The Gospel of the Holy Twelve

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Hardcover: 214 pages
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (September 10, 2010)

The Seth Material: The Spiritual Teacher that Launched the New Age

Seth is the acclaimed non-physical teacher whose collected works are the most dynamic, brilliant and undistorted map of inner reality and human potential available today. His articulation of the furthest reaches of human potential, the eternal validity of the soul, and the concept that we create our own reality according to our beliefs, has been presented in books that have sold over 8 million copies and been translated into over a dozen languages. Seth's empowering voice clearly stands out as one of the major forces which led to the current New Age philosophical movement. This book chronicles Seth's first contact with author and medium Jane Roberts. It is a mixture of great Seth excerpts, selected by topic, and further explained by Jane.Topics covered include: afterdeath & between lives, how to get rid of llness,reincarnation, why people are born into different circumstances, God, All That Is, Dreams, exercises to develop the inner senses, and much more.

Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: New Awareness Network; 1 edition (January 1, 2010)

Isis Unveiled: Both Volumes - A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology (Illustrated)

This complete, unabridged, all-in-one edition of Helena Blavatsky's classic work of esoteric spiritualism, history and theology also contains her original illustrations.

Although named after the Egyptian goddess Isis - a figure widely associated with magic and nature - this book's scope ranges far beyond ancient Egypt. The author examines the ancient spiritual pantheons of the East, with chapters upon Buddhism and Hinduism. These ancient beliefs are strongly believed to hold much value by the author, who discusses the essential truths about the nature of reality, consciousness and the place of humanity on the Earth.

At over 540,000 words, this lengthy and eclectic treatise is considered to be one of the greatest ever produced in the field of esotericism. Alluding to wisdom from cultures all around the world, Isis Unveiled is a deeply detailed book invigorated by the passion of its author to prove that truths were known by the ancients that humans remains ignorant of to the present day. The truths which Blavatsky seeks to demonstrate span a wide domain; provinces of the spiritual, scientific, occult, religious and theological are delved into for answers.

With this book, Helena Blavatsky introduced what she termed the 'Wisdom-Religion' to the world; a creed in which ancient documents and knowledge are valued as the purest source of spiritual knowledge. Her own researches in the subject are vast and yielded results that are staggering for their breadth. Replete topics covered in this work include life after death, magical and psychic phenomena, sorcery, black magic, the origin of the Christian faith, and eastern figures such as Gautama Buddha.

The work however has not been without its detractors; many have accused Isis Unveiled of plagiarism, noting the similarity of large tracts with writings of other occultists. The sheer length and eclecticism of the book, and subsequent changes in the ideas attached to certain ancient phenomena, led to confusion among interested followers of Blavatsky's writings: some contested that the original concepts had been contradicted.

About the Author:

Helena Blavatsky was born to a wealthy family in Russia. Her education put her in contact with many ancient cultures and traditions, which fascinated her from an early age. Following the publication of this book she founded the Theosophical Society in New York, descendants and offshoots of which continue to research and seek after the essential truths underpinning existence to this day.

Paperback: 534 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 28, 2017)

The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy (2-volume set)

Continuously in print for over 100 years, the SD remains today the most comprehensive sourcebook of the esoteric tradition, outlining the fundamental tenets of the Secret Doctrine of the Archaic Ages. Challenging, prophetic, and strikingly modern, it directly addresses the perennial questions: continuity of life after death, purpose of existence, good and evil, consciousness and substance, sexuality, karma, evolution, and human and planetary transformation. Based on the ancient Stanzas of Dzyan with corroborating testimony from hundreds of sources, these volumes unfold the drama of cosmic and human evolution -- from the reawakening of the gods after a Night of the Universe to the ultimate reunion of cosmos with its divine source. Supplementary sections discuss relevant scientific issues as well as the mystery language of myths, symbols, and allegories, helping the reader decipher the often abstruse imagery of the world's sacred literature. This edition is a character-for-character, line-for-line reproduction of the two-volume 1888 first edition. It is set in new type which closely matches the Miller & Richard Old Style font used in the original. The Index at the end of Volume II is the version revised in 1925.

