King Crusoe’s Reviews > Holy Bible: King James Version > Status Update

"Nehemiah" is sometimes combined with "Ezra" as one bigger book - sensibly, because it continues the narrative of the Jews' return to Jerusalem.

Read my review of "Nehemiah" here.

"Following the Babylonian Exile, the Jews are allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

Read my review of "Ezra" here.

"1 Chronicles" is probably better suited for comparative reading and study with "2 Samuel", as well as with some of the genealogical material of prior books. It's less focused on narrative, and while there are some differences, it's hard to appreciate when read alone after all that's come before.

Read my review of "1 Chronicles" here.

"2 Kings" *really* continues the trend from its predecessor of wrapping the narrative of the Israelite people(s) in with known history a bit more actively, which is cool! Definitely just as dense at times. The coolest part was definitely Elisha, and that is even more the case if you're familiar with Christ's life.

Read my review of "2 Kings" here.

So, "1 Kings" begins the transition from the more legendary side of biblical history from the prior two books and begins to line up a bit more with the historical record, which is definitely one of the more interesting things about it and its immediate follow-up. Maybe have some maps and timelines handy for it, though.

Read my review of "1 Kings" here.

I will admit I expected a tad more from "2 Samuel", realizing it would be the book focused centrally on King David. There's still a lot to get out of this, and a lot to enjoy - particularly in the realm of political drama - but I confess I was slightly more into "1 Samuel" and Saul's story. Slightly.

Read my review of "2 Samuel" here.

I was very surprised in reading "1 Samuel" knowing that the David & Goliath story occurs midway through. Why surprised? Well, because the book is mostly about Saul. David is here, and politics between him and Saul feature heavily, but I really loved learning more about Israel's first king to start.

Read my review of "1 Samuel" here.

"Ruth" is a divergent piece of the Old Testament in the way it tackles narrative from a more character and thematic way compared to a generally broader overview like in previous books. It is also especially rich in subtext in ways that are way more apparent, even to unfamiliar readers.

Read my review of "Ruth" here.

The transition from "Joshua" to "Judges" is memorable because of the way it starts to shirk the indulgent details of things that overall aren't really relevant into something more narratively driven. That said, the book is also somewhat repetitive in it's own way before it features a unique kind of epilogue (of sorts).

Read my review of "Judges" here.

"Joshua" has some iconic imagery - most notably the crossing over Jordan and the Battle of Jericho. But much of the back half of the book is kinda tedious in a similar vein as the previous few on account of many inheritances being handed over.

Read my review of "Joshua" here.