Podcasts about persia

Sean and Alon are joined by Adam Saltsman, co-founder of Finji, designer of Canabalt, and creator of Flixel.On today's episode, we're discussing Dust Bunny – Adam's 12.5th PICO-8 release since last October!Hopping off from Dust Bunny, we explore the immediacy of the PICO-8 development environment, designing by playing, and the intimate relationship between designers and players.Find Adam at:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adamatomic.bsky.socialitch.io: https://adamatomic.itch.io/Finji: https://finji.co/—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 - Intro00:01:06 - Describe PICO-8 and designing with PICO-800:10:15 - Adam's design process (for Dust Bunny specifically)00:18:40 - A curve of discovery and the designer player relationship00:34:00 - 12.5th PICO game (a quarter of the way to a full UFO50)00:40:04 - 90% bad ideas00:46:45 - What do you do to rest?00:50:05 - Outro and Adam's links—SHOW NOTESDust Bunny: https://adamatomic.itch.io/dust-bunnyPICO-8: https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.phpCave of Cards: https://adamatomic.itch.io/caveofcardsCeleste: https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=11722Dark Souls: https://store.steampowered.com/app/570940/DARK_SOULS_REMASTERED/Desktop Dungeons: https://store.steampowered.com/app/226620/Desktop_Dungeons/Doom: https://archive.org/details/doom-playElden Ring: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245620/ELDEN_RING/Mirror's Edge: https://store.steampowered.com/app/17410/Mirrors_Edge/Mole Mole: https://adamatomic.itch.io/mole-molePrince of Persia: https://archive.org/details/msdos_Prince_of_Persia_1990PuzzleScript: https://itch.io/games/made-with-puzzlescriptQuake: https://freebie.games/games/quake/play/Rat Dreams: https://adamatomic.itch.io/rat-dreamsSokoban: https://www.sokobanonline.com/Super Mario Maker: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-mario-maker-2-switch/Tetris: https://play.tetris.com/UFO 50: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1147860/UFO_50/Wipeout: https://retroonline.net/DOS/WipeoutZachtronics: https://www.zachtronics.com/—WIDE FLANK LINKSJoin the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/wideflankThe rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank

Welcome back to our Podcast. and in this episode, we are going to explore the mysterious junction between human potential and the human predicament. Today, we're diving into an idea that may sting a little at first, but, if we look closely, it might also open a hidden door to hope. It involves the unfortunate observation that while human technology, what we do, has evolved at an astonishing pace, human consciousness, who we actually are, has lagged significantly behind. Our ability to split atoms, utilize instant global communications, and code digital realities has raced ahead at lightning speed, fueling our Modern Times. But our capacity for empathy, humility, compassion and having the capacity to be able to live a peaceful, and meaningful life looks much more like we're still stuck the Middle Ages. Which brings us to the content of this episode called “Spears and Switchblades: One Stubborn Species.” To help bring the basic idea into focus, we're going to compare two of the most iconic love tragedies ever put on the stage: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and its mid-20th century musical reincarnation, West Side Story. Though separated by more than 350 years, these two narratives—one set in Renaissance Verona and the other in 1950s New York City—are mirrors reflecting the same fundamental human flaws. Jealousy. Tribalism. Miscommunication , Stubborness and Pride, among many others. All of which are run by an emotional impulsivity that can turn love into war, and beauty into ashes. So, the first question that we want to explore is: have we grown at all in the past 400 years? Or have we simply become more sophisticated in the weaponry that we have developed in order to kill each other more efficiently? Let's start with the core human dynamics that drive both plays, because even though they are separated by centuries, their basic human flaws remain exactly the same. In Romeo and Juliet, two teenagers fall in love across the boundary of a family feud. The Montagues and Capulets have nursed a blood vendetta for so long that no one even remembers how it started. And it doesn't matter anymore. They just plain hate each other. And its consequences are clear: violence in the streets, death, heartbreak, and ultimately, a double suicide. What are the dominant negative human traits here? Hatred passed down like an heirloom Honor culture run amok Impetuous emotion overpowering reason A lack of inner stillness or reflection, overcome by rage Fast forward 400 years to West Side Story, and we meet Tony and Maria, two lovers from opposing street gangs: the Jets, composed mostly of white working-class youths, and the Sharks, made up of Puerto Rican immigrants. Once again, love blossoms in hostile soil, and once again, the terrible price of primal tribal hatred is death. Different clothes, different slang, different soundtrack. Same madness. And this is the bottom line of the issue. Totally different external world, everything has changed, as well it should. After all, four hundred years have gone by and the situation facing the teenagers living in the streets of New York City would be absolutely unimaginable to the kids running around in the late 1500's.  Completely different on the outside – yet the inner madness remains exactly the same. And the ramifications of this imbalance are immense. Let's compare the outer worlds of these two stories: Romeo and Juliet takes place in late 16th-century Verona. It's a world without electricity, medicine as we know it, or organized police. Family ruled everything. Honor was a matter of life and death. Raw emotions emerged dramatically and physically. And the sword was both symbol and solution. West Side Story unfolds in 1950s Manhattan, post-WWII. Televisions had entered the living room. Jet engines had conquered the sky. The UN had been formed, civil rights movements were stirring. Science had given us vaccines, electricity, and refrigeration. And yet... disputes were still settled with violence. In this case, the weapon of choice was the switch blade. Anger and tribal pride still led to bloodshed. And the beauty of love still ended in the tragedy funerals. So, what changed? The world around us got faster, smarter and ever-more connected. But the world inside us? Pretty much the same old garbage pail. And one of the primary central drivers in both stories is basic tribalism—the instinct to form in-groups and out-groups. The name of the game is us-versus-them. In Romeo and Juliet, the tribes are defined by blood. In West Side Story, by race and ethnicity. In both, the borders are irrational and absolute. This human trait is ancient, seemingly almost hardwired into our survival code. We evolved in small tribes where loyalty equaled life, and strangers equaled threat. But now we live in megacities, online echo chambers where we're still addicted to tribalism. We divide ourselves by politics, religion, race, nationality, gender identity, and more—often with a sense of inner hostility that's far more emotional than rational. In both plays, the pride of belonging to an in-crowd becomes a major fuse. Tybalt's stone cold sense of us and them, along with an ego based identification with personal honor won't let him ignore Romeo's presence at the Capulet ball. Four hundred years later, Bernardo's defense-based sense of belonging to the Sharks won't let him see Tony as anything but another American self-entitled Jet. In both cases, primal tribal dignity demands a serious and significant attack against the perceived enemy. So, the basic recipe for tragedy that spans the centuries remains the same: paranoid pride, mixed with anger and fear, driven by impulse and untampered by any wisdom or understanding turns into a violent weapon of darkness and death. In a certain sense, what happened to us over the years isn't evolution at all. It's just plain repetition Unfortunately, of course this didn't end in the late 1950's. Far from it. While we've vastly upgraded our weaponry, we've also developed more subtle, yet powerful ways to threaten and hurt each other, like social media shaming for example,  where it becomes pretty easy to ruin someone's life just by pressing a few buttons. In the time between William Shakespeare and Leonard Bernstein, humans invented calculus, steam engines, telegraphs, airplanes, televisions, and atomic bombs. We mapped the human genome. We put men on the moon. But we still haven't figured out what we're really all about. Oh, we all know how to chase things, but are these things that we've been programmed to chase real, or they just illusions? Maybe we're just addicted to chasing, itself. In that regard, we've all heard about the tendency of dogs to chase cars. But there are two key aspects to that particular pursuit. One – the dog can never really catch the car. It is much too fast for it. And secondly – what happens if the dog actually does catch the car and we all know the answer to that – nothing. The dog can't do anything if and when it catches the car. It's the same way for us. We're just running after things on the outside, oblivious to who we really are and what we are really made of, not to mention what can actually make us truly happy and satisfied. And all of this goes on while we continue to improve our technology by leaps and bounds. Yet, we still don't know how to disagree without resorting to violence. We still haven't universally adopted the idea that every human being, regardless of their identity, has intrinsic value. We still raise children who feel unloved, unheard, or unsafe. We're still driven by fear disguised as pride. We still confuse dominance with dignity. And we still kill the thing we love because we don't know how to hold it. And the bottom line of it all is basically defending the inherent illusion of our ego selves, which is still at the basic foundation of our inner C-Suite. As such, we still confuse noise with strength. And we still take most the good things in our life for granted, which is truly tragic. Like Joni Mitchell sang in a seemingly earlier age, “Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone.” As it all continues to spiral further, in so many ways, the message to us is crystal clear – It's time to wake up and grow up. Romeo and Juliet loved across a line they weren't supposed to cross. Tony and Maria did it too. Their love was a shining light in the midst of all this darkness. Even though everything seemed to be against them, they knew what they had. And we knew it too. And despite what we knew it was that they were facing, we all rooted for them, because something about the higher thing in life, the Better Angels of Our Nature, speaks to the deepest part of our intelligence, both in our hearts and in our minds. We have more tools than ever to connect across cultures, to educate, to innovate, to heal. And yet, we still face the same old demons. But here's the good news: we are capable of change. Unlike the characters in those plays, our story isn't written yet. We are not locked in a script. We can choose awareness. We can choose evolution. The keynote to both of these tragedies is that it is time to individually bring our inner light to our own inner darkness. The Wisdom of the Ages as well as modern brain science tell us that we do have the power to protect this light from the winds of hate, fear and pride, and that we can, and essentially must, cultivate the inner skills of patience, compassion, empathy, and yes - courage. NeuroHarmonics: Inner Technology for a New Humanity That's what the NeuroHarmonic Method is all about: cultivating the inner circuitry to match the brilliance of our outer inventions. It's not just about brainwaves or affirmations or even spirituality. It's about training the nervous system to return to equilibrium, to respond rather than react, to perceive the human being behind the mask, and ultimately to shift from emotional immaturity to presence. From the rage of vengeance to an intuitive sense grace. But this is a path toward real evolution that can only be travelled one person at a time. Because the world won't evolve until we do it individually. Not really. So here we are, somewhere between Shakespeare's Verona and the 21st century, still caught in the drama. But I hate to tell you that the Bard didn't invent this particular tale. The truth is, it stands atop a mountain of ancient stories echoing the same theme—love thwarted by fate, culture, or conflict. And this motif is not unique to the Renaissance or even to Western civilization. The same basic story can be found in the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, Babylon, ancient Egypt, Persia, and India. Indeed, it's one of the most enduring themes in human storytelling. And the deeper you dig, the further back you go, the more you realize: the tragedy of love versus society and the battle of light versus darkness is as old as storytelling itself. But maybe, just maybe, we're ready to write a different ending. One where love doesn't die. One where pride yields to peace. One where technology finally partners with wisdom. Let's imagine a future version of West Side Story, maybe 400 years from now. What would it take for that version not to be a tragedy? Maybe the gangs might still exist, but their interchange would consist of words instead of weapons. Maybe love would not be hidden in the shadows, but declared in daylight. Maybe reconciliation would be taught in schools, right alongside science and math. Maybe forgiveness would be considered a mark of strength, not weakness. Consciousness evolution would be about not just developing new tools, but new tendencies, moving us from: From reaction to reflection From judgment to curiosity From pride to presence From tribalism to universalism It means valuing not just intelligence, but wisdom. This all represents something to look forward to and welcome into our lives in the here and now, as much as we are able. And if we're not able to yet, at least we can make our intentions known to ourselves. Well, this will be the end of this episode. As always, keep your eyes, mind and heart open, and let's get together in the next one.

