The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in The Bible by Robin Lane Fox

Merits: Robin Lane Fox is a fellow of New College, Oxford, and a University Reader in Ancient History. He has authored numerous widely praised books on ancient history, specfically regarding Alexander the Great, and, not to be overshadowed by his historical works, has numerous writings on gardening.

Material: This book is another quest for answers, this time led by distinguished scholar Robin Lane Fox, who explores key questions regarding the Bible. Big questions such as, does the biblical version of events conflict with historical information from other ancient sources? Is it internally consistent? How much of the text that the author’s originally wrote do we even have? This book travels across a range of disciplines, eras, and languages assessing the Bible as a source of literal truth.

Grade: N.S.F.C. As the subtitle suggests, this book explores whether or not the Bible gets things wrong (GASP!) or includes fiction. The author writes as a historian and an atheist (GASP!) who as he puts it, “believes in the Bible but not in God”. As such, he doesn’t shy away from critical scrutiny.