The
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible
Edited by JOHN ROGERSON
A richly illustrated history of the Bible's origins and how the Bible has been interpreted
over the past two millennia
Here is the story of a book--the Bible--a book like no other, which has been in continuous
use for nearly 2000 years. In this new The Oxford history, a distinguished team of scholars
presents an authoritative account of that story, richly illustrated, and based on the
latest research.
Readers will learn how a collection of writings in Semitic languages and in
Greek--writings that we now call the Books of the Bible--developed over a period of about
800 years and how, even before the Bible existed as one volume, its constituent parts were
interpreted and subjected to a scrutiny that no other writing has had to endure. The
contributors trace the routes by which the canon of Scripture was determined, shedding
light on the many controversies over which writings should be regarded as authoritative
and which should be considered Apocrypha and hidden from public use. They describe how
over centuries the writings were copied, translated, and printed, and how they were
interpreted in Judaism and in the churches in the East and West. It concludes with surveys
of how the Bible is used today in feminist criticism, and in the movements for theological
liberation in Latin America, Africa, and Europe. The volume also features an index and a
guide to further reading.
Written by an international team of 17 renowned biblical scholars, and handsomely
illustrated with over 150 black-and-white illustrations and 24 pages of color plates, The
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible is an essential resource for everyone
interested in the origin and interpretation of the Word of God.