-Randy Pitchford can't read the room: https://www.ign.com/articles/as-gamers-express-concern-about-borderlands-4-potentially-costing-80-gearbox-chief-randy-pitchford-says-if-youre-a-real-fan-youll-find-a-way-to-make-it-happen -MSI doing an AMD Claw: https://www.theverge.com/news/670096/msi-claw-a8-amd-z2-extreme-computex-2025 -Bungie is looking bad: https://www.ign.com/articles/fans-discuss-marathon-developer-bungies-future-after-yet-another-plagiarism-row-rocks-studio-make-no-mistake-this-is-an-existential-struggle-for-bungie-at-this-point -Did Epic win? https://www.theverge.com/news/661290/fortnite-ios-iphone-epic-games-back-apple-app-store https://daringfireball.net/linked/2025/05/19/the-first-rule-of-legal-fight-club -Game News:  Steller Blade coming to PC on June 11: https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/stellar-blade-heads-to-pc-on-june-11-185536164.html?src=rss Prince of Persia remake coming in early 2026: https://www.theverge.com/news/667061/ubisoft-prince-of-persia-remake-release-date-by-april-2026 New Uncharted coming!!!!!! https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/naughty-dog-new-game-confirmed-uncharted/ -Sony halting services in Russia. https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/05/19/7512924/ -Would you put steamOS on your ROG? https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/05/valve-adds-steamos-compatible-game-label-as-it-prepares-to-expand-beyond-steam-deck/

Músicas de nuestro planeta... y alrededores Music from our planet... and beyond Viajamos por todo el orbe e incluso escuchamos música de otros planetas imaginarios (¿o no?), con nuevos e interesantes discos que llegan hasta nuestras manos y oídos, y que nos hacen viajar por las cumbres de los Andes, entre las comunidades indígenas norteamericanas, con un encuentro galáctico-japonés, haciendo diversas escalas en África (Lesoto, Níger y La Reunión), pasando después por Anatolia, Persia, los países nórdicos y Gran Bretaña. We travel across the globe and even listen to music from other imaginary planets (or not?), with new and fascinating albums reaching our hands and ears, taking us through the peaks of the Andes, among Native North American communities, with a galactic-Japanese encounter, making various stops in Africa (Lesotho, Niger and Réunion), then moving through Anatolia, Persia, the Nordic countries and Great Britain. - Pacha Wakay Munan - Machu tara - El tiempo quiere cantar - Sons of Membertou - The people of the dawn / Wejkwita'jik (The gathering song) - Wapna'kik: The people of the dawn - Kuunatic - Kuuminyo [+ Rekpo] - Wheels of Ömon - Famo Mountain - Oi, oi, oi (Putting baby to sleep) - For those left behind - Etran de L'Aïr - Agadez - Agadez [single] - Votia - Vié kaz - Vié kaz - Gavur Gelinler - Ufak ufak - Burçak tarlasında gelin olması - Sibel - Burçak tarlası - Ne biraktik - Araz Salek - Goshāyesh 11 & 15 - Peripheries of Nahavand - Maija Kauhanen & Johannes Geworkian Hellman - First flight - Migrating - Päivi Hirvonen - Eksyneelle - Maa palaa - iyatraQuartet - Beatriz - Wild green Kuunatic (Celine Fougerouse)

The kingdom of Judah is destroyed, and the people are exiled. Cyrus of Persia issues a proclamation to allow the return of the exiles.

Wednesday, May 14 marked the 77th anniversary of Israel becoming a nation. This significant historical and biblical event was overshadowed this week when President Donald Trump traveled to the Middle East but did not visit Israel. During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Matthew Dodd discusses the opportunity that Trump missed this week along with other alarming developments and how they are setting the stage for the fulfillment of another Bible prophecy concerning Israel.Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, al Jolani, al Sharaa, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, China, Egypt, Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump, Qatar, UAE

Η Sony πετυχαίνει το σκοπό της, καταφέρουμε να σχολιάσουμε το Clair Obscur, η Microsoft απολύει πάλι κόσμο και ο επιχειρηματικός ο κόσμος μετράει τα λεφτά του. Get in touch: Email | Twitter Ι Facebook Group Hosted by: Elias Pappas - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Manos Vezos - The Vez | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Ι Apple Music Transmedia Amazon's Fallout TV series renewed for season 3 Uwe Boll on tariffs, AI, and the end of traditional film funding FU: Giant Bomb Giant Bomb has been sold by Fandom, will continue independently | VGC Αποτελέσματα Warner Warner Bros games revenue drops 48% in Q1 2025 Ubisoft Ubisoft's FY24-25 financials report "solid balance sheet" despite hefty drops in revenue and back-catalog sales Ubisoft delays major games, but says Prince of Persia remake is finally on track | VGC SEGA Falls in Sega's FY2025 revenue cushioned by "strong" performance in game and entertainment division Capcom Capcom reports eighth consecutive year of record profits as Monster Hunter Wilds sells 10.1m copies Square Enix Square Enix game sales down but profits up as strategic shift continues Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link canceled - Gematsu Square Enix and TBS Television announce collaboration to develop original IP game - Gematsu Sony PlayStation full-year operating income jumps 43% to $2.8bn PS5 shipments top 77.8 million - Gematsu Sony considers manufacturing PS5 consoles in US due to tariffs Xbox things Xbox dominated PlayStation's top 10 games by copies sold in April, as Forza Horizon 5 overtakes 1.4 million copies on PS5 Microsoft to lay off 3% of employees Mafia: The Old Country Mafia: The Old Country Launching August 8, 2025; Debuts Official Gameplay Trailer and Developer Insights Video | 2K Newsroom

WarRoom Battleground EP 766: Rise Of Threat And War With Persia

Sometimes God's will isn't what we would have picked out for ourselves. It isn't what we want. And it's difficult to accept.Esther's life didn't turn out how she wanted it to. She found herself separated from her family and married to the unbelieving King of Persia. Through these trials, God made Esther into a Supernova, shining even more brightly in the hardships. But before she could get there, she had to die to her own dreams and her own plan. Are you willing to do the same? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29

