Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

By J. Christe
What do you get when you take Jesus to see the Rabbi, Hindu priest, Buddhist master and the Magi?
Loads of adventure, laughter and a new gospel written by Jesuss best friend Levi, also known as Biff.
Biff fills in the gap between what we think we know, like who was Mary of Magdalene really and what
did Jesus do for 30 years before he was the Messiah? The Lamb, by Christopher Moore, takes us on a
fun-filled journey that is surprisingly heartfelt.
Biff is brought back to life by the often dim-witted angel Raziel to write his own gospel of Jesus. Before
he was the Messiah, Christ, or as his friends and family know him, Joshua, had a lot to learn. Biff shows
us the challenges of Joshuas life in Roman occupied territory before exploring other paths of wisdom.
Of course there is a girl involved.
The duo grow up together in Nazareth before setting off for exotic lands in search of the three magi who
were present at Joshuas birth. Joshua seeks knowledge while Biff seeks a good time. And besides, he
had vowed to protect his kind but perpetually nave best friend. Biff discovers love (and a lot of lust)
while Joshua tries to understand what it means. Along the way Joshua gains the wisdom of the Tao, the
Buddha and the Aesthetic. Its hard to imagine Jesus as a Bodhisattva until this story unfolds it naturally,
and hysterically, on the page.
In the end, it all comes together in a seedy hotel room with a cheap bible and an unlikely reunion.
Moore has done a great job of weaving history with contemporary perspective. Its easy to get close to
Biff with all of his flaws and Joshua with all of his hope as they try to figure out how to make a better
world. Oh, and it may not be such a bad thing if you eat bacon.