Domestic Settings
Domestic Settings

Author: Adrian Boas

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2010-03-02

Total Pages: 421

ISBN-13: 900418273X

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Whereas a great deal of research has been carried out on Crusader castles, churches and major buildings in the Latin East, almost no attention has been paid to domestic architecture and the domestic settings in which most of the population of the Crusader states spent most of their time. The present work attempts to address this deficiency by taking an in-depth look at the various domestic buildings that served the urban and rural population and the domestic apartments in castles and mosasteries. The basis for this survey is the wealth of published and unpublished archaeological data that has been uncovered over the past century and the various documentary materials available, much of which has been overlooked in the past.

A Palace of Pearls
A Palace of Pearls

Author: Howard Schwartz

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018-07-09

Total Pages: 457

ISBN-13: 0190243570

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Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810) is widely considered to be one of the foremost visionary storytellers of the Hasidic movement. The great-grandson of the Ba'al Shem Tov, founder of the movement, Rabbi Nachman came to be regarded as a great figure and leader in his own right, guiding his followers on a spiritual path inspired by Kabbalah. In the last four years of his life he turned to storytelling, crafting highly imaginative, allegorical tales for his Hasidim. Three-time National Jewish Book Award winner Howard Schwartz has masterfully compiled the most extensive collection of Nachman's stories available in English. In addition to the well-known Thirteen Tales, including "The Lost Princess" and "The Seven Beggars," Schwartz has included over one hundred narratives in the various genres of fairy tales, fables, parables, dreams, and folktales, many of them previously unknown or believed lost. One such story is the carefully guarded "Tale of the Bread," which was never intended to be written down and was only to be shared with those Bratslavers who could be trusted not to reveal it. Eventually recorded by Rabbi Nachman's scribe, the tale has maintained its mythical status as a "hidden story." With utmost reverence and unfettered delight, Schwartz has carefully curated A Palace of Pearls alongside masterful commentary that guides the reader through the Rabbi's spiritual mysticism and uniquely Kabbalistic approach, ultimately revealing Rabbi Nachman to be a literary heavyweight in the vein of Gogol and Kafka. Vibrant, wise, and provocative, this book is a must-read for any lover of fairy tales and fables.

Prince of Lies
Prince of Lies

Author: James Lowder

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Published: 2012-01-17

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 0786962100

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The gods may have been restored to their rightful seats of power—but the end of the Time of Troubles does not mark the end of all strife Although the gods have regained their powers and no longer walk in the mortal world, there is still little peace between them. When their deeply engrained power struggles erupt once more, ex-comrades Mystra—formerly known as Midnight and recently elevated to godhood—and Cyric are bound together in conflict. Cyric, now the god of strife, murder, and the dead, has become even more obsessed with power and revenge. No longer content with just the Tablets of Fate, he wants the Forgotten Realms all to himself—and to rule them in the name of evil. Only Mystra, the new goddess of magic, has the ability to defeat him and restore the balance that has been lost.