The Bible For Dummies®
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ISBN 978-1-119-29350-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-29740-6 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-29741-3 (ebk)
The Bible For Dummies (9781119293507) was previously published as The Bible For Dummies (9780764552960). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product.
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The Bible has the distinction of being the best known, least understood book in the world. Although it’s been translated into more languages, sold more copies, and been read by more people than any other book in history, its message and meaning are matters of ongoing, and often heated, debate. The Bible has been used to justify wars and to found relief organizations, to support slavery and to condemn it, to fuel hatred and to promote love and understanding. So what exactly is the Bible all about?
As university professors, we have a lot of experience in making the Bible accessible and relevant. The Bible can be an intimidating book, but with the right guide, your journey through its pages can be exciting and rewarding.
As authors, we’ve written a number of books and articles on the Bible, making us sensitive to the variety of ways people approach the biblical text. The Bible isn’t just a religious text; it’s a work of history and a literary masterpiece. Throughout this book, we point out these various facets.
We’ve traveled extensively throughout the lands of the Bible, and have participated in archaeological digs at biblical sites. This experience allows us to give you that Indiana Jones edge to a book full of mystery and adventure. (We even discuss where the Ark of the Covenant really is.)
Finally, we’re balanced, not just psychologically (not a trivial point when discussing religious texts) but in our presentation of the Bible and the faiths it represents. We’ve written The Bible For Dummies so that no matter what your faith, or even if you have no faith at all, you can benefit from this book.
The For Dummies series is a name that you’ve come to trust for giving you the straight scoop on everything from cooking to computers, so what better resource to help you understand the Bible than The Bible For Dummies?
People come to the Bible for a variety of reasons. You may be coming to the Bible to find inspiration and faith. You may be reading the Bible to understand a text that plays such an influential role in our world. You may simply want to know more about what is undeniably a great work of literature. Or you may just want to improve your score on Jeopardy!.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to know more about the Good Book, The Bible For Dummies is for you.
Here’s what you can expect from this book:
In short, The Bible For Dummies is your one-stop reference for understanding the Bible and its continuing impact on the political, religious, and artistic landscapes of our world.
Although the Bible is a story, and therefore best experienced as a narrative, The Bible For Dummies has been written so that you can drop in and out of the tour at any time. You can linger at a site as long as you like, or visit your favorite places again and again — without ever feeling lost or left behind!
The Table of Contents is a good place to find the parts of The Bible For Dummies that most interest you. We also provide a complete overview of the Bible in Chapter 2, which points you to other places in the book where you can find more details about a particular topic or story. In addition, you’ll find a very thorough index at the back of the book, with entries on just about everything having to do with the Bible.
Before you begin reading The Bible For Dummies, you should be aware of some of the special abbreviations, definitions, and ideas you find in this book.
When mentioning dates, we use the designations B.C.E. (before the common era) and C.E. (common era), since these terms are more inclusive than the traditional B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (from the Latin anno domini, or “year of our Lord,” not “after [Jesus’] death”). If you’re used to the traditional designations, don’t worry, because the years are reckoned the same (30 C.E. = A.D. 30).
The term Old Testament refers to those sacred texts that Christianity shares with Judaism, while Jews call this same corpus the Hebrew Bible or the Tanak. We follow the Jewish practice (Hebrew Bible) unless talking about the Christian Scriptures, in which case we use both the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament (because the early Christians were both Jews and non-Jews). For Jews and Protestants, the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament contain the same books, though in a slightly different order. For Catholics, the Old Testament has additional books, called the Apocrypha, which we discuss in Part 3.
God goes by many names in the Bible, but most often God is called “God” or “the LORD.” The latter term is the usual English translation of God’s personal name in Hebrew, Yahweh, which to many devout Jews (and some Christians) is unspeakable. Therefore, we use this name sparingly in this book. Yet, using the word LORD for God sounds too preachy. So when referring to God we use the word — get ready for this — “God,” unless we’re making a special point about one of God’s other names.
Although the Bible portrays God as transcending our ideas about gender (see, for example, Genesis 1:27, where being created in God’s image includes both male and female), the biblical authors almost always use masculine pronouns and imagery to describe God. We follow the biblical convention, and always with capital letters for clarity (that is, He or Him).
