History of the Bible Course
A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths by John Barton
A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths is written by theologian and biblical scholar John Barton. Respecting both Jewish and Christian traditions, it offers a rigorous, scholarly treatment of the Bible’s origins, development, and the diversity of its interpretations, closely examining the formation of the biblical canon, the influence of Ancient Near Eastern literature, and the differing theological emphases of individual books, while tracing their historical trajectories in detail.
About the Author
John Barton is a distinguished British biblical scholar and Anglican priest, best known as the author of A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths (2019). Born in London on June 17, 1948, he has made significant contributions to the field of biblical studies, particularly in relation to the Old Testament.
From 1991 to 2014, Barton served as the Oriel & Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at the University of Oxford and was a fellow of Oriel College. Ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 1973, he has combined academic research with pastoral ministry throughout his career. He continues to assist in worship at his local church in Abingdon, where he currently resides.
Restoring the Original Bible by Ernest L. Martin
The book Restoring the Original Bible presents fresh and compelling evidence that the sixty-six books of the Protestant canon are the legitimate and authoritative text of Scripture as we know it today. It also demonstrates that the Bible is composed of seven major divisions, highlighting that in antiquity the books were arranged in a manner quite different from modern editions, and that this order carried profound significance. The author argues that our Bibles should return to this original manuscript arrangement. In addition, the book sheds light on the form the Bible had when it left the hands of the officially appointed canonizers of the past. Ultimately, it provides ample evidence to assure readers that the Bible we possess today is indeed the same original Scripture intended by the ancient, divinely authorized custodians of the canon.
About the Author
rnest L. Martin (1932–2002) graduated from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California, and went on to earn an M.A. in Theology (1962) and a Ph.D. in Education (1966) from Ambassador College. He served as Dean of Faculty at the Ambassador College campus in the United Kingdom and later as Chairman of the Department of Theology at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California.
From 1969 to 1973, Martin directed the cooperative program between Ambassador College and the Hebrew University, which led to one of the largest archaeological excavation projects of its time, carried out near the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem. Each summer during this period, he supervised 450 college students at the excavation site.
In 1985, Martin founded the Associates for Scriptural Knowledge (A.S.K.), where he also served as an ordained Christian pastor within the A.S.K. Ecclesia (Church). His theological stance was non-denominational in character. His central mission was to restore and communicate biblical truth to the present generation living before the return of Christ, so that all might have the opportunity to come to know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.