How to Read the Bible

The book is an anthology of biblical texts compiled by the famous theologian, Orthodox priest Alexander Men. The sequence of texts corresponds to the chronology of the history of salvation. The book consists of three parts. The proposed 1st part begins with the Pentateuch and ends with the Book of the Song of Songs, traditionally attributed to Solomon. All biblical texts are provided with a brief scientific commentary. The introductory section tells about the history of the creation of the Bible and its influence on world culture. The book is accompanied by a brief bibliography, a scheme of biblical sources, chronological tables of the history of the Ancient East and maps. It is intended for the widest range of readers interested in the world of the Bible.

Preface

"Books have their own fate," it was said in antiquity. And this book has its own fate and its own difficult history. It was written at a time when it was almost impossible to get a Bible in our country. Of course, it was published in our country, but in tiny editions. It was easier to buy a Bible in Russian in Paris than in Moscow. As a rule, it was secretly imported from abroad.

And now several generations have grown up who have never held the Book in their hands, which is rightfully considered a treasury of wisdom of mankind, which everyone should know, believers and non-believers.

But entering the world of the Bible is a long and difficult path that requires certain knowledge. And we, as it turned out, do not even know the history and geography of the ancient world well, we are almost unknown to the complex system of ancient images and symbols, we do not understand their poetics. You need knowledge, you need work, you need culture... We need a kind and intelligent companion in the Book of Books, a reliable guide through this truly holy land of humanity. Without it, it is easy to get lost, without it it is difficult to see and understand anything.

Father Alexander Men became such a guide for us. He wrote the book How to Read the Bible. He had a special and rare gift – the ability to convey his vast knowledge in a clear and accessible form, to introduce his readers and listeners into the complex world of unfamiliar concepts so that they would have the joy of comprehending the truth together. In his book, living faith is organically combined with the achievements of modern biblical science. Father Alexander continues the creative tradition of Russian biblical studies, represented by the names of V. S. Solovyov, Prince S. N. Trubetskoy, Father Sergius Bulgakov, A. V. Kartashev, and Bishop Kassian (Bezobrazov).

The first handwritten copies of Father Alexander's book were a manual for illegal circles in which the Holy Scriptures were studied. In 1981, this book was published in Brussels by the publishing house "Life with God". Sometimes it was possible to bring it from abroad. It was considered as "subversive literature" and was seized during searches.

Times have changed. The Bible is published in numerous editions in our country, now it can be bought without difficulty. But it is precisely now, when the task of acquaintance with the world of the Bible has become immeasurably greater in scale, that the publication of Father Alexander's book has acquired even greater significance.

Initially, the book did not include biblical texts, but only referred readers to the necessary chapters and verses. But practice has shown that the need to constantly put down one book and pick up another distracts attention. Therefore, Father Alexander decided to prepare a new edition – a biblical anthology, including all the texts to which he had previously simply referred. And one more important difference: in addition to the most important texts of the Old Testament, the anthology was to include, in addition to the most important texts of the Old Testament, all the Gospels, as well as selected pages from other books of the New Testament. Father Alexander always emphasized that for a Christian, the reading of the Old Testament should take place in the light of the New.

But he did not have time to bring his plan to the end. After his tragic death, there remained a new preface, The World of the Bible, an edited text of the introductory sections to the books of the Old Testament, photocopies of the pages of the Old Testament selected by him, a preface to the Gospel of Mark, and commentaries on the first chapter of this Gospel.

We have taken upon ourselves the work of compiling and preparing this edition. The commentary that has begun is supplemented from the author's manuscript (Commentaries on the Gospels and the Apocalypse, 1979 version) intended for the publishing house "Life with God" in Brussels.

We hope that Fr. Alexander's book will become a guide for many readers and a good assistant in reading the Holy Scriptures.