Favorite book in the Old Testament

[TJ in Oregon]

2 Maccabees (I know it's not in the Protestant Bible but you should read it sometime, just as a historical book if nothing else)

As one of the few books in the Old Testament that expresses a belief in an afterlife, it contains some beautiful stories of martyrdom for the faith under the oppressive reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. This is in contrast to most of the Old Testament that focuses on the idea that faithfully observing God's laws will lead to blessings in this life and instead shows the faithful forfeiting this life in the hopes of a resurrection beyond it. It begins to make an answer to the wail of Ecclesiastes, though that answer is not really made until the New Testament.

[TJ in Oregon]

I can understand why the story in Job is incredibly intriguing and an important point to be made in the context of the Old Testament, but does anyone really enjoy reading it? That was one book that really surprised me when I read it since the part I'd heard of all happened in the first two pages and the rest was long lamentations.

I do like Ecclesiastes and it serves as a reminder of just how huge a belief in an afterlife is in Christianity as opposed to most of the Old Testament.