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The Brick Bible: A New Spin on the Old Testament
Brendan Powell Smith has spent the last decade creating nearly 5,000 scenes from the bible—with Legos. His wonderfully original sets are featured on his website, Bricktestament.com, but for the first time 1,500 photographs of these creative designs—depicting the Old Testament from Earth’s creation to the Books of Kings—are brought together in book format. The Holy Bible is complex; sometimes dark, and other times joyous, and Smith’s masterful work is a far cry from what a small child might build. The beauty of The Brick Bible is that everyone, from the devout to nonbelievers, will find something breathtaking, fascinating, or entertaining within this collection. Smith’s subtle touch brings out the nuances of each scene and makes you reconsider the way you look at Legos—it’s something that needs to be seen to be believed.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
28 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Brendan Powell Smith
40 books17 followersElbe Spurling (born September 7, 1973) is an American transgender artist, author, and moralist best known for The Brick Bible book series (published under her birth name Brendan Powell Smith)—an ongoing project to illustrate the entire Bible in LEGO building blocks.
Although not religious, Spurling has studied the Bible, ancient Christianity and Judaism, and is motivated by the belief that all people, whether believers or not, are better off knowing the content of the scriptures. Her unique storytelling and illustrating style has been noted for its meticulous attention to detail, and its ability to walk a fine line between humor and poignancy.
She also creates art pop music under the artist name ɘlbe and released her debut LP "gɘtting thɘre" in fall 2016.
—from the author's website
Although not religious, Spurling has studied the Bible, ancient Christianity and Judaism, and is motivated by the belief that all people, whether believers or not, are better off knowing the content of the scriptures. Her unique storytelling and illustrating style has been noted for its meticulous attention to detail, and its ability to walk a fine line between humor and poignancy.
She also creates art pop music under the artist name ɘlbe and released her debut LP "gɘtting thɘre" in fall 2016.
—from the author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
August 25, 2012
The author of this book claims that his motivation for creating this book was to show what is "really" in the Bible. However, after just a few pages it becomes obvious that he has an obsession with death, killing, bloodshed, and more death. The story of Noah is depicted with Noah's family walking through a valley filled with skeletons as they come out of the ark. He skips over the more enlightening sections of the OT to focus on the smiting and the killing. But what really made my blood boil was how he chose to end his interpretation of the Bible. Long before we get to Elijah or the exiles, he ends it with an obscure king declaring jihad on all who do not follow Yahweh. Then, in four frames he details the execution of this king's religious enemies. The final frame sums up the author's interpretation of scriptures, as the king stands, holding an executioner' axe and grinning in front of several buckets filled with severed LEGO(R) heads. The caption reads that Yahweh rewarded this king's jihad with peace. The final impression is definitely intended to categorize the Hebrew Creator in with the Greek Titans, the violent Viking gods, and the eastern deities such as Kali whose bloody reputations modern Brahmans are trying to accomodate in their own religion. This is exactly what happens when man interprets the Bible using human understanding...it ends up looking like every other human religion on Earth.
This is a wonderful example of what 1 Corinthians 13 warns us about. The author of this book has no love. Maybe his love is for Legos(R), but definitely not for children or for Christ. I've invested heavily in illustrated Bibles for children in my life, but I would never give this Bible to a child.
This is a wonderful example of what 1 Corinthians 13 warns us about. The author of this book has no love. Maybe his love is for Legos(R), but definitely not for children or for Christ. I've invested heavily in illustrated Bibles for children in my life, but I would never give this Bible to a child.
October 20, 2011
Up until I read this, I never knew what a Lego woman giving birth looked like, nor did I quite understand what it meant for Biblical Lego men to be circumcised. BEST BIBLE EVER!
June 26, 2012
Many people are complaining that this book omits all of the good parts of the Old Testament but frankly, I have read the Old Testament several times and in different translations: there simply are not a whole lot of good parts to show. Face it, the old testament is pretty damn barbaric, and this book accurately depicts that.
The author is right when he says that shockingly few people who use this book as their moral compass have actually read it.
The fact that the scenes are played out by Lego characters makes it somewhat humorous, but the author is also not too afraid to depict all the atrocities and barbarism found in abundance in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, since the telling is so literal, this book gets awfully tedious to read through (just like the Old Testament).
