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The Holy Bible - American Standard Version (ASV) (2011)

by Anonymous(Favorite Author)
4.68 of 5 Votes: 4
ISBN
0012774332 (ISBN13: 2940012774330)
languge
English
publisher
FLT
review 1: The importance of this book to Western culture cannot be overstated, and that was my primary motivation for slogging through the mighty tome. After reading it cover to cover, my opinion of it as literature has greatly increased, but my opinion of the religious teachings has sunk even lower. Biggest positive surprise: how many common expressions have their origins here. Biggest negative surprise: how exceedingly unlikable Paul was. I expected him to be a homophobe, misogynist, prude, and general killjoy, but he was also a self-aggrandizing and manipulative jerk. I'm amazed he and Christianity got and retained so much traction. My favorite books were Ecclesiastes and the ones rich in stories (Genesis, Exodus, Acts). Least favorites were the painfully lengthy lists (Numbers, ... moreKings, Chronicles) and the Pauline epistles. A good concordance and relevant maps were helpful aids.
review 2: Really good book. Only got through Kings then I skipped ahead to the angry prophets. Hosea is the funniest. Leviticus is hilarious. The repetition involved in how to make the curtains properly around the arc of the covenant could be made into a performance art piece. I deeply love and respect how the ancient Jewish religious scribes and priests did not sanitize what my religion of birth calls the Old Testament. It's a profane, violent, morally ambiguous text that is just as tricky and bizarre and unnatural as life itself. Beautiful and true. Very much worth reading. I'll pick it up sometime after Kings when I get a chance. less
Reviews (see all)
flore
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, plus lots of begetting and such.
Stanojka89
"What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" -JESUS in Luke 18:41
shmu
i will always keep reading this..it just transforms you..
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