Examination of the Bible
These manuscripts collect critical notes on biblical passages, narratives, contradictions and interpretations. Du Châtelet brings reading, comparison and rational questioning to a field where boundaries between scholarship and religious authority were contested.
Understanding the text
The corpus has a complex manuscript and editorial history; modern editions organize material that need not form a finished book published by its author.
Key points
- 01
Reading
Passages are examined in their wording and compared with other narratives rather than accepted without question.
- 02
Criticism
Examining coherence and context involves arguments distinct from a simple opposition between belief and disbelief.
- 03
Manuscript
The state of notes, groupings and editorial intervention affect the reading.
How to read it
Consult your edition’s introduction to distinguish surviving manuscripts, restorations and editorial titles.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