Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, Jacob and the stairway to heaven, Joseph and his brothers, Moses and the Exodus, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, the life and teachings of Jesus, the birth of Christianity. . . the Bible is full of dramatic stories that have made it the world’s bestselling book. But whoever has time to read it all from cover to cover?

Now, at last, here’s a way of getting to know the Bible without having to read every chapter and verse. No summary, no paraphrase, no commentary: just the Bible’s own story in the Bible’s own words.

Contents

Foreword
Editor's introduction

PART ONE: SCENES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Prologue In the beginning

1 From Eden to Babel
2 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
3 Joseph in Egypt
4 Moses and the Exodus
5 Israel in the wilderness
6 The Promised Land
7 Samson and Delilah
8 The story of Ruth
9 Samuel, Saul and David
10 Solomon the sage
11 Elijah the prophet
12 The story of Jonah
13 Exile and return

Epilogue A prophecy

PART TWO: SCENES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Prologue In the beginning

14 Jesus is born
15 The healer
16 The teacher
17 The sacrifice
18 Acts of the apostles

Epilogue A vision

Further reading
Timeline and index