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Rating: 
Summary: A Remarkable Book About A Serious Subject
Review: Gary Greenberg has written a remarkable book which describes how the Bible was influenced by many different myths and legends taken from cultures with which the Hebrews came into contact. For example, early biblical history was much affected by Egyptian mythology and literature. Babylonian myths were sometimes added later and then integrated with other legends drawn from still more sources.The author describes the Old Testament as a collection of myths. The myths are valuable because they lead us to learn the truth about the history of ancient Israel. Greenberg points out that by identifying the myths and legends which were used in writing the Bible we are able to determine where the Jewish people were located at definite dates in history. These myths and legends can sometimes even be offerred as proof of the validity of certain biblical events in the same manner as archaeological sites are utilized. In discussing the myths individually the author has grouped them chronologically into three groups as follows: Myths of the Beginning, Myths of the Founders and Myths of the Heroes. The book includes an extensive suggested reading list and a table of useful maps.
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Summary: Interesting, but not Scholarly
Review: Greenberg's exploration of the myths comprising much of the Old Testament is very enlightening. Granted, sometimes you may wonder if he pulled a muscle reaching for some of his conclusions (I still don't understand why the Hebrews, trying to distance themselves from Egypt, would deliberately create stories that symbolized Egyptian political struggles), and some even contradict each other (such as when he concludes the Flood is a myth and then uses it as a reference date to discredit other stories), but most are at least plausible. And his theories as to the origin of the twelve tribes are fascinating. Also, Greenberg focuses almost exclusively on similarities, meaning biblical apologists will undoubtedly jump on the differences to debunk his work. It would have been nice if he had touched on that to head off such attacks because many of his points are valid if speculative. "101 Myths" should not be taken as a scholarly study (Greenberg's occasional sarcasm clearly indicates his bias, and his citations often consist of the phrase "many Egyptian myths"), but for the reader with casual to moderate interest in the subject, the book is a fascinating read.
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Summary: Interesting, but incomplete
Review: The book raises interesting ideas that bear further study, but the author doesn't provide enough information to complete his case. Greenburg's format is to start each chapter with a story from the Bible, given under the heading "Myth# XX." The rest of the chapter is Greenburg's theory, explained under the heading "The Reality." Since some of the arguments were sketchy, and since some of the myth comparisons seemed tenuous, calling his theories "reality" seemed to be a stretch. Admittedly, the book is written for an audience of laymen, but in my opinion, it would have been better to have provided more thorough background, other examples of ancient texts borrowing from each other, separate summaries of the Egyptian and Mespotamian myths, and references to other authors and experts whose work backs up the author's conclusions. Ultimately, I felt that confidence in Greenburg's assertions required faith in the author's expertise rather than comfort with the strength of his arguments. That being the case, I think that the best he has done is to express interesting ideas that will not be persuasive to skeptics.
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Summary: A book about Egyptian mythology
Review: The title of this book is somewhat misleading, and it should be called "Egyptian mythology and its relationship to the Bible stories". If you are interested in this topic, go ahead, it will be a wonderful book. But if you are looking for scientific explanations or archeological discoveries that confirm or deny the biblical stories, if you are looking for facts that justify calling myths to the Old Testament narratives, go find another book.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not comprehensive
Review: Throughout the ancient world, pagan religions had mythologies about their origins and the gods that ruled them -- creation myths, flood myths, tales of the gods getting angry at the people, harming them, and then reconsidering their actions with regret. Sound familiar? Gary Greenberg's "101 Myths of the Bible" is an interesting read, casting light on some compelling evidence that the writers of the Bible were highly influenced in their storytelling by existing pagan mythology, especially Egyptian mythology. Israelites, after all, spent years in captivity in Egypt, where they would have been familiar with its religion and myths. In this book, Greenberg spells out 101 theories about certain Bible stories, and then shows what their Egyptian antecedents may have been. The evidence is compelling. The book is written in a simplistic format that brings to mind McDowell's "Answers to Tough Questions Skeptics Ask" although Greenberg is far more intelligent and based in scholorship, of course. He seems to borrow a lot of his information from Friedman's "Who Wrote the Bible?" and gives credit to that book in his "Suggested Reading" section at the back. I would recommend reading the Friedman book first and then this -- Greenberg's take could almost be considered a spinoff focusing on Egyptian myths that mirror the Bible tales. Greenberg isn't a particulary gifted writer, but he is lucid and compelling, spelling out his case in a step-by-step way that begins to convince you overwealmingly of its truth -- does it surprise you that he's a defense attorney? Worth a look.
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Summary: Those Scribe-People and Their 'Artistic License'
Review: You know how fashions come and go? How bell bottoms are in then out and now in again? You know how it says (in the OT, I believe) how there's nothing new under the sun? Well, the same is true of Judeo-Xn holy scripture. A lot of the Biblical stories of Moses, Jacob, et al, were recasts of Egyptian myths. So says this book. And that makes sense. Moses after all led the "Israelites" out of where? Egypt. The Israelites' God concept was in a state of flux, "golden calves" and all. This book contributes to detecting how it evolved. Read it and "believe."
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