The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor: The Holy Scriptures Missing from Your Bible

Hoffman (And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning) leads the reader through the Pseudepigrapha and related writings left out of the biblical canon. Through his summaries and analysis, he ably demonstrates why these “second tier” works—some of them not included in the official biblical canon for their controversial theology, and others for purely practical reasons—should not be ignored. They shed crucial light on our understanding of the books of our “official” Bible, as well as being themselves worthy sources for seekers of theological, and philosophical, meaning. Hoffman also provides an accessible and entertaining history of the context in which the “rejected” works arose, a fascinating account of how the Dead Sea Scrolls came to light in the mid-20th century (and what they include), an analysis of Josephus’s contributions to history, and the relationship between the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Bible) and the Hebrew Scriptures. As the book is but a taste of extracanonical riches, it accordingly includes an appendix with recommended additional reading. [em]Agent: Irene Goodman, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (Sept.) [/em]