The seventh edition of 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.NEW TO THIS EDITIONCovers new topics including the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library, the size of the Christian church in the New Testament period (and later), the role of miracle stories in the spread of the religion at the time, and Jesus' view of hellProvides an excursus on the importance of digital technology for Bible studyProvides an excursus on contemporary forms of criticismUpdated Suggestions for Reading for further studyReworked study questions.KEY FEATURESTakes a strong historical and comparative approach, rather than a doctrinal or theological oneAlong with the strong historical approach, the book also presents literary aspects of the New Testament as well as material aspects (based on archaeology)-see especially the three photo-essays: Ancient Manuscripts of the New Testament, The Material World of Jesus and the Gospels, and The Cities and Roads of PaulEngages students by showing them the arguments scholars have used to establish the positions they have taken, on such things as the Synoptic Problem, the historicity of Acts, the historical Jesus, the Deutero-Pauline lettersA multitude of pedagogical features and boxes such as 'What to Expect', 'At a Glance', 'Another Glimpse into the Past', 'What Do You Think?', and 'Take a Stand'Colour photos, maps, and timelines appear throughout.This title is available as an eBook. Please contact your Learning Resource Consultant for more information.