Imagine the dangerous life of an early Christian. You've embraced your newfound faith in Christ but fear the risk of persecution or death at the hands of the pagans living around you. Then a trusted friend tells you about some of Jesus' followers who secretly meet. He whispers into your ear, "Look for a fish carved in a paving stone" by a certain home on the Via Tiburtina. You smile in gratitude. Still today, modern society recognizes those Christian symbols that kept the early Christians safely connected: they appear on churches, bumper stickers, mugs -- even mints and stuffed animals. Yet we are often ignorant of the rich meaning of these symbols: their origins in Scripture, in ancient culture, and in the preaching of the Church Fathers. In this book, noted author Mike Aquilina conducts an intriguing and insightful tour of the symbols that expressed the life and devotion of the Church through the first four centuries of its existence. He explains how Christians freely borrowed pagan and Jewish symbols, giving them new, distinctly Christian meanings. Recover the zeal of our spiritual ancestors as you learn to read their symbolic language -- and discover the impact the symbols still have on your life today. More than a hundred illustrations, reproduced by artist Lea Marie Ravotti from the ancient originals, beautifully complement the text. View a mulitmedia presentation and listen to an interview of the author here.

"Archaeologist Genevieve von Petzinger looks past the horses, bison, ibex, and faceless humans in the ancient paintings and instead focuses on the abstract geometric images that accompany them. She offers her research on the terse symbols that appear more often than any other kinds of figures--signs that have never really been studied or explained until now"--

New York Times Best Seller! 1500 5-Star Reviews! From the author that brought you NEW YORK TIMES best selling books The Harbinger, The Mystery of the Shemitah, and The Paradigm selling over 3 MILLION copies Imagine if you discovered a treasure chest in which were hidden ancient mysteries, revelations from heaven, secrets of the ages, the answers to man’s most enduring, age-old questions, and the hidden keys that can transform your life to joy, success, and blessing…This is The Book of Mysteries.

Each summer all over the world, gigantic and magnificent works of art are sculpted in fields of wheat, barley and other crops. Usually formed under the veil of darkness, in the few short hours between sunset and sunrise, they become visible as the mists of early morning evaporate under the rays of the sun. But are they elaborate hoaxes or eternal mysteries? World authorities, Karen and Steve Alexander reveal that hidden within the proportions and shapes of many of these spectacular designs are measures and harmonies that have been used for thousands of years in the creation of sacred and holy spaces. This ancient way of using design, measure and proportion is explored here to the full. Sacred geometry, numerology and other mustical concepts long forgotten in modern design are discussed alongside the crop circles in which they have been found. The result is a groundbreaking book that reaches to the heart of these mysteroius creations. Synopsis: The intriguing question hangs on every tongue: are they untouched by human hand? The market remains strong because crop circles are so compelling and because they make this a most beautiful book! There are no other books that focus on the aesthetics of these wonderful creations. Log on to the authors' site to see the full potential of this book. This is a full colour, lavishly illustrated photographic tour de force of crop circle designs. It discusses the fascinating link between the circles' shapes and the concept of Sacred Art and other New Age philosophies. The stunning images are provided by Steve Alexander, who files over the enormous patterns created in the crops, and photographs them within the context of their landscape. His wife Karen describes and explains the meanings of each symbol, and analyses them within the framework of Sacred Art - the spiritual creativity inspired by the world around us.

Covering secret societies, mysterious ancient traditions, and the often-mistaken history of the world's religious symbols, this book takes readers on a tour through the fascinating world of religious symbolism and reveals the most mysterious and misunderstood facets of religion. Hidden Religion: The Greatest Mysteries and Symbols of the World's Religious Beliefs not only explores the history and origins of widely recognizable symbols, like the Christian cross and the Star of David, but also introduces readers to more obscure symbols from religious traditions around the world—even defunct ones like those of the ancient Aztec and Mayan societies. In addition, the book discusses the "religious secrets" found in the major religions, including secret societies of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Containing more than 170 entries, the encyclopedia is organized by religious category, such as Abrahamic, East Asian, and African Diasporic religions, then alphabetically within each category. Each entry is prefaced with a short introduction that explains where and when the religious tradition originated and describes the religion today. This information is followed by an analysis of the historical development and use of symbols along with an explanation of connections between symbols used by different religions, such as shared astrological symbolism in the form of moon, sun, or star motifs.