And speaking of Genesis 1:27, this is the standard way to cite passages from the Bible. The name (Genesis) refers to the book of the Bible where a particular passage can be found, the number left of the colon (1) is the chapter number, and the number right of the colon (27) is the verse number. Because we give you the place in the Bible where you can look up what we’re talking about, you want to keep this information in mind.
If you’re wondering what translation of the Bible we’re using in this book, wonder no longer: it’s our own. It’s not the Revised Dummies Version, mind you, because such a version doesn’t exist (at least, not yet). We translate straight from the original languages of the Bible, which are Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. When we translate the Bible, we try to be as true to the original language as possible, while still making sense in English. No two translations of the Bible are the same, so you’ll notice that our translations don’t exactly match other translations. We recommend that when reading the Bible you refer to several different translations, especially when trying to interpret difficult or controversial passages.
This book is divided into six parts. Here’s what you find in each part.
Part 1 provides the overall picture of what the Bible is, where we got it, and what it’s all about. Here, you find nifty summaries and outlines of how the Bible is put together, why it’s put together the way it is, the differences between Jewish and Christian Bibles, and what you can expect along your journey through the Bible. We even give you a synopsis of the entire Bible in Chapter 2.
Part 2 examines the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament). We begin by looking at what is arguably the most influential work of world literature — the Book of Genesis. Because of its importance, and because it sets the stage for what happens in the rest of the Bible, we devote four chapters to exploring this rich and diverse book. We then examine the rest of the Hebrew Bible, reliving its history, understanding its laws, interpreting its prophecies, contemplating its wisdom, and singing its psalms.
In this part, we explore the Apocrypha. The books making up the Apocrypha are some of the Bible’s most intriguing, yet seldom read, books. One reason for this neglect is that the Apocrypha is not part of Jewish or Protestant Bibles, but only of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles. We discuss why these books are absent from some Bibles and not others, where they came from, and what they’re all about. The Apocrypha is a diverse body of literature, and includes history, poetry, philosophy, and prophecy. Becoming familiar with the Apocrypha helps you to understand the differences between Protestantism, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
Part 4 covers the books making up the New Testament. We begin by examining the four gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — as they describe, each from its own perspective, the life and teachings of Jesus. We then chart the growth of early Christianity as recounted in the Book of Acts. After getting the big picture of Christianity’s birth and growth, we focus our attention on the New Testament letters or epistles, beginning with the letters of Paul, which have formed the basis of many of Christianity’s central doctrines. Next, we turn to the General epistles, works written by other early leaders of Christianity, including (according to tradition) some of Jesus’ closest followers. Finally, we decipher the Book of Revelation, which describes the end times, when evil will be unleashed on the earth, but good will win out in the end.
This part looks at the impact of the Bible through the ages. The Bible’s traditions have given rise to three of the world’s religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — and have inspired some of the greatest works of art and literature ever produced. We chart its influence over the centuries and consider how its message still impacts us today. We even look at one of the most disturbing misuses of the Bible — Hollywood movies! Actually, there have been both good and bad Bible movies, and we give you a handy guide to the most notable.
The final section, “The Part of Tens,” is a For Dummies distinctive. Here, you find short biographies of ten (or so) of the most important people in the Bible, as well as ten holidays you can take thanks to the Bible. (Whether your boss will actually let you have the day off is another matter.)
Throughout this book, you find icons that highlight worthwhile bits of information or direct you to important points of interest.
The Bible is a vast book, containing lots of interesting ideas and profound insights. This icon signals those things worth remembering, either to guide you through the Bible or to guide you through life.
The Bible has many hidden dangers. When you see this icon, approach with caution, because you are about to encounter a passage or idea that has been commonly misinterpreted or has proven to be a pitfall to unsuspecting readers of the Bible (such as the dreaded who-begat-whom lists).
We all love trivia, and the Bible is a treasure trove of names, places, and events. Items marked with this icon are guaranteed to wow your friends.
Reading the Bible is like going on an adventure — an adventure where you travel to distant lands, encounter fascinating people, and experience a whole new world. Such a journey shouldn’t be undertaken without the proper gear. Think of this book as your travel book and of us as your tour guides. You can jump into the adventure wherever you like. If you’re still not sure where you want to go, we recommend starting at the very beginning. Part 1 will give you a bird’s-eye view of the entire Bible.
