The Book of Enoch is the most notable extant apocalyptic work outside the canonical Scriptures. It describes the fall of the Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim (cf. the bene Elohim, Genesis 6:1-2). The fallen angels went to Enoch to intercede on their behalf with God after he declared to them their doom. The remainder of the book describes Enoch's visit to Heaven in the form of a vision, and his revelations.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

1938. Written by Dr. and Mrs. W.P. Phelon, founders of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Atlantis, Luxor and Elphantae, with extensive notes exemplifying Occult Laws by R. Swinburne Clymer. The three seven-year periods of development in the experience of the Neophyte are explained. Years are used allegorically to indicate a period of time required for development, depending on the application and seriousness of the student. As the story unfolds, the mystical meaning of Soul Initiation is hidden in a human-interest romance.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

Compiled From Historical Documents And Family Papers. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

Many would dismiss the idea of Christianity before Christ as being ridiculous without looking at any evidence. Yet some church fathers have admitted that the Christian religion did in fact exist before the Christian era, including St. Augustine himself who said, "The very thing which is now called the Christian religion existed among the ancients also, nor was it wanting from the inception of the human race until the coming of Christ in the flesh, at which point the true religion which was already in existence began to be called Christian." This is an important book for those interested enough to look at valid research. It approaches the subject from a general church view and a Gnostic point of view, plus chapters on The Hebrew Scriptures, Non-Jewish Evidence, The Sun-God of the New Testament, and Sun-God Worship in the Days of the Fathers. A man named Jesus may still have existed, but a number of pagan mythologies involving the sun may have been added into the story of his life in order to bring the more stubborn pagans of the time into the Christian fold. This timeless story should not diminish Christianity, but should enhance it with a deeper spiritual value for those willing to shed a strict dogmatic viewpoint. It can be difficult to fully understand our older religions because of their age and the changes that occur over time, but this book goes back to uncover some of the more interesting elements that are shown to exist. It fits well for the more modern world, as we continue to gain a better understanding of ourselves and the origins of our beliefs.

Paganism is held to be the fastest growing 'religion' in Britain today. Pagan identities and constructions of sacredness contest assumptions of a 'closed' past and untouchable heritage, within a socio-politics in which prehistoric archaeology -- the stone circles, burial cairns and rock art of the British Isles -- is itself subject to political and economic threats. Pagans see prehistoric monuments in a living, enchanted landscape of deities, ancestors, spirits, 'wights' and other non-human agencies engaged with for personal and community empowerment. From all areas of Britain and indeed worldwide, people come to sacred sites of prehistory to make pilgrimage, befriend places, give offerings, act as unofficial 'site guardians', campaign for 'site welfare'. Summer solstice access at Stonehenge attracts tens of thousands of celebrants; threats of quarrying near Derbyshire's Nine Ladies stone circle or Yorkshire's Thornborough Henges lead to protests and campaigns for the preservation of sacred landscapes and conservation of plant and animal species. Pagans can be seen as allies to the interests of heritage management, yet instances of site damage and recent claims for the reburial of non-Christian human remains disrupt the preservation ethos of those who manage and study these sites, and the large-scale celebrations at Stonehenge and Avebury are subject to continual negotiation. In this book an anthropologist (Blain) and archaeologist (Wallis) examine interfaces between paganisms and archaeology, considering the emergence of 'sacred sites' in pagan and heritage discourse and implications of pagan involvement for heritage management, archaeology, anthropology -- and for pagans themselves, as well as considering practical guidelines for reciprocal benefit.

With A Supplementary Chapter On Remains Of Lake-Dwellings In England.

The contributions to this volume, which come from the Fifth Mingana Symposium, survey the use of the Bible and attitudes towards it in the early and classical Islamic periods. The authors explore such themes as early Christian translations of the Bible into Arabic, the use of verses from it to defend the truth of Christianity, to interpret the significance of Islam and to prove its error, Muslim accusations of corruption of the Bible, and the influences that affected production of Bibles in Muslims lands. The volume illustrates the centrality of the Bible to Arab Christians as a source of authority and information about their experiences under Islam, and the importance of upholding its authenticity in the face of Muslim criticisms. Contributors include: Samir Arbache, Mark Beaumont, Emmanouela Grypeou, Lucy-Anne Hunt, Juan Pedro Monferrer Sala, Said Gabriel Reynolds, Barbara Roggema, Harald Suermann and Mark Swanson.

