Forged: Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are

Forged

Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are

2011 • 307 pages

Ratings6

Average rating3.7

15

Ehrman makes a compelling case regarding the authorship of the books of the Bible that he discusses. I wish he had discussed some of the evidence in greater depth, but this is a book for laypeople, after all. To me, Forged did not reach the heights of [b:Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife|50793705|Heaven and Hell A History of the Afterlife|Bart D. Ehrman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575812957l/50793705.SY75.jpg|71431323], the other Ehrman work I have read. The tone of Forged is noticeably more strident, and one gets the sense that Ehrman wants to “own” the opposition—I can practically hear the Avengers theme playing in Ehrman's head on p. 130, when he talks about getting his Arabic-speaking colleague to translate a document in order to prove that Pythagoras's students did not attribute their books to their teacher.

It's worth a read if you're not up-to-date on Biblical scholarship. I had no idea of the authorship issues surrounding the Pauline epistles, etc. If you are aware of the scholarly consensus regarding these issues, you may not find many revelations here.

December 12, 2022Report this review