Now, prepare yourself to be transported back in time to experience the Bible as you’ve never experienced it before (especially if you haven’t experienced it before!). You’re about to go on the adventure of a lifetime — actually, of many lifetimes — as you relive the events and meet the people who have literally changed our world (for better or for worse — we let you decide). Fasten your seat belts. Put your lid on your latte. Here we go!
Part 1
IN THIS PART …
You find out what the Bible is, how we got it, why it’s so important, and what it’s doing in your hotel room nightstand (actually, we don’t cover that last point). Plus, you discover the difference between Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant Bibles. Lastly, you take the journey of a lifetime (actually many lifetimes) by traveling through the entire Bible “in a nutshell.”
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
Discovering what the Bible is, where it came from, and how we got it
Understanding the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Appreciating the Bible’s enduring influence
Choosing a translation that’s right for you
The Bible is the ultimate publishing phenomenon. It’s been atop the bestseller list ever since Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, ran the first copies some 500 years ago. Since then, it’s been translated into more languages and sold more copies than any other book in history. Recent statistics indicate that well over 150,000 new Bibles are sold or given away each day!
So what is the Bible, who wrote it, and how did we come to possess it? In this chapter, you discover the answers to these and other important questions. In addition, you get some helpful tips for finding the Bible that’s right for you.
In the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, a man from a remote village discovers a soda bottle that was dropped from a passing airplane. He’s convinced that this mysterious object is from the gods, and much of the rest of the movie chronicles his quest to find its owner (don’t worry, we won’t give away the ending). Many people have a similar view of how we got the Bible. One day, Moses or Jesus was walking along when all of a sudden — “thud!” — there it was: the Bible, air express from heaven. These holy men then gave it to their followers, who, in turn, passed it on to their followers, who eventually passed it on to us. And we’ve been on a quest to find its Owner ever since.
That’s not exactly how it happened (except, perhaps, for that last part). Nor is it really correct to think of the Bible as a single entity.
The word Bible comes from a Greek word, ton biblion, which means “the scroll” or “the book.” This word derives from the ancient city of Byblos, located in what is today modern Lebanon. Byblos was the official supplier of paper products to the ancient world, and as a result, the city became so intimately associated with the production of paper goods that its name became synonymous with the word “book” or “scroll.” This is similar to today, where a word like Kleenex has come to mean “tissue,” no matter what brand.
Yet, the Greek word for the Bible is actually plural — ta biblia, which means “the scrolls” or “the books.” Although we tend to think of the Bible as a single work, those bringing these books together understood it for what it really is — a collection of works by a variety of authors. And it’s quite a diverse collection at that!
The Bible includes legal texts, history, poetry, philosophy, music, personal correspondence, and prophecies. Those who wrote the Bible were also a diverse bunch, and include shepherds, kings, farmers, priests, poets, scribes, prophets, and fishermen (to name a few). There is also quite a moral diversity among the biblical authors, from morally upstanding citizens, to, let’s say, morally challenged individuals. For example, among those contributing to the Bible, you find traitors, embezzlers, adulterers, murderers, and — brace yourself — ancient IRS workers (yes, we were shocked, too). We discuss how this motley crew found common cause in the Bible throughout this book
Only much later were the books making up the Bible brought together into a single volume, and in Judaism and Christianity, different books were included in their respective libraries.
In order to better understand the Jewish and Christian Bibles, it’s important to know a little something about the history of their development, as well as what you can expect to find in each library.
The books making up the Jewish Scriptures are often called the Hebrew Bible, because, with few exceptions, this material was originally written in Hebrew. In Christian tradition, these same books are referred to as the Old Testament.
According to Jewish tradition, Moses wrote the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (also known as the Torah, from a Hebrew word meaning “instruction” or “law,” or the Pentateuch, from a Greek word meaning “the five scrolls”). The Five Books of Moses, as this material is also called, covers everything from the creation of the world (see Chapter 3) and humankind’s early history (see Chapter 4), to the emergence of ancient Israel’s ancestors (see Chapters 5 and 6) and their formation as a nation under Moses (see Chapter 7).
