Immortal Clay

1850-1854

Mesopotamian Mythology: The First Gods

The foundations of human belief were laid in the dust of Sumer long before the first word of the Bible was ever written. Why were the world’s oldest religious texts systematically buried beneath the sands of time? What primal truths about our origin did later empires fear so much they tried to erase them? Mesopotamian Mythology chronicles the rise of the first deities, from the chaotic waters of Tiamat to the iron rule of Marduk. This narrative history traces the evolution of cuneiform tablets and the sophisticated civilizations that birthed the concepts of heaven, hell, and the hero’s journey. Through rigorous research and cinematic storytelling, this volume reconstructs a world where gods walked among men and the fate of humanity was etched in clay. Journey into the heart of the Cradle of Civilization. The Enuma Elish and the brutal cosmic war that created the earth. The original Great Flood story that predates Genesis by centuries. Inanna’s descent into the underworld and the birth of the resurrection myth. The strategic suppression of Sumerian lore by rising monotheistic powers. Beyond mere folklore, this is a forensic look at the political and theological shifts that silenced the first gods. Unearth the origins of the divine today.

The Confluence of Wisdom Along the Silk Road

For centuries along the vibrant cultural corridor of the Silk Road of Central Asia, philosophers and thinkers from Hellenic, Chinese and Indian traditions debated existential issues. Out of this stimulating milieu, the iconic poet-mathematician Omar Khayyam emerged in the eleventh century, advancing a transformative intercultural philosophy in his poetic work, the Rubaiyat. Vaziri traces the themes of Khayyam’s Rubaiyat back to the highly influential philosophical traditions of the Silk Road and uncovers fascinating parallels in original works by Heraclitus, Zhuangzi (Daoism), Nagarjuna (Mahayana Buddhism), and the Upanishads. In addition, Vaziri’s elegant translation and unique classification of the verses of the Rubaiyat reveal an existential roadmap laid out by Khayyam. In this pioneering volume, Vaziri not only fuses the multiple disciplines of literature, philosophy, culture, history and medicine but also takes the approach of the Rubaiyat to a new level, presenting it as a source of wisdom therapy that stands the test of time in the face of doubt and confusion, offering a platform for self-restoration.