Think you could live by the rules in the Bible? Really, after the main Ten Commandments, how many could there be? Over 700, between the Old and New Testaments. And A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically, intended to follow them all – or as closely as possible – for one year.
Jacobs takes the reader through his entire year of Biblical exploration, starting with his reluctance in the beginning on understanding the complexities of certain rules (no wearing mixed fabrics? What do you wear then?) to his spiritual revelation. Jacobs starts out a non-practicing Jew but, through his year of following and appreciating the Bible, finds himself eventually becoming a believer.
By Vanessa Kolberg
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Think you could live by the rules in the Bible? Really, after the main Ten Commandments, how many could there be? Over 700, between the Old and New Testaments. And A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically, intended to follow them all – or as closely as possible – for one year.
Jacobs takes the reader through his entire year of Biblical exploration, starting with his reluctance in the beginning on understanding the complexities of certain rules (no wearing mixed fabrics? What do you wear then?) to his spiritual revelation. Jacobs starts out a non-practicing Jew but, through his year of following and appreciating the Bible, finds himself eventually becoming a believer.
Assimilating to the strict rules of the Bible proved to be a challenge, considering the complexities of each law. Most are found in the Old Testament and very few people, if any, follow each to the letter anymore. Jacobs enlists the help of several experts in religion from all denominations around the country in order to understand the strange and sometimes complex rules. When it says to stone adulterers, is that a literal rule? The Commandments must be affixed to the head and hand during the day? Even stranger laws abound, allowing the reader to understand just how difficult it must have been for Jacobs to try and follow each.
The book is a quick read and extremely informative- sort of like a primer on all the strangeness of the Bible. Everyone knows the basic “Thou shall not…”s but The Year of Living Biblically informs the reader to the more obscure laws, and their purpose. Religious or nonreligious, agnostic or a strong believer, the book is a funny account of how far a man will go to adhere to each of the 700 laws.