This book is a fun novelty item, but it obviously shouldn't be used as a primary source of biblical study.
The author is right when he says that shockingly few people who use this book as their moral compass have actually read it.
The fact that the scenes are played out by Lego characters makes it somewhat humorous, but the author is also not too afraid to depict all the atrocities and barbarism found in abundance in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, since the telling is so literal, this book gets awfully tedious to read through (just like the Old Testament).
This book is a fun novelty item, but it obviously shouldn't be used as a primary source of biblical study.
March 5, 2023
It is a sad state of affairs indeed when a man using Legos can paint a more accurate depiction of the Bible than a miniseries both sponsored and produced by the History Channel. That's exactly what Mr. Smith has done here, and the results are a scream.
I confess that I'm biased here. I am a Lego maniac, own hundreds of sets, assemble and disassemble them all the time, and pretty much love all things Lego. I stumbled upon www.thebricktestament.com several years ago, and thoroughly enjoy perusing it from time to time. This book is pretty much the website put in book form, though some things are missing in the book, I imagine due to space constraints.
The Brick Bible covers the Old Testament from Genesis through Chronicles, and touches on the most important points. It's a nice, condensed version of the Bible that makes reading it a treat. I know how tough trying to read the complete Old Testament can be because I've tried and failed several times. It's been a while since I've made the attempt, and I had forgotten how violent this book is, and how much of a douchebag God was in the Old Testament. He really was quite a jerk, and thought nothing of killing everything and everyone just to be doing it, as near as I can tell. (I'm glad he's mellowed out since then). Seeing these battles and smitings done with Lego characters is a hoot. And the best part is that the pictures are accompanied by actual scripture. There aren't any liberties taken with the source material. The actual quote straight from the Bible is right there with the picture, though the pictures do get creative, and therein lies the charm.
For example, Exodus 20:7 states "You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for God will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name." The accompanying picture shows God beheading a silly looking minifigure with an axe. A couple of transparent red single tiles are nearby to indicate blood (there is a lot of blood in this book). In the website version of this passage there is a speech bubble from the silly person before he gets cut down...
...but that speech bubble was removed in the book for some reason. It doesn't really matter, though, for the pictures still do the sentiments justice.
Another thing this reminded me of is the poor Jews of the Old Testament. They were just so stupid. When I repeat a mistake, I hear the voice of Magneto from the third X-Men movie as he's tormenting Wolverine:
"You never learn, do you?"
If any group wears that quote like a tailor-made garment, it would be the BC Israelites. I feel these pangs of pity for them every spring when I watch The Ten Commandments, and I felt them more keenly as I read this book. I lost count of how many times everyone was going along fine, worshiping Yahweh the way they were supposed to, then a few years later they would make an idol, or intermarry with some other unclean ites or stines or ians or whatever, then God would pop out of the Ark, kill several thousand, and the Jews would repent, God would go back to the Ark, and all would be good for several years, then the Jews would get itchy for some change, forget about God's jealousy and wrath, and the whole cycle would repeat. I'm serious when I said I lost count, and I'm not going back to count it again. But the pictures were always great.
I eventually formed this image of God, sitting in his recliner in the Ark, reading his newspaper while everything is going fine, then he'd hear something amiss, or perhaps notice silence when there shouldn't be any, cock his head to the side and listen for a moment, peek over the corner of the paper, use his power to crack the top of the Ark open a bit, peer out, and ask "What are y'all doing out there? Are you misbehaving again? Don't make me get up out of this Ark." This would fall on deaf ears, the Jews would commit all kinds of debaucheries with a passionate and flagrant disregard for their own well-being, then God would get up, pull off his belt, snap it, and go to work. The Jews would scatter, and have the gall to be completely surprised that this was happening to them... AGAIN!
I now understand why they're called God's children.
