Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms

In Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, former diplomat Gerard Russell paints a fascinating portrait of the mysterious religious cultures that have coexisted for millenia alongside the Muslim majority in the Middle East: sects that regard the Greek prophets as incarnations of God, revere Lucifer in the form of a peacock, or believe that they themselves are reincarnated beings. Today these groups are on the brink of extinction. The rise of political Islam and the turmoil caused by Western invasions and brutal civil wars are now threatening the existence of the Mandaeans, Copts, Samaritans, Ezidis, and Zoroastrians, ancient peoples who were once central to the region's religious life. Drawing on extensive travels and interviews with members of these groups, Russell provides a spellbinding glimpse into their past and present as they face an uncertain future.