Part of the library of books found in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, this central myth of Gnosticism tells the story of how God fell from perfect Oneness to imprisonment in the material world, and how by knowing our divine nature and our divine origins that we are one with God we reverse God's descent and find our salvation.The Secret Book of John: The Gnostic Gospel Annotated & Explained decodes the principal themes, historical foundation, and spiritual contexts of this challenging yet fundamental Gnostic teaching. Drawing connections to Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, kabbalistic Judaism, and Sufism, Davies focuses on the mythology and psychology of the Gnostic religious quest. He illuminates the Gnostics' ardent call for self-awareness and introspection, and the empowering message that divine wholeness will be restored not by worshiping false gods in an illusory material world but by our recognition of the inherent divinity within ourselves.Now you can experience and understand this foundational teaching even if you have no previous knowledge of Gnosticism. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents the most important and valued book in Gnostic religion with insightful yet unobtrusive commentary. It provides deeper insight into the understanding that in Gnosticism the distinction between savior and saved ceases to exist you must save yourself and in doing so save God."

    Encompassing a rich diversity of different peoples and cultures, Persia's Achaeminid Empire flourished between 550 and 331 B.C. The empire originated with Cyrus the Great (559-530 B.C.) and expanded under his successors, who ruled from the royal capitals of Susa and Persepolis, until at its peak it stretched from the Indus Valley to Greece and from the Caspian Sea to Egypt. The Achaeminids acted as a bridge between the earlier Near Eastern cultures and the later Classical world of the Mediterranean and had a profound influence on Greece in political, military, economic, and cultural fields. Forgotten Empire was created in association with the British Museum, which is mounting the most comprehensive exhibit ever staged on the Achaeminids. This book opens a window onto the wealth and splendor of Persian society—its rich palaces, exquisite craftsmanship, and sophisticated learning. Showcasing an unprecedented loan of unique material from the National Museum of Tehran—most of which has never before been presented outside of Iran—this beautifully illustrated and produced book demonstrates why the sculpture, glazed panels, gold vessels, and jewelry of the Achaeminids rank among the finest ever produced.Because the palace was central to imperial life, remains from the royal sites of Susa and Persepolis are a major focus. Forgotten Empire is divided into sections such as the expansion of the Persian Empire, arms and warfare, trade and commerce, writing, luxury dinner services, jewelry, religious and burial customs, and the rediscovery of ancient Persia.Copub: British Museum

    First acting as regent for her young nephew/stepson Thutmose III, she in time assumed the title of king and exercised the full powers of the throne as senior co-ruler. In accordance with Egyptian tradition, Hatshepsut was often depicted as a male king. After her death, however, monuments bearing her image were ruthlessly defaced, and her name was erased from historical accounts.Hatshepsut’s rise to power and the nature of her kingship have long been debated by scholars. This fascinating period, one of immense artistic creativity, is illuminated by this volume’s rich presentation of monumental royal sculpture and reliefs, ceremonial objects, exquisite personal items for everyday use, and dazzling jewelry. Essays focus on influences from the neighboring Near East, Nubia, and the Aegean; the innovative architecture built by Hatshepsut; powerful figures in the royal court during her reign; archaeological finds from this period; and mysteries surrounding the destruction of Hatshepsut’s statues and the obliteration of her name.The first in-depth treatment of the subject, From Queen to Pharoah is an important investigation into the impact of Hatshepsut’s reign on the history, culture, and artistic output of Egypt.

    The Comb is an upthrust ridge of sandstone-virtually a mini-mountain range-that stretches almost unbroken for a hundred miles from just east of Kayenta, Arizona, to some ten miles west of Blanding, Utah. To hike the Comb is to run a gauntlet of up-and-down severities, with the precipice lurking on one hand, the fiendishly convoluted bedrock slab on the other-always at a sideways, ankle-wrenching pitch. There is not a single mile of established trail in the Comb's hundred-mile reach.The friends were David Roberts, writer, adventurer, famed mountaineer of decades past, at age 61 the graybeard of the bunch; Greg Child, renowned mountaineer and rock climber, age 47; and Vaughn Hadenfeldt, a wilderness guide intimately acquainted with the canyonlands, age 53. They came to the Comb not only for the physical challenge, but to seek out seldom-visited ruins and rock art of the mysterious Anasazi culture. Each brought his own emotions on the journey; the Comb Ridge would test their friendship in ways they had never before experienced.Searching for the stray arrowhead half-smothered in the sand or for the faint markings on a far sandstone boulder that betokened a little-known rock art panel, becomes a competitive sport for the three friends. Along the way, they ponder the mystery, bringing the accounts of early and modern explorers and archaeologists to bear: Who were the vanished Indians who built these inaccessible cliff dwellings and pueblos, often hidden from view? Of whom were they afraid and why? What caused them to suddenly abandon their settlements around 1300 AD? What meaning can be ascribed to their phantasmagoric rock art? What was their relationship to the Navajo, who were convinced the Anasazi had magical powers and could fly?

    Poorly understood in Egyptian society, illness informed much of their art. Featuring works from The Metropolitan Museum’s collection, this fascinating book examines this relatively unexplored and underappreciated aspect of Egyptian art. It includes two introductory essays on Egyptian medicine, descriptions and photographs of sixty-four objects, and the first color reproduction of the Edwin Smith Papyrus in its entirety, accompanied by a full translation. One of the world’s oldest scientific documents, the fifteen-foot-long Smith papyrus (now housed in the New York Academy of Medicine), discusses both practical and magical treatments of wounds and other maladies.