To many people in the 21st century, the Bible may seem like an anachronism, but as an all-time bestseller, it still attracts plenty of new commentary. Without a doubt, Karen Armstrong is one of the best qualified to add to this vast body of literature. Her breadth of knowledge is impressive. After providing a summary of how the sixty-six books were put together, he goes on to describe how these texts have been interpreted by different groups of scholars over the centuries, in a process that we are constantly reminded of is called exegesis, a word Greek meaning to drive. or lead out.

Karen Armstrong explains that for hundreds of years before any of the words were put into writing, the wisdom of the past was passed down orally from generation to generation. Storytellers have always been given license to modify and embellish their tales, and this license was extended to generations of new authors, many anonymous or purporting to be known prophets of the past, who reworked and rearranged the early texts. ‘From the beginning, the biblical authors felt free to revise the texts they had inherited and give them a completely different meaning.’ Much was added and some things were lost, but eventually an effort was made to establish an official canon, a set of books approved by religious authority.

Two canons are discussed. The Old Testament books, originally composed in several languages ​​including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, are shared by both Jews and Christians, but the New Testament books, all originally composed in Greek, are used only by Christians. Karen Armstrong describes how both Jews and Christians have undertaken the process of exegesis over the centuries, each seeking new insights from ancient texts in the belief that this mosaic of ancient documents preserves the hidden Word of God.

Exegesis has been carried out in an astonishing variety of ways. Many scholars have devoted their lives, and schools have labored for generations, to the detailed analysis of every book, chapter, and verse. Most efforts have been to look beyond words for underlying meaning. Others have sought new knowledge by linking words and phrases from different books, often far removed from each other in time and context. Only one system is condemned. The Bible lacks historical accuracy and contains so many contradictions that any attempt at literal understanding soon leads to confusion. Karen Armstrong sympathizes with most of the religious groups that have struggled with this literary leviathan, but she warns of the dangers of literal interpretation that leads to fundamentalism.