The Text of the Bible: Its Path Through History and to the People

For 2000 years the Bible has inspired and guided human lives, providing wisdom and strength. It provides evidence and witness for the beliefs of three major world religions. Some consider the Bible dangerous, while others have died for it, but the response to the Bible is always passionate. This book relates the story of such passions, from the Roman Empire to the present: barbarian invasions, Black Death, Waldensian heresy, the colour and pageantry of medieval romance, the debauchery of the medieval Vatican, the spirit of the Renaissance, the tradition of monk and scholar. It is a story primarily about individuals, the drama of their lives woven. All this influenced the text; it has been corrupted and distorted so that there exists a confusing number of versions. How did the text of the Bible come to be what it is? This book provides an understanding of, and an appreciation for, the richness of its text.