The books of Ezra and Nehemiah recount the turbulent years of rebuilding Jerusalem after the exile, but there are different layers in the texts. The Ezra layers present a feminized hero, the Nehemiah layers a masculinized hero.

This chapter introduces the elements of Flavius Agricola’s funerary ensemble (sculpture, epitaph, tomb), positions them within the Vatican necropolis, and contends that they combined to form a cohesive, carefully conceived whole.

Engaging in acts of kindness, such as volunteering and donating, has profound benefits for mental and emotional wellbeing. These actions foster a sense of purpose and fulfilment, enriching both personal lives and communities. Volunteering promotes social responsibility and community cohesion, fostering empathy and personal growth. Research shows that volunteering is associated with greater life satisfaction, reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improved cognitive function, particularly in older adults. The act of giving activates brain regions involved in reward and social attachment, releasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that enhance mood and promote pro-social behaviour. Serotonin levels influence empathy and cooperation, while dopamine reinforces altruistic behaviour. Pro-social actions contribute to a harmonious society, fostering connection, understanding, and mutual support. Despite global challenges, people continue to donate and volunteer, driven by a sense of global responsibility and empathy. Embracing kindness not only benefits others, but also enhances personal wellbeing and satisfaction, regardless of age.

The five main terms, generally misunterstood, of the theory. The state makes the difference between the Bedouin and the sedentary. Born in violence and ideology, it favours peaceful activities against its own origins.

The navigational freedoms are unavoidably curtailed to some degree in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as compared with the traditional high seas freedoms. One of the main reasons for this compromise was to accommodate coastal States’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the newly established maritime zone. Nevertheless, the limitation of the navigational freedoms by the coastal State can only be justified if they are made in accordance with the formula of the attribution of rights and freedoms in the EEZ and must be exercised in good faith and by giving due regard to the exercise of these freedoms and rights. It is noteworthy that coastal States have been able to utilise mechanisms developed by competent international organisations to adopt and implement some of these limitations through the rules of reference, particularly regarding the protection and preservation of the marine environment from international shipping. This chapter first identifies the scope of the preserved freedoms of navigation and overflight in the EEZ, then examines how they may have been affected by the exercise of a coastal State’s rights and jurisdiction, before discusses the remedies to address these impacts.

In 1626, workers took aim at four spots marked on the floor of the largest church in Christendom, Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The structure’s immense dome hovered more than four hundred feet above them, for they stood at the intersection of the church’s nave and transept. They began to dig. These shafts, when eventually filled with masonry, would support a towering bronze tent (called a baldacchino) over the high altar. As shovels and picks hacked deep, the excavation took laborers back through layers of history. After breaking through the floor of the Renaissance church, they burrowed through the fill separating it from its fourth-century predecessor. They then cracked through that building’s pavement and struck an ancient cemetery (Fig. I.1). If authorities expected to find anyone’s remains, they were those of Peter himself or one of his papal successors, for they believed the key apostle and later popes were buried here.

Appendix

Chapter 4, ‘The Efficacy of Empirical Vision’, argues that physical sight can and should lead to belief in John. Scholars often cite John 2:23; 4:48; and 20:29 as evidence for John’s own critique of physical seeing as a means of coming to belief. The chapter argues that close reading of John 2:23 and 4:48 reveals human hearts to be the true cause of unbelief and shows that physical sight is the catalyst for all unbelief and all belief. Neither does John 20:29 condemn sight as a means of acquiring belief. Rather, it suggests that mediated seeing – via the text of the Gospel – can be as efficacious for belief as an actual encounter with Jesus. The chapter concludes that sight is complex, but that no critique of the positive relationship between sight and belief exists in John.

This chapter briefly surveys the history of research into human settlement in the Caucasus region and outlines the book’s theses. In doing so, it acknowledges the long-standing interest in the unique languages and topography of the Caucasus region. It also surveys Caucasus research before and after the fall of the Soviet Union. It further charts the impact of anthropological genetics on our understanding of human evolutionary history; and introduces the unanswered questions about Caucasus population history.

It is somewhat implicit that the readers are familiar with the first course on solid state physics, which mainly deals with electronic systems and teaches us how to distinguish between different forms of matter, such as metals, semiconductors and insulators. An elementary treatise on band structure is introduced in this regard, and in most cases, interacting phenomena, such as magnetism and superconductivity, are taught. The readers are encouraged to look at the classic texts on solid state physics, such as the ones by Kittel, Ashcroft and Mermin.

As a second course, or an advanced course on the subject, more in-depth study of condensed matter physics and its applications to the physical properties of various materials have found a place in the undergraduate curricula for a century or even more. The perspective on teaching the subject has remained unchanged during this period of time. However, the recent developments over the last few decades require a new perspective on teaching and learning about the subject. Quantum Hall effect is one such discovery that has influenced the way condensed matter physics is taught to undergraduate students. The role of topology in condensed matter systems and the fashion in which it is interwoven with the physical observables need to be understood for deeper appreciation of the subject. Thus, to have a quintessential presentation for the undergraduate students, in this book, we have addressed selected topics on the quantum Hall effect, and its close cousin, namely topology, that should comprehensively contribute to the learning of the topics and concepts that have emerged in the not-so-distant past. In this book, we focus on the transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) electronic systems and solely on the role of a constant magnetic field perpendicular to the plane of a electron gas. This brings us to the topic of quantum Hall effect, which is one of the main verticals of the book. The origin of the Landau levels and the passage of the Hall current through edge modes are also discussed. The latter establishes a quantum Hall sample to be the first example of a topological insulator. Hence, our subsequent focus is on the subject topology and its application to quantum Hall systems and in general to condensed matter physics. Introducing the subject from a formal standpoint, we discuss the band structure and topological invariants in 1D.