Shangri-La Publications MPM Index Marco Polo Monographs Series

Translate to French

German

Translate to German

Italian

Translate to Italian

Translate to Portuguese

Spanish

Translate to Spanish

Marco Polo Monographs

ISSN 1527-2265

MPM 1: 
Written In the Stars: Ancient Zodiac Mosaics
by Dr. Lester Ness
ISBN 0-9677201-1-7
$39.95 Cloth Bound

  Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear night and wondered about them?  One need not believe in astrology to see that others believe(d) and act(ed) on their belief.  As Bouche-Leclercq says, "it is not a waste of time to study how others have wasted their time."  
  Dr. Lester Ness has devoted his academic career to the study of ancient astrology.  He is a leading scholar in his field.  The goal of this particular work is to solve why zodiac mosaics appear in Israeli synagogues. More broadly, it explains how and why Hellenic Jews used astrology.  This volume explores origins of synagogue mosaics and provides useful information concerning astrology around the world. 
  This book also provides a guide to the history of astrology; nearly unique, of the thousands of titles published each year on astrology, few are concerned with astrological history.  The common reference works on occult practices are not reliable for history.  Beginning with research the author did on his doctoral dissertation, zodiac mosaics found in ancient Israeli synagogues, it then reflects interests in religious and artistic aspects of astrology; culminating with a reference work aimed at students and educated lay folk alike.

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 2: 
Archaeogender: Studies in Gender's Material Culture
by Prof. Sheldon Gosline
ISBN 0-9677201-2-5
$39.95 Cloth Bound

   Since the mid-80's, the question of gender has been trendy in the West, but those of us who are studying the gendered past are still mapping out the territory and laying down connecting routes to archaeological facts.  This volume introduces a new approach to tackling sex and human relationships in the archaeological record.  Cultures, in all societies, shape sexual expressions and desires.  Sex is provided, while gender is acquired, imposed or selected depending on the cultural constraints that prevail in a given culture.  Our roles in any society are labeled and placed.  This changes through our life, from birth to death to old age, and even in death.  This book studies in detail the material culture record of many ancient societies; Yoruba, Natufian, Egyptian, South Asian and Chinese, to see how society shapes everyone's role in it and how that is preserved in the archaeological record.

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 3: 
God's Scribes: How the Bible Became the Bible, 
by Dr. Charles David Isbell
ISBN 0-9677201-3-3
$31.00 Paperback

  Have you ever wondered who "wrote" the Bible? With a healthy balance of criticism and respect for the subject, Dr. Isbell takes us on a journey through time to see how the Jewish Bible became "The Bible".  It is common to speak of the Bible as "inspired"; a group of mysterious documents; miraculously handed down from heaven, absolutely perfect in form; every word, every letter, carrying specifically divine significance, but it was just well edited.   This book is an excellent choice for a Bible history or Bible as literature undergraduate course text.  The research is academically strong, but not overburdensome in detail.  
  Writing in ancient societies performed quite a different function from its modern usage. We must constantly remember that writing for the ancients was preservative rather than creative. The Bible preserves such debate and differences of opinion.  Dr. Isbell is the Professor of Biblical and Hebrew Studies at Louisiana State University and author of several books relating to Old Testament studies.  This is one of our most popular titles and belongs on every Bible scholar's shelf.

Dr. Charles D. Isbell is currently a professor in the department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he teaches Hebrew and Judaic Studies.  He earned the A.B. and M.A. in Classics and Religion at Bethany College, the B.D. at Nazarene Theological Seminary, the Ph.D. in Bible and ANE languages at Brandeis University, and has studied abroad in Israel, Germany and Jordan.  He is the author of five other books and dozens of articles in scholarly journals.

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 4: 
The Coins of Pontius Pilate
by Profs. Jean-Philippe Fontanille and Sheldon Gosline
ISBN 0-9677201-4-1, $39.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9677201-5-X, $31.00 Paperback

  This is the ultimate book for the study of Pontius Pilate's coins.  For Christians, the name "Pontius Pilate" is known for one reason.  He has the dubious distinction of being connected with statements of faith; in the Apostles' or Nicene Creed.  For Jews, Pilate was the official emblem of their foreign oppressor and this crucifixion was no different than many others the Romans performed during the subjugation of their land. The authors have gathered all available information concerning the man, his time and his coins.  In the final analysis, it is the coins themselves, except for one fragmentary inscription, that provide the most tangible evidence of his period in history. Another outstanding aspect in this research is the contribution it provides to ongoing controversy over proposed Pontius Pilate coins over the eyes of the Turin shroud.  Some general awareness of these Pilate coins has developed in light of on-going debates over the alleged coin images on the Turin shroud, but that debate has confused and even hampered close examination of the coins themselves.  The fact of Pilate cannot be denied, although his relation to Jesus is a matter of faith.
  The co-authors, Jean-Phillipe Fontanille and Sheldon Lee Gosline, blend their expertise into a remarkably detailed study.  In the words of David Hendin, Fellow of the American Numismatic Society, "it is the first time a person has gathered, from both primary and secondary sources, all the relevant information, historic, religious, and numismatic information about Pontius Pilate".

