The time was the Bronze to the Iron Age, the third to first millenniums B.C. Great leaders arose from Iraq to Eygpt-- Sargon of Akkad, Gudea of Lagash, Hammurapi of Babylon, and Akhenaten of Egypt--and from these lands of the Fertile Crescent came the underpinnings of Western civilization: law, science, arts, and the alphabet. But the human spirit wanted more. In a universe run by mercurial gods who kept humankind in bondage, there emerged the need for one all-powerful divinity, one omnipresent as mentor and protector. The book of Genesis, with its narratives of real people struggling to survive, provided that God, and thus the roots of monotheism. Genesis: World of Myths and Patriarchs is an in-depth look at the civilizations that formed the background of the first book of the Bible. Drawing on the great archaeological discoveries in the Middle East over the past century, everyday life of the people of Genesis is viewed through their politics, arts, nomadic migrations, commerce, religion, and moral values. With over 250 illustrations, including sixty-four color plates, this rich visual panorama describes what the authors of Genesis saw, and what events and ideas moved them to write the story of their people's origins. The book includes fourteen maps and charts, a selected chronology, and a list of gods of the Middle East. Cyrus Gordon and Nahum Sarna, two of the most renowned scholars of ancient Near Eastern history and Bible, provide the text. Genesis: World of Myths and Patriarchs acquaints us for the first time with the people we know from this familiar book of the Bible, and with the places they inhabited and the culture they developed. We trace what was borrowed, rejected, and transformed to create a new and unique ethic which has continued to shape the world.
The national directory addresses the dimensions and perspectives in the formation of deacons and the model standards for the formation, ministry, and life of deacons in the United States. It is intended as a guideline for formation, ministry, and life of permanent deacons and a directive to be utilized when preparing or updating a diaconate program in formulating policies for the ministry and life of deacons. This volume also includes Basic Standards for Readiness for the formation of permanent deacons in the United States, from the bishops' Committee on the Diaconate, and the committee document Visit of Consultation Teams to Diocesan Permanent Diaconate Formation Programs.
Max Anders' updated classic resource for learning the Bible in 30 days. Understand the Bible in 30 Days includes all the features that made the original so popular—plus much more. Proven effective by over 200,000 readers, Understand the Bible in 30 Days introduces you to key Bible characters, places, and events in chronological order so that you can "think your way through" the entire Word of God. Through interesting, memory-enhancing exercises, Understand the Bible in 30 Days acquaints readers with the core teachings of Scripture in just 15 minutes a day!
James Jordan reveals the fascinating weave of lives that bind together the heroes and villains of Genesis. Progressively, these lives image and reverse one another in an ascending narrative of action, a narrative all too commonly broken apart and missed. These heroes of the city of God -- Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and others -- come to flesh and blood in ways that undo our normal assumptions. In stark contrast to the selfish heroism of pagan literature, the heroism of Genesis triumphs by breaking all the standard rules. Jordan inverts so many of the traditional negative judgments against these patriarchs' alleged weaknesses and "sins" of deception, struggle, and tyranny that they stand forth as heroes rather than scoundrels. And yet this book is not just about the heroes of Genesis. Throughout, Jordan draws a picture of how Christian culture should be imagined and lived in our own day, from creativity and work to tyranny and freedom. You will never be able to read Genesis the same way again.
Have you ever asked, "If God created a perfect world, how could there be evil?" Get surprising yet Bible-based answers to questions like: 1) Has evil always existed? 2) Did god create the devil? 3) Is God responsible for sin?Finally, the
Drawing from a variety of topics - biology, biblical chronology, and the origin of human language - and showing their relation to one another in solving this question, author Werner Gitt reveals that evolution is not only bad science, it also violates Scripture. Written for the layman, but with a scientific slant, this compelling book devastates Darwinian arguments for the origin of our universe and planet. In helping Christians answer attacks on their faith, Gitt addresses relevant subjects such as: the origin of man, the origin of human language, human behavior, the origin and future of the universe. Book jacket.