Description
| Product ID: | 9781800856271 |
| Product Form: | Hardback |
| Country of Manufacture: | GB |
| Series: | Translated Texts for Historians |
| Title: | The Book of Kings and the Explanations of This World |
| Subtitle: | A Universal History from the Late Sasanian Empire |
| Authors: | Author: Charles Haberl |
| Page Count: | 320 |
| Subjects: | Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Middle Eastern history, History of religion, Middle Eastern history, History of religion, Iran, Iraq, Indo-European languages, c 500 CE to c 1000 CE |
| Description: | The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran are adherents of the last surviving Gnostic tradition from the period of Late Antiquity, and the Book of Kings is the capstone to one of their most sacred scriptures. A universal history in four parts, it concisely outlines the entire 480,000 year span of the material world, from its creation to its destruction in the maw of the great Leviathan, with details including a succession of antediluvian cataclysms that have previously wiped out all human life, the reigns of the kings who have reigned over humanity and are still yet to reign, a lament on the end of pagan antiquity under the reign of the Arabs, and the apocalyptic drama attending those who have the misfortune to live at the end of the world era. For the first time ever, this work appears in English in its entirety, complete and unabridged, and directly translated from original Mandaic manuscripts, with the events mentioned within it coordinated with our calendar. It also includes an extensive commentary illustrating its relationship to contemporary historical writing and with the sacred literature of Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other neighbouring religious communities living under Sasanian rule. |
| Imprint Name: | Liverpool University Press |
| Publisher Name: | Liverpool University Press |
| Country of Publication: | GB |
| Publishing Date: | 2022-05-04 |
