Sacred texts, scriptures and revered writings Books

Book SynopsisHow ancient texts could and could not be changed has been in the focus of vibrant scholarly discussions in recent years. The present volume offers contributions from a representative group of prominent scholars from different backgrounds and specialties in the areas of Classical and Biblical studies who were gathered at an interdisciplinary symposium held in May 2015 at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University in Tbilisi, Georgia. In the first part of the volume "Ancient Scribal and Editorial Practices, the authors approach ancient scribal and editorial techniques in Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources concerning classical and biblical texts, their textual criticism, and editorial history. The second part "Textual History of the Hebrew Bible" focuses on scribal and editorial aspects of the textual history of the Hebrew Bible. The third part "Writing and Rewriting in Translation" deals with a variety of writings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha, and Patristic texts in various languages (Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, and Georgian), focusing on issues of textual criticism and translation technique. The volume contains an especially rich assortment of contributions by Georgian textual scholars concerning ancient editorial practices and ancient Georgian translations of biblical and patristic texts. This collection of papers provides insights into a variety of different areas of study that seldom come into contact with each other but are clearly in many ways related.

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Book SynopsisText in English and French. Qumran Cave 11Q was discovered by Bedouin in 1956. In the cave, remains of around 30 Dead Sea Scrolls were found, a few of them in very good state of preservation (the Temple Scroll, the Psalm Scroll, the Paleo Leviticus Scroll, and the Targum Job Scroll). The cave was excavated by Roland de Vaux (Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Française, Jerusalem) and Gerald L. Harding (Department of Antiquities of Jordan) in 1956; later by Joseph Patrich (University of Haifa) in 1988, and by Marcello Fidanzio and Dan Bahat (ISCAB FTL and Universitedella Svizzera Italiana) in 2017. Due to Roland de Vaux's premature death, the archaeology of Cave 11Q has never been published. This volume presents the final report on the 1956, 1988 and 2017 excavations at Cave 11Q. Next to discussing the physical characteristics and stratigraphy of the cave and offering a full analysis of non-textual finds, the volume for the first time presents many tiny manuscript fragments found in storerooms during recent work. These fragments, most of which were collected during 1956 excavation, have not been known until now. The volume, therefore, offers the final report of Cave 11Q excavations as well as the editio princeps of the new fragments, followed by a reevaluation of the entire set of texts found in this famous cave.

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Book SynopsisThe Brahma Sutras are also called the Vedanta Sutras, the Sarika Sutras, the Sarika Mimansa, the Uttara Sutras, and by several other names. The Brahma Sutras are also called the Vedanta Sutras, the Sarika Sutras, the Sarika Mimansa, the Uttara Sutras, and by several other names.

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Book SynopsisThe first monograph on the most important Byzantine redactor of saints'' lives this book offers a detailed study of the life and working methods of Symeon Metaphrastes, who was active towards the end of the tenth century. The importance of the Metaphrastic redaction has often been measured by the amount of damage it did to the late-antique hagiographical texts, but in the present study it is seen as the culmination of long-term developments within this field. The Metaphrastic collection is studied in the context of its predecessors and in the gradual changes that occurred in the production of hagiography, especially as to the social background of authors, commissioners, and even saints. Emphasis is laid on the gradual redistribution, centralisation and upgrading of hagiographical texts that took place in the Greek world. And in this process rewriting is seen as a vehicle for a canonisation which, even if never instituted in Byzantium, was the intention and, to some degree, the outcome of the Metaphrastic redaction. Christian Høgel, PhD, is research fellow at the Institute for Greek and Latin, University of Copenhagen. He has formerly published a.o. Digterjeg''et i hellenistisk og augustisk poesi (The Poetic I in Hellenistic and Augustan poetry, MTF 1992).

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Book SynopsisThis two-volume work describes three collections of Persian manuscripts and lithographic prints at the Royal Library, Copenhagen: 155 manuscripts and lithographs acquired by Arthur Christensen in Iran, 10 manuscripts collected by David Simonsen and 102 manuscripts acquired by the Library. All items have been included in the holdings of the Library after the publication of the previous catalogue in 1857. The Persian manuscripts included in the three collections cover a variety of topics, the major fields being poetry and history. The oldest date from the 9th H/15th CE century and the most recent from the 14th H/20th CE century. Among the items described, there is a substantial number of Qagar-period lithographs, many of them illustrated. A special group of lithographs is formed by four diaries written by the Qagar ruler Naser al-Din ah (ruled 1264 - 1313 H [1848 - 1896 CE]). In the diaries, the Naser al-Din ah describes his travels in Iran, Iraq and Europe. Designed especially as an essential source of reference for scholars working in all aspects of manuscript studies, the catalogue includes over 500 full-page illustrations (some in colour) that help identify each of the manuscripts.

