Dear Reader,

Today, there exists a pervading notion that people who lived thousands (or even only hundreds) of years ago were drastically different. We tend to disregard their traditions as barbaric, their beliefs as primitive, and, worst of all, their existence as largely irrelevant.

Issue 54 attempts to dispel that view. As science fiction author Michael Crichton once said, “if you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it’s part of a tree.” Indeed, the cultures, beliefs, and values of today’s societies are not the result of pure chance but rather the culmination of thousands of years of human history, and to truly know ourselves, we must understand our past.

Finally, just as we have harvested this tremendous heritage from our ancestors, it is our obligation to cherish it, enrich it, and entrust it to our successors. The pieces that follow begin with an exploration of the Logos, journey through the Ancient World, wander through the Medieval Ages, dive into the Founding Era, and conclude with a reflection upon modern life and the possible paths that we can take into the future. I hope that, as you read, Issue 54 will inspire you to contemplate the meaning, magnitude, and magnificence of inheriting the incredible history of humanity.

Leon Rapoport, Editor-in-Chief