If the Three Faiths exhibit has piqued your curiosity, here are five books that offer some historical background to the origin and development of the three religious traditions.

Jerusalem with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, NYPL Digital Gallery

Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths
Bruce Feiler
New York: W. Morrow, 2002

The author presents Abraham as he is portrayed in all three religions and interprets the meaning of Abraham as seen through the prism of each religion.

The Bible: A Biography
Karen Armstrong
New York: Atlantic Monthly, 2007

Traces the development of the Bible from it’s beginning through the centuries. We learn how and why texts were included or excluded in the canon. The author discusses how Christian and rabbinic traditions and interpretations influenced each other. 

The Evolution of God
Robert Wright. 
New York: Little, Brown, 2009

Traces the idea of God in the Abrahamic faiths from prehistoric times to the present.

Religious Foundations of Western Civilization: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Jacob Neusner, ed.
Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2006

Introduces students to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through their beliefs, key concepts, history, as well as the fundamental role they have played, and continue to play, in Western culture.

The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths
Charlotte Gordon.
New York: Little, Brown, 2009

Focuses on the story of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, and her vision of God in the desert. 

*     *     *     *     *

Explore the Library's exhibition, Three Faiths: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, on display October 22, 2010 - February 27, 2011 in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 5th Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets.