A provocative book from a highly original scholar, challenging much of what we know about early Christian manuscripts In this bold and groundbreaking book, Brent Nongbri provides an up-to-date introduction to the major collections of early Christian manuscripts and demonstrates that much of what we thought we knew about these books and fragments is mistaken. While biblical scholars have expended much effort in their study of the texts contained within our earliest Christian manuscripts, there has been a surprising lack of interest in thinking about these books as material objects with individual, unique histories. We have too often ignored the ways that the antiquities market obscures our knowledge of the origins of these manuscripts. Through painstaking archival research and detailed studies of our most important collections of early Christian manuscripts, Nongbri vividly shows how the earliest Christian books are more than just carriers of texts or samples of handwriting. They are three-dimensional archaeological artifacts with fascinating stories to tell, if we’re willing to listen.

Finally, a fresh and unique approach to reading the Bible for the millions of Catholics who don't know where to begin . . . Joe Paprocki, a veteran catechist and Bible authority, guides readers into a basic understanding of "God's Library"-the collection of seventy-three books that Catholics regard as the definitive written revelation of God. In easy-to-understand language, he explains the organization of the Bible, the different genres of biblical writing, key figures in biblical history, and the methods Catholics have developed to interpret the Bible properly. He shows beginners how to use commentaries, concordances, footnotes and cross-references, and other valuable tools of Bible study. Eight bookmarks are included to help readers locate the primary sections of the Bible. " [A] fine, accessible, and useful first introduction into Holy Scripture." - Walter Brueggemann, emeritus professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary " Paprocki has contributed a valuable and welcome addition to the repertoire of materials available to the lay reader who is just beginning to explore the Bible. God's Library is a sure and trustworthy guide." -Rev. Donald Senior, CP President, Catholic Theological Union

In For Time and Forever, Dr. Henry Morris inspires Christians to find and fulfill their purpose in "Redeeming the time because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16)Your vital role in God's wonderful plan for the earth is clearly presented in the Bible's Dominion Mandate found in Genesis 1:26-28 and the Great Commission. Bible scholar and creation research scientist, Dr. Morris invites you to see your life calling in the care of God's creation - the earth and its people. Discover how careful stewardship of your talents and opportunities has personal, national and perhaps even global impact.Why do so many people struggle to know their God-given purpose? Dr. Morris reveals how the religion of evolution and its attack on the authority of the Bible impacts our purpose and passion.

The First Chapters uncovers the origins of the first paragraph or chapter divisions in copies of the Christian Scriptures. Its focal point is the magnificent, fourth-century Codex Vaticanus (Vat.gr. 1209; B 03), perhaps the single most significant ancient manuscript of the Bible, and the oldest material witness to what may be the earliest set of numbered chapter divisions of the Bible. The First Chapters tells the history of textual division, starting from when copies of Greek literary works used virtually no spaces, marks, or other graphic techniques to assist the reader. It explores the origins of other numbering systems, like the better-known Eusebian Canons, but its theme is the first set of numbered chapters in Codex Vaticanus, what nineteenth-century textual critic Samuel P. Tregelles labelled the Capitulatio Vaticana. It demonstrates that these numbers were not, as most have claimed, late additions to the codex but belonged integrally to its original production. The First Chapters then breaks new ground by showing that the Capitulatio Vaticana has real precursors in some much earlier manuscripts. It thus casts light on a long, continuous tradition of scribally-placed, visual guides to the reading and interpreting of Scriptural books. Finally, The First Chapters exposes abundant new evidence that this early system for marking the sense-divisions of Scripture has played a much greater role in the history of exegesis than has previously been imaginable.

Examines the treatment of religion and spirituality in the animated television series, including its depiction of God, Jesus, heaven, hell, and prayer in chapters devoted to Homer, Lisa, Ned, Reverend Lovejoy, Krusty, and Apu.

The Romans Commentary is written by Dr. Michael Vanlaningham, the co-editor of The Moody Bible Commentary. This commentary on Romans opens with a description of its author, date, purpose, and themes. As well, an outline is provided depicting the overall structure of Romans. Drawing from his New Testament scholarship and deep understanding of the biblical language, the author provides insight into the verses and sections of Paul’s epistle. The scripture being commented on is shown in bold print for easy reference and a short bibliography at the end of the book allows for further study. This clear and reliable commentary on Romans is excellent for anyone who wants to explore and better understand this portion of scripture. It provides a concise explanation of the text for Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, missionaries, and pastors. The Romans Commentary will help you better understand and apply God’s word!

From the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author comes the gripping true story of a sensational religious forgery and the scandal that shook Harvard. In 2012, Dr. Karen King, a star religion professor at Harvard, announced a breathtaking discovery just steps from the Vatican: she’d found an ancient scrap of papyrus in which Jesus calls Mary Magdalene “my wife.” The mysterious manuscript, which King provocatively titled “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife,” had the power to topple the Roman Catholic Church. It threatened not just the all-male priesthood, but centuries of sacred teachings on marriage, sex, and women’s leadership, much of it premised on the hallowed tradition of a celibate Jesus. Award-winning journalist Ariel Sabar covered King’s announcement in Rome but left with a question that no one seemed able to answer: Where in the world did this history-making papyrus come from? Sabar’s dogged sleuthing led from the halls of Harvard Divinity School to the former headquarters of the East German Stasi before landing on the trail of a Florida man with an unbelievable past. Could a motorcycle-riding pornographer with a fake Egyptology degree and a prophetess wife have set in motion one of the greatest hoaxes of the century? A propulsive tale laced with twists and trapdoors, Veritas is an exhilarating, globe-straddling detective story about an Ivy League historian and a college dropout—and how they worked together to pass off an audacious forgery as a long-lost piece of the Bible.

This work tells the story of a community of fourth-century monks living in Egypt. The letters they wrote and received were found within the covers of works that changed our understanding of early religious thought - the Nag Hammadi Codices. This book seeks to contextualise the letters and answer questions about monastic life. Significantly, new evidence is presented that links the letters directly to the authors and creators of the codices in which they were discovered.

The present volume contains twelve chapters authored by specialists of Asian, African and European manuscript cultures reflecting on the cohesion of written artefacts, particularly manuscripts. Assuming that 'codicological units' exist in every manuscript culture and that they are usually composed of discrete elements (such as clay tablets, papyrus sheets, bamboo slips, parchment bifolios, palm leaves), the issue of the cohesion of the constituents is a general one. The volume presents a series of case studies on devices and strategies adopted to achieve this cohesion by manuscript cultures distant in space (from China to West Africa) and time (from the third millennium bce to the present). This comparative view provides the frame for the understanding of a phenomenon that appears to be of essential importance for the study of the structure of written artefacts. Regardless of the way in which cohesion is realised, all strategies and devices that allow the constituents to be kept together are subsumed under the term 'binding'. Thus, it is possible to highlight similarities, convergences, and unique physical and technical methods adopted by various manuscript cultures to face a common challenge.