Books about the History of the Bible & Translations

The Canon of SCripture by FF Bruce
The Origin of the Bible by Comfort

I liked both of these, they are more of early history, like how the Bible was formed, and not so much about the translations. The Comfort book is a collection of essays which was very good.

 

I have also become more interested in the history of the the Bible and specifically English translations recently. You may be surprised to find a lot of info available in the Introduction or Preface to many Bibles.

A book I liked on the subject (also by F.F. Bruce) is entitled appropriately "The History of the English Bible". I particularly liked the later chapters where the author describes some of the more well known 20th Century translations and their translators. Its not a long book, very readable, but is older (last translations discussed is the NEB).

Another good general book is the one you mention "The Bible in Translation: Ancient and English Versions" by Bruce M. Metzger. Most books about the Bible or New Testament by these two scholars (one British, the other American) are authoritative and usually well written.

There are also some books that deal in depth with only one translation (i.e. "God's Secretaries : The Making of the King James Bible" by Adam Nicolson).

There are some books that simply catalogue various translations by title with brief discriptions ("The English Bible in America" by Margaret T. Hills, for example).

I'll mention just two more of my favorite sources, although not books: one is a one hour DVD (somewhat difficult to find) "The Forbidden Book: History Of The English Bible"; the other is a website www.greatsite.com (they sell antique Bibles and facsimiles) which offers a section about the history of the English Bible.

 

Of course Neil Lightfoot’s book is How We Got The Bible.<br><br>In the Beginning, the Story of the King James Bible and How it Changed a Nation, a Language and a Culture
Alister McGrath (Doubleday, 2001, ISBN 038549890X)

<br>This is a popular reading book about the history of the making of the King James Version.
<br>The book does not interact with the KJVO controversy.<br><br>David Norton's&nbsp; <br>
A Textual History of the King James Bible (Cambridge Univ Press, January 2005, ISBN 0521771005)


is one I don’t have but will try to pick up someday when it is more reasonably priced.<br> <br>Rob<br>

 

Let me re-post that in a more readable form.
Apparently the BB server crashed.

Neil Lightfoot’s book is How We Got The Bible.

In the Beginning, the Story of the King James Bible and How it Changed a Nation, a Language and a Culture Alister McGrath (Doubleday, 2001, ISBN 038549890X)
This is a popular reading book about the history of the making of the King James Version.
The book does not interact with the KJVO controversy.

David Norton's
A Textual History of the King James Bible (Cambridge Univ Press, January 2005, ISBN 0521771005) is one I don’t have but will try to pick up someday when it is more reasonably priced.

Rob

 

Yes, the above two books are very good. I have copies and have read both of them. Half of Norton's TEXTUAL HISTORY are his appendices that list the variations in text between various KJV editions. In appendix 1, the "printer's errors in the first edition" are listed. In appendix 2, "the first and second edition variations" are listed. David Norton is the editor of the new 2005 CAMBRIDGE PARAGRAPH BIBLE, and his book TEXTUAL HISTORY along with giving a history of various KJV editions presents some of the reasons for this new edition.

Bobrick, Benson. WIDE AS THE WATERS: THE STORY OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE AND THE REVOLUTION IT INSPIRED. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.

Daniell, David. THE BIBLE IN ENGLISH ITS HISTORY AND INFLUENCE. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003. 899 pages

McGrath's and Benson's books are both very good, but overall I like Daniell's book best.

Nicolson, Adam. GOD'S SECRETARIES: THE MAKING OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.

Norton, David. A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE AS LITERATURE. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Especially the first 100 pages of this book has a lot of history of the English Bible.

 

Forever Settled A Survey of the Documents And History of the Bible by Dr. Jack Moorman.

The King James Version Defended by Edward F. Hills

 

One of the more interesting books pertaining to the King James translation:

Translating for King James by Ward Allen

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...1593/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2866903-4661512?ie=UTF8

The only known surviving notes of the king james translation committee are
listed and analyzed.

regards,
RG.