“Football is controlled violence, but it is violence, which people have loved to watch since the gladiatorial contests in ancient Rome.” PeopleWatchesViolenceFootballAncientControlledRomeContestsAncient Rome Author:Michael Mandelbaum
“The Talmud derives its authority from the position held by the ancient (Pharisee) academies. The teachers of those academies, both of Babylonia and of Palestine, were considered the rightful successors of the older Sanhedrin...At the present time, the Jewish people have no living central authority comparable in status to the ancient Sanhedrins or the later academies. Therefore, any decision regarding the Jewish religion must be based on the Talmud as the final resume of the teaching of those authorities when they existed.” PeopleDecisionTeacherTeachingPositionAuthorityFinalsAncientJewPalestineAcademyResumesSuccessorsPresent TimePhariseesJewish Religion Author:Louis Finkelstein
“In a country like France, so ancient, their history is full of outstanding people, so they carry a heavy weight on their back. Who could write in French after Proust or Flaubert?” PeopleWritingCountryLiteratureWeightAncientHeavyFranceOutstandingProustHeavy Weights Author:Manuel Puig
“Hubbard set up the Church of Scientology in Hollywood in 1954 for a reason. He understood that celebrity was increasingly a feature of American public life, and celebrities themselves were going to be worshipped as minor deities were in the ancient world. The idea was: if you could get them, think how many people would follow.” PeopleIfsThinkingWorldIdeasReasonChurchUnderstoodHollywoodAncientFeaturesMinorsDeitiesPublic LifeScientologyAncient World Author:Lawrence Wright