Biblical Genres

O Natal é o aniversário de Jesus Cristo. Toda a gente gosta do Natal. Há muitos que não sabem quem é Cristo. Há muitos que não gostam de Cristo. Mas todos sabem e gostam do Natal. Estes textos, escritos à volta dos últimos Natais, nasceram desse conheci-mento e desse gosto.

Two thousand years ago, when the Romans came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciple Peter cut off the ear of an innocent man. Jesus rebuked Peter and quickly healed the servant's ear - and the Sword of Peter took on supernatural powers. Fast forward to modern day where a Biblical archaeology quest for the Sword of Peter is imperative to both Israel and to the Christian world.

This is the incredible story of the journey undertaken by two men. Paul and Barnabas left their homes and risked their lives to cross seas and mountains. They were shipwrecked, beaten and faced the threat of robbery and murder. They were almost killed by floods and spent sleepless nights exposed to storms and freezing mountain temperatures. They travelled to places which had never heard the gospel and brought Jews and Gentiles to Jesus.

Jesus' apostles were not particularly remarkable men at first glance: fishermen, carpenters, even tax collectors! And yet he said, "It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain" (John 15:16). Little is known for certain about what happened to each of them following the Resurrection, yet ancient traditions abound. What were their final moments like in this life? How did each apostle summon such astounding courage to face trial, tribulation, and martyrdom?

Jesus at 29: Exemplary Virtues of an Ordinary Man will take you to a simpler time when Jesus was allowed to be just a good man, good father, good son, good boss, and a good teacher. His message of inclusiveness was not well-received among his peers at the time. Yet, it was central to his core doctrine. It is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago.

Having escaped a violent childhood, Enya is safe living with her husband’s powerful clan. When her long-awaited son is born, she must fulfill a vow made in desperation—the boy is dedicated to God, and goes to live with the local priest. Still, she clings to the hope that the church’s influence will eradicate any trace of her bloodline’s temperament. The monks rename him Columcille, which means "dove of the church".

In una fortezza nell'alto dei cieli gli angeli della Guardia Reale, guerrieri dello spirito, soldati azzurri con giubbe e calzari, fanatici delle missioni esclusive, sono riuniti in attesa del prossimo incarico. La chiamata arriva, il prescelto è Gabriele, che dovrà far brillare nuovamente lalleanza tra Dio e gli uomini, annunciando l'arrivo del Figlio. Comincia così la grande riscrittura dei Vangeli da parte di Eraldo Affinati, uno dei principali autori italiani che ha scelto di credere nell'educazione dedicando le proprie energie agli alunni più difficili.

On the shore of the Sea of Galilee, in the first century Palestine, a spirit possessed a woman, Mary of Magdala—a generous and learned woman of business. Mary drew together a community of outcasts, rescued from lives of poverty and humiliation. Longing for children, she brought into her circle a Greek slave girl, Demetria, and adopted her as a daughter. Though she was a devout Jew, it was natural for Mary to show compassion to all those who were looked upon as "other"—gentile, prostitute, and leper.

Book three of the Davidic Chronicles continues to follow David as he becomes a fugitive and outcast. On the run, alone, and pursued by the king, David must struggle to stay alive and find his place among his own people. Hunted by friends and enemies alike, David confronts his own anointing by Samuel and what that means for his future. As he does this, his king continues to fall under the throes of the evil spirit and is driven to kill anyone who stands in his way—men, women, and children. Most of all, in Saul's mind, David must die.

Attingendo sia dall'Antico sia dal Nuovo Testamento e concentrandosi sulla prima parte della esistenza di Gesù, Josè Saramago, con spirito volutamente dissacratorio, modifica gli eventi tramandati dai vangeli canonici, senza rispettarne la cronologia. Il risultato è il racconto della quotidianità di Gesù narrato come uomo, con passioni e dubbi e dei suoi contemporanei nella Palestina del I secolo d.C.

