Step into the world of ancient Greece and explore the rich and captivating mythology of the Greek gods with our "Greek Gods & Goddesses" book bundle. This bundle includes four books dedicated to four of the most prominent and powerful gods in Greek mythology: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Athena. Book 1 - Zeus: God Of Thunder And Sky In this book, you will discover the fascinating world of Zeus, the god of thunder and sky. Explore the stories of his birth, his rise to power, and his many conquests and adventures. Learn about the myths surrounding Zeus, including his battles with the Titans and his love affairs with mortal women. Book 2 - Hera: The Queen Of Heaven And Earth Discover the powerful and enigmatic goddess Hera, the queen of heaven and earth. In this book, you will explore the myths and legends surrounding Hera, including her marriage to Zeus, her role as the protector of women, and her many fierce battles with her enemies. Book 3 - Poseidon: The God Of The Sea And Earthquakes Explore the vast and mysterious world of Poseidon, the god of the sea and earthquakes. In this book, you will delve into the myths and legends surrounding Poseidon, including his rivalry with Athena, his many trysts with mortals, and his fearsome battles with monsters and sea creatures. Book 4 - Athena: The Goddess Of Wisdom, War, And Crafts Enter the realm of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts. In this book, you will discover the myths and legends surrounding Athena, including her birth from the head of Zeus, her battles with Ares, and her patronage of the arts and sciences. With this "Greek Gods: 4 In 1" book bundle, you will immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Greek mythology and uncover the stories of some of the most powerful and revered gods and goddesses of all time. From the thunderous power of Zeus to the wisdom of Athena, each book in this bundle offers a unique and captivating perspective on the rich mythology of ancient Greece. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore the world of Greek gods and goddesses. Order your copy of "Greek Gods & Goddesses" today and experience the wonder and magic of ancient Greece!

This is the first full-scale assessment of the theological, social and ideational implications of our new understandings of ancient Israel's social and religious development. Scholars now stress the gradual emergence of Israel out of the culture of ancient Palestine and the surrounding ancient Near East rather than contrast Israel with the ancient world. Our new paradigms stress the ongoing and unfinished nature of the monotheistic 'revolution', which is indeed still in process today. Gnuse takes a further bold step in setting the emergence of monotheism in a wider intellectual context: he argues brilliantly that the interpretation of Israel's development as both an evolutionary and revolutionary process corresponds to categories of contemporary evolutionary thought in the biological and palaeontological sciences (Punctuated Equilibrium).

In this study, Michael Hundley explores the diverse deities of ancient Near Eastern and biblical literature, from deified doors and diseases to the masters of the universe. Using data from Mesopotamia, Hittite Anatolia, Egypt, the Levant, and non-priestly Genesis and Exodus, Hundley explains their context-specific approach to deity, which produces complex and seemingly contradictory portraits. He suggests that ancient deities gained prominence primarily by co-opting the attributes of other deities, rather than by denying their existence or inventing new powers. He demonstrates that the primary difference between biblical and ancient Near Eastern presentations lies in their rhetorical goals, not their conceptions of gods. While others promote divine supremacy, Genesis and Exodus promote exclusive worship. Hundley argues that this monolatry redefined the biblical divine sphere and paved the way for the later development of monotheism and monotheistic explanations of evil.

Have you ever wondered what the God of the Bible is up to? Have you asked what he is trying to accomplish considering the state of our world and your own life? Is he paying attention while nations war against nation, when innocents die at the hands of terrorists, when crime cripples families, when individuals can’t seem to get their lives together? Is he at fault? Are we? How does he plan to make right everything that has gone wrong? And we know this world has gone wrong! Does he really love us? If he does, how has he shown it? Is this world all there is, or should I hope for something more, something better and eternal? If you’ve had questions like these, then this book is for you. Read on for a discussion of God’s working through creation, turning away (sin), reconciliation, and restoration (heaven) and see what you might have missed—see what God is really up to.

Angels are a basic tenet of belief in Islam, appearing in various types and genres of text, from eschatology to law and theology to devotional material. This book presents the first comprehensive study of angels in Islam, through an analysis of a collection of traditions (hadīth) compiled by the 15th century polymath Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūtī (d. 911/1505). With a focus on the principal angels in Islam, the author provides an analysis and critical translation of hadith included in al-Suyuti’s al-Haba’ik fi akhbar al-mala’ik (‘The Arrangement of the Traditions about Angels’) – many of which are translated into English for the first time. The book discusses the issues that the hadīth raise, exploring why angels are named in particular ways; how angels are described and portrayed in the hadīth; the ways in which angels interact with humans; and the theological controversies which feature angels. From this it is possible to place al-Suyūtī’s collection in its religious and historical milieu, building on the study of angels in Judaism and Christianity to explore aspects of comparative religious beliefs about angels as well as relating Muslim beliefs about angels to wider debates in Islamic Studies. Broadening the study of Islamic angelology and providing a significant amount of newly translated primary source material, this book will be of great interest to scholars of Islam, divinity, and comparative religion.

About 5,000 years ago the first urban societies developed laying the foundations for the first civilizations. Nearly all civilizations share the same few features- they have abundant food surpluses, contained cities, political bureaucracies, armies, defined religious and social hierarchies and long distance trading. Ancient Egyptian culture flourished between c. 5500 BCE with the rise of technology (as evidenced in the glass-work of faience) and 30 BCE with the death of Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt. It is famous today for the great monuments which celebrated the triumphs of the rulers and honored the gods of the land. The culture is often misunderstood as having been obsessed with death but, had this been so, it is unlikely it would have made the significant impression it did on other ancient cultures such as Greece and Rome. Neolithic means "e;new stone"e;, even though agriculture was the crowning achievement of the period. Civilizations started out small. Agriculture at first tended to tie only small groups together. These groups also all settled along rivers, important as a reliable and predictable source of water. As time passed, families usually worked the same plot of land over successive generations, leading to the concept of ownership. Ancient mortars and grinding tools unearthed in a large mound in the Zagros Mountains of Iran reveal that people were grinding wheat and barley about 11,000 years ago. Grass pea, wild wheat, wild barley, and lentils were found throughout the site, including some of the earliest known samples. This was much further east than most sites known for early agriculture. This book furnishes with utmost facility to all classes of readers, the needed information on ancient civilization. The unusual variety of the subject makes this a work of endless fascination.

In this book devoted exclusively to temples and perceptions of the divine presences that inhabit them, Michael B. Hundley focuses on the official religions of the ancient Near East and explores the interface between the human and the divine within temple environs. Hundley identifies common ancient Near Eastern temple systems and examines issues that include what temple structures communicate, how temples were understood to function, temple ideology, the installation of divine presence in a temple, the connection between presence and physical representation, and human service to the deity. Drawing on architectural and spatial theory, ritual theory, theories of language, art history, archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, and comparative studies, Hundley offers a single interpretive lens through which to view temple worship. Features: A close examination of temples in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Hittite Anatolia, and Syria-Palestine An interdisciplinary treatment of architecture, language, ritual, and art A dual focus on how a deity's divine presence connects to space and art and how human service to the deity maintains the deity's active presence