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I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible by Dr. Michael S. Heiser:
I started reading the Bible seriously about seven years ago. Often, I would come across strange passages, things that made no sense. In fact, that still happens to me. Now I have come to view these odd passages as “invitations” to dig deeper and learn more about the meaning and context behind Scripture. In that quest, Dr. Michael Heiser’s I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible has become an indispensable reference. Here is just a sample of the topics explored:
What is behind the strange circumcision scene of Exodus 4 that depends on Zipporah’s courage?
What is the scapegoat of Leviticus 16 and how is it related to demons of the wilderness?
How are we to view the horrific story of the Levite who offered his concubine to a mob of rapists, only to dismember her body and send pieces to each of the twelve tribes of Israelites?
After the great flood, while the Israelites were conducting the conquest of Canaan, they encountered and destroyed clans of giants. Who were they and where did they come from?
Who was behind the census of 1003 BC, God or Satan?
In Psalm 47, God crushes the heads of Leviathan. Did God really fight a dragon at the beginning of creation?
These are just a few of the weird and wonderful passages of the Bible that draw you in deeper, calling you to investigate and understand the context and times of the Biblical writers. Your guide is Dr. Heiser, a renowned scholar who earned his Ph.D. in Hebrew bible and Semitic languages and holds an MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible makes good on its promise, and the pages come alive!