A book's value may be judged by other books that it prompts you to read; and by that measure, The Origin of the Bible, edited by Philip W. Comfort, is a valuable contribution to anyone wishing to have a better understanding of how the Bible came into being. Thanks to brief but robust bibliographies that follow each chapter, I plan on reading biographies of Bede, Wycliffe, and Tyndale, and more Erich Auerbach and Northrop Frye (yes, this book is that diverse).

While Origin has an evangelical bent, it is nevertheless quite comprehensive, though falling short of more scholarly texts; there are few if any footnotes or specific references (aside from the very good general ones in the several bibliographies). The book is comprised of five sections: 1) The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible, 2) The Canon of the Bible, 3) the Bible as a Literary Text, 4) Bible Texts and Manuscripts, and 5) Bible Translation. It is a very good introduction and overview. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 308 SUB CAT I: Bible Reference SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: This is a comprehensive guide to the origin and development of the Bible text, Bible canon, and Bible translations. An excellent resource. No other one-volume work can match it's wealth of information about the historical development of the Bible.NOTES: SUBTITLE: A comprehensive guide to: the authority and inspiration of the Bible; the canon of the Bible; the bible as a literary text; the Bible text and manuscripts; Bible translations

Anyone wishing to know how we got the Bible that we use could read this book. It is a little on the academic side. ( )