New book on the origins of the Bible set to spark controversy and debate
By Julius Ewudo, ASEAN Region Representative
A comprehensive exploration into the origins of the Bible is set to launch with Peter Bycroft’s debut book, Prehistoric Precedence: How the Human Species Invented the Bible.
Drawing from a wealth of multi-disciplinary research, renowned academic and researcher Bycroft offers a detailed and incisive perspective on the origins of the Bible. Bycroft’s book will inform, challenge, and ignite passionate debate among scholars, religious adherents, and secular readers alike. Bycroft shares a detailed account of how the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament emerged from the diverse cultural, mythological and literature practices of ancient pre-biblical civilisations.
Based on extensive research spanning archaeology, anthropology, seismology, palaeontology, linguistics, genomics, psychology, and religious studies, Bycroft’s work argues that the religious texts are the result of centuries of human storytelling, deeply influenced by unique human imaginative capabilities and the social, cultural, and psychological frameworks of ancient civilisations.
Peter Bycroft’s work will undoubtedly resonate with those seeking a rational, scientific understanding of religion and religious origins while challenging traditional religious communities. The book is not just an academic exercise—it’s a challenge to the narratives that have shaped Western religious thought for centuries.
Bycroft does not shy away from questioning the sacred, making this work a bold, and at times, divisive contribution to religious and historical discourse.
This scientific investigation into the origins of the Bible has already earned praise for its depth and intellectual rigour:
“Peter Bycroft peels back the deep history of human endeavour that has encoded the origins of the world through millennia of synthesising imaginations, ideas, images, and fantasies,” said Professor Paul Memmott AO.
“The Bible was clearly not written by a magical creator in the sky. Now this thoroughly researched and wide-ranging book tells us how people and ideas spread across the world and how the Bible may really have come to be,” commented Professor Susan Blackmore.
With its unique blend of scientific research and historical analysis, How the Human Species Invented the Bible promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year. It is set to fuel debates in academic circles and beyond, bringing together readers from all walks of life to engage with its provocative ideas.
The official launch event will take place at AVID Reader in Brisbane on 12 December 2024. The book will then be exclusively available for the next two months through two of Brisbane’s most significant bookshops – the AVID Reader in West End and Riverbend Books in Bulimba.
In a world where religious texts continue to shape moral frameworks, governance, and personal beliefs, How the Human Species Invented the Bible is poised to disrupt long-held views. The book questions the very foundation of biblical creation and offers a secular, evidence-based interpretation of how the Bible came to be. Readers are invited to rethink their understanding of religion, transcendence, religious origins, the spread of cultural ideas, and the forces that shaped human societies across millennia.