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Book SynopsisDrawing upon a rich scholarly heritage, Brill's Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān (EQ) combines alphabetically-arranged articles about the contents of the Qur'ān. It is an encyclopaedic dictionary of qur'ānic terms, concepts, personalities, place names, cultural history and exegesis extended with essays on the most important themes and subjects within qur'ānic studies. With nearly 1000 entries in 6 volumes, the EQ is the first comprehensive, multi-volume reference work on the Qur'ān to appear in a Western language.Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title "McAuliffe's encyclopedia promises to become the central English-language reference work for qur'anic studies....The first volume fulfills the project's aim to summarize recent decades of scholarship and will without doubt fulfill another aim, to inspire new work in the decades to come. Enthusiastically recommended for all readership levels." – in: Choice, 2002 "The Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān is an highly prestigious and competent volume from a superb publisher with contributions by the world’s leading experts. If readers were to own one volume on this topic, this work would be the encylopedia to own. The first volume is carefully and masterfully crafted and provides the expectation of valuable work to come…the scholarly community looks forward to future volumes." – Linda L. Lam-Easton, in: American Reference Book Annual 34 "The Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān is a masterful, comprehensive book…" – in: Discourse, 2001 "The Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān will be a truly collaborative enterprise, carried out by Muslims and non-Muslims, and its articles will present multiple approaches to the interpretation of the Qur'ān... A turn-of-the-millennium summative work for the state of qur'ānic scholarship." – in: Atlantic Monthly, 1999

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Book SynopsisNine short essays exploring the K'iche' Maya story of creation, the Popol Vuh. Written during the lockdown in Chicago in the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, these essays consider the Popol Vuh as a work that was also written during a time of feverish social, political, and epidemiological crisis as Spanish missionaries and colonial military deepened their conquest of indigenous peoples and cultures in Mesoamerica. What separates the Popol Vuh from many other creation texts is the disposition of the gods engaged in creation. Whereas the book of Genesis is declarative in telling the story of the world's creation, the Popol Vuh is interrogative and analytical: the gods, for example, question whether people actually need to be created, given the many perfect animals they have already placed on earth. Emergency uses the historical emergency of the Popol Vuh to frame the ongoing emergencies of colonialism that have surfaced all too clearly in the global health crisis of COVID-19. In Trade Review"A work concerned with multiplicity. . . . Garcia’s Emergency is a reorientation, a shift in perspective, while recognizing there is no such thing as a return to originality nor to a specific origin point. What if origin is a weaving, a constant wearing of stories and timetables, perpetual changes and cyclical advantages?" * Cleveland Review of Books *“Garcia contributes a penetrating and eloquent exposition of a unique document of the indigenous Americas. He shows how the Popol Vuh extends our understanding of oppression and ecological ruin in our time.” -- Alphonso Lingis, author of Irrevocable: A Philosophy of Mortality“In this brilliant exegesis, Garcia reveals the Popol Vuh as a living document, a dialogical story of creation crafted in conditions of colonial emergency, which still bears urgent relevance today. Consisting of a series of short and lyrical essays on a wide range of topics, Emergency is a thought-provoking commentary essential for anyone who engages with this foundational text.” -- Claudia Brittenham, author of The Murals of Cacaxtla: The Power of Painting in Ancient Central Mexico“I would like to believe that the exquisite tapestry of this book, which weaves together history, myth, philosophical reflection, and literary criticism, heralds a new era of poetic scholarship in the humanities (‘poetic’ in Vico’s sense). We are in need of this kind of imaginative reanimation of our academic vocation.” -- Robert Pogue Harrison, author of Juvenescence: A Cultural History of Our AgeTable of ContentsBirds Wealth Caves Television Demons Migrations Love The Sun Mormons Afterword References Index

