Blessing Bababunmi

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things — 1 Corinthians 13:11

I thought the Bible was just a big book of stories as a young girl. I was always being told that the Bible isn’t a storybook. Reflecting on this recently, I found out that I wasn’t wrong in my thinking as a young child. The Bible is a great literary piece of literary work embedded with the features of literature; characters, setting, plot, thèmes, imagery, symbolism, irony, narrative, genre. Every letter stenciled on the refined papyrus is a narrative communicating the societal values, culture, and beliefs of the nations mentioned.

The Bible can be considered as a historical book as it opens up our minds to things that happened in the past. Archaeologists use the Bible as a template for the existence of certain things. The Bible is rich in historical facts, from the building structures to location, to animals amongst others. This is made possible and accessible by historians who during the reign of a certain king compiled different manuscripts to form a book. The Bible is a compendium of books.

Literature can be traced as far back as the medieval period. It reflected the beliefs and values of the society, and the happenings in different places. The literature written during this period tended to either be religious or epic takes of adventure by great heroes.

The Bible is believed to have been written before any recorded literature works emerged. It was during the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah during the 8th century that historians believed what would become the Old Testament began to take form. It was originally written in Greek and Hebrew before being translated into other human languages for easy understanding.

Characters are beings or entities through which the writer communicates his thoughts. Characters are the life of a narrative. Without them, there’s no narrative. The Bible is filled with characters from the Old Testament to the New Testament who take on roles in the hands of an omniscient narrator. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we can see the character of Moses sent to deliver a nation called Israel from the grip of an Egyptian king, Pharaoh. This story doesn’t involve just two characters. Pharaoh’s magicians whose numbers were not mentioned, the nation, Israel in their multitudes, Aaron, Moses’ brother, and the inhabitants of Egypt. We see quite some characters used in the portrayal of story themed deliverance. This clearly shows that character development is the foundation of a story, which always precedes dialogue. There’s nothing to speak about or communicate when there are no characters.

The book of Amos chapter 1, verses 4,7, and 10 communicates the features of anaphora and imagery.

Amos‬ ‭1:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

[4] but I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.

‭‭Amos‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

[7] but I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the palaces thereof:‭‭

Amos‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭KJV

‬‬[10] but I will send a fire on the wall of Tyrus, which shall devour the palaces thereof.

Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. That repetition is intentional and is used to add style and emphasis to text or speech. These three verses all begin with “but I will send a fire”. This is to place emphasis on the fact that judgment is nigh and inevitable. It would be a judgment that would clear everything in its path sparing nothing. Fire is an element that destroys leaving no room for it being returned to its original state.

Imagery is capitalized. The verses stimulate the reader’s senses to create a mental image. It triggers the reader’s ability to recall images or mental pictures. The picture of fire descending from above can be mentally pictured devouring all in its path. This is unique and not easily forgotten as it challenges the reader’s creativity. It aims to portray the sensational and emotional experience within the text.

A dominant theme between these verses is judgment. The omniscient narrator decrees that he will punish the aforementioned nations and people for the sins they committed.

The Bible isn’t just a guide or plan to living right but it’s also a great literary piece of writing that ticks all boxes and that is what makes a book of literature. Indeed, the Bible stands not only as a spiritual guide but also as a timeless masterpiece of literature, resonating across generations with its profound storytelling and thematic depth.