Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Encyclopedia
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is the sixth novel
by absurdist
author Christopher Moore, published in 2002. In this work the author seeks to fill in the "lost" years
of Jesus
through the point of view of Jesus' childhood pal, "Levi bar Alphaeus who is called Biff".
The original edition of Lamb was issued in hardback and paperback and contains an afterword by the author explaining some of the background of the novel. In 2007 a special gift edition was published, with a second afterword by Moore, recollecting his trip to Israel
for research.
According to the author, the producer-director Peter Douglas
(with Vincent Pictures) has purchased the film rights to the novel.
. Supposedly under the watchful eye of the angel Raziel, who turns out to be more interested in soap operas and Spiderman on the television in their hotel. Biff is made to write down his account of the decades missing from Jesus' life. During these years he and Joshua (which, as Biff points out, is the Greek
version of Jesus, and thus in Galilee
Jesus was called Joshua Bar Joseph) travel to the East to seek the Three Wise Men (a magician, a Buddhist, and a Hindu Yogi) who attended Joshua's birth so that he may learn how to become the Messiah
.
Over a span of roughly twenty years, Joshua learns a great deal about human nature
, world religions, and how he is able to translate those into his teachings. At each point, Joshua surpasses the abilities of the wise men by incorporating his own beliefs into theirs. The story takes a fantastical twist on Joshua's miracles as well: he learns to multiply food from one of the Wise Men and learns to become invisible from another; however, his ability to resurrect the dead figures strongly into his first meeting with Biff when both boys are six years old. Biff, for himself, is sarcastic, practical and endlessly loyal. While it would seem that such traits, as well as the fact that he was the Messiah's best friend for nearly thirty years, would ensure his place in the Gospels, there are reasons, as revealed in the final chapter, why Biff was essentially "cut out" of the story.
The recounting of Jesus' human and godlike qualities, combined with Biff's earthy debauchery, leads to its all-too-familiar tragic ending, but humorously explains many things: the origins of judo
(a pun
that is definitely intended), why Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas, and how rabbits
became associated with Easter
. The Three Wise Men, Mary Magdalene
(on whom Biff has a childhood crush), Joseph
, and Mary (Joshua's mother, whom Biff plans to marry if anything happens to Joseph) all have their part in the life and times of Joshua. Mary Magdalene is depicted as harboring love for Joshua, though in Moore's version Joshua remains chaste, as per Raziel's instructions. This in itself leads to some of Biff's debauchery, as he is literally attempting to go through enough harlots for both of them. Biff himself loves "Maggie" with the same intensity, leading to a revolving love triangle.
When Joshua is hung from the cross, Biff attempts to cheat the Romans of their victim by having a death-simulating poison administered to his friend via a sponge on a spear, with an antidote to be provided post-burial. Unfortunately, an over-zealous legionnaire ruins everything by stabbing Joshua with a spear
. Biff, enraged, chases down Judas and hangs him, and then kills himself in despair. After he finishes penning his Gospel, he is reunited with Maggie, who has been resurrected for the same reason.
novel The Master and Margarita
-- particularly its Biblical scenes told from Pontius Pilate
's point of view—as a partial inspiration to create this novel. Other works referred to within the novel itself are the Kama Sutra
, the Torah
, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita
, Sun Tzu
's The Art of War
, the Tao Te Ching
and, of course, the Gospel
s of the New Testament
.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by absurdist
Absurdist fiction
Absurdist fiction is a genre of literature, most often employed in novels, plays or poems, that focuses on the experiences of characters in a situation where they cannot find any inherent purpose in life, most often represented by ultimately meaningless actions and events...
author Christopher Moore, published in 2002. In this work the author seeks to fill in the "lost" years
Lost years of Jesus
The lost years of Jesus concerns the undocumented timespan between Jesus's childhood and the beginning of his ministry as recorded in the New Testament....
of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
through the point of view of Jesus' childhood pal, "Levi bar Alphaeus who is called Biff".
The original edition of Lamb was issued in hardback and paperback and contains an afterword by the author explaining some of the background of the novel. In 2007 a special gift edition was published, with a second afterword by Moore, recollecting his trip to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
for research.
According to the author, the producer-director Peter Douglas
Peter Douglas
Peter Vincent Douglas is an American television and film producer, a son of actor Kirk Douglas and his second wife, Anne Buydens. His middle name was given him in homage to Vincent van Gogh, the brilliant, tortured artist whom his father was playing in the film Lust for Life when he was born...
