3 The Stories of Judges and Kings

The Bible is a library in itself, containing a diverse collection of 66 books, written over a period of a thousand years (from 900 BC to 130 AD). The texts have undergone a long development and are the result of centuries of growth. Nico ter Linden has taken it upon himself to retell, explain, and clarify the biblical stories in six volumes. In Volume I of Het verhaal gaat... (The Story Goes...), he recounts the grand narratives of the first five books of the Old Testament, about Israel's patriarchs and matriarchs and about Moses. Volume 2 contains the stories of the New Testament, as handed down by the evangelists Mark and Matthew: small tales, fragments from Jesus' teachings and life, miracle stories, and parables. In Volume 3, the author returns to the Old Testament with the stories from the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Volume 4 deals with the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and with the twelve minor prophets, including Amos, Hosea, and Jonah. Volume 5 continues with a selection from, among others, Job, Psalms, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel, and from the festival scrolls of Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther. With Volume 6, Nico ter Linden hopes to conclude his series of biblical retellings with the gospels of Luke and John and the books of Acts and Revelation. Nico ter Linden (1936) studied theology in Utrecht, Nijmegen, and the United States. He worked in Stompetoren, Alkmaar, and Nijmegen and was pastor of the Westerkerk in Amsterdam from 1977 to 1995. Ter Linden has published about ten books and is a columnist for the daily newspaper Trouw. In 1995, the De Keizerskroon Foundation enabled him to devote himself entirely to writing. Volume 1 of Het verhaal gaat... was published in November 1996, Volume 2 appeared in March 1998, Volume 3 in September 1999, and Volume 4 in October 2000. These volumes have since been reprinted many times and have appeared in translation in various countries.