Book excerpt: Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, Jacob and the stairway to heaven, Joseph and his brothers, Moses and the Exodus, Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, the life and teachings of Jesus, the birth of Christianity. . . the Bible is full of dramatic stories that have made it the world’s bestselling book. But whoever has time to read it all from cover to cover? Now, at last, here’s a way of getting to know the Bible without having to read every chapter and verse. No summary, no paraphrase, no commentary: just the Bible’s own story in the Bible’s own words. Contents Foreword Editor's introduction PART ONE: SCENES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT Prologue In the beginning 1 From Eden to Babel 2 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 3 Joseph in Egypt 4 Moses and the Exodus 5 Israel in the wilderness 6 The Promised Land 7 Samson and Delilah 8 The story of Ruth 9 Samuel, Saul and David 10 Solomon the sage 11 Elijah the prophet 12 The story of Jonah 13 Exile and return Epilogue A prophecy PART TWO: SCENES FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT Prologue In the beginning 14 Jesus is born 15 The healer 16 The teacher 17 The sacrifice 18 Acts of the apostles Epilogue A vision Further reading Timeline and index