Review: Exploring the Unexplained

   Did you ever wonder what the difference is between a leek and a leech?  And whether Hosanna is a person, place, or thing?  Did you know Isaiah mentions a "night monster, or succubus, a mysterious visitor in the night?"  What about all the different Simons:  Simon of Cyrene, Simon the Brother of Jesus, Simon the Leper, etc.  (there are nine different Simeons or Simons listed.) Trent Butler's Exploring the Unexplained is a compact little reference book that contains information about people, places, and things in the Bible listed in dictionary format.  Most entries include a Scripture reference and a definition or explanation of the listing.  The special thing about this book is that it focuses on the peculiar and unexplained "things that you might not understand and sometimes avoid."

   A highlight of Exploring the Unexplained is the section of suggestions for activities to do using the book:  "Peculiar uses for a Peculiar Dictionary," such as playing a Bible/dictionary scavenger hunt by having someone choose an entry in the dictionary and tell everyone in the group its meaning and Scripture reference.  Players must then look up the passage and try to figure out what the word is.  There are several other suggestions which would be fun and helpful for Bible study.  Each entry also includes an "issue" for further thought, which makes this book a great discussion guide.  For example:

Gezer Calendar:  Thing

A piece of a schoolboy's tablet found at Gezer quotes a rhyme to help remember the months of the year.  It is one of the earliest examples of Hebrew writing.

Issue:  What does your garbage say about you and your life?
 

   Anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of the Bible will find this book useful, and I think it would be especially interesting to teens.  Because each definition is brief, it is not meant to be an in-depth scholarly study, but simply a reference tool in an easy-to-read format for quick explanations.  Readers can use this book as a starting point for clarifying unfamiliar and confusing terms, and then dig deeper into the Bible for further study. A reference book, study guide, discussion guide, and book of curiosities all rolled into one--a keeper.

 {The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.}