Judaism

TEN COMMANDMENTS BOOKPLATES (Sample available)
art by Connie Larson. Condition: NEW package of 10 bookplates made by pacaritambo books. The peel-off label stock is heavier than most bookplate materials and is matte and not glossy. They are as perfect as possible, and we feel the subject matter is much different than you can get anywhere else. We can also personalize the bookplates if you like - just email us with the name. 3.75" wide x 3.25" high. Content: The foundation for two major religoins of the world, these stone tablets are in gray "marble" with black lettering. Any questions or to request a sample, click here to email us.
$ 3.59 + $ 2.75 first class shipping. International shipping available - please use the drop-down menu.

ABRAHAM ON TRIAL: The Social Legacy of Biblical Myth
by Carol Delaney. Condition: UNREAD 1998 Princeton Univ. Press hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. Content: The story of the sacrifice of Isaac is at the heart of the three monotheistic religions that see Abraham as their father in faith: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Writing from a feminist perspective, Delaney considers the traditional interpretation, i.e., that Abraham's faith is proved by his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command. Delaney then examines the role this story has played in modern ideas of paternal authority, taking as an example the case of a father who killed his daughter and claimed at his trial a few years ago that he did it because God told him to. Delaney examines the role the story plays in the psychological literature as well as in religion and argues against its perpetuation. While not all readers will agree with her interpretations, she certainly offers a thought-provoking argument. Questions welcome. [1 copy availaable]
$ 16.79 + $ 3.39 media shipping.

JUDAISM: The Key Spiritual Writings of the Jewish Tradition (Revised Edition)
edited and interpreted by Arthur Hertzberg. Condition: NEW 1998 Free Press Trade Paperback, revised edition, first printing. Content: The first edition of this work (1991) appeared as part of a six-volume set of commentary and biblical text "explaining the spirit and values of the great religions of modern man." Now, 30 years later, using the same style and format, Hertzberg reexamines Judaism's moral and ethical values as they relate to today's major issues. Through a unique blend of ancient and modern scholarly commentaries, the role of Judaism is explored and interpreted in its relation to Jewish identity, equality of the sexes, rites of passage, the Holocaust, homosexuality, vegetarianism, medical procedures, politics, and more. Regardless of the era and world tensions, one theme from the original edition has prevailed--unity. Judaism, Hertzberg suggests, is best described as a confident religion whose disciples strive to return to traditional practices in a modern world. Interesting and thought provoking. [1 copy available]
$ 7.50 + $ 3.09 media shipping.

THE LOST MESSIAH
by John Freely. B&W photos and drawings illustrate. Condition:NEW 2001 Viking Press (London) hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, first printing. [The US Edition is a first thus.] Content: The idea of a messiah who will come to offer salvation and heal the world remains one of Judaism's most enduring yearnings. Freely focuses on one who assumed the mantle of Messiah. In the mid-seventeenth century a messiah appeared, a rabbi named Sabbatai Sevi. As Freely describes him, Sabbatai would be described in modern terms as manic-depressive. In his own time, his "illuminations" (which alternated with moods of deep despair) and his knowledge of the Torah and kabbalah allowed Sabbatai to attract followers. When the respected Nathan of Gaza, serving as Sabbatai's John the Baptist, proclaimed him the Messiah, his fame grew throughout the Jewish world. Freely, quoting extensively from primary sources, follows Sabbatai's movements up to his shocking conversion to Islam [after he was threatened with beheading], which, perhaps even more shockingly, did not dissolve all of his support. Freely paints a portrait of the Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire that brings time and place alive. He is less successful in describing Sabbatai the man. Although Freely makes us understand the circumstances that made the masses long for a messiah, he fails to show how Sabbatai, a not particularly appealing figure, could have successively assumed that role. Still, this volume gathers the threads of many sources into one fabric, providing a valuable interweaving of history and biography. [I love this book!!!] [1 copy available]
$ 10.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

