Books of All Time

NEW EPISODE! The Avesta (earliest sections c. 1500 BCE, earliest manuscripts c. 200 CE) is a collection of hymns, prayers, myths and rituals from Zoroastrianism, a faith that originated in Iran. #booksky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

AOC: "As AI begins to encroach in our society, their goal is to take your cognition away from you. AI's goal is to take your thoughts away from you, your ability to think away from you, so that you become dependent on a machine ... reading books is active resistance"

My first thought was that you must be listening to @rosejudson.bsky.social's podcast @booksofalltime.bsky.social because she's just gotten up to the Zoroastrian texts this month.

Tired: Wisdom of the ancients Wired: Fart jokes of the ancients

Behold this issue's @existentialcomics.com by Corey Mohler: a very short history of #metaphysics in the Western thought. Explore in our new issue 176: philosophynow.org

In researching our latest episode, we learned that the ancient Zoroastrians taught that it is a sin to kill an otter. We think they'd make an exception for this one.

...even though its list of "dogs" includes some, uh, questionable entries. 🦔🦊🦦🐢

...even though its list of "dogs" includes some, uh, questionable entries. 🦔🦊🦦🐢

I can honestly say that the Avesta is the only holy book I've come across so far that includes an entire chapter on why you should be nice to dogs. #booksky #podcast #dogsky

slight delay to release due to, uh, fauna

Brace yourselves!

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 Recording tomorrow, will be out by noon UK time/ 7 a.m. EST.

@ravenbooks.bsky.social @chaptersbookstore.bsky.social #spéirgorm #booksky

We are not *against* justice for cows, per se, we just weren't expecting it to be roughly the third most-important thing on Zoroaster's mind after a) the difficulty of convincing other people to follow his religion; and b) the coming cosmic battle between good and evil.

One thing I was not prepared for when I started reading the Gathas (the oldest part of the Avesta, the part supposedly composed by Zoroaster himself) was all the talk about justice for cows.

I accidentally spent £17,700 on 400 subscriptions to the LRB for Home Office staff and now the Life in the UK test is asking applicants to rank Derek Jarman films from most to least emotionally resonant?

Scholars are unsure why the chorus starts singing Aristophadeez Nuts here but it's consistent across all our surviving manuscripts

The spending of other people's money to buy popularity and subvert the constitution is... not *not* a theme in Republic VIII-IX.

Nimrud’s hidden city comes into view, revealing life beyond the Assyrian royal center For nearly 180 years, archaeologists studying Nimrud in northern Iraq have focused on palaces, temples, and royal buildings. A new project is shifting attention to the... archaeologymag.com/2026/09/nimr...

Hi Homer, I recently came across The Iliad and was blown away by its expansiveness, its humanity, and its complex use of . Have you considered new ways to promote your book and expand its reach across various platforms? I would love to connect and hear your ideas. Kind regards, Apollonius

quick translation of (the first three stanzas of) catullus c51 bc im borwd maybe you will like it ? #latin #translations #classicsky

This Roman visor mask was part of a cavalry helmet found in Scotland. Likely worn on parade, to show off (among other things). Spotted at @trimontiumtrust.bsky.social for #FindsFriday #skystorians #classicsky #ancientsky

I missed the 80th anniversary of his majesty’s birth yesterday

hot take: bohemian rhapsody is an allegory on the suffering of the Zoroastrian diaspora. “bismillah we will not let you go” = persecution by the Muslim regimes of Iran

We're preparing our next episode on the Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrianism, and it would be remiss of us not to note that today is the 80th anniversary of the birth of our era's most famous Zoroastrian, Freddie Mercury: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie... #booksky #classicsky

We're preparing our next episode on the Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrianism, and it would be remiss of us not to note that today is the 80th anniversary of the birth of our era's most famous Zoroastrian, Freddie Mercury: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie... #booksky #classicsky

Looking to escape the news? Our latest episode is about a megalomaniac head of state who enjoyed naming things after himself and started a war in Iran. Ah. Wait. #booksky #classicsky

Reading for the upcoming Avesta episodes and it turns out that tradition says the Avesta was nearly lost because the official texts were in the library of Persepolis which was burned by . . . Alexander the Great. That horse-loving thug really got around.

at least Alexander the Great liked horses

Looking to escape the news? Our latest episode is about a megalomaniac head of state who enjoyed naming things after himself and started a war in Iran. Ah. Wait. #booksky #classicsky

NEW EPISODE! We resume with part 2 of our exploration of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics by looking at Aristotle's best-known pupil, Alexander the Great. Who is not, honestly, a great advertisement for being educated by Aristotle. #booksky #classicsky podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

Datinge app for megalith enthuasistes Henge

Upon the hills, he spied Athena and lo! The real Athena No metaphorical vision of Odysseus' regret But like the actual god Literally there Just To be clear

the greatest joy in a freelancer's life is when an organisation that needs to pay you perhaps once every three years introduces a new fourteen part payment process