I’ve completed a Lenten quest. I’ve listened to the entire King James version of the Bible as read by Alexander Scourby. I wasn’t sure if I could do it all within the time constraints of Lent, but I made it with room to spare, finishing up Revelations during Holy Week. I accomplished this by downloading the MP3 files to my iPod and listening to these while driving to and from work. I also listened while working around the house.
Listening to the entire Bible in such a compressed format really highlights common themes. For example, when a prophecy from the Old Testament is referenced by a New Testament verse, it’s still in recent memory, and I remember the context in which it was first written. You also get a feel for the amazing amount of repetition in the Bible. I guess the authors felt that if it was important enough, it bore repeating.
Some of the sections were more endurance than edification. The Book of Numbers is a prime example – tedious lists of how many were in each tribe that came out of Egypt. The endless lists of genealogies are another. You have to wonder why some of this was included.
Regardless, it was an interesting challenge for Lent. I know I couldn’t have made it if I’d been reading rather than listening. While I would have preferred a more modern version such as the NRSV, Scourby’s voice lends an air of authenticity and poetry that other audio versions seem to lack.
[tags]Bible, KJV, Alexander Scourby[/tags]
Grandma Ellenberg has got to be smiling!