Review of The Biblical Clock
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Review of The Biblical Clock
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Biblical Clock" by Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon.]
The great debate between science and religion has existed for centuries and centuries. On one hand you have a group of individuals who wholly believe in the divine, supernatural beginning when nothing existed and the words "let there be light" gave birth to life. On the other hand you have people who use scientific tools and methods to understand the universe. Right in the middle of these two groups you have people like Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon, the authors of The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God’s Plan, who believe that science and religion aren't as dissimilar as they seem to be, at least in their explanation regarding the occurrence of the universe. The book was written by someone (or people) whose "religious education is based in Judaism" and who "relied mostly on biblical sources shared by the Abrahamic religions".
The authors take us through different timelines where different figures in history reveal fascinating ideas and interpretation of scripture (the Torah) to explain the events that took place when creation first took place. They introduce ideas from figures such as Isaac ben Samuel (a Jewish kabbalist), Rabbi Chaim Vital, Menachem Mendel Schneerson (an engineer and a rabbi), and Isaac Newton to name a very few. At the beginning of each chapter we are told short little tales before the meat of the matter is discussed. At chapter 10 we are given a fictitious imagining of what the world may look like in a not-too-distant future before the End of Days comes.
There's lot to love about this book. It's well researched and well written. Every argument and reference was compelling and well thought. What fascinated me most, as someone who has read Timewise by Robert Leet, was finding parallels between the "Planck Moments" in that book and the idea that creation took billions of years instead of the famous 6 days. Robert Leet suggests that everything we perceive to happen over long periods of time exists in one "Planck Moment", which is very similar to the idea that creation taking billions of human-years happened in one "Creation day" suggested by the authors of this book. It's all about perspectives. From, let's call it God's view, time doesn't exist as we experience it, but everything that has happened and will happen over millennia can be seen happening at the exact same time. The mind boggles.
At chapter 10 the authors take us to an imagined Jerusalem in the year 2133. We are told of Eli, a journalist, who lived in that area with his young family just before a (final) war breaks out. I loved how they referenced real world events that have occurred, are occurring, and those predicted to occur to make this reality. It made the story seem very realistic. I also thought it was smart to name each character after a biblical ancestor. What unsettled me was the suggestion made that Israel is a peace-pursuing country "since its inception in 1948" because that seems to be a highly debatable issue which may even be disturbing to some readers. The authors obviously have a prerogative and are allowed that view, but this seemed biased and unnecessary to mention because of the lifelong political climate of the Middle East.
With all said, I do feel thoroughly satisfied with the contents of the book and feel confident in my rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The editing was exceptional and the authors greatly impressed me with what they had to offer. They supported all their arguments with texts and scripture which all made it seem credible and sensible. I am left with a lot to ponder and mull over as I seek to understand life's experiences better.
I am not a religious individual. I have come to look at life through a more spiritual lens than one steeped in dogma. I do believe in God but not in any way that's taught or mainstream. I am saying this to say that I was looking at this book from an open mind and a willingness to learn. Obviously we all have strong feelings about our beliefs but those views should be set aside when reading materials such as this. And that's who I'd recommend this book to; someone who will look beyond their own beliefs and who enjoys the different views of others. I'd say university-age individuals may find this book most compelling because that's the age when a lot of us are trying to figure some things out, religious or otherwise. However, this book is suited to all who have a basic understanding of scripture and science.
******
The Biblical Clock
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
The great debate between science and religion has existed for centuries and centuries. On one hand you have a group of individuals who wholly believe in the divine, supernatural beginning when nothing existed and the words "let there be light" gave birth to life. On the other hand you have people who use scientific tools and methods to understand the universe. Right in the middle of these two groups you have people like Daniel Friedmann and Dania Sheldon, the authors of The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God’s Plan, who believe that science and religion aren't as dissimilar as they seem to be, at least in their explanation regarding the occurrence of the universe. The book was written by someone (or people) whose "religious education is based in Judaism" and who "relied mostly on biblical sources shared by the Abrahamic religions".
The authors take us through different timelines where different figures in history reveal fascinating ideas and interpretation of scripture (the Torah) to explain the events that took place when creation first took place. They introduce ideas from figures such as Isaac ben Samuel (a Jewish kabbalist), Rabbi Chaim Vital, Menachem Mendel Schneerson (an engineer and a rabbi), and Isaac Newton to name a very few. At the beginning of each chapter we are told short little tales before the meat of the matter is discussed. At chapter 10 we are given a fictitious imagining of what the world may look like in a not-too-distant future before the End of Days comes.
There's lot to love about this book. It's well researched and well written. Every argument and reference was compelling and well thought. What fascinated me most, as someone who has read Timewise by Robert Leet, was finding parallels between the "Planck Moments" in that book and the idea that creation took billions of years instead of the famous 6 days. Robert Leet suggests that everything we perceive to happen over long periods of time exists in one "Planck Moment", which is very similar to the idea that creation taking billions of human-years happened in one "Creation day" suggested by the authors of this book. It's all about perspectives. From, let's call it God's view, time doesn't exist as we experience it, but everything that has happened and will happen over millennia can be seen happening at the exact same time. The mind boggles.
At chapter 10 the authors take us to an imagined Jerusalem in the year 2133. We are told of Eli, a journalist, who lived in that area with his young family just before a (final) war breaks out. I loved how they referenced real world events that have occurred, are occurring, and those predicted to occur to make this reality. It made the story seem very realistic. I also thought it was smart to name each character after a biblical ancestor. What unsettled me was the suggestion made that Israel is a peace-pursuing country "since its inception in 1948" because that seems to be a highly debatable issue which may even be disturbing to some readers. The authors obviously have a prerogative and are allowed that view, but this seemed biased and unnecessary to mention because of the lifelong political climate of the Middle East.
With all said, I do feel thoroughly satisfied with the contents of the book and feel confident in my rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The editing was exceptional and the authors greatly impressed me with what they had to offer. They supported all their arguments with texts and scripture which all made it seem credible and sensible. I am left with a lot to ponder and mull over as I seek to understand life's experiences better.
I am not a religious individual. I have come to look at life through a more spiritual lens than one steeped in dogma. I do believe in God but not in any way that's taught or mainstream. I am saying this to say that I was looking at this book from an open mind and a willingness to learn. Obviously we all have strong feelings about our beliefs but those views should be set aside when reading materials such as this. And that's who I'd recommend this book to; someone who will look beyond their own beliefs and who enjoys the different views of others. I'd say university-age individuals may find this book most compelling because that's the age when a lot of us are trying to figure some things out, religious or otherwise. However, this book is suited to all who have a basic understanding of scripture and science.
******
The Biblical Clock
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Advanced Lotto Rotation System by Joseph Z Vlasic
