How We Got the Bible [Hardcover]

Neil R. Lightfoot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2005

This is a factual account of how the Bible has been preserved and handed down to our generation. This volume, a profitable study of the numerous translations of the Bible, is necessary to understand the heritage and origins of varying versions.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: MJF Books; 3rd, Revised and Expanded edition (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567317227
• ISBN-13: 978-1567317220
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #518,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good scholarly overview, April 1, 2004

By 

Brian E. Baker (Fort Wayne, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How We Got the Bible (Hardcover)

Wondering how the Bible came to be?
Wondering about translation issues?

This is the book for you. Lightfoot gives a good explanation of how the Bible was created and transmitted down through the centuries. The book covers the history of the written language, writing materials, Biblical archaeology, textual criticism, and translational issues.

The book has pros and cons.

Pro: The research is top notch. The author has gone to great lengths to investigate the textual transmission of the Bible.

Pro: The material is explained in an easy-to-understand manner. One need not have a Masters in History or Archaeology to understand this book.

Pro: The book includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

Con: Though the book is well footnoted, the footnotes are all listed in the back of the book by chapter. I prefer footnotes to be either at the bottom of the page that references them or at the end of each chapter. Placing them at the end of the book makes research difficult.

Con: The research and information presented is quite brief. The book presents an excellent overview of the topic but does not go into extensive detail on each topic. Likely, this is not the author's intent but a little more wouldn't have hurt.

I recommend this book for anyone who is wanting to study Bibliology. It's a good place to start.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource. Not enough detail for academic research., October 19, 1997

By 

Ted Noel (Maitland, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How We Got the Bible (Hardcover)

How We Got the Bible is an excellent overview of the process by which we have received the text of the Bible. It is highly readable, and at the same time, remarkably complete in its overview of the subject. This thin book is supported by the deep knowledge and research of a recognized scholar in the field.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction and overview for the lay person, April 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Minneaoplis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How We Got the Bible (Hardcover)

This book focuses on the manuscripts that have been used as sources for the Biblical text and the textual criticism process that is used to make the best reproduction of the original texts. There are also brief discussions of canonization, apocryphal literature, and the origins of recent English translations. I was hoping for a longer discussion on canonization and the councils involved, which are not mentioned at all. Overall, I enjoyed the book because it is brief and yet thorough for a non-academic reader. For the reader who wants to do more study, many additional references are mentioned throughout the book.