Back to KJV, Pew Bible, Large Print, Hardcover, Black, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print : Holy Bible, King James Version

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3.31 out of 5stars
(13 reviews)

Most helpful positive review

5.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
10/29/2009
This book is full of t...
This book is full of things most people don't even know are in the Bible. War, slaughter, slavery, prostitution, etc. Anyhoo, one has too look past these cultural differences, and inconsistencies of the texts due to the various writers experiencing the Word of God in different ways. I give it an A-. I will read it again soon.
Anagarika

Most helpful negative review

1.00 out of 5 stars review
Verified Purchaser
10/21/2012
Some lovely passages, ...
Some lovely passages, but the story doesn't really hold together, and is directly contradicted by itself within the text. this business of having bibles in the church pews should maybe be re-thought. Because most people sit in the same place every week. And if you're not engrossed in whatever is going on at any given moment, you can read from the bible and not get in trouble, sitting there quietly. So, if you sit in the same place all the time you can steadily work you way straight through, week by week. And if you do that? You won't like it nearly as much as if you just study little bits out of context. Well, your mileage may vary.
Kaethe
14 reviews
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  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/29/2021
    This book is full of things most…
    This book is full of things most people don't even know are in the Bible. War, slaughter, slavery, prostitution, etc. Anyhoo, one has too look past these cultural differences, and inconsistencies of the texts due to the various writers experiencing the Word of God in different ways. I give it an A-. I will read it again soon.
    Anagarika
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/28/2021
    This is one of the only books I ever…
    This is one of the only books I ever read more than once. It is not linear or chronological, so reading it in order is both difficult and not necessary, but in various forms and fashion I read each book of the bible a minimum of three times. Some books were read perhaps a dozen times. This reading occurred over about 30 years. I did not do all of this reading because it was an enjoyable story, but out of a sense of compulsion. I grew up Christian and believed for forty years that the Bible held answers and mysteries and was a directly inspired message from God to man. Keep in mind that I was raised as a Fundamentalist, and that we believed in the infallibility of every word, including a literal six-day creation, the global flood, and a universe no older than 10,000 years or so... I now believe quite the opposite, and thus the one-star review. I would like to break my review into a few sections: History The Bible is horribly inaccurate historically. A few time periods and names line up with reality and can be verified externally, but the vast majority can not. This extends from Genesis through the New Testament. Extensive archaeological expeditions have shown that people and places mentioned never existed, or existed only centuries after or before the time period referenced. There appears to have been no David or Solomon, or Solomon's temple, for example. No evidence of hundreds of thousands of Hebrews wandering in the desert. No mention of Israel in ancient Egyptian or Babylonian texts. Up until 500BC or so there appear to have been nothing more than a few nomadic tribes wandering around modern-day Israel. Surprisingly, this lack of evidence extends even to the person of Jesus. What few external references there are are either vague or completely fabricated at a later date. The best evidence suggests a list of 'sayings' that were woven into a history by unknown authors a century after the time period in reference. The debate is hot and heavy here, but only inside Christian circles. Serious scholars outside those circles have long since moved on. Science There is simply no debate here - the Bible is as woefully ignorant of science as many other ancient texts, perhaps more so. The universe is either 3.5 billion years old or 10,000 years old. A global flood is either impossible or really happened. All life on earth was either created 10,000 years ago or evolved over several hundred million years. These are completely unreconcilable positions. It is either one or the other, both can not be true. To believe the Bible is to outright reject large disciplines of science. Morality Many religious faithful have managed to hold on to their faith in the Bible by doing a bit of a sidestep. They acknowledge the problems with history and science by claiming that the Bible was never intended to address those areas. Tales of creation and flood and ancient people are merely morality tales in this view, and what is important is the lessons they convey, not the details of time or place. They manage to fit the cosmic life cycle of the universe and of Earth in-between verses of Genesis. It is a tricky balancing act, but it works for many. However, what about the morality that remains? Frankly, I find it as lacking as the history and science. Even if you don't hold the Old Testament to be historically accurate, the depiction of God is one of anger and jealousy and petty revenge, a harsh taskmaster with bloodlust. This stands in stark contrast to the pacifist, turn-the-other-cheek, peace-loving, miracle-working, healing sacrificial Jesus. And yet both Jesus and Jehovah are said to be one-and-the same God. This is very difficult to reconcile, and yet fundamentalism attempts to do just that. The technique is simple, and in modern terms it is referred to as 'cherry-picking.' The fact is that the words in the oldest manuscripts of the Bible have not changed for millenia, yet the interpretations have changed as often as the wind. This is why there are so many thousands of sects of religion. Humans tend to pick the interpretation that seems best to them. This stands in stark contrast to