Joseph's Bones: Understanding the Struggle Between God and Mankind in the Bible

A highly readable, witty and insightful interpretation of why the Israelites cherished Joseph's bones (or more likely, a sarcophagus) through 400 years of slavery and the flight from Egypt. Why did they remember Joseph's trusting charge to have his bones returned to Canaan, not immediately but for future generations? Dr. Segal explores Joseph's story of suffering and forgiveness and finds in it an example of compassion and unconditional love. He makes a daring link between Joseph's legacy and Jesus's teachings that gives fresh meaning to the Judeo-Christian traditions . A must read for lay readers and scholars alike!

This book is a great and enjoyable read. I was raised Christian and an enthusiastic one at that, then went secular, then eclectically spiritual. The Bible remains a huge influence in my life but not one I have looked into much in recent years. This book turned my understanding of what it may mean upside down in a most exciting way: the idea that the first six books of the Bible is the story of a relationship with a powerful God who needed to be taught morality by the people he was protecting. I am no Biblical scholar but Tikkun magazine (where I work) recently included a very positive review of the book by highly respected scholar Jack Miles, Distinguished Professor of English and Religious Studies at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God. The review can be found at www.tikkun.org and put "Joseph's Bones" in the search function.

Joseph's Bones offers a radically different interpretation from traditional views of the relationship between God and the Israelites (and more generally humanity). Dr. Segal presents the case that, at least initially, while God is powerful, he is not omniscient, nor particularly benevolent, and indeed, may be somewhat insecure and emotionally immature. Thus, the book is concerned with understanding the content of the Bible, rather than whether the Bible itself is true or whether God exists. Nevertheless, the issues the book raises may be troublesome for people who truly believe in God (though perhaps not impossible to accept, because, by its end, the book also raises the possibility that God may have evolved into a being that could be worthy of worship). Indeed, this book may be more difficult for true believers to dismiss than are books that outright deny the existence of God, because its arguments are so tightly bound to the Bible and therefore show that the Bible itself paints a not very pretty picture of God. The author's case is not airtight. For example, at a few points in the text assumptions or interpretations are chosen because of their interest value rather than their validity (which is impossible to prove). That said, most of the assumptions are amply buttressed by evidence and quotations from the Bible, and the arguments that flow from them are clearly laid out. Moreover, I don't believe it was the author's intention to absolutely prove his thesis, which, in fact, may be an impossibility, just as proving any particular interpretation of the Bible may be. Instead, the author has put forth an interesting and logically plausible interpretation of the historical events, and the relationship between God and humans, that are described in the Bible. In that he has succeeded admirably. Finally, while one might expect an extended logical argument on the interpretation of events in the Bible to result a dry scholarly work, Joseph's Bones is not. Instead, the text flows nicely, and the arguments and backing evidence are presented in a very accessible fashion. In sum, the book makes for an enjoyable and stimulating read.

Joseph's Bones will be controversial. Most people will not be persuaded by its radical interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. However, if you can read it with an open mind, you will find it full of insights. Segal bases his interpretation on a close reading of the text, minus the metaphysical and theological assumptions that we take for granted as the legacy of mainstream Judaism and Christianity. He does not clutter his argument with secondary scholarship or jargon, but focuses tightly on the story, which he deeply appreciates and admires. His interpretation unfolds with some of the suspense of a detective novel, but the stakes are much higher.

Once again, Dr. Segal brings extraordinary insight to his subject. In "Joseph's Bones" he turns the difficult, never-ending struggle of man's relation to God and God's relation to man into a lively discussion filled with insight. I'm proud to have encouraged Dr. Segal along the way in completing this work for the result is something worth having, reading, learning from and keeping.