The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible

by J.W. Rogerson

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 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 Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible is an essential resource for everyone interested in the origin and interpretation of the Word of God.

Genres: Religion, Theology, History, Nonfiction

412 pages, Hardcover

First published July 19, 2001

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good time capsule of the history of the Bible at the millennium. I kept wondering "when will they mention ____" and realizing it hadn't been (re)discovered yet. Lots and lots of images kept the pace, and the text, while quite detailed, doesn't get bogged down in details but provides an overview. It's nice to see how some areas, such as the Bible in literature, have come a long way in the decades since this book was published. Overall, a good reference, perhaps not the best for the 2020s but excellent for its day.

[Marsali Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't easy reading but it\s absolutely fascinating. The first section, which I've just finished, is on the original texts, and which were used, and how, in translation. This section ends with a note on the theory of translation - whether to go for word accuracy or to attempt meaning accuracy in the modern language, as well as the difficulties of translating from one gender-biased language and culture into another gender-biased language (english) in a way that will reflect an original lack of bias - eg the Greek word which is translated as 'brethren' would originally have been addressed to men and women, but we don't have one English word for that.