Don't Know Much About the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned - Hardcover

Davis, Kenneth C

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688148840 ISBN 13: 9780688148843

Publisher: William Morrow, 1998

Synopsis

Nine out of ten Americans own a Bible, but how much do they know about the one book that has influenced human history more than any other? Don't Know Much About the Bible by New York Times bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis is designed to illuminate everything we need to know about the Good Book but never learned.

With wit, authority, and intelligence, Davis brings the world of the Old and New Testaments to vivid life, setting the panorama of the Scriptures against the historical events that shaped them; clearing up misconceptions and mistranslations; summarizing Bible stories, parables, and miracles; and adding fresh new insights to the world's most owned, least understood book.

Davis is uniquely qualified for the assignment. The creator of the bestselling Don't Know Much About series, which has more than 1.6 million copies in print, he now illuminates the bestselling book of all time using his inimitable question-and-answer approach and providing a key to the people, places, and "household names" we need to unlock "The Greatest Story Ever Told."

Relying on up-to-date research and improved translations, Davis set out to uncover what the Bible says -- and doesn't say. Don't Know Much About the Bible is the result of his efforts and includes the following observations: There are two different Creation stories told in Genesis, but no apple in the Garden of Eden story. Noah invented wine and cursed the son who had seen him drunk and naked. There was no "coat of many colors" in the story of Joseph and his jealous brothers, but rather a long-sleeved robe. Moses didn't write the Torah and he didn't part the Red Sea in his escape from Pharaoh. The Sixth Commandment does not condemn all killing. Jericho's walls may have tumbled down because the city lies on a fault line. King David probably didn't kill Goliath and didn't write the Psalms.

About this title

Review:

Kenneth Davis, popular purveyor of stuff you should know but never learned, turns his research engine to the land of Job and Jesus. Ever wonder who wrote the Bible, what the difference is between a disciple and an apostle, or how the Dead Sea Scrolls measure up? Davis tackles the entire Bible, book by book, from Genesis to Revelation, offering succinct capsules of the action and backgrounders that are as entertaining as the tabloids--except that Davis's information is reliable. On every page, you can see the immense amount of research he has put into this work, drawing on the most up-to-date scholarship and presenting it in fresh, easy-to-swallow doses. Chronologies at various points put historical events into perspective. The high point of Don't Know Much About the Bible comes in the New Testament section, where Davis compares the different versions of the Gospels for the various episodes in Jesus' life and offers insights on issues that are still discussed today. By the way, did you know that Jesus' name was really Joshua and that he wasn't born in the year 1? More tidbits await. --Brian Bruya

About the Author:

Kenneth C. Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of A Nation Rising; America's Hidden History; and Don't Know Much About® History, which spent thirty-five consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, sold more than 1.6 million copies, and gave rise to his phenomenal Don't Know Much About® series for adults and children. A resident of New York City and Dorset, Vermont, Davis frequently appears on national television and radio and has been a commentator on NPR's All Things Considered. He blogs regularly at www.dontknowmuch.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0688148840
• ISBN 13: 9780688148843
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 512