Where Did the Gospels Come From?

Dan Brown, author of the popular series of books beginning with, The Da Vinci Code, brought the idea of political machinations behind the canon of Scripture to the mainstream. Is there any validity to his argument? Was the Bible merely invented by some shadowy figures, or has it stood the test of time, passing from original writing to modern times without change? In this essay, Jonathan Meyer examines the historical data that stands behind the apostolic origin, transmission, compilation, and textual accuracy of the four Gospels, finding considerably more fact than is popularly known.