the idea that the Bible supposedly contains absolute truth, especially in moral matters. Atheism is often criticized for lacking any sort of standard with which to guide one's life. How, they are asked, do you know right from wrong? The assumption is that the Bible is such a standard. However, if one simply takes just one step back and looks at the bigger picture, it is obvious that the Bible is no such thing. It is as rigid as water. Religious people have always differed on major issues, including justice, human rights, abortion, the death penalty and homosexuality. One would be hard-pressed to find a single passage of scripture which all believers agree on and follow closely. However, if you do find such a passage of agreement (such as 'love thy neighbor') it is unlikely to be practiced as such. It is also likely to be found universally in other religions, most of which predate the Judeo-Christian versions. The fact is that the Bible fails miserably as a moral guide. My Recommendation I will not, in spite of what I just wrote, tell people to avoid this book. I don't recommend it particularly, but there may still be some value in reading it. This is especially true for those of other faiths. If you want to know why Jews and Christians behave the way they do, and why they say what they say, this is a good starting point. It has value as reference and research, but not much more. There is one group, however, I do recommend this book to: believers. Unfortunately most of them have never read more than 10% of it. I definitely recommend that they do so, and that they think about what they read in context. But I urge caution here -- many a faith has been undermined by such an undertaking. Proceed with care!
    donblanco
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/25/2021
    This book is full of things most…
    This book is full of things most people don't even know are in the Bible. War, slaughter, slavery, prostitution, etc. Anyhoo, one has too look past these cultural differences, and inconsistencies of the texts due to the various writers experiencing the Word of God in different ways. I give it an A-. I will read it again soon.
    Anagarika
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    05/24/2021
    This book is full of things most…
    This book is full of things most people don't even know are in the Bible. War, slaughter, slavery, prostitution, etc. Anyhoo, one has too look past these cultural differences, and inconsistencies of the texts due to the various writers experiencing the Word of God in different ways. I give it an A-. I will read it again soon.
    Unknown
  • 2.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    02/26/2021
    Poorly written .Not written by a grammar student.maybe written in China.
    BenHadd
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    12/01/2020
    Love the word of are Lord.
    Marcel1991
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/19/2019
    Love
    My dad loves it. He couldn't read the Bible until now.
    FaithfulMom
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    11/09/2013
    Jesus dies and comes b...
    Jesus dies and comes back as a zombie.
    Banjaxe
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    03/30/2013
    What can you say about...
    What can you say about one of the most boring books of all time, yet still tops the charts for best-selling fiction. Firstly the writing style is atrocious. It's like twenty guys were only given part of the story and told to make it up and make it all fit. The inconsistencies are everywhere. They really needed a better editor. And with so many different cooks the styles are everywhere. From dry accountant listing everything person and every thing in exacting detail, to a fantasy nut who introduces magical staffs and mythical beings who communicate through burning botany. What happened to the plot? For the first section there is this evil overlord controlling every aspect of his minions life. What they can eat, what they can wear, who they must kill and subjugate next. I kept waiting for a big rebellion and maybe a lightsaber battle but they kept praising this guy. Can't they see they are just his puppets? And it goes on and on and on and on and on and... you get the drift. But thankfully it isn't all just lists, and doom and gloom and wait yes it is. There's some comedy pieces like this guy Noah who forgot all the dinosaurs and left them to die instead of taking them on his super arc. Must have been a cold-hearted guy and let them drown like the chick in Titanic did to Leo. So did Noah paint the dinosaurs like one of his "French girls"? But then in the second half (or sequel I'm not quite sure. Maybe there was some writers strike between them) he just changes and it's as if he isn't even there anymore. Anti-climactic or what. Now his son is here to make the world a better place. I think the writers owe George Lucas some money for stealing his idea. This guy possesses all these superpowers but never comes up with a cool costume or superhero name. He just walks around, talking and occasionally doing little magic tricks. He could have headlined in Vegas! But no, he just tours the Middle East and forgets about the rest of the world. So in retaliation for not doing a gig in the Coliseum the Romans decide he has to die. And, lo and behold, he does! On a massive cross which must have hurt. But wait! He still has a magic trick up his sleeve (or robe or toga or whatever). He was only faking it. They take his "body" and put it in a cave and he does his Houdini trick and poof, he's gone. I'm thinking he was like the invisible man and ran off and married some little Arabian hottie. And story over. So some minor magical fantasy pieces surrounded by the dullest of historical fantasy. At over 1000 pages, mostly with pretty small print, this tome makes for one hell of a paperweight and not much else. No wonder it's always left behind in hotels because people get 5 pages in and fall asleep. Do yourself a favour and go read some much better written historical fantasy. Or maybe Harry Potter. Hell maybe even Twilight. No scratch that, Twilight is still worse. Just.