The Eightfold Path is a wheel of eight roads to opening the mind and soul, eight paths of altered states. From rhythm to utiseta to fasting to ordeal, this book covers the ways that the ancient shamans of the Northlands used these paths to open themselves to the Wights. The fourth book in the Northern-Tradition Shamanism series, this book includes spirit-taught lessons from many different spirit-workers and the Gods that they serve and revere.

From dealing with Gods and spirits, to mastering the elements to reading the Threads of Wyrd, this book is a primer for the basic skills of a northern-tradition shaman or shamanic practitioner. The third book in the Northern-Tradition Shamanism series, this book includes spirit-taught lessons from many different spirit-workers and the Gods that they serve and revere.

THE ISLES OF THE MANY GODS: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses worshipped in Ancient Britain during the first Millenium CE through to the Middle Ages By David Rankine & Sorita D'Este The British Isles have long been seen as a place of mystery & magic. For many thousands of years successive waves of invaders each brought their own gods & goddesses with them, often assimilating the beliefs of the tribes they conquered. The Celtic races merged with the indigenous people, they were conquered by the Romans, who brought with them deities from all over the Roman Empire (including Greece & Egypt). After them came the Saxons & other Germanic tribes, further adding to the rich tapestry that forms part of our spiritual heritage today. The Isles of the Many Gods brings together, for the first time, information on the worship of these deities in Britain, in an easy to use A-Z. It includes both the native & immigrant gods & goddesses, from well known gods like Apollo, Brigit, Freya, Herne, Isis, Mars & Woden to lesser known ones like Abandinus, Arianrhod, Genii Cucullati, Midir, Vitiris & the Wheel God. There are more than 240 entries providing information regarding the evidence of their worship in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland & the Isle of Man. Drawing from archaeology, architecture, art, artefacts, currency, place-names & literature thereby providing an excellent reference work for those interested in the spiritual beliefs of our ancestors. About the Authors Sorita D'Este and David Rankine are internationally recognized for their research and writing on mythology, spirituality and magickal practices of both ancient and modern times. They have collaborated on a number of projects in the past, including "The Guises of the Morrigan" and "Circle of Fire." Between them they have authored more than a dozen books, sometimes working with other authors with expertise in a particular area. In addition to books, Sorita and David have also contributed many articles to magazines, journals and websites over the years. Notably they were major contributors to the very successful D'Agostini "Enhancing Your Mind Body Spirit" partwork. They live and work in Wales (UK). For more information visit: www.avalonia.co.uk

The Pathwalker's Guide to the Nine Worlds is the first written exploration of the ancient Norse/Germanic cosmology not by academics and mythologists, but by the experiences of northern-tradition spirit-workers astrally visiting the Cosmos of the World Tree and the Nine Worlds that surround it. Written as a travelogue and etiquette-primer for would-be worldwalkers, and centered around the author's experiences on a nine-day walking tour of the Nine Worlds, this is the first book of its kind ever published.

With An Introduction On Hebrew Paleography And The Ancient Versions And Facsimiles Of Inscriptions.

Devotion to religion was the distinguishing characteristic of the Etruscan people, the most powerful civilization of Italy in the Archaic period. From a very early date, Etruscan religion spread its influence into Roman society, especially with the practice of divination. The Etruscan priest Spurinna, to give a well-known example, warned Caesar to beware the Ides of March. Yet despite the importance of religion in Etruscan life, there are relatively few modern comprehensive studies of Etruscan religion, and none in English. This volume seeks to fill that deficiency by bringing together essays by leading scholars that collectively provide a state-of-the-art overview of religion in ancient Etruria.

The eight essays in this book cover all of the most important topics in Etruscan religion, including the Etruscan pantheon and the roles of the gods, the roles of priests and divinatory practices, votive rituals, liturgical literature, sacred spaces and temples, and burial and the afterlife. In addition to the essays, the book contains valuable supporting materials, including the first English translation of an Etruscan Brontoscopic Calendar (which guided priests in making divinations), Greek and Latin sources about Etruscan religion (in the original language and English translation), and a glossary. Nearly 150 black and white photographs and drawings illustrate surviving Etruscan artifacts and inscriptions, as well as temple floor plans and reconstructions.