It is the year 4022; all of the ancient country of Usa has been buried under many feet of detritus from a catastrophe that occurred back in 1985. Imagine, then, the excitement that Howard Carson, an amateur archeologist at best, experienced when in crossing the perimeter of an abandoned excavation site he felt the ground give way beneath him and found himself at the bottom of a shaft, which, judging from the DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging from an archaic doorknob, was clearly the entrance to a still-sealed burial chamber. Carson's incredible discoveries, including the remains of two bodies, one of then on a ceremonial bed facing an altar that appeared to be a means of communicating with the Gods and the other lying in a porcelain sarcophagus in the Inner Chamber, permitted him to piece together the whole fabric of that extraordinary civilization.

"With characters who grab your attention, illustrations that invite you to play along, and a plot with more twists than a country road, get ready for a fast and fun mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. How do I sign up to join the Gemini Detective Agency?" - James Ponti, Edgar-award winning author of the FRAMED! mystery series "The North Star is mystery and intrigue at its best. I loved putting my observational skills to the test as I searched for clues in the illustrations at the end of every chapter. Captivating. Clever. Compulsively readable. A must-have for all emerging detectives!" - Lauren Magaziner, author of Case Closed series Join the Gemini Detective Agency and help the teenage sleuths solve the theft of a priceless necklace! Twins Zach and Evie Mamuya and their friend Vishal Desai make up the Gemini Detective Agency, which is mainly an excuse to get pizza together or hit the go-kart track. But when a priceless diamond necklace known as the North Star is stolen before an auction, the kids tag along with the twins' crime reporter mom and find a few clues that make them think this was no ordinary robbery. With the help of their classmate Sophia Boyd, the Gemini Detective Agency is on the case! Will they be able to sort through the clues and solve the mystery in time? Readers will love this interactive mystery, where clues can be found throughout the illustrations at the end of each chapter! The Gemini Mysteries: The North Star is an action-packed novel full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

“This book is a little masterpiece: it informs and it explores, it recounts history and it provokes a religious quest. It is a personal book, yet it explores the great questions of theology; it is full of learning, but not ponderous; it is written from the perspective of faith, but is not off-putting to the inquirer.” -Thomas O’Loughlin, Professor of Historical Theology University of Wales Lampeter “Andreopoulos explains the gesture and meaning and history of why Christianity has needed symbols and signs through the ages. Throughout, his writing is as inspiriting as a restorative benediction.” -ALA Booklist “The book succeeds at translating the significance of the sign of the Cross into something personal and immediate.” -Publishers Weekly “The Christian of today grows quickly from the innocent child into adulthood and demands understanding of any simple behavior. ‘Why to sign with the crossing? Where did this practice begin? When and how?’ Andreas Andreopoulos, with his book, helps to answer these questions.... [H]e immerses us into the illuminating obscurity of the Holy Tradition.” -Protopresbyter Kyrillos Leret-Aldir, Orthodox Christian Comment

Are you settling for half the story? Highlighting connections that have been hidden from non-Jewish eyes, Rabbi Jason Sobel will connect the dots between the Old and New Testament, helping you see the Bible with clarity as God intended. Most people—even people of faith—do not understand how the Bible fits together. Too many Christians accept half an inheritance, content to embrace merely the New Testament, while Jewish people may often experience the same by embracing only the Old Testament. But God has an intricate plan and purpose for both the Old and the New. In Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel reveals the many connections in Scripture hidden in plain sight. Known for his emphatic declaration “but there’s more!” he guides us in seeing the passion and purpose of the Messiah. Mysteries of the Messiah: Uncovers connections between the Old and New Testaments Connects the dots for readers with details about Jesus, the Torah, and biblical characters Written with the unique perspective of a rabbi with an evangelical theological degree No matter how many times you have read the Bible, Mysteries of the Messiah will bring fresh perspective and insight. God’s Word, written by many people over thousands of years, is not a random selection of people and stories. Rabbi Jason Sobel connects the dots and helps us see with clarity what God intended.