This is the first part of a three-part interview
In recapping my five favorite books so far this year I mentioned how much I was looking forward to the new book by the author A.J. Jacobs. I loved his last book, The Know-It-All and went a bit wild with enthusiasm quoting excerpts from the book as part of the interview.
He mentioned in that interview that his next book would be about a year of following the Bible's rules:
Scott: What sparked you to live a year following bible rules?
I grew up in an incredibly secular home. I'm Jewish in the same way that the Olive Garden is Italian. But I've become increasingly interested in the huge role religion plays in our world. It really is the defining issue of our time. Now that I have a kid, I wanted to figure out what to tell him about religion. So I decided to dive in head first. I wanted to get into the minds of the ancients who wrote and lived the Bible. Or into their sandals, I suppose. I wanted to figure out what was relevant and good for me, and what was maybe not so relevant.
How did you decide which rules and laws to go by?
I had a great spiritual advisory board made up of rabbis, priests and ministers (that sounds like the start to a joke, but it's the truth) and they helped guide me. But the point of my quest was to follow every single law and piece of advice without picking and choosing to see what worked for me. So I also made my own list. I read the Bible from cover to cover and wrote down every one of them. From the famous (The Ten Commandments, Love Thy Neighbor, Be Fruitful and Multiply) to the arcane (don't shave your beard, don't wear clothes of mixed fibers, stone adulterers). Some rules were wise, some were baffling. Some seemed wise in the beginning, then became more baffling as the year wore on. Some seemed baffling in the beginning, but became more wise.
What was the reaction of family and friends to this whole... what's the word? Quest? Concept piece? Performance art?This is your second book focused around a quest of sorts, the first being the great Know-It-All. Speaking of which, how much of the Encyclopedia do you actually remember?
I've forgotten vast swaths of it. Huge amounts! But there was so much information in the encyclopedia, that even remembering a small percentage of it leaves me in a better position than I was before.
Wherever I look, I'm reminded of some random fact. If I see a cat, I'm reminded of how the ancient Egyptians made mummies of their cats -- but they also made mummies of the mice, so the cats would have something to eat in the afterlife. Which I thought was very considerate.
Is it mere coincidence that both of your books are quests and projects? What's your next quest going to be?
I love the quests. I love this 'immersion' genre in general. I'm a big fan of Rodney Rothman's Early Bird (he retired to Florida when he was 30 years old) and Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. I see this genre as memoirs with added value. You get to learn about someone's life, but you also get an introduction into an interesting topic.I've had lots of suggestions already for book number three. My wife wants me to go out to every restaurant in New York, because she likes to eat out. My brother-in-law wants me to be a eunuch for a year. I don't know if that'd work for a year, seems more of a lifetime commitment.
For this book he tried to follow, as much as legally possible, all of the rules listed in the Bible. Yes, both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
This project would not work with an inferior writer - it would be boring or miserable writing. But because Jacobs is thoughtful, witty, and surrounded by friends and family who while ribbing him about some things, naturally, are genuinely helpful the book comes off as both educational and entertaining, funny yet moving and meaningful.
Did you ever consider quitting this year-long campaign? Or by the time you were living this year were you already contractually obliged to do it and then write the book about it?
I considered quitting the project pretty much every day. Living biblically entailed an enormous lifestyle makeover -- just try not coveting for an hour, much less a day. But I kept going because I also found the topic so fascinating. And, well, I did have that book contract. The Bible takes contracts and covenants very seriously.
What was the biggest surprise of the project?
I'd say two things. First, that the year changed me so much. I think partly this is a testament to how powerfully your behavior shapes your beliefs and thoughts. It was impossible to act like I was religious for a year and not have a lot of the lessons rub off on me. Secondly, I'm surprised the book has been received – by and large – pretty warmly by both religious readers and secular/atheist readers. I thought I'd get a lot of letters condemning me to hell. Or, alternatively, saying I took it too easy on religion. Delightfully, that hasn't happened much.
I love that your photo editor emailed you her cycle so you can avoid touching when she's impure. Were most people understanding like that?
Not everyone. Especially men. There are some ancient biblical impurity laws that say you're not supposed to touch men for a day after their 'emission.' Men didn't like talking about when their last emission was.
What did your son, Jasper, make of it all?
He was only two, so he didn't think the beard was all that unusual. He didn't know better. In terms of behavior, there are parts of the Bible – notably the Proverbs – that say you should discipline your son with a rod. I couldn't do that. So I bought a nerf rod and hit him with that. He thought that was funny and hit me back with a Whiffle bat. So that was a fiasco. But I will say, the general biblical idea of instilling more discipline in your kids is a good one. I think I became less of a pushover dad, which is a good thing.
