The Bible was the lifeblood of virtually every aspect of the life of the early churches. This Handbook explores a wide array of themes related to the reception, canonization, interpretation, uses, and legacies of the Bible in early Christianity. The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Biblical Interpretation fulfils the intention that Toom claims typifies early Christian handbooks on interpretation: 'to be used as a reference work on a particular subject matter, presenting its material in an introductory yet systematic way.'