The Fruits of Madness: Perspectives on the Prophetic Movements in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and in Literature brings together selected oral presentations given at the Seminar in Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and in Literature held at the University of Vienna, Austria, in July 2014 as part of the Annual International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. The contributions include work on life on the fringes between two types of lifestyles; the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament prophetic movement phenomenon from the point of view of ancient concerns about the effectiveness of communication between the human and godly realms; resistance led by prophets in ancient Israelite society; the distinction between priests and prophets in ancient Israelite and early Jewish societies; the Prophet Hosea (and his vicissitudes) in the light of the lyrics of the famous Canadian poet and musician, Leonard Cohen; the apocalyptic movements of the exilic and post-exilic eras within Judaism; the biblical Daniel as located at the point of confluence and an agent of prophecy, wisdom, and apocalyptic; and the reliability of God’s/YHWH’s word as mediated to three persons reputed to have received that word. The reader will intuit the theme of liminality in several of the contributors: it dogs the study of prophecy like a great hound its prey. With these writings, the reader is challenged to view the ancient Israelite and early Jewish concern with prophet and prophecy in a fresh and enjoyable, though thought-provoking way, making this volume a worthwhile read.

Noura is crazy about watermelon. She wants to eat nothing else, every day, at every meal. In fact, Noura thinks there is no such thing as too much watermelon. Until one night, when the watermelon she has hidden in her room to eat all by herself begins to grow and Noura get taken on a wild watermelon adventure! A story that can be the springboard for a discussion on favorite foods, eating a balanced diet, sharing with others and trying new foods.

I'm back! Now, now...I know many of you probably didn't even realize I left, or that I had even arrived before this moment in time at all. Ignorance does not change the fact that I have always been! (Well, for the last three decades and two books prior to this, I've always been.) Now that I have made my arrival known, there is no getting rid of me! Once you've read but one line of the madness within the confines of this published monstrosity, you have taken in a part of me (my expression) that will never, ever, go away and, upon taking this book for your own, you have now let a part of me in your home, not just your mind. Creepy, isn't it? Try not to think about it too much, and just read over the thoughts inside. Don't take any of it personally, as I do not discriminate. You give yourself way too much credit if you think I wrote this just to insult (or compliment) you. Let's face it: you already know more about me, than I know about you. Oh, and this time, I dragged a part of my religion into in to all this and we know what that means: pointless debate! (And no, it's not what you think.) Enjoy, or not. I'll be here, sitting comfortably on your bookshelf or resting on your nightstand or lurking idly in your closet .

The Fruits of Madness: Perspectives on the Prophetic Movements in Three Traditions brings together selected oral presentations given at the Seminar in Biblical Characters in Three Traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and in Literature held at the University of Vienna, Austria, in July 2014 as part of the Annual International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. The contributions include work on life on the fringes between two types of lifestyles; the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament prophetic movement phenomenon from the point of view of ancient concerns about the effectiveness of communication between the human and godly realms; resistance led by prophets in ancient Israelite society; the distinction between priests and prophets in ancient Israelite and early Jewish societies; the Prophet Hosea (and his vicissitudes) in the light of the lyrics of the famous Canadian poet and musician, Leonard Cohen; the apocalyptic movements of the exilic and post-exilic eras within Judaism; the biblical Daniel as located at the point of confluence and an agent of prophecy, wisdom, and apocalyptic; and the reliability of God's/YHWH's word as mediated to three persons reputed to have received that word. The reader will intuit the theme of liminality in several of the contributors: it dogs the study of prophecy like a great hound its prey. With these writings, the reader is challenged to view the ancient Israelite and early Jewish concern with prophet and prophecy in a fresh and enjoyable, though thought-provoking way, making this volume a worthwhile read.

Dr. Gabriella Mondini, a strong-willed, young Venetian woman, has followed her father in the path of medicine. She possesses a singleminded passion for the art of physick, even though, in 1590, the male-dominated establishment is reluctant to accept a woman doctor. So when her father disappears on a mysterious journey, Gabriella's own status in the Venetian medical society is threatened. Her father has left clues -- beautiful, thoughtful, sometimes torrid, and often enigmatic letters from his travels as he researches his vast encyclopedia, The Book of Diseases. After ten years of missing his kindness, insight, and guidance, Gabriella decides to set off on a quest to find him -- a daunting journey that will take her through great university cities, centers of medicine, and remote villages across Europe. Despite setbacks, wary strangers, and the menaces of the road, the young doctor bravely follows the clues to her lost father, all while taking notes on maladies and treating the ill to supplement her own work. Gorgeous and brilliantly written, and filled with details about science, medicine, food, and madness, The Book of Madness and Cures is an unforgettable debut.

Follows the spiritual journey of a young man, the child of the last sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a Jewish palace concubine, as he struggles to make sense of God through World War I in Istanbul, World War II in Paris, and the final years of British rule in Jerusalem, while maintaining his own precarious sanity.

On the verge of madness