J-D

All Jewish Bibles for many centuries have contained the same Hebrew text. (Strictly speaking it’s not all Hebrew: a small part is written in Aramaic, although transliterated into Hebrew script.) It’s not clearly exactly when (or how) the settling of this particular compilation as standard took place, but probably no later than about the year 200. There are records in the writings of Jewish rabbis of debates about which texts should be included and which excluded. From earlier periods there are still surviving manuscripts which are obviously translations into Greek of the Hebrew (and Aramaic) scriptures but with additional material included.

In modern Protestant Bibles (including the ones used in the Anglican Communion), the Old Testament contains translations of (all of) exactly the same texts found in modern Jewish Bibles, but arranged in a different order. The Old Testament in a modern Catholic Bible, a modern Orthodox Bible, or a modern Ethiopian Orthodox Bible will be different from the Old Testament in a modern Protestant Bible because of including additional material sourced from the early Greek translations, and they’ll be different from each other because of differences in what they include from those sources.

Another reason why different Bibles have different versions of the Old Testament is the more straightforward one that they use different translations from the original languages.

No version of the Old Testament contains any explicitly Christian material, but the New Testament consists entirely of explicitly Christian material. The earliest manuscripts of it are in Greek (and later than the earliest Old Testament manuscripts), and different modern Christian Bibles will have different versions of it because of differences in translation, but for no other reason. It’s again not clear exactly when or how one particular compilation was settled as the standard, but all modern Christian groups agree on the same one.

rousseau, I hope you find this helpful. Please feel free to ask follow-up questions. Anybody else, please feel free to point out any errors on my part.

steve_bnk

The Old Testament is a Christian designation referring to the covenant god made with Moses. Literally the Old Testament.

Christians believe Christ was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy and the Mosaic covenant, ending the old Mosaic covenant or testament, and forming a New Testament between god and all people not just Jews. Literally a New Testament with god.

As Christians grew distinct from Jews they glommed onto the OT as their own.

There is a history to the New Testament and the path it took with revisions and interpretations involving historically both religious and political conflicts..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_translations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_tes...n_translations

I use the NSRV translation, the update to the Revised Standard Version . The commission was to review all available documents and scraps, updating the Old English arcahic to modern English and idioms. I used the RSV in a college philosophy class.

All the translations have shadings, The NSRV is criticized by some for softening the male patriarchal tone. If you buy one I'd recommend the NSRV. Good annotation and commentary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Rev...andard_Version


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Chili

Very interesting, and like Day 1, Class 1 for me.

More interesting is that if Catholics use a different bible, why are they called Christian by so called Christians who deny Christ and are still waiting for him?

I have an NAB with a picture of the Pope in it and ripped it out because that was a picture of 3 popes ago, but for the rest it still is like new and now sometimes I wonder if that was the right thing to do.

Actually, it could be 4 popes ago, I forgot, and should I keep track or make a record if that maybe? (I hope it's not 5, but now think it is 5).

Oh, just looking at it now, it's got Holy Bible written on it too.

Iskander

I read somewhere that “Galatians is the Magna Carta of Christian Liberty”, translated for our American friends as “Galatians is the 4th of July of Christianity”.

The Greek Testament and Torah have nothing of substance in common
The Catholic/Reformed Churches Tradition and the Oral Law of Judaism have nothing of substance in common.

Christianity and Judaism are two completely different religions, despite the effort of the Jews For Jesus group to persuade of the contrary.

Chili

Nothing has changed and nothing ever will, but I take objection to your assimilation of Christians with Catholics and presented my 'like new' bible image that is older than 5 popes ago to say that Catholics are an oral tradition as well.

Then if I add that God is known to 'speak to the ass of donkey,' to say that 'bible knowledge' is hindrance for him, both Jews and Catholics are just right for him.