Showing results by author "Joseph Lumpkin" in All Categories

Several schools of Zen developed in China in the 9th century. The Rinzai (Chinese, Lin-chi) sect of Zen was introduced to Japan by the Chinese priest Ensai in 1191. Rinzai Buddhism emphasizes the use of koans, paradoxical puzzles or questions that help the practitioner to overcome the normal boundaries of logic. Whatever the method of reaching enlightenment, once reached we realize the state of enlightenment we sought was there within us all along. The method is the gate, but there need not be any gate, since the gate is always open.

The Book of Jubilees, also known as The Little Genesis and The Apocalypse of Moses, opens with an extraordinary claim of authorship. It is attributed to the very hand of Moses; penned while he was on Mount Sinai, as an angel of God dictated to him regarding those events that transpired from the beginning of the world. The story is written from the viewpoint of the angel. The angelic monologue takes place after the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt. The setting is atop Mount Sinai, where Moses was summoned by God. The text then unfolds as the angel reveals heaven's viewpoint of history.

The Book of Enoch: A Complete Guide and Reference is the ultimate reference and guide to the book of 1 Enoch (The Ethiopic Book of Enoch). This guide and reference contains the author's notes and insights on the ancient text, as well as commentary, parallel Bible verses, references to 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch, history, prophecy, and the Calendar of Enoch. The author has included an amazing section on the application of the Calendar of Enoch to the prophecy of Daniel and "Daniel's Week of Years."

The award-winning translations and commentary done by Joseph Lumpkin on The Books of Enoch and The Book of Giants: The Enochian Library containing 1 Enoch (The Hebrew Book of Enoch), 2 Enoch (The Slavonic Book of Enoch), 3 Enoch (The Hebrew Book of Enoch), The Manichean and Aramaic versions of Book of Giants, with information and insight on the Watchers, Nephilim, Grigori, Giants, the Fallen Angels, Enoch's prophecies, and the Calendar of Enoch used in Daniel's prophecy.

In the valley of the Upper Nile, on the bank of the river, is the town of Akhmim, once called Panopolis. In ancient times, Panoplis was the capital of the district. In the town stood remnants of a monastery. The ruins of the temple marked the intellectual life of ancient days. On the lands of the monastery was a graveyard wherein were interred the monks and priests who served there long ago.

The First Apocalypse of James was written in the Coptic language around the second half of the third century CE. It is regarded as part of the New Testament apocrypha. The text was first discovered in the last part of the month of December in 1945. It was found among 52 other Gnostic Christian texts contained in 13 codices or scrolls.

What form did Christianity take in the first 30 years? Before the Jewish Christians were slaughtered by Rome and before the emergence of the Pauline sect, while the faith was still under the guiding hand of James, the brother of Jesus, what did the pure and unaltered church look like? By examining the Didache, the "Q" document, and the book of James we will look back into the first years of the faith.

In 1894, Nicolas Notovitch published a book called The Unknown Life of Christ. He was a Russian doctor who journeyed extensively throughout Afghanistan, India, and Tibet. During one of his journeys, he was visiting Leh, the capital of Ladakh, near the Buddhist convent Himis. There, Notovitch was told of an ancient record of the life of Jesus known as The Life of St. Issa.

There was an uneasy tension as the slave owners sought to maintain control and keep the slaves working calmly and the abolitionists began to question the moral cost of slavery. As they prepared to compile a special Bible for slaves in the West Indies, the missionaries agreed to uplift the Africans without teaching them anything that could incite rebellion. The Slave Bible is one of the most powerful examples ever witnessed of manipulation using a controlled narrative.

The Gospel of Thomas has been a flame of enlightenment in the world for almost 2,000 years. Once, almost extinguished, it has returned to us in ways most have never imagined. Today, the Gospel of Thomas leads us both spiritually and psychologically. In this work we will delve deeply into the spiritual and psychological meaning and application of each verse. We will gain a profound understanding of our nature and we will see how Gnosticism has influenced the development of modern psychology, under the hand of Carl G. Jung.

The First Book of Enoch is also known as the Lost Book of Enoch, Ethiopic Enoch, and 1 Enoch. The Second Book of Enoch is also known as Slavonic Enoch, the Book of the Secrets of Enoch, and 2 Enoch. This is one of a very few books containing both ancient texts in one volume.

In this audiobook, we will look at the history of the three deities making up the bulk of the world's religions and the evolution of the religions formed from the worship of these three deities. We will examine the history and development of Elohim, Yahweh, and Allah. In doing so, we will also look at the teachings of Jesus and Mohammed and their influence on the Christian and Islamic faiths respectively. By an objective examination of the Gods of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths, we shall see how man's views of these deities changed over time.

Embark on a transformative journey as you dive into the depths of the origins of sin through this amazing audio version narrated by Steve Cook. A free PDF of the ancient text is provided, which will fire the imagination with its captivating illustrations. Our illustrated edition of the Book of Enoch provides an extraordinary opportunity to explore profound insights with clarity and visual aids that enhance your comprehension of this amazing audio production.

Following in the apocalyptic visions of Daniel, Ezekiel, and Revelation, The War Scroll reveals the conflict between good and evil in the final days of mankind. The War Scroll is a very important piece of literature in our understanding of the concepts of divine justice and retribution held by the Jewish community of the Essenes and the Qumran Community in the time of Jewish persecution by Rome. The scroll reflects a belief that in the end times, evil would be eradicated by the Power of God and his Sons of Light.

With insights gained from the Individuation process of Carl Jung, The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas bursts into flames of gnosis, allowing us to see the truth about the deeper mysteries of life. If you have ever felt as if there was more to existence than you could see, that there was another world just behind the curtain of your mind, just out of reach, which contains the full truth, the words of Jesus according to The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas will echo within you and lead you into light.

The book presents the Jewish leaders Judas, Jonathan, and Simon as devout people and has little sympathy for people who favor Hellenization, but nowhere does the text mentions divine intervention. Chapter one to two: The Hellenization of Judah and the non-violent resistance by Mattathias is covered; Chapter three to nine: Tells of the Military actions by Judas the Maccabaean ("battle hammer:): after 166 where the temple is purified.

Jesus was a man of few words, simple words, and a deeply challenging message. However, through the years his words and message have been clouded with additions and retractions. How can we possibly know the words he spoke? What were his original teachings? Where did his message stop and the many changes begin? Hidden in the gospels themselves are the source materials containing the original message preached by Jesus. Before the gospels were written, there were proto-gospels, notes, lists, and collections of sayings used to construct the gospels we have today.

The Gospel of Barnabas depicts the life of Jesus, claiming to be by Jesus' disciple, Barnabas. Two manuscripts are known to have existed, both dated to the late 16th century and written, respectively, in Italian and Spanish. The Spanish manuscript is now lost. The text now only exists in a partial 18th-century transcript.

This volume presents the complete The Book of Giants, placed back into its original context within The First Book of Enoch, along with notes and commentary. The volume also contains the complete books of Second and Third Enoch with commentary. Together, these four books of Giants, First Enoch, Second Enoch, and Third Enoch, make up the majority of the Enochian library.

It is the solitary purpose of this work to place back on this beautiful text flesh and blood so readers of today may feel and see and touch and know the wisdom and peace expressed so very long ago. The world of the twenty-first century is not the same as China in 300 BCE, but there remain common threads connecting mankind throughout the ages. In these threads we find a way to fully express and connect the depth of the Tao Te Ching to a modern age without compromising its ancient meaning.