The Oxford Illustrated History of the Bible

Abstract

"The volume under review is one of those rare works that offers a collection of essays which, individually, are of uniformly high quality and readability and, as a whole, achieve a tight overall coherence. The book guides the reader through its subject matter by organizing the contributions into four sections prefaced by a lucid and engaging orientation by the editor. The flrst two sections, both titled "The Making of the Bible," deal flrst with the historical background of the scriptures and second with the composition, transmission, and translation of biblical texts. John Rogerson's essay on the historical background of the Old Testament focuses primarily on scholarly discussion on Israelite religion and its development. Philip Davies' essay on the Apocrypha follows with a brief discussion on issues of canon and a survey of the contents and composition. Margaret Davies then places the topic of canonization more squarely at the center in an absorbing essay on the composition of the New Testament document"