A Time Line of Key Events in the History of the Bible

A Time Line of Key Events in the History of the Bible

ow We Got the ibleow We Got the ible

Scrolls of leather, and later of papyrus, are used to make copies of the Scriptures.

A papyrus codex is a bound volume made from sheets folded and sewn together, sometimes with a cover. They are used more than scrolls after AD 1-100.

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200 BC

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PapyrusPapyrus

The Bible is:The Bible is: Made up of 66 different books.

Written over a span of 1,600 years (approximately 1500 BC to AD 100).

Written by more than 40 kings, prophets, leaders, and followers of Jesus.

Stone

Clay

Leather

39 books

Written approximately 1500-400 BC

Old Testament:Old Testament:

27 books

Written approximately AD 45-100

The oldest New Testament fragment (from John 18) that we have today was

copied in Greek on a papyrus codex (folded book) around AD 110-130.

papyrus

New Testament:New Testament:

The Old Testament was The Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew, written mainly in Hebrew, with some Aramaic.with some Aramaic.

The letter “aleph”in Hebrew script.

A sample ofAramaic letters.

The New Testament The New Testament was written in Greek.was written in Greek.

A sample of Greek letters.

The letter “alpha” in Koine Greek dialect.

Consider the following verse from Romans 16:20,

"But the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly."

However, consider the meaning of the sentence if the words of this verse were put in the following order:

"But Satan shortly under your feet will crush the God of peace.“

Matthew 5:18 (KJV) - “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Matthew 5:18 in the Aramaic language. The jot is highlighted in red.

250-100 BC The SeptuagintThe Septuagint

The word “Septuagint” means seventy. Refers to the tradition that

70 or 72 men translated it.

“Septuagint” is often abbreviated LXX, the Roman numeral for seventy.

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250-100 BC

The 53 books of this translation are arranged by subject.

Torah History Poetry Prophecy

The SeptuagintThe Septuagint

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250-100 BC The SeptuagintThe Septuagint

The Septuagint is the first Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament).

It was translated in 250-100 BC by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt.

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The Septuagint• The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria,

Egypt and was translated between 300-200 BC. (note agreement on dates)

• Widely used among Hellenistic Jews, this Greek translation was produced because many Jews spread throughout the empire were beginning to lose their Hebrew language.

• The process of translating the Hebrew to Greek also gave many non-Jews a glimpse into Judaism.

Septuagint - What Does It Contain?

• The Septuagint contains the standard 39 books of the Old Testament canon, as well as certain apocryphal books.

• The term "Apocrypha" was coined by the fifth-century biblical scholar, Jerome, and generally refers to the set of ancient Jewish writings written during the period between the last book in the Jewish scriptures, Malachi, and the arrival of Jesus Christ.

• The apocryphal books include Judith, Tobit, Baruch, Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus), the Wisdom of Solomon, First and Second Maccabees, the two Books of Esdras, additions to the Book of Esther, additions to the Book of Daniel, and the Prayer of Manasseh.

The Apocrypha Protestant Names Roman Catholic NamesTobit Tobias

Judith Judith

Wisdom of Solomon Wisdom

Ecclesiasticus / Sirach Ecclesiasticus

I Maccabees I Maccabees

II Maccabees II Maccabees

Baruch Baruch 1-5

Epistle of Jeremiah Baruch 6

Additions to Esther Esther 10:4-16:24

Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young men

Daniel 3:24-90

Susanna Daniel 13

Bel and the Dragon Daniel 14

I Esdras 3 Esdras (sometimes called I Esdras)

2 Esdras 4 Esdras (sometimes called 2 Esdras)

Prayer of Manasseh Prayer of Manasseh

The Apocryphal books!• The Apocryphal books were included in the Septuagint

for historical and religious purposes, but are not recognized by Protestant Christians or Orthodox Jews as canonical (inspired by God).

• Most reformed teachers will point out that the New Testament writers never quoted from the Apocryphal books, and that the Apocrypha was never considered part of the canonical Jewish scripture.

• However, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches include the Apocrypha in their Bible (except for the books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh).

Septuagint - Is it a Reliable Translation?