OUR IMMORAL SOUL: A Manifesto of Spiritual Disobedience
by Rabbi Nilton Bonder. Condition: UNREAD 2001 Shambhala hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition, assumed first printing. Content: Making use of diverse sources such as evolutionary psychology and Hasidic lore, Rabbi Bonder inverts the usual "body/soul" definitions. For Bonder, it is not the evil flesh that seduces the moral soul; rather, it is the soul, in its desire to evolve, that encourages the body to break accepted mores. Bonder argues that religious conformity does not lead to spiritual maturity, which is attained instead through a thoughtful rebellion against the status quo. So, for example, "Adam and Eve were apes until this act of disobedience [eating of the Tree of Knowledge] marked the advent of consciousness," and the biblical Abraham founded Judaism by abandoning his home in "civilized" Ur a betrayal in his countrymen's eyes. The results are intriguing, with Bonder posing moral dilemmas involving everything from the causes of anti-Semitism to infidelity in marriages. Some questions remain, however. Moral or not, the mind or soul, not the body, is usually seen as the human "decision-making" faculty, but Bonder's insistence on the mind/body tension does not identify who or what is doing the choosing. And if conventional morality is the sole purview of the body, how does one distinguish between "genuine" evolutionary impulses and willful licentiousness? Other points seem far-fetched, such as the prediction that "the Human Genome Project will map the soul" using uncertainty principles similar to those in quantum physics. Nevertheless, Bonder's method can provoke a worthwhile examination of commonly held religious values. [1 copy available]
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SECRETS OF JERUSALEM'S TEMPLE MOUNT
by Leen and Kathleen Titmeyer. B&W detailed drawings, photos, plus color drawings. Condition: UNREAD 1998 Biblical Archaeology Trade Paperback, reprint. Content: This book is a reprint of the Ritmeyer's articles in Biblical Archaeology magazine. Reviewer: "This book is Ritmeyer's archeological analysis of the construction and remodelings of the Temple Mount. From that perspective, this short, small paperback booklet is a very informative analysis as to the various peoples who worked in developing the Temple Mount over several centuries (Jews, Romans, Muslims, Seleucids, Turks). There are numerous photographs that are very helpful in noting the various construction differences, and location maps showing how the Temple Mount and the Muslim Platform were laid out, and nice 3D drawings depicting how the Jewish Temples might have looked -- based upon the stone foundations. Also of interest is some detailing as to how the buildings were constructed; how different stones were used during different periods. Some nice history is presented by explaining the excavations occuring during the 1880s. Ritmeyer's analysis is great, but his claiming that he can show where the "Ark" itself rested does require more "faith" than what he provides as "proof." Only 116 paperback pages of text, but each one is very informative, from an archeologist's perspective. [1 copy available]
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The SIGN AND THE SEAL (Lost Ark of the Covenant)
by Graham Hancock. Four B&W photo sections. Condition: NEW 1993 Touchstone Trade Paperback, 13th printing. Content: The History Channel has a program based on Hancock's book and they still show it periodically. It's great! Look for it! Not only is this book history, religion, & archeology, but adventure and mystery as well. "The fact of the Lost Ark of the Covenant is one of the grant historical mysteries of all time. To believers, the Ark is the legendary vesel holding the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Bible contains hundreds of references to the Ark's power to level mountains, destroy armies, and lay waste to cities. The Ark itself, however, mysteriously disappears from recorded history sometime after the building of the Temple of Solomon. After ten years of searching through the dusty archives of Europe and the Middle East, as well as braving the real-life dangers of a bloody civil war in Ethiopia, Graham Hancock has succeeded where scores of others have failed. This intrepid journalist has tracked down the true story behind the myths and legends -- revealing where the Ark is today, how it got there, and why it remains hidden. Part fascinating scholarship and part entertaining adventure yarn, tying together some of the most intriguing tales of all time -- from the Knights Templar and Prester John to Parsival and the Holy Grail -- this book will appeal to anyone fascinated by the revelation of hidden truths, the discovery of secret mysteries." [608 pages] [1 copy available]
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SIMPLE KABBALAH (A Simple Wisdom Book)
by Kim Zetter. Foreword by Ira Steingroot. Condition: NEW 2002 Castle BookS hardcover (pictorial boards - no DJ issued), first printing. Content: To convert complex spiritual ideas to clear, lucid terms, Conari Press established the Simple Wisdom series. This book attempts to make esoteric topics readily accessible. Kabbalah, or "received tradition," is the Jewish mystical answer to all questions about God, people and the universe, supposedly hidden within the Hebrew Scripture. Kabbalists devote themselves to unraveling these s ecrets. Zetter, a journalist who specializes in Jewish affairs, began studying Kabbalah 10 years ago when she lived in Israel. She provides a straightforward explanation of Kabbalah and then offers a brief history, beginning in the 12th and 13th centuries, when the canonical text of Kabbalah, the Book of Zohar, appeared. Next, she sets forth key principles of Kabbalah and examines the text of Genesis to demonstrate the techniques Kabbalists use to unearth deeper meanings in received traditions. A chapter is devoted to the Tree of Life, the crucial symbol of Kabbalah, and the book concludes by exploring Kabbalah's significance for human behavior. The labyrinthine mysteries of Kabbalah remain perplexing, but this book is a useful introduction for those who wish to investigate elements of Jewish theology and philosophy. [1 copy available]
$ 7.50 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