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Book Synopsis A beautiful handbook of Hadith, making the radiant gems of Prophetic wisdom available to a wider public. With admirable brevity, it gives the sum and substance of the Prophet''s way.—Professor Khurshid Ahmad Featuring 393 traditions of the Prophet, this book provides Arabic text and English commentary to elucidate their meanings. This comprehensive selection covers faith, worship, morality and character, ethics, society, law, and politics in Islam. Shaykh ''Abd Al-Ghaffar Hasan (1913–2007), a graduate of Dar al-Hadith al-Rahmaniyyah in Delhi, taught the sciences of Ahadith at the University of Madinah from 1964 to 1979. Trade Review"..A beautiful handbook of Hadith, making the radiant gems of Prophetic wisdom available to a wider public. With admirable brevity, it helpfully gives the sum and substance of the Prophet's Way, of the Sunnah." Prof. Khurshid Ahmad, from the Preface

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive manual for living a spiritual life, based on a verse-by-verse commentary on India’s timeless scripture – from the author of its best-selling translation. (The ebook The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living 9781586381455 includes all three volumes in this series.) The Bhagavad Gita is set on the battlefield of an apocalyptic war between good and evil. Faced with a dire moral dilemma, the warrior prince Arjuna turns in anguish to his spiritual guide, Sri Krishna, for answers to the fundamental questions of life.Easwaran points out that Arjuna’s crisis is acutely modern. The Gita’s battlefield is the struggle for self-mastery that every human being must wage. Arjuna represents each of us, and Sri Krishna is the Lord, instructing us in eighteen chapters of lofty wisdom as we face the social, environmental, and global challenges that threaten our world today.Easwaran is a spiritual teacher and author of deep insight and warmth. His verse-by-verse commentary interprets the Gita’s teachings for modern readers, explaining the Sanskrit concepts and philosophy and applying them with practicality, wisdom, and humor to every aspect of our work, our relationships, and our lives. With everyday anecdotes, stories, and examples, he shows that the changes we long to see in the world start with the transformation of our own consciousness. The practical exercises recommended by Easwaran to achieve transformation are part of a spiritual program he developed for his own life. They are accessible to people from all backgrounds and cultures. Urging us to adopt a higher image of the human being, he assures us that peace and unity are within reach. Each volume of this series covers six chapters of the Gita. Each may be read on its own, but all three volumes together form an in-depth, verse-by-verse explanation of this ancient scripture and its relevance today. Each volume includes instructions in Easwaran's eight-point program of passage meditation. Volume 1: The first six chapters of the Gita explore the concept of the innermost Self and source of wisdom in each of us. Easwaran explains how we can begin to transform ourselves, even as householders engaged in busy lives. Volume 2: The next six chapters of the Gita go beyond the individual Self to explore the Supreme Reality underlying all creation. Easwaran builds a bridge across the seeming divide between scientific knowledge and spiritual wisdom, and explains how the concept of the unity of life can help us in all our relationships. Volume 3: The final six chapters put forth an urgent appeal for us to begin to see that all of us are one – to make the connection between the Self within and the Reality underlying all creation. Global in scope, the emphasis is on what we can do to make a difference to heal our environment and establish peace in the world. Easwaran’s commentary is for all students of the Gita, whatever their background, and for anyone who is trying to find a path to wisdom, love, and kindness in themselves and our troubled world. Written as an authoritative, accessible guide to a much-loved scripture, it is a handbook for finding peace and clarity within. This second edition incorporates revisions made across all three volumes following the author’s final instructions.Trade ReviewNo one in modern times is more qualified — no make that ‘as qualified’ — to translate the epochal Classics of Indian Spirituality than Eknath Easwaran. And the reason is clear. It is impossible to get to the heart of those classics unless you live them, and he did live them. My admiration of the man and his works is boundless.” — Huston Smith, author of The World’s Religions.Table of ContentsTable of Contents INTRODUCTION A Higher Image 9 CHAPTER THIRTEEN The Field of Karma 25 CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Forces of Evolution 109 CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Supreme Self 174 CHAPTER SIXTEEN Two Paths 216 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The Power of Faith 305 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Love in Action 369 Passage for Meditation 485 Glossary and Guide to Sanskrit Pronunciation 489 Index 495