• Since the Septuagint is a translation, scholars speculate if it accurately reflects the Hebrew scriptures of the 2nd century BC. A close examination of the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text (the early Hebrew text of the Old Testament) show slight variations.

• Were these errors in translation, or are the Septuagint and Masoretic Text based on slightly different Hebrew manuscripts?


• The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has helped to shed light on this question.

• Discovered in the Qumran region near the Dead Sea beginning in 1947, these scrolls are dated to as early as 200 BC and contain parts of every book in the Old Testament except Esther.

• Comparisons of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show that where there are differences between the Masoretic Text and the Septuagint, approximately 95% of those differences are shared between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic text, while only 5% of those differences are shared between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint.


• Does this mean that the Septuagint is unreliable and that our Old Testament is wrought with contradictory sources?

• No. It is imperative to note that these “variations” are extremely minor (i.e., grammatical errors, spelling differences or missing words) and do not affect the meaning of sentences and paragraphs. (An exception is the book of Jeremiah, in which the actual passages are arranged differently.)

• None of the differences, however, come close to affecting any area of teaching or doctrine.


• The majority of the Septuagint, Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls are remarkably similar and have dispelled unfounded theories that the Biblical text has been corrupted by time and conspiracy. Furthermore, these variations do not call into question the infallibility of God in preserving His word.

• Although the original documents are inerrant, translators and scribes are human beings and are thus prone to making slight errors in translation and copying (Hebrew scribal rules attest to how exacting scribes were).

• Even then, the Bible has redundancy built into its text, and anything significant is told more than once. If grammatical mistakes were introduced that makes a point unclear, it would be clarified in several other places in scripture.

SEPTUAGINT QUOTESIN THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Of the approximately 300 Old Testament quotes in the New Testament, approximately 2/3 of them came from the Septuagint which included the deuterocanonical books that the Protestants later removed.

• Is this additional evidence that Jesus and the apostles viewed the deuterocanonical books as part of canon of the Old Testament?


• Matt. 1:23 / Isaiah 7:14 - behold, a "virgin" shall conceive. Hebrew - behold, a "young woman" shall conceive. (al-maw') Strong's number for it is 5959 (Hebrew), look it up! Had Isaiah been inspired to say this was a virgin, he would have called her a "bethuwlah" (Strong's 1330)

• Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; John 1:23 / Isaiah 40:3 - make "His paths straight." Hebrew - make "level in the desert a highway."

• Matt. 9:13; 12:7 / Hosea 6:6 - I desire "mercy" and not sacrifice. Hebrew - I desire "goodness" and not sacrifice.

• Luke 3:5-6 / Isaiah 40:4-5 - crooked be made straight, rough ways smooth, shall see salvation. Hebrew - omits these phrases.

• Luke 4:18 / Isaiah 61:1 - and recovering of sight to the blind. Hebrew - the opening of prison to them that are bound.

• Luke 4:18 / Isaiah 58:6 - to set at liberty those that are oppressed (or bruised). Hebrew - to let the oppressed go free.


• John 6:31 / Psalm 78:24 - He gave them "bread" out of heaven to eat. Hebrew - gave them "food" or "grain" from heaven.

• John 12:38 / Isaiah 53:1 - who has believed our "report?" Hebrew - who has believed our "message?"

• John 12:40 / Isaiah 6:10 - lest they should see with eyes...turn for me to heal them. Hebrew - shut their eyes...and be healed.

• Rom. 9:27 / Isaiah 10:22 - only a remnant of them "will be saved." Hebrew - only a remnant of them "will return."

• Rom. 9:29 / Isaiah 1:9 - had not left us "children." Hebrew - Jehova had left us a "very small remnant."

• Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6 / Isaiah 28:16 - he who believes will not be "put to shame." Hebrew - shall not be "in haste."

``Where the Bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be; even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church'' Ignatius of

Antioch, 1st c. A.D

• Let me reiterate: the then 300+ year old Septuagint version of Scripture was good enough for Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul, etc., which is evident in their referencing it over 300 times (out of 350 Old Testament references!) in their New Testament writings.

• The Septuagint includes 7 books and parts of Esther and Daniel that were removed from Protestant Bibles some 1,500 years after the birth of Christ.

