Beyond The Walls

Samhain being the feast of fire, has also held a place in some minds as the feast of the dead as well. With some holding that it is seen as incorporating the cult of Donn (Lord of the Dead we referenced in Part 1) into its celebrations but whether this is accurate, or how they did so remains uncertain. The idea that Samhain is a juncture between the two halves of the year placed it in the unusual realm of being suspended in time - it did not belong to the old year not the new. We view the year in modern times as being comprised of four parts, Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter. While, for the ancient Celts, it was primarily viewed as two seasons; winter and summer. So, the night of Samhain held a weird place of not being part of summer…. But, it had yet to become winter. Many believed that It could be said that time stood still on this night and the implications of this could be, and were in some cases, terrifying. During this night and the limbo that it was believed to represent, the natural order of life,

As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain festival. In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. The family's ancestors were honored and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal fire, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead, food for the ancestors who were in no position it eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off. Christianity incorporated the honoring of the dead into the Ch

The Letters of Hus have long been recognised by the best judges as one of the world’s spiritual treasures. The discovery of Hus, if we may so express it, forms more than once a landmark in the spiritual development of Luther. ‘When I was a tyro at Erfurt,’ we read, ‘I found in the library of the convent a volume of The Sermons of John Hus. When I read the title I had a great curiosity to know what doctrines that heresiarch had propagated, since a volume like this in a public library had been saved from the fire. On reading I was overwhelmed with astonishment. I could not understand for what cause they had burnt so great a man, who explained the Scriptures with so much gravity and skill. But as the very name of Hus was held in so great abomination that I imagined the sky would fall and the sun be darkened if I made honourable mention of him, I shut the book and went away with no little indignation. This, however, was my comfort, that perhaps Hus had written these things before he fell into heresy. For as yet I

Written in Central Europe at the end of the 15th or during the 16th century, the origin, language, and date of the Voynich Manuscript—named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller, Wilfrid M. Voynich, who acquired it in 1912—are still being debated as vigorously as its puzzling drawings and undeciphered text. Described as a magical or scientific text, nearly every page contains botanical, figurative, and scientific drawings of a provincial but lively character, drawn in ink with vibrant washes in various shades of green, brown, yellow, blue, and red. Based on the subject matter of the drawings, the contents of the manuscript falls into six sections: 1) botanicals containing drawings of 113 unidentified plant species; 2) astronomical and astrological drawings including astral charts with radiating circles, suns and moons, Zodiac symbols such as fish (Pisces), a bull (Taurus), and an archer (Sagittarius), nude females emerging from pipes or chimneys, and courtly figures; 3) a biological section contain

We are joined by Pastor Beau Adams of Community Bible Church in the Atlanta, GA area. Beau has authored two books which you can find on the links below... Stones of Gratitude & Seven Stupid Things If you are near the Atlanta, GA area, we at BTW highly recommend you connect with the folks of Community Bible Church     Please take a moment and visit our sponsors: The Commercial Bank of Grayson McFarland Murray Chevrolet  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/message

Naked women in pools of green liquid, strange looking plants, and text written in an unknown alphabet; they can all be found on the delicate parchment pages of a mysterious manuscript from the 15th century. And nobody knows what any of it means. Frayed, browned and in fragile condition, the Voynich manuscript currently resides deep in a basement at Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library but digitized copies of it are available for free online. (Find a pdf copy in its entirety and all the pics that were promised here) Since it came to light over 100 years ago, many have tried and failed to decode the text -- from US Army cryptographers to ordinary citizens postulating theories in the deepest corners of Reddit. Its author and original title are unknown, and it is named for the collector and bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912... Welcome to "The Voynich Manuscript." Please take some time and visit our sponsors: The Commercial Bank of Grayson McFarland Murray Chevrolet --

Whether code breaker or spiritualist or amateur historian, the Voynich speculators are linked by their common interest in the past, in this quasi-occult mystery, and the insoluble problems of authenticity.  It has been said that it is “for a mysterious but learned reference to past mysteries that somehow hold important meaning for the present.” We will probably never stop forming communities based on the manuscript’s secrets.  We are fond of weaving narratives like doilies around gaping holes, so that the holes won’t scare them. And objects from premodern history—like medieval manuscripts—are the perfect canvas on which to project our worries about the difficult, the frightening and the arcane, because these objects come from a time outside culture as we conceive of it. This single, original manuscript encourages us to sit with the concept of truth and to remember that there are mysteries at the bottom of things whose meanings we will never know. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/mes

