<p>What is it that has appealed to readers through centuries of reading The Old Testament? Is it epic events, conflict between characters, life-changing drama? We can conjure up pictures of the serpent and God&rsquo;s anger in the garden of Eden, Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed in a ball of fire or trumpets signalling the collapse of the walls of Jericho!<br />
Yet although the pictures in our imagination are spectacular, like those in Children&rsquo;s Bible stories, for adult readers they must be brought to life in words and the Bible text provides only a plain narrative. &lsquo;&rsquo;In the Beginning &hellip;&rsquo;&rsquo; employs a new range of story-telling to give the tales vivid reality. The characters, expressing themselves in language, come to life and find new identities, new selves, when they speak their feelings openly.<br />
So, Eve, in The Beginning of History, finds a personal liberation when she voices her feelings. In Sodom and Gomorrah there is a sense of individual assertion, for good or bad. Capital and Labour deals with a political environment while the Joseph story explores different cultures and the seer priest makes a choice to follow his human conscience.<br />
That theme of self-discovery, self-realisation is echoed in Rahab the Harlot and Jephthah&rsquo;s daughter. Through all the stories articulateness in language leads to self-understanding, unlocking the characters&rsquo; freedom as they find themselves in test situations.</p>