Cyrus' exemplary leadership forged a patchwork of ethnicities into an empire that founded Persian rule in the Middle East, Professor Lynette Mitchell explains. Cyrus the Great (or the Elder) is known to many through the Cyrus Cylinder exhibit preserved in the British Museum, which tells us that he was chosen by God for his special virtues to become ‘king of the four corners of the world'.[1]  Indeed, he created a Persian empire that extended from the Greek communities of Asia Minor to the marches of India.  Ever since, virtues of a great strategic leader have been attributed to him, including by Xenophon who, as a Greek, might have been expected to be hostile to Cyrus' expansion. Instead, Xenophon took him as a model for the ideal leader in war and peace. Even today, the stories of his leadership are revered in management literature. But does the reality justify the acclaim? Professor Lynette Mitchell of the University of Exeter has discovered her interest in the life and achievements of Cyrus from her earlier research on Greek culture and customs, on which she has published widely. Her book, Cyrus the Great: A Biography of Kingship, was published by Routledge in 2023. [1] Irving Finkel (ed.): The Cyrus Cylinder: The King of Persia's Proclamation from Ancient Babylon. (London: I-.B- Tauris, 2013)

If God called you to a difficult task in a difficult place, would you shine light into that place? Would you, like Esther, be a star for God? Esther is a great example of someone who faced seemingly impossible circumstances. She was forced to marry a very powerful, very worldly man: the King of Persia.While not many of us can relate to such a circumstance as Esther had, we can learn from her faith and obedience. You are right in center stage of where God wants you to be and what God wants you to do in your life. Will you be obedient? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29

A Sermon for the Third Sunday after Easter St. John 16:16-22 by William Klock On Easter morning we heard St. John's account of the empty tomb.  How Mary Magdalene had come running to the house where he and Peter and the others were hiding.  How she sobbed out that someone had taken Jesus' body.  How he and Peter ran to the tomb as dawn was breaking and how they found it empty, with the linen graveclothes lying there neatly.  And we heard John say that “he believed”.  Somehow…inexplicably…Jesus had risen from the dead.  John believed in the resurrection of the dead.  They all did.  It was their hope.  But it wasn't supposed to happen like this.  Maybe it was fear, maybe it was confusion, maybe he just wanted to be more certain, but he didn't say anything.  They went back to the house where the other disciples were.  They went back into hiding.  Doors locked, windows shuttered, no lights, no fire.  When things blew over, they could sneak out of Jerusalem, slink back to Galilee.  Maybe they could go back to their old lives and everyone would forget that they'd been followers of Jesus. But then the next week we read from John's first epistle.  We read those words: Everything that is fathered by God conquers the world.  This is the victory that conquers the world: our faith!  That doesn't sound like the same John afraid to even tell his friends that he believed Jesus had been raised from death.  And last week we read from Peter's first epistle and he exhorted us to bear patiently with suffering.  Peter went from hiding behind locked doors on Easter to boldly preaching the risen Jesus in the temple court just fifty days later.  He would eventually find himself proclaiming that gospel in Rome itself, where he would be martyred for that holy boldness.  What happened? Brothers and Sisters, hope happened.  Jesus, the risen Messiah, appeared to them in that locked room.  They saw him, resurrected and renewed and yet still the same Jesus with the scars of the cross in his hands and feet.  They saw Jesus risen from the dead.  Not a ghost, not a spirt, but Jesus bodily raised.  It wasn't supposed to happen that way.  It was supposed to be everybody all at once, not just one person even if he was the Messiah.  But there he was, proving the old doctrine of the Pharisees and the Prophets and their fathers true—just not the way they expected.  But even that's not so much what motivated them to leave their hiding places and to proclaim the risen Jesus to the world.  It's what Jesus' resurrection meant.  Because Jesus' resurrection was more than just an astounding miracle.  Jesus' resurrection was the proof that God's new world had been born, that new creation had begun, that the promises he made through the prophets and the hopes of God's people were being fulfilled.  Jesus' resurrection meant that the hopes of God's people were finally becoming reality.  Jesus had kindled God's light in the midst of the darkness and they knew the darkness would never overcome it.  But as they worked this out, they also realised that while Jesus had inaugurated this new creation, it would be they—Peter, John, Mary, the others, you and I—who would carry and announce God's new creation to the world.  Again, this hope, made real, made manifest in the resurrection of Jesus, is what sent the disciples out, not just to announce that God had performed a miracle in raising Jesus, but to announce the God's new creation had been born and that Jesus is its king—and if that proclamation cost them everything, even if it got them killed—they knew that God would raise them and that he would vindicate them, just as he had Jesus. Nothing else changed.  They were hiding in that locked and darkened house because—usually—when the authorities crucified a rebel or a revolutionary, they would also round up and crucify his followers.  As it turned out, it doesn't seem that anyone was seriously interested in doing that to Jesus' disciples.  But they didn't know that.  The real danger came when they went out and began proclaiming the good news about Jesus—as they challenged the false gods and the pretend kings of the darkness with the light of the Lord Jesus, as they confronted this fallen world and its systems with God's new creation.  That's when they were mocked, beaten, arrested, and martyred. Think of Paul.  He was one of the one's breathing threats against Jesus' disciples.  He was there looking on while Stephen was stoned, holding coats so people could better throw stones at him.  And then as Paul was on his way to round up Christians to bring them before the Jewish authorities, he was met by the risen Jesus.  And, again, it wasn't just an amazing miracle that inspired Paul to take up his own cross and to follow Jesus—to follow Jesus and to be beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and eventually murdered for the sake of the gospel.  It was hope.  It was what the resurrection of Jesus meant.  Jesus, risen from the dead, was proof of God's faithfulness and proof that his promises of forgiveness and new life and new creation and of humanity and creation set to rights—everything the Jews (and Paul!) had hoped and longed for—it was proof that it was all true and that it was coming true in Jesus.  The light has come into the darkness and the darkness has not and never will overcome it.  It was proof that if we are in Jesus the Messiah, we have a share in God's new creation and that no amount of suffering and not even death can take that away.  People aren't going to risk their lives to report a miracle.  What drove Peter, John, Paul—and all our brothers and sisters since—what drove them to risk everything to proclaim the good news was the knowledge, the assurance, the hope that through that proclamation God's promised new creation would overcome the darkness, the sadness, the tears—that it would make all the sad things of this broken world come untrue—for them and eventually for everyone who believes.  The kingdom would spread and grow until heaven and earth, God and humanity are at one again. All of this is what Jesus is getting at in our Gospel today from John 16.  It's from the middle of the long teaching that Jesus gave to his disciples when they were in the Garden of Gethsemane, after they ate that last Passover meal with Jesus.  Over and over Jesus exhorts them saying things like, Don't let your hearts be troubled…trust God and trust me, too.  And: I chose you, and I appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last…If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you.  If you were from the world, the world would be fond of its own.  But the world hates you because you're not from the world.  No, I chose you out of the world.  And at the beginning of Chapter 16 he says to them: I've said these things to you to stop you from being tripped up.  They will put you out of the synagogues.  In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will suppose that they are in that way offering worship to God…I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.   I expect the disciples were remembering that part of what Jesus said very well when they were hiding.  “Jesus said they'd come to kill us,” they whispered in the dark.  What they didn't remember—or at least what they didn't understand were the words we read today.  In verse 16 Jesus says: “Not long from now, you won't see me anymore.  Then again, not long after that, you will see me.”   They expected—like pretty much everyone else—that the Messiah would bring some kind of revolt or revolution.  He would overthrow the pagans and take the throne of Israel and, ruling over Israel, he would restore God's people to their rightful place and status in the world.  So it's no wonder that when they heard this, they started murmuring amongst themselves.  John goes on: “What's he talking about?” some of his disciples asked each other.  “What's this business about ‘not long from now, you won't see me, and again not long after that you will see me'?  And what's this about ‘going to the Father'?”   Maybe Jesus was going to finally do what the Messiah was supposed to do.  Maybe he was going to go gather his army and come back to battle the Romans.  John writes: They kept on saying it.  “What is this ‘not long'?”  “What's it all about?”  “We don't know what he means!”  Jesus was doing that thing again where he would say cryptic things or tell a confusing story.  It got their interest and then he could fill them in.  Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, John says. “You're discussing with each other what I meant, aren't you?” he said.  “You want to know what I meant by saying, ‘Not long from now, you won't see me; and then again, not long after that you will see me.'  That's it, isn't it?  Well, I'm going to tell you the solemn truth.”   I can see them all stopping the whispers and leaning forward.  “Yes, Teacher.  Tell us what you mean!”  So Jesus goes on in the silence:  “You will weep and wail, but the world will celebrate.  You will be overcome with sorrow, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”  I can picture the confused looks coming back to their faces.  The Messiah was supposed to make everything all better.  He was supposed to set everything to rights and to wipe away all the tears.  The Messiah was supposed to bring an end to weeping and wailing!  So Jesus gives them an illustration they could understand: “When a woman is giving birth she is in anguish, because her moment has come.  But when the child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering, because of the joy that a human being has been born into the world.”  And then he adds in verse 22: In the same way, you have sorrow now.  But I shall see you again, and your hearts will celebrate, and nobody will take your joy from you.”   Even with the childbirth illustration, it was still pretty cryptic.  Even with what follows—which we'll come to in our Gospel for Rogation Sunday in two more weeks—even with that, the disciples really didn't understand—yet.  It was all there in the Prophets and it was all there in the things Jesus had been teaching.  The son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the legal experts.  He must be killed and raised up on the third day,” Jesus had said at one point.  It doesn't get much clearer than that.  And yet the events of that first Good Friday and Easter Day came as a complete surprise to them.  But then when they met the risen Jesus it all started to come back to them and it started to fall into place.  The wheels started turning.  Mental light bulbs started turning on.  The one thing left that they needed was the Holy Spirit—but I don't want to get ahead of the story.  We're still in that fifty days between Easter and Pentecost. And I think those fifty days must have been some of the most exciting days in the history of the world.  The disciples sat with Jesus—risen and glorified, the first bit of God's new creation real and tangible and true right there with them—and he taught them.  He went back over the scriptures—no doubt saying things he'd said a hundred times before—but now, in light of the resurrection, it all started to make sense.  And I can imagine their excitement growing between being there with Jesus in all his resurrected glory and as they connected the scriptural dots and as they saw how the story they had grown up with, the story they lived every year at Passover, the story that defined who they were, the story they knew so, so, so well began to unfold in a new way.  They'd always known it was a great story about the mighty and saving deeds of the Lord, but over those forty days in the presence of Jesus and hearing him teach and explain the story turned into something more glorious than they ever could have imagined.  The God they'd known became so much bigger and more glorious than they ever thought he could be.  And then it was time for Jesus to ascend and he had to tell them, “Wait.”  They were ready and eager and excited to go out into Jerusalem and Judea to start telling everyone the story—the story everyone knew, but now seen in a new and glorious light through the lens of Jesus' resurrection—and about this new hope they knew.  God's new creation had finally come and they'd spent the last forty days living in his presence.  But Jesus said, “Wait.  Your excitement about what God has done is only part of what you need.  Wait.  Just a little bit—ten more days—so I can send God's Spirit.  Couple this good news with the power of the Spirit and not even the gates of hell will stop you!” And, Lord knows, the gates of hell have tried, but the gates of hell had already done their worst at the cross, and Jesus rose victorious.  And that's how and that's why those first disciples took up their crosses and followed Jesus.  Peter was crucified at Rome, Andrew was crucified in Greece, Thomas was speared by soldiers in India, Philip was martyred at Carthage, Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia, Bartholomew in Armenia, James was stoned to death in Jerusalem, Simon was martyred in Persia, and Matthias in Syria.  Only John survived, after being exiled to Patmos.  You see, in the risen Jesus they saw the proof that sin and death have been decisively defeated, that the false gods and kings of the old evil age have been exposed, and most of all they saw that God's promised and long-hoped for new creation has been born.  The resurrection gave them hope and that hope sent them out to proclaim the good news even though it meant following in the suffering of Jesus.  And their stories have been the stories of countless Christians through the ages—of the Christians who died in the Roman persecutions, who died at the hands of the Sassanids, the Goths, the Vikings, the Caliphs, the Turks, the Kahns, the French revolutionaries, the Communists, the Islamists.  It's been the stories of countless missionaries who marched into hostile territory for the sake of the gospel, knowing they very well might die for it, but also knowing that the way of the cross is the path into God's new creation. Brothers and Sisters, too often these days we've lost sight of this.  Maybe it's the prosperity gospel, maybe it's that we haven't known any meaningful persecution for so long, but we Christians in the modern west seem to have forgotten this.  There's no room for suffering and the way of the cross in our theology.  We gloss over what look like “failures” in church history.  I was listening to a sermon this past week.  The preacher was telling the story of a missionary named Peter Milne.  Milne was a Scottish minister and part of a group that called themselves “one-way” missionaries.  When they shipped out to far off lands to proclaim the gospel, they packed their worldly goods in a coffin.  It was symbolic.  They were going out as missionaries with no expectation of ever returning home.  They would die—one way or another—in the land they went to evangelise.  Peter Milne went to the New Hebrides in the South Pacific.  It was a land of head-hunting cannibals.  Milne wasn't the first to go.  Others had gone before and were killed by the natives.  Milne was the first to go and to survive and to have a thriving gospel ministry.  When he died fifty-some years later in 1924, he was buried in his coffin with the epitaph: “When he came, there was no light.  When he left, there was no darkness.”  When he'd arrived there wasn't a single Christian on the island.  When he died, there wasn't a single person who wasn't a Christian. But here's the thing—and the preacher I was listening to completely missed it: Following Jesus means first taking up a cross.  It's not about the glory of “successful” ministry.  It's about dying to self, and living for the hope of God's glory and the spread of his kingdom.  The preacher I listened to said nothing of the others who had gone before Milne to the New Hebrides and been martyred.  They don't fit in with our prosperity and business model theology.  We admire their willingness to give their lives for the sake of the gospel, but they sort of get chalked up as failures.  But to do that is to miss what it means to follow Jesus, to know the pangs of childbirth, but to also experience the joy that makes the pain and the sorrow pale in comparison. As Tertullian said, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, but so are all the other good-faith “failures”.  There was a week when we were church-planting in Portland that I found myself all alone.  Veronica's mom was sick and she and Alexandra had travelled up to Kelowna.  The other family that was helping us to get things off the ground had to be away that weekend.  It was just me.  But The Oregonian newspaper had just run a story on us.  I'd had several contacts that week.  The show had to go on.  We were meeting at a Lutheran Church on Sunday evenings, so I asked the pastor there if one of their organists could come and play that evening.  She came and she and I sat there waiting.  And 7pm came and went.  And 7:05, and 7:15 and we knew no one was coming.  I was discouraged and it was obvious.  She and I said Evening Prayer together and then she told me her story.  She and her husband, a pastor, had been Lutheran church planters in Jamaica for almost ten years.  They had a very small group that had asked them to come to help them plant a church and for ten years they tried and nothing ever happened.  When they finally decided to quit there were no more people than when they started.  She said that she and her husband found the whole thing utterly discouraging.  They had made significant sacrifices to be there and nothing had happened.  It was tempting to be angry with God.  They returned home thinking they were failures and wondering why.  They'd been faithful in proclaiming Jesus.  They'd spent hours every week in prayer with that little group of people.  And then several years later they received a letter.  It was from a pastor in Kingston.  Not long after they'd left, he'd arrived to plant a church.  His group moved into the building left behind by the Lutherans and quickly began to grow and thrive.  And he wrote to thank them.  “You soaked this place in prayer and you cast gospel seed all through the neighbourhood,” he wrote.  He didn't know why it never grew for them, but he knew they'd been faithful and he was now reaping a harvest he hadn't planted and he wanted to thank them for their faithfulness.  That elderly Lutheran organist told me that story with tears in her eyes and said, “Be faithful and don't be discouraged.  Whatever happens, if you are faithful, the Lord is at work.  Some of us plant, some of us water, some of us reap, but it's all the Lord's work.”  She reminded me of the hope that lies before me—and that lies before all of us—and that Jesus doesn't just call us to follow him; he first calls us to take up our crosses.  Just it was necessary for Jesus to give his life that he might be raised from death, so must we die to ourselves that we might live.  Brothers and Sisters, fix your eyes on Jesus.  He knew the joy that was set before him and so he endured the cross.  He scorned its shame.  And because of that the Father raised him from the dead and has seated him at his right hand.  His kingdom has been born.  Now the joy of the kingdom, of new creation, of God's life is before us.  May it be the reason that we take up our crosses and follow our Lord. Let's pray: Gracious Father, as we come to your Table this morning, give us a taste of your great kingdom feast; let us see Jesus, risen from the dead; and make us especially aware of your indwelling Spirit that we might be filled with the joy of your salvation and the joy of your new creation.  Strengthen us with joy, so that we will not fear to take up our crosses and follow Jesus.  Amen.

