Harlot by the Side of the Road by Jonathan Kirsch (ISBN:0345418824)

English (US)

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		Harlot by the Side of the Road
	
				(8 reviews)			
(109 Readers)

			Jonathan Kirsch		
	
"The stories you are about to read are some of the most violent and sexually explicit in all of Western literature. They are tales of human passion...more
 "The stories you are about to read are some of the most violent and sexually explicit in all of Western literature. They are tales of human passion in all of its infinite variety: adultery, seduction, incest, rape, mutilation, assassination, torture, sacrifice, and murder. . . ."Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant book, Jonathan Kirsch recounts shocking tales that have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history. Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each one was originally censored, and shows how these ancient narratives hold valuable lessons for all of us.   less

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
An incredible eye opening book. Everyone needs to read this! It's amazing the types of tales that are actually told in the bible, but very few people actually ever see due to the information being censored.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Fun and scholarly look at some of the more obscure stories in the Old Testament.

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							Julie
						
							few weeks ago						
Learn the truth about the folks in the Old Testament; all the flaws in full view.  These people are more inspiring than the sanitized versions we are fed at church.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
As a religion major, these were the tales that caught my eye when I read the Old Testament.  Jonathan Kirsch does a great job of bringing these often-overlooked stories to life.  I only wish it were longer because there are so many more stories that can examined.  For example, the book of Joshua is one of the bloodiest stories of genocide and graphic depravity I've ever read.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Kirsch, who isn't a rabbi but ought to be one, writes about the weirdest stories in the Old Testament, mostly on the sexual side of things.  The story of Tamar, for example.  A recurring theme is bad eyssight and mistaken identities.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
I am reading this book to discuss at the next GLILA Book Group.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Deals with the 'texts of terror' in the OT.  Mostly from Genesis and Judges they are the stories of rape, terror and violence that definitely ought not to be read by children in Sunday school.  Offers attempts at retelling the stories and in so doing brings them alive.  The tries to make sense of what is happening inthe accounts.
Takes the text seriously though not from the conservative circle...more
 Deals with the 'texts of terror' in the OT.  Mostly from Genesis and Judges they are the stories of rape, terror and violence that definitely ought not to be read by children in Sunday school.  Offers attempts at retelling the stories and in so doing brings them alive.  The tries to make sense of what is happening inthe accounts.
Takes the text seriously though not from the conservative circle of critics really.
  A good read   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Best book on the Bible that I have ever read. Author is a genius.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
not as cool as the title suggests :(

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