246:, who places Biff into a motel room in order to prevent any distractions by the modern world. Biff begins his story by recounting his first meeting as a boy with the then six-year-old Joshua. (He explains that the English name Joshua is the best match to the original Hebrew name Yeshua, and "Jesus" is the result of the name being translated through Greek and Latin.) They grow up together, and as young men, they travel Eastward to consult the
269:. Over twenty years, Joshua surpasses the trio by incorporating his beliefs into theirs: he learns to multiply food from a Wise Man and learns to become invisible from another, whereas his ability to resurrect the dead, initiates his first meeting with Biff in childhood. Throughout his role, Biff is sarcastic, practical and loyal, a counterpoint to Joshua's temperamental and sometimes idealistic character.
27:
466:, "...I am bound and determined not to do it. At every book signing, somebody will tell me it’s his favorite book. Then they say, 'Can’t you write another?' But if I write a sequel, let me predict what readers will say. They’ll say, ‘Well, it was good, but not as good as
383:
Various references to literature in both the New
Testament and the broader Christian apocryphal canon are made. For example, both Matthew and John have stories of Jesus's saliva having mystical properties that help restore a blind man's vision. In
303:
At the novel's conclusion, Biff gives "The Gospel
According to Biff" to Raziel and discovers a resurrected Maggie exiting the room opposite his, having finished her own Gospel weeks before. At Raziel's behest, they are united immediately.
218:
was issued in hardback and paperback and contains an afterword by the author explaining some background of the novel. In 2007 a special gift edition was published, with a second afterword by Moore, recollecting his trip to
523:
641:
300:
all appear as well: Mary
Magdalene (here nicknamed "Maggie") is depicted as harboring love for Joshua, while Joshua remains celibate, and Biff compensates by an active sexuality of his own.
848:
388:, a young Joshua and his siblings playfully repeatedly kills a lizard and then revive it by sticking it in Joshua's mouth filled with healing saliva, akin to stories in the
868:
647:
531:
741:
176:
677:
863:
843:
454:
and similar novels commented that it got them thinking about the stories of Jesus in new ways, despite knowing full well these were modern works.
450:, arguing against arbitrarily locking apocrypha to non-canonical stories from the period of the Roman Empire. He remarked that students who read
858:
595:
838:
507:
272:
The recounting of Joshua/Jesus' human and godlike qualities, combined with Biff's earthy debauchery, humorously explains the origins of
878:
727:
163:
138:
828:
720:
670:
429:
553:
823:
888:
883:
853:
491:
326:'s point of view—as a partial inspiration to create this novel. Other works apparent in the novel are the writings of
833:
687:
663:
557:
196:
84:
40:
586:
Vanden Eykel, Eric M. (2017). "Expanding the
Apocryphal Corpus: Some 'Novel' Suggestions". In Burke, Tony (ed.).
873:
389:
318:
762:
699:
416:
776:
611:
297:
251:
748:
713:
447:
407:
208:
200:
508:
Comic horror author writes of Death's antics in S.F. -- 'A Dirty Job,' but somebody had to do it
591:
527:
373:
145:
133:
70:
66:
26:
313:
62:
402:
352:
323:
289:
243:
817:
365:
343:
247:
227:
74:
769:
357:
293:
281:
561:
392:
that show a young Jesus playing around and experimenting with his divine powers.
755:
706:
655:
588:
Fakes, Forgeries, and
Fictions: Writing Ancient and Modern Christian Apocrypha
339:
331:
277:
117:
113:
265:) who attended Joshua's birth, so that Joshua may learn how to become the
255:
238:
Biff is resurrected in the 20th century to complete missing parts of the
152:
474:
and then fail and ruin it for everyone? Better just to leave it alone."
369:
347:
327:
266:
361:
285:
220:
633:
335:
259:
239:
204:
199:, published in 2002. In this work the author seeks to fill in the
192:
58:
368:. The idea that prior to his public ministry, Jesus traveled to
372:, India, to study at a Tibetan monastery was first suggested by
273:
262:
659:
230:(with Vincent Pictures) optioned the film rights to the novel.
