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Bart D. Ehrman

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why Paperback – February 5, 2007

by Bart D. Ehrman (Author)

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For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand––and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman makes the provocative case that many of our widely held beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, and the divine origins of the Bible itself are the results of both intentional and accidental alterations by scribes.

In this compelling and fascinating book, Ehrman shows where and why changes were made in our earliest surviving manuscripts, explaining for the first time how the many variations of our cherished biblical stories came to be, and why only certain versions of the stories qualify for publication in the Bibles we read today. Ehrman frames his account with personal reflections on how his study of the Greek manuscripts made him abandon his once ultra–conservative views of the Bible.

Print length

242 pages
Language

English
Publisher

HarperOne
Publication date

February 5, 2007
Dimensions

6 x 0.64 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

9780060859510
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Offers a fascinating look into the field of textual criticism and evidence that Scriptures have been altered.” (Charleston Post & Courier)

“Whichever side you sit on regarding Biblical inerrancy, this is a rewarding read.” (Dallas Morning News)

“One of the unlikeliest bestsellers of the year.” (Washington Post)

“Misquoting Jesus is a godsend.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

About the Author

Bart D. Ehrman is one of the most renowned and controversial Bible scholars in the world today. He is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and is the author of more than twenty books, including the New York Times bestsellers How Jesus Became God; Misquoting Jesus; God’s Problem; Jesus, Interrupted; and Forged. He has appeared on Dateline NBC, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, CNN, History, and top NPR programs, as well as been featured in TIME, the New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, and other publications. He lives in Durham, North Carolina. Visit the author online at www.bartdehrman.com.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0060859512
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperOne; Reprint edition (February 5, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 242 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780060859510
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.64 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #55,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #81 in General History of Religion
- #89 in History of Religions
- #221 in History of Christianity (Books)

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Orwell Morgan

Fascinating, Easy Read

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2017

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Ehrman argues for two theses, one practical and one more abstract.

The practical thesis can be summarized as: We do not possess any of the original writings of the New Testament, and the copies we have are riddled with negligent and/or intentional alterations. Therefore, the New Testament we read today, which is based upon numerous altered copies, is not very close to the original text. And if the original text is the Word of God, the Word of God is lost.

The abstract thesis can be summarized as: For any text, both the author's and the reader's subjective beliefs and experiences condition the meaning of the words, and therefore color the interpretation of the text. As a result, there is no such thing as an objectively true interpretation of a text. The search for the "correct" meaning is fruitless. Therefore, no one can claim to know the true meaning of the text of the New Testament.

The upshot? The New Testament we read today is of human, and not divine, origin (practical thesis), and, in any event, any claim to "the One True Interpretation" is in principle false (abstract thesis).

I will not take a stand on Ehrman's claims but hope I've faithfully outlined them for people deciding whether to purchase the book. I am familiar with but not well-versed in either the New Testament or textual criticism. Nonetheless, I found his arguments and analysis easy to track. The broad historical information was interesting, and the biblical passages he focuses on to illustrate his points are engaging instead of arcane. Some may consider this book anti-religious, but Ehrman's tone is respectful and honest, not polemical. For such a short, accessible book, the reader can gain a lot from reading it.

248 people found this helpful

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Matthew RapaportTop Contributor: Philosophy

Easy to read examination of the textual variations in the modern Bible and how they got there.

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2018

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A well written book about the evolution of the Bible, particularly the New Testament, and how our present text came to be in all its various forms. Dr. Ehrman begins with a brief summary of his own life. From an "ordinary kid" he becomes a fundamentalist Christian believing the Bible to be wholly inspired. During his graduate program in a Christian school he develops an interest in the wide variety of historical documents that have, through many generations come down to us a our present Bible. He becomes, in short, a textual-scholar, and has an epiphany!

Ehrman quickly learns that there are no longer any "original texts" anywhere. The earliest texts found, more fragmented the farther back one goes, come from the 2nd century some 100 years after Jesus' death. None of the original Apostles, nor Paul are any longer alive at that point, and what early notes exist for geographically fragmented communities are already copies of lost originals. Even if the literal-original writing was "inspired by God" as fundamentalists claim, by the opening of the 2nd century the earliest copies of these writings have already passed through human hands and the real originals are no more. Except for the Christian community of Alexandria where professional scribes already existed, all of the early copies were made by amateur believers who, as it happened could read and write, and so copied texts for their congregations; sometimes well and sometimes poorly. It was not until late in the 4th century that more professional scribes assumed the copyist role.

Roughly the first half of the book is taken up with the history of textual criticism. Ehrman leads us through early (17th century) classification attempts and the techniques developed to determine which texts were "more original" than others. Ehrman notes that in many many cases even that matter cannot be decided with any finality. That the modern obsession with the text began after the Reformation is no accident. Protestant scholars were far more compulsive about the text than Catholics. Protestant theology and doctrine rests entirely on the text, while Catholicism has its priestly class for precisely the task of interpreting the text in what ever form it takes. By the 18th century, scholars had identified some 30,000 textual variations in the manuscripts that come together as the then relatively stabilized New Testament.

