The Ark of the Covenant in Its Egyptian Context: An Illustrated Journey invites readers on a journey of discovery that will change the way they view the Ark of the Covenant forever! Although much has been written about the Ark of the Covenant, few authors engage the wealth of information available that pertains to Egyptian material culture. The Ark of the Covenant in Its Egyptian Context: An Illustrated Journey is the first book to explore the complex history of sacred ritual furniture in Egypt that predated the ark by hundreds of years. Within Egyptian culture, over four hundred examples of ritual furniture exist that shed light on the design and appearance of the ark. These examples form patterns that provide context for the Israelites' understanding of the ark at the time of its construction. That understanding would have been obvious to the Israelites of the time, but has since become obscured over the millennia. This groundbreaking book is the first to connect the Ark of the Covenant with the archaeology and chronology of ancient Egypt, and it does so in an accessible way with straightforward text and dozens of full-color photographs and graphics. Key points and features: A groundbreaking work of scholarship--the first of its kind to connect the Ark of the Covenant with its ancient Egyptian context.High-level scholarship is paired with straightforward text, making it an accessible volume for students and curious laypeople, as well as experts in the field.Includes dozens of full-color photographs and graphics depicting ancient Egyptian artifacts and art.Durable hardcover is built to withstand heavy use in classrooms and libraries.

The Hebrew Scriptures consider the exodus from Egypt to be Israel’s formative and foundational event. Indeed, the Bible offers no other explanation for Israel’s origin as a people. It is also true that no contemporary record regarding a man named Moses or the Israelites generally, either living in or leaving Egypt has been found. Hence, many biblical scholars and archaeologists take a skeptical attitude, dismissing the exodus from the realm of history. However, the contributors to this volume are convinced that there is an alternative, more positive approach. Using textual and archaeological materials from the ancient Near East in a comparative way, in conjunction with the Torah’s narratives and with other biblical texts, the contributors to this volume (specialists in ancient Egypt, ancient Near Eastern culture and history, and biblical studies) maintain that the reports in the Hebrew Bible should not be cavalierly dismissed for ideological reasons but, rather, should be deemed to contain authentic memories.

This volume offers the first comprehensive overview of the evolution over time of a foundational concept of the Egyptian afterlife beliefs, the Duat, or netherworld. The Duat is a complicated, multifaceted notion, which was never canonized into a single version of the beyond, but offered instead a variety of alternatives attempting to describe the metaphysical realms beyond the visible world, and beyond life. Theological speculations gave rise to a rich textual and visual repertoire, which underwent a process of evolution over thousands of years, during which newer ideas and images were constantly introduced. Through the analysis of royal and non-royal funerary texts from the late Old Kingdom to the end of the New Kingdom, this book traces the development of the conceptualization of the notion of Duat, outlining what it encompassed and where it was imagined to be located. In addition to the translation and discussion of the most significant passages of the texts analyzed, each chapter also provides an overview of the individual compositions and of the relevant theological, cosmological, and astronomical notions complementing the conceptual framework, of which the Duat formed but a part. Additionally, discussions of concurrent changes in Egyptian culture, society, and ideology are included in order to clarify the context in which afterlife beliefs and related texts evolved. An analysis of the correlation between funerary compositions and their material supports complements the study, emphasizing the Egyptians' belief in a magical synergy between texts, images, and their contexts in the activation of a suitable, effective afterlife for the recipients of the texts.

For about 150 years, scholars have attempted to identify the language of the world's first alphabetic script, and to translate some of the inscriptions that use it. Until now, their attempts have accomplished little more than identifying most of the pictographic letters and translating a few of the Semitic words. With the publication of The World's Oldest Alphabet, a new day has dawned. All of the disputed letters have been resolved, while the language has been identified conclusively as Hebrew, allowing for the translation of 16 inscriptions that date from 1842 to 1446 BC. It is the author's reading that these inscriptions expressly name three biblical figures (Asenath, Ahisamach, and Moses) and greatly illuminate the earliest Israelite history in a way that no other book has achieved, apart from the Bible.