About the Author

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born August 12, 1831, at Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, daughter of Colonel Peter Alexeyevich von Hahn and novelist Helena Andreyevna (née de Fadeyev). In 1849 she married N. V. Blavatsky, and shortly thereafter began more than 20 years of extensive travel, which brought her into contact with mystic traditions the world over. She was the principal founder of The Theosophical Society in New York City in 1875, and devoted her extraordinary literary talents to its humanitarian and educational purposes until her death in London, England, on May 8, 1891.

Paperback: 1571 pages
Publisher: Theosophical Univ Pr; Unabridged Verbatim Edition (2-vol set) edition (December 30, 2014)

Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism

Presents a readable and appealing introduction to what otherwise might seem an inaccessible religion of late antiquity.

'Kurt Rudolph is the world's leading expert on the only branch of Gnosticism that has survived down to the present. He also is the scholar who has the most authoritative overview of the whole Gnostic phenomenon....(His) popular survey of Gnosticism...does for the next generation what Hans Jonas's Gnostic Religion did for the generation just past: present a readable and appealing introduction to what otherwise might seem an inaccessible religion of late antiquity.'--James M. Robinson, General Editor, The Nag Hammadi Library in English

Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: HarperOne; New Ed edition (May 6, 1987)

The Gnostic Notebook Omnibus: Volumes One, Two, and Three

The Gnostic Notebook is a fresh examination of several classic texts in a search for hidden layers of meaning. The meanings are unlocked through a series of easy to follow steps, using a variety of steganographic and cryptographic techniques. The messages decrypted are not the usual esoteric or Freudian interpretations; rather they contain actual, undeniable information encoded into the texts ages ago. Their existence challenges everything we thought we knew about these texts, including our basic understanding of the Bible itself!

Using various texts from the Nag Hammadi library, including the Gospel of Thomas, Lambert identifies a list of seven key parables found within the Synoptic Gospels. According to the texts, the successful interpretation of these seven parables is enough to unlock the mysteries hidden within the teachings of Jesus.

Follow along as Lambert searches for evidence of this secret teaching in the most peculiar of places from Salvador Dali's Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) through Plato's Allegory of the Cave to the very formation of the elements and beyond. What he finds almost defies explanation, and this book is certain to challenge the beliefs of any who read it.

About the Author:

Timothy James Lambert is a writer, stand-up comedian, and Gnostic. The author of The Gnostic Notebook series, he has been a resident of Prague, the Alchemical Capital of Europe, for the last twenty years. Known as the Judas Iscariot of Gnosticism for his propensity of revealing that which is not to be revealed, he is hard at work on his new book.

Paperback: 337 pages
Publisher: Independently published (January 9, 2018)

The Gnostic Scriptures: A New Translation with Annotations and Introductions (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library)

"Bentley Layton's "The Gnostic Scriptures is the one indispensable book for the understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism. No other translations are within light-years of Layton's in eloquence, pathos, and accuracy, while no other commentaries match his as an introduction to this perpetually relevant religious stance. Layton is particularly brilliant in his appreciation of Valentinus, the central Gnostic visionary, whose "Gospel of Truth is marvelously served in this translation." --Harold Bloom, author of "The Book of J and "The Western Canon

"Bentley Layton's "The Gnostic Scriptures" is the one indispensable book for the understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism. No other translations are within light-years of Layton's in eloquence, pathos, and accuracy, while no other commentaries match his as an introduction to this perpetually relevant religious stance. Layton is particularly brilliant in his appreciation of Valentinus, the central Gnostic visionary, whose "Gospel of Truth" is marvelously served in this translation." --Harold Bloom, author of "The Book of J" and "The Western Canon"

About the Author:

Bentley Layton was educated at Harvard University and taught for five years in Jerusalem at the Ecole biblique et archeologique francaise. He worked in Cairo with UNESCO Technical Subcommittee to reconstruct the Coptic Gnostic manuscripts of Nag Hammadi and then taught at Yale University, where he was appointed to the Goff Professorship of Religious Studies. He is the recipient of fellowships from American Council of Learned Societies, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Guggenheim Foundation and past President of the International Association of Coptic Studies.

