From all of us here at Gorgias Press to our readers of all traditions, we thank you for the past year of support and wish you a safe and joyous holiday season!

We'll start this newsletter off with a reminder:

MOVING SALE CONTINUES!

Our moving sale continues through December 31. In honor of our recent transition, we are having an unbelievable moving sale for ALL online orders. For a limited time only all online orders will receive a 40% discount through Gorgias BiblioPerks™. In addition, every tenth customer that takes advantage of this limited time sale will receive all the books on their order for $3/book plus shipping and handling. Don't delay; place your order today and you could be our next winner!

Kick back and relax with a steaming cup of tea and be carried away into exotic realms with titles from our Cultures in Dialogue or Gorgias Historic Travels in the Cradle of Civilization series. For those of you who have already made it your New Year's resolution to learn Syriac in 2008, don't forget to look at George Kiraz's The New Syriac Primer and other Syriac titles to get you started.

All sales are final--no returns or cancellations. Prepayment is required to be eligible for the $3/book prize. Winners will be posted on our website and in eGorgias. Sale ends December 31, 2007. In order to see BiblioPerks™ sale prices you need to login to your account or create one online. Only online orders will be entered in the $3/book drawing.

GORGIAS PRESS HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Gorgias Press gift certificates make great stocking stuffers. This is handy because our larger volumes are too big for anybody's stocking (unless you're Bigfoot). Even better, OUR GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE ALSO OFFERED AT A 40% DISCOUNT DURING THE MOVING SALE!!!!!! Your friendly eGorgias editor has worked in retail, and she is here to tell you that NOBODY offers their gift certificates at a discounted price, so don't miss this opportunity! Here are some lists that will help you shop at www.gorgiaspress.com:

• Just Published: http://www.gorgiaspress.com/bookshop/recentadditions.aspx.
• Best Sellers: http://www.gorgiaspress.com/bookshop/bestsellers.aspx
• You can also browse our subject categories on www.gorgiaspress.com:.

Login to your online account to see BiblioPerks™ 40% discounted pricing.

Enjoy shopping at www.gorgiaspress.com!

Our New Address, Phone and Fax Numbers

Don't forget to make a note of our new contact information:

• New Gorgias Press phone number: 732-885-8900
• New Gorgias Press fax number: 732-885-8908
• New Gorgias Press mailing address: 180 Centennial Avenue, Suite A, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA

Here's a look at this month's eGorgias:

• Recently Released: Our latest titles
• Coming Soon: Forthcoming titles from Gorgias Press
• From the Acquisitions Desk: By Acquisitions Editor Steve Wiggins
• News: Gorgias Press Open House
• News: Winners' Choice: Moving Sale Titles
• News: Applications for the 2008 Gorgias Press Book Grant still being accepted
• December Enthusiast of the Month: Dr. S. Claus
• Reviews: Rachel Hallote and Mary Hansbury books reviewed
• Conferences: Conference Report on AAR/SBL in San Diego

The American Journal of Ancient History is here--yes, really! Volumes 2.2 and 3-4 (combined) are now in print. We anticipate volumes 5 and 6 to appear shortly after the new year. We are also pleased to announce the release of Joseph Hallman's The Coming of the Impassible God: Tracing a Dilemma in Christian Theology. We also have the latest from Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley, Drower's Folk-Tales of Iraq, a book which promises timely and interesting reading given events of recent years. Also we have more new titles in our Analecta Gorgiana series; series editor Rob Morehouse has been busy! You can find a full description of any of our books on our website, www.gorgiaspress.com.

