Books with author Jonathan KIRSCH

Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant new book, Jonathan Kirsch shows that the Old Testament is filled with some of the most startling and explicit stories in all of Western literature. These tales of seduction and rape, voyeurism and exhibitionism, intermarriage and illegitimacy, assassination and murder have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history precisely because they are so shocking. "You mean that's in the Bible?" is the common reaction of the contemporary reader to the stories that Kirsch retells and explores.In The Harlot by the Side of the Road, Kirsch recounts these suppressed and mistranslated tales in the grand storytelling tradition. Here is the tale of Dinah, the young Israelite daughter raped by a princely suitor. The price for her hand in marriage? The circumcision of every man in his kingdom. Here, too, is the story of Lot's daughters, who, when faced with the possibility that they are the last survivors on earth, must copulate with their drunken father to continue their race. And the story of Tamar, the harlot by the side of the road, who must disguise herself as a prostitute and seduce her father-in-law in order to bear the child who has been promised her. Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, and delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each story was originally censored. He also brings to light when and where each story was first written down, and how it found its way into the Bible. And he shows how these stories have something important to say to contemporary readers who might never pick up a Bible.Kirsch reveals that the Bible's real power lies in its unflinching lessons in human nature. And he illuminates the surprising modernity of the Bible's characters: these were, like us, people delicately balanced between their destructive and generous natures. Certain to excite controversy and ignite intellectual debate, The Harlot by the Side of the Road will undoubtedly be one of the year's most talked-about books.

"The stories you are about to read are some of the most violent and sexually explicit in all of Western literature. They are tales of human passion in all of its infinite variety: adultery, seduction, incest, rape, mutilation, assassination, torture, sacrifice, and murder. . . ."Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant book, Jonathan Kirsch recounts shocking tales that have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history. Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each one was originally censored, and shows how these ancient narratives hold valuable lessons for all of us.

Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant new book, Jonathan Kirsch shows that the Old Testament is filled with some of the most startling and explicit stories in all of Western literature. These tales of seduction and rape, voyeurism and exhibitionism, intermarriage and illegitimacy, assassination and murder have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history precisely because they are so shocking. "You mean that's in the Bible?" is the common reaction of the contemporary reader to the stories that Kirsch retells and explores.In The Harlot by the Side of the Road, Kirsch recounts these suppressed and mistranslated tales in the grand storytelling tradition. Here is the tale of Dinah, the young Israelite daughter raped by a princely suitor. The price for her hand in marriage? The circumcision of every man in his kingdom. Here, too, is the story of Lot's daughters, who, when faced with the possibility that they are the last survivors on earth, must copulate with their drunken father to continue their race. And the story of Tamar, the harlot by the side of the road, who must disguise herself as a prostitute and seduce her father-in-law in order to bear the child who has been promised her. Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, and delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each story was originally censored. He also brings to light when and where each story was first written down, and how it found its way into the Bible. And he shows how these stories have something important to say to contemporary readers who might never pick up a Bible.Kirsch reveals that the Bible's real power lies in its unflinching lessons in human nature. And he illuminates the surprising modernity of the Bible's characters: these were, like us, people delicately balanced between their destructive and generous natures. Certain to excite controversy and ignite intellectual debate, The Harlot by the Side of the Road will undoubtedly be one of the year's most talked-about books.

"Haven't you always thought there’s something WEIRD about this town, Miro?" Miro and Zia live in Aurora, a fishing town nestled in the shadow of an ancient castle. Miro lives in his books; Zia is never without her camera. The day they meet, they uncover a secret. The fishing works, the castle, and the town council are all linked to an ill-fated 1930s Antarctic expedition. But the diary of that journey has been hidden, and the sea is stirring up unusual creatures. Something has a powerful hold over the town. With Zia determined to find out more, Miro finds himself putting aside his books for a real adventure.

