But what is the story behind the "Greatest Story Ever Told?" Where did it come from? Who wrote it? Who decided that it would be put together in its current form?

First of all, the Bible is separated into two parts. The Old Testament, and the New Testament.  Some prefer to refer to them as the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures. Some prefer other names. The Old Testament refers to the times before the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The New Testament, or the Good News, refers primarily to the Life and Teachings of Jesus, and the event surrounding His death, resurrection and, brief visits to His disciples.

Who wrote the Bible? Moses and King David are two figures that are credited with at least inspiring the writings of the Old Testament. The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are considered to be written by or inspired by those with the same name, but here is where it gets interesting. Many scholars believe that there is another source, called simply Q that was the inspiration that Matthew, Mark and Luke drew from. John's gospel is different enough to lead scholars to suspect it was written from a different source.

Many of the other books from the New Testament were written by Paul. Many believe that it was the writings and teachings of Paul that was responsible for the early spread of Christianity. Had it not been for the vigorous teachings of Paul, Constantine might never had converted on his death bed, and Christianity might never have become as popular as it did during that crucial time and crucial place during world history. Most of Paul's writings and teachings were in Greek, which happened to be the language of commerce at the time, as English is the language of commerce today.

Perhaps the most interesting, and too often overlooked idea, is that there were many, many other authors that wrote about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. But why aren't they included in the Bible?

Because a group of men, powerful men decided, 300 years after the fact, which writings were considered "inspired," and which ones weren't. Remember back then, they had no TV, no news, and very little, if anything was written down. So how did these men choose which books to include, and which ones to exclude? How did these men who held enormous political power find the wisdom to discern which of the several hundred year old writings were inspired, and which ones weren't? It begs the question:

Did these men have an ulterior motive? Did they choose the writings they did because it increased their own power and influence? We've all seen what happens when men hold power. One doesn't have to look very far to see how it can easily be abused for personal gain. Were these men any different?  Western society is largely built on the foundations of the teachings of the early Catholic Church, as the rise of European power is largely linked to this power of the Church. Is the whole of western religion, and consequently western society, based on the decisions of a small, powerful group of men concerned with their own power and influence? These are difficult questions indeed.

Because of all these ideas, many people are starting to realize that Zapotec is the novel that is causing readers everywhere to rethink these concepts. Unless you have an incredibly strong grasp of your faith, or lack thereof, please don't read this book, for it has proven to shake beliefs to their very core.

Spanning two thousand years from the savage jungles of South America to the mean streets of Los Angeles, Zapotec is a novel that is taking the world by storm. Girls are being murdered in a secret religious ceremony of the Zapotec tribe, thought kept secret by the Catholic Church for hundreds of years. The Zapotec Tribe was all but wiped out by the conquering Spaniards. But did a secret sect survive?

Because people can readily think of ways to appreciate those insights from this, you will likely enjoy George Hutton's widely read Zapotec.  One of the reasons many like you are starting to quickly discover that Zapotec may easily be one of the most gripping novels to come out in a long time is the incredible shocking perspective. Many find that as you start reading, you quickly become engrossed, and can't stop until you experience the breathtaking climax. You can learn more when you visit http://www.georgehutton.net/zapotec