Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal is the sixth novel by absurdist author Christopher Moore, published in 2002. In this work the author seeks to fill in the "lost" years of Jesus through the point of view of Jesus' childhood pal, Levi bar Alphaeus (one of the 12 disciples), nicknamed "Biff."

Plot summary

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Biff has been resurrected in the present day, to complete missing parts of the Bible. Supposedly under the watchful eye of the angel Raziel, who turns out to be more interested in the soap operas on the television in their motel, Biff is made to write down his account of the decades missing from Jesus' life. During these years he and Joshua (which, as Biff points out, "Jesus" is a Greek version of the name) travel to the East to seek the Three Wise Men who attended Joshua's birth, so that he may learn how to become the Messiah.

Over a span of roughly twenty years, Joshua learns a great deal about human nature, and how he is able to translate that into his teachings. At each point, Joshua surpasses the Wise Men and their philosophy, by incorporating his own beliefs into theirs. The story explores the miracles of Joshua as well: how he learned to multiply food, become invisible, and resurrect the dead (which he was able to do with lizards when he was only 6 years old).

This recounting of Jesus' human and godlike qualities, combined with Biff's earthy debauchery, leads to its all-too-familiar tragic ending, but humorously explains many things: the origins of judo (for which a pun is definitely intended) and how rabbits became associated with Easter. The Three Wise Men, Mary Magdalene (for whom Biff has a childhood crush), Joseph, and Mary (Joshua's mother who Biff plans to marry if anything happens to Joseph) all have their part in the life and times of Joshua.

In addition to the main plot, there is a subplot concerning Mary Magdalene and her concupiscent love for Joshua, a relationship which is not supported in the canonical Gospels. This purported relationship is also popularized in the novel The Da Vinci Code, however in Moore's version Joshua remains chaste.

Literary allusions

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The author has cited Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita -- particularly its biblical scenes told from Pontius Pilate's point of view -- as a partial inspiration to create this novel.^* Other works referred to within the novel itself are the Kama Sutra, the Torah, Kabbalah, and, of course, the Gospels of the New Testament.

Joshua and Biff's adventures are influenced by the style and content of pulp novels of the 1930s, such as Doc Savage or The Shadow. The duo learn martial arts, use exotic Oriental poisons, fight demons and exotic foreign cultists, and learn magic techniques from an Indian guru.

Relation to Moore's other novels

• The bumbling Raziel from this novel later becomes the title character in Moore's The Stupidest Angel.
• Catch, the demon from Moore's debut novel Practical Demonkeeping, makes an appearance in Lamb as the servant of one of the Wise Men.

External links

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• The author's webpage for Lamb
• Review by Tom Knapp

2002 novels | Comedy novels | Dramatic portrayals of Jesus | Absurdist fiction | Christopher Moore novels