Grandpa Was a Deity

by William Lawrence Lipton

2011 · iUniverse

What began with a basic curiosity of an adoptee about his biological origins, became a genetic exploration into history when he discovered two of his identifying y-chromosome markers created a rare, but traceable, combination which appeared in supporting data of multiple research papers. This book explores both his documented ancestry and that revealed by his y-DNA. Along the way, everything in his personal history seems to contribute in some way to the results of his research. The most significant element of that personal history is probably his learned inability to allow himself to be defeated by transient intellectual problems, or perceived handicap. In the process of joining him as he searches for his past, you will be exposed to techniques that can assist you in discovering aspect of your own genealogy which you may never have considered. You will also, as he states in the book, be introduced to secret knowledge contained in the Book of Genesis. As part of that knowledge, you will learn why the patriarchs were given lifespans ranging from several hundred to nearly a thousand years. You will learn of a connection between Stonehenge, Britains earthwork hedges, and the Great Pyramids one that does not involve, or invoke, alien astronauts. Many books have garnered the labeled Groundbreaking, but seldom has there been one that is so current as to render the use of any conventional bibliography superfluous. Almost weekly there are new findings in the fields of DNA ancestry, archaeology and the relatively new field of astro-archaeology. Amazingly, they all seem to reinforce the connections and associations revealed here. But you might also discover things about the factual underpinnings of religion which you might not wish to know, or think about. Not the least of which is why there was time when the wisest people believed their Grandpa was a Deity.

Judaism in Practice

by Lawrence Fine

2001 · Princeton University Press

This collection of original materials provides a sweeping view of medieval and early modern Jewish ritual and religious practice. Including such diverse texts as ritual manuals, legal codes, mystical books, autobiographical writings, folk literature, and liturgical poetry, it testifies to the enormous variety of practices that characterized Judaism in the twelve hundred years between 600 and 1800 C.E. Its focus on religious practice and experience--how Judaism was actually lived by people from day to day--makes this anthology unique among the few sourcebooks available. The volume encompasses the broad scope and complex texture of Jewish religious practice, taking into account many aspects of Jewish culture that have hitherto been relatively neglected: the religious life of ordinary people, the role and status of women, art and aesthetics, and marginalized as well as remote Jewish communities. It introduces such remarkable personalities as Moses Maimonides, Leon Modena, and Gluckel of Hameln, and presents extraordinary texts on festival practice, Torah study, mystical communities, meditation, exorcism, the practice of charity, and folk rites marking birth and death. Representing state-of-the-art scholarship by distinguished academics from around the world, the volume includes many materials never before translated into English. Each text is preceded by an accessible introduction, making this book suitable for college and university students as well as a general audience. Whether read as a deliberate course of study or dipped into selectively for a glimpse into fascinating Jewish lives and places, Judaism in Practice holds rich rewards for any reader.

Readings on Conversion to Judaism

by Lawrence J. Epstein

1995 · Bloomsbury Publishing USA

In his third book about the conversion to Judaism, Lawrence J. Epstein collects essays and memoirs that frame the debate around conversion. These essays cover a wide-range of topics to sharpen the focus around the many disputes about conversion to Judaism, such as appropriate motivations, requirements for conversion, and who may legitimately conduct a conversion. Readings on Conversion to Judaism aims to present various position in the Jewish community on many of the important points for debate.