Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

The Septuagint as a source for the literary analysis of Hebrew sciptures / Emanuel Tov -- Writings ostensibly outside the Canon / James H. Charlesworth -- Torah, torah, torah: the emergence of the tripartite Canon / Stephen G. Dempster -- The role of "the Septuagint" in the formation of the Biblical Canons / R. Glenn Wooden -- The Apocryphal Jesus: assessing the possibilities and problems / Craig A. Evans -- Paul and the process of Canonization / Stanley E. Porter -- Wherein lies authority? A discussion of books, texts, and translations / Lee Martin McDonald -- Canon and theology: what is at stake? / Jonathan R. Wilson.

"For those who want to go deeper in their understanding of the canon of Scripture, leading international scholars here provide cutting-edge perspectives on various facets of the biblical writings, how those writings became canonical Scripture, and why canon matters. Craig Evans begins by helping those new to the field understand the different versions of the Hebrew Bible as well as the books of the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha. Later essays also help beginners by explaining "canon" and the development of canons in various Jewish and Christian communities, the much-debated tripartite canon of the Hebrew Scriptures, and questions of authority. The book also includes insightful explorations and perspectives to challenge more advanced readers, including an essay on the complexities of biblical writing, a critical investigation of the usefulness of extracanonical Gospels for historical Jesus research, and an examination of the relationship of Paul to the canonization process. The result is a thought-provoking book that concludes with discussion of an issue at the fore today - the theological implication of canon."--Jacket.