Paperback: 337 pages
Publisher: Independently published (January 9, 2018)

The Kybalion: A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece

2016 Reprint of 1908 Edition. This guide offers a modern interpretation of Hermetic doctrine, distilling its teachings into seven compelling principles that can be applied to self-development in daily life. For centuries, the legendary Egyptian man-god Hermes Trismegistus - regarded as the father of astrology, alchemy, and other magical arts - inspired writers and readers of occult literature. In 1908, the anonymous authors known as "Three Initiates" prepared this concise and engaging edition of the master's teachings. It outlines the Hermetic principles and then examines them in depth, offering direct quotations from the source material, followed by clear explanations. The best introduction to Hermeticism for beginners and adepts alike, this definitive edition of one of esoteric literature's classics explores principles relevant to any religious, spiritual, or magical tradition.

Paperback: 110 pages
Publisher: Martino Fine Books (July 6, 2016)

Thrice-Greatest Hermes; Studies in Hellenistic Theosophy and Gnosis [Three Volumes in One]

2013 Reprint of 1906 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Three Volumes bound into one. Volume contents are: Vol. 1. Prolegomena. -- Vol. 2. Sermons. -- Vol. 3. Excerpts and fragments This work exemplifies all that is best in Mead's dedicated, scholarly, but eminently readable studies of the spiritual roots of Christian Gnosticism and, more generally, of personal religion in the Greco-Roman world. His work encompassed much more than this; Mead was equally at home with Sanskrit texts, Patristic literature, Buddhist thought, and the problems of contemporary philosophy and psychical research. He devoted his intellectual energy to the complex interplay of Gnosticism, Hellenism, Judaism, and Christianity. This three volume set presents his insights into the formation of the Gnostic world-view and establishes him as an outstanding translator of these Hermetic books, and as the first modern scholar of Gnostic tradition.

Paperback: 858 pages
Publisher: Martino Fine Books (October 2, 2013)

Hermetica, Vol. 1: The Ancient Greek and Latin Writings Which Contain Religious or Philosophic Teachings Ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus

First published in 1924, this classic four-volume work contains various Greek and Latin writings of religious or philosophic teachings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus, with Walter Scott's extensive notes, commentary, and addenda.

It is said that these teachings are records of private, intimate talks between a teacher and one or two of his disciples. The setting was in Egypt under the Roman Empire, among men who had received some instruction in Greek philosophy, and especially the Platonism of the period, but were not content with merely accepting and repeating the cut-and-dried dogmas of the orthodox philosophic schools and sought to build up, on a basis of Platonic doctrine, a philosophic religion that would better satisfy their needs.

Included here are the libelli of the Corpus Hermeticum, the Asclepius, the Hermetic excerpts in the Anthologium of Stobaeus, and other fragments. The entire text is produced in the original Greek or Latin, with an English translation on facing pages.

Volumes II, III, and IV of Hermetica, which contain Scott's notes on the work, his commentary, and testimonia, extensive addenda, and indices, are also published by Shambhala.

Series: Hermetica (Book 1)
Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Shambhala; First Printing edition (May 1, 2001)

The Way of Hermes: New Translations of The Corpus Hermeticum and The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius

Paperback edition of the recent translation of the esoteric masterpiece, including the first English translation of The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius:

• A resource for scholars and religious seekers alike
• The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius provides new insights into the actual workings of the gnostic spiritual path

The Corpus Hermeticum, a powerful fusion of Greek and Egyptian thought, is one of the cornerstones of the Western esoteric tradition. A collection of short philosophical treatises, it was written in Greek between the first and third centuries C.E. and translated into Latin during the Renaissance by the great scholar and philosopher Marsilio Ficino. These treatises were central to the spiritual work of hermetic societies in Late Antique Alexandria (200-700 C.E.) and aimed to awaken gnosis, the direct realization of the unity of the individual and the Supreme.

In addition to this new translation of The Corpus Hermeticum, which seeks to reflect the inspirational intent of the original, The Way of Hermes includes the first English translation of the recently rediscovered manuscript of The Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius, a collection of aphorisms used by the hermetic student to strengthen the mind during meditation. With the proper mental orientation, a state of pure perception can be achieved in which the true face of God appears. This document is of enormous value to the contemporary student of gnostic studies for its insights into the actual workings of this spiritual path.

