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The Yazidi Black Book or Meshaf Resh (Kurdish: مسحهفا ڕه‌ش, Mishefa Reş) is one of the two holy books of the Yazidi religion, the other being the Book of Revelation (Kitêba Cilwe). Yezidis believe the Black Book originated when the Lord descended Black Mountain. The Yazidi holy books are written in the Kurmanji dialect of the Kurdish language. The Black Book is not divided into chapters and is longer than the Book of Revelation. The first half of it contains a creation myth, beginning with the creation of a white pearl and Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel. There follows an account of the Fall (in which the forbidden comestible is wheat), and the creation of Eve after Adam has been driven from Paradise. This is followed by the names of ancient kings who belonged to the Yazidi community. Next comes a statement of food taboos of the Yazidis, prohibitions connected with personal hygiene and verbal taboos. The discussion then reverts to the subject of ancient Yazidi kings, and the Book concludes with another account of the Creation, which diverges quite considerably from the first. The original text of the Yazidi Black Book is kept in the village of Qasr 'tzz at-Din.[1] Nevertheless, scholars generally agree that the manuscripts of both books published in 1911 and 1913 were forgeries written by non-Yazidis in response to Western travelers’ and scholars’ interest in the Yazidi religion; they do reflect authentic Yezidi traditions, however.[2] The real core texts of the religion that exist today are the hymns known as qawls.[2]

Book 2 of the Old Testament

The theme of Genesis is creation, sin, and re-creation. It tells how God created the world as very good, but that it was distroyed in the flood as a result of man's disobedience. The new world after the flood was also spoiled by human sin (ch. 11). The call of Abraham, through whom all the nations would be blessed, gives hope that God's purpose will eventually be realized through Abraham's descendants (ch. 49).

This brilliant new treatment of the world's oldest epic is a literary event on par with Seamus Heaney's wildly popular Beowulf translation. Esteemed translator and best-selling author Stephen Mitchell energizes a heroic tale so old it predates Homer's Iliad by more than a millennium. In the ancient city of Uruk, the tyrannical King Gilgamesh tramples citizens "like a wild bull". The gods send an untamed man named Enkidu to control the ruthless king, but after fighting, Enkidu and Gilgamesh become great friends and embark on a series of adventures. They kill fearsome creatures before Enkidu succumbs to disease, leaving Gilgamesh despondent and alone. Eventually, Gilgamesh moves forward, and his quest becomes a soul-searching journey of self-discovery. Mitchell's treatment of this extraordinary work is the finest yet, surpassing previous versions in its preservation of the wisdom and beauty of the original. ©2004 Stephen Mitchell (P)2004 Recorded Books LLC

An equivalent translation of the Mandaean holy book, translated by Prof. Dr. Qais Al-Saadi and Hamed Al-Saadi. This translation was edited under the supervision of the leadership of the Mandaean community. The work is based upon a comparison of several original Mandaic manuscripts; therefore, it includes contextual corrections and completions for previous works, even the German translation by Prof. Dr. Mark Lidzbarski. As unique as the original, this book is divided into Right and Left volumes where the Left has been put upside-down the Right in one tome. Despite this traditional usage, this book comprises a comprehensible translation conveying the meaning of the original text in a modern language. Besides an interesting introduction, there is also a glossary, index of the Mandaic terms used, and some special Mandaic artwork included. White, hardcover book with a golden embossing; 387 pages; 17x24 cm; printed in Germany. About author: Prof. Dr. Qais Al-Saadi, Ph.D. Instructional Technology; a Mandaean activist since 1972. Al-Saadi has held different positions within Mandaean organizations: Former General Secretary of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Mandaeans in Iraq from 1980 to 1996, the head of the Mandaean Organization in Germany in 2002 to the present, and the head of the Language Committee in the Mandaean Union.

This is the story of a girl. She was an athlete with a bright future. She only wanted to lose a few pounds. Once she started to lose weight, she couldn’t stop. The feeling she got from getting thinner was addicting. She felt powerful. In control. She didn’t realize she was starving herself to death. Follow her devastating journey in her own words, in the diary she left behind.

