Among the canonized Latter-day Saint doctrinal sources, there is no book with more profound insights into the truths of eternity than the Pearl of Great Price. Truly it is a jewel among the scriptures. and among guides to understanding the ancient portions of that marvelous book, no light shines brighter than the enlightenment found in this valuable commentary. This book deals primarily with the Pearl of Great Price books of Moses and Abraham. Recognizing that the writings of Joseph Smith are usually treated as the basis for studies in LDS Church history, the author has chosen to omit coveraage of thos portions in his book in order to consider the ancient writings in greater depth. After giving a useful overview of the Pearl of Great Price, he reviews how these ancient books were received and published by the Church. He then moves back in time to study and draw meanings from the pre-mortal Council in Heaven, the creation of the earth, man's condition before the fall of Adam, and the significance of that fall. He explains the experiences of Adam and Eve and analyzes the first great apostasy which occured when their children rejected the gospel. a chapter considers the deeper roots of the black civilization. Another treats the prophet Enoch's panoramic vision of the world. the writings of Abraham are also treated in depth in a similar manner. Recent research has opened up new understandings, and these matters are treated in the later chapters of the book. for instance, along with the writings of Abraham, Joseph Smith received another scroll containing the writings of Joseph of Egypt. the author discusses what is known concerning those writings. He also deals with the recent discovery of the Egyptian Book of Breathings, telling how it was found, and presents interesting new insights on the Egyptian endowment. a final chapter shows relationships between the LDS temple ceremony and the Egyptian papyri. the writing shows the abilities of a competent teacher. Each chapter, for instance, ends with a detailed summary. a very detailed index makes the book especially easy to use. Horizon Publishers takes pleasure introducing this very useful and thought-provoking commentary, and highlly recommends it to those who are seeking new insights and the latest findings on the ancient scriptures.

In the Lost Tribes, author R. Clayton Brough has given definition and clarification to one of the most interesting doctrinal subjects in Mormonism. He traces the Biblical history of the descendants of the great patriarch Jacob, whose name the Lord changed to Israel, down to the time they entered captivity in Assyria. He then draws from other historical sources which relate the exodus of these tribes into "another land" and shows how they became lost to mankind. Various historical allusions are cited which reflect the sum of modern scholarly knowledge pertaining to their history and present location. Among Latter-day Saints, several theories have come into existence concerning the location of these lost people. The author has collected the evidence usually cited to substantiate these theories and has presented and analyzed it with considerable clarity. He takes no position in support of any particular theory, but invites the reader to evaluate the information available for himself. The theories he discusses and documents are the "Unknown Planet" theory, the "Narrow Neck" proposition (a sub-theory), the "Hollow Earth" theory, the "North Pole" theory, and the "Dispersion" theory. The future return of the Ten Tribes from their unknown location is a major theme in LDS doctrine. The author devotes the final chapter of the book to that subject and related events in the last days. The Lost Tribes is a valuable book which assembles a host of interesting and sometimes inaccessible items from many sources. The author has done much to clarify and broaden Latter-day Saint understanding on one of the most intriguing themes in ancient and modern scripture. Here is a book that is being widely read and enjoyed by many.

In The Ten Lost Tribes, Zvi Ben-Dor Benite shows for the first time the extent to which the search for the lost tribes of Israel became, over two millennia, an engine for global exploration and a key mechanism for understanding the world.

Eric H. Cline uses the tools of his trade to examine some of the most puzzling mysteries from the Hebrew Bible and, in the process, to narrate the history of ancient Israel. Combining the academic rigor that has won the respect of his peers with an accessible style that has made him a favorite with readers and students alike, he lays out each mystery, evaluates all available evidence—from established fact to arguable assumption to far-fetched leap of faith—and proposes an explanation that reconciles Scripture, science, and history. Numerous amateur archaeologists have sought some trace of Noah's Ark to meet only with failure. But, though no serious scholar would undertake such a literal search, many agree that the Flood was no myth but the cultural memory of a real, catastrophic inundation, retold and reshaped over countless generations. Likewise, some experts suggest that Joshua's storied victory at Jericho is the distant echo of an earthquake instead of Israel's sacred trumpets—a fascinating, geologically plausible theory that remains unproven despite the best efforts of scientific research. Cline places these and other Biblical stories in solid archaeological and historical context, debunks more than a few lunatic-fringe fantasies, and reserves judgment on ideas that cannot yet be confirmed or denied. Along the way, our most informed understanding of ancient Israel comes alive with dramatic but accurate detail in this groundbreaking, engrossing, entertaining book by one of the rising stars in the field.

Were indigenous Americans descendants of the lost tribes of Israel? From the moment Europeans realized Columbus had landed in a place unknown to them in 1492, they began speculating about how the Americas and their inhabitants fit into the Bible. For many, the most compelling explanation was the Hebraic Indian theory, which proposed that indigenous Americans were the descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel. For its proponents, the theory neatly explained why this giant land and its inhabitants were not mentioned in the Biblical record. In Old Canaan in a New World, Elizabeth Fenton shows that though the Hebraic Indian theory may seem far-fetched today, it had a great deal of currency and significant influence over a very long period of American history. Indeed, at different times the idea that indigenous Americans were descended from the lost tribes of Israel was taken up to support political and religious positions on diverse issues including Christian millennialism, national expansion, trade policies, Jewish rights, sovereignty in the Americas, and scientific exploration. Through analysis of a wide collection of writings—from religious texts to novels—Fenton sheds light on a rarely explored but important part of religious discourse in early America. As the Hebraic Indian theory evolved over the course of two centuries, it revealed how religious belief and national interest intersected in early American history.

Tudor Parfitt examines a myth which is based on one of the world's oldest mysteries - what happened to the lost tribes of Israel? Christians and Jews alike have attached great importance to the legendary fate of these tribes which has had a remarkable impact on their ideologies throughout history. Each tribe of Israel claimed descent from one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the land of Israel was eventually divided up between them. Following a schism which formed after the death of Solomon, ten of the tribes set up an independent northern kingdom, whilst those of Judah and Levi set up a separate southern kingdom. In 721BC the ten northern tribes were ethnically cleansed by the Assyrians and the Bible states they were placed: in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the city of Medes. The Bible also foretold that one day they would be reunited with the southern tribes in the final redemption of the people of Israel. Their subsequent history became a tapestry of legend and hearsay. The belief persisted that they had been lost in some remote part of the world and there were countless suggestions and claims as to where.

In this fourth volume of Robert M. Price's celebrated Holy Fable series, he turns his critical lens away from the Bible and toward a broader range of scriptural works that were written, or rediscovered, in modern times. Employing the same sympathetic but eagle-eyed treatment that defined past volumes, he offers in-depth analysis of the Joseph Smith–penned Book of Mormon; the long-sealed Gospel according to Thomas; the New Age Jesus of the Aquarian Gospel; the H. P. Lovecraft–invented Necronomicon; and the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. With his trademark scholarship and wit, he demonstrates how and why this eclectic mix of contemporary scriptural work provides genuine spiritual inspiration to a colorful variety of religious groups and seekers today.