Ancient Cults

Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically reenacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings.

Where did God come from? What do the bible stories really tell us? Who or what was Jesus Christ? This audiobook challenges everything we think we know about the nature of religion.

Demons, jinn, possession, sinister artifacts, and gruesome archaeological discoveries haunt this new book by Dr. Heather Lynn. Evil Archaeology investigates the archaeological record for artifacts and evidence of evil entities, revealing how demons from the ancient world may be dwelling among us. It also looks at the history and lore behind real relics believed to be haunted and includes historical accounts of demonic possession that go as far back as King Solomon invoking demons to help him build his famed temple.

Four friends. One viral post. A nightmare they'll never tweet about. Mia and her friends were chasing a ghost—an impossibly perfect, sapphire-blue swimming hole hidden deep in the Jersey wilderness, known only by its hashtag. The plan was simple: drive in, get the perfect shot for their feeds, and be home by dark. It was meant to be an escape from their curated lives, a quest for something real to post about. But when their car breaks down and their phones lose signal, the vast, silent forest begins to feel less like an adventure and more like a trap. They are not alone. The strange ...

Historians Cameron Thorne and Amanda Spencer-Gunn discover a fourteenth-century journal which confirms a long-rumored historical heresy: The medieval Church outlawed the Knights Templar because the warrior monks were secretly worshiping the ancient Goddess. The journal also sucks Cam and Amanda into the orbit of a ruthless cabal of modern-day pagans intent on pushing America into the loving arms of the Goddess—whether America wants succor there or not.

In the early Roman Empire, as Christianity struggled to gain a foothold and survive in the polytheistic pool of Roman theology, its greatest rivals weren't the Caesars or the Roman aristocracy but rather the faith and devotion of the common Roman legionary. The faith of these men was centered on the god Mithras, who, they believed, led them to victory upon the field of battle and had done so for nearly four centuries.

The people of ancient Sumer are gathered to celebrate the rite of the Sacred Marriage, a joyous and glorious testament to the unity of Goddess and Man. Times are tough, crops are failing, and this year’s ceremony holds special significance. But for the priestess Simi, the fertility rite is very personal. Because it is Simi who will be locked in a room with a stranger to carry out the blessed responsibilities. Only this time, the stranger is no stranger at all....

Africa may have given rise to the first human beings, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later. From the Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria to the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Ancient Egyptians produced several wonders of the world, revolutionized architecture and construction, created some of the world’s first systems of mathematics and medicine, and established language and art that spread across the known world.

Newspaper reporter Jason Salmon is lured into the world of Bernadine D'Anna. The mysterious woman wants the young man to write a book. A book she claims will change the history of mankind. The elderly female begins relating the story of a secret sect of women who have been influencing human history for twenty-eight thousand years. The reporter is genuinely skeptical until strange events begin happening and his life is threatened by an ancient group seeking the woman's hidden secrets. As the woman tells her story, it becomes clear that she has knowledge and abilities beyond imagination. The ...

A lovely vacation in the Middle East… Where dancing women in veils… Figs and dates abound… And the scent of incense and exotic Meals fills the air. A formula for a wonderful vacation. But for Holmes and his friends, it’s going to be a struggle for survival against a cult that worships a supernatural god… That is both real… And deadly!

Visit Ashok's official website meakalpa.com to read an exclusive excerpt from The Bombay Lovecraft Society! Membership comes at a price... From Bram Stoker and CWA nominated and Utopiales Nantes Award-winning author Ashok Banker comes a chilling new novel of occult horror set in 1980s Bombay A masterful fusion of Lovecraftian terror and Indian Gothic that will haunt your dreams long after you've turned the final page. In the shadows of 1980s Bombay lurks an ancient evil that makes the notorious Rockman serial killings pale in comparison. When a struggling artist is lured into the mysterious...

