How the Biblical Canon Was Formed

Museum of the Bible

8 May 201503:58

Summary

TLDRThe Bible, a compilation of books held in high regard by Jewish and Christian communities, has varied over time and among denominations. The Jewish Bible, known as the Tanakh, consists of the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. Christians have the Old and New Testaments, with the latter being universally accepted across traditions. The Old Testament, however, differs in content and organization among Protestants, Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox Christians. The formation of the Bible reflects a historical process of composition, circulation, collection, and canonization, with the New Testament solidifying in the late 300s and the Old Testament variations predating Christianity.

Takeaways

📖 The Bible is a 'book of books,' historically experienced as a collection of multiple volumes or scrolls.
📚 Different versions of the Bible exist today, with variations in the number of books they contain.
📜 The Bible is a collection of books that Jewish and Christian communities consider uniquely authoritative.
🕍 The Jewish Bible, known as the Tanakh, is divided into three parts: Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.
✝️ The Christian Bible consists of the Old Testament and New Testament, with differences in the Old Testament across Christian traditions.
🤝 Most Christian traditions agree on the 27 books of the New Testament, but there is disagreement about the Old Testament's contents.
⏳ The process of finalizing the Bible involved stages of composition, circulation, collection, and canonization.
📅 The New Testament was officially finalized between the 1st and 4th centuries CE.
🏛️ The Jewish Tanakh became finalized at different times, with the Torah and Prophets being established by the 2nd century BCE.
🕊️ The differences in Christian Bibles' Old Testament books are linked to variations in Jewish traditions before Christianity emerged.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Bible being referred to as a 'book of books'?
-The Bible is referred to as a 'book of books' because historically, it was often encountered as a collection of multiple volumes or scrolls, rather than a single book, reflecting its compilation of various texts into one authoritative collection.
What is meant by 'the' Bible when it is not always the same across different traditions?
-When referring to 'the' Bible, it means the full collection of books that Jewish and Christian communities have historically accepted as uniquely authoritative, which may vary slightly in content between different religious traditions.
What are the three collections that make up the Jewish Bible, known as the Tanakh?
-The Jewish Bible, or Tanakh, is composed of three collections: the Torah (Law), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings).
How does the Christian Bible's structure differ from the Jewish Tanakh?
-The Christian Bible differs from the Jewish Tanakh by including two major collections: the Old Testament, which is similar to the Tanakh, and the New Testament, which contains books unique to Christianity.
Why do major Christian traditions agree on the number of books in the New Testament but not in the Old Testament?
-Major Christian traditions agree on the number of books in the New Testament because the process of canonization for it was established before the divisions between these traditions. However, the Old Testament canonization process occurred at different times for different Christian groups, leading to variations in the number of books included.
How many books does the New Testament contain according to most Christian traditions?
-Most Christian traditions agree that the New Testament contains twenty-seven books.
What is the difference between the Old Testament in Protestant and Roman Catholic Bibles?
-The Protestant Old Testament matches the Jewish Tanakh in content but differs in organization, while the Roman Catholic Old Testament contains additional books beyond those found in the Protestant Bible.
Why do the Eastern Orthodox Christians have more books in their Old Testaments compared to other Christian traditions?
-Eastern Orthodox Christians have more books in their Old Testaments because their canonization process included a broader selection of texts, reflecting the diverse and inclusive nature of early Christian scripture usage.
What are the three basic stages that each book in the Bible went through to become part of the canon?
-Each book in the Bible went through three stages: composition, circulation and usage, and finally confirmation as part of a closed canon when the community agreed no more books should be added or removed.
How does the process of forming the Jewish Tanakh compare to the formation of the Christian Bible?
-The process of forming the Jewish Tanakh is similar to the formation of the Christian Bible in that both involved the selection and canonization of texts. However, the timing of these processes differed, with the Tanakh's formation occurring earlier and being more closely tied to the establishment of the Torah and Prophets.
What historical event contributed to the differences in the Old Testament between Christian Bibles today?
-The destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans contributed to the differences in the Old Testament between Christian Bibles today, as it marked a period of change and division within Judaism, out of which Christianity emerged as a separate movement.

Outlines

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📚 The Bible: A Book of Books

The Bible is often seen as a single book today, but historically it was a collection of multiple volumes or scrolls. Over the centuries, different communities have recognized different sets of books as part of the Bible. Despite variations, the Bible remains a collection of books regarded as uniquely authoritative by Jewish and Christian communities worldwide.

📜 Jewish and Christian Bibles: Key Differences

The Jewish Bible, called the Tanakh, consists of three parts: the Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Christian Bible is divided into the Old Testament and New Testament. The primary distinction between the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Bible is the New Testament. While Christian denominations agree on the New Testament's content, they differ in the number of books included in the Old Testament.

⏳ Why the Old Testament Varies Across Christian Traditions

Christian traditions differ on the Old Testament's composition because of historical factors. The Protestant Old Testament mirrors the Jewish Tanakh, while the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions include additional books. These differences stem from variations in the historical development and acceptance of certain texts.

🕰️ The Process of Biblical Canonization

Each book of the Bible underwent three stages: composition, circulation, and canonization. Over time, these books were written, shared, and collected before being officially confirmed as part of a closed canon, where no more books could be added or removed. This process finalized the Bible we recognize today.

