An examination of the "forbidden" stories of the Bible, which are also retold in contemporary English alongside the original text. They are among the most startling and explicit stories in Western literature, concerned as they are with seduction and rape, voyeurism and exhibitionism, intermarriage and illegitimacy, assassination and murder. In the past, these tales have been censored, suppressed or mistranslated on political or moral grounds, or even banned outright by conventional religious authorities due to their erotic, violent or mysterious content. The author goes on to reveal how each story found its way into the Bible, why it was suppressed in the first place, and points out the significance of surrounding rituals and customs.