Nehemiah could have returned to Persia to his comfortable lifestyle and job, but he remained to continue to personally lead Israel in a spiritual renewal. After a week of reading the Word of God and remembering His faithfulness in the wilderness, we find the nation seeking the Lord in prayer and confession. They honored the Lord with their obedience and discovered the blessing of God on their lives and nation. May we do the same! 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.Download NotesThanks for joining us for this episode and please take a moment to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoy this content, please don't hesitate to leave us a 5-star review and share this podcast with your friends.  We'd like to extend an invitation to you and your family to join us for worship this week at Grace Baptist Church. We'd also love to connect with you online at https://gracekettering.org. Thanks again for checking out this episode, and we look forward to having you join us again right here on the Grace Baptist Church Podcast!

A Girl in Persia is a epic sung-through full-length musical adaptation of the Book of Esther from the Tanakh (the Bible). Aiming to be faithful to Scripture, this adaptation's book, lyrics, and music are all written with a historical and cultural focus in mind. A runtime of nearly 3 hours (with an interval) allows for a fully immersive experience in the world of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE, the First Persian Empire). Without further ado, allow us to present to you a teaser below of its music. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a minute of music is worth ten thousand:

'Rebuilders' delves into the journey of an Old Testament figure whose heart for prayer, service, compassion and the presence of God brought transformation to his community, city and nation. It's an ancient story that speaks powerfully into this modern moment and into each of our stories today! This week, Rich explores Nehemiah's encounter with the King of Persia - looking at how his perspective shapes his response in a moment of opportunity.

