Title: The Left Hand of the Biblical Gods: Children of the Biblical Gods Hebrews Israelites Arabs
Author: Carlton Morris
Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 979-8891576155
Pages: 680
Genre: Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) / Christian Old Testament Criticism & Interpretation / Nonfiction
Reviewer: Jack Chambers
Pacific Book Review
At the heart of every culture or civilization, there has always been a central religion or faith that has driven politics and society alike. From the Ancient Greeks and their Pantheon to the modern-day American leanings toward Christianity, there has always been a driving belief that has driven how laws and political leaders, as well as social commentary, has formulated how society treats one another. While humanity lives in a very diverse and multicultural world by today’s standards, some faiths are much more prominent than others.
Those faiths include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and in author Carlton Morris’s The Left Hand of the Biblical Gods: Children of the Biblical Gods Hebrews Israelites Arabs, those faiths are examined in a much more direct light. Exploring the myths, rituals, ceremonies, and overall organizations behind each of these faiths, the author uses a blend of scientific discovery, technology, and examination of biblical texts from the New King James Bible to explore these religions and explore both the benevolent God of Jehovah and the Vindictive God of Abraham. It also explores the ways of civilization before the Flood and the suffering the Jewish people underwent after the Flood.
A thoroughly detailed, well-researched, and insightful book, the author showcases a depth of religious studies and passion for theology that readers will find refreshing. The way the author explores not only the power of faith but how modern science and technology can play a role in examining these religious texts is fascinating, even going so far as to re-define what creationism means and how evolution and creationism need one another in a lot of ways to support their own arguments. Fascinatingly, what stood out a lot was the way the author incorporated other schools of thought into the book, including Ancient Alien theories – and much more. The author’s work and writing style proved to be elevating and engaging all at once and approached religion and faith from a unique perspective.
For those readers who enjoy nonfiction books, especially those that explore theology and offer critical analysis and interpretation of religious texts, especially the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, this is the perfect read to both get lost in and challenge the reader in the best way possible. The book also took on a lot of philosophical discussion, one of which has always stood out to this reader, and that is the overlap of different faiths and religions in their preferred deities, and how many stories line up together. Whether that is due to the ancient alien theory or some other pretext, it was also so inspiring to see the author explore the long-held questions of whether or not ancient religious leaders who brought these religious texts to life did so because they spoke to their respective God, or if they brought their own viewpoints to the world instead.
