Day 29 Or Tobias. Another apocryphal book that is a short story. This time it involves blindness, demons, angels, giant fish (not as giant as in Jonah), a dog-masquerading-as-the-Lord, and avoiding the destruction of Nineveh. I really enjoy these Hebrew Bible short stories, including the apocryphal texts. Esther, Job, Judith…I would even argue Daniel counts. […]
Day 28 So begins the minor prophets and the final stretch of the Hebrew Bible. I have a handful of apocryphal books to finish up and then I’ll get to end with the remaining nine minor prophets. Hosea, Joel, and Amos provide different perspectives and different time periods for their prophesying. They’re also deeply personal. […]
Day 27 This was a fantastic read. I felt like it prophetic book I’d been waiting for. Again, Isaiah and Jeremiah were just fine, Ezekiel was a wild fever dream of a ride…but with Daniel, it was a delight to turn each page — including the three extra chapters in the apocrypha: The Prayer of […]
Day 26 Whaaaaaaaat is happening here?! This has got to be the weirdest book of the Bible (and I say that knowing there’s many more to go!) This book doesn’t mess around. It begins with an absolutely otherworldly vision of God (see image below) with spinning circles, domes, winged beasts, a sapphire throne, rainbows, fire, […]
Day 25 The Wisdom of Yeshua son of Eleazar son of Sira. The Book of Jesus, Son of Sirach. Ecclesiasticus. The Instruction of Ben Sira. Sirach. I don’t think I’ve seen a bible book with so many names, but, well, there you have it. Sirach is a wisdom book collecting the sayings of Yeshua (Joshua/Jesus) […]
Day 24 The book of Lamentations is just as the title suggests. Other impressions are that it is grief-laden, bereft of hope, or even jeremiad — a word derived from the supposed author of Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah. I could feel the pain in these verses. Despite this, Lamentations also has some of the most […]
Day 23 Today is the halfway point of this experiment: Reading the entirety of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures in 45 days. I’m astonished at the stories I’ve learned, the peculiarities and esoterica I’ve gleaned, and the progress I’ve made. Here’s to the remaining 22 days! Baruch, the scribe of Jeremiah and a prominent figure […]
Day 22 Longest book in the Bible, done! Yeah, this was a long haul book for one day. I realized, while reading Jeremiah, that I am struggling with the prophetic books. The history (and myths) are a delight. But all of these oracles of prophecy are hard for me to enjoy. The poetry is certainly […]
Day 21 I don’t know what I can tell you about my good buddy Isaiah, here, though he had a lot to say. Here I am wading into the prophetic books and revisiting previous events I’ve read about in Kings, Chronicles, or Nehemiah. Except this time, I am hearing the other side of the conversation. […]
Day 20 A full dose of wisdom today. Having never read Proverbs in its entirety, my suspicions were correct. It is a devotional book. There are hundreds (over 400) wise sayings contained in this book. I hesitated to write down all of my favorites, though some definitely resonated with me, especially as they relate to […]