Belief and Cult argues that belief isn't uniquely Christian but was central to ancient Roman religion. Drawing on cognitive theory, Jacob Mackey shows that despite having nothing to do with salvation or faith, belief underlay every aspect of Roman religious practices—emotions, individual and collective cult action, ritual norms, social reality, and social power. In doing so, he also offers a thorough argument for the importance of belief to other non-Christian religions.

Sarah Wright has a job to die for. She never asked for it, never even filled out an application. To be fair, she didn’t ask to die either. Ever since she woke up as a vampire, she only wanted to unlive in as ordinary a way as possible. Alas, the realities of undeath and awakening to the greater existence of the supernatural made certain demands of the family. Now Sarah runs errands for the vampire boss of Seattle. It isn’t such a bad gig when she’s not being shot at, chased, clawed up, thrown around, or scrambling to keep her family safe.

In the autumn of 1834, New York City was awash with rumors of a strange religious cult operating nearby, centered around a mysterious, self-styled prophet named Matthias. It was said that Matthias the Prophet was stealing money from one of his followers; then came reports of lascivious sexual relations, based on odd teachings of matched spirits, apostolic priesthoods, and the inferiority of women. At its climax, the rumors transformed into legal charges, as the Prophet was arrested for the murder of a once highly regarded Christian gentleman who had fallen under his sway.

As a graduation present for her daughter, Tammy, Samantha Moon and the gang head down to South America for the vacation of all vacations. Next stop: Easter Island On a beach in Chile, the unimaginable happens. Magical cultists kidnap Tammy and Paxton in a blink of an eye—literally. Sam and Allison spring into action, chasing a barely visible trail... and end up, of all places, on Easter Island, famous for its massive collection of giant stone heads. Turns out, the cultists were dead set on sacrificing Tammy and Paxton to a local god. That was their first mistake. And as all hell breaks ...

The Lillian Carey Mysteries - Book One When a priceless ancient Egyptian artefact is stolen from a secluded museum and the curator is found dead, mysteriously covered in insect bites, private detective Lillian Carey is summoned to uncover the truth. Specialising in cases that flirt with the supernatural and the occult, Lillian is drawn into a world of dark rituals and shadowy figures. Her investigation leads her to a clandestine cult with nefarious plans for the stolen casket and the deadly curse it harbours. As Lillian delves deeper, she must navigate the treacherous terrain of a night ...

In 1884, descendants of an ancient colony of pirates and their brutal tribal allies capture a scientific research vessel and its occupants who are then shipwrecked together on a remote atoll of the Seychelles Archipelago, where they evolve, over time, into a heinous, bloodthirsty cult with a wide sphere of influence. A century later, they are encountered by a divided expedition of modern-day travellers who must unravel the age-old mystery of the ‘Kolony’, its dark past and terrible secret, before they become the latest in a long line of its victims.

During spring break, archaeology students Adam Andrews and Eva Lunes fly to the Yucatan to research Mayan pyramids, ruins, and myths. When their island guide, Enrique, offers to give them a private tour of Kukulkan’s Island, also called Snake Island, they seize the opportunity, as it has some of the most fantastic, least-seen ruins of all Mayan culture. When Eva and Adam arrive at Snake Island, they tour Kukulkan’s Pyramid and learn of the legend of the Forbidden Tree and its cursed fruit. Unfortunately, Adam and Eva also encounter a mysterious man who warns them to leave the island. ...

The city of Heliopolis was one of ancient Egypt’s most important religious centers, the focus of the civilization’s solar cult, and a destination for pilgrims for nearly 3,000 years. Heliopolis’ origins were quite humble though, and it does not appear that it was ever planned to be a great city. The city began as a small settlement in the late 4th millennium BC, but within a couple of hundred years it became the center of Egypt’s solar religion, due to several fortuitous circumstances.

In part one, 'First Contact', we discover what happened to art in the great Age of Discovery, when civilisations encountered each other for the first time. Although undoubtedly a period of conquest and destruction, it was also one of mutual curiosity, global trade and the exchange of ideas.