Title: The Book: A Humble Quest into the Hebrew Scriptures
Author: Joseph Heskel Koukou
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1496902245
Pages: 288
Genre: Christian / Philosophy
Reviewed by: Ephantus M.

Read Book Review

The Book: A Humble Quest into the Hebrew Scriptures takes a look at author Joseph Heskel Koukou’s interpretation of the Hebrew Bible and its relevance to our times.

Koukou was imprisoned in Iran’s Evin prison under Ayatollah Khomeini’s rule directly following the 1979 revolution and survived the four years’ imprisonment by translating and reciting to his cellmates the words of the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures. Through an unmistakable love of his fellow human beings, as proved by a fellow inmate’s testimony, the author connects the dots between his Jewish roots and those of other faiths, seeking to inspire an appreciation of humankind’s commonality and diversity alike.

In the words of Sandra Koukou who edited and illustrated “The Book” after her father’s demise, many young people today have become convinced that stories from the Bible are primitive and passé. These individuals seem desensitized to the deeper messages rooted in such stories. This is a misdoing that her father’s work looks to correct, by shedding light on concepts such as the existence of prophets and how that resonates among us today. Reading it will elicit an internal and reflective moment in a reader about just how well they understand the personal journeys of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Isaac among other Biblical personalities and realities.

The Book: A Humble Quest into the Hebrew Scriptures is an interesting and well-written tour de force written not by a scholar but by a passionate believer whose understanding of the scriptures is outstanding and highly admirable. It’s written in four parts that exhibit themes such as possession of astute confidence in the face of discouragement and finding God in the most solitary of places. Readers will sympathize with the events which led to the author’s arrest which included heavy false charges that were tax-related in an Islamic court which exhibited ruthless aggression towards Jewish individuals.

Grab your copy to walk on a journey with a steadfast and gentle soul, who simply embraced his faith in the fate of humankind. Highly recommended for Bible study classes.