The Bible, as is often said, is the world's least-read bestseller. That is particularly true of the Old Testament. People are often put off by the sheer bulk of the material and its frequently undistinguished quality. John Dancy has selected large samples from most of the canonical and apocryphal books, amounting to just under a third of the total, chosen for artistic merit and intrinsic interest rather than for representative status or theological value. Literature of this stature, he says, should not be restricted to academics and believers. To make it more approachable, the text is...
The Bible, as is often said, is the world's least-read bestseller. That is particularly true of the Old Testament. People are often put off by the she...