Journey from Text to Translations
I had been searching for a good resource which included an explanation of the Apocrypha -sources, dates, inclusion or exclusion in published Bible versions. This book is chock full of tables, maps, and illustrations. I love lists. One table even lists the major reasons why the different Apocryphal writings were regarded as non-canonical. The Journey traces the sacred writings from origins, thru manuscript copies, to the most recent English translations. I was humbled as I read the stories of those men who were martyred for copying or even possession of the early Greek manuscripts, and later those martyred for translating the Bible into English. My own Bible seemed a precious document indeed. This book is a primer for those wanting to widen their study into ancient manuscripts and source documents. I read thru the book in just over a week. It is not difficult reading. If you don't love history, it will prove boring for you, but for you budding students out there, I recommend this book highly.To buy at Amazon.com, click here.
A Lamp in the Dark - the untold history of the Bible
A Lamp in the Dark is an exciting documentary that shows the intriguing history of the Bible. Enter into a world of saints and martyrs battling against spies, assassins, and wolves in sheep's clothing. Through the Middle Ages, the popes and Inquisition forbade biblical translation, threatening imprisonment and death to those who disobeyed. Learn the lives of men like John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, Myles Coverdale and others, who hazarded their lives to communicate the Bible in languages people could understand. With the Fall of Constantinople, ancient Greek manuscripts came into Europe, and with them, the clear streams of understanding that would bring about the Protestant Reformation. But what is little known is that Rome launched a Counter Reformation with the intent of destroying all the works of the Reformers. Could this be the key to the "untold" history of the Bible? And is it possible that this ancient war on the Word of God continues to this day? This film is three hours jam packed with information about the history of the Bible, and the blood that was shed so that our generation could read it. Sadly, too few Christians really understand the sacrifice of the saints who have come before us, especially during the Inquisition era. "A Lamp in the Dark" has been called a "sure cure for Christian apathy," and does not pull any punches in revealing the uncomfortable truth of the Dark Ages. The production goes on location to England and Belgium, to the British Library and the William Tyndale Museum, the site where Tyndale was strangled and burnt at the stake, and then Erasmus House in Anderlecht. There are original interviews with the curators of these museums who explain significant facts about the history of Textus Receptus and the development of the English Bible. There is a lot of footage of ancient manuscripts and even a replica of the jail cell where Tyndale was kept before he was put to death. The film really gives a timeline of the Bible from the first century up through the Middle Ages, climaxing with the King James Bible of 1611, and showing that the reason Rome hates the KJV is because it represents the collective work of the Protestant Reformation. The documentary also seems designed as a witnessing tool to Roman Catholics, since it confronts some of the key doctrines of the Catholic Church, including transubstantiation, papal authority and the veneration of Mary. The producers were careful to focus their commentary on the teachings of the Reformers, and show clearly how the faith of modern Evangelical Christians developed by recovering the original teachings of the Bible. Also, events of the past are often linked to modern events, showing how the Reformation continues to impact Europe and America today, through things like the European Union and the Emerging Church. Shocking information and detailed quotes are presented about the popes, which every Christian and Catholic should know. There is also a detailed history of the Jesuit Order and the Counter Reformation begun by them. Some of the Jesuits history in the modern world, with the Lincoln assassination and during World War II with Hitler is also shown. The film is done in a History Channel "style" with a variety of interviews cross-cut with dramatic re-enactments of certain historical events.To buy at Amazon.com, click here.