📖 Formation of the New Testament Canon

The New Testament's canonization occurred between the 1st and 4th centuries. The Gospels and Pauline Epistles were widely used by the 2nd century, with other texts circulating for a few centuries longer. The canon was officially agreed upon in the late 300s, long before the divisions between Christian denominations emerged.

📜 Jewish Canon: Similar Process, Different Timeline

The Jewish canon, like the Christian Bible, followed a process of composition, circulation, and canonization. The Torah and Prophets were recognized by the 2nd century BCE, with other books being used longer in different communities. However, the diversity within Judaism at the time led to variations in accepted texts before Christianity branched off as a separate movement.

⚖️ Explaining Differences in Old Testament Books

The differences in the Old Testament across Christian traditions stem from varying historical practices. Most of these discrepancies were inherited before the Jewish Tanakh was fully established. After the Temple's destruction in 70 CE, some Jewish groups faded, while others, like Christianity, grew independently, leading to today’s variances.

⛪ The Bible's Journey Through History

The Bible, as a product of centuries of Jewish and Christian tradition, reflects a long history of community decisions and belief in divine guidance through human history. Its formation demonstrates the complex, evolving nature of religious scripture across diverse societies and times.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Bible

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts or scriptures that are central to Judaism and Christianity. It is considered the word of God by believers. In the video, the Bible is described as a 'book of books,' highlighting its compilation of various texts into a single, authoritative collection. The video discusses how the Bible has evolved over time, with different Christian traditions having slightly different contents, particularly in the Old Testament.

💡Tanakh

The Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible used by Judaism, which is divided into three parts: the Torah (Law), the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). The video explains that the Jewish Bible, or Tanakh, is the foundation upon which the Christian Old Testament is based, with some variations in content and organization among different Christian denominations.

💡Old Testament

The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, which contains the same texts as the Jewish Tanakh but often with additional books. The video points out that the Old Testament is a major collection within the Christian Bible, and its contents can vary between Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

💡New Testament

The New Testament is the second major collection in the Christian Bible, which contains writings from the early Christian church, including the four Gospels and the letters of Paul. The video emphasizes that there is a consensus among Christian traditions about the books included in the New Testament, which stands in contrast to the variations found in the Old Testament.

💡Canon

A canon refers to a list of books considered to be authoritative and divinely inspired within a religious tradition. The video describes the process by which books were confirmed as part of the closed canon of the Bible, which is when communities agreed that no more books should be added or removed from the collection.

💡Protestant Old Testament

The Protestant Old Testament matches the Jewish Tanakh in content but differs in organization. The video discusses how the Protestant Bible is one of the Christian traditions that has a specific arrangement and number of books in the Old Testament, which is a point of contention among different Christian denominations.

💡Roman Catholic Old Testament

The Roman Catholic Old Testament includes the same organization as the Protestant Bible but contains additional books known as the Deuterocanonical books. The video notes that the Catholic Old Testament has more books than the Protestant version, reflecting the diversity in the number of texts included in the Old Testament across Christian traditions.

💡Eastern Orthodox Old Testament

Eastern Orthodox Christians have an even larger Old Testament than the Roman Catholic tradition, with additional texts that are not found in the Protestant or Catholic Bibles. The video highlights the diversity within Christianity by pointing out the variations in the Old Testament among different Orthodox traditions.

💡Composition

Composition refers to the initial creation or writing of a text. In the context of the video, it is the first stage in the process of a book becoming part of the Bible. The video explains that each book in the Bible went through a process that began with its composition before being circulated and eventually accepted into the canon.

💡Circulation

Circulation in the video refers to the distribution and use of a text among communities before it is officially recognized as part of the Bible. It is the second stage in the process, where books are used on a smaller scale before being more widely accepted and potentially included in the canon.

💡Closed Canon

A closed canon is a fixed and authoritative list of religious texts that are considered complete and not subject to further additions or deletions. The video describes how the process of confirming the books of the Bible as part of a closed canon finalized the collection of texts that make up the Bible as it is known today.

Highlights

The Bible has been historically encountered as a library of multiple volumes or scrolls, not always as a single book.

The term 'the' Bible refers to a collection of books accepted as authoritative by Jewish and Christian communities.

The Jewish Bible, known as the Tanakh, consists of the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.

The Christian Bible includes the Old Testament and the New Testament, each with several smaller collections.

The New Testament is agreed upon by most Christian traditions, containing twenty-seven books.

There is disagreement among Christian traditions about the number of books in the Old Testament.

The Protestant Old Testament matches the Jewish Tanakh in content but differs in organization.

The Catholic Old Testament includes additional books beyond the Protestant version.

Eastern Orthodox Christians have even more books in their Old Testaments compared to other Christian traditions.

The uniformity of the New Testament across Christian traditions is attributed to the timing of its canonization.

Books of the Bible went through stages of composition, circulation, collection, and confirmation as part of a closed canon.

The process of finalizing the New Testament occurred between the first and fourth centuries.

The Gospels and Pauline Epistles were widely used as collections from the second century onward.

Official agreement on the New Testament was established in the late 300s.

The Jewish Tanakh's formation process was similar to the Christian Bible but occurred earlier.

The Torah and Prophets were well-established collections by the second century BCE.

The differences in the Old Testament among Christian Bibles are limited due to early Jewish agreements on the Law and the Prophets.

The formation of the Bible is a testament to the belief in God's work through human history.