Why Are These Books in the Bible and Not Others? Volume One: A Translator’s Perspective on the Canon of the Old Testament (How Were the Books of the Bible Chosen? Book 1)

Christians claim the Bible is the Word of God, that it is the final authority in all matters relating to Christian faith and practice, and that it is absolutely reliable in all that it teaches. But to put such confidence in the Bible requires that the correct books are in the Bible. But is there? Why are the 66 books in the Bible in the Bible, and why were other books that could have been included not included?This subject is very important but also complicated, so complicated that it will take three volumes to fully cover it. This Volume One will study the books included in the Old Testament (OT) and consider other books that could have been included in it but were not. Volume Two will cover the books included in the New Testament (NT). Volume Three will look at the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, some of which were seriously considered for inclusion in the NT. It will also investigate other writings that many wonder why they are not included in the NT.In this first volume, each of the 39 books included in the OT will be reviewed in detail. Who wrote them and when, their theology, and other pertinent background information will be discussed to explain why they are included in the OT.Then the Apocryphal/ Deuterocanonical Books will be considered. These are the “extra” books found in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles as compared to Protestant and Jewish Bibles. The debate over them will be addressed in detail.Lastly, other books that some wonder why they are not included in the OT will be addressed. It will be explained why these books were rejected.Gary F. Zeolla is the translator of the Analytical-Literal Translation of the Bible. The ALT consists of translations of the Old Testament Greek Septuagint, the Apocryphal/ Deuterocanonical Books, the New Testament Greek Majority Text, and the Apostolic Fathers. He is thus very familiar with all of the books to be discussed in this three-volume set, having translated most of them. Working on this distinct translation of the Bible gives the author a unique perspective on these topics.Gary is also the author of Christian, fitness, and politics books, websites, and newsletters. In addition, he is an all-time world record holding powerlifter. For details on Gary and his many writings, see his personal website Zeolla.org. Read more