Is the bible "great literature" by any educational standard?

Question

I feel it is poorly written, not well co-ordinated, and non-sensical on many fronts, is it just me?

Answer 1

The Bible even to the unbelieving scholar is a fascinating piece of literature. Would something so non-sensical and poorly written be the 1st book ever printed and continue to be the best seller????????

Answer 2

Writers centuries ago were aware of seamless document production techniques and the multitude of authors show up as a bad example of how to write a book. I don't thing that they realized they were writing to a single book or they would have been more careful. It also has too many contradictions to be informative or entertaining to the logical mind. Isaac Asimov did a much better job turning his papers into books and added a smattering of humor which some people take as fact. In defense I might add that they were writing to what might be described today as an imaginatively challenged audience. Major issues of the day were things such how to keep sheep dung from getting embedded between your toes or worrying if the sun was going to rise the next day.

Answer 3

Excellent question. If we were to read the Bible, as a book, without knowing it's place in our culture, I think we would barely be able to get through it. There are some beautiful lines, amazing poems, but as a collection, it isn't that impressive. Perhaps it is poor editing, bad translations...

Answer 4

There is more than one way to measure greatness. Because of its profound impact on history and culture, I don't how see how you could consider it to not be great literature.

Answer 5

I agree entirely. It also contradicts itself constantly.

Answer 6

You forgot ponderous.