One of the travesties of modern journalism is the fact that a theological kook can write an off-the-wall book and command international headlines, while solid souls who publish central truths so often languish in obscurity.
That’s exactly what happened earlier this year when Michael Drosnin’s The Bible Codes hit the bookshelves.
Encrypted in virtually every Bible text, Drosnin proclaims, is a message that can be decoded only by an “expert” like himself. By counting words, letters, or syllables in specific verses and then matching them to numeric sequences only he can supply, or by searching the Hebrew manuscripts for ancient acrostics or embedded crossword puzzles, Drosnin says he can unlock esoteric messages that have no visible connection to the words you and I see when we read the holy Book.
Do I need to tell you that no respectable Bible scholar—not even one—thinks Drosnin’s theory makes an ounce of sense? All of them see it as Barnum-and-Bailey hucksterism by a clown who’s laughing at the dopes he’s duped. Both in the media and out.
Do I need to tell you that the unanimous dissent of real Bible experts has done nothing to slow the rush of novelty seekers and media curiosity mongers in their passion to bestow credibility on an author and a theory that deserve none?
In a bookstall in
Only a few months after this bizarre book made its debut so many people have bought it and so much has been written about it that even Doonesbury has begun to spoof it.
“Who could ever swallow the miracle stories in the Bible?” skeptics have yelped for years. Then these same faith-challenged literalists gulp down Drosnin’s incredible theory hook, line, and sinker without a hint that something so unbelievable stretches their credulity a bit.
I have a gentle message for all you good folks who plunked down $24.95 for Drosnin’s book and, after reading a chapter or two, still think he might be on to something.
Mr. Barnum said one of you would be born every minute.