And soap opera plots ain't got nothing on the stories in the bible. My favorite is Samson, which is excellently done in this book, but everyone knows that one, so I'm not going to share it here. But there is one I had either forgotten about, or never read, and it is one of the most disturbing stories in the Bible as far as I'm concerned. It's the one where the Ark is being transported from hither to thither, an Ox stumbles, the Ark tilts to the side, and the greatest shlimazl of all time next to Job, Uzzah, puts his hand out to steady it. Once he touches the Ark, God gets pissed, and kills him on the spot. (At least he didn't kill his whole family, his flocks, friends, and distant relatives also, which would've totally been in character for Yahweh at this point in time). David gets pissed at God, and says "Am I really seeing this shit? I can't have you in my house for the sake of safety, because you're fucking nuts!" (I'm paraphrasing here.) David sends Him down the road to Obed-Edam, who is blessed by God while God stays there, and OE was a Gittite! Not only was he not even a Jew, he was a Philistine, and God's just sitting around blessing him and his household, and probably thumbing his nose at David. Three months later David says "Okay, you can come home now," and brings Yahweh to the city.
Again, this is much easier to read with Lego minifigures acting everything out. I loved every panel of this thing, and mad props to Brendan Powell Smith who has dedicated his life to making the Lego Bible come to life for us. Now I need to get the sequel (update: mission accomplished), which I'm happy to report is available. It doesn't have the rest of the Old Testament in it (Mr. Smith isn't done with that part, I don't think), but it's the entire New Testament. Once I set aside a few bucks, I'll get it, read it, and review it as well. No, it's not expensive; I'm just quite poor. I would say that I hope Smith does a Lego Qur'an, but he would probably be executed in a Jihad of sorts as soon as Lego Muhammad made an appearance, and he wouldn't get very far. I guess there's still hope for the Lego Book of Mormon, and he is surnamed Smith, after all.
I encourage everyone to read this thing, but like I said at the beginning, I'm a bit biased since Legos are involved.
I confess that I'm biased here. I am a Lego maniac, own hundreds of sets, assemble and disassemble them all the time, and pretty much love all things Lego. I stumbled upon www.thebricktestament.com several years ago, and thoroughly enjoy perusing it from time to time. This book is pretty much the website put in book form, though some things are missing in the book, I imagine due to space constraints.
The Brick Bible covers the Old Testament from Genesis through Chronicles, and touches on the most important points. It's a nice, condensed version of the Bible that makes reading it a treat. I know how tough trying to read the complete Old Testament can be because I've tried and failed several times. It's been a while since I've made the attempt, and I had forgotten how violent this book is, and how much of a douchebag God was in the Old Testament. He really was quite a jerk, and thought nothing of killing everything and everyone just to be doing it, as near as I can tell. (I'm glad he's mellowed out since then). Seeing these battles and smitings done with Lego characters is a hoot. And the best part is that the pictures are accompanied by actual scripture. There aren't any liberties taken with the source material. The actual quote straight from the Bible is right there with the picture, though the pictures do get creative, and therein lies the charm.
For example, Exodus 20:7 states "You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for God will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name." The accompanying picture shows God beheading a silly looking minifigure with an axe. A couple of transparent red single tiles are nearby to indicate blood (there is a lot of blood in this book). In the website version of this passage there is a speech bubble from the silly person before he gets cut down...
...but that speech bubble was removed in the book for some reason. It doesn't really matter, though, for the pictures still do the sentiments justice.
Another thing this reminded me of is the poor Jews of the Old Testament. They were just so stupid. When I repeat a mistake, I hear the voice of Magneto from the third X-Men movie as he's tormenting Wolverine:
"You never learn, do you?"
If any group wears that quote like a tailor-made garment, it would be the BC Israelites. I feel these pangs of pity for them every spring when I watch The Ten Commandments, and I felt them more keenly as I read this book. I lost count of how many times everyone was going along fine, worshiping Yahweh the way they were supposed to, then a few years later they would make an idol, or intermarry with some other unclean ites or stines or ians or whatever, then God would pop out of the Ark, kill several thousand, and the Jews would repent, God would go back to the Ark, and all would be good for several years, then the Jews would get itchy for some change, forget about God's jealousy and wrath, and the whole cycle would repeat. I'm serious when I said I lost count, and I'm not going back to count it again. But the pictures were always great.