"The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come." - Daniel 10:13-14

In today's episode, Zach Seitz and Watermark member, Casey Crane, discuss Ezra 1-3 and talk about how the history of the time period, king Cyrus, and Persia contribute to the events and God's work in the book of Ezra. They also discuss the significance of the temple being rebuilt for God's people.  Additional Scriptures: Daniel 5, 10; Jeremiah 25:11; Ephesians 2:19

King Darius of Persia now rules Babylon, but God helps Daniel succeed in this new kingdom. Jealous of his success, Daniel's enemies form a plan against him. U-Nite TV Uniting kids with the God's Word in a fun, engaging way to help kids understand and apply biblical truths to their lives. Stream animated adventures, music videos, missionary stories, and more! Available on Android, iOS, Android TV, and Apple TV. https://www.cefonline.com/unitetv/ *U-Nite Kids App * Uniting kids in with God's Word to help them grow in their faith through personal devotions. Play adventures that teach truths from the Bible, complete daily devotions, earn achievements, memorize God's Word, and get answers to common biblical questions. Available on the Apple Appstore, Google Play, and the Amazon Appstore. https://www.cefonline.com/unitekids/ Copyright © 2025 Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Traemos la crónica de dos recientes eventos a los que ha asistido el equipo de Mundofonías en dos hermosas e históricas ciudades europeas: Mérida, con sus Jornadas Profesionales de la Música de Extremadura, MUM, y Marsella, con una nueva edición del Babel Music XP. Escuchamos a algunos de los grupos y artistas que más nos cautivaron durante esas convocatorias, con ecos de Brasil, Venezuela, Colombia, Extremadura, Galicia, Irlanda, Persia, Líbano, Francia o Bali, para terminar con un viaje de la India a las estrellas. We bring the chronicle of two recent events attended by the Mundofonías team in two beautiful and historic European cities: Mérida, with its Jornadas Profesionales de la Música de Extremadura, MUM, and Marseille, with a new edition of Babel Music XP. We listen to some of the groups and artists that most captivated us during these gatherings, with echoes from Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Extremadura, Galicia, Ireland, Persia, Lebanon, France, and Bali, ending with a journey from India to the stars. - Autana Trío - Corre - Autana - Nane Ramos - La calle de los sueños (tangos) - Meraki - Sekadra - Muiñeira de Freixido - Muiñeira de Freixido - Séamus & Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta - Caisleán an tSléibhe - Séamus & Caoimhe - Rokh Quartet - Bousalik - Live in Tehran - Polyphème / Wassim Halal & Gamelan Puspawarna - Le rêve de Polyphème - Le rêve de Polyphème - Virginia Nicoli - Orion - Taramandal

On today's episode, we tackle a forgotten empire that once ruled the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, and that once ranked with the likes of Persia, China, and Rome. The mighty Aksum declined before 1000 AD - but what might have happened if it all went a bit differently?

We march into the Persian Empire with Xenophon and Alex Petkas to break down the opening of Anabasis—a story of betrayal, survival, and leadership born from failure. This isn't just ancient military drama; it's a mirror for modern challenges: how to lead when no one else will, how to make decisions in chaos, and how to earn trust in a world of uncertainty.https://www.costofglory.com/Retreat infohttps://greece.costofglory.com/This is a podcast by Dan Hörning and Bernie Maopolski.If you like what we do you can support the Fan of History project on https://www.patreon.com/fanofhistory or https://buymeacoffee.com/whatsnewinhistoryYou can also get all the old episodes if you subscribe to Fan of History+ at https://fanofhistory.supercast.com/Custom Printed Shirts in 3 days! Go to graveyardprinting.com and enter coupon code FANOFHISTORY2025 for 11% offContact information:E-mail: zimwaupodcast@gmail.comhttp://facebook.com/fanofhistoryhttps://twitter.com/danhorninghttps://www.instagram.com/dan_horning/Music: “Tudor Theme” by urmymuse.Used here under a commercial Creative Commons license. Find out more at http://ccmixter.org/files/urmymuse/40020 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/

Ports Of Call 35-09-30  04 Persia

With all the kings reviewed, it's time to find who our favorite is so we'll start by drawing up the rounds. After that, we'll see how Sariel would do as monarch of monarchs in a choose your own adventure! You can find the current rounds here! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/final-rounds/ Here's the link to our Patreon! www.patreon.com/soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia

Nehemiah could have returned to Persia to his comfortable lifestyle and job, but he remained to continue to personally lead Israel in a spiritual renewal. After a week of reading the Word of God and remembering His faithfulness in the wilderness, we find the nation seeking the Lord in prayer and confession. They honored the Lord with their obedience and discovered the blessing of God on their lives and nation. May we do the same! 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.Download NotesThanks for joining us for this episode and please take a moment to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoy this content, please don't hesitate to leave us a 5-star review and share this podcast with your friends.  We'd like to extend an invitation to you and your family to join us for worship this week at Grace Baptist Church. We'd also love to connect with you online at https://gracekettering.org. Thanks again for checking out this episode, and we look forward to having you join us again right here on the Grace Baptist Church Podcast!

In this episode of The Nancy Grandquist Podcast we continue our series, "We Worship One God," with this discussion with Pastor Tom Copple.The discussion begins with the history of the Urshan family, who immigrated from Persia, and their experiences in Jerusalem during the 1948 war. [00:29] Pastor Copple shares the story of his family's displacement and their journey to Canada. The conversation transitions to theological topics, focusing on the series "We Worship One God." Pastor Copple explains the concept of God in Christianity, the significance of Jesus Christ, and the importance of faith and obedience. [05:25] He discusses the nature of God, the image of God in humans, and the eternal soul. The episode also touches on the challenges of modern relativism and the importance of maintaining faith amidst societal changes. [18:47] Pastor Copple emphasizes the role of prayer and trust in God's timing and methods, sharing insights from Sis Thetus Tenney. [28:47] The episode concludes with Pastor Copple's encouragement to love unconditionally and the importance of character witness in evangelism. [26:45]-----------Timestamped ChaptersChapter 1: Introduction and Family Legacy 00:13 - 05:59Chapter 2: Theological Discussion on Jesus and Faith  06:12 - 14:48Chapter 3: The Role of Obedience and Faith in Christianity 15:17 - 19:25Chapter 4: Challenges and Perseverance in Faith 19:41 - 23:38Chapter 5: Encouragement for Prayer Warriors 23:51 - 30:38Chapter 6: Conclusion and Church Information 30:43 - 32:02

It is the 2nd year of Darius.After a 15 year hiatus, the prophets Hagai and Zecharia encourage the Jews to renew the building of the Temple.The Persan governor Tattenai hears of this and enquires whether they have a permit.Most of our chapter is a letter that Tetennai sends back to central government in Persia relaying what the Jews have told him, and asking that the facts be verified.Chapter 6 will bring the royal response.

Op je beeldscherm prijkt een nieuwe aflevering van onze dagelijkse vodcast Gamekings Daily. Elke doordeweekse dag bespreken we in deze podcast en video de laatste ontwikkelingen binnen de wereld die videogames heet. En dat alles in 20 minuten tijd. Vandaag schuift Huey in de zomerse studio aan bij JJ. De twee hebben het in deze aflevering over de State of Play die geheel gewijd was aan Borderlands 4, het nieuws dat Xbox de grootste publisher is op de PS5 en Ubisoft dat door zegt te willen gaan met Prince of Persia-games. En daar zeggen we geen nee tegen. Deze drie onderwerpen zie en hoor je voorbijkomen in de GK Daily van donderdag 1 mei 2025.Borderlands 4 voldoet aan alles wat we van een looter shooter verwachtenGK Daily is er maandag, dinsdag, woensdag en donderdag. Op de vijfde werkdag hebben we zoals altijd EvdWL, de lange podcast over al het nieuws van de week. In deze editie praten Huey en JJ over de kwartaalcijfers van Xbox en dan met name over het feit (althans Microsoft zegt dat) dat Xbox momenteel de grootste publisher is op de PS5. Wie had dat ooit durven denken? Hebben de Amerikanen een punt en hoe hebben ze dat voor elkaar gekregen? Het antwoord krijg je in deze video.Xbox is de grootste publisher op de PS5Huey en JJ hebben woensdagavond de deep dive van Borderlands 4 bekeken. Wat vonden ze ervan? Is dit een Borderlands zoals zij hem graag zien? Wat is er nieuw en wat hebben ze overgenomen van de oude delen? Wat is het verhaal achter deel 4? Zoals altijd hebben de heren van Gamekings een antwoord op alles. Ook op de vraag of Ubisoft door gaat met het maken van Prince of Persia-games. Dat is namelijk wel wat ze cryptisch in een tweet meldden.