	The Coming of the Impassible God: Tracing a Dilemma in Christian Theology By Joseph M. Hallman ISBN 978-1-59333-792-6 Hardback, $109 (BiblioPerks™ $65.40)
This book describes the development of the Christian understanding of God from the second to the eighth century as witnessed by major theologians who gradually realized that the Incarnate Word made flesh was not the God of the philosophers. They helped construct the great dogmas of the Christological councils. Beginning with the Apologists and ending with Maximus Confessor, the theological tradition overcame the notion of impassible deity in favor of the humble God of Christian faith, the Word made flesh.
	Drower's Folk-Tales of Iraq By Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley ISBN 978-1-59333-360-7 Hardback, $139 (BiblioPerks™ $83.40)
A collection of folktales from Iraq, dating from the 1930s, found in the archives of the famous English Lady E. S. Drower (1879-1972), who was novelist, folklorist, specialist on the Mandaeans, and writer of travel accounts. New tales edited by Jorunn Buckley form a second volume of Drower’s Folktales. The stories—carrying recognizable Near Eastern folk-tale features—feature monsters and heroes, maidens and fairies and they give a vivid picture of a now extinct oral folktale tradition. This Gorgias Press edition includes previously unpublished tales in addition to those of the 1931 edition.
	American Journal of Ancient History (New Series 2.2, 2003 [2007]) By T. Corey Brennan, ed. ISBN 978-1-59333-746-9 Paperback, $71.5 (BiblioPerks™ $42.90)
The continuation of the historic American Journal of Ancient History this volume contains three articles: “Urartu and the Medikos logos of Herodotus” by Laura D. Steele, “‘The athletes of war’: An evaluation of the agonistic elements in Greek warfare” by John Dayton, and “Agesilaus’ Egyptian enterprise” by Stephen Ruzicka. This is volume 2, number 2 of the New Series (2003 [2007]).
	American Journal of Ancient History (New Series 3-4, 2004-2005 [2007]) By T. Corey Brennan, ed. ISBN 978-1-59333-782-7 Paperback, $143 (BiblioPerks™ $85.80)
The continuation of the historic American Journal of Ancient History this volume contains nine articles and comprises the contents of volumes 3 and 4 of the New Series (2004-2005 [2007]).
	Chaldean-Arabic Dictionary By Eugene Manna ISBN 978-1-59333-552-6 Hardback, $198 (BiblioPerks™ $118.80)
A historical dictionary translating Syriac into Arabic, this handy volume brings together the language of the author’s Chaldean Church and the Arabic of his contemporary culture. This scarce volume, now available in the west, is sure to be of considerable interest to scholars of Syriac and Arabic alike.
	Al-Lubab By Gabriel Cardahi ISBN 978-1-59333-549-6 Hardback, $315 (BiblioPerks™ $189.00)
A historical dictionary between two Semitic languages, Cardahi’s Syriac-Arabic dictionary was among the first attempts to bring together the classical languages of Eastern Christianity and Islam. Consistently referred to by subsequent Arabists, this lexicon has become a well-known reference book.
	Das Sendschreiben des Patriarchen Barschuschan an den Catholicus der Armenier By Otto Lichti ISBN 978-1-59333-865-7 Paperback, $38 (BiblioPerks™ $22.80)
This work provides the Syriac text, with a German introduction and translation, of John Bar Shushan’s treatise attacking the Melkite tradition, upholding the Creed of Faith, defending the Syrian Orthodox preparation of the Eucharist, and criticizing Armenian Church practices.
	Bardaisan and the Odes of Solomon By William Romaine Newbold ISBN 978-1-59333-860-2 Paperback, $32 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)
A compelling discussion of the origins and authorship of the Odes of Solomon, this work provides great insight into the person of Bar Daysan as well as the research surrounding the text of the Odes of Solomon.
	Intermediaries in Jewish Theology By George Moore ISBN 978-1-59333-875-6 Paperback, $29 (BiblioPerks™ $17.40)
A philological study of the usage of Memra, Shekinah, and Metatron in Tragumic and Cabbalistic literature that combats nineteenth century Christian attempts to read these as references to the Second or Third Persons of the Trinity.
	Bar Hebraeus' Book of the Pupils of the Eye By Herman F. Janssens ISBN 978-1-59333-859-6 Paperback, $45 (BiblioPerks™ $27.00)
The Book of the Pupils of the Eye is Bar Hebraeus’s introduction to Aristotle’s Organon. This volume makes the Sryiac text available to the interested scholar or student.
	The Testament of Solomon By F. C. Conybeare ISBN 978-1-59333-871-8 Paperback, $29 (BiblioPerks™ $17.40)
An excellent translation follows a critical essay, which argues that the Christian elements of the text do not point to a Christian author, but rather indicate that this work is a Christian recension of a Graeco-Jewish original.
	Clement of Alexandria and the Beginnings of Christian Platonism By Robert Pierce Casey ISBN 978-1-59333-874-9 Paperback, $37.7 (BiblioPerks™ $22.62)
Casey’s survey reveals not only his adept insights into Clement’s thought but also the great breadth of his knowledge of the Greek philosophers and the early Jewish and Christian theologians in the Roman Empire.
	Catalogue of All Works Known to Exist in the Armenian Language By Harrison Gray Otis Dwight ISBN 978-1-59333-869-5 Paperback, $29 (BiblioPerks™ $17.40)
This work provides a summary, short author biography, and reference to editions or translations of all the works of Armenian provenance known to the author. It concludes with works of Greek Church Fathers and secular literature preserved in Armenian.

We are excited to announce that the following titles will soon be in print:

Click here for a complete list of our soon-to-be-published books.

