In 1099, the soldiers of the First Crusade took Jerusalem. As the news of this victory spread throughout Medieval Europe, it felt nothing less than miraculous and dream-like, to such an extent that many believed history itself had been fundamentally altered by the event and that the Rapture was at hand. As a result of military conquest, Christians could see themselves as agents of rather than mere actors in their own salvation. The capture of Jerusalem changed everything. A loosely defined geographic backwater, comprised of petty kingdoms and shifting alliances, Medieval Europe began now to imagine itself as the center of the world. The West had overtaken the East not just on the world's stage but in God's plans. To justify this, its writers and thinkers turned to ancient prophecies, and specifically to one of the most enigmatic passages in the Bible the dream King Nebuchadnezzar has in the Book of Daniel, of a statue with a golden head and feet of clay. Conventional interpretation of the dream transformed the state into a series of kingdoms, each less glorious than the last, leading inexorably to the end of all earthly realms-- in short, to the Apocalypse. The First Crusade signified to Christians that the dream of Nebuchadnezzar would be fulfilled on their terms. Such heady reconceptions continued until the disaster of the Second Crusade and with it, the collapse of any dreams of unification or salvation-any notion that conquering the Holy Land and defeating the Infidel could absolve sin. In Nebuchadnezzar's Dream, Jay Rubenstein boldly maps out the steps by which these social, political, economic, and intellectual shifts occurred throughout the 12th century, drawing on those who guided and explained them. The Crusades raised the possibility of imagining the Apocalypse as more than prophecy but actual event. Rubenstein examines how those who confronted the conflict between prophecy and reality transformed the meaning and memory of the Crusades as well as their place in history.

Enjoy Having a Highly Visual Overview of the Statue in the Book of Daniel Packed with Time Lines, Maps, Charts, and More! The Statue in the Book of Daniel pamphlet ventures into the fascinating dream of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2 and Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7. This bestselling, full-color pamphlet includes:A full-color illustration of the statue (based on an authentic Babylonian carving of the era)Simple overviews exploring each of the statue’s four parts, as well as the four kingdoms they representMaps of ancient civilizations outlining the geographical areas of the relevant kingdomsA time line of events and rulersA comparison chart help explain the statue’s parts and their meaning12 panels, fits into most Bibles, 8.5 x 5.5 inches, unfolds to 33” long. The Statue in the Book of Daniel is an excellent resource for presenting Daniel’s prophecy of God’s everlasting Kingdom. Daniel’s interpretation draws correlations between the elements of the statue:The Head of Fine GoldThe Chest and Arms of SilverThe Belly and Thighs of BronzeThe Feet of Iron and ClayThe rock—not cut out by human hands—which struck and felled the statueWhat does the statue represent in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in the second chapter of Daniel? What is it saying about earthly empires and heavenly kingdoms? The Statue in the Book of Daniel pamphlet describes the meaning of the Head of Fine Gold, Chest and Arms of Silver, Belly and Thighs of Bronze, and Feet of Iron and Clay. A map of the ancient world provides context for the kingdoms that are represented by the statue segments, and a time line reveals the rise and fall of kingdoms between 600 BC to 100 AD. Daniel’s interpretation speaks to the Scriptural truth that rulers and empires come and go, but God’s kingdom, ruled by the Son of Man, will be everlasting. The Statue in the Book of Daniel also provides information on the most powerful nations in the Middle East represented in Daniel’s dream:BabyloniaMedo-PersiaGreeceA Divided Kingdom (often considered Rome)A chart compares the remarkable similarities between King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 with Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7. Here is a sample from the chart: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 2):Head of the StatueChest and Arms of StatueBelly and Thighs of StatueThe Feet of Iron and ClayDaniel’s Vision (Daniel 7):Vision of Beasts — LionVision of Beasts — BearVision of Beasts — LeopardVisions of Beasts — Beast with 10 hornsAn illustration of the statue is based on an authentic Babylonian carving. Comparisons between each part include bulleted observations with interesting facts or connections to other Scripture references. A time line from 600 BC to 100 AD reveals the events related to the ruling kingdoms that clarify the interpretations. Events include:The Babylonian Kingdoms and their rulers during biblical timesThe fall of Babylonia to Darius the Mede, who was succeeded by Cyrus the Great.Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia and its fulfillment of prophecyThe rise of Rome and the Caesars.

Jay Rubenstein's Nebuchadnezzar's Dream explores how the Crusades reoriented how the Medieval world conceived itself and biblical prophecy.

Workbook - Jonah, the reluctant prophet, was called to prophesy against the pagan capital of the world, Nineveh. He attempted to shun the assignment until God explained it to him a little more clearly! His message to Nineveh:40 days and you get yours! The greatest miracle in the book of Jonah was Nineveh's repentance, within the allotted 40 days, on speculation! They reasoned that maybe, if they repented, God might change His mind. They did. And He did.A century later, Nahum was sent to ask them to repent and Nineveh failed. Judgment resulted.Obadiah prophesied against Israel's enemies. His book provides insights into the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ and why some countries will apparently escape the rule of the Antichrist. These are three small books of the Bible that contribute a critical perspective for all of us.

Late medieval motet texts are brimming with chimeras, centaurs and other strange creatures. In The Monstrous New Art, Anna Zayaruznaya explores the musical ramifications of this menagerie in the works of composers Guillaume de Machaut, Philippe de Vitry, and their contemporaries. Aligning the larger forms of motets with the broad sacred and secular themes of their texts, Zayaruznaya shows how monstrous or hybrid exempla are musically sculpted by rhythmic and textural means. These divisive musical procedures point to the contradictory aspects not only of explicitly monstrous bodies, but of such apparently unified entities as the body politic, the courtly lady, and the Holy Trinity. Zayaruznaya casts a new light on medieval modes of musical representation, with profound implications for broader disciplinary narratives about the history of text-music relations, the emergence of musical unity, and the ontology of the musical work.