This book proposes a new occupation model for the remains of Khirbet Qumran, the site associated with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Using the latest in virtual reality technology, the author reconstructs the site of Qumran and demonstrates that the site was initially built as a Hasmonean fortress, and was later expanded into a residence for a self-sufficient community responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls.

This book is a collection of memories and glimpses of an extraordinarily down-to-earth and insightful woman, my Nana. It looks back and forward , piecing together words, images and experiences of growing up and spending Summer holidays with her in New York, where she sourced, and seeded hope, vitality and sage advice in me. Now in my sixties, I am passing on that wisdom. Everyone loves a grandparent, or wishes they had one to remember and be loved by , perhaps this collection of short stories, flashes of insight, moments that stayed and grew into knowledge and understanding, will give them a Nana to cherish, or add to the memories of their own wise ones, who have gone before them in faith. These memories are funny, truthful, probing, realistic; laced with grief, awe, and grace. She lived for eighty-six years; an immigrant, widowed young. I knew her and yet barely knew her as only a child knows, remembers, pieces together and then realises there are huge pieces missing. The book is short, but layered , a book to be savored, shared, and passed around.

This book brings comfort and inspiration to those who are coping with illness: the sufferers themselves, their family, friends, care-givers, and medical staff. Inspired by the Psalms, the prayers are simple, meaningful, and honest, becoming a companion through times of need. They were written to bring comfort, but also to permeate our approach to sickness with hope and confidence.

The Garden of Wisdom is a rare Jewish systematic theology, here presented in English translation as well as in the Arabic (in Hebrew script) original. It is a treatise of the theology of the Jews living in Southern Arabia written by Nathanael Ibn al-Fayyumi in the twelfth century when the Jews of Yemen were undergoing persecution.

Starting with the religious background of China, Latourette probes why Christianity appealed to the Chinese and then launches into a detailed history of its development. He considers how Christianity began before and coped under the Mongol Dynasty and then the incursion of the Roman Catholic Missions. Briefly considering the Russian Orthodox interest in Chinese missions, he moves on to what is clearly his main concern in the Protestant influx in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Considering the main events of China’s history in relation to the European powers of the day, he considers how Christianity fared into the early nineteenth century.

The Commentary of Theodore of Mopsuestia on the Lord’s Prayer and on the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist is an important witness to the development of Christianity. Theodore (c. 350-428) was clearly the most important biblical scholar of his age. In a series of six homilies Theodore here addresses the Lord’s Prayer as a springboard to discuss what actually constitutes prayer. His homilies on the sacraments are essential witnesses to the historical development of these sacraments. His work here is basically a commentary on the text of the liturgy, an awareness of the centrality of the sacraments to the life of the church in his age.

This edition of Mar Jacob of Sarug's (d. 521) homily on the Veil of Moses asks what the veil means. Jacob finds the hermeneutical key in Paul’s exegesis of Gen. 2:24 – that the man and the woman becoming one symbolizes Christ and the Church. The bride must wear a veil until such time as her bridegroom comes to remove it at their marriage ceremony. The volume constitutes a fascicle of The Metrical Homilies of Mar Jacob of Sarug, which, when complete, will contain the original Syriac text of Jacob's surviving sermons, fully vocalized, alongside an annotated English translation.

This book is as timely today as when it was written. Maulvi Muhammad Ali, noted Quran scholar, presented this study of Christian positions about Jesus from a sympathetic Islamic perspective. The concepts of miracles, sinlessness, and the birth, call, death, and second coming of Jesus are all considered.

Written in the days when textual criticism was still relatively new, and the great mass of manuscripts commonly used by present-day biblical scholars had not yet been plumbed, Lagarde spent many years making these exotic manuscripts available to scholars who previously had no access to them. In this volume are combined two manuscripts: the Pentateuch translated into Coptic, and the Gospels translated into Arabic. Despite the relatively recent dates of the manuscript sources for both collections, the material contained in these translations dates back to earlier days. Each of these translations is introduced in German with some critical notes about the readings included.

In 2002, Elaine Bannon took a working holiday in Kenya. There, her experience as a volunteer not only changed the lives of the semi-nomadic Maasai people with whom she worked, but changed her own life for good. Dedicating herself to volunteer work in eastern Africa, The Power of One charts the inspirational journey and work of one Dublin woman. This book also explores the question of Africa and global poverty, highlighting the inadequate responses of the West and the need for a greater sense of urgency towards the finding of a redemptive solution to the plight of so many millions. The story of Elaine Bannon reminds us that the work of just one person can make a world of change.

John became bishop of Tella in 519, but left for exile only two years later when Justin I enforced the Council of Chalcedon which Syrian Orthodox Christians refused to accept. John became one of Justinian’s most dangerous ecclesiastical opponents by ordaining thousands of deacons and priests who formed the first generation of the Syrian Orthodox hierarchy. In the present text John lays out his faith in a way which gives an inside view of how a non-Chalcedonian bishop of the sixth century located himself and his co-religionists within the Christian tradition and how he understood the foundation of the Church.

Faith Language, Thoughts for each day is a modern meditation on Catholic faith, consisting of a conversation in three faith-langauges: the theological language of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; the catechetical language of daily life; and the Word of God in Scripture. The traditional phrases of catechism and scripture illuminate Paddy Devitts thoughts about the everyday events so eloquently detailed in the book; events both mundane and extraordinary to which, no doubt, every reader can relate.God speaks to us through the bits and pieces of every day, and so the book is made up of these, and happenings of the past and present, to which the reader can readily dip into at any page, whether seeking comfort, counsel or simply enjoyment.

The sacrament of baptism welcomes a child into the family of God in a special way. In the course of its celebration those present will experience a rich tapestry of symbols, actions, gestures, prayers and the Word of God. This book is intended to explain such symbolism and the meanings behind the various parts of the baptism ceremony so that all may fully experience the deep meaning of baptism for the child, the family and the wider Christian community. Full of helpful reminders and practical tips, this book will be an invaluable aid to parents, godparents and the whole family as they prepare for this important day in the life of the new baby.

Why do religious people believe? In this work, Smith describes and interprets the results of interviews conducted with Mormons and Evangelicals about their reasons for faith. In the end, he recommends a particular approach to faith that integrates the sociological, spiritual, and rational elements of religion.

The prophet Jeremiah is among the most complex and intriguing characters in the Bible. This study of the prophet focuses on the major biographical episodes in the prophet’s book and their interpretation. After setting the historical background of the prophet, Avioz then explores Jeremiah’s prophetic call. All major events of his life are parsed for a deeper insight into the prophet's life. Those with whom Jeremiah interacts, the kings of Judah and the false prophets, are assessed in contrast with the prophet. Avioz concludes his study with a consideration of Jeremiah’s legacy down to the present day.

This book examines the development of Augustine of Hippo’s theology of the Jewish people and Judaism. Formulating a typological association between the biblical figure of Cain and the Jews, he crafts a highly intricate theology that justifies and even demands the continuing presence of Jews and their religious practices in a Christian society. Such a theology emerges out of his highly original interpretation of Genesis 4:1–15 and yet mirrors and theologically justifies the reality of Jews and Judaism in the late Roman Empire.