Negotiating Island Identities By Ina Berg
Negotiating Island Identities explores the history of interaction between Crete and the Cycladic islands from the late Middle to Late Bronze II periods when Minoan influence was at its peak. Based on a thorough investigation of pottery assemblages from key sites, the book advocates a rethink of established acculturation scenarios (such as “Minoanisation”) in relation to the Cycladic islands. Openness or closure towards outside influences was not predetermined by cultural, geographical or ecological variables but was socially constructed. Island communities could consciously fashion their worlds and make choices about the nature and degree of interaction with their neighbours.
ISBN 978-1-59333-725-4, Hardback, $102 (BiblioPerks™ $61.20)

Terms for Eternity: Aiônios and Aïdios in Classical and Christian Texts By David Konstan Ilaria Ramelli
This book explores two ancient Greek terms for eternity, aiônios and aïdios, from their earliest occurrence in Pre-Socratic philosophy and Plato down through the patristic fathers, where they play a crucial role in debates over eternal punishment vs. universal salvation.
ISBN 978-1-59333-694-3 , Hardback, $103 (BiblioPerks™ $61.80)

The Ceramic Oil Lamp as an Indicator of Cultural Change within Nabataean Society in Petra and its Environs circa CE 106 By Deirdre Grace Barrett
Can an altered perception in the Nabataean worldview be detected at the time of the Roman annexation of Petra, Jordan, in CE106? The analysis of ancient ceramic oil lamps from three sacred/ceremonial sites in the area provides evidence for this cultural change.
ISBN 978-1-59333-628-8, Hardback, $102 (BiblioPerks™ $61.20)

Syriac and Antiochian Exegesis and Biblical Theology for the 3rd Millennium By Robert D. Miller (ed.)
This volume of collected essays explores the exegesis of the patristic School of Antioch, the Syriac Church Fathers, and the churches of the Antiochian-Syriac traditions. This exegetical tradition can be of use in today's historical-critical biblical scholarship with relation to theology.
ISBN 978-1-59333-487-1, Hardback, $98 (BiblioPerks™ $58.80)

Lesser Deities in the Ugaritic Texts and the Hebrew Bible By Sang Youl Cho
This book explores ancient conceptions of the lesser deities, the so-called angels, in the Ugaritic texts and the Hebrew Bible. It provides readers with fundamental understanding of ancient "angelology" in the religious literatures from Ugarit and Israel.
ISBN 978-1-59333-820-6, Hardback, $124 (BiblioPerks™ $74.40)

Lishan Didan, Targum Didan: Translation Language in a Neo-Aramaic Targum Tradition By Margo Rees
An analysis of a modern targum tradition – and the Neo-Aramaic dialect in which it was written – in light of the history of traditional Jewish Bible translation and its uses.
ISBN 978-1-59333-426-0, Hardback, $98 (BiblioPerks™ $58.80)

What are your plans for the Winter Break? If you’re like most academics, you’ll probably be enjoying the brief respite from the hectic semester schedule to do a little work on those projects that didn’t quite come to completion with the end of summer. For those of us in publishing, we are always looking for something interesting to read during the long, cold months of winter. We sure appreciate new things to look at!

If you’ve got a project going this break and are looking for a possible publication venue, please keep Gorgias Press in mind. If you submit your work to us you’ll be working with experienced authors and academics who understand the ebb and flow of the academic year and the stresses of academic publishing. We try to make the process one less thing that you’ll need to worry about as the next semester inexorably rolls on. Send us your book and we can get the process going while you are back in the classroom! Our areas of publication are expanding, and we invite you to join our growing list of authors.

Happy reading!

Steve Wiggins, Acquisitions Editor

Save the Date: Gorgias Press Open House on Friday, January 25, 2008

Watch this space for further notice, but we are planning an Open House to say "thanks!" to our supporters and show off our new office suite. Plans are being made for door prizes, enjoyable music, and catering by Sahara, which is New Brunswick's great new Middle Eastern restaurant. More details will follow in the January 2008 eGorgias. If you would like to attend, send an email to rsvp@gorgiaspress.com. Admission is free.

Gorgias Press Moving Sale

We are thrilled to have had 21 winners already in our Moving Sale. Congratulations all! The sale isn't over till it's over and the next winner could be you! Some of the titles ordered by our winners are listed below.

Announcing the 2008 Gorgias Press Book Grant

Gorgias Press is now accepting applications for the 2008 Gorgias Book Grant. Outstanding graduate students are invited to apply. Two awards are given annually, consisting of Gorgias Press books in the amount of $500.00 per grant. The application deadline is January 31, 2008. Grants will be awarded in March 2008. Check our Book Grants Page for more information on eligibility and the application process. Previous grant winners are ineligible.