    Shirezu
  • 1.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    10/21/2012
    Some lovely passages, ...
    Some lovely passages, but the story doesn't really hold together, and is directly contradicted by itself within the text. this business of having bibles in the church pews should maybe be re-thought. Because most people sit in the same place every week. And if you're not engrossed in whatever is going on at any given moment, you can read from the bible and not get in trouble, sitting there quietly. So, if you sit in the same place all the time you can steadily work you way straight through, week by week. And if you do that? You won't like it nearly as much as if you just study little bits out of context. Well, your mileage may vary.
    Kaethe
  • 2.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    07/30/2012
    EXTREMELY tedious. So...
    EXTREMELY tedious. Some of the stories are interesting, but for the most part it just drags on and on. I wouldn't recommend it.
    GaryPatella
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    04/17/2012
    Im an atheist, but I ...
    I'm an atheist, but I emphatically believe everyone of every kind of belief should read the Bible from cover to cover for three reasons. First, because to not know it means you're handicapped in understanding the world around you. About two billion out of almost seven billion on Earth today are Christians, more than any other faith. Followed by followers of Islam who number one-and-a-half billion--and Judeo-Christian beliefs were a major influence on their founder Muhammad. Muslims consider themselves, Christians and Jews as "People of the Book" with many stories and beliefs in common. Five of the seven continents are by and large Christian and a sixth, Africa, is about half Christian and the other half Muslim. And Asia? Well, given the legacy of imperialism and colonialism, Christianity certainly made its mark on its history. You're also going to be culturally impoverished if you don't read the Bible--the allusions and influences on literature, music, and art are profound. The second reason I think everyone should read it is that parts of it can claim to be among the oldest of surviving human texts, dating to perhaps the second millennium BCE and making those portions over 3,000 years old. Few works--some Sanskrit, Sumerian and Egyptian works, such as the Pyramid Texts and the Epic of Gilgamesh--can claim to be older. There's something compelling about reading something so close to the very start of civilization. Finally, there is intrinsic worth in many of the works in the Bible. From my secular point of view, of varied value, with each book almost certainly written by very different authors over centuries--and very possibly not by whom the book is ascribed. But yes, parts are beautiful. I especially loved several of the Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes--and my favorites are Ruth and the erotic poem (yes, you read that right) the Song of Songs. If there's the Good, there's also from my perch the Bad and the Ugly. I think what gets to the heart of my problem with the Bible and its believers is the story in Genesis of how God tests Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac--and is pleased when he proceeds to do so. As far as I'm concerned, if I was testing someone to be the chosen one, and they actually proceeded to sacrifice a child, I'd say, you most certainly DID NOT PASS THE TEST. The whole idea of obedience to God and "His Word" in the Bible as an ultimate good simply strikes me as repugnant. Furthermore, one of my more unpleasant surprises reading the Bible from cover to cover was the story of Jepthe's daughter in Judges. There a father makes a rash vow to sacrifice the first living thing to greet him when he comes home--who happens to be his young daughter. And this time God does not intervene. I think the story was such a shock to me because it's not a story that is emphasized in our culture. I may be an atheist, but I was raised a Catholic, attended catechism classes, and was required to take mandatory classes on Religion in my Catholic high school and college. I can't ever recall having heard of that story before coming upon it for myself. Leviticus also makes for unsettling reading. There is of course the much discussed passage condemning homosexuals to death. That's not the only Biblical law calling for the death penalty--it also falls on anyone taking the Lord's name in vain, breaking the sabbath, and of course "you shall not suffer a witch to live." About translations. Well, they make a big difference. I chose the Revised King James Version because it's the most widely used and influential among English-speaking Christians. However, seeking out other translations of the various books can really be illuminating. I remember in my high school religion class what we learned about Jesus' aphorism that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven." Well, according to our teacher, that's a mistranslation that allowed the church to interpret it as meaning it's hard for a loaded camel to make it through a narrow passage--so you must unload those money bags to the church! But as it turns out, "camel" is just the idiom for "camel hair rope." So the proper aphorism should be "it is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven." That's a lot harsher and bleaker--but also a much more elegant image. Finally, you're going to get more out of the Bible if you read through some guides and commentaries first or along with it. I read Asimov's Guide to the Bible--which was very readable and thorough in giving the historical and archeological context, but I'm sure is very dated now.
    LisaMaria_C
  • 5.00 out of 5 stars review
    Verified Purchaser
    10/29/2009
    This book is full of t...
    This book is full of things most people don't even know are in the Bible. War, slaughter, slavery, prostitution, etc. Anyhoo, one has too look past these cultural differences, and inconsistencies of the texts due to the various writers experiencing the Word of God in different ways. I give it an A-. I will read it again soon.
    Anagarika