This book gives readers a fresh understanding of the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus. It helps to narrow the gap between 'the historical Jesus' and 'the Christ of faith'.

This report from the Omrit temple excavations presents artifacts (e.g., ceramics, frescoes, coins, etc.) recovered in the excavations of the Roman period sanctuary in northern Israel, and discusses the stratigraphy, building phases, and dating of the complex.

"This is the oldest and most authentic guide to an ancient Egyptian temple ever written - its author was an ancient Egyptian priest who lived in the first century B.C., under the last kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty, when the construction and decoration of the huge temple of Edfu was completed. The anonymous priest's tasks was to compose a text long enough to make up a line of hieroglyphic inscription on the girdle wall of the temple, stretching around it to a length of some 300 meters, and in it describe the temple in detail - its layout and construction, the functions of its chambers and chapels, and its external appearance and the impression it conveyed to the faithful. The language of the text, arising within the long tradition of Egyptian temple building, is stylized and poetic, but remarkably, the priest fulfilled his assignment with such accuracy, devotion, and enthusiasm that the monumental inscription can be used today by the modern visitor as a reliable and informative guide to the temple." "The inscription is here translated in full, and appears with notes by the translator on the essentials of ancient Egyptian religion and ritual and on the discovery and documentation of Edfu Temple, while a comprehensive glossary explains unfamiliar terms and concepts. Illustrations of the temple, the original hieroglyphs, and the kings who build the temple complement the text."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Amin Amer’s 1999 study of the Gateway of Ramesses IX at Karnak, Egypt, is presented here in a facsimile reissue. The Gateway is a little-known major work, part of the great temple at Karnak, built by one of the last kings of the Egyptian empire after a long period that saw little building work in the temple complex. The rather modest, by Karnak’s standards, construct lies at the northern end of the court ‘of the Cachette’, north of Pylon VII, and leads into the southern end of the narrow court of Pylons III and IV, presenting an impressive entrance to the main temple of Amun. A prominent stela of Ramesses IX and Amun lies beyond it. The Gateway was part of a building programme, decorated with statues and building-texts, undertaken by the high priest Amenhotep who clearly sought to emphasise the importance of the contributions of the king and himself to the temple and worship of Amun. A brief introduction to the works of Ramasses IX at Karnak is followed by a detailed description of the scenes adorning the Gateway with a translation of the inscriptions and a discussion of the role of the Gateway and its decoration. The descriptions are accompanied by drawings of the hieroglyphic texts and photographs and line drawings of the entire gateway and its facade.

In this provocative work, seasoned journalist Gershom Gorenberg portrays a deadly mix of religious extremism, violence, and Mideast politics, as expressed in the struggle for the sacred center of Jerusalem. Known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, this thirty-five-acre enclosure at the southeast corner of Jerusalem's Old City is the most contested piece of real estate on earth. Here nationalism combines with fundamentalist faith in a volatile brew. Members of the world's three major monotheistic faiths--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--hold this spot to be the key to salvation as they await the end of the world, and struggle to fulfill conflicting religious prophecies with dangerous political consequences. Adroitly portraying American radio evangelists of the End, radical Palestinian sheikhs, and Israeli ex-terrorists, Gorenberg explains why believers hope for the End, and why prominent American fundamentalists provide hard-line support for Israel while looking forward to the apocalypse. He makes sense of the messianic fervor that has driven some Israeli settlers to oppose peace. And he describes the Islamic apocalyptic visions that cast Israel's actions in Jerusalem as diabolic plots. The End of Days shows how conflict over Jerusalem and the fiery belief in apocalypse continue to have a potent impact on world politics and why a lasting peace in the Middle East continues to prove elusive.

When a new president assumes the leadership of a Jewish temple, he is well aware of the many challenges that he will face. However, he didn't know that during his term of office a dispute between the rabbi and the temple's major financial contributor would develop and threaten the very life of the temple. And while this may be the most obvious problem, there are others also: leaking roofs, local anti-Semitism and a congregation divided among those who are over zealous and those who simply don't care. The president seeks to deal with all these issues while struggling with his own problems and personal conflicts. While keeping a sense of humor, he goes about the business of handling all the challenges and personalities that confront him. Yet, he is not immune to self doubt and at times wonders if God really cares about his little temple. The Temple President blends a healthy dose of laughter with the serious questions about the nature of God, anti-Semitism, and religious traditions.