Items Ordered by our Moving Book Sales Winners:

	The Ascetical Homilies of Mar Isaac of Nineveh By Isaac of Nineveh ISBN 978-1-59333-389-8 Hardback, $182 (BiblioPerks™ $109.20)
St. Isaac of Nineveh, or, as he is sometimes known, St. Isaac the Syrian, was born in the region of modern Qatar and lived during the seventh century. Ordained as the bishop of Nineveh sometime between 661 and 681 CE, Isaac withdrew from his ecclesiastical office after only five months, retiring to live as a monastic hermit in the mountains of southeastern Iraq. Translated from their original Syriac into a number of other languages, St. Isaac’s spiritual writings have been read by Christian monastics for centuries. The present volume gives the original Syriac text edited by Paul Bedjan.
	Sunshine and Storm in the East, or Cruises to Cyprus and Constantinople By Lady Annie Brassey ISBN 1-59333-202-5 Hardback, $85 (BiblioPerks™ $51.00)
Lady Annie Brassey (1839-1887) possess a keen eye for human interest and narrative detail that propelled her to international fame as a travel writer. This book presents a daily diary of two voyages to Constantinople aboard her family yacht in the mid 1870s. Here, the modern reader may glimpse the natural wonders, cultural distinctions, and political circumstances of such countries as Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Italy, Greece, and Turkey during that time period. Lady Brassey is always a cheerful, informed, and compelling guide. One also finds in this book an excellent example of the nineteenth-century European fascination with the "Orient" as a place of exotic customs, redolent sensuality, and commonplace cruelty.
	History of Syria, Including Lebanon and Palestine By Philip K Hitti ISBN 1-59333-119-3 Hardback, $115 (BiblioPerks™ $69.00)
Hitti has written a brilliant history of a land into which more historical and cultural events were crowded than any area of equal size. Syria has invented and transmitted to mankind such benefits as monotheistic religion, philosophy, law, trade, agriculture, and our alphabet.
	Recent Developments in Midrash Research By Teugels, Lieve M. & Ulmer, Rivka (eds) ISBN 1-59333-201-7 Hardback, $89 (BiblioPerks™ $53.40)
This work consists of a selection of papers from sessions during the first two years of SBL Consultation on Midrash. It demonstrates innovative approaches to midrashic texts and hermeneutic reflections on similarities and differences between interpretations of the Bible.
	My Nestorian Adventure in China: Account of the Holm-Nestorian Expedition By Frits Holm ISBN 0-9713097-6-0 Paperback, $63 (BiblioPerks™ $37.80)
The narrative of this book relates the quest to bring a "Nestorian" monument--China's earliest record of Christianity--to the West. Holm vividly describes temples, synagogues and mosques, common natives and Buddhist priests, prisoners, soldiers, and guards.
	The ‘Book of Heraclides of Damascus’: The Theological Apologia of Mar Nestorius By Paul Bedjan ISBN 978-1-59333-400-0 Hardback, $234 (BiblioPerks™ $140.40)
Nestorius, deposed by the Council of Ephesus, spent his final years composing an apologia defending his theological beliefs, which became known as the ‘Book (or ‘Bazaar’) of Heraclides’. The Greek original is lost, but this Syriac translation survived in a single manuscript in the library of the Catholicos of the East, in his mountain retreat of Qodshanes. Bedjan gives an edition of this vital Syriac text.
	Word of Tree and Whisper of Stone, and other papers on Ugaritian thought By Nicolas Wyatt ISBN 978-1-59333-716-2 Hardback, $90 (BiblioPerks™ $54.00)
This volume is a collection of selected essays on specific themes in Ugaritic literature. Included are eight unique contributions to understanding the religious life and thought of Ugarit, including detailed studies and essays covering broader issues for grasping the worldview of ancient Syria.
	The Descent of Christ in the Odes of Solomon By William Romaine Newbold ISBN 978-1-59333-866-4 Paperback, $32 (BiblioPerks™ $19.20)
This title explores the implications of the Descent of Christ in the twenty-third Ode in regards to astrology and Gnostic thought and supports the thesis of the author’s earlier work that the Odes emerged from a Judaeo-Christian, Mesopotamian setting.
	A Reassessment of Asherah By Steve A. Wiggins ISBN 978-1-59333-717-9 Hardback, $90 (BiblioPerks™ $54.00)
Asherah is one of the most popular goddesses known from the ancient world. In this second edition of the author’s 1993 monograph on the goddess, further articles and bibliography have been added to bring this ever-expanding field of study more up-to-date.
	The New Syriac Primer By George Anton Kiraz ISBN 978-1-59333-325-6 Paperback w/ CD, $72 (BiblioPerks™ $43.20)
A truly useful introduction to the Syriac language is a rare find. This practical initiation to the study of the ancient language of the Christian church speaks with clarity and authority. A fruitful integration of scholarly introduction and practical application, this primer is more than a simple grammar or syntactic introduction to the language. Written in a style designed for beginners, Kiraz avoids technical language and strives for a reader-friendly inductive approach. Readings from actual Syriac texts allow the student to experience the language first hand and the basics of the grammar of the language are ably explained. The book comes with a handy CD so that readers may listen to all reading sentences and text passages in the book.