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Semite Times: The Bible In Palindromes

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Scott presents a creative reinterpretation of the Bible using palindromes to represent key themes and stories from each major section.

Summary from Read Scott Alexander; separate from the original essay.

GENESIS
Dumb mud
“Madam, I’m Adam”
Eve damned Eden, mad Eve
Cain: a maniac

EXODUS
Egad, no bondage!
“Live not on evil!”

LEVITICUS
Repel a leper

NUMBERS & DEUTERONOMY
Are we not drawn onwards, we Jews, drawn onward to new era?

JUDGES, PROPHETS, KINGS, & WRITINGS
Now, sir, a war is won
Egad! A base life defiles a bad age.
[Deed]
[Deed]
[Tenet]
[Tenet]

THE GOSPELS
So – let’s use Jesus’ telos.
Dogma: I am God!
Deliverer re-reviled
“Abba, abba…”
Did I do, O God, did I as I said I’d do? Good, I did.
Deified

REVELATION
Won’t I panic in a pit now?

(most of these palindromes are not original to me, but I cannot find good attributions)

(I apologize for skipping the Pauline epistles, but I couldn’t find or invent good palindromes to describe them. But if we follow most scholars in rejecting 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Ephesians, then modern commentary on the Pauline epistles could be “some men interpret nine memos”)

(I realize the title “Semite Times” might lead one to expect a more general history of the Jews beyond the Biblical period. I cannot do this concept justice, but a good chunk of modern Israeli history could be “bar an Arab”)

(Sounds Biblical as heck but unfortunately doesn’t seem to correspond to any actual Bible story: “So may Obadiah, even in Nineveh, aid a boy, Amos”.)

Written by Scott Alexander. Support the writing →

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