Rating: 
Summary: Enlightening look at History/Development of Western Religion
Review: This is a wonderfull compendium of Gnostic, Hermetic and non-cannonical Judeo-Christian scriptures. You will find selected chapters and passages from a ubiquitous array of ancient texts influenced by many faiths and philosophies.Among other things, this book introduces you to: -- The origin of the fallen angels and levels of heaven and hell (Book of Enoch et al) later depicted by Dante and Blake. -- The Nag Hammadi Gonstic texts -- The Hermetical texts -- The Manachean texts -- The Mystical texts of the Dead Sea scrolls and Kaballah -- Strange Gnostic Christian beliefs from Simon Magus to the almost Satanic Cainites. -- The complete 'Q'-sourced Gospel of Thomas -- The Infancy Gospels of Christ One of my favorite selections, The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, reminded me of the Jerome Bixby SF Classic "It's a Good Life." with little Jesus terrorizing the town (wishing bad people away). You will clearly understand after reading this book just how hetergeneous the early Christian communities really were in their beliefs. In fact, the earliest beliefs seem more Gonstic in flavor than they later came to be with the establishment of the Roman Church. I would highly recommend this book to both the scholar and faithfull alike. For the former, it offers a look at the hisotry and development of Western religion and philsophy through original source material, while to the latter, the origin of some widely held notions, particularly about Heven and Hell, can be found here.
Rating: 
Summary: Revealing, in a way the author didn't intend!
Review: This volume, in it's summary of the ancient Haggadah (Jewish myth creation, invovling Lilith, 7 heavens, etc.), Early Kabbalah, New Testament Apocrypha, and Gnostic scriptures, was intriguing to say the least. Mr. Barnstone clearly asserts in the introduction that if history were altered in favor of these scriptures, that we would have these in our Holy Bible today. However, what I found were some shocking similarities between Roman Catholicism and Pagan traditions. In the same way Solstice became Christmas, and Easter into a celebration of Christ's ressurection, religions that were forced into the Church under various popes and rulers had no option but to submit 'holy scripture' of their own. Some of these truths went on to form extra-biblical views found in Roman Catholicism and other denominations. 7 heavens, Prayers to Martyred Saints, Purgatory, it's not in the Bible folks! It's in "The Other Bible"! I reccomend this book to advanced thinkers and armchair theologians who want a better understanding of early christian influences. But do be careful of Mr. Barnstone's radical assumptions.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but to much Gnosticism
Review: This was a good collection of non-canonical christian scriptures, and contains a good variety of different scriptures. However I noticed that the editor was kind of leaning towards sort of a "Pro-Gnosticism" approach. Not that their is anything wrong with that, but I would really liked to have seen some more of the none Gnostic non-canonical scriptures, as well, he got alot of the important ones in, but their were alot more he could have put in.
Rating:
Summary: excellent source for apocrypha scriptures
Review: Willis Barnstone did an excellent job in compiling "The Other Bible". This book is one of the best that I've encountered as to having almost all the Gnostic, Pseudepigrapha (Jewish), Apocrypha (Christian)books, and the Dead sea Scrolls translated into common english. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in alternative scriptures for use in problimatic archaeological writing where other written material would be useful. The only problem with the book is the bias I detected on the part of the editor, and the fact that other Christian-Jewish apocrypha were left out of this publication (Ex: The book of Adam and Eve 1 & 2, most all Apocrypha of the early church letters , The Story of Ahikar, and The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs). However, this book does rate very highly as compared to other apocrypha translated books I have read in the past. A must for anyone interested in this type of literature.
Rating:
Summary: excellent source for apocrypha scriptures
Review: Willis Barnstone did an excellent job in compiling "The Other Bible". This book is one of the best that I've encountered as to having almost all the Gnostic, Pseudepigrapha (Jewish), Apocrypha (Christian)books, and the Dead sea Scrolls translated into common english. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in alternative scriptures for use in problimatic archaeological writing where other written material would be useful. The only problem with the book is the bias I detected on the part of the editor, and the fact that other Christian-Jewish apocrypha were left out of this publication (Ex: The book of Adam and Eve 1 & 2, most all Apocrypha of the early church letters , The Story of Ahikar, and The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs). However, this book does rate very highly as compared to other apocrypha translated books I have read in the past. A must for anyone interested in this type of literature.
Rating:
Summary: Truly These Are Jewels
Review: Willis Barnstone has gathered a number of non-canonical writngs together into what he calls _The Other Bible_. It is not that these other writings ever formed a canon or were ever a part of a canon with the possible exception of the Book of Jubilees. Rather Barnstone has collected writings which have parallel themes to those found in the Bible. He begins with writings in creation myths and follows it with histories, wisdom literature, gospels, acts, and apocalypses. Sounds like the way the Bible is organized, doesn't it? Barnstone has gathered these writings from diverse sources, from Jewish pseudepigrapha, Gnostic writings, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Christian apocrprypha, and Manichaean sources. Barnstone has selected the best of the best for _The Other Bible_. On page 255 he calls the psalms collected from the DSS the literary jewel of the DSS. In my opinion all of the writings collected by Barnstone are literary jewels. For example, if one wanted to read all of the ancient gospels, one could read Schneemelcher's first volume of _New Testament Apocrypha_. Barnstone has chosen such jewels as "The Secret Gospel of Mark." This book is especially for readers who have wondered what else there was besides what was in the Bible.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BIBLE
Review: With the diverse Gnostic texts, added to new christian writings of the disciples, gives good reason to call it The Other Bible. These scriptures should be selected and added to the King James. Wonder if someone could put the Sophia of Jesus Christ in there as well. The Gnostic content is a gold mine of knowledge lost down thru the ages because of the worldwide accepted King James version. Read along with "The Nag Hammadi Library". Some of the same books are in this book, but I found them easier to understand reading from the Other Bible. This book is easy reading even with missing pieces. Those who have been awakened by the Logos to Gnosis should diligently study these scrolls. The scrolls were not touched by human hands for 2,000 years. Original insight to early Kabbalah, treasure of prophecies, accounts of how the world was called into existence, and events preceding the creation.
Rating:
Summary: enlightening
Review: wonderful and diverse text. shows the wonderful diversity of early christianity, apocolyptic jewish sects, and mystery relegions at the cusp of the common era. exceptional veiw of christanity before catholicism.
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