Most of these variations were simply mistakes made by non-professional copyists. Sometimes they left out a word or whole sentences. Sometimes what there were of literal originals were physically degraded even when first copied. Copyists sometimes had to "fill in the blanks", a smudged word, or a bleed-through from some earlier text on the page for example. So why not go back to the more professional Alexandrian texts and call those "closest to original"? Because while the vast majority of changes were copy errors, not all were merely that. Here and there changes were made for theological and socio-political reasons. In point of fact (something he does not mention) the Alexandrian scholars were among those who, by the early 5th Century, were considered among the heretical sects by the then solidifying Roman Church. Ehrman does not mention is the textual difference between the modern Western (Roman) and Eastern (Greek and Eastern European "Orthodox") churches. His aim is historical, and he does cover the early Greek texts whose alterations became mixed in with all of the others.

In the second half of the book Ehrman covers three types of changes made deliberately by one group of copyists or another so as to make the text easier to read and better line up with the various theological opinions and social controversies of the time, each propounded by groups of believers who were doing their own copying! In the end, Ehrman is forced to conclude that even the lost originals were probably not autodidacts (texts dictated by God) because if God had wanted Christians to have his un-corrupted words in perpetuity, He would have made sure the originals survived.

I gave the book 5 stars not because the book's subject was of great interest to me, but because Dr. Ehrman does such a marvelous job of treating a scholarly subject (many many references are provided) with easy to read language aimed at non-scholars of the subject like myself.

136 people found this helpful

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IMHO

Fine Scholarship Ends in a Disjointed Conclusion

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2018

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As a textual critic, Erhman does a thorough job of illustrating the meandering path the New Testament has taken from the original writings to what we read today. I don’t challenge his work as a critic and can easily accept the multitude of errors, amendments, exclusions, and modifications he presents. However, ones faith system doesn't necessarily depend on the validity of a virgin birth, the exact definition of the Trinity, or other miracles & orthodoxy. While one can’t deny these things, one can’t exactly confirm them either. That’s where Erhman loses me. He connects textual variations with a denial of orthodoxy – essentially, since God isn’t acting the way he expects, he abandons faith and uses textual criticism as proof. I don’t get that at all. There are hundreds of books about Abraham Lincoln. Some of them are near works of fiction and even the best have historical errors and bad assumptions. That doesn’t mean that Lincoln wasn’t the 16th President and never spoke at Gettysburg. I know the weight placed on the New Testament is much greater than any Lincoln biography, but that would seem to be a reason to extract what one can from the works rather than abandon them. It’s possible that the different gospels were included because they provided a different point of view. Maybe Mark was more data driven than Matthew and that difference allows another angle on Jesus’ teachings. I’m glad I read the book and appreciate Erhman’s scholarship, but I challenge his conclusions.

129 people found this helpful

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LucyA

This book helped me understand why it is important for ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018

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This book helped me understand why it is important for ME to focus on the CONCEPTS of the Bible, not the specific words. Ehrman cites enough examples to convince me that oral history passed on the concepts, but the words, interpretations, sequence of events have been subject to change over the centuries.

56 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Pie Master

Essential for anyone with an interest in religion

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2020

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For a non-christian absolutely fascinated with the Bible, the lasting resonance it has imbued mankind with is a constant source of great interest to me.

I've never truly understood how it came to be, and why it seems to be a confused collection of separate works, as opposed to a clear dictation from the all mighty. This book not only explains the origins, but it also does so with clarity and ease, and that's greatly appreciated.

Let me say this was an excellent book. The author it seems is a brilliant teacher. Clear explanations and written in a style that is vivid and engaging especially for what could be a slightly dour and dusty subject if you're not specifically into the history of the biblical text. Which I'm not really in any meaning full way.

My mind is dancing with curiosity even more so after reading. Yes, this book clearly demonstrates the Bible isn't divinely inspired as such, with so many glaring sometimes embarrassing examples of openly human intervention. But it's more than just those examples or errors alone for me.

I now want to know more, the original traditions that the first authors used to craft this most important of books, where did they come from? More questions, I want to dive deeper, which is a good thing as the author has written several books on this, and i now crave more!

Bart D Ehrman has found a new fan in me, this being the first book of his I've read. I will already be deep into the next one following on from this, probably finished it, by the time you read this.

Misquoting Jesus is essential reading for Christians and anyone outside of that with evem a slight interest in religion. It's great.

3 people found this helpful

nobody

An Interesting Read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 9, 2014

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As a born again, Bible-believing Christian this has certainly given me food for thought. I see Ehrman is a scholar who has attempted (more or less) to deal honestly and scientifically with the text.

