Highly recomended books on three categories of belief!

Not too long ago I suggested a list of books both for theists and atheists alike. The former would be able to see cogent arguments against the veracity of their beliefs, while the latter could learn to counter religious arguments using logic and reason as your guide to rational conclusions.

You may find these books and others by this author here.

The first three books deal with the most common Christian arguments for belief as presented by philosophers and apologists. The last book is a concept discussed in the previous books but for some reason some people; specifically, the very deluded just don't seem to grasp such a simple idea. Finally, you could visit the authors blog at : debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com

These next books are in my opinion the best books that deal with the historicity of Jesus Christ.

Two great books that make the case the Jesus may not have existed as an historical figure. The first book makes the case against the existence of Christ while the second is an expanded version of the first where the author also replies to criticisms of the first book. You can also visit this authors blog and purchase these books and others directly through this link: http://jesuspuzzle.humanists.net/

These last books are on the historicity of the origins of the bible and their reliability both from the analysis of the texts themselves and  archeology. 

The first of these books is a classic on textual analysis by eminent biblical scholar Richard Elliot Friedman. He basically deals with the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). For a thorough analysis of the New Testament and its reliability the second book is a great place to start with. New Testament scholar Bart D. Ehrman analyzes and dissects how the New Testament came about and what changes and possible alterations were made in the texts by biblical scribes and copyist. Finally, the last of these books focuses on the historicity behind ancient Israel and the when and where the bible was written.

All of these books can be found by author or title search on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or any other online book retailer of your choice. Remember that the more you read the more you know and that the more you know the more you grow. 

I've always made it a habit to see both sides of the arguments so if you are so inclined to do so you may consider reading some of the books these authors suggest in the various bibliography's in these books. This is not a definitive list but it is in my opinion the best starting point for anyone looking to learn more about these three specific fields of Jewish/Christian studies as they relate to the bible and what people generally believe.