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!” (John 20:19–20 NLT) If we were telling the origin story of the Christian church, this would be a compelling first scene. A handful of Jesus’ followers hiding behind closed doors, shell-shocked, confused, and too scared to show their faces in public. Suddenly the risen Jesus miraculously appears in the flesh, victorious over sin and death, confirming the truth of everything He taught and promised them. At some point, either while Jesus was in the room or after He left, the truth must have dawned on them. If the One they served is more powerful than sin and death, then (1) they had nothing to fear, and (2) the world needed to know. We see their newfound boldness and sense of purpose in the passages that follow. That’s the power of the resurrection. Armed with that power, this small group of believers changed the world. And most of them sacrificed their lives to do it. According to church tradition, Peter took the gospel to Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Asia. He was crucified upside down because he told his executioners that he wasn’t worthy of being crucified in the same manner as Jesus. Andrew spread the gospel through what is now Russia, Turkey, and Greece. He, too, was crucified. Thomas wasn’t present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples in John 20. And he doubted their story. But when Jesus appeared again, and Thomas saw Him, his doubts disappeared. He took the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection all the way to India. He died after being impaled by the spears of four soldiers. Philip spread the gospel in North Africa and Asia Minor. After he converted the wife of a Roman official, the official had him put to death. Matthew, the tax collector, traveled to Persia and Ethiopia to spread Jesus’ message. He was stabbed to death. Bartholomew accompanied Thomas to India and also shared the gospel in Armenia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. He was crucified. James, the son of Alphaeus, shared the Good News of Christ throughout Syria. He was stoned and then clubbed to death. Simon took the gospel to Persia. He was put to death there when he refused to make a sacrifice to the sun god. Matthias was the man chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. He shared the gospel in Syria, where he was burned to death. John is believed to be the only disciple who died a natural death. He was exiled to the penal colony of Patmos. The apostle Paul traveled extensively to share the gospel. He was beheaded in Rome. The apostle John ended his Gospel with these words: “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25 NLT). Among the “many other things” was the impact Jesus had on a small group of ordinary people. He changed their lives forever. And, in turn, they changed the world in His name. As Jesus’ followers, we’re still called to change the world—one life at a time. We have Good News to share—the best news, in fact. If we’re faithful to our calling, we can impact lives for eternity. Reflection question: In what ways would you like to be bolder in sharing your faith with others? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The "Enemies of Yehuda and Binyamin" - the Samaritans, request to join the building of the Temple. When they are rebuffed by Yehoshua and Zeubavel, they turn against the Jews, appealing to central government - Persia - accusing the Jews of disloyalty. This leads to the Persians calling a halt to the Temple construction.The Temple is put on hold until further notice.

Your hosts are joined by Stephen Aryan to discuss The Judas Blossom, the first book in his soon to be completed trilogy. They talk about the balance of historical accuracy in a historical-fantasy novel, his inspiration from 13th century Persia, and improbable tomatoes.Find more from Stephen:https://stephen-aryan.com/https://bsky.app/profile/stephenaryan.bsky.socialhttps://www.instagram.com/stephenaryan_writer/Find us on Discord / Support us on PatreonThanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

"Se rompe el alquitrán a golpe de bailar", canta Kuttune y El Naán en esta edición de Mundofonías en la que cantamos caminos y bailamos travesías, con nuevas músicas y recuerdos reeditados que nos llevan por el este de Europa, el Mediterráneo Oriental, Norteamérica, Vietnam, Japón, Persia, Iberia y el mundo árabe. "The asphalt cracks open as we dance," sing Kuttune and El Naán in this edition of Mundofonías, with singing roads and dancing journeys, carrying new music and reissued memories that take us across Eastern Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, North America, Vietnam, Japan, Persia, Iberia, and the Arab world. - Hajda Banda - Od cymbalistów - Niepraudzivaya - Assafir - Tsahpina Smirniopoula - Traversées - Eleanna Pitsikaki - Tabasco - Ároma - L'Attirail - Dushanba bozori - Chers revenants - Ancient Future - Purple haze [+ Bui Huu Nhut] - Purple nirvana - Of Tropique - Fatman - Sabadabadá / Fatman [single] - Shahab Tolouie Trio - Darband-e-darband - Oxymoron - Ea! - La vida - Cantando caminos - Kuttune - La grieta [+ El Naán] - La grieta [single] - Warda - We malo [frag.] - We malo 📸 Kuttune & El Naán

We're taking a trip back in time this episode to do a deep dive on the classic fairy tale retelling, Ever After: A Cinderella Story. We consider what makes something a Cinderella story and how Ever After maps onto those criteria; our reactions to the main romance; and the tour de force performance that is Angelica Huston as the Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent. What's Sparking Joy this episode: The Residence on Netflix, Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, and "The Hills of Tanchico" from The Wheel of Time season 3.CW: Brief mention of the potential of SA from (1:14:58-1:15:10)Show Notes:Take the SLL Audience Survey! Closes April 30th, 2025: ⁠⁠https://forms.gle/AJhFuMDzjSZeTE1f8⁠⁠Support us on Ko-Fi: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcast⁠Linda Holmes's "A Girl, A Show, A Prince": https://www.npr.org/2015/03/13/392358854/a-girl-a-shoe-a-prince-the-endlessly-evolving-cinderella"The Hills of Tanchico" Clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIANPQJSAet/?igsh=MWhoczk0aHl4ZW92Zw==Listen to our Joy Sparked: SLL Song Recs playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50MNBI1kYKdJgxh8CzEJF1?si=d9df62854c684557Other lit mentioned this episode: The Little Mermaid, Cinderelle, Spiceworld, Prince of Persia, The Great Check out SLL Live in 2025:April 2025 - Romance in CNY: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://romanceincny.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠July 2025 - RomantiConn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.romanticonn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Future SLL Episodes: Dying for Sex (on Hulu), Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity.Don't forget to subscribe to Sex. Love. Literature! You can find us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SexLoveLitPodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠; on Instagram , Tumblr, and BlueSky @SexLoveLitPodcast. Support us on Ko-fi: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/sexlovelitpodcast⁠⁠⁠Our cover art is by Charcooll (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/charcooll/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). The SLL Theme music is “Pluck It Up” by Dan Henig. What's Sparking Joy BGM is "Candy-Coloured Sky" by Catmosphere | https://soundcloud.com/ctmsphr;Released by Paper Crane Collective; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com; Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US.Sex. Love. Literature. is a pop culture podcast that relishes the romantic, the sexy, and the scandalous in media. Join pop culture scholars (and besties) Ayanni and Corinne as they deep dive into why the “sex-stuff” in media matters. Main episodes drop the last Friday of the month.

Is Trump Building the Third Temple? • The Todd Coconato Show If you'd like to support the ministry, please visit: www.ToddCoconato.com/give Learn more at: www.PastorTodd.org Today, I want to take you on a journey through Isaiah 45, 46, and 47 — three powerful chapters that I believe prophetically mirror the times we're living in. In my recent study, the Lord began to show me something profound: could President Donald Trump be walking in a modern-day Cyrus mantle? Could we be in the middle of a divine setup — one where God is shaking the nations, exposing Babylon, and preparing the way for the next chapter in prophetic fulfillment, including the building of the Third Temple in Jerusalem? Point 1: Isaiah 45 – God Calls Cyrus (The 45th President?) Isaiah 45:1 (NKJV) “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—To subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut:” Point 2: Isaiah 45:4-5 – God Uses Him Even Without Full Knowledge Isaiah 45:4-5 (NKJV) “For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.”   Point 3: Isaiah 46 – Babylon's Burden (The Biden Administration Era) Isaiah 46:1-2 (NKJV) “Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but have themselves gone into captivity.”   Point 4: Isaiah 46:9-10 – God Declares the End from the Beginning Isaiah 46:9-10 (NKJV) “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done…”   Point 5: Isaiah 47 – The Fall of Babylon Isaiah 47:1 (NKJV) “Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.”   Point 6: Isaiah 47:6 – God Allows Captivity, But Also Brings Deliverance Isaiah 47:6 (NKJV) “I was angry with My people; I have profaned My inheritance, and given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy…”   Point 7: The Connection to the Third Temple Ezra 1:1-2 (NKJV) “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia… the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia… saying, 'All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.'”   We are living in Isaiah 45, 46, and 47 times. We've seen the Cyrus anointing (Isaiah 45), we've endured the Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 46), and now, we are entering the moment where Babylon falls and deliverance begins (Isaiah 47). This isn't about idolizing a man — this is about recognizing the sovereignty of God to use whomever He chooses to fulfill His prophetic timeline. Could Donald Trump be used by God to open the way for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem — just as Cyrus did? Only time will tell — but one thing is clear: God is moving. Prophecy is unfolding. And the people of God must be awake, prepared, and watching.

