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PenSword replied to the topic Biblical Historical Fiction in the forum General Writing Discussions 6 years, 11 months ago
As others have already said, researching the time period, culture, and everything surrounding the events is going to be vital. But honestly, that’s the case in my opinion with any historical fiction. The main difference between writing a story set during the Bible, and one set in say WWII, would likely be the appearance of real historical figures within the Bible, and presumably your story, and the importance of staying theologically sound. If you are going to have people like the Apostles, and Jesus appear in your story, it would be important to stay within the bounds of what already happens in the Bible. It would be okay to add period correct dialogue and actions, but I would warn against having them going on some sort of journey or creating any event that isn’t at least mentioned in any of the Gospels. I would also warn strongly against Jesus making any sort of theological or religious statement that He doesn’t already make within the Bible. This can easily tip into territory that has the potential to be heretical or blasphemous.
There are some books I’ve read that I think handle these risks well, and do a good job of portraying both the historical setting, and are careful with how they handle having Jesus in the story. If you’re interested in any books like that I would recommend Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace, Titus, a Comrade of the Cross by Florence Kingsley, The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare, and The Day I Met Jesus by Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth.












