I recently finished listening to the audiobook of A.J. Jacobs' book "The Year of Living Biblically."  At the very end of the audiobook during the credits I learned that I had accidentally gotten an abridged version.  I enjoyed the book so much that I'm seriously considering taking the previously-unheard-of step of tracking down an unabridged copy, so that I can hear (or read) all the bits that they cut out of the abridged version.  That's how much I enjoyed this book!

Subtitled One Man's Humble Quest to follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, the book is Jacobs' account of an entire year spent wearing tassels on all the corners of his clothes, avoiding fabrics which blend animal fibers (wool) and plant fibers (like linen), not coveting his neighbor's ass, and so forth. 

Originally I thought this would be a tongue-in-cheek, "the Bible is wacky and stupid" kind of deal.  But it was obvious early on that, although agnostic, Jacobs approached this project with a serious and open mind. 

It's easy to criticize a rulebook which says that you can't eat one animal, but that certain species of locust are acceptable fare.  Heck, I just criticized it right there!  And frankly, the Old Testament (where Jacobs began) is practically self-criticizing.  But Jacobs perseveres, tries to look past the obvious, and see through to the original intent of the rules.

Jacobs also spends a lot of time reflecting on what he is doing, what he has done, and how it has affected him.  I was touched to note that by halfway through the book, it's pretty obvious that most of this Old Testament stuff is all about family bonding and tribal solidarity.  You have a bunch of people clinging to the edge of life with their fingernails, living out in the desert, and they came up with some wacky superstitions. 

Jacobs works hard to put the Old Testament into context.  I feel like I came away with a better understanding of a book that I (as an adamant atheist) have no interest in studying directly myself.  I mean, I still don't understand the thing about the fibers, or the stuff about not serving a baby goat boiled in its mother's milk.  But at least I kind of get what it's going for with all of the gratitude stuff.

One of the most interesting passages of the book happens when Jacobs actually travels to the Holy Land.  There his behavior isn't actually strange at all.  I thought it was fascinating how unsettled Jacobs was by suddenly not being "the weird one" in the room.

Jacobs' wife is a constant and hilarious presence.  She quickly loses patience for her husband's project, and frequently raises objections to the institutionalized sexism to be found in the Bible and in biblical observances.  My favorite part is when she informs her husband that she has sat upon every chair in the house.  (He is forbidden from sitting in any chair where a menstruating woman has sat.)  Listening to this story, I wanted to give her a high five.