As we continue reading #TheBibleInAYear, we turn to Nehemiah. This book is very accessible — it is a memoir of Nehemiah, who took it upon himself to rebuild the walls (and city) of Jerusalem.  While the historical person of Nehemiah — the cupbearer of emperor of Persia who chose to return to his people’s native […]

Can Iran be trusted to use nuclear technology solely for peaceful purposes? Is a nuclear deal truly possible with Iran? During this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Pastor Rich Jones joins Dr. Matthew Dodd in studio to address these pressing questions. In addition, they discuss other matters that pertain to Israel and her security, such as the Holocaust Day of Remembrance, the Palestinians in Gaza calling for the removal of Hamas, Syria's President stating he is open to normalizing relations with Israel, and China conducting military drills with Egypt on Israel's southern border for the first time.Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, al Jolani, al Sharaa, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, China, Egypt, Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump

This episode features that enigma wrapped in a mystery, the Sphinx. We'll discuss her famous riddle and examine how the Greek Sphinx is different from the one you see in Egyptian statues. We'll also look at some of her feline relations across not just Greece but also Persia, Assyria, medieval Europe, and China. Visit the World of Mythik website to learn more and to contribute your theories to our board! All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales. Transcript for S3E4 If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!). ----more---- Stuff to Read:  More on Apotropaic Devices: Medusa in Ancient Greek Art Medusa at the Getty Museum The full story of Perseus at Mythopedia More on the Sphinx: From Mythopedia Quotes about the Sphinx from ancient literature Lots of different Sphinxes at World History Encyclopedia The Sphinx in Mythology: Myths, Legends, and Powers More on the Chimera:  At Mythopedia The Chimera of Arezzo What is chimerism in science? What is an African Violet chimera? More on Lamassu: From Ancient Near East to Dungeons and Dragons: Lamassu, The Mesopotamian Gatekeeper Lamassu at the British Museum and the Louvre More on the Pixiu:  From Cultural China Legend of Pixiu from Visit Beijing The Basic Principles of Feng Shui Pixiu Meaning in Feng Shui Stuff To Watch: Check out our curated YouTube playlist for this episode!

Learning to teach math teachers better with Dr. Farshid Safi, K-12 Math Educator, Associate Director for Teaching and Service and Associate Professor in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Central Florida, as well as the President of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. We discuss with Farshid the upcoming 2026 conference and how AMTE is continuing to live out its mission and position statements. Links from the episode AMTE Mission and Long Term Goals (https://amte.net/about) AMTE Position Statements (https://amte.net/positions) 2026 AMTE Annual Conference in Portland, OR (https://amte.net/content/2026-annual-amte-conference) Teaching Math Teaching Episode 47 - Farshid Safi: Sense-Making and Adjusting (https://www.teachingmathteachingpodcast.com/47) AMTE Awards (https://amte.net/about/awards) AMTE Affiliate Directory (https://amte.net/affiliates/directory) The Transition Years Podcast Series (https://amidonplanet.com/transitionyears/) Poem by Sa'adi (Persia, 13th Century), translation by M. Aryanpoor: (https://englisifarsi.com/blogs/news/saadi-poem-placed-at-the-entrance-of-the-united-nations-building-nyc?srsltid=AfmBOoqxtVuKuujoDjYmmZFUbQRLcooEftjkEu7Au3saKYc-57oq0rjE) Human beings are members of a whole, In creation of one essence and soul. If one member is afflicted with pain, Other members uneasy will remain. If you've no sympathy for human pain, The name of human you cannot retain! Special Guest: Farshid Safi.

Who was the worst house guest at Buckingham Palace?  Listen to find out! In the first of two episodes, Royal historians Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams look through the visitors book for Buckingham Palace to discover the tyrants and troublemakers who've come to stay. How did Queen Elizabeth II react to the infamous and brutal African dictators Idi Amin and Mobutu, and is it true that Queen Victoria took a surprising shine to the lustful Shah of Persia?   All will be revealed, along with the elaborate and secret details involved in laying out the red carpet for an official state visit. Each week, Queens, Kings, and Dastardly Things takes a look behind palace curtains at royal history - from William the Conqueror to King Charles III. The hosts offer exclusive insights into the lives of the royal family - from Meghan Markle to Anne Boleyn; the royal scandals and intrigues, and the turbulent and bloody history of the crown. Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams Series Producer: Ben Devlin Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini  Executive Producer: Bella Soames Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PREVIEW: Colleague General Blaine Holt, USAF (Ret) explains the significance of two E-3 Sentry Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft deployed from Tinker AFB in Oklahoma to the Area-of-Responsibility of US Central Command. More later. 1902 PERSIA

When Alexander the Great burned his boats upon landing in Persia, he wasn't just making a strategic move—he was making a statement about total commitment. Picture it: a leader so devoted to his mission that he left his troops with no option for retreat, forcing them to pour every ounce of their energy into victory. This boldness echoes through time, comparable to Hernán Cortés's legendary conquest of the Aztecs. We explore these tales not just for their military genius but for the lessons they offer about making irreversible decisions to drive success, enriched by the historical context of Alexander's brilliance and his face-off with Darius III. Fast forward to modern times, where commitment and courage take on new forms. Meet Steve, who battled personal demons and legal challenges to save his son from an abusive situation, emerging as a motivational coach and entrepreneur. Then there's Mike, who took the audacious step of firing a major client to nurture a culture of respect and innovation, leading his software company to thrive. We also reflect on a monumental act of commitment: Jesus's sacrifice, a moment that transcends history to symbolize love and redemption. These stories show how decisive actions and unwavering faith can lead to profound change and achievement. In the world of podcasting, Jake from Doorward exemplifies the power of transformation by leaping from the tech industry to build a mobile podcast studio and connect with communities nationwide. Amidst struggles with mental health, Jake's story underscores the critical role of community support, highlighting the journeys of other individuals like Jeff, Scott, and Kyle, who overcame significant hurdles to reach success. This episode encourages you to embrace failure as a stepping stone to growth and join Kevin in his mission to share powerful messages that can inspire the world. Connect with Kevin Dairaghi! Website: www.kevindairaghi.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kdairaghi Instagram: @thekevindairaghishow Facebook: www.facebook.com/kdairaghi Get free access to some of the tools we talked about at www.kevindairaghi.com/tools You are who you surround yourself with. Join the Tribe! RATE & REVIEW this episode on Apple and Spotify. SHARE this episode with someone. SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss out on any new episodes!

I'm reading and talking about Ted Gioia's "Immersive Humanities Course," 52 weeks of World Classics.An interesting combination this week. Ted Gioia, the creator of my reading list, called it “Love and War,” but it felt like a lot more than that. And last week, I called it a hodgepodge, but I can admit I was wrong.Plato's Symposium is the third of Plato's works on this list. After wrestling with Ethics in particular last week, I was happy to get back to my friend. Symposium is written as a dialogue among friends, recalled by one who wasn't there, a little like the game of “Telephone” we'e all played. The friends' topic? Love, specifically eros. Given that this is upper-class Ancient Greece, there is a significant discussion of love between men; honestly romantic love between men and women is practically ignored. The reading plan only covered a few portion of Herodotus' Histories, Books 1 and 6-8. For full disclosure, I did NOT complete the reading but stopped with Book 7. In my edition of Histories the assigned books were more than 350 pages and I simply ran out of time. If I had done all the reading this week I would have been around 430 pages! Given that I “signed up” for about 250 pages per week, I had to stop. Confession time over.As always, I have so many, many thoughts about these works. For Symposium, I summarized each person's eulogy as a way to get my hands around the text. A few ideas:Obviously Love held an important place in the lives of Greeks. This entire dialogue is centered around it, but it doesn't look like love in many ways. I'm accustomed to thinking of love as wanting and being willing to work for the best of your beloved, and that being mutual. That desiring “for” someone else, rather than merely desiring them, was absent at least as far as I could see.There are a number of points made about Love as the dialogue progresses, and they definitely don't agree. As always, you're left to parse out the better and worse arguments. “You complete me” (yes, Jerry Maguire) makes an appearance! That attitude has been around a looooong time. Aristophanes tells a long and pretty funny tale about how human beings were at one time two-headed, eight-limbed creatures, but when Zeus got mad and split everyone in two. Now we go around looking for our other half.Does Love motivate us to honor? What kind of Love would do that? Or maybe Love is a moderating force? (I found that a weak argument.) Is its purpose beauty? Those are all offered as arguments, and all are rejected by Socrates. Socrates, via his mentor Diotima, argues that Love's purpose is procreation. As someone who has actually been pregnant several times, I found Socrates' discussion of pregnancy to be uncomfortable, to say the least. There is a ton of homoerotic talk, especially from Socrates and Alcibiades. It is just so strange to me that there is virtually no discussion of love between men and women, but tons between older and younger men. As usual, my bias shows, but it's who I am.On to Herodotus. He's been on my radar since I read History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer about a year and a half ago, and seeing him on the reading list was part of my motivation to jump in. He did not disappoint. The sections that I read were the origin stories of Croesus and Cyrus, and Persia, and then the beginning of the Persian War. I ended with the Battle of Thermopylae, which is an amazing story in its own right. A few takeaways:Every military leader should read this book. I may actually send it to my son who is in the Navy! There are examples of excellent leadership, and cranky...

