The first of a two-part study on the Bible focuses on the origins and formation of the present-day Bible. The questions raised are basic ones: where did the Bible come from? What people had a part in passing it on and writing it down? How was it decided what books would be included or excluded. How did various versions or translations of the Bible come about and for what purpose?
Maxine Clarke Beach first lays the groundwork for the study by discussing terminology, assumptions and background material, then moves us into the formation of ancient Israel and the origins of the Biblical books prior to the life of Christ.
Central to the book is the discussion of the formation of Judaism and Jewish Scripture, including the relationship of Jewish Scripture with the early church and the early Christian records of Christ. The author also considers issues that led to the exclusion of many documents from the emerging biblical writings--those that did not meet the standards developing in early Christian communities--and explores what new insights these documents give into the early church and to contemporary debates.
The study concludes by examining the process of translation, including its purpose and the use of new technology, and leads us to contemporary issues that prod the Christian community to take a new look at our canon and assumptions about the formation of the Christian Bible.
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