The Gospels mention that Jesus had twelve male disciples who aided Him in His earthly mission of proclaiming the Gospel. But were Jesus’ helpers only men? Convinced that women played an important role in assisting Jesus’ preaching and proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven, Tuma al-Khuri has written a book, in Arabic, highlighting twelve different females who appear in the Gospel text—the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the sister of Lazarus, the Samaritan woman, and the Syro-Phoenician woman, among others.

Undertaking the classic question of the relationship of Islam to Judaism, Geiger begins his treatment with the intertwined questions of what Islam wishes to do, is able to do, and is permitted to do with Judaism. Concepts and opinions such as faith beliefs, moral and legal regulations, and concepts of life are all considered as they moved from Judaism to Islam. A well-regarded early work in the field of comparative religions, Geiger’s work is not to be missed by anyone with an interest in Judaism and its relationship to Islam.

After the expulsion of the Syrian Orthodox community from Edessa in 1924, they found refuge in Aleppo. One of the first things the community did upon its settling in Aleppo was found a school where its youth were taught the Syriac language and important melodies and prayers from the liturgy, among other things. This school was the ancestor of the Syrian Orthodox school of Aleppo which is today called by the name of Bani Taghlib, and in this book Sara Doghramji has given us a history of this institution, from its founding in 1927 to the present.

Bedjan presents Sahdona’s Book of Perfection, a significant resource for the study of East Syrian monasticism, and some shorter works. Also included are several homilies by Jacob of Sarug on Jesus, Mary, virginity and the Council of Nicea.

This volume contains Schrader’s study of the underworld journey of Ishtar. He examines this Old Babylonian epic together with samples from Assyrian poems. The text is given, along with a translation, commentary and glossary.

Hasting’s Great Texts of the Bible was a massive, twenty volume set of Bible Studies. Under each biblical book comments were added to the lections in order to provide homiletical support. Conscientious about the difficulty of locating material in a resource of about 10,000 pages, Hastings had an index prepared. Knowing that clergy and biblical scholars tend to seek subjects for study, the index was prepared as an alphabetical index rather than a simple scriptural one. Such a resource retains its value for those who continue to use the extensive commentary that Hastings edited. This little index will be helpful to anyone following in Hasting’s impressive footsteps.

La Religion a Rome sous les Sévères is a classic work on third century Roman religion, ranging from the stoicism of Marcus Aurelius to the syncretism of Severus. Reville's knowledge of religion in the late antique world is considerable, and his analysis draws together Eastern mystery cults, Baal worship, and Neopythagorean philosophy as well as classical pagan religion. Yielding lasting results, Reville's study will be welcomed by readers interested in the history of religions.

In this theological exposition on the concept of the Logos in the writings of Philo of Alexandria, Réville offers a probing piece of research. Beginning with the historical milieu of Philo’s time, he moves on to his main focus, playing out what the doctrine of the Logos is. Theologians who wish to know turn-of-the-century ideas concerning the Logos will find this irresistible reading.

A modern classic, Modern Religious Cults and Movements has continued to garner citations even after further investigation has continued to add to the literature on the subject. Atkins begins with the forms and backgrounds of what he considered the inevitable Catholic and Protestant traditions. This portrayal of non-traditional religions in its own day is a period piece that will be of interest to students of American religion and historians of religion in general.

A thorough look at the meaning of administering and receiving communion away from the place of a true celebration of the eucharist. Well-based theological reflections give rise to some very awkward questions for the rite and its practitioners.

This volume contains Syriac texts of the old Syriac translation of Gregory Nazianzen’s orations edited from British Museum manuscripts. Fourteen orations, in whole or in part, are included, with concordance of the texts with Migne’s Patrologia Graeca edition.

Preaching was a much admired, much studied, and much practiced art by both abbots and secular clergy. This handbook designed for training future preachers gives moderns an insight into the technique and the content of those twelfth-century sermons.

Written by a well-known convert to Islam, this little study traces the connections between the major prophets of each of the monotheistic faiths. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. He discusses the moral influences of these founders on their followers and the impact they had on their world. Headley next considers the way that these founders died or left the world and also what they had taught about the next world. Special attention is given, naturally, to the advent of Islam and what happened after the founding of the faith. Headley ends with a brief sketch of the life of Muhammad. A compact study written from the Islamic point of view, this book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the relations between the three monotheistic religions.

This booklet explores the Christianity of the days before it became an official religion of the Roman Empire. It considers the impact of various areas of church life in this initial state.

Throughout the Christian world, women have chosen to lead disciplined lives of prayer and asceticism. Descriptions of early role-models—Macrina, the two Paulas and Melanias, Radagunde—and others by contemporaries, usually men, provide details of their austerities, their aspirations, and their relationship with the Church and the world, not least with male authority figures.

Jastrow addresses how the final codification of the laws of Hammurapi evolved and which process the Babylonians used to get there. The Code of Hammurapi was subject to constant adjustments, providing that conditions constantly changed and new situations arose.