Foreword By David Hendin

   Pontius Pilate is a man of history.  He was a villain to be sure, but a man whose name Christians, Jews and Moslems have become familiar.
   Only a single inscription mentioning him has survived.  Italian archaeologists discovered it, in 1961, at the ancient Mediterranean port of Caesarea Maritima and it is inscribed with Pilate's own name and the title 'PRAEFECTUS IVDAEAE.'
That stone (currently exhibited at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem), of course, was not the only contemporary written evidence that Pilate existed, because we have the New Testament itself, and also the writings of first century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus.
We also have the coins of Pontius Pilate.  Quite surprisingly, they are rather common for historic objects nearly 2,000 years old. Reasonable examples can be bought for less than $50, and even the best, and rarest examples, will rarely exceed $500.
   In the past 30 years, I have met hundreds of collectors of Pilate coins.  Of all of them, Jean-Philippe Fontanille, a French musician and composer, recently moved to Canada, has had the most burning passion, not only to possess the best and the most interesting examples, but also to thoroughly research and share his information about them.
   This little book is the culmination of years of work and research on the part of Fontanille and, to my knowledge, it is the first time a person has gathered, from both primary and secondary sources, all of the relevant information, historic, religious, and numismatic information about Pontius Pilate.
   A research project such as this book is what popular numismatics should be about, and I take my hat off to Prof. Fontanille for his excellent effort.

David Hendin,  Fellow American Numismatic Society;
Author of Guide to Biblical Coins, Collecting Coins,   
Celator columnist, New York, July 2001

REVIEWS

"World renowned for his Pilate coins research" James Wiles (Coneca President) 
"Very interesting" Prof. Mahlon H. Smith (Rutgers University, New Brunswick) 
"A very interesting work" Prof. Timothy J. Madigan (University of Rochester) 
"An infectious enthusiasm for the subject" James Bakes (Editor, The Journal of the CMNS) 
"Extremely interesting" Anton Marks (World Zionist Organization, Webmaster Hagshama Dept.) 
"Highly interesting" Rune Rysstad (Editor Numisma Asloia, Norway) 
"Very nice and informative" Edgar L. Owen (Numismatist) 
"Very well written, very informative" Guy Clark (Numismatist) 
"An excellent work" Jim Thompson (CoinMasters Administrative Vice-President) 
"In-depth and fascinating" Robert S. Koppelman (Webmaster www.coinsite.com) 
"A very interesting material" John Smedley (Publisher, Ashgate Publishing Ltd,  U.K.) 
"Fascinating" Frances Arnold (Mc Millan Press, Publishing Director College Division) 
"A very interesting subject to write about" Fergie Meek (Publisher, Scotland's Past) 
"Really fascinating" Ian M. Thompson (Christian Focus Publications General Manager) 
"A remarkable study" (Jean-Marc Doyen, Publisher Bulletin du Cercle d'Etudes Numismatiques) 
"Interesting and informative" Perry Siegel (Herakles numismatics)

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 5: 
Male and Female Circumcision: Among Jews Christians and Muslims
by Dr. Sami A. Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh 
ISBN 0-9677201-8-2, $49.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9677201-6-8, $41.00 Paperback

   Originally published in Arabic and also translated into French, Dr. Aldeeb now makes his landmark study of male and female circumcision available to an English speaking audience.  Dr. Aldeeb is an advocate in the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law and leading figure in human rights issues.  This major work explores the issues of circumcision in Judaism, Christianity and Islam from all aspects; religious, legal, medical, and social.  It serves as both a major reference work for the subject and monumental statement of human rights.

