This book is an incredible bargain. It contains over 1,200 pages of information you should not read the Bible without.

Two volumes in one (including both the Old and New Testaments), this guide clarifies such topics as the real nature of the Flood and the parting of the Red Sea, the significance of Cain and Abel, the Bible's position on slavery, a possible astronomical explanation of the Star of Bethlehem, and much, much more. His style and prose help make the subject accessible to practically any age. ISBN 051734582X

In the Beginning : A New Interpretation of Genesis
by Karen Armstrong

Karen Armstrong never ceases to amaze me. Rather than subtitle the book "A New Interpretation of Genesis", she should have subtitled it "Finally, a Logical Interpretation of Genesis that Makes Sense". I suppose that would have been a bit bold though. <g>

Seriously though, when I read Armstrong, I frequently think, "this makes so much sense, why didn't I think of this before?". If I had to read the three books by Armstrong over again from the start, I would have read this one and Through the Narrow Gate (which should probably be read first) before reading A History of God.

Armstrong goes through each of the stories found in Genesis and provides a reasonable interpretation of what each story is about and what we can learn from them. Although she doesn't come out with her overall view of whether all of the stories are purely symbolic or if any may have a hint of literalism in them, I tend to agree with Lloyd Graham's view that they are all a symbolic creation story told over and over again with different characters to bring out different aspects of the Hebrew thought on creation and life in general.

The book is very short. It includes only a little over 100 pages (not counting the actual text of Genesis which is included in full). The sections on Noah and the Ark and Jacob were perhaps the most interesting for me. It is certainly worth reading for anyone interested in studying the Bible.

The Biblical Flood: A Case Study of the Church's Response to Extrabiblical Evidence

Creationism's Upside-Down Pyramid: How Science Refutes Fundamentalism

Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others

The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara Walker

• A debate on the subject featuring Frank Zindler
• April Fool's Noah's Ark Joke
• Ark hoax stories
• Ark Impossibilities
• Biblical Flood — where did the myth come from?
• Frank Zindler silmän kehityksestä
• Impossiblities in the Bible
• Six Flood Arguments Creationists Can't Answer
• Smithsonian Statement on the Bible
• What about Noah's Ark?
• What Would We Expect to Find if the Earth had Flooded?
• Why it's a load of old cobblers

Debate the subject or just listen in on the debate by searching one or all of these newsgroups: alt.bible, talk.origins, and/or alt.mythology

Ajattele nyt — he asuvat jossain siellä hiekkaerämaassa ja äkkiä heidän pitää hankkia kaksi norsua. Vai useampiako?

"Seem," Jaafet hoilottaa. "Onko norsu puhdas vai saastainen eläin? Jos se on puhdas, niin niitä on hankittava seitsemän, ja arkki on vaikeuksissa. Entä sarvikuonot? Ja virtahevot? Mitä voimme tehdä dinosauruksille? Miten saamme brontosauruksen kulkemaan laskusiltaa pitkin?"

Jaafetista on hauska huomauttaa ongelmista, joita Nooalle ei ole edes tullut mieleen.

"Pandat — kakarat rakastavat pandoja, emme voi antaa niiden kuolla sukupuuttoon, mutta miten saamme kaksi niistä tänne äkkiä Kiinasta asti?? Ja muuten, isä, miten me sitten oikein pidämme leijonat poissa lampaiden kimpusta?"

Philip Appleman