The Holy Bible is a compilation of the texts thought to be most relevant to the Christian faith. Authorities differ regarding the material that should be included, as well as its authorship, provenance, and interpretation. This edition is based on one of the two or three widely-accepted standards, comprising 66 documents thought by many to have been composed by authors with unique insight into their faith.

Although some of the material suffers from the plodding pace of The Silmarillion's less interesting chapters, the Bible also contains gripping tales of love, hate, lust, heroism, folly, and sacrifice. From the arrogance of King David, to the cowardice of the prophet Jonah, to the erotic longing of the writer of The Songs of Songs, to the zealotry of a martyred carpenter and his followers, the entire gamut of human experience is contained within this single, short volume. Of course, drawing material from dozens of authors writing in several genres over a long span of time does result in inconsistencies. Some critics (e.g. G.K. Chesterton) might claim that this diversity is a strength of the work; still, one can't help wondering whether, for example, the author of Genesis might have benefitted from the guidance of a good editor, given that the book is essentially cobbled together from multiple pre-existing stories. Likewise, the main character--known variously as Jehovah, The Lord, etc.--is portrayed in a variety of inconsistent ways; and it's unclear whether we are to take this as indicative of changes in his personality or changes in the perspective of the books' authors.

The "Authorized" or "King James" version is, of course, the classic translation of this text into English. Although much of the language is now archaic and difficult for the modern reader to comprehend at first glance, the sheer poetic force of its best passages have shaped English literature in the centuries since its publication. Even for those who question its relevance, it remains required reading for those who aspire to call themselves "educated". ( )