History

An extraordinary account of how the Christian Revolution forged the Western imagination “A galloping tour of Christianity’s influence across the last 2,000 years.” —New York Times Crucifixion, the Romans believed, was the worst fate imaginable, a punishment reserved for slaves. How...

How did the shift from matriarchy to patriarchy come about? In fascinating detail, Merlin Stone tells us the story of the Goddess who reigned supreme in the Near and Middle East.

Paula Fredriksen traces the evolution of early Christianity—or rather, of early Christianities—through five centuries of Empire, mapping its pathways from the hills of Judea to the halls of Rome and Constantinople.

This extraordinary document represents a new form of historical research and straightens out many open questions and misinterpretations. It takes the form of direct dialogues between a modern researcher and a member of the Qumran Essene community....

Katrina Hazzard-Donald explores African Americans' experience and practice of the herbal, healing folk belief tradition known as Hoodoo. Working against conventional scholarship, the author argues that Hoodoo emerged first in three distinct regions she calls "regional Hoodoo clusters"....

Audiobook narrated by Lee Strobel. Did Jesus of Nazareth really rise from the dead? Of the many world religions, only one claims that its founder returned from the grave. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very cornerstone of Christianity. But a dead man coming back to life? In our...

From an award-winning historian, the definitive account of the golden age of Rome—an ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness “Rarely has the distant past seemed so vividly alive.” —Financial Times The Pax Romana has long been shorthand for the empire’s golden age...

The most accessible and informative version of the Buddhist classic available in English, with instruction in meditation, illuminating commentary, and guidance in the practical use of the prayers The so-called “Tibetan Book of the Dead” has been renowned for centuries as a cornerstone of...

A major new history of the Crusades with an unprecedented wide scope, told in a tableau of portraits of people on all sides of the wars, from the author of Powers and Thrones. For more than one thousand years, Christians and Muslims lived side by side, sometimes at peace and sometimes at war...

This extraordinary work delves into the subject of religion in the prehistoric and ancient worlds—humankind's earliest quests for meaning.

Discover the beguiling history of witchcraft, magic, and superstition through the centuries and across the world in this stunningly audiobook. A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the...

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER · THE SPIRITUAL CLASSIC THAT HAS INFLUENCED MORE THAN 500,000 READERS ""A deep, uncompromising story about human and divine love.” — Los Angeles Times The profoundly moving and heart-rendering classic for anyone who has experienced the depths of love and loss...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Is the classic, accepted view of the life of Christ in some way incomplete? The authors of The Messianic Legacy present a provocative and meticulously researched look at Christ and the history of Christianity. “Enough to seriously challenge many traditional...

The basis for the upcoming HBO miniseries and the "definitive account of the Jonestown massacre" (Rolling Stone) -- now available for the first time in paperback. Tim Reiterman’s Raven provides the seminal history of the Rev. Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and the murderous ordeal at Jonestown...

The Essential Talmud is a masterful introduction by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz to the great repository of Jewish wisdom, the Talmud....

The Papyrus of Ani is a papyrus manuscript in the form of a scroll with cursive hieroglyphs and color illustrations that was created c.1250 BCE during the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt....

Traditional religion in the United States has suffered huge losses in recent decades. The number of Americans identifying as "not religious" has increased remarkably. Religious affiliation, service attendance, and belief in God have declined.

Historians know virtually nothing about the two decades following the crucifixion of Jesus, when his followers regrouped and began to spread his message....

In an era of hardening religious attitudes and explosive religious violence, this book offers a welcome antidote....

Would you like to improve your thoughts and feelings about the world around you? If so, then you will find Zoroastrianism and the Teachings of Zarathustra richly rewarding....

ystery Cults in the Ancient World makes plentiful use of artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as ancient literature and epigraphy, to reconstruct the sacred rituals and explore their origins....

From a brilliant, young, Harvard-trained anthropologist and contributor to The New Yorker comes a fascinating investigation into the spiritual practice of shamanism, from its beginnings to the present moment, for readers disaffected with organized religion who seek a more personal approach to...

In this highly accessible discussion, Bart Ehrman examines the most recent textual and archaeological sources for the life of Jesus, along with the history of first-century Palestine, drawing a fascinating portrait of the man and his teachings....

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The acclaimed author of Zealot examines humanity’s quest to make sense of the divine in this “timely, riveting, enlightening, and necessary” (HuffPost) history of our understanding of God. “A fascinating exploration of the interaction of our humanity and God...

ONE OF THE ECONOMIST'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 See ancient Rome through the eyes of a gladiator—from the evening before the games at the Colosseum to the evening after "A grippingly original way of making the alien world of the Roman Amphitheatre both accessible and comprehensible." —Tom...

Shadows of Terror and Mystery: Tales of Horror and Suspense by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a captivating collection that delves into the darker corners of the human imagination. Through masterful storytelling, Doyle weaves tales of suspense, horror, and psychological intrigue, keeping readers on edge with unexpected twists and chilling atmospheres. Each story explores fear, curiosity, and the unknown, showcasing Doyle’s skill in creating tension and vivid, memorable characters. This simplified and illustrated edition brings classic horror and suspense to modern readers, making it accessible...

