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To paraphrase the late great Phil Hartman on the Simpsons, you might remember me from such mental_floss backpages as G,H,I or J. I’m the author of the book The Know-It-All, which was about the year I spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z and trying to learn everything in the world (including such important knowledge as the fact that opossums have 13 nipples). I write the Know-It-All column for the_floss about facts from each letter.
My new book just came out, and
this time I wrestled with a tome that is shorter than Britannica, but arguably more complicated: The Bible.
The book is called THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY: ONE MAN’S HUMBLE QUEST TO FOLLOW THE BIBLE AS LITERALLY AS POSSIBLE. It’s about how I spent a year trying to abide by all the rules in the Bible, from the famous (The Ten Commandments, love thy neighbor) all the way down to the often-ignored (don’t wear clothes made of mixed fibers, don’t shave your beard, stone adulterers).The year was fascinating and educational. Life-changing even. And I hope the book – which I tried to fill with equal parts reverence and irreverence – takes you along on that journey. I know it’s not biblical to boast, so please excuse me for this, but so far, it seems to have been embraced by both religious and secular readers: this month I’m on the cover of an evangelical Christian magazine, and I’m also featured in both Playboy and Penthouse. Hallelujah!
I’m going to be blogging throughout the week. I thought I’d start with just a few pieces of
My favorite biblical trivia
- I read dozens of different versions of the Bible in my year of living biblically. Jewish bibles. Christian bibles. A friend of mine sent me a Hip Hop Bible, in which the 23rd Psalm was rendered “The Lord is All That” (the traditional translation: The Lord is my shepherd.)
- It’s a good bet that, at some time or other in history, every single passage in the Bible has been taken as literal. Consider: In the third century, the scholar Origen is said to have interpreted literally Matthew 19:12 — “There are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” — and castrated himself. Origen later became a preeminent theologian of his age – and an advocate of figurative interpretation.
- The most infamous typo in Bible history: The Wicked Bible from 1631. The problem? It omitted the word ‘not’ in Chapter 20, Verse 14 of Exodus, resulting in the commandment: “THOU SHALT COMMIT ADULTERY.” Which must have caused a few perplexed readers and dozens of unnecessary extra-marital affairs.
- Peter Bales, a 16th century Brit was famous for his microscopic writing, and produced a Bible the size of a walnut.
- The Red Sea is a mistranslation. The true translation is most likely The Sea of Reeds.
More tomorrow! Bless you all.
mazel tov AJ! can’t wait to read it.
posted by David on 10-23-2007 at 10:19 am
I saw you on Conan the other night…you were very personable and the book sounded intriguing…nice to see you here ’slumming’ in your old stomping grounds, now that you’re famous! heh…
posted by donner on 10-23-2007 at 10:30 am
I read your piece in the latest MF issue.
How did you try to follow the commandments that are only intended for woman?
or the ones that only apply while the Temple in Jerusalem stood?
(and no, I don’t specifically which ones those are .. just that they’re there).
posted by Howie Modell on 10-23-2007 at 10:30 am
I knew it! I’d like to give a shout out to all my former peeps at CTI: christianitytoday dot com/bc/2007/006/1.9.html
posted by Phoebe on 10-23-2007 at 10:58 am
Dude -
I read “The Know It All” recently and it kicked ass — extremely amusing. I’m greatly looking forward to this new one; keep ‘em coming!
Hey, by the way, what’s with that kooky Joe Queenan guy?
posted by Sid Morrison on 10-23-2007 at 11:34 am
AJ! I adored your book “The Know-It-All” and cannot wait to read your latest. Kudos for taking on such monumental tasks and sharing your experience with us. You are a joy to read. Best of luck on the new project :)
posted by Casey on 10-23-2007 at 11:47 am
AJ’s quest reminds me of the Simpsons where Ned Flanders tells God that he loyally followed all the rules in the Bible, even the ones that contradicted each other.
posted by Griner on 10-23-2007 at 12:18 pm
Saw Mr. Jacobs at his book reading in Seattle last night, and you’d never think a spiritual agnostic guy would have Bible Groupies, but the place was packed! Great work, A.J., and hope the rest of the tour is as fruitful (and multiplies…).
God bless you, dear, strange man.
Michael
posted by Michael Stusser on 10-23-2007 at 12:36 pm
I’d love to read all of the “hip hop” version of the 23rd Psalm. Is it in your book? Where can I find it?
posted by Beth on 10-23-2007 at 1:59 pm
I read “The Know it All” and loved it. I am reading your latest right now (I’m somewhere around page 100) and I am really enjoying it. I don’t mind telling you that you’ve reached my “I-am-going-to-read-everything-he-writes” status - including your guest blog posts.
posted by Donnie on 10-23-2007 at 2:40 pm
This is cool, but will you now live the Koran? You can fill us in on what is really Muslim doctrine and what is not. I still feel the bible is hokey, but if you send me a free copy I will read ypour book. If you make money you are not walking with just your staff and cloak.
posted by gus on 10-23-2007 at 3:12 pm
I also loved “The Know it All.” It was hilarious and I’ve recomended it to several friends.
I’ll be buying your new book as soon as I see it at the store!
posted by Amy on 10-23-2007 at 6:54 pm
The third one you mentioning was in MASH. Father Mulcahy ordered bibles, and there wasn’t “NOT” in a fairly important place. Haven’t read your new book, but It’s on my list.
posted by Emily on 10-23-2007 at 9:48 pm
“don’t wear clothes made of mixed fibers” - Does that mean I’m going to hell because my shirt is cotton/polyester blend?
I wonder what the Hip Hop version of Revelations is like?
posted by Tdave on 10-23-2007 at 10:49 pm
^ I should have put :) after the shirt comment.
posted by Tdave on 10-23-2007 at 10:55 pm
I question if you really did live by all the rules (that are legal in today’s society)and guidelines in the Bible. The greatest commandment seen in both the old and new Testimate:
Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength”
Matthew 22:34-40 “Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””
And again in Mark 12:38-31.
So, did you really abide by all the rules, commandments, and guidelines in the bible? How about the most important and greatest commandment (which is the foundation of the entire Law), did you abide by it? Did you truly love God with all your heart, soul, and mind?
posted by Michelle on 10-24-2007 at 11:06 am
Booyah girl! Everyone, please read what Michelle said and take a moment to ponder…
posted by Nathan on 10-24-2007 at 4:20 pm
Question? Who made you the interpreting authority on the subject of the bible?! What is next?! Koran?! How about next thing you ridicule is the Torah so some other people with poor intelligence could agree with you and laugh and ridicule about something that’s very important to others. Oh please, don’t even think that I’m a holy book “loony” as you might say or even that I’m angry or provoked. I am just a human being. I understand you have problems of your own, otherwise you wouldn’t be interested in ridiculing a very, if not the most important, subject to many people. Please, don’t blame it on others. I mean it’s OK to have small balls, this world needs you too and will embrace you with all of love. Don’t be afraid and try to open people’s eyes about something instead of losing them in such a degradable way, cause if your comedy and your words are entertaining and funny why don’t you just start with plain things about people and their lives. Maybe jokes about Kosher food or Bar Mitzvah, or maybe oyu could tell us about your Brit milah. Now there’s something you could write about. At least that is in your area of expertize.
posted by Kina on 1-18-2008 at 4:26 am