I have learned a great deal about the problems of textual criticism, and it was fun to read how early scribes may have altered the text in such a way that our modern reading has been affected by it. And how modern scholarship is attempting to recover the originals.

But it's the "more or less" that I have problems with. It is clear that Erhman has a slant, an agenda. I do not mean this in a derogatory fashion. We all have our slants and our agendas. And this has coloured his opinions. There were parts of the text where I really felt he was stretching it. It's hard to remember all of the areas i felt he was doing this, but just this morning I finished up the last chapter where he delves into the anti-Semitic reasons as to why early scribes may have changed the text. He speaks with such certainty, but like so much in this field his opinions are only conjecture. Perhaps very good and logical, but sitting there reading I was able to come up with other possible scenarios (using the principles he gives) as to why the text may have changed.

Ehrman tries to portray himself as a disinterested scholar, but it is clear he dislikes Christianity even though he has given his life to the study of it. That's fine. But one should be aware that this will affect the way one looks at the evidence and how one interprets it.

I believe Christianity is primarily about a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is why I am not too bothered by the idea that textual variants have appeared in the manuscripts. Fundamentalistic religion balks at the idea and squirms around it, but the Word is a Person, not ink on a page.

42 people found this helpful

S P Mead

a good introduction to the ways in which the New Testament has changed

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2016

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This is a very interesting and well written book, that examines how the manuscripts of the New Testament have been altered and adapted over time. The author, a biblical scholar, examines the historical process which has changed the New Testament. The original manuscripts - written during the latter part of the 1st century and the first part of the second century, no longer exist ... nor do the first copies that were made during the second 2nd century. Nor, indeed, do the initial copies of the copies - as made during the 3rd century. What we have access to are copies of the copies of the copies of the copies ... And the earliest such documents that still survive are from the 4th century. These manuscripts, written centuries after the originals, contain many differences. As such, we simply don't possess - and can't access - the originals. And what we do possess clearly show that many changes have been made.

Given that so many changes were made during the initial centuries following the writing of the original New Testament manuscripts, we can't know what those originals actually said. All we know is what later writers offer us ... and, as these later documents are so very different from each other, we've no idea which - if any - is more authentic. What's more, still later versions of the New Testament - such as the King James - are is various ways different from the earliest existing manuscripts. So further changes - throughout the second half of the first millennium, and during the first half of the second millennium - have been made. Sentences in the text have been altered; new sentences have been added!

What Ehrman does is provide us with a fascinating account on who changed the New Testament. This is a book written with a popular audience in mind, and it's straightforward to understand. I found it an enjoyable read ... But it is rather short (at some 218 pages), and it goes into little detail as regards what the alterations and changes actually are. Ehrman points out that such adaptations have been made, but says too little about their specifics. I would have enjoyed a more in-depth study. Fortunately, the author has written such a book - The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament .

16 people found this helpful

Mr. A. R. Mcmahon

The Bible is not the book it started out as...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2015

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Bart Ehrman has a consistent and convincing position on the reality of Jesus and the New Testament. Having read several of his books, it boils down to the story of a first century messianic preacher who was elevated to godhood in the generations that followed his death. In "How Jesus Became God", Ehrman examines that process and the external religious influences that spurred it on. In "Forged", he looks at how large parts of the New Testament were fraudulently attributed to Paul in particular to support the emerging orthodox Christian position against rival Christian views like Marcionism and Gnosticism. With "Misquoting Jesus", he's in the same territory but this time taking a closer look at the role of scribes and translators in accidentally and intentionally altering texts. This book spans a much longer time period from the Romans to the Enlightenment.

I think it's fair to say it complements his other works but if you were starting out on the works of Bart Ehrman, I'd try some of his other writings first - particularly the recent "How Jesus Became God". Ehrman is much heavier going than Reza Aslan ("Zealot"), but ultimately more rewarding. He may lack Aslan's fast paced story telling ability, but the analysis is more rewarding and deeper. That's not to diminish Aslan who has clearly gone for a more populist approach.

What Ehrman forces Christians to face up to is a combination of amateur, blundering scribes in the first centuries, deliberate alterations and "improvements" to the texts and a total absence of copyright law in the ancient world. Thousands of changes have wormed their way into the New Testament including accounts of Jesus's life and works that were inserted into the gospels from other sources. Theological agendas have removed offending words from the original texts and mistranslations have been repeated and accepted.

A fascinating book.

9 people found this helpful

Mr. Christopher Monk

Fascinating, informative and

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2019

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wow, what a fascinating book. Think you know your Bible then think again. It won't undermine your faith, nor prove agnostic or atheists right either, just make you rethink anything and everything you ever thought you knew. He occasionally says something like "I haven't the room to expound this or that", I wish he did, Iwanted it to go on and on. I have since bought other books by Bart and they are as good too. You don't need to be an expert or a Doctor of Divinity to understand, easy to read and to understand. Highly recommended.

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