The Book: A History of the Bible by Christopher De Hamel - Hardcover Christian Scripture Study Guide for Bible Scholars & Religious History Enthusiasts

Balanced history of how we got our Bible, no visible 'side' or 'agenda' in the writing, just the facts. Very READABLE, hard to put down. Great resource for a catalogue of the outstanding mss (manuscripts) and where you can find them.Can't tell you how many times I've referred DeHamel's book to people who need to know how we GOT our Bible of today. Best book out there on a listing of the mss, where they are, how the Bible came to be compiled, replete with lavish illustrations. The illustrations are extremely important, so you can tell how HARD it was to GET and READ a Bible, for centuries.The other book worth buying 'just because' is also here on Amazon, called Atlas of Bible and Christianity edited by Tim Dowley. I recommend these two books often.Cloistered up, hacked up, argued over, torn up, the story of our Bible is like a kidnapping blockbuster, yet few know its story.Not much is said about the manuscript finds after 1940, but maybe Mr. DeHamel wrote another book. GET THIS, it's worth the money.