The Year of Living Biblically

In his book The Year of Living Biblically (2007), A.J. Jacobs documents his attempt to live by a literal interpretation of every rule offered by the Bible. Through this lens of experience, Jacobs interrogates religious faith and reevaluates his own attitude towards religion and spirituality.

The book begins with a prologue in which Jacobs describes some of the irritating issues he’s had to deal with because of his project, and offers a brief glimpse of his spiritual upbringing in a secular Jewish household in New York City, which afforded him very little by way of strict religious teaching. Jacobs credits his uncle Gil with the inspiration for the book; Gil is a “spiritual omnivore” who once did, in fact, attempt to live literally according to the bible’s teachings. Jacobs lists his reasons for writing the book: he needs a follow-up to his last book; he has a “god-sized” hole in his heart that he hopes immersing himself in religion will help fill; he is fascinated by the millions of Americans who claim to take the bible literally, though he suspects they pick and choose the rules they follow.

Jacobs describes the preparation he undertook, including purchasing several bibles and doing copious research in order to compile the list of rules he must follow. He also sets some ground rules for his project, including choosing which version of the bible to follow, a determination not to follow the literal words of a rule but to determine the original intent of the rule, and a consideration of the differences between the Old and New Testaments in terms of a “code” of rules to be followed. He decides that for the start of his project, he will follow New Testament rules. He also assembles an advisory board of friends and family to help him make decisions. He ends this section by admitting that many people think his idea is a bad one and that he himself has doubts about his course of action.



The project begins in September. Jacobs wakes up and is immediately overwhelmed, as every minor decision of his morning routine is guided by some sort of rule from the bible. He quickly realizes that every line from the bible is open to interpretation. Jacobs reflects on some of the stranger commandments found in the bible which resist any sort of reasonable literal interpretation. Jacobs hires a man who comes to the house to test his clothes to ensure they are not of mixed fibers and thus in violation of the bible. He wonders if he is allowed to use a computer, which is obviously not covered by the bible’s teachings.

Jacobs struggles with his interactions with women, which are heavily governed by the bible’s teachings. To avoid touching a female cashier, he tells her he has a cold, and then realizes he has committed a sin. His relationship with his wife is strained by the prohibition against touching her within a week of her menstrual cycle.

Living in a modern city is a huge challenge for Jacobs. He begins to catalog the many ways he violates the bible’s teachings just in his thoughts, at one point making a list of everything he has coveted before the day is half over. Contemplating the commandment to tithe his income, Jacobs realizes there is no formula offered in the bible to determine how much he should give; a Rabbi he consults tells him that there is no specific number, but the tithing should feel like a sacrifice.
Jacobs decides to consult with other people who have tried to live according to a literal interpretation of the bible, traveling to meet with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, evangelical Christian groups, and Amish folk. Jacobs engages with these groups respectfully, but also questions some of their stranger interpretations, admitting that he remains a secular person who respects science at heart.



As the year wears on, Jacobs finds some of the bible’s rules to be impossible to follow too literally. He notes that some of the bible’s commandments are illegal in the modern day. Commanded to stone adulterers, Jacobs worries over what to do when he realizes he knows someone who is having an affair. He decides that symbolic stoning wherein he flicks a small chip at the person is sufficient. He humorously tells the reader that even though the bible commands him to murder magicians, he will not be doing that.

Jacobs concludes the book with an analysis of what he has learned. He feels he has a newfound appreciation for ritual and for treating certain aspects of existence as sacred. However, he admits that he found a literal interpretation of the bible to be silly, and does not have any better understanding of how people can do so. He is relieved to be able to shave his beard at long last.