I eventually formed this image of God, sitting in his recliner in the Ark, reading his newspaper while everything is going fine, then he'd hear something amiss, or perhaps notice silence when there shouldn't be any, cock his head to the side and listen for a moment, peek over the corner of the paper, use his power to crack the top of the Ark open a bit, peer out, and ask "What are y'all doing out there? Are you misbehaving again? Don't make me get up out of this Ark." This would fall on deaf ears, the Jews would commit all kinds of debaucheries with a passionate and flagrant disregard for their own well-being, then God would get up, pull off his belt, snap it, and go to work. The Jews would scatter, and have the gall to be completely surprised that this was happening to them... AGAIN!
I now understand why they're called God's children.
And soap opera plots ain't got nothing on the stories in the bible. My favorite is Samson, which is excellently done in this book, but everyone knows that one, so I'm not going to share it here. But there is one I had either forgotten about, or never read, and it is one of the most disturbing stories in the Bible as far as I'm concerned. It's the one where the Ark is being transported from hither to thither, an Ox stumbles, the Ark tilts to the side, and the greatest shlimazl of all time next to Job, Uzzah, puts his hand out to steady it. Once he touches the Ark, God gets pissed, and kills him on the spot. (At least he didn't kill his whole family, his flocks, friends, and distant relatives also, which would've totally been in character for Yahweh at this point in time). David gets pissed at God, and says "Am I really seeing this shit? I can't have you in my house for the sake of safety, because you're fucking nuts!" (I'm paraphrasing here.) David sends Him down the road to Obed-Edam, who is blessed by God while God stays there, and OE was a Gittite! Not only was he not even a Jew, he was a Philistine, and God's just sitting around blessing him and his household, and probably thumbing his nose at David. Three months later David says "Okay, you can come home now," and brings Yahweh to the city.
Again, this is much easier to read with Lego minifigures acting everything out. I loved every panel of this thing, and mad props to Brendan Powell Smith who has dedicated his life to making the Lego Bible come to life for us. Now I need to get the sequel (update: mission accomplished), which I'm happy to report is available. It doesn't have the rest of the Old Testament in it (Mr. Smith isn't done with that part, I don't think), but it's the entire New Testament. Once I set aside a few bucks, I'll get it, read it, and review it as well. No, it's not expensive; I'm just quite poor. I would say that I hope Smith does a Lego Qur'an, but he would probably be executed in a Jihad of sorts as soon as Lego Muhammad made an appearance, and he wouldn't get very far. I guess there's still hope for the Lego Book of Mormon, and he is surnamed Smith, after all.
I encourage everyone to read this thing, but like I said at the beginning, I'm a bit biased since Legos are involved.
March 19, 2013
Religious discrimination. Manipulation of children and their mothers. Targeting children by displaying violent and pornographic images to their innocent eyes.
These vicious crimes are not ones you would associate with Legos. Yet, they are in this book- a Trojan horse made to turn young children against their God and family.
This book has gotten glowing reviews from people who do not understand its content and atheists who agree with what the author is doing. A look at the things he says on his website will make his intentions clear- he hates Christians, and he apparently wants to rub their noses in the (misinterpreted) violence of the Bible like a cruel dog owner rubbing his pet's nose in the puddle the pooch made in the carpet.
This would all simply be your run-of-the-mill religious discrimination were it not targeting young children and their mothers with this innocent-looking cover. Mothers are busy- this dreadful economy has made it harder for them to filter through all the garbage available on the bookshelves for their children. And who would suspect a Bible made with Legos to be harmful to children?
This is an insult to Christians. Mothers beware. It is also an insult to the Lego business and a misuse of their product which I hope will be brought to their attention shortly.
Every man has a right to speak their mind. No man has a right to target the innocent.
These vicious crimes are not ones you would associate with Legos. Yet, they are in this book- a Trojan horse made to turn young children against their God and family.
This book has gotten glowing reviews from people who do not understand its content and atheists who agree with what the author is doing. A look at the things he says on his website will make his intentions clear- he hates Christians, and he apparently wants to rub their noses in the (misinterpreted) violence of the Bible like a cruel dog owner rubbing his pet's nose in the puddle the pooch made in the carpet.
