by Gil Weinreich
With much gratitude to my friend Ken Silber for opening up his blog to me and now to my new book, I believe Quicksilber is a fit place to publicly announce its launch. (My publisher tells me that official launch activities commence in May, so you heard it here first.)
The book is called Who Really Wrote the Bible? and it should be of particular interest to those who appreciate literature and literary criticism. I personally find it fascinating to learn of the publication of another new book, cleverly titled Contested Will, that explores the controversy surrounding the authorship of Shakespeare's plays. The author, James Shapiro, puts to rest the nonsense that has surrounded the notion that Sir Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere or others were the real Bard. I believe it is fair to say that my co-author Eyal Rav-Noy and I even more completely inter the notion that J, E, P and D were the writers of the Five Books of Moses (not because of any deficiency on Shapiro's part but because the case for the documentary hypothesis, or JEPD theory, that we write about is fatally flawed on logical grounds alone). Both books also note the cultural milieu that made authorship challenges trendy and seemingly relevant. Perhaps the publication of these two books signals a new trend favoring authenticity (or perhaps just sound reasoning).
Reading about Shakespeare, just like reading Shakespeare, is deeply rewarding because of the literary magnificence of his work. All the more so then should intellectuals concern themselves with the composition of the Bible, because the literary achievement it represents dwarfs that of William Shakespeare. And if you don't believe me, read the book and judge for yourself!
