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Omnibus: The Know-It-All, The Year of Living Biblically, My Life as an Experiment

Page 88

by A. J. Jacobs


  guides, see spiritual advisory board

  guilt:

  about disadvantaged ancient, Israelites

  about disobeying traffic rules

  about eating eggs

  about fate of ritual chickens

  about honoring parents

  about inadvertently pilfered exgirlfriend’s Bible

  Jewish, in general

  about lying to Mr. Berkowitz

  about lying to the Falwell folks

  about neighbor Nancy

  about pestering pigeons

  about righteous idiocy

  about the slave/intern

  about tefillinless binding

  about transgressions when biblical year ended

  Hackman, Gene, earth conceded to be older than

  hair, hairstyles

  function of side locks in

  of Israelite vs. the pagan cut

  olive oil dabbed on

  Paul’s decree on length of

  Halloween, off-limits paganism of

  Ham, Ken

  AJ trumped on science knowledge by

  Ham (son of Noah), filial disrespect of

  Hammurabi, code of

  Handbook of Bible Law, A (Weisman)

  subtitle of (says it all)

  hand chopping:

  biblical acceptance of

  in self-defense

  handshaking, bacteria-ridden custom of

  Handy Seat, urban impurities avoided with

  Hanukkah

  harp of ten strings

  one designed by ex-uncle

  strolling the Upper West Side with

  underground devotion to

  Harris, Robbie

  on avoiding idolatry

  on literal meaning vs. rabbinical, interpretation of Bible

  Harris, Sam

  Harrison, Barbara (Julie’s mom)

  AJ’s coveting spurred by

  in negotiated photo shoot

  Harrison, David (Julie’s stepdad), in Starbucks debate

  Hasidic Jews

  AJ’s fear that Jasper might, among many other things, join the above

  dancing with

  Lubavitcher sect of

  pantheism of

  wackjobs really the exception among

  Hebrew alphabet, rough spots in learning of

  Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)

  AJ’s OCD and germaphobia dovetailed by

  in Bible project

  compassion vs. barbarism in

  marriage and polygamy in

  prosex parts of

  Samaritan Bible vs.

  slavery in

  small variations seen in

  troubled conception of promising offspring in

  see also Torah; specific books

  Hebrew calendar

  hell, why Jehovah’s Witnesses are uncomfortable with concept of

  “helmet,” origin and use of

  Hendrix, Jimi

  Hensley, George, father of Tennessee serpent handling

  Heschel, Abraham Joshua, on the, Sabbath

  Heston, Charlton

  waters rolled back by

  History of God, A (Armstrong)

  Hitchens, Christopher

  Holofernes, seduction and beheading of

  Holon, Samaritans living in

  Holy Land, AJ’s pilgrimage to

  Home Depot, Noah seen as serious patron of

  home-schooling movement

  homosexuality:

  as “abomination,”

  in Cafeteria Christianity

  capital punishment for

  Christian view on

  in critique of biblical literalism

  evangelical stance on

  homosexuality (cont.)

  in evangelical study group

  in God’s punishment for pagan, Gentile sins

  religious right’s cultural view of

  honesty, see truth telling

  Hood, Ralph, on serpent handling

  Hopper, Dennis

  Hosea, Israelites’ idolatrous ways censured by

  hospitality

  of Abraham and the Middle East in general

  Hubbard, Dean, on bride acquisition and red heifer projects

  human beings:

  convenient excuse for not touching 51 percent of

  mucky origins linked to self-concepts of

  Humanist Perspectives,

  I Ate a Bug Club

  ibn Ezra, Abraham, on how to think of a (married) pretty woman

  idols, idolatry

  apartment stripped of images verging on

  destroying of

  familial effects of

  forty-five rules on

  happy medium sought between

  Amish and Taliban views on

  in Protestant Reformation

  in today’s cults of personality

  impurity laws, female, see purity laws

  impurity laws, male

  incest

  in the Lot family

  penalty for

  Incredible Mr. Limpet, The,

  individualism, biblical group identity vs. European idea of

  Inherit the Wind (movie), unfairness seen in

  insects, deadly, in Revelation prophecy

  insects, edible

  as consumed willy-nilly in daily diet

  sending for

  survival in biblical times on

  tasted

  intelligent design, creationist dismissal of

  Intercourse, Pa., moral victory on passing through

  International Preschool

  internet, intercessory prayer sprouting on

  in vitro fertilization (IVF)

  Bible noncommittal on

  Julie’s eggs implanted

  success of; see also twins, Jacobs

  Tamar’s tale as parable of

  Iraq

  Jehovah’s Witnesses not found in

  Nineveh now in

  war in

  Isaac

  inexplicable near-sacrifice of

  Rebecca as pretended sister of

  Sarah’s late-life conception of

  Isaiah:

  on being called forth from the womb

  on a cause of sleeplessness

  on his hypocritical followers

  on preaching good news to the poor

  on walking naked and barefoot

  Ishmael, as first circumcision subject

  Islam:

  images avoided by

  Ishmael as forefather of

  “Israel,” meaning of

  Israel, modern:

  AJ’s feelings on return from

  forbidden fruit grown in

  herding sheep in

  persistent hospitality in

  Samaritans dodging political raindrops in

  security grilling before flight to

  sojourn with ex-uncle in

  some commandments observed only in

  teenage AJ in family visit to

  see also Jerusalem

  Israelites, ancient

  Christians who still believe in laws of

  comparing the God of Spinoza, Tillich, and the Jedi knights with the God of

  complex sacrifice rules of

  entering mind-set of

  explaining locust diet of

  immortality achieved through descendants of

  Jubilee law of

  lost tribes of

  menu marking of territory by

  modern views on barbarism of

  moral role of prophets among

  oral laws passed on to, and eventually written

  snail-made blue dye of

  tithing system of

  Yahweh as boss of all Gods known to

  Ivan (friend)

  Jackson, Jesse

  Jackson, Michael

  Jacob, AJ’s biblical alter ego:

  attention-getting freakish look of

  biblical words spouted by

  byzantine payments to babysitter made by


  in clash with secular AJ over, Rosario Dawson

  end time for

  ethnicity and piety observed in

  in Ezekiel’s prophetic tradition AJ hopes

  moral high ground occupied by

  prudish tendencies of

  referring to self in third person permissible for

  on secular freaks who don’t get it

  split personality of

  strange behaviors seen in

  thinking of earth age using mind of

  “Thursday” avoided by

  update on appearance of

  Jacob (biblical)

  Leah’s son’s dud mandrakes traded for a night with

  problems with firstborn son of

  thirteen offspring of

  wives of

  wrestles with God, is injured, and gets new name

  Jacob and Esau story, debated meanings of

  Jacobs, A. J.:

  abstemiousness asked of

  agnosticism of

  anticircumcisionist reportage of

  beard of, see beard

  Bible translation issues met by

  biblical alter ego of, see Jacob, AJ’s biblical alter ego

  biblical library tidily classified by

  biblical seder conducted by

  at birth of twins

  cherry picking forbidden fruit facts by

  cold-turkey Sabbath observance of

  Jacobs, A. J. (cont.)

  daily coveting list of

  dances with Hasidim

  defoliation and return to old identity of

  disappointing harp of

  encyclopedia book of, see Know-It-All, The

  ends-justify-the-means thinking vs. rule-following of

  enumerated benefits in avoiding images by

  evolving beard and visage of

  excessive eye contact as unnerving habit of

  failed cucumber farming of

  Falwell singles group audited by

  first prayer of

  at gathering of godless

  at gay Christian evangelical Bible study group

  goat’s milk, honey, Mediterranean food in favored diet of

  “God willing” often used in future-supplicative tense by

  G-rated curse words of

  G-rated sexual history of

  gratefulness welcomed to other obsessions of

  guilt feelings signaling Jewishness to

  Israeli experience of

  in kaparot ritual

  libido stashed in deep freeze by

  lighter, spiritual white wardrobe of

  lingering stares drawn to exposed cash of

  lust-proofing of apartment by

  lying, complaining, gossiping, unwholesome talk denied to

  as more biblical than thou

  as “normal looking,”

  as now a reverent agnostic

  as officially Jewish

  one and only rabid fan of

  a partial list of times when he was right and Julie was not

  photographed

  pretending to be a better person as a good first step for

  ram’s horn blown with modest success by

  random facts still crowbarred into arguments by

  self-censorship of

  self-generated chukim practiced by

  self-Googling habit of

  sign of the cross made by college friend of

  smashing idols felt urgently by

  spiritual starting point of

  in Starbucks meeting with delusional other self

  sukkah built in living room by

  Times Square’s Naked Cowboy out-gawked at by

  trendy OCD and germaphobia of

  tribal worldview of

  various things tefillin might remind him of

  weasel ex-roommate’s debt forgiven by

  Jacobs, Arnold J., Sr.