This would all simply be your run-of-the-mill religious discrimination were it not targeting young children and their mothers with this innocent-looking cover. Mothers are busy- this dreadful economy has made it harder for them to filter through all the garbage available on the bookshelves for their children. And who would suspect a Bible made with Legos to be harmful to children?
This is an insult to Christians. Mothers beware. It is also an insult to the Lego business and a misuse of their product which I hope will be brought to their attention shortly.
Every man has a right to speak their mind. No man has a right to target the innocent.
March 13, 2016
I like Legos and the Bible. This not an example of those playing together well. This is the opposite of a nurturing Biblical education for your children. This book is out to make fun of the Bible ("holy" is replaced by "brick" and the author would not believe the Bible is holy.) Don't give this to your kid as Christian Education. This is out to make fun of Christianity.
February 3, 2014
WARNING: NOT FOR CHILDREN. This is not a clean, happy fun Bible with toys. This is good old-fashioned Old Testament (fire, brimstone, curse of destruction) and New Testament (I shall turn brother against brother, put your eye out) Bible. Just with LEGOs.
This is not your parent's Bible. Or your children's Bible. Brendan Powell Smith's rendering of the Bible in LEGO contains imagery ranging from beautiful to brilliant to absurd, but I agree with one of the blurbs that called it "Strangely compelling."
Powell Smith has an agenda. He picks and chooses his stories. He does his own translation/interpretation (leaning heavily on King James but using some others). I wouldn't call it scholarly (true scholars will find fault with some of his choices). I wouldn't call it even-handed (he definitely likes both his Testaments with an edge to them).
But at any given time I would call it...
brilliant (rendering the parables in modern guise, the consistent look of the various Old Testament nations)
absurd (angels with tommy-guns in Revelation, the background objects with the witch of Endor)
offensive (some of the depictions of race are a little disturbing, but then he's got limited ways to depict ethnicity, with a dominant color of yellow)
compelling (Yaweh burying Moses, I will come like a thief in the night)
and disturbing (oh, so that's how you represent a foreskin in LEGO, and childbirth, and rape)
But the same can be said for the Bible itself. In this, Powell Smith is successful--he takes something that people dismiss (either as fiction or because it is so familiar), and he uses the disconnect between those expectations and the LEGO imagery to force the reader to grapple with what the Bible and its stories mean for them. He wants more people to pay attention to the Bible, and he might just get his wish.
This is not your parent's Bible. Or your children's Bible. Brendan Powell Smith's rendering of the Bible in LEGO contains imagery ranging from beautiful to brilliant to absurd, but I agree with one of the blurbs that called it "Strangely compelling."
Powell Smith has an agenda. He picks and chooses his stories. He does his own translation/interpretation (leaning heavily on King James but using some others). I wouldn't call it scholarly (true scholars will find fault with some of his choices). I wouldn't call it even-handed (he definitely likes both his Testaments with an edge to them).
But at any given time I would call it...
brilliant (rendering the parables in modern guise, the consistent look of the various Old Testament nations)
absurd (angels with tommy-guns in Revelation, the background objects with the witch of Endor)
offensive (some of the depictions of race are a little disturbing, but then he's got limited ways to depict ethnicity, with a dominant color of yellow)
compelling (Yaweh burying Moses, I will come like a thief in the night)
and disturbing (oh, so that's how you represent a foreskin in LEGO, and childbirth, and rape)
But the same can be said for the Bible itself. In this, Powell Smith is successful--he takes something that people dismiss (either as fiction or because it is so familiar), and he uses the disconnect between those expectations and the LEGO imagery to force the reader to grapple with what the Bible and its stories mean for them. He wants more people to pay attention to the Bible, and he might just get his wish.
March 9, 2013
Okay, first up. God's Word combined with Lego? What a work of genius! The man behind this creative endeavour is a self-proclaimed atheist who has an interest in the Bible. He originally created the Brick Testaments with the desire to visually depict the more extreme parts of the Bible.
This book isn't for children. Not because its violence is graphic and frequent, it is, but because some of the stories are told without proper context and this could lead to a warped understanding of God and his plan for his people. That said, if you have good discussions with your older children about what they read, go right ahead and let them read it.
