The Books and the Parchments. By F. F.
Bruce. (Pickering & Inglis. t 2s. 6d.)
Fun writer, who is head of the Department of Biblical History and Literature in Sheffield University, expresses the hope that his book may prove interesting and useful to the many persons who, without aiming at any specialist knowledge of Biblical learning, would welcome some means of familiarising themselves with the considered conclusions of modern scholarship regarding the material origins of the English Bible—the languages it is written in, the substances it is written on, the character and antiquity of the prin- cipal manuscripts surviving today. He certainly will not hope in vain, for this is a most admirable piece of work, serving, per- haps better than any existing volume (nothing could be better than Sir Frederic Kenyon's various books, but this is in some respects more comprehensive), the particular needs the author set out to serve.. On the Canon of Scripture, The Texts of the Old and New Testament, the Hebrew and Aramaic languages, the Targums, the Mas- soretic texts, the Old and New Testament Apocrypha and the various English versions of the Bible Mr. Bruce tells all that the non- specialist needs to know, at any rate as a foundation, with a welcome orderliness of arrangement and lucidity of presentation. Those who have not realised what attractions Biblical study can have, apart 'from any questions of theology or doctrine (though, of course, not necessarily apart from them) are likely to feel considerable gratitude to Mr. Bruce if and when they have had the wisdom to read his book. H. W. H.
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