(with Vincent Pictures) has purchased the film rights to the novel.
Plot summary
Biff has been resurrected in the present day, to complete missing parts of the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. Supposedly under the watchful eye of the angel Raziel, who turns out to be more interested in soap operas and Spiderman on the television in their hotel. Biff is made to write down his account of the decades missing from Jesus' life. During these years he and Joshua (which, as Biff points out, is the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
version of Jesus, and thus in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
Jesus was called Joshua Bar Joseph) travel to the East to seek the Three Wise Men (a magician, a Buddhist, and a Hindu Yogi) who attended Joshua's birth so that he may learn how to become the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
.
Over a span of roughly twenty years, Joshua learns a great deal about human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
, world religions, and how he is able to translate those into his teachings. At each point, Joshua surpasses the abilities of the wise men by incorporating his own beliefs into theirs. The story takes a fantastical twist on Joshua's miracles as well: he learns to multiply food from one of the Wise Men and learns to become invisible from another; however, his ability to resurrect the dead figures strongly into his first meeting with Biff when both boys are six years old. Biff, for himself, is sarcastic, practical and endlessly loyal. While it would seem that such traits, as well as the fact that he was the Messiah's best friend for nearly thirty years, would ensure his place in the Gospels, there are reasons, as revealed in the final chapter, why Biff was essentially "cut out" of the story.
The recounting of Jesus' human and godlike qualities, combined with Biff's earthy debauchery, leads to its all-too-familiar tragic ending, but humorously explains many things: the origins of judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
(a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
that is definitely intended), why Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas, and how rabbits
Easter Bunny
The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs, who sometimes is depicted with clothes...
became associated with Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
. The Three Wise Men, Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
(on whom Biff has a childhood crush), Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, and Mary (Joshua's mother, whom Biff plans to marry if anything happens to Joseph) all have their part in the life and times of Joshua. Mary Magdalene is depicted as harboring love for Joshua, though in Moore's version Joshua remains chaste, as per Raziel's instructions. This in itself leads to some of Biff's debauchery, as he is literally attempting to go through enough harlots for both of them. Biff himself loves "Maggie" with the same intensity, leading to a revolving love triangle.
When Joshua is hung from the cross, Biff attempts to cheat the Romans of their victim by having a death-simulating poison administered to his friend via a sponge on a spear, with an antidote to be provided post-burial. Unfortunately, an over-zealous legionnaire ruins everything by stabbing Joshua with a spear
Longinus
- People :* Gaius Cassius Longinus , usually known as Cassius, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar* Saint Longinus, name ascribed to the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus Christ on the cross...
. Biff, enraged, chases down Judas and hangs him, and then kills himself in despair. After he finishes penning his Gospel, he is reunited with Maggie, who has been resurrected for the same reason.
Literary allusions
The author has cited Bulgakov'sMikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
novel The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
-- particularly its Biblical scenes told from Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
's point of view—as a partial inspiration to create this novel. Other works referred to within the novel itself are the Kama Sutra
Kama Sutra
The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian Hindu text widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature written by Vātsyāyana. A portion of the work consists of practical advice on sexual intercourse. It is largely in prose, with many inserted anustubh poetry verses...
, the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
Sun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
's The Art of War
The Art of War
The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Sun Tzu , a high ranking military general and strategist during the late Spring and Autumn period...
, the Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching
The Tao Te Ching, Dao De Jing, or Daodejing , also simply referred to as the Laozi, whose authorship has been attributed to Laozi, is a Chinese classic text...
and, of course, the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
Relation to Moore's other novels
- The bumbling Raziel from this novel later becomes the title character in Moore's The Stupidest AngelThe Stupidest AngelThe Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror is the eighth novel by Christopher Moore. Set during Christmas, it brings together several favorite characters from his previous books in the fictional town of Pine Cove, a recurring location in Moore's novels.An unabridged commercial...
. - Catch, the demon from Moore's debut novel Practical DemonkeepingPractical DemonkeepingPractical Demonkeeping, published in 1992, is Christopher Moore's first novel. It deals with a demon from Hell and his master. The novel has been translated and published in German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian.-Plot summary:...
, makes an appearance in Lamb as the servant of Balthasar, one of the Wise Men.
External links
- Author's
- The author's webpage for Lamb
- "Author essay" about the genesis of the novel
- Afterword from the novel, "Teaching Yoga to an Elephant"
- Other