About the Author

Clement Salaman is the editor of the English translation of The Letters of Marsilio Ficino. Dorine van Oyen is a lecturer on hermetic studies in Amsterdam. William D. Wharton teaches classical history, languages, and philosophy in Boston. Jean-Pierre Mahé is correspondent of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, Paris.

Paperback: 132 pages
Publisher: Inner Traditions; Now in Paperback edition (January 30, 2004)

The Hermetica 101: A modern, practical guide, plain and simple (The Ancient Egyptian Enlightenment Series)

THE ANKH IS THE EGYPTIAN SYMBOL OF ETERNAL LIFEMore specifically, the ankh symbol looks like and represents a "key"- a key to unlocking the door to eternal life.How do you get this key? Through knowledge- a very specific knowledge that was a closely and jealously guarded secret.Mirrors were often made in the shape of the ankh key in order to remind the user of the existence of a perception of life that extended into another world, into another reality.The teachings within this book are aimed at expressing, in modern and plain terms, the ancient Egyptian knowledge that was believed to be this key- the key to unlocking the door to eternal life, and for bestowing upon the user the perception of life beyond this World.From the book:"Just as we were developed for this world in the womb, so too are we being developed for the next world within these bodies."Just as we emerged from the world of our mother's womb into this world, so too will we emerge from the world of these bodies into the next..."

About the Author

Matthew Barnes is an avid learner who spent his early years in North Carolina. He was born in Greenville, NC and has lived in New Bern, Roanoke Rapids, Henderson (where he spent most of his childhood) and Raleigh, where he attended the University of North Carolina State. After obtaining degrees in Biochemistry and Chemistry, he attended Chiropractic School in Marietta, Georgia, where he graduated third in his class. Since that time, he has studied acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and settled down in rural Tennessee with his wife, 3 cats, 4 dogs, a crazy mother-in-law and a partridge in a pear tree. He has been in Tennessee for over 20 years now.

His main interests are learning, exploring, exercising and writing. Most of his works so far have been on spiritual-type themes, though he has also written a book on self-investing- another one of his hobbies.

Series: The Ancient Egyptian Enlightenment Series (Book 2)
Paperback: 228 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (August 11, 2016)

The Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work, ascribed by tradition to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, which played a crucial role in forming the worldview of the authors of the New Testament, who were not only familiar with it but quoted it in the New Testament, Epistle of Jude, Jude 1:14 15, and is attributed there to "Enoch the Seventh from Adam" (1 En 60:8). The text was also utilized by the community that originally collected and studied the Dead Sea Scrolls.

While some churches today include Enoch as part of the biblical canon (for example the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church), other Christian denominations and scholars accept it only as having historical or theological non-canonical interest and frequently use or assigned it as supplemental materials within academic settings to help students and scholars discover or better understand cultural and historical context of the early Christian Church.

The Book of Enoch provides commentators valuable insight into what many ancient Jews and early Christians believed when, God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets (Heb. 1:1). As Dr. Michael S. Heiser in the Introduction to his important book Reversing Hermon so powerfully notes: For those to whom 1 Enoch sounds unfamiliar, this is the ancient apocalyptic literary work known popularly (but imprecisely) as the Book of Enoch.

Most scholars believe that 1 Enoch was originally written in Aramaic perhaps as early as the 3rd century B.C. The oldest fragments of the book were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls and dated to roughly the second century B.C. This places the book squarely in the middle of what scholars call the Second Temple Period (ca. 500 B.C. 70 A.D.), an era more commonly referred to as the Intertestamental Period. This book will use the more academic designation ( Second Temple Period )

[...] The Watcher story of 1 Enoch, as many readers will recall, is an expansion of the episode described in Genesis 6:1-4, where the sons of God (Hebrew: beney ha- elohim) came in to the daughters of man (Gen 6:4; ESV). Consequently, Watchers is the Enochian term of choice (among others) for the divine sons of God. While the story of this supernatural rebellion occupies scant space in Genesis, it received considerable attention during the Second Temple Period

[...] The Enochian version of the events of Gen 6:1-4 preserves and transmits the original Mesopotamian context for the first four verses of the flood account. Every element of Gen 6:1-4 has a Mesopotamian counterpoint a theological target that provides the rationale for why these four verses wound up in the inspired text in the first place. Connections to that backstory can be found in the Old Testament, but they are scattered and unsystematically presented. This is not the case with Second Temple Jewish literature like 1 Enoch. Books like 1 Enoch preserve all of the Mesopotamian touchpoints with Gen 6:1-4 when presenting their expanded retelling of the events of that biblical passage. The Book of Enoch is therefore intended to be an important supplemental resource for assisting serious researchers and students in the study of the Bible.

