The Looner Phenomenon


Book Description

In recent times there has been a flurry of media reports on the balloon fetish phenomenon. But what do the looners themselves have to say? Within this book you will read fifteen personal stories from looners from all walks of life, as well as an exploration of our communirty and the media attention that surrounds us. Because it's amazing how much there is to say about a community that is centered on a single object - a simple toy balloon.




Calendrical Variations in Second Temple Judaism


Book Description

Starting from the seminal work of the French scholar Annie Jaubert on the date of the Last Supper, the present work revisits known - and identifies new - calendrical issues in the literature of Second Temple Judaism. The research supports the conclusion that all known calendrical traditions functioned on the tenet that orthopraxis in ancient Judaism meant close interconnection between cultic and agricultural cycles. From this perspective the book removes the calendrical objection leveled at the Jaubertian theory. Further, the research brings new light on current debates about Qumran calendrical documents and proposes the identification of a previously unknown calendrical polemic in the Astronomical Book of Enoch concerning the synchronization of the 364DY tradition with the lunar cycle.




The Encyclopedia of Moon Mysteries


Book Description

Our moon is an enigma. The ancients viewed it as a light to guide them in the darkness, and a god to be worshipped. In modern times, it has been taught that the Moon is simply a dead rock that is caught in Earth’s gravity, with no activity. As a researcher of metaphysical, paranormal and cosmic subjects, I have come across stories and information about the Moon that tell us that indeed there is activity there, and there has been for generations. Just who or what is causing the commotion is a mystery. There are stories that suggest that the Moon is home to extraterrestrials, theories that it is not a natural satellite, tales of anomalous lights, and tales that NASA astronauts saw extraterrestrial ships and ruins of an ancient civilization there. There is a rumor that Apollo13 was saved by extraterrestrials. Another story states that there are extraterrestrial bases on the Moon. There is even a tale that states that a part of the kingdom of Atlantis was once located there. Some even believe that there are cities beneath the surface of the Moon. There is an interesting account of a government employee using remote viewing as a means of seeing what is on the Moon. His experience is eye-opening! This is just a sample of the information that will be in The Encyclopedia of Moon Mysteries: Secrets, Conspiracy Theories, Anomalies, Extraterrestrials and More. For example, did you know that: • Aristotle and Plato wrote about a time when there was no Moon? They even gave a name of an ancient tribe of people that lived during that moonless period. • several of the NASA astronauts reported seeing UFOs while traveling to the Moon? • the Moon might be hollow? • Apollo 10 astronauts heard strange “space music” when traveling on the far side of the Moon? • strange and unexplained lights have been seen on the Moon for centuries? • there are said to be ruins of structures on the Moon? • there is an ancient tale that suggests that the first human was created on the Moon? • that radio signals have been detected coming from the Moon? • that famed astronomer Sir John Herschel saw unidentified lights above the Moon during an eclipse? • that ancient Bolivian symbols tell us that the Moon came into Earth’s orbit around 12,000 years ago? • a psychic was used by the government to relay information about the Moon? The book is separated into A to Z sections for easy reference and reading.




Cruise Ship Astronomy and Astrophotography


Book Description

Enrich your next sea vacation with this fun how-to guide to observing and doing astrophotography on water. Collecting together the author’s five decades of astrophotography and teaching experience, this book shares all the practical information you will need to start on your own astronomy adventure. Part I is full of practical advice on what to pack, the best ways to enjoy the night sky from your cruise ship observatory, specific astronomical objects and events to look out for, and myriad other useful tips. Part II gives you a crash course on astrophotography at sea, teaching you the nitty-gritty details of taking pictures of the night sky. Proof that it can be done is provided by the many amazing color astrophotographs taken by the author while following the steps laid out in this book.




T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volume Two


Book Description

The T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism provides a comprehensive reference resource of over 600 scholarly articles aimed at scholars and students interested in Judaism of the Second Temple Period. The two-volume work is split into four parts. Part One offers a prolegomenon for the contemporary study and appreciation of Second Temple Judaism, locating the discipline in relation to other relevant fields (such as Hebrew Bible, Rabbinics, Christian Origins). Beginning with a discussion of terminology, the discussion suggests ways the Second Temple period may be described, and concludes by noting areas of study that challenge our perception of ancient Judaism. Part Two presents an overview of respective contexts of the discipline set within the broad framework of historical chronology corresponding to a set of full-colour, custom-designed maps. With distinct attention to primary sources, the author traces the development of historical, social, political, and religious developments from the time period following the exile in the late 6th century B.C.E. through to the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt (135 C.E.). Part Three focuses specifically on a wide selection of primary-source literature of Second Temple Judaism, summarizing the content of key texts, and examining their similarities and differences with other texts of the period. Essays here include a brief introduction to the work and a summary of its contents, as well as examination of critical issues such as date, provenance, location, language(s), and interpretative matters. The early reception history of texts is also considered, and followed by a bibliography specific to that essay. Numerous high-resolution manuscript images are utilized to illustrate distinct features of the texts. Part Four addresses topics relevant to the Second Temple Period such as places, practices, historical figures, concepts, and subjects of scholarly discussion. These are often supplemented by images, maps, drawings, or diagrams, some of which appear here for the first time. Copiously illustrated, carefully researched and meticulously referenced, this resource provides a reliable, up-to-date and complete guide for those studying early Judaism in its literary and historical settings.




Haunted Files from the Edge


Book Description

The Strange, the Bizarre, and the Unexplained Just when you think Philip Imbrogno’s infamous files have been exhausted, he presents us with another collection of spooky cases of unexplained strangeness. Pulled from more than thirty years’ worth of investigations, these never-before-published cases involve run-ins with angry spirits, phantasms, monsters, and poltergeists. Through detailed on-scene investigations and historical research, Haunted Files from the Edge takes you on a creepy tour of notorious specters, haunted places, and legends such as the Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow, the Curse of the Green Witch, the Ghosts of the Alamo, and the Curse of Owlsbury. Using state-of-the-art tools and special imaging techniques, Imbrogno has been able to find rational explanations for 73 percent of the cases he has investigated. The mystifying cases presented here, supported by eyewitness testimony and photographic evidence, are among those that defy explanation.







Galileo's Visions


Book Description

In a fascinating and accessible style, Marco Piccolino and Nick Wade analyse the scientific and philosophical work of Galileo Galilei from the particular viewpoint of his approach to the senses (and especially vision) as a means of acquiring trustworthy knowledge about the constitution of the world




The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Moon: Coffin Texts Spells 154–160


Book Description

This book proposes that Coffin Texts spells 154–160, recorded at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE, form the oldest composition about the moon in ancient Egypt and, indeed, the world. Based on a new translation, the detailed analysis of these spells reveals that they provide a chronologically ordered account of the phenomena of a lunar month.