Taylor Scott has brilliantly packaged a way forward for Millennials and leaders of Millennials to not only coexist in Corporate America, but to also transform menial jobs into meaningful work. If you loved playing sports as a kid or even as an adult, but find yourself stuck in a career hamster wheel, this book is for you. Prepare to reignite the child-like faith you had back then, realizing actionable steps toward new realms of happiness and success today." - Eric Chester - Bestselling Author of On Fire At Work: How Great Companies Ignite Passion in Their People Without Burning Them Out, Award Winning Keynote Speaker, and the Founder of the Center for Work Ethic Development. The Problem: Millennials and those leading Millennials as today’s front-line employees, entry-level managers, middle managers, and even some executives, are caught in the proverbial hamster-in-a-wheel that is Corporate America. A lack of inspiration and motivation looms over people who spend their days, trudging through life as real life

Mo Isom is the New York Times bestselling author of Wreck My Life. She maintains a thriving, nationwide speaking ministry and facilitates a faith-centered blog (moisom.com) that has garnered millions of views to date. Isom is a former All-American goalkeeper for the Louisiana State University soccer team and holds the LSU all-time goalkeeper record, as well as the #3 SEC all-time shutout record. She trained with the US Women's National program, was honored as National Player of the Week, has been featured in Sports Illustrated, and has appeared on ESPN SportsCenter Top-10 Plays, Ellen, ESPN, CBS, The 700 Club, and countless other platforms. She, her husband, Jeremiah Aiken, and their two children live in Atlanta, Georgia. Sex. In a world overwhelmingly obsessed with it, why is the church so silent about it? With her new book Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot, New York Times bestselling author and speaker Mo Isom aims to break the silence. With raw vulnerability and a bold spirit, she shares

John Huss (also known as Jan Hus) was born about 1369-1372 in Husinec ("Goose Town"), Bohemia, which town gave him his surname (Hus means "Goose"). In 1394, Anne of Bohemia, the wife of King Richard II of England returned to Prague after her husband's death. She and her attendants had been influenced by John Wycliffe's beginning the Reformation in England. Huss, in his early twenties, read Wycliffe's works, caught the vision and decided to reform the church in Bohemia. He became a scholar, receiving a master's degree in 1396. He was ordained to the priesthood, and became rector of the Bethlehem Chapel in 1402. There he began teaching his ideas to reform the Catholic Church to follow the Bible. He wrote a tractate called "Six Errors" and tacked it to the church door of the Bethlehem Chapel.   Connect with us: Email, Twitter, Facebook,  Support our sponsor: McFarland Murray Chevrolet --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/message

First part in a two episode look at the "popular culture" theories as to the location/destination of the Ark.  In this episode we discuss Egypt and are quickly on our way to discussing multiple places it could be... until, we run into the Knights Templar and Oak Island and we completely derail! We have titled this episode 3 in our Ark series, but, it could just as easily be titled "History of Knights Templar", or "Oak Island."   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/message

Communication Device: Some firmly believe that the Ark of the Covenant was a device for communicating with peoples unknown, although to the Israelites on their exodus, it was a means to communicate with God. While these theories are speculative at best, they are reasonably well–thought out, based on writings and accounts in various ancient texts, including the Bible. When active, it was said that the image of God would appear in between the two cherubs that reside on top of the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat. There are several takes on what this may have been in reality. Some argue that the appearances of God in the Bible, for example, are often depicted as flames or smoke or bright lights. Given that many believe the Ark to have been some kind of electrical device (which we will look at later), it is possible that when it was “activated,” there would have been sparks and flashes that some may have taken as a sign of God. A somewhat more extreme theory is that the Ark was literally a communication device that c

The greatest and most sought after treasure of all time is what we are tackling in this episode of beyond the walls... Join us as we take a Biblical look at the Ark of the Covenant as well as theories as to it disappearance from searching the scripture. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/message

In this episode we are interviewing Laura Jones regarding how her faith both aided her, and has been challenged, since she has been introduced to a greater amount of influence, critique & spotlight in her journey as Miss Kentucky competing for Miss America. Show notes can be found on our website: beyondthewallspodcast.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/message

We are privileged to be joined by writer, speaker & author Tammy Nischan on this episode. Tammy talks to us about her journey, and how her faith met an adversary in the form of loss. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ben-james/message