Have you often wondered how the stories in the Bible relate to today’s world? I, for one, have done that many times. Many times I’ve tried to draw parallel lines between today and yesterday. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But within the pages of this book Addi ben Zuriel, the central character, brings new understanding to an old story.

 

In the Bible Jesus tells this young man, Addi, that in order to find eternal life he (Addi) should sell all of his possessions and follow the Lord. Of course Addi is skeptical since it is he, along with an elite band of Pharisees, who are seemingly preparing for a great leader in the guise of their Messiah to arise and with a vast army break the people free from the chains of Rome’s rule.

 

What follows is the story of how Addi comes to accept Jesus as the Messiah; it also takes Addi quite some time to reailze that the ‘new world order’ is not to be of this world but a kingdom of the heart. Through the perils and intrigues of a Biblical Jerusalem at Passover, we follow Addi as he in turn follows Jesus through the Passover and ultimately through the crucifixion. We become friends with the disciples and with Jesus’s mother Mary.

 

I wish the Bible could be retold in a manner similar to this book. It is easy to read and understand. For me, it was also easy to see the amount of research that has gone into this tome. And while it can easily be read in a day or two I took several weeks to finish it, allowing myself the time to absorb the personal meanings. It is a book rich in detail yet easily understood.

 

I look forward to reading another book by Richard Hackett. Note: This Kindle edition did have several typos, however, not enough to interfere with the enjoyment of the story.

Please note that all proceeds from the sale of Mr. Hackett’s books go to fund the work of SeaMercy, a non-profit organization that brings healthcare to the remote islands of the South Pacific. www.seamercy.org

A good book splendidly read by the author. The theme is catching. Most chapters start off with a misdirection, and I'm thinking the author's thesis is wrong. For example, small class sizes do make a difference, I think. The author presents data that seems to contradict that assertion, but really doesn't. The author at the last moment will say maybe not and will show you why it's probably not true. He does that multiple times. Most of his original assertions I didn't like but by the end I did.

Another thing, he writes the stories such that I wished I was born poor, or at least had dyslexia because he makes those seem so desirable. That of corse is silly.

Look, the book is an easy listen and is fun but is not as good as his other books. I don't really recommend this one, but I was disappointed.

Wide As the Waters : The Story of the English Bible and the Revolution It Inspired by Benson Bobrick (?)

The Vampire Bible (William Meikle Short ... What a delightful blasphemy this is!

Meikle turns classical and biblical traditions on its ear with this alternative vampiric take on the old and new testaments. Loved it. The English major in me found his happy place while the horror fan immediately started thinking about getting the Watchers and Eldren series to see what Meikle does with his creations.

Comparing/contrasting with Tomie DePaola's Book of Bible Stories. This is the one that instantly attracted me at the bookstore and, so far (we're only up to Cain and Abel), this is the one I prefer. I *love* the bright, funky illustrations by Brian Wildsmith and *much* prefer the text as it's more pleasing to read aloud and feels more 'complete' somehow. My daughter, on the other hand, definitely prefers Tomie DePaola's version.

Creation - fairly standard and unlike the Tomie DePaola version does include the bit about Eve coming *after* Adam. There is also less emphasis on the time it took to create the world in this version. I really enjoyed Jane Ray's picture book The Story of the Creation more than both versions.

Adam & Eve - Both Eve and Adam are presented as making a conscious choice to betray God and obtain wisdom. God seems more sad than angry. I prefer this.

Cain & Abel - More detailed version than Tomie DePaola's, but still not very enjoyable. Clearly the symbolism is lost on us.

Noah - I prefer this version out of the two - particularly since Noah gets drunk at the end to test God's covenant. Very amusing indeed! Still, I'd recommend reading one of the many great picture book versions available. Our favorite was A Stowaway on Noah's Ark, but you could also try Jan Brett's On Noah's Ark, Jerry Pinkney's Noah's Ark, Peter Spier's wordlessNoah's Ark, and Jane Ray's Noah's Ark - all are well regarded.

Abraham & Isaac - Oh dear....what an unsettling story with even more unsettling illustrations. I'm glad we followed this one up by reading The White Ram: A Story of Abraham And Isaac. Not only is it *much* more reassuring, but it places the story in context and expands upon its significance to modern Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Jacob & Esau - More sibling rivalry - this time between twin brothers, born to Isaac and Rebekah. Conflict arises when one son is favored over the other. Results in an almost dizzying series of events which I barely understand - the main significance seems to be that Jacob eventually begets Joseph - who is also a favored son, which also creates further sibling conflict....We also read Jacob and Esau. Both are great versions - one very silly and one very reverent, but both are so much better than the version found here.

Moses - This story is told in 7 installments. I would recommend reading Exodus. I'll also be trying Moses: The Long Road to Freedom.

Joshua Before Jericho - This version is clearer than that found in Tomie DePaola's Bible.