Rating: 
Summary: Asimov has a PHD
Review: I have read many of Asimov's books but not this one. I am writing to point out that contrary to what "George R. Dekle, Sr" wrote in his review of this book, Asimov not only graduated college but also had a PHD and was a professor of BioChemistry at Boston University. George R. Dekle, Sr had wrote that Asimov never even graduated college.
Rating:
Summary: Isaac Asimov
Review: I just want to say for the record that Isaac Asimov not only graduated college but was a PH.D and a proffesor at Boston College
Rating:
Summary: Better than 4 years of high school history!
Review: I learned more about the middle east in this one volume than I learned in four years of high school.This is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the origins of philosophy in the area. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a good update into philosphy and the more modern Arab world and thus is a great companion volume. I recommend both books to anyone with at least a 10th grade education.
Rating: 
Summary: An accomplished work by a well known athiest
Review: I love Asimov's writings. His Science Fiction has helped create the genre. His History works are always insightful. I also love the Bible, and knowing old Issac is an Athiest I bought this book with a degree of trepidation. My trepidation was unfounded. Asimov treats the Bible with respect and understanding. He recognises many of the Old Testament Prophecies about Jesus (another point that concerned me, knowing of Asimov's Jewish heritage). He puts the Bible into its wider historical perspective. This isn't the first book I will refer to to understand a part of the Bible, but it is one to which I will often refer.
Rating: 
Summary: The Peoples of the Bible
Review: I recieved this book for Christmas. It was a pleasant surprise because I am a fan of Asimov's spectacular Robot Series. However, when I opened the book and began to read his hypothesis on books such as Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Genesis, Exodus, etc... I found his opinions to be rather anti-Semitic. Here are some points I have to make against the book: 1. Asimov regards many prophetic books as pure hogwash. I don't down him for this as some do not believe in prophecy. However, he puts forward the conclusion that Daniel and other books were simply political rhetoric of the time disguised as historical record. In other words, Daniel and his associates did not exist. They were concocted by some political activist who had a bone to pick with foreign rulers. I found this highly unlikely because Daniel and other books at the time of Christ were held in the highest regard as books and words given directly from God. You don't take a book that was obviously political, wait fifty years and then give it to the public as the Word of God. Either the Jews were incredibly stupid or they were a nation of liars willing to believe that political activists were really Prophets. If anyone truthfully analyzes the kind of mind that would have to take something like Uncle Tom's Cabin and a hundred years later, find it and believe every word was inspired by God, they will see the absurdity of this claim. These books could not have fooled 99% of the Jewish population for hundreds of years. Nations and people groups just don't believe that kind of stuff if its rigged for so long. 2. Christ is portrayed as a conniving politician. Now some don't believe Jesus was perfect or that he resurrected. Thats fine. But I highly doubt that a man like Jesus could have been the kind of person Asimov makes him out to be and then have his disciples change the records and preach a "Gospel" none of them believed. They died horrible and gruesome deaths for this man. Extra biblical sources confirm it. Why would they run off and "capitalize" on a man they revered and who obviously did not rise from the dead. This is the most unlikely psychological scenario possible. Ask anyone who knows the human psyche and they will tell you how unlikely this is. 3. Once again I return to what Asimov belives is false Jewish history. He maintains that the stories of Jewish wandering in the desert, Sinai, Egypt, etc... is all a bunch of myth scrambled with some real history. This might be concievable if not for three facts. 1. The Jewish people kept an unbelievably close record on these stories. They had scribes who spent years copying them to perfection so that the sort of thing Asimov believes happened DID NOT HAPPEN! 2. If Asimov is correct, these stories have been tainted beyond all hope of recovery. The "spectacular" angles of this history are littered throughout. If you throw out the miraculous you throw out nearly everything. 3. These books do not bear any of the marks of "tampering". Once one scribe decided to tamper with something and things became a free for all, it would have resulted in a mixed bag of stuff no one would have believed. As it stands the Bible is very readable and the style of writing for each book maintains itself throughout that book. There are hundred of copies of the Bible that have been found by archaelogists. Only two copies of Homer's Iliad were ever recovered and that is considered "Bible", pardon the pun, by many historians. And by the way, all those copies of the Bible are virtually identical. They been analyzed in great detail. Therefore, I would wager that Asimov went into this with what I call "a fixed idea" of what he would find. Too bad he missed the mark. Read the Robot Series. Forget this book unless you already believe everything Isaac Asimov is going to say.
Rating:
Summary: Asimov does it again. Nothing sacred?
Review: If there was anyone that was capable of tackling a subject as emotive as religion and the bible, Dr Asimov is the ideal candidate. He has the ability to rationalise long held belief systems and to demystify the irrational teachings of the worlds organised religions. Is nothing sacred? No thank god ! Well I would if I wasn't an atheist.
Rating:
Summary: Great, as usual, from one of the finest.
Review: If you are really interested in a critical and accurate
review of the most misused book in history, the bible, the work and writing of Asimov, in these volumes as well as in
his other science materials is a must. If you fear a challenge
or need the comfort of myth, legend and superstition, don't read this book, or Sagan, they may make you think.
Rating:
Summary: Asimov brings his broad knowledge to this biblical review
Review: If you have an interest in understanding the historical background, religious and political motives, fulfilled and unfulfilled prophecies, and vague allusions concerning the events and characters which fill the Bible; this secular review contains a wealth of knowledge as well as being entertaining.
Each book of the Jewish Bible and New Testament are covered as well as several non-canonical books. The evolution of contemporary Judaism and Christianity thought can be traced through the mythical stories of genesis, the Yawists of ancient Israel, the influence of Babylonian, Persian, and Greek beliefs as well as the Babylonian exile and Roman persecutions which inspired biblical apocalyptic writings. Great watershed events such as the invasion and conquest of Canaan by the Hebrew tribes, the establishment of the Davidic dynasty by Samuel, the splitting of the Israel/Judah confederacy due to Solomon's policies in building the first temple, the conquest of Israel by the Assyrians, the conquest of Judah and destruction of the first temple by the Babylonians, the return from the Babylonian exile and construction of the second temple, the destruction of the second temple by the Romans, the life and crucifixion of Jesus, and the establishment of the Christian religion through Paul's efforts are all covered in this 1200+ page tome.
Asimov's book reads like a historical novel which is more readable and easier to understand than reading the bible cold. After reading through this book, I feel confident in engaging my Christian and Jewish friends in discussions about the bible and in most cases, am more knowledgeable about their holy book than they are.
Rating:
Summary: Great critical approach to the Bible
Review: If you're interested in the historical context that the Old & New Testaments are set in, then you should most definitely buy this book. Asimov does a great job of providing the historical background for the events that occurred thousands of years ago. A must-read if you want to approach the Bible from an historian's viewpoint.
Rating:
Summary: The old Intellect focuses on biblical concept
Review: In terms of intellect, he could do almost anything and master it. He was the Voltaire of our time. And, still, his intent was to provide information that a thinking mind might utilize to make its own determinations. In this small aspect of his study, when he focused his considerable energy in this direction, his own words must express his motives: "Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly..." -- Isaac Asimov, Canadian Atheists Newsletter, 1994
| 