Septuagint• The Septuagint is the Old Testament referred to in the

Didache or "Doctrine of the Apostles" (first century Christian writings)

• and by Origen, Irenaeus of Lyons, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Cyprian of Carthage, Justin Martyr, St. Augustine and the vast majority of early Christians who referenced Scripture in their writings.

• The Epistle of Pope Clement, written in the first century, refers to the Books Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom, analyzed the book of Judith, and quotes sections of the book of Esther that were removed from Protestant Bibles.

Septuagint

• The Septuagint was the version of the Old Testament accepted by the very earliest Christians (and, yes, those 7 "extra" books were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls which date between 168 B.C. and A.D. 68, and which by the way, support both the Septuagint and the 6th - 10th c. A.D. Masoretic texts in various ways, but supporting the Septuagint on average.)

The deuterocanonical books• The deuterocanonical books were, debated in the early Church, and

some Fathers accorded them higher status than others (hence the Catholic term for them: "deuterocanonical," or what St. Cyril of Jerusalem called "secondary rank," as opposed to the other books which are called "protocanonical").

• But all the Fathers believed as did St. Athanasius, who, in one of his many Easter letters, names the 22 Books all Christians accept and then describes the deuterocanonicals as "appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness."

• Church Councils listed and affirmed the present Catholic canon, which was only formally closed at the Council of Trent in the 16th century.

Problem Scriptures• Tobit 12:15

I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One. [see Revelation 1:4 and 8:3-4 below]

2 Maccabees 7:29[A mother speaking to her son:] Do not fear this butcher, but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death, so that in God's mercy I may get you back again with your brothers. [see Hebrews 11:35 below]

2 Maccabees 12:44 For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. [see 1 Corinthians 15:29 below]

2 Maccabees 15:14And Onias spoke, saying, "This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah [bodily dead], the prophet of God."

1 Corinthians 15:29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? [see 2 Maccabees 12:44 above]

•Hebrews 11:35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. [see 2 Maccabees 7:29 above]

Revelation 1:4 ...Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne. [see Tobit 12:15 above]

Revelation 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God. [see Tobit 12:15 above]

So what is the bottom line?

• There have been differing opinions by individual theologians about the proper place of the deuterocanonicals in the 16th c.

• Luther, reacting to serious abuses and clerical corruption in the Latin Church, to his own theological vision removed those books from the canon that lent support to orthodox doctrine, relegating them to an appendix.

• Removed in this way were books that supported such things as prayers for the dead (Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45),

• Purgatory (Wisdom 3:1-7), intercession of dead saints (2 Maccabees 15:14)

• Intercession of angels as intermediaries (Tobit 12:12-15).

And then we have?

Pseudepigrapha• The word refers to certain

noncanonical writings purported to have come from biblical characters, and refers to books of ancient Jewish literature outside the canon and the apocrypha.

Pseudepigrapha• The writings purport to be

the work of ancient patriarchs and prophets, but are, in their present form, mostly productions from about 200 B.C. to A.D. 200.

PseudepigraphaThe Books of Adam and Eve

translation of the Latin version Life of Adam and Eve -- translation of

the Slavonic version Life of Adam and Eve -- translation of

the Greek version (a.ka. The Apocalypse of Moses)

The Apocalypse of Adam The Book of Adam The Second Treatise of the Great

Seth 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Apocalypse of

Enoch) 1 Enoch Composit (inc. Charles,

Lawrence & others) 2 Enoch (Slavonic Book of the

Secrets of Enoch) Enoch (another version) Melchizedek

The Testament of Abraham

The Apocalypse of Abraham NEW July 18, 2004

Joseph and Aseneth Selections from The Book of Moses Revelation of Moses The Assumption of Moses (aka: The

Testament of Moses) The Martyrdom of Isaiah The Ascension of Isaiah The Revelation of Esdras The Book of Jubilees Tales of the Patriarchs The Letter of Aristeas The Book of the Apocalypse of

Baruch (aka: 2 Baruch) The Greek Apocalypse of Baruch

(aka: 3 Baruch) Fragments of a Zadokite work (aka:

The Damascus Document) The Book of Abraham

Documents

A Time Line of Key Events in the History of the Bible