Apollonius of Tyana: charismatic teacher and miracle worker (first century CE). Born in Tyana, he may have belonged to a branch of ancient philosophy called neo-Pythagoreanism. He received divine honors in the third century. Although the Athenian sophist (professional orator) Philostratus…
Assyria (mât Aššur): ancient name for the northeastern part of modern Iraq, situated on the east bank of the Tigris. It is also the name of one of the greatest empires of Antiquity. Assyria was overthrown in 612 BCE by…
Messiah (mâšîah, "the anointed one"): Jewish religious concept, a future savior who will, in some sense, come to restore Israel. The nature of both the Messiah and the restoration was a matter of debate, and there were several claimants.Athronges, the shepherd (4 BCE)
Sources: Flavius Josephus,…
Zoroastrianism's most remarkable feature is the dualism between the good god Ahuramazda and his rival, the Evil Spirit or The Lie. This translation of one of the key texts, Yasna 30.1-6, 8-9, was made by Mary Boyce.
The Babylonian Empire was the most powerful state in the ancient world after the fall of the Assyrian empire (612 BCE). Its capital Babylon was beautifully adorned by king Nebuchadnezzar, who erected several famous buildings. Even after the Babylonian Empire…
The Babylonian Ruin of Esagila chronicle (BCHP 6) is a chronicle written in ancient Babylonia in the Hellenistic Period. It describes how a Seleucid crown prince (probably Antiochus, the son of king Seleucus Nicator) fell during a sacrifice on the ruin of…
The third book of Berossus' Babylonian history we find accounts of the reigns of several kings. One of these is the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562). Unfortunately, Berossus' own account is lost, but it was summarized by the Jewish historian…
The first book of Berossus' Babylonian history begins with a description of the creation of the world and humankind, based on the epic Enûma êliš, and includes the story of Oannes, who taught wisdom to man, and a Babylonian bestiary.…