Description
Book SynopsisJason Boyett''s Pocket Guides are smart and hilarious. And they''re sneaky too: You don''t realize how much you''re learning because you''re having so much fun. ?AJ Jacobs, author, The Year of Living Biblically
Americans consistently identify the Bible as the most influential book in history, but seriously: are you really reading it? Probably not. If all you know about the Bible are a few Psalms and the Christmas story, then you''re missing out on a book that''s wilder, weirder, and more entertaining than you ever imagined.
With a stealthy combo of entertainment and insight, Jason Boyett''s Pocket Guide to the Bible fills the gaps in your religious education. It introduces you to the characters you must know, reveals the thrilling development of the biblical canon, and details the less-churchy parts of Scripture (hello, sex and violence!). Don''t miss out on discovering
- How God employs talking donkeys, mentally unstable prophets, and helpful prostitutes in
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION VII
Chapter one
BIBLICABULARY (A Glossary of the Good Book) 1
Chapter Two
CAST OF CHARACTERS (A TO J) 31
Chapter Three
CAST OF CHARACTERS (K TO Z) 63
Chapter four
WHAT HAPPENS, PART 1 (The Old Testament at Breakneck Speed) 87
Chapter five
WHAT HAPPENS, PART 2 (The New Testament at Breakneck Speed) 117
Chapter six
THE BRIEF HISTORY OF HOLY WRIT (A Timeline) 133
Chapter seven
VERSIONS AND PERVERSIONS (A Selective Survey of Translations) 157
Chapter eight
LIST YE BE SMITTEN (Biblical Flotsam and Jetsam) 173
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 189
