Rod & Ring
Rod & Ring: An Initiation Into A Mesopotamian Mystery Tradition
by Samuel David
Illustrations by Johnny Decker Miller
Typeset, Layout, & Design by G. McCaughry
Hardcovers’ Original Retail Prices:
Standard Edition: $90 CAD
Collector’s Edition: $150 CAD
Artisanal Edition: $650 CAD
History tells us of the mystery traditions of Isis, Dionysius, and Mithras – but what of the mysteries of Inanna, Enki, and Dumuzid? Author Samuel David’s Order of the Rod & Ring seeks to fill those lacunae with a spiritual journey that combines traditional Mesopotamian praxis with a contemporary paradigm.
Immerse yourself in this mystery tradition as you undertake a mythopoetic journey informed by historical, religious, and cultic practices, as well as mythology, and research from experts in the field of Assyriology.
Prepare yourself to approach the shrine of the gods as their supplicant; take up the Divine Measures bestowed upon humanity as their servant, and brave the dark as you descend into the depths of the Underworld; be reborn as the temple steward and pass through the Heavenly gates to present yourself as one worthy to be entrusted with their holy regalia: the Rod and the Ring.
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5.25 x 8.5 inches. 352 pages. (Thick Book) Hardbound 100pts, bound in Holliston Buckram 'Mesmerizing Blue'. Silver foil blocking on rounded spine and on the cover. Pantone + B&W interior, with Marbled Ice 'New Moire' Endpapers. Black & White Headbands. Illustrated throughout by Johnny Decker Miller. Fine typography, printed on Cougar White 160M archive-quality paper. Individually hand-numbered.
Limited to 646 copies | ISBN: 978-1-989339-11-4
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5.25 x 8.5 inches. 352 pages. (Thick Book) Hardbound 100pts, bound in 'Silktouch' Orange/Brown Mottled Bonded Leather. Gold foil blocking on rounded spine and on the cover, as well as Blind Deboss on the cover. Pantone + B&W interior, with Gold 'Swirl' Endpapers. Black & White Headbands. Illustrated throughout by Johnny Decker Miller. Fine typography, printed on Cougar White 160M archive-quality paper. Comes with a carton-plate insert glued on the interior, individually hand-numbered, and signed by the author Samuel David.
Limited to 309 copies (sold out) | ISBN: 978-1-989339-11-4
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5.25 x 8.5 inches. 352 pages. Binding: Sewn & Glued, bound in Sand-Tan (to look like a Cuneiform Stone Tablet) Genuine Italian Leather. Finish: 1. Gold foil blocking + Raised Bands on rounded Spine. 2. Large Blind Deboss designs on the Cover and back cover + Gold foil stamping on the front as well. Endpapers: Handmade and Marbled Lokta Paper (Gold/Silver/Copper). Headbands & Silk Ribbon: in Gold Silk Fabric. The book is encased in a fine Solander/Clamshell Box, wrapped in Deep Scarlet Red Leather, and 3 sides of the box will be wrapped in the same material as the above-mentioned Endpapers. Central Gold Foil blocking on the top of the Solander Box, as well as on the Spine side.
Strictly limited to 25 copies (sold out) | ISBN: 978-1-989339-11-4
Contents
Preface: The Mesopotamian Gods Live Again!
by Jack Grayle (Author of The Hekatæon)
Introduction, by Samuel David
Book I: Threshold
Book II: Foundation
Book III: Ascent
Book IV: Descent
Appendices
Afterword, by Samuel David
* ERRATA → read here.
Description
“In Mesopotamian art, the rod and ring, like the horned helm or crown, are indicators of the depicted being’s divine status. The most famous depiction being that of Shamash, the solar god of justice holding both divine symbols of power before Hammurabi the king on the Code of Hammurabi stele.
The depiction of a deity presenting these items of power to a human indicates the conferring of some divine measure, be it benediction or authority as a divinely-ordained ruler.
The symbols themselves are dated from the Sumerian Renaissance to the Neo-Assyrian periods. Some researchers have suggested that these tools represent a yardstick and a measuring rope – items that would be used to survey a kingdom. The stela of Ur-Namma however, bears an elaborate relief which depicts the ring as a wound cord; it has also been described as a chaplet of beads.
Within the context of this book and those which will follow, the rod and ring serve as the symbols of the gods and the realms in which they inhabit and rule.
The ring signifies the circumference of Earth and all that is contained upon and within, from the highest mountains, the depths of the oceans, and the chasms of the Underworld.
The rod signifies the divine power of the gods that is made manifest and connects the kingdoms of Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld.
By undergoing initiation, we can move closer to obtaining a measure of the divine providence and authority granted by the gods to perform rituals, know them in full, and experience the power they may bestow upon those who serve them as magicians, exorcists, and members of the priesthood.”
—Samuel David
