How We Got the Bible
How We Got the Bible book cover

How We Got the Bible

Hardcover – July 1, 2003

by
Price
$22.11
Format
Hardcover
Pages
224
Publisher
Baker Books
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0801012525
Dimensions
6.25 x 1 x 9 inches
Weight
1.1 pounds

Description

From the Inside Flap Find answers to key questions about the Bible.How accurate are modern translations such as the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version? Why does the Roman Catholic Bible have more books than most Protestant Bibles? How can we be sure that the Biblical message has been accurately preserved through the centuries? How We Got the Bible, after more than forty years, has become a classic source of answers for these and other questions on how the Bible has come down to us.Now in this revised edition, you will find five new chapters covering the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, the Sinaitic Manuscript, the illuminated manuscripts, and more. Every chapter in this edition includes new material, followed by a brief summary and questions for discussion. Neil R. Lightfoot deals with technical issues in non-technical language, making this book a valuable tool for any reader. Back flapNeil R. Lightfoot (Ph.D., Duke University) serves as Frank Pack Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He is the author of several books, including Everyone's Guide to Hebrews. "Popular and readable."Christianity TodayHow old are the earliest Biblical manuscripts?How has the Bible been preserved and transmitted to us? Why do we have so many different translations of the Bible? How did early Christians decide which writings to include in the Bible?How We Got the Bible provides well-researched, accessible answers to many questions like these. Learn about the first materials used to write down the words of Scripture. Uncover the facts of some of history's most fascinating archaeological discoveries, including those of the Sinaitic Manuscript, the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Travel through history, from Jerome to Tyndale and beyond, as Neil R. Lightfoot discusses the origin, transmission, and translation of the Bible. Illustrations and review questions at the end of each chapter make this book ideal for either individual or group study. Concise and engaging, How We Got the Bible is a useful resource for anyone who wants to know the story behind the most widely read book of all time. Neil R. Lightfoot (Ph.D., Duke University) serves as Frank Pack Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He is the author of several books, including Everyone's Guide to Hebrews Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Accessible account of how the Bible has been preserved and transmitted to today's generation. Now includes chapters on the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(319)
★★★★
25%
(133)
★★★
15%
(80)
★★
7%
(37)
★
-7%
(-37)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

AN IMPORTANT QUESTION ANSWERED FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON

I've always wondered (and I'm sure many others have, too) how that Bible I'm always holding on Sunday morning got to be put together in the first place.

But in this day and age of busy schedules who is really going to go to a library and do some exhaustive research on the subject? That's why you need to read this book, because the research is already done for you and presented in a way that even the average person can understand it. You won't be inundated with technical words and jibberish.

The book (this is a review of the SECOND edition) is neatly divided into 13 chapters, each little over 10 pages long. Makes for easy reading during your lunch break or whatever freetime you have in your day. And as if that wasn't simplistic enough, each chapter is ended by a summary, followed by some questions that would make this book great in a classroom environment.

The chapters are as follows:

1) The Making of Ancient Books, 2) The Birth of the Bible, 3) Manuscripts of the New Testament, 4)Other Manuscripts and New Testament Witnesses, 5) The Text of the New Testament, 6)Significance of Textual Variations, 7) Restoring the New Testament Text, 8) The Text of the Old Testament, 9)The Canon of the Scriptures, 10)The Apocryphal Books, 11) The English Bible to 1611, 12) Recent Translations of the English Bible, 13)"My Words Will Not Pass Away".

I found this book very helpful in answering my questions. Sure, it doesn't go very deep into any one subject, but that is not the point of this book. This book is only meant as a brief overview. If there is a specific aspect of the history of the Bible that you're interested in then you should look elsewhere. A good place to start would be by looking at the footnotes in this book (located at the BOTTOM of each page in the Second Edition, not at the end), where you will find many other references that the author used in preparing this book.

This book does not get five stars only because this is the only book I have read on this subject, so I can not say that this is the most accurate or best book on this topic. Maybe there is a better one out there. But nonetheless, this is a good place to start and a good book to read.
28 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Need to Believe

To me, this would have been a much better book had the author stuck to the research and not always brought in the faith and belief aspect. This is a failed scholarly work with the bias of the author--maybe intended. Every religion has their own ancient books and mythology. But Lightfoot NEVER mentions any other religions. This is somewhat understandable, but diminishes the worth of this book.
6 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Excellent book to start...

I have only recently started diving into the history of the Bible. I purchased my book at a Christian bookstore only 2 weeks ago and am currently halfway through the book, BUT while reading the book I found out that there was an exhibit of many of the texts that Lightfoot refers to on display at the Smithsonian Freer Museum! It was extremely exciting to see the actual texts from the codices that was mentioned in the book. It brought everything alive!

The museum also had a extremely documented text of the exhibit which I have purchased as well, but I will finish the Lightfoot text to give me the background needed to begin my next course of study into the material.

I disagree with an earlier review that said this book was written for a teenager. This book is written for the layperson...young or old and will lay a foundation. For more inquiring minds, it will be a jumping board to more intensive research.
6 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Helpful Introductory Work

This is an excellent introductory level work on how we came to have the Bible. A word of caution: if you don't like reading about ancient manuscripts and how they were translated or found then you will find this a bit dry and boring. However, if you are willing to follow the evidence of these ancient clues then you will be rewarded for your hard work reading about some of the Bible's fascinating history. The strengths of this book include a very helpful introduction to the history of writing materials and their significance for the Bible's own transmission. The treatment of the Old Testament and New Testament documents in separate chapters helps readers understand the different issues related to their reliability and preservation. Vignettes on significant manuscripts adds helpful narrative surrounding their discovery and the effects these had on Bible translation. The personal stories of significant translators in the history of the Bible also add to the richness of its history of translation and preservation. The textual criticism section provides a helpful introduction to the issues related to translation and taking into account ancient witnesses. The brief description of major modern translations provides some insight into why we have various translations today and the strengths and weaknesses of each. Overall the book is very strong in its communication of the methods of transmission and preservation over time of the Bible and provides a more accessible description of the issues related to these phenomena. The footnotes in the back of the book seem especially helpful for pursuing future topics in more detail. The only weaknesses if you can call them that is there is not as much detail on the particular types of errors committed by Scribes that would be relevant for a more in depth look at textual criticism. There are better works on this subject but the book does a good job of highlighting a few that can be seen with relative ease. Also, some attention is given to describing the order of the books we have today but mostly reasons are given for the Old Testament. The New Testament receives some attention but there could be a little more description given on why we have the books in their particular sequence. A great read for those who are interested in the subject. I highly recommend it.
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Good Introduction

This is a good basic introduction to how the Bible was passed down. While not as scholarly (or as long)as Geisler and Nix's work (A General Introduction to the Bible), there is plenty of information presented in an easy to read manner.
The summaries at the end of each chapter give an excellent overview of each chapter.
Even though this is the fifth printing of the third edition it does feel dated from time to time. This is true especially in light of recent developments such as the Monastery of St Catherine's Library preservation project.
Overall the book gives an evenhanded treatment to a topic that can raise strong feelings in a lot of people.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Five Stars

very good study
✓ Verified Purchase

Four Stars

The book wasn't what I expected, however it's very informative.
✓ Verified Purchase

How We Got the Bible

"How We Got the Bible" is a very interesting and informative narrative of how the bible text was recorded through history and how accurate the current versions are.

Related Books