Audiobook · read by volunteers
Hurlbut's Story of the Bible Part 1
Jesse Lyman Hurlbut (1843–1930)
Read by Esther, Sam Stinson, Robert Scott, Kalynda, Sean McGaughey, Sophie, Sibella Denton, Eric Ray, Laura Caldwell, Tamara Hamilton · 36 chapters · 4 h 46
About the book
Jesse Lyman Hurlbut wrote his Story of the Bible for young readers, retelling the great narratives of Scripture in simple, flowing prose. This first part begins with the creation and the first people, and moves through some of the most familiar stories: the beautiful garden, the first baby in the world and his brother, and onward through the great ship, Abram’s journey, the stories of Jacob and Joseph, Moses and the Exodus, to the story of Job. Hurlbut’s aim is to make the Bible’s stories clear and lively for children and families, without heavy commentary, so that they can be read aloud and enjoyed. Thirty-six short recordings make up almost five hours of listening. Whether you grew up with these stories or are meeting them for the first time, this is a gentle and accessible way to explore them. A first book of Bible stories for the whole family.
Introduction
Jesse Lyman Hurlbut (1843–1930) was an American Methodist minister and writer, active in Sunday-school work and religious education. His Story of the Bible was published in 1904 and became a popular children’s Bible story collection. It was written in plain language, so that it could be used both in the home and in church classes.
The introduction explains the reasoning behind the book: a question once put to a group of distinguished men, asking which book they would choose to have with them if they had to spend a year alone. In ninety-eight of the hundred replies the Bible came first, and Hurlbut uses that observation to explain why every young person should know its stories. The recording that follows retells them in order, with a clear and direct narrative voice. The language is a little formal by modern standards, but it is easy to follow.
Because the stories are short and self-contained, they can be enjoyed one at a time at bedtime or around the table. Parents and teachers will find a useful companion, and curious adults may enjoy revisiting familiar tales told with a gentle, old-fashioned simplicity.
Thirty-six recordings, about 4.8 hours in all, are shared among LibriVox volunteers, from the introduction through to the story of Job. Titles such as The Great Ship That Saved Eight People, The Night When a Nation Was Born and The Mountain That Smoked and Words That Were Spoken show how Hurlbut gives each episode a name that makes a child curious, and each can be heard as a bedtime story of its own. Short enough to be shared a story a night, the sequence follows the Old Testament narrative in order.
Public domain
Jesse Lyman Hurlbut died in 1930: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text