Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Featuring vibrant full color throughout, Bart D. Ehrman's highly successful introduction approaches the New Testament from a consistently historical and comparative perspective, emphasizing the rich diversity of the earliest Christian literature. Distinctive to this study is its unique focus on the historical, literary, and religious milieux of the Greco-Roman world, including early Judaism. As part of its historical orientation, the book also discusses other Christian writings that were roughly contemporary with the New Testament, such as the Gospel of Thomas, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the letters of Ignatius. Bart Ehrman's introduction to the New Testament has been the number one selling textbook over several editions not only because the content is solid and current but more so because Ehrman's prose is almost universally praised as being unusually clear and appealing for undergraduates and general readers. Ehrman will revise and update the book according to reviewer feedback"-- Provided by publisher.