What did you make of this article that seemed to tear into your book and others like it?
Yeah, it seems not everybody loves the genre in which a writer immerses him/herself in an experiment for a year. To paraphrase the Bible, c'est la vie. Personally, I love the genre. I loved Nickeled and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, and I loved Rodney Rothman's Early Bird, where he retired to Florida at age 30. I see these books as memoirs with added value. You get to learn about someone's life, and also about a fascinating topic.
I love that you out Bible talked a Jehovahs Witness. Was that impressive or scary in retrospect?
A little bit of both, I think.
Did you have many mind-blowing moments like this one:
I had revelations and epiphanies with alarming frequency. It was like a spiritual quest in fast motion. Sometimes they were little epiphanies. Sometimes they were profound – like the time I had a quasi-mystical experience while dancing with (drunken) Hasidic Jews.
Dare I ask what your next project is?
I'm not sure. My wife says I owe her big time. So she's saying I should spend a year giving her foot massages. Not sure the publisher is going to go for that, though.
Scott: What do you make of this case in Alaska of this guy saying he was following the Bible literally?
AJ: Well, that's disturbing to say the least. In my year, I found the Bible can be used to justify pretty much any behavior, from slave-owning to smoking pot (I found a website that says that Moses' anointing oil had THC in it). One of the lessons from my year was that you have to be careful with the Bible. It's important to focus on the parts in the Bible about compassion and tolerance instead of the parts about violence, sexism, homophobia and intolerance. Because there are, in fact, both in the Bible. You have to be able to pick and choose properly.
Scott: What did you learn from this project?
AJ: I learned a hundred things, from the inane to the profound. I learned that crickets are crunchy (I ate one, since it's part of the biblical diet) and that the Sabbath can be an beautiful experience — a sanctuary in time, as one rabbi calls it. I learned how moving rituals can be, even those that appear to make no sense on the surface.
I learned my wife does not like the rules about menstruation being impure. I learned that the Bible is the most fascinating book I've ever grappled with. I learned that the forbidden fruit was not an apple. It was a fig or a grape or something else, because apples weren't around in the Middle East then.
Scott: How did this project change you in a permanent sense? How many of the "rules" of the Bible are you continuing to follow?
AJ: It changed me profoundly. I still covet and gossip and lie, but I think I do it less. Maybe 35 percent less, if I had to put a number on it. I still try to keep the Sabbath. I'm much more grateful. Gratitude was a huge theme of the year. I became far more aware of my actions and their consequences. Also, I started out as an agnostic, and by the end of the year I became what a minister friend of mine calls a "reverent agnostic."
Whether or not there's a God, there's something important about the idea of sacredness — rituals can be sacred, and the Sabbath can be sacred, and there's an importance to that. My wife and I also joined a temple at the end of the year. It's reform, and we don't really go, but we decided to give our sons just a little taste of religion so they can reject it or accept it as they please. I also learned that it's important not to take the Bible too literally.
Scott: What did you do instead of sacrificing the ox? Was that the part where you instead had a chicken killed?
AJ: Yes, that was the closest I came to sacrifice. It's an annual ritual practiced by some Orthodox Jews called kaparot. It was a fascinating experience, and, frankly, a troubling one. The year was not all light and fun.
Scott: Looking back what was the high point and the low points of the project and why?
AJ: One of the highpoints was doing this crazy ecstatic dance with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn. I'd never seen such pure, unadulterated joy.
As for the lowpoint, well, my neighbor died right at the end of my year. And it was tough and moving time. I hope my year gave me some perspective to deal with it.
Scott: I read somewhere that a movie deal is in the works. How will that work? Someone will play you? We're talking fiction or non-fiction? Who would you like to play you?
AJ: Yes, they're working on the second draft of the script. I'm cautiously optimistic, as they say. It'd be a fictionalized version. As for who'd play me, I'd be happy with anyone, as long as the movie gets made. I'd be happy with Fyvish Finkel. Or Alfred Molina. Or Adam Sandler. Or Colin Farrell. Or anyone in between!
Scott: Is there anything you were hoping I'd ask but didn't? This is your chance to say something that's driving you mad because all the interviewers forget to ask it of you.
AJ: No, your questions were delightful. Plus, it's not biblical to get mad.
In recapping my five favorite books so far this year I mentioned how much I was looking forward to the new book by the author A.J. Jacobs. I loved his last book, The Know-It-All and went a bit wild with enthusiasm quoting excerpts from the book as part of the interview.
