The author cited Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita-particularly the Biblical scenes told from Pontius Pilate's point of view-as a partial inspiration to create this novel. At Raziel's behest, they are united immediately. The Three Wise Men, Mary Magdalene, Joseph, and Mary 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.Īt 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. The recounting of Joshua/Jesus' human and godlike qualities, combined with Biff's earthy debauchery, humorously explains the origins of judo and cappuccino reasons that Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas and how rabbits became associated with Easter. Throughout his role, Biff is sarcastic, practical and loyal, a counterpoint to Joshua's temperamental and sometimes idealistic character. 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.

(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 Three Wise Men (a magician, a Buddhist and a Hindu yogi) who attended Joshua's birth, so that Joshua may learn how to become the Messiah. Biff begins his story by recounting his first meeting as a boy with the then six-year-old Joshua. Plot summary īiff is resurrected in the 20th century to complete missing parts of the Bible, under the inefficient supervision of the angel Raziel, who places Biff into a motel room in order to prevent any distractions by the modern world.

In 2007 a special gift edition was published, with a second afterword by Moore, recollecting his trip to Israel for research.Īccording to the author, the producer-director Peter Douglas (with Vincent Pictures) optioned the film rights to the novel. The original edition of Lamb was issued in hardback and paperback and contains an afterword by the author explaining some background of the novel. In this work the author seeks to fill in the 'lost' years of Jesus through the eyes of Jesus' childhood pal, ' Levi bar Alphaeus who is called Biff'. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is a novel by American writer Christopher Moore, published in 2002. Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

The gospel according to biff