Following Moses, Jewish tradition maintains that the history of ancient Israel was preserved by various authors, most of whom were near contemporaries to the events they describe. For example, Joshua himself penned the account of Israel’s conquest of its Promised Land under his leadership (see Chapter 8). The era following Joshua, known as the Period of the Judges, was recorded by Israel’s last judge, Samuel, who also composed half the Book of Samuel (until his own death). The remaining material in Samuel was composed by Samuel’s contemporaries, including two prophets, Gad and Nathan, as well as Israel’s great king, David (see Chapter 9). The history of Israel’s kings after David (see Chapter 10) was preserved by royal scribes, who recorded matters of state; priests, who wrote mostly about Israel’s religion; and prophets, who, besides recording their own prophecies, also recorded their interactions (read: “confrontations”) with Israel’s kings. (Prophets and kings rarely got along, as Chapter 13 explains.)
But then tragedy struck. In 586 B.C.E., the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, including its royal palace and temple. There’s no telling how much of Israel’s library was lost, but many scrolls survived and were taken to Babylonia by Jerusalem’s exiles. (For the stories of those living in exile, see Chapter 11.)
In Babylon, these documents were edited and compiled. Although this process involved many people, the person credited with heading up the project was the scribe and priest Ezra (see Chapter 12). Not long afterwards, Ezra brought these scrolls back to the now rebuilt Jerusalem, where he instigated a religious reform based on these Scriptures (around 450 B.C.E.). During this period, additional works were penned and included in this library, eventually resulting in a relatively complete edition of the Jewish Bible. Beyond Jerusalem, copies of these scrolls could be found in the other great centers of Jewish learning — in particular, Egypt and Babylonia.
Here are the books that ultimately made it into the anthology of the Hebrew Bible. (Note: Because these books are ordered differently in Jewish and Christian Bibles, we give you both lists for ease of reference and comparison.)
The Hebrew Bible |
The Christian Old Testament |
The Law (or Torah) |
The Pentateuch |
Genesis |
Genesis |
Exodus |
Exodus |
Leviticus |
Leviticus |
Numbers |
Numbers |
Deuteronomy |
Deuteronomy |
The Prophets |
History |
The Former Prophets |
Joshua |
Joshua |
Judges |
Judges |
Ruth |
Samuel (1 scroll in Hebrew) |
1 and 2 Samuel |
Kings (1 scroll in Hebrew) |
1 and 2 Kings |
1 and 2 Chronicles | |
The Latter Prophets |
Ezra |
Major Prophets |
Nehemiah |
Isaiah |
Esther |
Jeremiah |
|
Ezekiel |
Poetry and Wisdom Literature |
Job | |
The Twelve (1 Scroll in Hebrew) |
Psalms |
Hosea |
Proverbs |
Joel |
Ecclesiastes |
Amos |
Song of Songs |
Obadiah |
|
Jonah |
The Prophets |
Micah |
Major Prophets |
Nahum |
Isaiah |
Habakkuk |
Jeremiah |
Zephaniah |
Lamentations |
Haggai |
Ezekiel |
Zechariah |
Daniel |
Malachi |
|
Minor Prophets | |
The Writings |
Hosea |
Psalms |
Joel |
Proverbs |
Amos |
Job |
Obadiah |
Song of Songs |
Jonah |
Ruth |
Micah |
Lamentations |
Nahum |
Ecclesiastes |
Habakkuk |
Esther |
Zephaniah |
Daniel |
Haggai |
Ezra-Nehemiah (1 scroll in Hebrew) |
Zechariah |
Chronicles (1 scroll in Hebrew) |
Malachi |
The three-part structure of the Hebrew Bible — Law, Prophets, and Writings — has given rise to another name for this work: the Tanak (sometimes spelled Tanakh), which derives from the first letter of the Hebrew words for these sections: Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).
With the spread of Greek culture throughout the ancient Near East in the wake of Alexander the Great’s conquests (around 330 B.C.E.), fewer and fewer Jews could read or understand Hebrew, the primary language of their scriptures. (For an account of this period, see Chapter 16.) This circumstance, along with a request by a Greek king of Egypt, resulted in the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek beginning around 250 B.C.E. This work came to be called the Septuagint, a Greek word meaning “70” and reflecting the tradition that 70 (or, in some traditions, 72) scribes, although working independently, produced the exact same translation of the Torah. This “coincidence” confirmed that the Greek translation was reliable, and even divinely inspired. Eventually, however, the Septuagint came to include a number of Jewish historical and religious writings that were not part of Ezra’s Bible. Although most Jews held these works in high esteem (some even considering them a part of the Bible), these works were ultimately rejected as not being divinely inspired — a decision that, according to tradition, was given official expression by a group of Jewish scholars at Yavneh, a city about 25 miles west of Jerusalem (around 90 C.E.).