Hardcover: 115 pages
Publisher: Defender Publishing (March 24, 2017)

The Book of Jubilees

The Book of Jubilees
translated by R. H. Charles

The Book of Jubilees, or, as it is sometimes called, The Little Genesis, purports to be a revelation given by God to Moses through the medium of an angel and contains a history, divided up into "jubilee periods" of 49 years, from creation to the coming of Moses. Although the actual narrative of events is only carried down to Moses's birth and early career, its author envisages the events of a later time and in particular certain events of special interest at the time he wrote, which was probably in the latter years of the 2nd century B.C. This work, though containing one or two passages of an apocalyptic character, is quite unlike the typical apocalypses. It is largely based upon the historical narratives in Genesis and Exodus, interspersed with legends and emphasizing certain legal practices (such as the strict observance of the Sabbath, circumcision, etc.). The author's main object is to inculcate a reform in the regulation of the calendar and festivals in place of the lunar calendar, which he condemns. He proposes to substitute a solar calendar consisting of 12 months and containing 364 days. The result of such a system is to make all festivals, except the Day of Atonement, fall on a Sunday--a radical idea for its day. With notes clarifying the translation, this is an important text for students of the origins of Christianity and Essene teachings.

From the Publisher:
--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover:
Also known as "the Little Genesis," the Book of Jubilees is an apocryphal book of the Old Testament that retells the book of Genesis and part of Exodus, as told to Moses on Mount Sinai by the "angel of presence."
Originally written in Hebrew around 100 BC and presented here in a translation by British scholar R. H. CHARLES (1855-1931) first published in 1917, this fascinating "lost" text is considered by many Jewish scholars to be an essential defense of traditional Judaism and of the need to maintain a separate Jewish life and culture. Students of early biblical literature will want to read this foundational text. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author
R.H. Charles was a noted theologian and scholar with many of his reference works remaining in print today and still of superlative scholarly value. His book, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English remains a relevant work due mainly to his superior editorial skills. He died in 1931. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Print Length: 192 pages
Publisher: Kindle Edition (December 6, 2010)

The Life And Times of Jesus the Messiah

One of the best known and most important references on the life of Christ ever written, Alfred Edersheim's "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" is a storehouse of information on the background of the New Testament. This classic work successfully portrays the streets, the marketplaces, the religious conflicts, the people, and the places of Jesus' earthly ministry.

Edersheim divides his work into five sections, or books:

>

- Book 1--"The Preparation for the Gospel"
Introductory historical, religious, political, and cultural material based on the author's extensive knowledge of Jewish lore and customs.

- Book 2--"From Bethlehem to Jordan"
The background of Herod and his reign, St. John the Baptist and his message, and the birth and baptism of Jesus.

- Book 3--"From Jordan to the Mount of Transfiguration"
Thirty-seven chapters explore the miracles and teachings of Jesus' early ministry.

- Book 4--"The Descent into the Valley of Humiliation"
A history of the latter part of Jesus' ministry from the Transfiguration to the journey to Jerusalem.

- Book 5--"The Cross and the Crown"
A chronicle of each day of Passion Week, from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.

- Appendices
Valuable background material on Jewish history, tradition, and law

About the Author

Alfred Edersheim (1825-89) was a Vienna-born biblical scholar who converted from Judaism to Christianity. A veteran minister and missionary to the Jews of Romania, Edersheim left an enduring and priceless legacy to the followers of Christ. Among his most widely read works are "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, The Temple: Its Ministry and Services," and "Bible History Old Testament."

Hardcover: 1136 pages
Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.; 1st edition (June 1, 1992)