3 Surprising Things That Are in the Bible (and 2 Things That Aren’t)

Impress People At Parties With These Bible Facts

CW: This article contains discussion of some disturbing themes, including harm to children.

Between Sunday School and general pop culture, it’s easy to get a good idea of the Spark Notes version of the Bible. The basic beats of Adam and Eve, Moses parting the Red Sea, Jonah getting swallowed by a whale, and Jesus performing miracles are familiar to a lot of people. On the other hand, not quite as many people have dug into some of the lesser known parts of the Bible, and fewer still have chosen to dwell there. Many people I know limit themselves to one translation, and don’t know any Greek or Hebrew, which also weakens their perspective somewhat. There’s a lot of interesting stuff in there, though, for the reader willing to dive in. Here are some examples of the interesting and unexpected in the Bible, and a couple of things you might be surprised are not in there.

The Bible Has Multiple References to Cannibalism

There are plenty of people who have made jokes about the Eucharist as a form of ritualized cannibalism, but the Old Testament contains some rather tragic references to people eating other people. This usually happens in the context of a siege. The issue here is pretty simple: ancient cities in the region where the Bible takes place were often walled, with land for farming outside the walls. A dry and…