Take a new journey through the Bible you
thought you knew.
They may not be quite as you remember
them, but each story in this ingenious collection—some
whimsical, some serious—finds its roots in a close
reading of the Bible and interpretations of it that originated
centuries ago.
Take a look through God’s telescope
and see how it all really happened: What was it like to be in
Joseph’s sandals as his brothers sold him into Egyptian
slavery? How did Esther use her pretty face as a tool to save
the Hebrew people? And what in the name of … well, you
know who … happened to the unicorns included on the
ark’s original passenger manifest?
Your guide will be a sassy angel named
Gabriella. The territory you cover will be familiar. But the
questions and insights that these clever, profound stories will
prompt you to grapple with—may surprise you.
Biblical characters explored include:
Adam • Eve • Cain • Abel
• Noah • Sarah • Abraham • Isaac Jacob
• Esau • Joseph • Moses • Jonah •
Mordechai • Haman • Esther Ahasuerus • Naomi
• Ruth •Samson • Delilah • David
Praise for Matt Biers-Ariel’s Work
"Matt Biers-Ariel’s The Triumph
of Eve and Other Subversive Bible Tales resonates with
theological mischief, moral depth, and literary joie de vivre.
Each retelling opens a new dimension of religious teaching. In
the ancient Jewish tradition of midrash, (it) reminds us that
the Bible opens her arms to us all again and again and
again."
—Lawrence
Kushner, author of Filling Words with Light: Hasidic and Mystical
Reflections on Jewish Prayer and Invisible Lines of Connection: Sacred Stories of
the Ordinary
"These fresh and delightful stories
encourage us to reconsider our assumptions about the nature of
God and, in so doing, to look again at ourselves.
Biers-Ariel’s language is both quirky and brimming with
imagery. A fun read!"
—Mary
Cronk Farrell, co-author of Daughters of the Desert: Stories of Remarkable
Women from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Traditions
"Matt Biers-Ariel invites us to
explore life’s big questions through his innovative and
entertaining retelling of biblical stories. He will make you
laugh and make you think!"
—Rabbi
Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of Adam & Eve’s First Sunset: God’s
New Day
“Matt Biers-Ariel is of a new
generation of storytellers. Desiring to make the personalities
and lessons of the Bible more accessible, Biers-Ariel’s
renderings of the conversations between God and God’s
partners are humorous, irreverent, unpredictable, maddening,
and enlightening—all at once. He bends our minds this way
and that into places the Bible never took us before. Some will
be offended. Others will see new beauty and understanding. None
will be unaffected. Welcome to the world of a great new
storyteller, and Biblical stories the likes of which you have
never encountered.”
—Larry S.
Moses, president, the Wexner
Foundation
Matt Biers-Ariel, a popular teacher and storyteller, is author of The Seven Species
and Solomon and the Trees as well as co-author of Spirit in Nature. He
has taught biblical and rabbinic texts for over fifteen years
and lives in California with his wife and two sons.
