount Hermon, a marginal region inhabited in ancient times by the Ituraeans, a people of Arab origin referred to in the Bible as sons of Ishmael and known to us mainly as an ethnic and political entity in the Hellenistic and early Roman periods. Through decription and analysis of the remnants and finds discovered in the sites explored Dar provides a synthesis and clarification of historical subjects and questions related to the culture and religion of the Ituraeans in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Unifier or destroyer, law-maker or tyrant? The First Emperor of China (258-210 BC) has been the subject of debate for over 2,000 years. Frances Wood examines the evidence and reveals the true nature of the man who had himself buried with an army of 7,000 life-size terracotta warriors.The First Emperor gave us the name by which China is known in the West and, by his unification or elimination of six states, created imperial China. He stressed the rule of law but suppressed all opposition, burning books and burying scholars alive. His military achievements are reflected in the 'buried armies' that surround his tomb, and his Great Wall still fascinates the world. Despite his achievements, however, he has been vilified since his death. This book describes his life and times and reflects the historical arguments over the real founder of China and one of the most important men in Chinese history.

Great Perfection tells the story of the Ba of Sichuan and of the Li family in particular. Engaging the most recent scholarship in Western, Chinese, and Japanese languages (including archaeological and ethnic publications), the study begins in the mists of prehistory, traces the early history, of the Ba, chronicles the rise of the Daoist faith and their role in it, then sets forth in detail a chronicle of the state of Great Perfection -- the kingdom they built in an attempt to realize the Daoist utopia.