ABSTRACT
This chapter deals first with the biblical canon—which books are in the Bible and how this came to be decided (though in many cases it was a passive acceptance of what had come to be usual rather than depending on conscious decisions or rulings). The question of nomenclature for the older part of the Bible—‘Old Testament’ or ‘Hebrew Bible’—is discussed. There is a survey of the contents of the Bible, understood differently in Judaism and in Christianity. The chapter moves on to the transmission of the biblical text, with a look at textual criticism, that is, the attempt to get back to the oldest form of the text that can be reconstructed. Next there is a section on biblical translations, both in ancient times (Greek, Latin, and Aramaic) and today, with a focus on translations into English. Then the origins of the Bible are considered, with a concern for dating the biblical books and for the question of their original context in the life of ancient Israel and of the Christian church. Finally there is a brief survey of non-canonical literature that some believe ought to be in the canon, and that was supposedly suppressed in the early Church.