FOREWORD BY MARILYN FAYRE MILOS 
Director of NOCIRC

   As civilization advances, we increasingly recognize the value of debate and discussion. In the not so distant past, however, this was not so. Those who questioned the status quo, or merely sought to clarify it, were at risk of being persecuted, ostracized, punished, imprisoned, or condemned to death. One calls to mind the injustice done to men such as William Tyndale, who was incarcerated for 500 days before he was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. His crime was translating the Bible into English, which, the Church feared, might lead people to question authority. Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, was ordered to be burned at Oxford on 21 March 1556 for his desire to reform the Church. On 16 October 1555, Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester, were also burned at the stake in Oxford for the "heresy" of seeking to revivify a moribund state religion. During the reign of Queen Mary, Bloody Mary, hundreds of innocent people were burnt alive for the crime of independent thought. Latimer's last words at the stake are well known: "Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man, for we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust by God's grace shall never be put out".
   Galileo (1564-1642), great scientific mind of his age, was condemned of heresy for astronomical and mathematical discoveries. In order to escape torture and death, he was forced to sign a confession, abjuring his discoveries and proclaiming the truth in the Church's doctrine that the earth was the center of the universe and that it did not move. Similarly, the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition were visited upon hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women simply because they were suspected of believing something contrary to official doctrine. Thankfully, our society has evolved to a point where the mere idea of heresy is an affront to modern sensibilities. Freedom of conscience is now one of the most highly protected guarantees in Western legal systems. The thought that someone might be persecuted or prosecuted for his or her beliefs is anathema.
   Still, there remain those areas where debate and discussion are still feared and actively repressed. Perhaps it is because we pride ourselves on the great progress we have made in the area of social justice that we are loath to admit that there might still be some aspects of our cultures that should be questioned. It is easier to shut our eyes to social injustice than to speak out, ask questions and seek to make this a safer and fairer world. From my own personal experience as a nurse, educator and social activist, I can tell you that the issue of circumcision is one of those topics that still arouses anger, rage and charges of heresy. It is not only religious institutions that have sought to silence those who question this practice; the medical profession, which actively engages, promotes and profits from the circumcision of children, has traditionally been quick to condemn those who dare question official medical dogma.
   Dr. Aldeeb has meticulously and sensitively documented the lengthy and fascinating history of the various religious and medical discussions over circumcision. As a world-renown and highly respected scholar, his expertise in Islamic Law provides fresh perspective on an important aspect of the history of circumcision, largely unavailable to Western scholars. As his book carefully proves, debate over circumcision is as old as the practice itself. Official attempts to quell any debate are also of equal antiquity. I am confident, though, that valuable historical information in this book will strengthen current worldwide debate over circumcision and will infuse it with a greater degree of rational and historical perspective.
   William Tyndale's last words were: "Lord, open the eyes of the King of England". I believe that Dr. Aldeeb's monumental efforts will measurably contribute to the growing body of evidence that is opening the eyes of the world and helping human society continue its advancement, not only towards a renewed commitment to protecting freedom of conscience, but also towards a recognition that every human being - regardless of his age, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, or any other trait - has a right to bodily integrity, sovereignty over his or her own body and freedom from interference with his or her person.

Marilyn Fayre Milos, Director 
National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 6:
Roman Hospitality: The Professional Women of Pompeii
by Dr. John DeFelice
ISBN 0-9677201-7-6, $39.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9677201-8-4, $31.00 Paperback

   Everything you ever wanted to know about the Roman "hospitality" business is covered in this book.  Dr. DeFelice presents a new provocative understanding of the women who worked in Pompeii.  Were they all prostitutes?  What was the status of unmarried women in Roman society? What kind of marriages existed?  You'll have to read to find out!  This volume also has a complete up-to-date study of all known buildings in Pompeii devoted to the hospitality industry, making it a valuable classical reference work, and guidebook, for years to come.

Foreword

   This next volume of Marco Polo Monographs explores the inns and tavern of Pompeii through the lense of gender studies.   In an approach, not unlike my own study, Archaeogender: Discussions in Gender's Material Culture (MPM2), Dr. John DeFelice deconstructs a tangled web of academic doubletalk concerning women involved with the hospitality business in Pompeii, and other Roman cities.  As I sat editing this work on warm summer nights in Changchun, China, I could not help but think of comparisons with the contemporary hospitality industry in the modern Peoples' Republic.  In the most exclusive sections of the city 'foot massage' parlors abound, and the elite of Chinese society regard them with suspicion �C equating the women (and men) who work in them as prostitutes.  Indeed, the intimate contact of a massage may lend opportunity for sex related business arrangements to be made, but most clients are just there to get their feet rubbed.  Bath houses, often decorated with classical Roman motifs, are also suspected as a haunt of prostitutes, but again the case is overstated.  Incidentally, prostitution is a major hospitality business in modern China, as it probably was in ancient Rome, but you are more likely to be offered a prostitute in an elegant hotel even if your wife is with you, than on the street or in a little shop. 
   The Marco Polo Monographs series aims to highlight the best and most creative cross-cultural research in social sciences and humanities.  Individual volumes in the series may be published in English, French and German as their primary language.  Other languages may be considered in the future.
   For future volumes, the editors of this series are looking for manuscripts demonstrating innovative and original approaches to academic inquiry.  The purpose is to challenge specialists to tackle broader issues, often left to those with less knowledge, but a greater willingness to jump out on a limb.  This current volume is an excellent case in point.  The general goal is to combine in-depth scholarship with broadly based theories and methodologies.  This series continues to look for creative cross-cultural research in the social sciences and humanities.  The goal is to challenge specialists to tackle broader issues by combining in-depth scholarship with broadly based theories and methodologies.  