He mentioned in that interview that his next book would be about a year of following the Bible's rules:
A.J.: The next book is called The Year of Living Biblically, and it's about my attempt to follow the rules of the Bible as literally as possible – from the famous ones like the Ten Commandments and Be Fruitful and Multiply right on down to stoning adulterers and growing a huge beard. That one was always both a personal project and actual book.So I've been waiting with great anticipation for this book and was jealous when Newsweek did a good piece about the project. The book was officially released this week and already has great buzz. I've read the first 25 pages and am loving it already. A.J. agreed to another interview with me.
Scott: What sparked you to live a year following bible rules?
I grew up in an incredibly secular home. I'm Jewish in the same way that the Olive Garden is Italian. But I've become increasingly interested in the huge role religion plays in our world. It really is the defining issue of our time. Now that I have a kid, I wanted to figure out what to tell him about religion. So I decided to dive in head first. I wanted to get into the minds of the ancients who wrote and lived the Bible. Or into their sandals, I suppose. I wanted to figure out what was relevant and good for me, and what was maybe not so relevant.
How did you decide which rules and laws to go by?
I had a great spiritual advisory board made up of rabbis, priests and ministers (that sounds like the start to a joke, but it's the truth) and they helped guide me. But the point of my quest was to follow every single law and piece of advice without picking and choosing to see what worked for me. So I also made my own list. I read the Bible from cover to cover and wrote down every one of them. From the famous (The Ten Commandments, Love Thy Neighbor, Be Fruitful and Multiply) to the arcane (don't shave your beard, don't wear clothes of mixed fibers, stone adulterers). Some rules were wise, some were baffling. Some seemed wise in the beginning, then became more baffling as the year wore on. Some seemed baffling in the beginning, but became more wise.
What was the reaction of family and friends to this whole... what's the word? Quest? Concept piece? Performance art?This is your second book focused around a quest of sorts, the first being the great Know-It-All. Speaking of which, how much of the Encyclopedia do you actually remember?
I've forgotten vast swaths of it. Huge amounts! But there was so much information in the encyclopedia, that even remembering a small percentage of it leaves me in a better position than I was before.
Wherever I look, I'm reminded of some random fact. If I see a cat, I'm reminded of how the ancient Egyptians made mummies of their cats -- but they also made mummies of the mice, so the cats would have something to eat in the afterlife. Which I thought was very considerate.
Is it mere coincidence that both of your books are quests and projects? What's your next quest going to be?
I love the quests. I love this 'immersion' genre in general. I'm a big fan of Rodney Rothman's Early Bird (he retired to Florida when he was 30 years old) and Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. I see this genre as memoirs with added value. You get to learn about someone's life, but you also get an introduction into an interesting topic.I've had lots of suggestions already for book number three. My wife wants me to go out to every restaurant in New York, because she likes to eat out. My brother-in-law wants me to be a eunuch for a year. I don't know if that'd work for a year, seems more of a lifetime commitment.
For this book he tried to follow, as much as legally possible, all of the rules listed in the Bible. Yes, both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
This project would not work with an inferior writer - it would be boring or miserable writing. But because Jacobs is thoughtful, witty, and surrounded by friends and family who while ribbing him about some things, naturally, are genuinely helpful the book comes off as both educational and entertaining, funny yet moving and meaningful.
Did you ever consider quitting this year-long campaign? Or by the time you were living this year were you already contractually obliged to do it and then write the book about it?
I considered quitting the project pretty much every day. Living biblically entailed an enormous lifestyle makeover -- just try not coveting for an hour, much less a day. But I kept going because I also found the topic so fascinating. And, well, I did have that book contract. The Bible takes contracts and covenants very seriously.
What was the biggest surprise of the project?
I'd say two things. First, that the year changed me so much. I think partly this is a testament to how powerfully your behavior shapes your beliefs and thoughts. It was impossible to act like I was religious for a year and not have a lot of the lessons rub off on me. Secondly, I'm surprised the book has been received – by and large – pretty warmly by both religious readers and secular/atheist readers. I thought I'd get a lot of letters condemning me to hell. Or, alternatively, saying I took it too easy on religion. Delightfully, that hasn't happened much.
I love that your photo editor emailed you her cycle so you can avoid touching when she's impure. Were most people understanding like that?
Not everyone. Especially men. There are some ancient biblical impurity laws that say you're not supposed to touch men for a day after their 'emission.' Men didn't like talking about when their last emission was.
What did your son, Jasper, make of it all?
He was only two, so he didn't think the beard was all that unusual. He didn't know better. In terms of behavior, there are parts of the Bible – notably the Proverbs – that say you should discipline your son with a rod. I couldn't do that. So I bought a nerf rod and hit him with that. He thought that was funny and hit me back with a Whiffle bat. So that was a fiasco. But I will say, the general biblical idea of instilling more discipline in your kids is a good one. I think I became less of a pushover dad, which is a good thing.
