Review: A Month in the Country

A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Month in the Country by J.L. Carson is not only a satire about manners and customs, but it is also prose verging on poetry. Set in the English countryside during the early twentieth century, Tom Birkin, a veteran of the Great War, leaves behind his hectic and broken life in the city of London and begins work revealing a medieval masterpiece hidden behind whitewash in an unassuming country parish. Birkin lives a Spartan existence while he resides in Oxgodby, and he becomes acquainted with a small circle of residents - each with quirks vaguely hidden behind appropriate yet absurd manners. As he reveals a painting based on the Last Judgment, Birkin evolves from an anxious man scarred by the war and an unhappy marriage to a man at peace with himself. As a survivor of the war, his experiences mirrored the hell he discovers in the painting. When his work is complete, the beauty of the masterpiece arises a cathartic peace that manifests itself physically when his facial tick ceases to contort his face. Birkin is not a religious man, but he sees how life continues to march forward despite the ugliness and the expectations of society. In every instance of death mentioned in the story, there is a common theme of the continuation of life. For example, the original medieval painter did not complete his masterpiece but fell from the scaffold to his death and yet the painting was completed. Another example are the soldiers who perished in the Great War and yet Birkin survived when so many others did not. When Birkin arrived at Oxgodby, he concludes that life is made up of small meaningless moments impacted by events out of our control:

"As far as I'm concerned he might just as well have gone round the corner and died. But that goes for most of us, doesn't it? We look blankly at each other. Here I am, here you are. What are we doing here? What do you suppose it's all about? Let's dream on.... I go to work at eight and come home at five-thirty.... Now you know all about me. Go away: I've forgotten you already.”

By the time Birkin leaves Oxgodby, he is more optimistic about life:

"If I'd stayed there, would I always have been happy? No, I suppose not. People move away, grow older, die, and the bright belief that there will be another marvelous thing around each corner fades. It is now or never; we must snatch at happiness as it flies."

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Review: Pharaohs And Kings: A Biblical Quest

Pharaohs And Kings: A Biblical Quest by David Rohl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pharaohs and Kings by David M. Rohl exposes the need for a re-evaluation of Egyptian chronology. Since the beginning of the science called Egyptology, sequential dating of the pharaohs has been problematic and shortsighted. The very idea that scholars in this field of study have never questioned the official historical timeline is disconcerting and unscholarly. I commend Rohl for picking up a conversation that is rarely discussed among Egyptologists. In his book, Pharaohs and Kings, Rohl uses archaeology to unravel the chaos of the official timeline, creating a “New Chronology” that is just as relevant as any other timeline offered over the previous century.

Rohl’s thesis, “The objective of this book is to argue straightforwardly that the narratives contained in the Old Testament are consistent with the general cultural setting revealed through Egyptian and Levantine archaeology - once the correct chronology is applied” (page 38), is a hefty objective, but he convincingly demonstrates evidence along with well-reasoned speculation to prove his thesis. Granted, the speculative portions of Pharaohs and Kings are hard to accept but, with luck, perhaps even the speculations will reveal the historicity of his claims in due time. 

Of course, there are some problems that are either unclear or should be reconsidered and re-interpreted. First, Rohl’s interpretation of the mass graves found at Tell ed-Daba at stratum G/1 is puzzling. He associates the mass grave as evidence of the last plague on Egypt, the death of the firstborn sons. If the site of Tell ed-Daba is where the Israelites settled while in Egypt, then one would think that you would not find graves like this. According to Exodus 11, the Israelites were spared from the horrors of the plagues on Egypt, so there should not be any mass graves discovered there if these are indeed the same Israelites of the Exodus. Also, I was not convinced by his evidence of interpreting the names of people in the Bible with corresponding names found in Assyria, Palestine, and Egypt. The premise it that the name meanings are the same so they must be the same person. This argument is compelling, but more investigating should be done to solidify the theory.

Much of Rohl’s interpretation of the biblical narratives are impressive for a scholar who claims to not be a Christian; although, I do take issue with a couple of statements made, especially about the age of the Patriarchs. There is no evidence to suggest that Moses was not 80 years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Rohl’s flippant opinions about the years mentioned in the Bible are concerning. There is no evidence to suggest that the information is wrong (except the point about how long the Israelites were in Egypt) simply because it is a “round” number. There is a lot of symbolism that takes place when discussing numbers in the biblical narratives but, at the same time, they are not rounded numbers either. Also, on page 321, Rohl says that Jacob is Abraham’s son, which is incorrect. Isaac was Abraham's son; Jacob is Isaac’s twin son (Esau being the other twin). When dealing with genealogy, attention to details such as this is crucial, especially when laying out a controversial thesis. If Rohl is wrong on simple biblical genealogy, is he also wrong about the Egyptian genealogy? Also, if you are wrong on the minute information, then you could be wrong about the big picture.


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