I will say this, there's honesty to the stories that you won't find in children's Bibles (eg. the sort that say: Adam and Eve were bad and God was sad...). I'm familiar with God's Word and while I did have some issues with the book, namely the lack of context at times, I found the result to be very creative and a valiant effort in putting God's Word into pictures.
There were eye-opening moments where I didn't remember particular things happening and had to check them in a real Bible (but found them true to God's Word). The crazy, weird and downright funny parts of the Old Testament are all here (well everything up to Ezra, bar Ruth). Treat this book as an enjoyable visual addition to the Bible, not as a Bible in and of itself. Highly recommended for discerning readers.
8/10
This book isn't for children. Not because its violence is graphic and frequent, it is, but because some of the stories are told without proper context and this could lead to a warped understanding of God and his plan for his people. That said, if you have good discussions with your older children about what they read, go right ahead and let them read it.
I will say this, there's honesty to the stories that you won't find in children's Bibles (eg. the sort that say: Adam and Eve were bad and God was sad...). I'm familiar with God's Word and while I did have some issues with the book, namely the lack of context at times, I found the result to be very creative and a valiant effort in putting God's Word into pictures.
There were eye-opening moments where I didn't remember particular things happening and had to check them in a real Bible (but found them true to God's Word). The crazy, weird and downright funny parts of the Old Testament are all here (well everything up to Ezra, bar Ruth). Treat this book as an enjoyable visual addition to the Bible, not as a Bible in and of itself. Highly recommended for discerning readers.
8/10
January 2, 2012
Well-photographed LEGO constructions illustrating Old Testament passages from the Bible make for an enjoyable read. The frequently staunch scripture is presented quite literally. Smiling minifigs make even the most serious plague, murder, and circumcision seem whimsical. The LEGO dioramas are endlessly inventive yet simple enough to be repeatable with modest brick collections, a great idea book for builders.
Be warned: this isn't a cute Bible book for children. Serious subject matter is presented rather unflinchingly. Readers will react differently to the mature content and straightforward presentation. Give the author's site (www.bricktestament.com) a look to decide if it's for you or not.
Be warned: this isn't a cute Bible book for children. Serious subject matter is presented rather unflinchingly. Readers will react differently to the mature content and straightforward presentation. Give the author's site (www.bricktestament.com) a look to decide if it's for you or not.
Read
July 23, 2016i think this was a good book because i am a christian and i needed to learn more and i did learn a lot about it explained every detail bot how the snake came to Adam and eve and told them to eat the forbidden fruit and David and the Goliath and i recommend this book to people that are Christians and like some adventure
December 28, 2012
This is a truly amazing book. To explain that this is a thick graphic novel retelling the stories of the Bible's Old Testament cannot possibly do it justice. It is an amazing piece of work. The detail, attention, and effort showing in this can't be understood without seeing it. To those faithful or critical of the Bible this book is inspiring, funny, wonderful and wrong all at the same time. I know a lot of people who will really enjoy this interpretation of these classic stories. I also warn that this is not for everyone and some readers will likely be offended.
For me, the only thing missing would be a few pages explaining the process required to create this book. How did he make these pictures? How many bricks did it require? Did he need to modify any bricks to meet his needs?
Looking forward to The Brick Bible - The New Testament.
For me, the only thing missing would be a few pages explaining the process required to create this book. How did he make these pictures? How many bricks did it require? Did he need to modify any bricks to meet his needs?
Looking forward to The Brick Bible - The New Testament.
June 7, 2013
Very entertaining but definitely with an agenda. This is not for children unless you want to find yourself explaining circumcision to your ten year old (which I found myself doing and he is now very thankful that he has parents that think circumcision is barbaric!) Smith does a great job highlighting the violence and serious factual problems in the Old Testament along with awesome LEGO displays!
As someone who has never actually read the bible (besides maybe a passage here and there) I found it quite educational but I'm definitely the right audience for this book. The LEGO images are amazing and very funny at times.
As someone who has never actually read the bible (besides maybe a passage here and there) I found it quite educational but I'm definitely the right audience for this book. The LEGO images are amazing and very funny at times.
March 18, 2014
My son is a huge Osgood fan and when I seen this at the book store I knew he had to have it. We began reading it right away and we both loved it! It was such a great way to get him to learn about the old testament. He was able to become involved due to the wonderful Leyla scenes that brought the story to life. This is definately on of my favorite books ive ever read.