Inside the holiest of holy places in the tabernacle stood the Ark of the Covenant. This gold-covered box was Israel's most sacred object and the one that most symbolized God's presence. Its power and uniqueness has given rise to all sorts of curiosity, speculation, and mystery surrounding the ark. Even longtime students of the Bible still have questions about the ark. This slimline pamphlet gives biblical answers to your questions about the Ark of the Covenant: Who built the ark and why?How big was the ark and what was inside it?What was the mercy seat for?What happened to the ark?And more! 4 Key Features of the Ark of the Covenant Pamphlet Provides biblical answers to common questions about the arkIncludes a Bible time line of the arkFull-color illustrations and glossy coatingFits in most Bibles for handy reference Discover Fascinating Facts about the Tabernacle! Discover why the ark was so important in Israel's worship at the tabernacle and the temple. See how the ark reveals God's love and holiness, and what that means for believers today. Did you know? Three specific things were kept inside the ark.The ark is sometimes called the ark of the testimony.The ark was placed behind a heavy curtain in the temple.The ark's mercy seat played a key role in Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).Jeremiah prophesied about the ark.The apostle John saw the ark in a vision.

The story of Professor Tudor Parfitt's 20-year search for the location of the fabled Ark of the Covenant. In 2006, his search finally led him to an ancient artefact identical to the biblical description of the Ark.

In this groundbreaking work that sets apart fact and legend, authors Finkelstein and Silberman use significant archeological discoveries to provide historical information about biblical Israel and its neighbors. In this iconoclastic and provocative work, leading scholars Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman draw on recent archaeological research to present a dramatically revised portrait of ancient Israel and its neighbors. They argue that crucial evidence (or a telling lack of evidence) at digs in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon suggests that many of the most famous stories in the Bible—the wanderings of the patriarchs, the Exodus from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, and David and Solomon’s vast empire—reflect the world of the later authors rather than actual historical facts. Challenging the fundamentalist readings of the scriptures and marshaling the latest archaeological evidence to support its new vision of ancient Israel, The Bible Unearthed offers a fascinating and controversial perspective on when and why the Bible was written and why it possesses such great spiritual and emotional power today.

What does God have to do with your "nine to five" existence? Everything! Bridging the gap between Sunday and Monday, MacKenzie and Kirkland's accessible biblical theology of work shows how to integrate your faith with your job so that you can serve and worship God every day of the week. Includes exercises for small groups and individuals.

Christians and Messianic Jews who are interested in the rich spiritual traditions of their faith will be thrilled with this brand new study Bible. The Complete Jewish Study Bible pairs the updated text of the Complete Jewish Bible translation with extra study material, to help readers understand and connect with the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. The Complete Jewish Bible shows that the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, is a unified Jewish book meant for everyone Jew and non- Jew alike. Translated by David H. Stern with new, updated introductions by Rabbi Barry Rubin, it has been a best-seller for over twenty years. This translation, combined with beautiful, modern design and helpful features, makes this an exquisite, one-of-a-kind Bible. Unique to The Complete Jewish Study Bible are a number of helpful articles and notes to aid the reader in understanding the Jewish context for the Scriptures, both in the Tanakh (the Old Testament) and the B rit Hadashah (the New Testament). Features include: - Twenty-five contributors (both Jewish and Christian), including John Fischer, Patrice Fischer, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Rabbi Russell Resnik, and more - Thirty-four topical articles ranging from topics such as the menorah (or candelabra of God ) and repentance (t shuvah) in the Bible, to Yeshua s Sermon on the Mount and the Noachide Laws (the laws given by God to Noah and subsequent generations) and their applicability to Gentiles - In addition to these topical articles and detailed study notes, there are twelve tracks or themes running throughout the Bible with 117 articles, covering topics such as Jewish Customs, the Names of God, Shabbat, and the Torah - New Bible book introductions, written from a Jewish perspective - Bottom-of-page notes to help readers understand the deeper meanings behind the Jewish text - Sabbath and Holy Day Scripture readings - Offers the original Hebrew names for people, places, and concepts "