What did you make of this article that seemed to tear into your book and others like it?
Yeah, it seems not everybody loves the genre in which a writer immerses him/herself in an experiment for a year. To paraphrase the Bible, c'est la vie. Personally, I love the genre. I loved Nickeled and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, and I loved Rodney Rothman's Early Bird, where he retired to Florida at age 30. I see these books as memoirs with added value. You get to learn about someone's life, and also about a fascinating topic.
I love that you out Bible talked a Jehovahs Witness. Was that impressive or scary in retrospect?
A little bit of both, I think.
Did you have many mind-blowing moments like this one:
It's the seventh Sabbath of my Biblical year. Well,actually, it's the day after the seventh Sabbath. Icouldn't type this entry on the Sabbath itself becausethe Bible tells me not to work. (A friend of mine saidthat even observing the Sabbath might be breaking theSabbath, since my job is to follow the Bible. That
gave me a two-hour headache.
I had revelations and epiphanies with alarming frequency. It was like a spiritual quest in fast motion. Sometimes they were little epiphanies. Sometimes they were profound – like the time I had a quasi-mystical experience while dancing with (drunken) Hasidic Jews.
Dare I ask what your next project is?
I'm not sure. My wife says I owe her big time. So she's saying I should spend a year giving her foot massages. Not sure the publisher is going to go for that, though.
Scott: What do you make of this case in Alaska of this guy saying he was following the Bible literally?
AJ: Well, that's disturbing to say the least. In my year, I found the Bible can be used to justify pretty much any behavior, from slave-owning to smoking pot (I found a website that says that Moses' anointing oil had THC in it). One of the lessons from my year was that you have to be careful with the Bible. It's important to focus on the parts in the Bible about compassion and tolerance instead of the parts about violence, sexism, homophobia and intolerance. Because there are, in fact, both in the Bible. You have to be able to pick and choose properly.
Scott: What did you learn from this project?
AJ: I learned a hundred things, from the inane to the profound. I learned that crickets are crunchy (I ate one, since it's part of the biblical diet) and that the Sabbath can be an beautiful experience — a sanctuary in time, as one rabbi calls it. I learned how moving rituals can be, even those that appear to make no sense on the surface.
I learned my wife does not like the rules about menstruation being impure. I learned that the Bible is the most fascinating book I've ever grappled with. I learned that the forbidden fruit was not an apple. It was a fig or a grape or something else, because apples weren't around in the Middle East then.
Scott: How did this project change you in a permanent sense? How many of the "rules" of the Bible are you continuing to follow?
AJ: It changed me profoundly. I still covet and gossip and lie, but I think I do it less. Maybe 35 percent less, if I had to put a number on it. I still try to keep the Sabbath. I'm much more grateful. Gratitude was a huge theme of the year. I became far more aware of my actions and their consequences. Also, I started out as an agnostic, and by the end of the year I became what a minister friend of mine calls a "reverent agnostic."
Whether or not there's a God, there's something important about the idea of sacredness — rituals can be sacred, and the Sabbath can be sacred, and there's an importance to that. My wife and I also joined a temple at the end of the year. It's reform, and we don't really go, but we decided to give our sons just a little taste of religion so they can reject it or accept it as they please. I also learned that it's important not to take the Bible too literally.
Scott: What did you do instead of sacrificing the ox? Was that the part where you instead had a chicken killed?
AJ: Yes, that was the closest I came to sacrifice. It's an annual ritual practiced by some Orthodox Jews called kaparot. It was a fascinating experience, and, frankly, a troubling one. The year was not all light and fun.
Scott: Looking back what was the high point and the low points of the project and why?
AJ: One of the highpoints was doing this crazy ecstatic dance with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn. I'd never seen such pure, unadulterated joy.
As for the lowpoint, well, my neighbor died right at the end of my year. And it was tough and moving time. I hope my year gave me some perspective to deal with it.
Scott: I read somewhere that a movie deal is in the works. How will that work? Someone will play you? We're talking fiction or non-fiction? Who would you like to play you?
AJ: Yes, they're working on the second draft of the script. I'm cautiously optimistic, as they say. It'd be a fictionalized version. As for who'd play me, I'd be happy with anyone, as long as the movie gets made. I'd be happy with Fyvish Finkel. Or Alfred Molina. Or Adam Sandler. Or Colin Farrell. Or anyone in between!
Scott: Is there anything you were hoping I'd ask but didn't? This is your chance to say something that's driving you mad because all the interviewers forget to ask it of you.
AJ: No, your questions were delightful. Plus, it's not biblical to get mad.
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