Why did Arabia rise so rapidly in the seventh century AD to become the dominant global superpower? In this episode, we look at a fascinating new theory.For a free ebook, maps and blogs check out my website nickholmesauthor.comFind my latest book, Justinian's Empire, on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. For German listeners, find the German translation of the first book in my series on the 'Fall of the Roman Empire', Die römische Revolution, on Amazon.de. Finally check out my new YouTube videos on the fall of the Roman Empire.

The Holy Symeon was bishop of the royal cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon in Persia, during a great persecution under King Sapor II. The king had been incited by (Zoroastrian) Magi jealous of the growth of the Faith in their territory, and by some Jews living in Persia. The king was already displeased with the holy bishop: his eunuch, Ustazan, a secret Christian, had denied Christ, but when reprimanded by Symeon, had confessed the Faith before the King, for which he was executed. On Holy Friday of 343 Symeon, along with at least a hundred other servants of the Church, was sent out to be slain. Symeon exhorted each to be of good courage, and was himself slain last. One year later, again on Holy Friday, the King's eunuch Azat was executed for Christ, along with a great number of the faithful. It is said that more than 1,000 Christians died as martyrs during this persecution.   The Zoroastrians still live in parts of Iran as a small, somewhat persecuted minority under the Islamic government.

Preview: Colleague Andrea Stricher of FDD outlines the FDD recommendation to the Trump administration what Iran must do verifiably before sanctions are suspended. More. 1925 PERSIA

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history and reputation of the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Second of Persia as he was known then was born in the sixth century BCE in Persis which is now in Iran. He was the founder of the first Persian Empire, the largest empire at that point in history, spanning more than two million square miles. His story was told by the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, and in the Hebrew bible he is praised for freeing the Jewish captives in Babylon. But the historical facts are intertwined with fiction.Cyrus proclaimed himself ‘king of the four corners of the world' in the famous Cyrus Cylinder, one of the most admired objects in the British Museum. It's been called by some the first bill of human rights, but that's a label which has been disputed by most scholars today.WithMateen Arghandehpour, a researcher for the Invisible East Project at Oxford University,Lindsay Allen, Senior Lecturer in Ancient Greek and Near Eastern History at King's College London,AndLynette Mitchell, Professor Emerita in Classics and Ancient History at Exeter University.Producer: Eliane GlaserReading list:Pierre Briant (trans. Peter T. Daniels), From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire (Eisenbrauns, 2002)John Curtis and Nigel Tallis (eds.), Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia (The British Museum Press, 2005)Irving Finkel (ed.), The Cyrus Cylinder: The King of Persia's Proclamation from Ancient Babylon (I.B.Tauris, 2013)Lisbeth Fried, ‘Cyrus the Messiah? The Historical Background to Isaiah 45:1' (Harvard Theological Review 95, 2002) M. Kozuh, W.F. Henkelman, C.E. Jones and C. Woods (eds.), Extraction and Control: Studies in Honour of Matthew W. Stolper (Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 2014), especially the chapter ‘Cyrus the Great, exiles and foreign gods: A comparison of Assyrian and Persian policies in subject nations' by R. J. van der SpekLynette Mitchell, Cyrus the Great: A Biography of Kingship (Routledge, 2023)Michael Roaf, Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Facts On File, 1990)Vesta Sarkosh Curtis and Sarah Stewart (eds.), Birth of the Persian Empire (I.B.Tauris, 2005), especially the chapter ‘Cyrus the Great and the kingdom of Anshan' by D.T. PottsMatt Waters, King of the World: The Life of Cyrus the Great (Oxford University Press, 2022)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history and reputation of the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Second of Persia as he was known then was born in the sixth century BCE in Persis which is now in Iran. He was the founder of the first Persian Empire, the largest empire at that point in history, spanning more than two million square miles. His story was told by the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, and in the Hebrew bible he is praised for freeing the Jewish captives in Babylon. But the historical facts are intertwined with fiction.Cyrus proclaimed himself ‘king of the four corners of the world' in the famous Cyrus Cylinder, one of the most admired objects in the British Museum. It's been called by some the first bill of human rights, but that's a label which has been disputed by most scholars today.WithMateen Arghandehpour, a researcher for the Invisible East Project at Oxford University,Lindsay Allen, Senior Lecturer in Ancient Greek and Near Eastern History at King's College London,AndLynette Mitchell, Professor Emerita in Classics and Ancient History at Exeter University.Producer: Eliane GlaserReading list:Pierre Briant (trans. Peter T. Daniels), From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire (Eisenbrauns, 2002)John Curtis and Nigel Tallis (eds.), Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia (The British Museum Press, 2005)Irving Finkel (ed.), The Cyrus Cylinder: The King of Persia's Proclamation from Ancient Babylon (I.B.Tauris, 2013)Lisbeth Fried, ‘Cyrus the Messiah? The Historical Background to Isaiah 45:1' (Harvard Theological Review 95, 2002) M. Kozuh, W.F. Henkelman, C.E. Jones and C. Woods (eds.), Extraction and Control: Studies in Honour of Matthew W. Stolper (Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 2014), especially the chapter ‘Cyrus the Great, exiles and foreign gods: A comparison of Assyrian and Persian policies in subject nations' by R. J. van der SpekLynette Mitchell, Cyrus the Great: A Biography of Kingship (Routledge, 2023)Michael Roaf, Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East (Facts On File, 1990)Vesta Sarkosh Curtis and Sarah Stewart (eds.), Birth of the Persian Empire (I.B.Tauris, 2005), especially the chapter ‘Cyrus the Great and the kingdom of Anshan' by D.T. PottsMatt Waters, King of the World: The Life of Cyrus the Great (Oxford University Press, 2022)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio production

Visit our Substack for bonus content and more: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/jordan-mechner As a kid in the 80's, Eli fell in love with games on computers like the Apple II, Commodore 64, and later the Amiga and Macintosh. One of the very first games he played was called Karateka, which was inspiring for the realistic movements of its digital karate antagonists, even on a black-and-green Apple II monitor. Our guest today, Jordan Mechner, created Karateka while an undergrad at Yale University in 1984, and it went on to be a commercial success. He followed it up with the game Prince of Persia (you'll hear a clip from the soundtrack in the introduction, which Jordan's father composed and which Jordan invented a way to transpose onto the Apple II's tinny speakers before game soundtracks were widespread on the machine). Jordan documented the creation of the game in a wonderful published version of his diaries called The Making of Prince of Persia, and we spoke with him about how he taught himself the skills to build successful video games in a pre-internet era, why he journaled about his work process (and what it taught him), and about his new graphic novel Replay, a memoir recounting his own family story of war, exile and new beginnings. Book & links mentioned Journals: Steven Soderbergh, Michael Palin, Brian Eno Hobonichi Techo John August The World of Yesterday, Stefan Zweig Bio Jordan Mechner is an American author, game designer, comic book artist, and screenwriter, best known for creating the iconic video game Prince of Persia in 1989. He relaunched the series with Ubisoft in 2003 and wrote the original screenplay for the film adaptation produced by Disney in 2010, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. This work is considered a timeless classic and has spawned a global transmedia franchise, with over 20 million games sold to date. Since 2017, Jordan has been living in France, where he made his debut as a full author with his autobiographical graphic novel Replay. Among the albums he has written are Monte-Cristo (with Mario Alberti), Liberté! (with Étienne Le Roux and Loïc Chevallier), and Templiers (with LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland), which appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. His latest works were first published in French, with English editions following in 2024. Jordan's video games, such as Karateka (1984) and The Last Express (1997), are recognized for their cinematic storytelling and innovative use of rotoscoping. In 2017, he received the Pioneer Award from the International Game Developers Association. Jordan also wrote and directed Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story, an award-winning documentary broadcast on PBS. He has published his development journals, The Making of Karateka and The Making of Prince of Persia, as well as an adaptation of the Persian tales Samak the Ayyar. A passionate artist, he keeps a sketchbook journal, regularly sharing his thoughts and drawings, a testament to his love for art and storytelling. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to the documentary Design Disruptors and our growing library of books, as well as our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, and our monthly newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show. Upgrade to paid ***

The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought by Muslims and Christians across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. But this is not merely the story of a clash of civilizations between East and West. Europe was not united against the Turks; the scandal of the age was the alliance between King Francis I of France and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Meanwhile, the resistance of the Saadi dynasty of Morocco to Ottoman encroachment played a critical role in denying Constantinople direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. By the same token, though religious imperatives were critic al to the motivations of all the key actors involved, these in no way fell neatly along the Christian Muslim divide. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V desired nothing more than to eradicate the Protestant heresy metastasizing throughout his domains, but the threat of Turkish invasion forced him to stay his hand and indulge his Lutheran subjects to ensure a common defense. Nevertheless, the collective effort to constrain the expansion of the Ottoman superpower did succeed with the ultimate victory in 1571 the tipping point in reordering the trajectory of history. To explore these facets of medieval and early modern European history is today’s guest, Si Sheppard, author of “Crescent Dawn: The Rise of the Ottoman Empire and the Making of the Modern Age.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.