There are two strands woven together in the history of the Bible and its translations. One is the development of the biblical text: its materials, texts, and translations. The second is the story of the men and women who went to great extremes, at times risking death, in order to provide their generation with the Word of God in a language that could be understood. David Ewert skillfully combines both these elements in this informative and captivating book, beginning with what "Bible" means, how the Bible is organized, and how various books were named. He explores such other matters as the development of the biblical languages, the canon and the history of the testaments, and early versions of the Bible. English translations, from the time of Wycliffe to the present, are the focus of several chapters. A General Introduction to the Bible is filled with photographs of ancient texts, pages from various Bibles, photographs of key individuals and settings -- all of which add understanding to the Bible's history. Maps and charts show the development of languages, textual families, and the relationship of various translations and revisions.
There are suggested readings and an extensive glossary and index.