The Holy Bible is God’s written communication to all of us. We must study it to get to know its Author. (John 17:3; 2 Timothy 3:16) Within its pages, Jehovah God reveals his purpose for humans and for their earthly home.—Genesis 3:15; Revelation 21:3, 4. No other book has such an impact on people’s lives. The Bible inspires us to reflect Jehovah’s qualities of love, mercy, and compassion. It gives hope, helping people to endure even the worst suffering. And it continues to expose the elements of this world that are out of harmony with the perfect will of God.—Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 4:12; 1 John 2:15-17. Originally composed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the Bible has been translated, in whole or in part, into about 2,600 languages. It is by far the most widely translated and distributed book in history. We should expect nothing less. Bible prophecy states: “This good news of the Kingdom [the key message contained in the Bible] will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”—Matthew 24:14. Recognizing the importance of the Bible’s message, we have undertaken the revision of this text with a profound respect for the content of the Bible. We feel the full weight of our responsibility to convey its message accurately. This revised edition has built on the fine foundation laid in previous editions of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, a Bible that was first released more than 60 years ago. However, the English language has changed during the past half century. Such change prompted current members of the New World Bible Translation Committee to initiate this comprehensive revision. Our goal has been to produce a translation that is not only faithful to the original texts but also clear and easy to read. The Appendix articles “Principles of Bible Translation,” “Features of This Revision,” and “How the Bible Came to Us” discuss some of the linguistic refinements that were made in this edition. Those who love Jehovah God and worship him desire an accurate, understandable translation of God’s Word. (1 Timothy 2:4) To that end, we have made this revision available in English, with the intention of translating it into as many languages as possible. It is our hope and prayer that you, dear reader, will find this edition of the Holy Scriptures beneficial as you endeavor to “seek God . . . and really find him.”—Acts 17:27. New World Bible Translation Committee August 2013

*'Every poem is a revelation' - Florence Welch* From the creator of the beloved @PoetryIsNotaLuxury Instagram account, a gorgeous poetry anthology that is a gift and a guide for readers through every season of life. In Summer, you’ll find lush landscapes and love poems for weddings and anniversaries, alongside expressions of joy and exhilaration. Autumn ushers in nostalgic poems about home and family and friendship, nesting and gratitude. Turn to Winter should you require lyrics about loneliness or an ode to comfort. Spring is packed full of verse celebrating new beginnings and all that the future might hold. Each poem has been chosen from centuries of verse from around the world, with an emphasis on living poets. Friends old and new await, with selections from Rita Dove, Victoria Chang, Ross Gay, Naomi Shihab Nye, C.D. Wright, Eileen Myles, Ada Limón, Ilya Kaminsky, Jos Charles and more. From the heights of new love to the furrows of sorrow, from special occasions to a morning pick-me-up, there is something here for everyone, in any season of need.

This novel may well represent the highest moment in nineteenth-century sexual imagination. An unabashed portrait of a classic erotic drama, it is considered by critics of the form to be an unparalleled and wholly satisfying reading experience.

In India, Vikramaditya is held up as a model of kingly virtue, and his reign as a golden age of peace and prosperity. Dating from the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, these tales, narrated by the thirty-two statuettes of nymphs supporting his magic throne, describe Vikramaditya exploits and extol his extraordinary courage, compassion, and kindness. Against an exotic setting of adventures and miracles, the nymphs relate fights with ogres, occult rituals, and travels to other worlds, as well as very human incidents of betrayal and rivalry. The only edition available of these colorful and instructive tales, this is an important addition to a growing library of Sanskrit titles in Penguin Classics.

The story of Ahikar has appeared in various forms and numerous languages over the course of the last two and a half millennia. Long known to readers of the Arabian Nights, it was not until the end of the nineteenth century that scholars began to suspect that the legend had semi-biblical origins. Cambridge University Press had already published the first edition of The Story of Ahikar in 1898 when an enlarged and corrected second edition was prompted by the discovery of a series of Aramaic papyrus fragments on the island of Elephantine, dating from the fifth century before Christ. It is the second edition of The Story of Ahikar, first published in 1913, which is reproduced here. Meticulously assembled, this edition contains the Armenian, Old Turkish, Syriac, and Arabic versions of the story in their original source language with accompanying English translations. Also included are translations of the Slavonic, Ethiopic, and Aramaic versions, as well as fragments of the sayings and parables of Ahikar and the Greek text of the story.

The Teaching of the Twelve- an early Christian compilation. Traditionally ascribed to the Twelve Apostles.

The Gospel of James, also known as the Infancy Gospel of James or the Protoevangelium of James, is an apocryphal Gospel probably written about A.D. 145, which expands backward in time the infancy stories contained the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and presents a narrative concerning the birth and upbringing of Mary herself. It is the oldest source to assert the virginity of Mary not only prior to but during (and after) the birth of Jesus. The ancient manuscripts that preserve the book have different titles, including "The Birth of Mary", "The Story of the Birth of Saint Mary, Mother of God," and "The Birth of Mary; The Revelation of James. The document presents itself as written by "I, James, wrote this history in Jerusalem."-XXV Thus the purported author is James the Just, whom the text claims is a son of Joseph from a prior marriage, and thus a stepbrother of Jesus. Scholars have established that, based on the style of the language and the fact that the author is not aware of contemporary Jewish customs, while the historical James the Just certainly was, the work is pseudepigraphical (not written by the person it is attributed to). The consensus is that it was actually composed some time in the 2nd century AD. The first mention of it is by Origen of Alexandria in the early 3rd century, who says the text, like that of a "Gospel of Peter", was of dubious, recent appearance and shared with that book the claim that the 'brethren of the Lord' were sons of Joseph by a former wife. This edition of the Gospel of James is specially formatted.