Hurlbut's Story of the Bible Part 4

Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, born in 1843 and died in 1930, was an American Methodist minister and an author. He was active in the Sunday school movement, and he wrote books to help children and teachers understand the Bible. His best-known work, Hurlbut’s Story of the Bible, was first published in 1904 and became enormously popular, with illustrations and a simple style designed for young readers.

The book retells the Bible from beginning to end in 168 stories, with the aim of letting readers see the whole narrative as a continuous history. In this fourth part of the LibriVox edition, the story moves through the divided kingdom and the stories of the prophets. Hurlbut does not attempt to debate the finer points of scholarship; instead he concentrates on the stories themselves, in direct and unpretentious language.

This volume contains eighteen short chapters and lasts about two hours. It is read by six LibriVox volunteers. If you are interested in the Bible as literature or history, or wish to share it with children, this is an accessible way to approach it. It also gives an idea of the kind of religious education that was common in English-speaking countries at the beginning of the twentieth century, when a clear and consistent story was thought to be the best way to hold the attention of the young.

This part is particularly suitable for listeners who like biblical history told in a straightforward way. The chapters are brief, and each one concentrates on a single person or event, so you can listen to a chapter or two at a time. Parents may find it a useful way to explore these stories together with children.