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Book SynopsisReligious and secular communities ritualize some books in one, two, or three dimensions. They ritualize the dimension of semantic interpretation through teaching, preaching, and scholarly commentary. This dimension receives almost all the attention of academic scholars. Communities also ritualize a text’s expressive dimension through public reading, recitation, and song, and also by reproducing its contents in art, theatre and film. This dimension is receiving increasing scholarly attention, especially in religious studies and anthropology. A third textual dimension, the iconic dimension, gets ritualized by manipulating the physical text, decorating it, and displaying it. This dimension has received almost no academic attention, yet features prominently in the most common news stories about books, whether about e-books, academic libraries, rare manuscript discoveries, or scripture desecrations. By calling attention to the iconic dimension of books, James Watts argues that we can better understand how physical books mediate social value and power within and between religious communities, nations, academic disciplines, and societies both ancient and modern. How and Why Books Matter will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in books, reading, literacy, scriptures, e-books, publishing, and the future of the book. It also addresses scholarship in religion, cultural studies, literacy studies, biblical studies, book history, anthropology, literary studies, and intellectual history.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Iconic Books Project 1. How Books Matter: Three Dimensions of Scriptures 2. Iconic Books and Texts 3. Relic Texts 4. Iconic Digital Texts: How Ritual Makes `Virtual' Texts Material 5. Desecrated Scriptures and the News Media 6. Ancient Iconic Texts 7. Rival Iconic Texts: Ten Commandments Monuments and the U.S. Constitution 8. Book Aniconism: The Codex, Translation and Beliefs about Immaterial Texts 9. Mass Literacy and Scholarly Expertise 10. Why Books Matter: Preservation and Disposal

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Book SynopsisMiniature books, handwritten or printed books in the smallest format, have fascinated religious people, printers, publishers, collectors, and others through the centuries because of their unique physical features, and continue to captivate people today. The small lettering and the delicate pages, binding, and covers highlight the material form of texts and invite sensory engagement and appreciation. This volume addresses miniature books with a special focus on religious books in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist traditions. The book presents various empirical contexts for how the smallest books have been produced, distributed, and used in different times and cultures and also provides theoretical reflections and comments that discuss the divergent formats and functions of books.Table of ContentsReligious Miniature Books: Introduction and Overview Kristina Myrvold and Dorina Miller Parmenter Chapter 1: Ritualizing the Size of Books James W. Watts, Syracuse University Chapter 2: On the Functions of Miniaturizing Books in Jewish Religion Marianne Schleicher, Aarhus University Chapter 3: Words in a Nutshell: Miniaturizing Texts in Early Modern England Lucy Razzall, University College London Chapter 4: Small Things of Greatest Consequence: Miniature Bibles in America Dorina Miller Parmenter Chapter 5: Diminutive Divination and the Implications of Scale: A Miniature Quranic Falnama of the Safavid Period Heather Coffey, OCAD University, Canada Chapter 6: Mite Qurans for Indian Markets: David Bryce in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Kristina Myrvold Chapter 7: Miniature Qurans in the First World War: Religious Comforts for Indian Muslim Soldiers Kristina Myrvold and Andreas Johansson, Lund University Chapter 8: Size Matters! Miniature Mushafs and the Landscape of Affordances Jonas Svensson, Linnaeus University Chapter 9: Gitamahatmya! Paratexts in Miniature Bhagavad Gitas with Special Reference to Pictures and Gender Jon Skarpeid, University of Stavanger, Norway Chapter 10: Sutras Working in Buddha’s Belly and Buddhists’ Pockets: Miniature Sutras in Korean Buddhism Yohan Yoo and Woncheol Yun, both at Seoul National University

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Book Synopsis"so both thrive both discovering bliss-real power is female it rises from beneath" These 81 brief poems from the 5th century BCE make up a foundational text in world culture. In elegant, simple yet elusive language, the Daodejing develops its vision of humankind's place in the world in personal, moral, social, political and cosmic terms. Martyn Crucefix's superb new versions in English reflect - for the very first time - the radical fluidity of the original Chinese texts as well as placing the mysterious 'dark' feminine power at their heart. Laozi, the putative author, is said to have despaired of the world's venality and corruption, but he was persuaded to leave the Daodejing poems as a parting gift, as inspiration and as a moral and political handbook. Crucefix's versions reveal an astonishing empathy with what the poems have to say about good and evil, war and peace, government, language, poetry and the pedagogic process. When the true teacher emerges, no matter how detached, unimpressive, even muddled she may appear, Laozi assures us "there are treasures beneath".

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