Traditions of the Magi

Traditions of the Magi PDF

Author: Albert F. de Jong

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2015-08-27

Total Pages: 510

ISBN-13: 9004301461

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This is the first full treatment of the Greek and Latin references to Zoroastrianism since the pioneering works of Benveniste, Bidez & Cumont, and Clemen. It focuses on the possibilities offered by the classical reports on Zoroastrianism to reconstruct the history of that faith. The book is divided into three sections. The first section deals with introductory problems concerning ancient religious ethnography and current views of the history of Zoroastrianism. The second section consists of commentaries on five selected passages. The third section offers a thematical overview of the materials and their relevance for the history of Iranian religions. Apart from offering introductions to a wide range of debates and topics in Classics and Iranian studies, the book aims to illustrate the diversity of beliefs and practices in ancient Zoroastrianism.

Revelation of the Magi

Revelation of the Magi PDF

Author: Brent Landau

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2010-11-02

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 0061947032

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Each Christmas, adults and children alike delight at the story of the kings from the East who followed the star to Bethlehem to offer gifts to the newborn Christ. While this familiar tale is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, another little-known version later emerged that claimed to be the eyewitness account of the wise men. This ancient manuscript has lain hidden for centuries in the vaults of the Vatican Library, but through the determined persistence of a young scholar, Brent Landau, this astonishing discovery has been translated into English for the very first time as the Revelation of the Magi. Everything we know about the wise men is based on only a few verses from the Bible. With the Revelation of the Magi, we can now read the story from the Magi's perspective. Readers will learn of the Magi's prophecies of God's incarnation from the beginning of time, their startling visitation in the form of a star, the teachings they receive from the baby Jesus, and the wise men's joyous return to their homeland to spread the good news. This ancient version of the Christmas story is guaranteed to astonish and delight. It will also raise larger questions of the significance and meaning of Christ's birth, and the mission to spread the good news to every corner of the globe. All the drama and intrigue of the brief description of Jesus's birth in the Bible is filled out in greater, more colorful detail, offering for the first time the complete story of these beloved characters.

Mystery of the Magi

Mystery of the Magi PDF

Author: Dwight Longenecker

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2017-11-06

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1621576566

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

"The perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth." — Robert J. Hutchinson, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible, The Dawn of Christianity, and Searching for Jesus. "Utterly refreshing and encouraging." — Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther "The best book I know about the Magi." — Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Last Supper Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the “wise men from the East” as pious legend. Matthew’s gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas crèche. For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously. But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy? In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod. In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world. The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The “star” that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment—confirmed by computer models—that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king. The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod “and all Jerusalem with him” may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.

The Gospel According to Matthew

The Gospel According to Matthew PDF

Author:

Publisher: Canongate U.S.

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 9780802136169

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The publication of the King James version of the Bible, translated between 1603 and 1611, coincided with an extraordinary flowering of English literature and is universally acknowledged as the greatest influence on English-language literature in history. Now, world-class literary writers introduce the book of the King James Bible in a series of beautifully designed, small-format volumes. The introducers' passionate, provocative, and personal engagements with the spirituality and the language of the text make the Bible come alive as a stunning work of literature and remind us of its overwhelming contemporary relevance.

The Story of the Other Wise Man

The Story of the Other Wise Man PDF

Author: Henry Van Dyke

Publisher:

Published: 1895

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Story of Artaban, the "fourth wise man," who sold all he possessed and bought three jewels to present to the Christ child. He helped people while on his search for the new-born Messiah, and fulfilled his goal on the day of Christ's Crucifixion. Artaban could not have predicted how his eventful journey would end.

National Geographic Who's Who in the Bible

National Geographic Who's Who in the Bible PDF

Author: Jean-Pierre Isbouts

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 1426211597

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Presents a family guide to the Bible that, told through historic art and artifacts, tells the stories of biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind.

Magic and Mysticism

Magic and Mysticism PDF

Author: Arthur Versluis

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9780742558366

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Provides overview, from antiquity onwards, on various Western religious esoteric movements. This book includes topics such as: alchemy, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy and more.

The Better Mom

The Better Mom PDF

Author: Ruth Schwenk

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2018-04-24

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 031034946X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."

Magi

Magi PDF

Author: Adrian Gilbert

Publisher: Bloomsbury Pub Limited

Published: 1999-09-01

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9780747531005

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Written by the co-author of "The Orion Mystery" and "The Mayan Prophecies", this book takes the reader through the past, revealing how secret knowledge was both preserved in the East in the form of monumental architecture and at the time of the Crusades, passed westwards to the fledgling states of Europe.;One of the best known stories of the Bible is the journey of the Magi as witnesses of the Nativity of Jesus, yet who were these "wise men"? Where did they come from and what could possibly have been their motive in making their journey to Bethlehem? In this book, such questions are answered in an exploration of the Magi legend. Threaded into an epic story are the results of Adrian Gilbert's extensive research.;The author claims the truth is that not only was the birth of Jesus widely expected throughout the Middle East, but that Christianity itself has its deepest roots in the "pagan" mysteries of Egypt, Persia and Mesopotamia.