Don't Know Much about the Bible

Condescending to God in a nutshell. (page 268 references to God being occasionally sarcastic, page 354 sentence " If this is divinely inspired, couldn't God get that year right?") What?!? How does anyone know or say if God is sarcastic?! So many contradictions to Gods true character- all knowing, God IS love, etc. These are just two examples - Throughout this book is salt and peppered with negative opinions or insinuations about God. The Holy Bible is spirit filled and God inspired; many things about God are a mystery- it's more about Faith than explanations or speculations. To say the Red Sea was never parted along with many other of the authors "reasonable/ intellectual" theories is basically saying the Holy Bible is inaccurate. Title of book should be Don't Know Much about God or Faith!

Davis has written a superb work of commentary on the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. It far surpasses the prosaic two volume work by the late Dr. Asimov which, in the main, paraphrases traditional commentary.Don't let the keen Davis sense of humor put you off. His sources, both popular and scholarly, nail down most every issue in keeping with what is known today in my opinion. Most of us in the Judeo-Christian tradition will find this book both useful and enlightening. Fundamentalists will wish to avoid it as it contains many corrections to opinions offered as fact by under-informed persons in past generations.Do get this book if you are frustrated with your reading of the Bible. If you are beginning to understand you cannot understand the Bible by simply reading the Bible, Davis' insights will be very useful to you. After all, Davis' research may prove to be more valuable than direct revelation. For example, he provides a glossary that did not come with the original. His "Introduction" and "Whose Bible Is It Anyway?" is not to be skipped. Also, many Sunday School teachers in synagogue and church owe their classes the knowledge this book imparts. This is popular journalism of a very serious subject at its very best. Interestingly Davis does it all without footnotes or even chapter notes. It is very likely that he could have provided such. Both he and his editor decided in favor of ease of reading instead.Only the wonderful commentary on the "Hebrew Scriptures" by the late Rabbi Sandmel exceeds the insights offered in this book particularly for the Old Testament. However, that tremendous rabbinical scholar was writing to a somewhat different audience.The Introduction covers a number of matters not usually discussed in Sunday School. However, he does not mention that Isaiah went about Jerusalem naked for three years. Nor does he mention the gruesome occurrences of Lamentations 4. Some of his dating may be questioned as good reasons may cause it to be for generations to come.There are also two matters that Davis does not explore at least not sufficiently. Both relate to his depiction of current understandings of the Bible. One is: How is it that we have any sort of Bible at all... handed down through the centuries to us... if his contrasts, complications and contradictory interpretations are true? He seems to begin an answer to this with his comments on "power."Second and related to the first: How did such revered writings become transformed by translators and clergy into the very "Word" of God? Hint: How might the Reformation have brought this about? Both of these issues are being avoided by dozen of interpreters and popularizers. Serious students of the Bible should ask why?One caveat. Davis clarifies uncountable issues and Biblical circumstances in highly readable and accessible prose. Most of the "what" in the Bible is addressed. Those looking for more... than clergy have provided through the ages... on the "how" and "why" will want to look

If you are of the literalist/fundamentalist mindset, you don't want to read "Don't Know Much About the Bible." It WILL violate your sensibilities. Go read the Bible instead.If you are weak in faith, this may not be the best time to be reading "Don't Know Much About the Bible" either. It will do nothing for your soul or any crisis of faith you may be experiencing. Go read the Bible, talk to a minister, priest, friend, therapist, whatever.IF you are either 1) A rationalist non-believer OR 2) A believer who is strong in faith, and want to learn more about the Bible, this book is for you! It is a brain-dump of Bible-knowledge... the ultimate in Bible trivia. If you've ever read a Kenneth C. Davis "Don't Know Much About..." book, you won't be dissapointed. Note that Mr. Davis is of the liberal mindset (this is evident from Don't Know Much About the Bible, as well as Don't Know Much About History, and other writings), it isn't particularly instrusive. This should not be a problem for anyone who is resonably well-informed and/or strong in their beliefs.

It's telling that some of the reviewers of this book feel that Davis is condemning the Bible and other reviewers feel that he has a sympathetic view towards the Bible. That's because this is not a religious book per se. It isn't written with the aim to present a particular view. Instead, this is simply a fairly balanced look at what the Bible actually says. What the reader wishes to believe is a decision left to the reader. This attempt at being an objective view of the scriptures is unique amongst most books on religious matters, which often have a particular point of view.Kenneth Davis writes well, and the book is an easy read. Certainly much easier to wade through than the Bible. So if you've not familiar with the Bible, this would serve as a good starting point. You can then go to the Bible on the points that are of greatest interest. My only real complaints with the book are that 1) the book doesn't always give specific verse numbers with its presentations, making the reader do a little unnecessary work in tracking down the passage. And 2) it doesn't go into enough detail on some of the more interesting topics. Perhaps it could have been divided into a version for each testament.I'd give it 4 1/2 stars were that choice available.

It is always refreshing to read a book about the Bible which doesn't kow tow to the sensibilities of the literal fundamentalist. I found this book intelligent without being condescending, and I found it very accessible. I heard the author on an NPR interview while driving in my car and immediately turned to go get the book. I am not sorry.