A Visual History of the Bible: The Tumultuous Tale of the World’s Bestselling Book

Not unlike an epic story, the history of the formation and translation of the Bible is filled with intrigue and adventure, heroes and knaves. Considering how much ink has been spilled about the Bible’s purported meanings, it’s surprising how few authors have captured the excitement of its evolution from disparate manuscripts to accepted canon to bestselling book. Brake, who is president of Multnomah College and has a Ph.D. from conservative Dallas Theological Seminary, takes the reader on a wonderful journey through several thousand years of history (though the heaviest emphasis is on the 15th century to the present), marking the people, events and crises through which the Bible has had to pass, finally emerging in our time as a versatile and vital document. Nearly every page contains an illustration, chart or other visual aid to assist the reader. Refreshingly readable and lavishly illustrated, this volume is essential to anyone wanting to understand the Bible and its hazardous progress through the ages. (Sept. 15)