Finishing up Testament: The Bible and History by John Romer

What an extraordinary work of scholarship.

John Romer is a reknowned archeologist specializing in Egyptian excavations (check out his several BBC videos on Youtube -- they're all remarkable), but this book focuses on the origins of both Old and New Testaments, beginning with correlating ancient Mesopotamian myths with Biblical stories through the development and inclusion of latter works into the Bible.

It's both a fascinating and enjoyable read, densely packed with a tremendous number of details. It's also loaded with many examples of Romer's dry wit. For instance:

"A splendid Christian legend tells of St. Peter's combat with another of these eastern prophets who was preaching salvation at a price to the people of Rome. Magnificent Simon Magus, 'the Power of God', was a Samaritan magician among other things and was said to fly about through the air with the greatest of ease...One day when he was flitting around the Roman forum in a display of religious aerobatics he was gunned down by St. Peter's prayers and suffered a broken ankle..."

It's a real treat of a read and highly recommended for anyone interested in learning how the Bible came about.

You can also find his BBC documentary "Testament" on Youtube to get a flavor of what's in store for readers of this book.