Prepare to be enlightened. The Bloody History of the Fertile Crescent takes a fresh and unique new look at the bible stories we’ve all heard, but never really fully examined. This is a wonderful book and one of my new favorites!
The Bloody History of the Fertile Crescent
By Barry Pomeroy
Biblical stories have a grave and exhilarating rhetorical power. Even those who claim they have been raised without the benefit of church have not entirely evaded scripture; when they hear the familiar tales of the Ark, Garden, and Jesus on the cross, the expression on their face betrays an understanding, on almost a visceral level, of the biblical narratives.
The stories that traditional tellings have avoided, that hover just behind the prevailing interpretation, are some of the most interesting of all. These stories remained untold because the characters were seen as uninteresting or unpopular and therefore no place was reserved for them in the dominant record. There are also buried stories secreted within the main figures, their more obscure motivations and hidden wishes.
Read here of Ismael and Isaac’s unusual connection, to see how Jesus came to be the son of God, how Satan and God’s relationship deteriorated, how Jonah fared in the whale, and why Adam and Eve left the garden. Read to find out why Job was punished, what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, where Joseph got his coat, and the origins of Mary’s fantastic explanation. Learn what Moses did with the first set of commandments, why Cain slew Able, why the Tower of Babel faltered, and Jesus’ advice about talent. Read this alternative bible so this ancient text can fulfil its original project: The Bloody History of the Fertile Crescent.