Dr Simon Reads...

  1 Maccabees  6-10 War Elephants, A Bit of Light Slaughter, Too Many Antiochuses, and a Massive Plot Twist.   Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Apocrypha version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Old Testament Apocrypha, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.   For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/3aEJ6Q5 For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP   And now:   1 Maccabees  6 “ And upon the beasts were there strong towers of wood, which covered every one of them, and were girt fast unto them with devices: there were also upon every one two and thirty strong men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian that ruled him”   There’s some very different fighting on show here, and it all feels a lot more advanced that when Saul and David were riding around on chariots. And on top of that we get some courtly intrigue among the Persians as w

  1 Maccabees  1-5 The Sons of Mattathias (Yay!) vs. Antiochus Epiphanes (Boo!)   Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Apocrypha version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Old Testament Apocrypha, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.   For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/3aEJ6Q5 For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP   1 Maccabees  1 “ And it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came out of the land of Chettiim, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece”   There’s some vivid (not to mention lurid) history in this chapter. Alexander the Great defeats Darius of Persia and establishes his empire, only to die twelve years later and divides it between his heirs, who then end up fighting over it.   Jerusalem falls under the jurisdiction of Antioch

  Prayer of Manasseh  1 Holy Wall Of Text!   Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Apocrypha version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Old Testament Apocrypha, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.   For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/3aEJ6Q5 For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP   Prayer of Manasseh  1 “ My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied: my transgressions are multiplied, and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven for the multitude of mine iniquities”   Holy Wall of Text, Batman! This is one book, with one chapter, with one verse. It’s probably a good indicator of what all of the Bible would have looked like in original form, a solid block of writing not divided into verses nor showing much in the way of paragraph structure.   I recall Manasseh as being the Israelite tribe that split into two parts and s

  Bel and the Dragon  1 Cheating Priests, Exploding Dragons And A Prophet On A String.   Welcome to the next instalment of An Atheist Explores Sacred Texts (Apocrypha version). In this series I work my way chapter-by-chapter through the Old Testament Apocrypha, commenting on it from the point of view of the text as literature and mythology.   For more detail, see the introductory post http://bit.ly/3aEJ6Q5 For the online KJV I use, see here http://bit.ly/2m0zVUP   Bel and the Dragon   1 “ Now the Babylons had an idol, called Bel, and there were spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.”   I’ll say one thing for the apocryphal texts, they’re some of the more entertaining stories in the Bible, full of folk tale tropes, practical wisdom and not a little bit of humour.   The chapter starts with King Cyrus inheriting his kingdom, including Babylon, and Cyrus seems to be on good terms with the Israelite prophet a