A 40,000-year-old lion man made of ivory, a golden gibla from the 16th century, a cross from Lampedusa - with unparalleled mastery, Neil MacGregor brings all these fascinating objects to life. His new book takes us on an unforgettable journey through the world of gods and religions. From the early worship of fire, water, and sun to festivals on the Ganges and pilgrimages in the East, to the bloody battles fought in their name to this day, it tells how belief in the gods has shaped human life. No human society exists without notions of where it comes from, what place it occupies in the world, and in what special way and by adhering to which rules it is connected to the Eternal. From the Arctic to Japan, from India to Peru, from Africa to Scotland.