World's Oldest Bible Makes Web Debut Thursday

Once Oprah's enemy, now Christians'?

(NEWSER) - James Frey pissed off a lot of people—including Oprah—when his “memoir” A Million Little Pieces was exposed as fictional—but his new book might spark even more ire. Illumination: The Final Testament of the Holy Bible features a Messiah who marries gays, impregnates a teen, and later takes her to have an abortion—and compares the Old and New Testaments to comic books, the New York Post reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The fragile Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest surviving Christian Bible, has been hidden in scholarly collections for decades, but today the British Library has launched a new site to let online surfers peruse the 1600-year-old document. The ancient text was discovered in the 19th century, and researchers suspect it survived due to dry desert air. The site offers new opportunities for scholars of early Christianity, reports the BBC. More»

Former PM advocates 'metaphorical' reading

(NEWSER) - It's time for Pope Benedict to rethink his outdated views on homosexuality, charges former British prime minister Tony Blair. The Vatican considers homosexuality a "tendency" toward "moral evil," citing biblical references. But Blair, a Catholic convert, tells the gay magazine Attitude that religious leaders should treat the Bible as metaphorical, rather than literal, in order to expand tolerance. More»

In tablet, scholar sees risen messiah as pre-Jesus theme

(NEWSER) - A new interpretation of a tablet written in 1st century BC questions the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Times of London reports. One biblical scholar says the text conveys the story of an angel telling a dying Jew, killed by Romans 4 years before Christ's birth, that he will live in 3 days. More»