March 18, 2017
A very good representation of the bible using Legos
April 1, 2024
*Editing this review to add that this book gave me dreams/nightmares/night sweats???*
5 stars for the author creating this book accurately and in an interesting to read format, I’m grateful to have this method of seeing what all the hubbub is about. As for the Old Testament itself I’d give it 3 stars. So boring and repetitive like the in detail lineage of everybody and the cycle of the Israelites abandoning Yahweh and getting enslaved and crying help and Yahweh helping them murder everyone and wash rinse and repeat like 10 times. But there’s also occasional moments of absolutely violent and depraved insanity?? All in all, Yahweh is kind of a total meanie beanie 🫤. Not my vibe.
5 stars for the author creating this book accurately and in an interesting to read format, I’m grateful to have this method of seeing what all the hubbub is about. As for the Old Testament itself I’d give it 3 stars. So boring and repetitive like the in detail lineage of everybody and the cycle of the Israelites abandoning Yahweh and getting enslaved and crying help and Yahweh helping them murder everyone and wash rinse and repeat like 10 times. But there’s also occasional moments of absolutely violent and depraved insanity?? All in all, Yahweh is kind of a total meanie beanie 🫤. Not my vibe.
November 8, 2024
Nothing like seeing these stories depicted in Lego. Really puts things into perspective.
Truly disturbing.
Truly disturbing.
August 29, 2013
Note: This is a review of both "Testaments" of The Brick Bible
A Quickie Review
It's no secret that Legos are insanely popular. They have gone beyond mere building blocks and have inspired a theme park, movies and television shows, and multiple computer and video games, many of which also tie in with other popular franchises, such as Star Wars or DC Comics. In these two books, Brendan Powell Smith illustrates stories from God's Word using those popular blocks. Though his work here is admirable, he left out some very important stories, especially in the old Testament. Job and Esther could have had some dramatic images, but they are completely left out. Even the Sunday school favorite Jonah is missing.
As if that wasn't bad enough, despite kid-friendly appearances, this book isn't for children. Circumcision, rape, insect, and murder are depicted or implied. Most if not all of the Lego computer/video games were rated E10 at worst, but, if this were a video game, it would get T, not only because of the violence, but also because of the themes. Granted, those go with the Bible stories being told, but young children don't need to hear about Laban's daughters having sexual relations with their own father, or what circumcision even is. It's less graphic than what you're likely to see in the average "R" film, but it still was too mich for me, and many others are likely to feel the same way. The scary visuals in some scenes would also be unsettling to younger readers as well. This series had potential, and I have no doubt that Lego fanatics would love it...but I didn't.
Score: 2.25/5
A Quickie Review
It's no secret that Legos are insanely popular. They have gone beyond mere building blocks and have inspired a theme park, movies and television shows, and multiple computer and video games, many of which also tie in with other popular franchises, such as Star Wars or DC Comics. In these two books, Brendan Powell Smith illustrates stories from God's Word using those popular blocks. Though his work here is admirable, he left out some very important stories, especially in the old Testament. Job and Esther could have had some dramatic images, but they are completely left out. Even the Sunday school favorite Jonah is missing.
As if that wasn't bad enough, despite kid-friendly appearances, this book isn't for children. Circumcision, rape, insect, and murder are depicted or implied. Most if not all of the Lego computer/video games were rated E10 at worst, but, if this were a video game, it would get T, not only because of the violence, but also because of the themes. Granted, those go with the Bible stories being told, but young children don't need to hear about Laban's daughters having sexual relations with their own father, or what circumcision even is. It's less graphic than what you're likely to see in the average "R" film, but it still was too mich for me, and many others are likely to feel the same way. The scary visuals in some scenes would also be unsettling to younger readers as well. This series had potential, and I have no doubt that Lego fanatics would love it...but I didn't.
Score: 2.25/5
June 26, 2015
The Brick Bible is a Lego version The Bible that tells the story about famous readings like how God created the earth, Adam and Eve, Noah's ark, and other fantastic stories. If I had to recommend this fantastic book, I would recommend it to pastors, kids, and Lego fans that want to learn more about The Bible (the reason why you ask) because it is a fun way to learn about God.
