Secret Sects Of Syria


Book Description

First published in 2007. Secret sects are deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Middle East, and a number of them are as powerful now as they were in the times of the Crusades. In the West, the best-known organisation with connections to these ancient sects are the Freemasons, whose rituals are believed to derive from those originally practiced by the Knights Templar in the East, and later brought by them to Europe. In this classic work, Bernard Sprigett describes and analyses the symbolism, ceremonies and beliefs of these secret sects including the Sabaeans, the Gnostics and Manicheans, the followers of Simon Magus, Sufism and the Dervish Orders, the Shiite Metawileh, the Essenes, the Ismaelis, the Assassins and the Druses, and their links with and influence upon the Knights Templar and modern Freemasonry. Springett demonstrates the persistence of ancient symbolic and ritual elements in modern life and gives insight into the creeds and practices of secret sects that are active today in the Middle East and beyond.




Secret Sects of Syria and the Lebanon


Book Description

Secret Sects of Syria and the Lebanon is a book written by Bernard H. Springett in 1922. The book provides a detailed analysis of the origin, beliefs, and religious ceremonies of various secret sects that existed in Syria and Lebanon during that time. The author delves into the history of these sects, tracing their roots back to ancient times and exploring how they evolved over the centuries.The book covers a wide range of topics related to these secret sects, including their religious beliefs, practices, and rituals. It also examines the role that these sects played in the social and political life of the region, as well as their impact on the wider world.Throughout the book, Springett provides a wealth of information and insights into these secret sects, drawing on a variety of sources including historical records, religious texts, and personal observations. He provides a fascinating glimpse into a world that was largely unknown to outsiders at the time.Overall, Secret Sects of Syria and the Lebanon is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of the Middle East, as well as those interested in the study of religion and spirituality.And Their Connection With And Influence Upon Modern Masonry.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.







Secret Sects Of Syria


Book Description

First published in 2007. Secret sects are deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Middle East, and a number of them are as powerful now as they were in the times of the Crusades. In the West, the best-known organisation with connections to these ancient sects are the Freemasons, whose rituals are believed to derive from those originally practiced by the Knights Templar in the East, and later brought by them to Europe. In this classic work, Bernard Sprigett describes and analyses the symbolism, ceremonies and beliefs of these secret sects including the Sabaeans, the Gnostics and Manicheans, the followers of Simon Magus, Sufism and the Dervish Orders, the Shiite Metawileh, the Essenes, the Ismaelis, the Assassins and the Druses, and their links with and influence upon the Knights Templar and modern Freemasonry. Springett demonstrates the persistence of ancient symbolic and ritual elements in modern life and gives insight into the creeds and practices of secret sects that are active today in the Middle East and beyond.




The Nuṣayrī-ʻAlawīs


Book Description

Friedman offers new and updated research on the Nusayr - Alaw sect, today a leading group in Syria, covering a variety of aspects and focusing on the Middle Ages. A century after Dussaud's "Histoire et religion des Nosair s" (1900), he reviews the history and religion of the sect in the light of old documents used by orientalists in the nineteenth century, documents that became available in the twentieth century, and later sources of the Nu ayr - Alaw sect published most recently in Lebanon. Also studied in depth for the first time is the question of the identity of the sect through the Alaw -Sunn -Sh triangle.




Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies


Book Description

Did you know? • Freemasonry's first American lodge included a young Benjamin Franklin among its members. • The Knights Templar began as impoverished warrior monks then evolved into bankers. • Groom Lake, Dreamland, Homey Airport, Paradise Ranch, The Farm, Watertown Strip, Red Square, “The Box,” are all names for Area 51. An indispensable guide, Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies connects the dots and sets the record straight on a host of greedy gurus and murderous messiahs, crepuscular cabals and suspicious coincidences. Some topics are familiar—the Kennedy assassinations, the Bilderberg Group, the Illuminati, the People's Temple and Heaven's Gate—and some surprising, like Oulipo, a select group of intellectuals who created wild formulas for creating literary masterpieces, and the Chauffeurs, an eighteenth-century society of French home invaders, who set fire to their victims' feet.







Secret Sects of Syria and the Lebanon


Book Description

Excerpt from Secret Sects of Syria and the Lebanon: A Consideration of Their Origin, Creeds and Religious Ceremonies, and Their Connection With and Influence Upon Modern Freemasonry A surprising amount of scorn and ridicule has been the reception accorded by Freemasons, both in Great Britain and in America, to previous attempts to place on record some very plain proofs that we are justified in saying in our Masonic Ritual that we came from the East and proceeded to the West. The plain fact that much of what we now look upon almost entirely as Freemasonry has been practised as part and parcel of the religions of the Middle East for many thousands of years, lies open for anyone who cares to stop and read, instead of running by. But it is frequently and scornfully rejected by the average Masonic student, and this seems to betoken an unwillingness to credit Masonry with an existence of more than two or three hundred years at most. It is painful to those who, like myself, take a justifiable pride in the antiquity of Masonry, far exceeding that of any other religion in the world known to mankind, to hear it so frequently condemned as completely legendary. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.




No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria


Book Description

Winner of the Overseas Press Club of America's Cornelius Ryan Award Finalist for the Lionel Gelber Prize “Rania Abouzeid has produced a work of stunning reportage from the very heart of the conflict, daring to go to the most dangerous places in order to get the story.” —Dexter Filkins, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Forever War Award-winning journalist Rania Abouzeid dissects the tangle of ideologies and allegiances that make up the Syrian conflict through the dramatic stories of four young people seeking safety and freedom in a shattered country. Hailed by critics, No Turning Back masterfully “[weaves] together the lives of protestors, victims, and remorseless killers at the center of this century’s most appalling human tragedy” (Robert F. Worth). Based on more than five years of fearless, clandestine reporting, No Turning Back brings readers deep inside Bashar al-Assad’s prisons, to covert meetings where foreign states and organizations manipulated the rebels, and to the highest levels of Islamic militancy and the formation of the Islamic State. An utterly engrossing human drama full of vivid, indelible characters, No Turning Back shows how hope can flourish even amid one of the twenty-first century’s greatest humanitarian disasters.




Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms


Book Description

Despite its reputation for religious intolerance, the Middle East has long sheltered many distinctive and strange faiths: one regards the Greek prophets as incarnations of God, another reveres Lucifer in the form of a peacock, and yet another believes that their followers are reincarnated beings who have existed in various forms for thousands of years. These religions represent the last vestiges of the magnificent civilizations in ancient history: Persia, Babylon, Egypt in the time of the Pharaohs. Their followers have learned how to survive foreign attacks and the perils of assimilation. But today, with the Middle East in turmoil, they face greater challenges than ever before. In Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, former diplomat Gerard Russell ventures to the distant, nearly impassable regions where these mysterious religions still cling to survival. He lives alongside the Mandaeans and Ezidis of Iraq, the Zoroastrians of Iran, the Copts of Egypt, and others. He learns their histories, participates in their rituals, and comes to understand the threats to their communities. Historically a tolerant faith, Islam has, since the early 20th century, witnessed the rise of militant, extremist sects. This development, along with the rippling effects of Western invasion, now pose existential threats to these minority faiths. And as more and more of their youth flee to the West in search of greater freedoms and job prospects, these religions face the dire possibility of extinction. Drawing on his extensive travels and archival research, Russell provides an essential record of the past, present, and perilous future of these remarkable religions.