One of the masterpieces of Latin and, indeed, world literature, Virgil's Aeneid was written during the Augustan "renaissance" of architecture, art, and literature that redefined the Roman world in the early years of the empire. This period was marked by a transition from the use of rhetoric as a means of public persuasion to the use of images to display imperial power. Taking a fresh approach to Virgil's epic poem, Riggs Alden Smith argues that the Aeneid fundamentally participates in the Augustan shift from rhetoric to imagery because it gives primacy to vision over speech as the principal means of gathering and conveying information as it recounts the heroic adventures of Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome.

Working from the theories of French phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Smith characterizes Aeneas as a voyant-visible, a person who both sees and is seen and who approaches the world through the faculty of vision. Engaging in close readings of key episodes throughout the poem, Smith shows how Aeneas repeatedly acts on what he sees rather than what he hears. Smith views Aeneas' final act of slaying Turnus, a character associated with the power of oratory, as the victory of vision over rhetoric, a triumph that reflects the ascendancy of visual symbols within Augustan society. Smith's new interpretation of the predominance of vision in the Aeneid makes it plain that Virgil's epic contributes to a new visual culture and a new mythology of Imperial Rome.

This lively translation of "Devins, Dieux et Demons" is the first English-language edition of Jean-Rene Jannot's highly informative examination of Etruscan religion. Jannot tackles this elusive subject within three major constructs--death, ritual, and the nature of the gods--and presents recent discoveries in an accessible format. Jane K. Whitehead's translation updates Jannot's innovative text and introduces readers of all types--students, scholars, and the general audience--to this thorough overview of ancient Etruscan beliefs, including the afterlife, funerary customs, and mythology.
Provocative insights and thoughtful discussions contribute to an understanding of the prophetic nature of Etruscan culture. Jannot investigates the elaborate systems of defining space and time that so distinctly characterize this ancient society. "Religion in Ancient Etruria" offers a unique perspective that illuminates the origins of some of our own "modern" religious beliefs.
This updated edition includes more than 100 illustrations that demonstrate early temples, statues, mirrors, tablets, and sculptures.
1998 French edition, Picard

This edition of Books I & II of St Augustine's The City of God (De Civitate Dei) is the only edition in English to provide a text and translation as well as a detailed commentary of this most influential document in the history of western Christianity. In these books, written in the aftermath of the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Goths, Augustine replies to the pagans, who attributed the fall of Rome to the Christian religion and its prohibition of the worship of the pagan gods. Latin text with facing-page English translation, introduction and commentary.

1899. The object of this work is to give the reader an account of the principal facts concerning Babylonian religion and mythology. The text is based on the cuneiform inscriptions that have been excavated in Mesopotamia during the last 55 years and the writings of the Semitic peoples of the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates revealing their religious beliefs and superstitions. Contents: The Gods of Babylon; Heaven, Earth, and Hell; The Legends of Creation; The Story of the Deluge; Tales of Gods and Heroes; and The Duty of Man to his God and to his Neighbor. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Contents: origin and progress of idolatry; on barrows; origin and extent of druidism; Silbury Hill; on the serpent at Abury; temples at Abury; temples of Mercury and Venus; ancient British trackway; St. Ann's Hill, remarks on the feudal system; temples of Mars and Jupiter; Stonehenge; names of Stonehenge; on the Fosse of Stonehenge and the stones located on it; Stonehenge and the conjoint Temple of Saturn and the Sun; Platonic cycle; summary of the foregoing arguments and conclusion.

The author draws on textual readings, archaeological and historical data, and epigraphy to determine what may be known about the Israelite religions during the Iron Age (1200 - 586 BCE). The evidence is synthesized within the structure of an Israelite worldview and ethos involving kin, tribes, land, traditional ways and places of worship, and a national deity. Professor Zevit originated this interpretive matrix through insights, ideas and models developed in the academic study of religion and history within the context of the humanities. He is original, for instance, in his conclusions about the pre-canonical history of many psalms, the two-stage history of Israelite altars, and the unrecognised religious significance of some Hebrew inscriptions and archaeological sites. Throughout the book, the author has set a precedent which should encourage dialogue and co-operative study between ancient historians and archaeologists, but particularly between Iron Age archaeologists and biblical scholars. The work challenges many conclusions of previous scholarship about the nature of Israelite religion, even as it presents scholars with new data, new interpretations of old data, and suggestions for new questions for research.