"Evas bog" er en åbenbaring. Ikke fordi den har emne fra Biblen, men fordi Marianne Fredriksson er en ægte og stor fortæller. Hun beretter om, hvordan Eva havde det, da Kain havde slået Abel ihjel, og Adam bare gik ud i lunden og talte med sin gud. Ingen i familien kunne leve videre uanfægtet, og for Eva var det nødvendigt at søge tilbage til barndommens Paradis - eller hvad det nu var - og ind i sig selv. Det bliver en lang rejse, indimellem skræmmende og undertiden betagende, men til slut kan hun vende hjem og fortsætte det liv, som er hendes.

Joseph ben Joseph's family fractures after Jesus' crucifixion and his mother's choice to stay with his brother's followers, despite the looming threat of death. Joseph's older brother, claiming to have seen Jesus alive, insists on remaining in Jerusalem to join the disciples. But Joseph, not being the patriarch, is powerless to lead the family back to the safety of Nazareth.

Book one of the Rise of Daniel follows Daniel, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzar at the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity. Daniel, merely a boy of fourteen, is thrust into a world of conspiracy and evil when Jeremiah the prophet predicts the coming of the powerful Babylonian prince, Nebuchadnezzar, to conquer Jerusalem. The kingdom of Judah has turned her back on the God of Israel, trusting in the Egyptians and the gods of the heathen nations around them.

Very little is known of Mephibosheth from Biblical history. We know that he lived during the rise of the new city of Jerusalem, lived in the palace of David, and undoubtedly witnessed the building of Solomon’s Temple. He would have known of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, his songs and psalms, and the challenges to his power from his son Absalom and others. How did this man, falling from prince to pauper, from able-bodied to a cripple, then restored to the king’s palace, navigate such a turbulent journey?

Book three of the Rise of Daniel follows Daniel, Jeremiah, and Nebuchadnezzar through the dark period of the Babylonian Captivity. Daniel has gained favor within Nebuchadnezzar’s court, but this creates envy in those who resent his rise to power. An array of evil spirits arises against him, threatening to destroy him, his friends, and his people. Daniel walks a thin line of survival where a single misstep could see him consumed by the evil spirits seeking his life. Such is the danger that even his friendship with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah is in jeopardy.

Britt Wolfe has it all. Fame, fortune, and a fulfilling career as the front man for one of the most popular rock bands in the world. But he also has a vengeful stalker, bent on ruining him in the most painful ways possible. What starts as harmless pranks quickly turns serious as acts of sabotage almost take his life.

The Third Millennium paints a blood-chilling picture of the chaos and confusion of the end times as witnessed by one American family as unforgettably narrated by their guardian angel, Michael.

In ancient Palestine, three survivors struggle to find solace in a world of injustice and repression. Azara is studious and committed to her ideals. Jonah is pure and virtuous, but his heart has been darkened by the evils of man. And Vitus is a Roman soldier battling for order and progress. Separated by miles of dangerous lands, and decades of turbulent history, these three wandering souls set off on a journey beyond their imagination. Their travels will test their faith and culminate in an encounter with a rabbi from Galilee, who upends their lives with his revolutionary message.

In Rachel & Leah, Orson Scott Card paints vivid portraits of four celebrated women—Laban's daughters, Rachel and Leah; Bilhah, the orphaned servant; and Zilpah, an ambitious member of Laban's household. Into the desert camp comes Jacob, a handsome and charismatic kinsman who is clearly destined to be Rachel's husband. But that doesn't prevent the other woman from vying for his attention. Tracing their lives from childhood to maturity, Card shows how these women change in relationship to each other and how they are changed again by the holy books that Jacob brings with him.

The throne of Israel is in peril. A band of outlaws have pledged their allegiance to King Saul's son-in-law, David. Living in caves and deserts, the men of David try to keep hidden from the ever-vengeful wrath of their king. Meanwhile, in the small village of Kabzeel, Benaiah the priest lives peacefully with his wife and child. Against his wishes, providence continues to place Benaiah in the middle of Saul and David's battle. Rumors begin to spread that David has been chosen by God. Benaiah is told that he must pick a side. But whose side will he choose?