Review by cd20 -- The Biblical Clock

[cd20]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Biblical Clock" by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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What would you think if I informed you that Science and the Bible complement each other? What if I said that you could also identify how the Divine plan unfolds by analyzing and predicting history? Authors Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon set out to address and explain these questions and more in their recent book The Biblical Clock. This is the fourth book in the Inspired Studies series.

The Biblical Clock is unlike any book that I have read before. It includes a lot of history but instead of it being in chronological order, it jumps back in forth in each of the three sections of the book. The authors explain at the very beginning of the book the background and the potential biases that might be prevalent in the book. They rely on biblical sources shared by the “Abrahamic religions,” but also heavily rely on Jewish sources since Friedmann’s background is in Judaism.

In the first section, the authors transport us through the Creation timeline and their occurrences in Genesis explaining through scientific data how they align. The second part expounds on these concepts using history to examine the concept of the “End of Days.” The third section is discussing how the universe came to be by starting at the beginning of Genesis.

The Biblical Clock comprises a mix of history, science, and religion that made my head hurt. It is a very thought-provoking book that causes you to examine what you believe. It also makes you wonder if events happened in the way the author portrays them. There were quite a few terms from Judaism that I was unfamiliar with and had to look up as I was reading. I am still trying to process all that The Biblical Clock has explained.

Friedmann is a very engaging writer. He took a subject matter that could be very dry and gave life to it. I enjoyed that I learned some things about Judaism. I had never heard of Kabbalah “the soul of the Torah” or Talmud. I appreciated that it made me think deeply about some of the things that I believed to be true. I also had to reconcile them to the way that Friedmann interprets them. I did agree with some of what the authors presented and will continue to process my thoughts on the rest of it.

I did not enjoy the more futuristic section. I got bogged down in some of the science and history mainly because they are not subjects that sustain my interest very long. I got lost a few times and hung up in details that I did not quite understand. This issue might have been resolved if I had read the first three books in the series. I also did not enjoy how heavy it was with Judaism. Ultimately, while the book seems to be well-researched, quite a few sources are from Wikipedia. This is odd to me as I have always heard that Wikipedia is not a credible source.

While it was challenging to determine a rating for this book, I decided to give the book 3 out of 4 stars. The reason for this rating is because it is well-written, fascinating, and meticulously edited. The issues that I experienced with the book are unlikely to be issues that affect a broader audience. I would recommend this book to people who love science and history and want to learn more about Creationism. The Biblical Clock would probably be enjoyed most by those who are Jewish.

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The Biblical Clock
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[aodonnell]

I also found this book hard to process right off the bat. It definitely assumed familiarity with extra-biblical sources and Jewish texts, which, as you said, made it necessary to look up a few things. It felt like a mixture of fiction and mysticism, so it was a little jarring to go from his historical accounts (written like fiction) to his explanations.

I also noticed that several Wikipedia pages were cited as sources. While I believe it has improved some on the reliability front, I still don't suspect it's widely accepted as a credible source for professional or academic research purposes. It seemed like a bit of a red flag to me, especially since some of the material I imagine would be accessible elsewhere on the web.

[cd20]

I also found this book hard to process right off the bat. It definitely assumed familiarity with extra-biblical sources and Jewish texts, which, as you said, made it necessary to look up a few things. It felt like a mixture of fiction and mysticism, so it was a little jarring to go from his historical accounts (written like fiction) to his explanations.

I also noticed that several Wikipedia pages were cited as sources. While I believe it has improved some on the reliability front, I still don't suspect it's widely accepted as a credible source for professional or academic research purposes. It seemed like a bit of a red flag to me, especially since some of the material I imagine would be accessible elsewhere on the web.

Yes! I feel like I am standing on an island alone with my opinions! I especially did not like the futuristic chapter. While things could happen that way it totally threw me off. They were talking about their bulletproof vests and I was like, "they didn't have that in the Bible." Then I realized they went forward. I agree that some of it did come off across as mysticism and it made it more difficult to take the book seriously. Thank you for commenting and sharing your thoughts.