146:
749:
The
Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror
188:
Lamb: The Gospel
According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
20:
Lamb: The Gospel
According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
735:
Lamb: The Gospel
According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
427:
Jesus himself made a brief cameo in Moore's earlier novel
405:
from this novel later is the title character in Moore's
276:
and cappuccino; reasons that Jews eat
Chinese food on
171:
158:
144:
132:
124:
108:
100:
90:
80:
54:
46:
36:
424:as the servant of Balthasar, one of the Wise Men.
242:, under the inefficient supervision of the angel
442:Religious scholar Eric Vanden Eykel argues that
226:According to the author, the producer-director
650:from the novel, "Teaching Yoga to an Elephant"
671:
8:
849:Cultural depictions of Mary, mother of Jesus
742:Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings
492:Michael Dirda on 'Fool' By Christopher Moore
322:—particularly the Biblical scenes told from
177:Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings
19:
462:In 2015, Moore said of writing a sequel to
207:through the eyes of Jesus' childhood pal, "
678:
664:
656:
414:Catch, the demon from Moore's debut novel
25:
18:
869:Cultural depictions of the Biblical Magi
446:was worth studying as a piece of modern
483:
524:"Re: Dec. 10 - 14: Christopher Moore"
7:
581:
579:
470:.’ Why would I want to try to outdo
590:. Cascade Books. pp. 285–303.
728:The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
164:The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
14:
714:Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story
612:Author Q&A: Christopher Moore
864:William Morrow and Company books
396:Relation to Moore's other novels
378:The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ
721:Island of the Sequined Love Nun
430:Island of the Sequined Love Nun
16:2002 novel by Christopher Moore
844:Novelistic portrayals of Jesus
644:about the genesis of the novel
1:
859:Novels set in ancient Israel
395:
839:Novels by Christopher Moore
905:
554:"Author's notes from Lamb"
879:Novels set in Afghanistan
803:Shakespeare for Squirrels
694:
634:The author's webpage for
420:, makes an appearance in
24:
615:Fort Worth Star Telegram
390:Infancy Gospel of Thomas
319:The Master and Margarita
214:The original edition of
511:San Francisco Chronicle
284:became associated with
829:American comedy novels
763:You Suck: A Love Story
700:Practical Demonkeeping
417:Practical Demonkeeping
288:. The Three Wise Men,
788:The Serpent of Venice
777:Bite Me: A Love Story
211:who is called Biff".
824:2002 American novels
889:Novels set in India
884:Novels set in Tibet
854:2002 fantasy novels
617:. December 17, 2015
564:on November 1, 2012
513:. December 17, 2015
497:. December 16, 2015
448:Christian apocrypha
408:The Stupidest Angel
376:, in his 1894 hoax
195:by American writer
21:
610:Martindale, David
528:Barnes & Noble
308:Literary allusions
834:Absurdist fiction
811:
810:
688:Christopher Moore
597:978-1-5326-0373-0
558:Christopher Moore
534:on April 13, 2009
374:Nicolas Notovitch
312:The author cited
209:Levi bar Alphaeus
197:Christopher Moore
184:
183:
101:Publication place
71:absurdist fiction
41:Christopher Moore
896:
793:Secondhand Souls
680:
673:
666:
657:
618:
608:
602:
601:
583:
574:
573:
571:
569:
560:. Archived from
550:
544:
543:
541:
539:
530:. Archived from
520:
514:
504:
498:
488:
172:Followed by
159:Preceded by
148:
92:Publication date
29:
22:
904:
903:
899:
898:
897:
895:
894:
893:
874:Yeti in fiction
814:
813:
812:
807:
690:
684:
627:
622:
621:
609:
605:
598:
585:
584:
577:
567:
565:
552:
551:
547:
537:
535:
522:
521:
517:
505:
501:
495:Washington Post
490:Dirda, Michael
489:
485:
480:
460:
440:
398:
310:
236:
109:Media type
93:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
902:
900:
892:
891:
886:
881:
876:
871:
866:
861:
856:
851:
846:
841:
836:
831:
826:
816:
815:
809:
808:
806:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
773:
766:
759:
752:
745:
738:
731:
724:
717:
710:
703:
695:
692:
691:
685:
683:
682:
675:
668:
660:
654:
653:
652:
651:
645:
642:"Author essay"
639:
626:
625:External links
623:
620:
619:
603:
596:
575:
545:
515:
506:Acosta, Marta
499:
482:
481:
479:
476:
459:
456:
439:
436:
435:
434:
425:
412:
397:
394:
353:The Art of War
324:Pontius Pilate
309:
306:
290:Mary Magdalene
248:Three Wise Men
235:
232:
223:for research.
