The Syrian Christ

The allusions to Middle Eastern culture in the Bible are wide-ranging and rooted in thousands of years of tradition. In this superb enquiry, Abraham Rihbany identifies and discusses several examples. Born in Lebanon and educated in theology and history, Rihbany made good use of his unique background proximate to where the events depicted in the Bible took place. Through his upbringing and familiarity with the local culture, and formal study of ancient history and customs, he gained an impression of Biblical passages in a new light. The descriptions of events, the presence of vineyards and marketplaces, the staple foods and religious ceremonies of the region are all reflected in Bible chapters. Rihbany uses examples directly from scripture to prove his points, noting common themes and repetitions. The linguistic quirks present in the Bible are also emblematic of Middle Eastern culture; proverbial sayings and sentence structure are firmly rooted in the Old and New Testaments. Elements of mysticism, and the description of significant events, also have a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor which the author describes in detail.