THE TRUTH ABOUT CABALA
by David Godwin. Condition: NEW 1994 Llewellyn Publications small softcover, first printing. Content: This little book will tell you what you should know about Cabala - or so it says. [1 copy available]
$ 3.49 + $ 2.94 media shipping.

WARRIORS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT: Joshua, King David, Nebuchadnezzar, Judas Maccabeus
by Mark Healy. Beautiful color plates by Richard Hook. B&W artifact photos with B&W drawings from history. Condition: UNREAD 1998 Brockhampton hardcover (pictorial boards) & DJ (in mylar jacket), first thus. Content: Wonderfully illustrated book about the heroes of Jewish history and 1 not-so-heroic Biblical warrior. [1 copy available]
$ 7.50 + $ 3.29 media shipping.

WHAT ARE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AND WHY DO THEY MATTER?
by David Noel Freedman and Pam Fox Kuhlken. Foreword by Weston Fields. B&W photos and maps illustrate. Condition: NEW 2007 Wm. Eerdman's Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: The Dead Sea Scrolls are again on exhibit, and thousands of people will journey to see them. But will these folks understand what they see? There are plenty of scholarly volumes on the Dead Sea Scrolls, full of indexes, footnotes, and jargon for those in the know. But what about the majority of the population -- nonspecialists who just want a basic understanding of what the Dead Sea Scrolls are and why they're so important? That's where this little book comes in. Freedman and Kuhlken here offer an informed, inside look at these significant ancient texts. Full of humor and behind-the-scenes glimpses into research on the Scrolls, this is a fascinating, accessible guidebook -- perfect for any reader seeking a brief, quality introduction to this inscrutable subject. Questions addressed run the gamut from general to paranoid to somewhat cynical. Here's a sampling: What are the Dead Sea Scrolls all about?; Who wrote them, why, and in what languages?; How do scholars reconstruct a biblical text?; Have the Scrolls changed our understanding of any passages in the Bible?; Do the Scrolls tell us when the world will end?; - How has technology improved our ability to study the Scrolls?; How much would a Scroll fragment sell for on eBay today? Informative, teachable, readable, "understandable." Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE WISDOM OF THE KABBALAH
translation by S L MacGregor Mathers. Foreword by Dagobert Runes. Condition: NEW 2001 Citadel Press Trade Paperback, first printing. Content: The Kabbalah, the classical expression of Jewish mysticism and the third of the great literatures of the Faith, was handed down in the oral tradition for thousands of years before it was first transcribed. A classic of the philosophy of ethics, as well as an exploration of man's relationship with God, the present selection from The Book of Splendor explores the nature of God before the Creation, and the soul of man after it. [1 copy available]
$ 4.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.

ZOROASTRIANISM AND JUDAISM (World Religions series)
by George William Carter. Intro by Charles Gray Shaw. Condition: UNREAD 2007 Book Jungle soft cover, no printing given. Original copyright 1918. Content: The author attempts to give an outline picture of Zoroastriansm, and then of Judaism when it came to be somewhat a fixed system in the post-exilic times, in order to give the leading religious, social, and moral conceptions in each faith. Contents: Zarathustra and the Zeit-Geist; Judaism; the idea of deity; the host of heaven; naturalistic traits; the expectation of a redeemer; civil, social, and ceremonial regulations; morals and ethics; the future life. [1 copy available]
$ 4.49 + $ 3.19 media shipping.