This book from the late 19th century is considered a classic, highly reliable text by many. (I had tried to obtain a copy earlier, but it was hard to track down, being out of print then.)
The following is from http://freetruth.50webs.org/B2d.htm
<i>A Short History of the Bible, Being A Popular Account of the Formation and Development of the Canon,</i> by Bronson C. Keeler:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The Authorities.</b> The writings of the Christian Fathers, the ecclesiastical history of Eusebius - the oldest Christian history now extant - and the modern works, <i>On the Canon of the New Testament</i>, by Brooke Foss Westcott, D.D., and <i>The Canon of the Bible</i>, by Prof. Samuel Davidson, D.D., LL.D., are the sources from which the information must chiefly be drawn.
As some of the statements from <b>Prof. Davidson</b> will appear to the general reader quite remarkable, a word or two in explanation may be necessary. He is an Englishman, in the recognized head and front of the Protestant students of the world. He is eighty-three years of age, has spent a life in the study of these topics, is one of the ablest if not the ablest authority now living on the subject of the canon ... <b>He was requested by the editors of the new edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica to write the article on the Canon</b> for that work, and accepted the commission, supposing that what they desired was the facts. <b>He told how the Bible had been made up, what books had been put in at different times and what left out, and that the Bible had not always consisted of just the books now in it.</b> When the editors read the article, <b>they declined to publish it as it was. They "mutilated" it, as Prof. Davidson says,</b> and what was left after the eliminating process was completed now appears in the <i>Encyclopedia</i> as the article on the Canon. Prof. Davidson then published the original in book form, entitling it The <i>Canon of the Bible</i>, and in the preface he tells why he issued it. It is from that work that I quote so frequently.
The inexperienced person has little idea of the difficulty which the critical party finds in getting its facts before the public; nor of <b>the systematic suppression used by the Christian press and clergy to prevent unpleasant truths concerning the Christian religion from coming out</b>. There is not an orthodox religious newspaper in the world that will publish the facts concerning the origin of the Bible, which are given in these pages; there is scarcely a magazine in America that will publish them; and it is but recently that any newspaper would do so. Men who know the Christian theology to be untrue, have to get their audience as best they can.
-- <i>A Short History of the Bible, Bronson C. Keeler, <b>1881</b></i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Those graduating in religious studies from every major university in America, as well as every major theological seminary that is independent of Christian financial pressure, know certain facts to be true.
They know that:
  - The entire bible is saturated with common mythological themes, from the creation and flood myth to virgin birth and resurrected hero mythology.
  - The stories of the patriarchs in the Old Testament are known as 'temple legends' to enhance the history of the Hebrew people and are mostly fictional.
  - The gospels were not written by anyone who knew Jesus personally.
  - The 'Christ' myths and formulas are direct copies of Zoroastrian myths adopted by the Jesus sect.
  - These facts, with others, have been known for years, and taught by internationally respected scholars from major universities world wide.
Religiously educated clergy, through the sin of omission and silence, yet continue to promote superstition.
-- <i>William Edelen, Presbyterian and Congregational minister <b>(1999)</b></i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Link http://www.secweb.org/index.aspx-action=...id=723.htm
The following is from http://freetruth.50webs.org/B2d.htm
<i>A Short History of the Bible, Being A Popular Account of the Formation and Development of the Canon,</i> by Bronson C. Keeler:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>The Authorities.</b> The writings of the Christian Fathers, the ecclesiastical history of Eusebius - the oldest Christian history now extant - and the modern works, <i>On the Canon of the New Testament</i>, by Brooke Foss Westcott, D.D., and <i>The Canon of the Bible</i>, by Prof. Samuel Davidson, D.D., LL.D., are the sources from which the information must chiefly be drawn.
As some of the statements from <b>Prof. Davidson</b> will appear to the general reader quite remarkable, a word or two in explanation may be necessary. He is an Englishman, in the recognized head and front of the Protestant students of the world. He is eighty-three years of age, has spent a life in the study of these topics, is one of the ablest if not the ablest authority now living on the subject of the canon ... <b>He was requested by the editors of the new edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica to write the article on the Canon</b> for that work, and accepted the commission, supposing that what they desired was the facts. <b>He told how the Bible had been made up, what books had been put in at different times and what left out, and that the Bible had not always consisted of just the books now in it.</b> When the editors read the article, <b>they declined to publish it as it was. They "mutilated" it, as Prof. Davidson says,</b> and what was left after the eliminating process was completed now appears in the <i>Encyclopedia</i> as the article on the Canon. Prof. Davidson then published the original in book form, entitling it The <i>Canon of the Bible</i>, and in the preface he tells why he issued it. It is from that work that I quote so frequently.
The inexperienced person has little idea of the difficulty which the critical party finds in getting its facts before the public; nor of <b>the systematic suppression used by the Christian press and clergy to prevent unpleasant truths concerning the Christian religion from coming out</b>. There is not an orthodox religious newspaper in the world that will publish the facts concerning the origin of the Bible, which are given in these pages; there is scarcely a magazine in America that will publish them; and it is but recently that any newspaper would do so. Men who know the Christian theology to be untrue, have to get their audience as best they can.
-- <i>A Short History of the Bible, Bronson C. Keeler, <b>1881</b></i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Those graduating in religious studies from every major university in America, as well as every major theological seminary that is independent of Christian financial pressure, know certain facts to be true.
They know that:
  - The entire bible is saturated with common mythological themes, from the creation and flood myth to virgin birth and resurrected hero mythology.
  - The stories of the patriarchs in the Old Testament are known as 'temple legends' to enhance the history of the Hebrew people and are mostly fictional.
  - The gospels were not written by anyone who knew Jesus personally.
  - The 'Christ' myths and formulas are direct copies of Zoroastrian myths adopted by the Jesus sect.
  - These facts, with others, have been known for years, and taught by internationally respected scholars from major universities world wide.
Religiously educated clergy, through the sin of omission and silence, yet continue to promote superstition.
-- <i>William Edelen, Presbyterian and Congregational minister <b>(1999)</b></i><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Link http://www.secweb.org/index.aspx-action=...id=723.htm