Vi fu una donna prima di Eva? La domanda non nasce da un solo testo né da un unico momento storico. Attraversa i secoli, riappare in forme diverse e viene spesso attribuita a scritti che non l’hanno mai posta in questi termini. Tra ciò che è scritto e ciò che in seguito si è cominciato a raccontare, si apre uno spazio — ed è proprio in quello spazio che la leggenda prende forma. Questo libro ricostruisce l’emergere e lo sviluppo di tale idea attraverso i testi e le tradizioni stesse che l’hanno plasmata. Inizia nel mondo antico, dove nomi associati alla notte, al deserto e ...

Melchizedek’s Mystery: A Canonical Investigation of the Biblical Priest-King tackles one of Scripture’s most enigmatic figures with rigorous, text-driven analysis rather than speculation. Appearing briefly in Genesis 14, invoked prophetically in Psalm 110, and expounded in Hebrews 5–7, Melchizedek has been read as everything from a pre-incarnate Christ to a mere literary symbol. This book asks a focused question: when we let Genesis, Psalm 110, and Hebrews speak on their own terms, what portrait actually emerges? Drawing on a nine-variable rubric built directly from these passages—...

Where do demons come from? Are they fallen angels who rebelled with Satan? Are they the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim described in Genesis 6? Were they created as a separate class of spiritual beings? Or are modern readers misinterpreting ancient language altogether? The Origin of Demons offers a structured, comparative investigation of the major theories proposed in biblical and theological history. Rather than assuming a traditional answer, this book evaluates seven competing explanations using a consistent analytic framework. Each theory is tested against carefully defined criteria...

He is an unnamed man, forgotten by the world and remembered by history only for how his life ended — crucified beside Jesus of Nazareth. Set in the hard realities of first-century Judea, "Remember Me" imagines the life Scripture leaves unrecorded. Anchored in the Gospel account of Luke 23, the story explores what might have led one forgotten man there. Drawing from the rhythms of Jewish life, the brutality of Roman justice, and the long-awaited hope of a Messiah, the narrative remains faithful to the historical and spiritual world in which these events unfolded. At the center of the story...

¿Por qué el mal parece avanzar sin freno… y por qué, aun así, no ha logrado desbordarse por completo? Hace casi dos mil años, San Pablo habló de un misterio oculto en la historia: algo —o Alguien— que contiene la expansión del mal en el mundo. Lo llamó el Katejón. En su segunda carta a los Tesalonicenses, el apóstol explica que existe una fuerza que “retiene” la manifestación plena del misterio de la iniquidad hasta el momento permitido por Dios. Pero ¿qué es realmente ese freno invisible? ¿Dónde actúa hoy? En este libro, José Tadeo Moratinos propone una ...

Swords and Gavels, The Saviors and Judges of Israel details the vast difference between the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament concerning the job description of a Savior. Salvation before the New Testament was a physical act performed for the people in thier time of trouble. Wars, famine and other physical dangers are examples of what I mean. The New Testament has now spiritualized this topic because the salvation offered in the New Testament was not experienced and says it will not come until the end. Matthew 10:22-23

Biblical History of Israel: Historical Foundations for Biblical Theology takes readers on a guided journey through the story of Israel from its beginnings in the ancient Near East to the growth of Jewish communities throughout the world under foreign empires. Written for high school and college students, this textbook uses history, archaeology, ancient inscriptions, and biblical texts to explain how Israel developed over time—through the patriarchs, the monarchy, exile, restoration, and cultural change. Rather than simply trying to force the Bible and history to match perfectly—or ...

What if one of the most influential Old Testament scholars of the twentieth century has not yet been fully understood? In Yahuwah and the Temple Prophets: A Bibliometric Biography of Sigmund Mowinckel, Antony Hylton offers a groundbreaking study of the Norwegian scholar who transformed modern Psalms research. Best known for his monumental Psalmenstudien and his theory of Kultprophetie (cult prophecy), Sigmund Mowinckel reshaped how scholars understand the Psalms, the Temple, prophetic ministry, and Israel’s liturgical life. But this is not a conventional biography. Using a bibliometric ...

E se il creatore del nostro mondo non fosse il "Dio Buono" che ti hanno sempre descritto? Per secoli, una domanda ha tormentato i più grandi pensatori dell'antichità: se Dio è perfetto, perché il mondo è pieno di sofferenza, male e imperfezione?. Mentre la Chiesa ortodossa cercava risposte nel mistero e nella fede, un gruppo di ribelli intellettuali — gli Gnostici — propose una soluzione tanto radicale quanto scandalosa: il creatore di questo mondo è un'entità inferiore, ignorante e, in alcuni casi, apertamente malevola. In questo saggio avvincente, Luce L ti guida attraverso un ...