A radical reexamination of Western history that suggests the descendants of Moses were the architects of the rise of the Roman Church and the ancestors of European aristocracy • Answers the inexplicable disappearance of all mention of Moses’s descendants from the Bible • Reveals the key role played by Josephus Flavius in shaping early Christianity • Explains the connection of this secret priesthood to modern secret societies like the Freemasons After the book of Exodus, Moses’s two sons and numerous descendants all vanish from the Bible. Flavio Barbiero’s investigation of this strange absence and his study of the centuries-long power struggle between the priestly families fighting for control of the Temple of Jerusalem starts with the rebellion against Rome--and the emergence of Josephus Flavius, one of Moses’s descendants, on the world stage. In AD 70 when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus Flavius and thousands of Jewish priests were exterminated, Josephus, now bearing his sponsor’s last name, followed Titus Flavius to Rome with at least 250 relatives and friends. Here they were made Roman citizens but then subsequently disappeared from recorded history. Barbiero’s careful study of early Christianity shows, however, that these surviving members of Moses’s high-priest lineage succeeded in taking control of the nascent Roman Church and masterminded its extraordinary success. Using a wide range of evidence drawn from fields as disparate as archaeology, heraldry, and genetics, Barbiero shows how these descendants of Moses used the cult of Mithras to eventually seize control of the secular Roman authority as well. He then follows, step by step, the spread of the members of this secret priestly elite into what was to become the aristocracy of medieval Europe and how their influence continues to be felt in modern secret societies like Freemasonry.

Surveying experts—from those who dismiss the illuminati as a short-lived group of little consequence to skeptics who dare question the government's accounts and pronouncements—marrs cuts through the wild speculation and the attempts to silence critical thinkers to tell the true story of this secret cabal. Gnosticism, mystery schools, the roshaniya, knights templar, assassins, rosicrucians, skull and bones, knights of malta, whistle blowers, the revolutions in france, russia, and america, and the structure, symbols, and theology of the illuminati are all covered. You will learn: · The origins of the illuminati and how they came to be · The secrets of the illuminati's hidden symbols and their true meaning · The illuminati's influence in politics, media, and entertainment · The truth behind the illuminati's supposed involvement in world events · And much more! Regardless of the veracity behind any of the conspiracy theories, there can be no denying the profound impact of the group over the past few centuries. Even those who find nothing untoward in the history of the illuminati understand the importance of the society’s mystique, from its origins in bavaria to its founder, adam weishaupt, along with those who carried the society to its peak. Without question, there have been an endless number of conspiracy theories surrounding the illuminati that have long had the world buzzing, a trend that continues on to this very day.

One of the best books on secret societies ever written. Webster was an historical writer who wrote a number of books on the French Revolution. After World War I she was intrigued with the Marxist revolt, so wrote World Revolution, examining how and why people continue to revolt. As her search went deeper, clear meanings surfaced behind our revolutionsand they involved an agenda by secret societies. This book lays out, in historical perspective, how these secret societies and subversive movements have operated from behind the scenes. Not all of them aspire to rule the world or manipulate politics or world currency, but there are some major ones, according to Webster, that are. As a respected writer and world historian, she provides proof from within these pages.

They generate fear, suspicion, and—above all—fascination. Secret societies thrive among us, yet they remain shrouded in mystery. Their secrecy suggests, to many, sacrilege or crime, and their loyalties are often accused of undermining governments and tipping the scales of justice. The Freemasons, for example, hold more seats of power in the U.S. government than any other organization. No fewer than sixteen presidents have declared their Masonic affiliation, and there may have been more. Secret societies have infiltrated pop culture as well. Celebrity members of Kabbalah include Madonna, Demi Moore, and Elizabeth Taylor, among others. From the Mafia and the Yakuza to the Priory of Sion, Skull and Bones and the Templars, Reynolds offers an illuminating and entertaining exploration of the stories—confirmed and fabricated—that surround these societies, as well as provides detailed information on their origins, initiations, rituals, and secret signs. Dispelling myths and providing gripping revelations—such as a direct historical link between the Assassins of the Middle Ages and today’s Al Qaeda—Secret Societies gives us a smart, surprising look at the best known and often least understood covert organizations.

Manuscripts Written by William Vann III. Some Manuscripts are articles from the Populace Now Magazine and the Voice Of Prince Hall Newsletter for the State of Michigan.

“To the best of my knowledge,” writes Martin Buber of this book, “what has been essayed here is the first comprehensive attempt of its kinds.” Buber—steeped as he is in the literature of the Old Testament—here seeks to disengage history from saga and to convey the meaning of Sinai to the 20th century. “In this book a fascinating attempt is made to depict the historical Moses. The work is rich in brilliant comment. He has profound things to say on the flight of Moses to Midian, where he met with a life resembling that of his ancestors; on the Burning Bush, where he saw fire, but no form; and Moses before Pharaoh, as the first historical instance of prophet versus king; on the contrast between Moses summoned by God, and Balaam, made use of by Him. The style is invariably clear, precise and dignified. This is a book to be read, re-read and treasured.”—David Daube, Regius Professor, Oxford University

"This book is an annotated translation of the introductions written by the young Leo Strauss to ten of Mendelssohn's writings."

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

A broad introduction to the works of the Nobel Prize-winning Nigerian writer and the varieties of criticism they have elicited. There are many different critical methodologies represented, ranging from those concerned with verbal texture (linguistic, structural, and textual approaches) to those focusing on cultural context (historical, mythological, and comparative studies). Most of the articles were originally published in Research in African Literatures. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Some of the essays in this book - notably those concerned with examining Western influences on sub-Saharan African writings (tracing Shakespearean and Brechtian echoes in Nigerian drama, for instance, or following the footprints of Sherlock Holmes in Swahili detective fiction) - fit the traditional definition of comparative literature. These are essays that cross national literary boundaries and sometimes transcend language barriers as well. They look for correspondences in related literary phenomena from widely dispersed areas of the globe, bringing together what is akin from what is akimbo. But most of the essays included here involve closer comparisons. Two focus on works produced in different languages within the same African nation (Yoruba and English in Nigeria, Afrikaans and English in South Africa), and one presents a taxonomy of dominant literary forms in English in three East African nations. Others concentrate on the oeuvre of a single author, and on the likely future output of exiled writers who soon will be returning home. One essay contrasts discursive tendencies within the same text, and another investigates conflicting African and Western religious beliefs. A great variety of comparative methodologies is deployed here; not all of these are transnational, multilingual or pluralistic in scope. The last two groups of essays deal with matters of characterization and authorial reputation. Studies of the depiction of African Americans, politicians and women in a wide range of African literary texts are followed by an assessment of the current standing of anglophone Africa's leading authors. In entering such highly contested terrain, the comparatist approach adopted has been that of the neutral witness to early African attempts - comparatist in their own way - to define an African canon of classic texts. Authors discussed include: Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghana); Chinua Achebe, John Pepper Clark, Cyprian Ekwensi, D.O. Fagunwa, Wole Soyinka and Amos Tutuola (Nigeria); Peter Abrahams, J.M. Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, Alex La Guma, Thomas Mofolo, Es'kia Mphahlele and Karel Schoeman (South Africa).