Sacred Treasure

Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code in an old Egyptian synagogue--the amazing story of one of the most important discoveries in modern religious scholarship. In 1896, Rabbi Solomon Schechter of Cambridge University stepped into the attic of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, and there found the largest treasure trove of medieval and early manuscripts ever discovered. He had entered the synagogue's genizah--its repository for damaged and destroyed Jewish texts--which held nearly 300,000 individual documents, many of which were over 1,000 years old. Considered among the most important discoveries in modern religious history, its contents contained early copies of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, early manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, and other sacred literature. The importance of the genizah's contents rivals that of the Rosetta Stone, and by virtue of its sheer mass alone, it will continue to command our attention indefinitely. This is the first accessible, comprehensive account of this astounding discovery. It will delight you with its fascinating adventure story--why this enormous collection was amassed, how it was discovered and the many lessons to be found in its contents. And it will show you how Schechter's find, though still being "unpacked" today, forever transformed our knowledge of the Jewish past, Muslim history and much more.

In the discussions and debates surrounding liturgical music of the past fifty years, music theorists, critics, and historians have contributed little, and their counsel has rarely been sought. Whenever the matter of liturgical music arises, most often in parishes, but sometimes in episcopal conferences or in the academy or in Vatican documents, the nature of the music, as music, almost never affects the discussion. With Sacred Treasure, Joseph Swain, a distinguished musicologist and accomplished performer, attempts to change that. He offers a theory for building authentic traditions of liturgical music for Roman Catholic parishes. This book is an exercise in pragmatic music criticism. By providing a rational basis for evaluating the essential issues, Swain seeks to show how a spiritually wholesome stability might supplant the confusion. Sacred Treasure shows how the hard facts of music must be taken into account in any holistic conception and any lasting form of liturgical music.

Holy Treasure and Sacred Song explores the complex interplay between relic cults and the liturgy in medieval Tuscany. Drawing on documentary, literary and visual evidence rarely considered together, it reveals that liturgical texts, music, and ritual were integral to the clergy's well-informed promotion of saints buried in their churches.

The Mass is truly a ""Sacred Treasure,"" and, alas, our cold, dead faith allows it to remain so. If we valued it as we ought, we would hurry every morning to the church, careless of the snows of winter and the heats of summer, in order to get a share of the riches of this treasure.The Saints knew the value of one Mass: that was a dark day in their calendar on which they were deprived of the happy privilige of saying or hearing Mass. Sacred Treasures of the Mass by St. Leonard of Port Maurice will stir the soul to practice the Catholic faith with zeal and ardour. This saintly writer truly inspires the Christian soul to strive for perfection through deep and devout devotion to the Mass."

NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FINALIST WINNER OF THE 2012 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S SOPHIE BRODY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN JEWISH LITERATURE Sacred Trash tells the remarkable story of the Cairo Geniza—a synagogue repository for worn-out texts that turned out to contain the most vital cache of Jewish manuscripts ever discovered. This tale of buried communal treasure weaves together unforgettable portraits of Solomon Schechter and the other modern heroes responsible for the collection’s rescue with explorations of the medieval documents themselves—letters and poems, wills and marriage contracts, Bibles, money orders, fiery dissenting religious tracts, fashion-conscious trousseaux lists, prescriptions, petitions, and mysterious magical charms. Presenting a pan­oramic view of almost a thousand years of vibrant Mediterranean Judaism, Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole bring contemporary readers into the heart of this little-known trove, whose contents have rightly been dubbed “the Living Sea Scrolls.” Part biography, part meditation on the supreme value the Jewish people has long placed in the written word, Sacred Trash is above all a gripping tale of adventure and redemption. (With black-and-white illustrations throughout.)

Traces the legend of the lost treasure of the Jews, from the sack of Jerusalem in 70CE, to the body of an Italian man found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in the late 1980s. The story invokes alchemy, forgery and genocide and involves the Vatican, the Knights Templar and the Nazi SS.

Positing that the treasure of the Jews was brought to France after the Visigoth sack of Rome, the authors explore the Middle Ages and Renaissance profusion of secret societies, and suggest that they were established to protect this hidden wealth, which remains a political power in the 1990s.

In the novel, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Archaeologist Dr. Nima Ganpa heads an expedition to the no-man's land of the Western Himalayas for the recovery of primordial clay tablets of the "original" Bardo Thodol passed down by the founder of Swastika Bon. Its discovery would potentially change the history of Tibet-the many established and well-entrenched doctrines, practices and institutions of Tibetan Buddhism. The ancient clay tablets contain sutras, tantric yoga techniques, and secretive vehicles to guide the initiate to attain spontaneous enlightenment, breaking the suffering of the endless cycle of death and rebirth. They offer a shortcut to attain Nirvana. However, the archaeological expedition immediately attracts the attention of agents of Dharamsala, Tibet's sacred treasure hunters and a syndicate for stolen antiquities headed by a former Nazi SS and a former CIA who have been involved with the affairs of Tibet since the 1930s. Only Dr. Ganpa can stop the madness of the Forces of Light against the Forces of Darkness in an apocalyptic Armageddon of Shambhala.

Collecting the Good War "This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."—Franklin Delano Roosevelt Hailed as "The Greatest Generation," the men and women who fought in World War II carried an unimaginable burden. Their date with destiny, both horrendous and heroic, shaped the world we know today. This newly expanded second edition of Warman's World War II Collectibles serves as a living tribute to these brave souls, as well as a guide to the remarkable and historical items that survived titanic battles. Brimming with expert collecting advice, detailed information and spectacular color images, this book is designed to provide perspective and guidance to the extraordinary world of World War II collectibles. This one-of-a-kind package features: • 1,100 full-color photos of collectibles from Allied and Axis forces • Coverage of uniforms, headgear, accouterments, medals, firearms, bayonets, knives, daggers, swords, and personal items • 3,000 listings with updated current-market prices • Helpful collecting advice, price and availability ratings, and reproduction alerts

The Liahona isn’t the only “type” or symbol in the scriptures. In fact, Moses tells us that all things testify of their Creator. This means that there are symbols all around us that can teach us things of eternal value—if only we can open our eyes and hearts to their messages. We know that God’s symbolism teaches messages that words simply can’t. But these symbols don’t exist just so we can be impressed with an interesting bit of knowledge and move on unaffected by the insight. Symbolism is meant to shape who we are, not just what we know. Gospel Symbols: Finding the Creator in His Creations will Show you new levels of understanding in words and rituals you probably take for granted Provide you with life-changing insights Supercharge your study of eternal principles Enhance your understanding of the ordinances and ceremonial practices of the biblical Church In a clear, easy-to-understand approach, this book combines ancient scriptures and modern insights to teach you and your family the precious truths found only in gospel symbols.