182:
181:
173:
169:
168:
160:
156:
155:
150:
142:
141:
136:
130:
129:
126:
122:
121:
110:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
94:
91:
88:
87:
85:William Morrow
82:
78:
77:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
38:
34:
33:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
901:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
860:
857:
855:
852:
850:
847:
845:
842:
840:
837:
835:
832:
830:
827:
825:
822:
821:
819:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
778:
774:
772:
771:
767:
765:
764:
760:
758:
757:
753:
751:
750:
746:
744:
743:
739:
737:
736:
732:
730:
729:
725:
723:
722:
718:
716:
715:
711:
709:
708:
704:
702:
701:
697:
696:
693:
689:
681:
676:
674:
669:
667:
662:
661:
658:
649:
646:
643:
640:
638:
637:
632:
631:
629:
628:
624:
616:
613:
607:
604:
599:
593:
589:
582:
580:
576:
563:
559:
555:
549:
546:
533:
529:
525:
519:
516:
512:
509:
503:
500:
496:
493:
487:
484:
477:
475:
473:
469:
465:
457:
455:
453:
449:
445:
437:
432:
431:
426:
423:
419:
418:
413:
410:
409:
404:
401:The bumbling
400:
399:
393:
391:
387:
381:
379:
375:
371:
367:
366:New Testament
363:
359:
355:
354:
349:
345:
344:Bhagavad Gita
341:
337:
333:
329:
325:
321:
320:
315:
307:
305:
301:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
270:
268:
264:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
233:
231:
229:
228:Peter Douglas
224:
222:
217:
212:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
189:
180:
178:
174:
170:
167:
165:
161:
157:
154:
151:
149:
143:
140:
139:0-380-81381-5
137:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
104:United States
103:
99:
95:
89:
86:
83:
79:
76:
75:comic fantasy
72:
68:
64:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:
39:
35:
31:First edition
28:
23:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
775:
768:
761:
754:
747:
740:
734:
733:
726:
719:
712:
705:
698:
635:
614:
606:
587:
566:. Retrieved
562:the original
548:
536:. Retrieved
532:the original
518:
510:
502:
494:
486:
471:
467:
463:
461:
451:
443:
441:
428:
421:
415:
406:
385:
382:
377:
358:Tao Te Ching
351:
317:
311:
302:
271:
237:
234:Plot summary
225:
215:
213:
201:"lost" years
187:
186:
185:
175:
162:
756:A Dirty Job
707:Coyote Blue
818:Categories
783:Sacré Bleu
686:Novels by
478:References
360:, and the
340:Upanishads
332:Kama Sutra
314:Bulgakov's
280:; and how
648:Afterword
630:Author's
438:Reception
278:Christmas
118:Paperback
81:Publisher
67:adventure
256:Buddhist
252:magician
153:50518600
114:Hardback
47:Language
568:May 12,
538:May 12,
370:Kashmir
364:of the
362:Gospels
348:Sun Tzu
328:Lao Tzu
282:rabbits
267:Messiah
112:Print (
63:mystery
50:English
594:
458:Sequel
403:Raziel
356:, the
342:, the
338:, the
334:, the
330:, the
316:novel
296:, and
294:Joseph
286:Easter
258:and a
244:Raziel
221:Israel
179:
166:
116:&
37:Author
336:Torah
260:Hindu
240:Bible
205:Jesus
193:novel
191:is a
125:Pages
59:Humor
55:Genre
798:Noir
770:Fool
636:Lamb
592:ISBN
570:2013
540:2013
472:Lamb
468:Lamb
464:Lamb
452:Lamb
444:Lamb
422:Lamb
386:Lamb
298:Mary
274:judo
263:yogi
254:, a
216:Lamb
147:OCLC
134:ISBN
96:2002
350:'s
250:(a
203:of
128:464
820::
578:^
556:.
526:.
380:.
346:,
292:,
73:,
69:,
65:,
61:,
679:e
672:t
665:v
600:.
572:.
542:.
433:.
411:.
120:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
