First published 2009
The texts that became the New Testament were copied by hand for centuries before printing existed. Every scribe could make mistakes, and many did frequently. Some scribes deliberately changed the text they copied. These alterations happened often enough that the meaning of scriptures considered sacred by nearly two billion Christians underwent complete transformation in many places. Ehrman examines what certainty we can have that today's words match what the original authors of the Gospels, Letters, and Revelation actually wrote. Comparing any two New Testament manuscripts reveals that centuries of copying introduced so many alterations that the meaning of Christianity's most important book changed drastically in many aspects. Ehrman explores whether scholars can recover the original words, what methods they use, and what their research reveals. The book addresses crucial questions: Is the story of the adulterous woman authentic? Did Paul actually forbid women from speaking in church? Did Mark's Gospel originally describe Jesus's resurrection? Was calling Jesus God a copying error?
Genres: history, religion, non-fiction, christianity, theology, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
264 pages · Paperback · CiS