Meanwhile, between the translation of the Septuagint (around 250 to 100 B.C.E.) and the decision at Yavneh, a little thing known today as Christianity happened. Because the early Christians used the Greek Septuagint, many Christian communities embraced these additional works as part of the Bible. However, when the Church father Jerome (fourth to fifth centuries C.E.) eventually translated the Bible into Latin, the absence of these additional books in the Jewish Bible earned them the designation “Hidden,” which in Greek is Apocrypha (although some scholars think Apocrypha might refer to the hidden or esoteric teachings of these works). Although Jerome, following Jewish tradition, believed that these books were valuable, he also believed that they shouldn’t be considered part of the Bible. (To find out more about these “hidden” books, and the history behind them, see Chapters 16 and 17.) Yet many Christian leaders disagreed — a view that eventually won out. It wasn’t until the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century that these additional books were removed from the Old Testament, and then only in Protestant Bibles (and even this wasn’t done universally). Today, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches still consider the majority of these “hidden” books or the Apocrypha to be part of the Bible.
Here’s a list of the material making up the Apocrypha:
The Apocrypha |
|
Tobit |
Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews |
Judith |
Susanna |
Additions to Esther |
Bel and the Dragon |
Wisdom of Solomon |
1 and 2 Maccabees |
Ecclesiasticus |
1 and 2 Esdras |
Baruch |
Prayer of Manasseh |
Letter of Jeremiah |
|
|
Eastern Orthodox Additions to the Apocrypha | |
3 and 4 Maccabees |
|
Psalm 151 |
|
The history of the New Testament’s composition is much briefer, it being written within a period of about 50 to 75 years (as compared to about 1,000 years for the Hebrew Bible). Yet the process of deciding which books should be included in the New Testament is no less interesting.
The writings of the New Testament, written in common, or Koine, Greek, consist of histories of the life of Jesus (called gospels, from a word meaning “good news”; see Chapters 18 and 19), a history of the early church (called the Acts of the Apostles; see Chapter 20), and letters written by leaders of the early church (the apostle Paul and various other first-century-C.E. Christians; see Chapters 21 and 22). The final book of the New Testament, Revelation, falls into its own category, called apocalyptic literature, from a Greek word meaning “to reveal” and referring to end-time prophecies (see Chapter 23).
By tradition, these works were written under divine inspiration by Jesus’ close followers (called disciples) and other leaders of the early church (called apostles, though this designation can refer to disciples as well). Yet, by the second century C.E., questions arose about whether all the books claiming to be written by these early church leaders actually were. These questions required that the church determine which writings were authentic and which were not — a process known as canonization (from a Greek word, canon, meaning “rule” or “measure”). By the end of the second century C.E., most of the books that now make up the New Testament were determined to be authentic. However, it wasn’t until the fourth century C.E. that St. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, made an authoritative pronouncement fixing the number of New Testament books at the present 27.
Here are the books that make up the library of the New Testament:
The New Testament |
|
History |
Letters |
Gospels (Life of Jesus) |
Paul’s Letters |
Matthew |
Romans |
Mark |
1 and 2 Corinthians |
Luke |
Galatians |
John |
Ephesians |
Philippians | |
Life of Early Church |
Colossians |
Acts of the Apostles |
1 and 2 Thessalonians |
1 and 2 Timothy | |
Titus | |
Philemon | |
General Letters |
Apocalypse (Future Events) |
Hebrews |
Revelation |
James |
|
1 and 2 Peter |
|
1, 2 and 3 John |
|
Jude |
This overview is based largely on Jewish and Christian traditions. Today, scholars question many parts of these traditions, and we discuss the more important questions scholars are raising throughout this book.
It’s important to point out that we don’t possess any of the original writings of the biblical texts — Jewish or Christian. No first printings, no limited editions, and certainly no autographed copies. We lack these original writings because the material upon which the biblical books were written (usually papyrus, made from the tall water plant of the same name) deteriorated over time. Because photocopiers were in short supply 2,000 years ago, the books making up the Jewish and Christian Bibles had to be copied and recopied by hand to preserve them. Yet, the popular notion that this continual copying means that the books we now possess are hopelessly corrupted is inaccurate.