Sheldon Lee Gosline 
Series Editor

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 7:
Philistines: Giving Goliath His Due
by Prof. Neal Bierling
ISBN 0-9714683-4-6, $39.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9714683-5-4, $31.00 Paperback

   
Philistines provides a unique, up to the minute, view of the world of the biblical Philistines as glimpsed through the artful lens of a dedicated teacher and seasoned vocational archaeologist.  It builds on the author's decades-long participation in excavation work at Philistine sites, his avid study of the biblical sources, and first-person contacts with the leading archaeologists and text scholars dealing with the subject.  The text is authoritative and illuminating.  Expanding on an earlier study, Giving Goliath His Due! (1991), Philistines: Giving Goliath His Due presents a new and fuller portrait of Philistine history and culture based on dramatic new discoveries made in the past ten years.  This is a very readable work.  It opens a window of understanding into the authentic world of the ancient Philistines, and provides broad view of their place in biblical history.  The book is highly recommended fare for both scholars and lay readers with interests in biblical backgrounds.

Joe D. Seger,
Middle Eastern Archaeologist, Professor of Religion,
Director, Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 8:
Manetho: A Study in Egyptian Chronology
by Gary Greenberg
ISBN 0-9714683-6-2, $39.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9714683-7-0, $31.00 Paperback

This work concerns itself with mainstream Egyptian chronology. It assumes the validity of Sothic dating and proceeds from there. Consequently, there is no discussion herein regarding what is generally referred to as the New Chronology, works that argue for a massive shortening and restructuring of Egyptian chronology, as proposed by Peter James, David Rohl, or Immanuel Velikovsky and/or their followers.

Although this is not a doctoral thesis that attempts to cite every single article and argument in the field, I have attempted to provide a reasonably up to date account of the various chronological issues that divide Egyptologists and provide some background information about what the disagreements are about. In the interest of readability, however, I have omitted the heavily technical discussions that underlie some of the more complex issues, such as interpretations of the lunar data in the Illahun papyri, and have instead noted the different viewpoints and referred the reader to the more technical articles for their own further study.

The material appearing here derives, in part, from my book, The Moses Mystery (reprinted as The Bible Myth), articles that have appeared in some Egyptological journals, and from papers presented at a number of Egyptological conferences. In some cases, I have revised and/or expanded upon these earlier materials. The arguments and evidence presented here supercede my earlier work and in case of any apparent conflict the views presented here represent my current thinking.

Gary Greenberg, August 2002.

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 9:
Funding Exploration
by Dr. William F. Vartorella, Donald S. Keel
ISBN 0-9719496-1-1, $44.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9719496-2-X, $36.00 Paperback

The greatest challenge to serious science and exploration in the 21st Century is not political unrest in some far-flung, exotic land or the ravages of Nature.  It is, pure and simple, "funding."  
     Innovative and proven strategies for "getting funded" is the focus of this book, written by two global fundraisers, William F. Vartorella, Ph.D. and Donald S. Keel.   They present a unique perspective and decades of experience raising some U.S. $500 million worldwide.  Their message is how and why entrepreneurship and niche marketing are crucial to successful fundraising -- particularly in times of economic downturns.  
     Their scientific fundraising projects have ranged from the preservation of Egyptian mummies, to healthcare in Eastern Europe, access to historic shipwrecks, the care of Natural Science collections, at-risk offshore and estuary fisheries in developing nations, rainforest biota, GIS applications to historic corridors, etc.

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

LOOK AT ALL TITLES

MPM 10:
Goddess and God: 
A Holy Tension in the First Christian Centuries 
by Dr. Valerie Abrahamsen, ThD
ISBN 0-9719496-3-8, $39.95 Cloth Bound
ISBN 0-9719496-4-6, $31.00 Paperback

AVAILABLE SPRING 2006

In this volume, Dr. Abrahamsen shows that vestiges of the prehistoric Nature goddess, worshipped by Neolithic and other peoples for millennia, survived into the Graeco-Roman period, under different guises, and influenced the development of Christianity. She argues that, while a male-dominated religious ethos supplanted goddess religion in the West starting with the Bronze Age, goddess beliefs and practices persisted "underground" and could not be completely suppressed or ignored. Her evidence is drawn from the existence of goddess symbols in the catacombs, other early church art, and basilica art from the early Byzantine era; from extant folklore and folk traditions; from magic and other quasi-religious practices evident in the early Christian tradition; and from certain rituals preserved by the church.

V I E W
SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE

Click HERE to Place an Order

TOP