Sure. But what I am looking for is some insight into why the bible specifically is considered a great work of literature/art/inspiration/whatever even if one is not persuaded by the overtly religious message. Even many of those who condemn the religious beliefs that the bible is obvioulsy so closely related to seem to consider it something a bit special just as a book. No?
Not as "A Book". It really is not a book as we normally think of a book, a tome that has some consistent purpose or thread throughout.
The Bible is a collection of books or stories, as I often say, an anthology of anthologies. It has no single purpose, instead it has a variety of purposes, often ones that directly contradict other portions. There are sections of poetry, some great, most mediocre, parts that were meant as laws or rules, parts that were meant as historical epics meant to develop an identity (actually several different identities over time) and still others that serve as a snap shot of the time or period, much like old faded tintypes.
It has doubtless had a profound effect on Western civilisation and thought. But is that just a case of right time right place?
Absolutely. Remember that the creation of "a Bible" was a state decision, a matter of a state decision to create one unified manual that would be used in all of the churches built by the State Religion. The Christian concept of a Bible was something new, even the Jewish practice of Canonization only extended to a list of scrolls, and not the compilation of a single authorized version.
It was not the only example though. Zoroastrianism as another example was the official state religion of Persia and as such dominated much of the area for about a thousand years until the Persian influence fell to the influence and power of Rome. There are other examples too, the spread of Hinduism under the earlier Indian subcontinent powers, the official recognition of Confucianism.
The West though was most definitely the result of the rise of Christian powers as Rome expanded throughout western Europe, imposing it's state religion and later carried on by the political powers that arose after Rome faded away.
From your comments I am getting that you don't actually think the bible is anything that should be considered particulalrly special outside of it's overtly religious teachings. Is that right?
Not exactly. I think that the morality and ethics in teh Bible can also be found in almost every one of the various religions mentioned.
I think a major significant feature of the Bible is that it goes beyond just the ethics and morality. If we look at the Bible as something more than just a book, and look at all the great variety found within it we can see something really profound, one of the best examples of the evolution of theistic thought over an extended period that survives.
Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!
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