After I read this book I wanted to read more about God and I wanted, surprisingly, to go to church and read more books about that. And if there's anyone out there who goes to church or reads the bible this is a book I would recommend.
After I read this book I wanted to read more about God and I wanted, surprisingly, to go to church and read more books about that. And if there's anyone out there who goes to church or reads the bible this is a book I would recommend.
July 19, 2014
I am so upset that this book found its way off the library shelf and into our home. This book is NOT for children!!!! The author carefully omitted all spiritual lessons from the Old Testament and created this book to emphasize and exaggerate violence, immorality (yes- with Lego minifigures!) and the wrath of God. Please do not give this book to your kids.
Read
November 18, 2019This book is pretty much what it claims to be: 'a new spin on the Old Testament.' It doesn't promise to be 'kid-friendly' just because the artist used Lego blocks, and it doesn't promise to include every Old Testament story that 'good Christians' would like included (or avoid the ones that make them uncomfortable).
What I've found surprising in shocked responses to this book is that the original text of the Old Testament isn't particularly kid-friendly either. Perhaps that's why so many seem to be looking for a sanitized version?
I did like this book because the 'spin' is challenging; it doesn't make up events or narrative elements, but provides illustrations for stories from the original text. If readers want the original text, or believe that some elements of the texts are more important than others, or don't like how the stories are illustrated, they can take issue with this artist's choices. If readers don't like stories of raping, killing, mutilation, and lapses into idol worship... well, then, maybe avoid the Old Testament.
What I've found surprising in shocked responses to this book is that the original text of the Old Testament isn't particularly kid-friendly either. Perhaps that's why so many seem to be looking for a sanitized version?
I did like this book because the 'spin' is challenging; it doesn't make up events or narrative elements, but provides illustrations for stories from the original text. If readers want the original text, or believe that some elements of the texts are more important than others, or don't like how the stories are illustrated, they can take issue with this artist's choices. If readers don't like stories of raping, killing, mutilation, and lapses into idol worship... well, then, maybe avoid the Old Testament.
December 9, 2025
I found this a very challenging book. This was stocked in the church library with the deceptive outward appearance of a kid-friendly book. Much like Joe Camel cartoonishly wants kids to smoke cigarettes, this Old Testament depiction of the Bible in Legos focuses on difficult and controversial stories. I found myself discussing incest, sin, childbirth, circumcision, ruthless death and debauchery with my 7yo. This book definitely slants toward trickier interpretations rather than stories of hope, faith and love. Yet, there is truth in the controversy and textual origins so I can’t completely fault the author for their take… personally I’d skip this one, especially for the younger readers.
April 11, 2018
Cool illustrations, and I like that they put in the weird stuff like Sword Mouth Jesus and the eyeball monsters in Revelation. However, I would not recommend the paperback, since the cover came unstuck from the binding pretty much immediately. It's really too thick and heavy a book to be a paperback.
April 16, 2023
the illustrations are amazing! i really enjoyed seeing how the author used legos to depict scenes from the Bible… however, it is very literal (which is fine) but also much is taken very out of context (which isn’t fine) as sections are cherry picked to fit the author’s agenda. still a fascinating compilation but not to be confused with the actual HOLY Bible.
July 29, 2022
I was really excited about this book but I assumed it would be preschool friendly. There were things in there that little kids aren’t really ready to learn and some stuff that is wacky and not in the King James version. Disappointed!
February 13, 2023
A lego retelling of the Biblical old testament. I'd expected it to be more fun, or maybe funnier, but... it's the Bible, you know? And it does a good job of retelling the bizarre and brutal parts of the Bible that are edited out of your usual kid-friendly version.
January 4, 2019
Kind of confusing, since minifigs are much alike compared to people and the names kind of blur together.
December 20, 2018
This book was very entertaining and fun to read. I like the illustrations because they were very creative. I would recommend this if you have kids.
September 18, 2020
Fun!!!!! Good way to make bible stories come to life
November 18, 2020
Not as detailed as the website but still a good read.
March 10, 2021
I liked it overall, but I think they should have been more careful about what they depicted.
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