BOOK REVIEW:   Library Journal

Author's note: This review was for the pre-publication version of the Birch Lane Press edition. That edition has been canceled and a new edition was released in November 2000 by Sourcebooks.

Greenberg, author of The Moses Mystery, sets out to uncover the layers of mythology within the Bible. He studies stories that have at least two contradictory accounts in the Bible; those that closely parallel preexisting myths and legends from other cultures and those that cannot be supported by archaeological data (such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah). Greenberg outlines the strong influence of Egyptian, Greek, Sumerian, and Hebrew mythology and literature to provide a way to read biblical stories within the larger context of history and world culture. He covers the Old Testament, starting with the Creation and its time line (did it take a full seven days to create everything?), through the founders (the Hebrew text does not mention Joseph’s coat of many colors), and ending with heroes (Elhanan, not David, killed Goliath). Some background reading is provided at the end of the text. Recommended for larger religion collections.—Leo Vincent Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., IA

Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Back to top of Reviews page   or  Back to Review Excerpts