The Bible - Rated 
Through the ages, the most influential and powerful book of all.
A book in two parts: the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament was for the most part written between the 5th and 2nd centuries BC and is the primary document of Judaism. Written mainly in Hebrew, it was translated into Greek, then into Latin around 400 AD. Creation, Adam and Eve, the fall, the flood, Abraham, the laws of Moses, the Kings and Prophets of Israel....man struggles to enter a relationship with God and abide by certain rules.
The New Testament was written as a result of the life and death of Jesus. First to be written were letters to His followers in the immediate aftermath of His death, expecting His imminent return. After this followed the four Gospels by 90AD, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, teling the story of His life; then the Acts of the Apostles describes how the early Church was established and spread.
Biblical archaeology confirms the existence of many people, places and events mentioned in the Bible. That Jesus Himself actually existed is a documented historical fact. It is the interpretation of the Bible that has divided the world. Traditional Christianity affirms that the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament is fully inspired by God but that in Jesus the Law was fulfilled and superseded by the new covenant - "not of the letter but of the spirit".
Most of the New Testament was also written originally in Greek. In 1611, during the reign of James I, the Bible was translated into English - formerly it had been read in Latin, hence distancing ordinary people from it. Translating it had hitherto been a crime punishable by death. The King James, or Authorised Version of the Bible, and the New Revised Standard Version, are seen as literal translations of Hebrew and Greek which have idioms and concepts not easily rendered in English; whereas translations like the New International Version are seen as more "user friendly". Divisions into chapter and verse are medieval Christian additions.
Much of literature and art cannot be understood without knowing the Bible and this version particularly has resounded down the ages, inspiring the works of many famous authors and artists. The ethical codes it contains summarise the basis of human moral conduct.
If anyone is reading this for the first time and doesn't know where to start, Matthew and the other Gospels are a good place. They are the basic story of Jesus, His life, teachings and death. Followed by the accounts of those who met Him again, alive, after His burial. This is where the familiar sermon on the mount, parables, and miracles are found. At the time Israel was under Roman occupation and Jesus offers such advice as "go the second mile" - it was law that a Roman soldier could order a Jew to carry his pack for a mile. His basic message could be summarised as "do as you would be done by".
After this read the letters, mainly written by Paul, who started out as Saul, initially persecuting Christians. Corinthians is a good letter to start with, I Corinthians 13 might be familiar - just substitute the word "love" for "charity". After Paul had travelled around the Mediterranean he wrote to the new converts to cheer and inspire them, his conviction that Jesus had overthrown the yoke of the exacting Jewish Law profoundly affecting the development of the whole of future Christianity. He also contributed his profound wisdom and insights - "now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face".
Acts tells how the message was spread once the radical decision had been taken that non-Jews could be included in the good news as they saw it. It is important that right from the start they realised the message was a contentious one and many would reject it. In that case they were told, "shake the dust from your shoes and move on". While the Gospels tell us that God expends all the energy He has looking for lost people, it is a glaring truth in the New Testament that in many cases those most blessed with material gifts and worldly status would be most blind and deaf.
The Old Testament has some cracking stories - start with Genesis and then the stories of the Kings and Prophets of Israel. Job is a good one for the old chestnut of "why does God allow suffering". I'm biased towards this translation; but don't get bogged down with all the begattings and smiting and cubits and all those stiff necked people....
It is an interesting linguistic, theological, and human point, that Jesus called God not Father, but "daddy". His relationship of trust with God made Him positive of God's forgiveness for everyone who asks for it. Even the blackest of black hearts has the chance of forgiveness - and it is not we humans who make that decision, but God.
For anther series of books with a creation, fall, Kings and Queens, fight against good and evil and resurrection - also with a God-like figure only visible to some - try the Narnia books. Easier to read I'll have to admit!
Top Hokum - Rated
This book has inspired a plethora of tv and film adaptations, and it is through these that most readers will be familiar with the plot and characters. Admittedly the majority of these have focussed on the part in the story where the character of Jesus is crucified; but this is a shame as the book has a true epic sweep which encompasses an abundance of sophisticated plotting, laden with metaphorical detail. It is true that some of the characters are, sadly, rather briefly drawn and for this reason lack the emotional depth which could have been so compelling. The character Lot being a case in point (some have suggested that the same criticism could be applied to the 'God' character - but i think this is unfair and that a closer reading of the text reveals a multi-facteted sophisticated characterisation).
Utilising a clever literary joke, the author goes one step better than writing under a simple pseudonym by incororating the pseudonym 'God'into the story itself thereby creating a whole dimension of reality, on which the book is presented as the ultimate treatise.
This being a very long book ('war and peace' resembles a pamphlet in comparison) space here does not permit a fuller account, but suffice it to say that this book definately warrants a quick flick through at the very least... and if there are any film makers out there i always thought that the life of Mash deserved a fuller treatment on the silver screen.
In the beginning? - Rated 
A collection of Bronze Age myths from the Middle East, based around the most unpleasant character in fiction. As illustration, we might look at Numbers 16; 32 - 36 in which a man whose only 'crime' is to gather sticks on the sabbath is put painfully to death 'as the LORD commanded'. Sadly this is by no means the only example of the petty jealousy and intolerance of the god of these myths - these pages are full of similar events. The problem here is that these stories are not treated as we treat the myths of ancient Assyria, Egypt, Greece etc; many people outside the Bronze Age actually believe in them and derive a 'moral' stance from them that they impose on more enlightened post-Bronze Age folk such as those of us who inhabit the early 21st Century.
Having said that, this King James translation has a central place in English literature and has lent many phrases to the language: an eye for an eye; the apple of his eye; your sin will find you out etc. Worth reading as literature and for the richness of its language; as a manual for living by it is to be assiduously avoided.
Mediocre Work Of Fiction - Rated 
Basically a collection of tales of the fantastic, outdated and with little relevance today. Apparntly this work has inspired some sort of religious following, though how anyone these days can believe in any sort of omnipotent God defies belief.
A few interesting tales, but all very moralistic (as you would expect), and quite insular as well. It is always dangerous to try and control people by trying to force them to live under the tenets of any religion, and these 10 commandments are also a little far fetched.
'Thou shalt not covet graven images?' where did that one come from. But on a rather more serious note, it is quotes like that which make this book rather dangerous. It dismisses all other religions and does not preach any kind of tolerance. No wonder our world is in the state it is.
huzzah! - Rated
I am an agnostic, but found The Bible a great read. Stories and perhaps true events are symbolic and powerful, I finished breathless and a different man. Even if you are not a christian, The Bible can teach you many valuable lessons and help you understand an entire culture and philsophy.
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