"Haven't you always thought there’s something WEIRD about this town, Miro?"Miro and Zia live in Aurora, a fishing town nestled in the shadow of an ancient castle. Miro lives in his books; Zia is never without her camera. The day they meet, they uncover a secret. The fishing works, the castle, and the town council are all linked to an ill-fated 1930s Antarctic expedition. But the diary of that journey has been hidden, and the sea is stirring up unusual creatures. Something has a powerful hold over the town.With Zia determined to find out more, Miro finds himself putting aside his books for a real adventure.

Now available as a separate book to Welcome To Being Human (All-In-One Edition).Imagine a story written for adults, but told through 3 separate children’s stories. One bedtime story for parents to read to a child. One story for a child learning to read. One story for children to read to parents.This is just what is included in the Children’s Edition of Welcome to Being Human – the highly acclaimed book that has gripped adults young and old alike.How many times have you heard, “Life doesn’t come with an instruction book?”But what if it did? And what if you wrote that instruction book before arriving on Earth so that one day, in your human form, you would find it and be able to look upon your life with an entirely different perspective?Ever since humans arrived on Earth, they have – for better or worse – bounced around the planet without any sense of direction. It would be almost comical if it wasn’t reality. I mean, how many times have you asked a question and heard an answer like, “I don’t know why, but that is what it says?” Or even better... “That’s just the way it is.” After all, the greatest minds on planet Earth have only a small understanding of something much, much greater than can be explained through science, math, and history.This is why Welcome to Being Human will find the rhythm to your heart. For the first time, one book answers the great questions about life that have gone unanswered for so long! It is a story humorously written by you, for you, to help you remember all that’s been forgotten... an instruction book to being human.Welcome to being human!NOTE: To preserve the images and layout, this book is a FIXED WIDTH ebook.

Now available as a separate book to Welcome To Being Human (All-In-One Edition).Imagine a story written for adults, but told through 3 separate children's stories. One bedtime story for parents to read to a child. One story for a child learning to read. One story for children to read to parents. This is just what is included in the Children's Edition of Welcome to Being Human - the highly acclaimed book that has gripped adults young and old alike. How many times have you heard, "Life doesn't come with an instruction book?" But what if it did? And what if you wrote that instruction book before arriving on Earth so that one day, in your human form, you would find it and be able to look upon your life with an entirely different perspective? Ever since humans arrived on Earth, they have - for better or worse - bounced around the planet without any sense of direction. It would be almost comical if it wasn't reality. I mean, how many times have you asked a question and heard an answer like, "I don't know why, but that is what it says?" Or even better... "That's just the way it is." After all, the greatest minds on planet Earth have only a small understanding of something much, much greater than can be explained through science, math, and history. This is why Welcome to Being Human will find the rhythm to your heart. For the first time, one book answers the great questions about life that have gone unanswered for so long! It is a story humorously written by you, for you, to help you remember all that's been forgotten... an instruction book to being human. Welcome to being human!

Now available as a separate book to Welcome To Being Human (All-In-One Edition).Imagine a story written for adults, but told through 3 separate children's stories. One bedtime story for parents to read to a child. One story for a child learning to read. One story for children to read to parents. This is just what is included in the Children's Edition of Welcome to Being Human - the highly acclaimed book that has gripped adults young and old alike. How many times have you heard, "Life doesn't come with an instruction book?" But what if it did? And what if you wrote that instruction book before arriving on Earth so that one day, in your human form, you would find it and be able to look upon your life with an entirely different perspective? Ever since humans arrived on Earth, they have - for better or worse - bounced around the planet without any sense of direction. It would be almost comical if it wasn't reality. I mean, how many times have you asked a question and heard an answer like, "I don't know why, but that is what it says?" Or even better... "That's just the way it is." After all, the greatest minds on planet Earth have only a small understanding of something much, much greater than can be explained through science, math, and history. This is why Welcome to Being Human will find the rhythm to your heart. For the first time, one book answers the great questions about life that have gone unanswered for so long! It is a story humorously written by you, for you, to help you remember all that's been forgotten... an instruction book to being human. Welcome to being human!