In the case of the New Testament, for example, we possess thousands of handwritten manuscripts of the books making up this collection, allowing scholars to determine with a fairly high degree of certainty what the earliest manuscripts said. In addition, early Christian writers quoted the New Testament extensively in their writings, giving us more data to determine whether the manuscripts we have are accurate. Finally, from a very early period, the New Testament manuscripts were translated into a number of different languages, giving us still another external check on their reliability.
The case of the Hebrew Bible is a bit more complicated given the antiquity of the texts involved. For example, much of the Hebrew Bible was written anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years before the New Testament. Another complication is that, in contrast to early Christian communities, Jewish communities kept tighter control over who could possess or handle biblical manuscripts. Part of the reason for this tight control was the sacred nature of the text itself. Jewish communities wanted to make sure that those copying the text did so accurately. Yet, herein lies one of the main checks on the accuracy of the Hebrew Bible’s manuscripts: quality control. According to Jewish sources, manuscripts were copied with the utmost care, and even the most minor errors had to be fixed or a manuscript was discarded. Another check on the reliability of the Hebrew manuscripts is by comparing them with the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint), which was produced between 250–100 B.C.E.
Yet, even with these various checks, most scholars found it a little unnerving that the oldest copies of the Hebrew Bible (called the Masoretic text, after the Jewish scribes responsible for its production) dated to around the tenth century C.E. — well over 1,500 years from the time many of the books of this library were written!
But then, a little over 50 years ago, the most amazing discovery took place: the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The story of the Dead Sea Scrolls is straight out of Hollywood, only it didn’t take place under the lights and cameras of Tinseltown, but in the arid desert of Israel. In 1947, as the story goes, a young shepherd boy was watching his flock when he threw a rock in an attempt to corral his straying sheep. His rock flew into a cave and landed with a crash. Entering the cave, the shepherd saw something that would change the study of the Bible forever. His errant throw had uncovered a cache of 2,000-year-old scrolls of the Bible and other ancient writings stored in ceramic pots.
Eventually, 11 caves were discovered containing numerous biblical and non-biblical scrolls, as well as thousands of fragments of the Hebrew Bible. These manuscripts dated to before the time of Jesus, providing scholars with Hebrew manuscripts of the Bible more than 1,000 years older than any previously possessed. In many cases, these manuscripts demonstrated just how carefully scribes copied the biblical text over the centuries. Yet, there were also some interesting differences, giving biblical scholars plenty to investigate.
If you ever find yourself at the Dead Sea, we highly recommend visiting the caves and the remains of the community at what is today called Qumran. You can even enter several of the caves (we know what you’re thinking — we’ve looked, and we didn’t find anything). The Dead Sea itself is a fascinating place. It’s the lowest body of water on earth, with a salt content around 30 percent. As a result, nothing can live in its waters (hence the name). Today, the Dead Sea, far from being “dead,” is a very lively place. Resorts dot its shores, because the mineral deposits in this unique body of water are believed to rejuvenate the body and soul. The salt content is so high, in fact, that you can float on the water without effort — though we strongly recommend that you don’t shave before going in.
It’s remarkable that a library containing books written over a 1,500 year period, by countless authors and editors, who lived on three different continents, and who wrote in three different languages, still affects you on a daily basis. But it does! Whether it’s debates about the ethics of human cloning, abortion rights, the constitutionality of saying prayers or the pledge of allegiance in public schools, or posting the Ten Commandments in public places, the Bible is front-page news. (And this is to say nothing of the “battle of the bumper stickers,” where fish alternately represent Jesus and Darwin!)
Moreover, understanding the times in which we live is difficult without some knowledge of the Bible. The Bible informs the traditions of three of the world’s major religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — and a familiarity with its message and meaning can help you understand the similarities and differences between these religions, as well as the prospects for peace (see Chapter 24).
Finally, you can’t fully appreciate many works of art and literature without some basic Bible literacy. Whether it’s the great paintings of Michelangelo or Leonardo da Vinci or the literary masterpieces of Shakespeare and Milton, biblical themes and imagery fill our world. Even movies borrow extensively from the Bible. (We discuss Bible movies, as well as other influential works of art and literature in Chapter 25.)