  AJ’s honoring of

  literalism in practical joke of

  mother’s memories of family seders read by

  “no stealing” commandment followed to the letter by

  self-control of

  workaholism passed on to AJ from

  Jacobs, Beryl

  Jacobs, Ellen Kheel:

  AJ’s honoring of

  AJ’s near-teasing of

  emailed jokes and wacky etymologies of

  Sabbath solutions offered by

  unexpected visit of

  Jacobs, Jasper:

  AJ on first-name basis with

  AJ’s coveting on behalf of

  at bat mitzvah with AJ and his altered state

  Chicken Dance Elmo of

  deceitful strategems of

  denial of twins by

  enviable swaddling of

  medical traumas of

  no more lies to

  parents perceptively aped by

  ratcheting up justice-to-mercy ratio for

  remembering circumcision of

  ritual chicken as epiphanic standin for

  sibling sought for

  tantrum style of

  tithing’s impact on

  uneven vocabulary of

  in War of the Bowling Pin

  worst disciplinarian needing help with

  Jacobs, Julie Schoenberg:

  AJ’s greed, lust, but some virtues exposed in honesty game of

  AJ’s “Stuff” file revealed to

  a biblical assist and an AJ high from

  in birth of twins

  capacity for magnitude five tremors of

  commandments on doorpost scripture from

  Dasani bottles filled with tap water by

  defiantly negative speech of

  demonstration of maturity by

  as family disciplinarian

  at fertility clinic

  on first hearing of Bible Project

  among Florida elderly

  hardcore religion losing appeal to

  on hearing an Amish joke

  “helmet” as code word of

  idiosyncratic sneeze of

  idol worship allegedly practiced by

  lashon hara attributed to

  in late-stage pregnancy

  living room sukkah construction dubiously inspected by

  mother-son relationships as hopeful study of

  movies phased out for

  no chair left unsat on by

  off-limits Dickinson sweatshirt of

  playdate invitation trampled by spouse’s radical honesty

  pregnancy quest of

  purity laws not appreciated by

  scavenger-hunt work of

  spared AJ’s evil tongue during ride home

  successful (in business) ex-boyfriend of

  “sweet spots” marked on

  s-word disconcertingly used by

  on things happening for a reason

  three-sons situation staring at

  Jacobs, Lucas

  Jacobs, Zane

  as first twin to be circumcised

  Jaguar, rabbinical views on coveting of

  James, Epistle of, on how to talk about your next day

  Jedi knights

  Jefferson, Thomas

  Jefferson Bible

  “Jehovah,” as God’s real name

  Jehovah’s Witnesses

  eschewing cheap jokes about

  Hebrew Scriptures leaned on by

  highlights in belief system of

  literalist argument for banning blood transfusion by

  why major holidays and birthdays are not celebrated by

  Jeremiah:

  on our ability to change

  questioned by the king

  security grilling given to

  walked around wearing a wooden yoke

  on why men looked like they were bearing children

  Jerusalem:

  AJ just one of the messianic crowd in

  bombings in

  gay pride march in (2006)

  interfaith street scene in


  walking naked and barefoot in

  why it’s the Galápagos Islands of religion

  Jerusalem Bible

  Jerusalem syndrome, baffling symptoms of

  Jerusalem temples, era of:

  purity laws dating from

  rules relevant in

  Jessica and Peter (friends), where God exists debated by

  Jesus:

  on almsgiving

  as family man

  following moral teachings without accepting divinity of

  Last Supper of

  literalist views on teachings of

  marriage ideal in Genesis quoted by

  on number of times to forgive your brother

  observed walking on water

  pacifism of

  parables of

  Pharisees denounced by

  red-letter view of

  righteous indignation of

  ritual laws made obsolete by

  serpent handler devotion to

  tefillin worn by

  traditional laws nullified by sacrifice of

  world creation linked to gestation time of

  on year of Jubilee

  Jesus-fish-gobbling-Darwin-fish bumper sticker

  Jewishness, test for authenticity of

  Jewish Theological Seminary

  Jews:

  breaking stereotypes of

  chosenness of

  guilt as identity marker for

  see also Judaism

  Jews, Hasidic, see Hasidic Jews

  Jews, Orthodox

  guidelines in The Set Table followed by

  monthly honeymoon sex enjoyed by

  only visible bugs on forbidden list of

  rigid modesty rules of

  sculptures not made by

  as strictest Sabbath keepers

  structure for kids as goal of

  tamer version of kaparot practiced by

  tzitzit worn by

  Jews, ultra-Orthodox

  antigay demonstrations of

  as eschatological allies of untrafundamentalist, Christians

  four blue threads again tied to tassels by

  kaparot practiced by

  mandatory partying of

  Job, Book of:

  on the company of the godless

  on the Lord’s giving and taking away

  on making a covenant not to gaze lustfully at virgins

  modern, agnostic view in

  Joelle (great-aunt)

  on God’s love

  John, First Epistle of, on the little children of God

  John, Gospel of:

  on foot-washing ritual

  on Jesus promising drink for the thirsty

  on Jesus walking on the sea

  on Samaritan kindness to Jesus

  on taking “born again” literally

  on truth as liberating

  John (friend)

  discussing impurity issues with

  sharing edible crickets with

  John the Baptist, survival diet of

  jokes:

  Amish

  about circumcision

  dirtiest ever, in The Aristocrats,

  about five blondes in a bar

  about Mel Gibson’s facial hair

  obstetrical

  practical

 

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