roofire

Hello, I am new to researching the history of the bible and where it came from. I have been reading several books on the subject but one thing that would help me out would be some sort of visual timeline that place the manuscripts and authors on a timeline with Jesus and other significant Christian/Jewish events. Does anyone have a suggestion of where I might find this , either online or in a book?

Thank you

CX

I suggest you check our "recommended reading" list. Possibly read a good intro to the NT. Unless you just want a quick and dirty dates and authors kind of thing in which case there are any number of people here who could oblige you.

roofire

Yes, I am looking for the quick and dirty dates and authors list. I am reading the in depth analysis in some books, but I have trouble putting it all in perspective. The list I am looking for would be useful to be as a reference to get an idea of how different manuscripts/authors related to each other. I am looking for something basic and visual (if it could also incorporate location as well I think it would be extremely useful. Any help would be appreciated.

Perhaps what I am asking for is "unreasonable"...as I said I am at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to stuff, but as an example I would like to see a timeline concerning the Gospels in the NT, who and when and where they were written ( and more importantly what actual manuscripts this information is based from), who used who as a reference etc. As I said I am reading it all in books, but a quick visual reference would be very helpful to me. Thank you

CX

Burton Mack's book Who Wrote the New Testament in Appendix A has a diagram of the development of the NT Texts with a timeline. The only caveat is that his dating is somewhat radical (he dates GLk/Acts to around 110 C.E. for example), but it does provide a good overview. As far as authors go we don't know who most of the authors of the NT were. The gospels are all anonymous, some of the Pauline epistles are pseudepigraphal as are most or all of the Catholic letters. As for manuscripts the MSS tradition is quite complex. The appendix to Nestle & Aland's 27th Edition of the Novum Testamentum Graece provides a comprehensive list of witnesses for that critical text upon which are based most modern translations. Basically I don't think there is any one place you can go for all the information you are seeking. If you haven't been there already I highly recommend Mark Goodacre's New Testament Gateway. As well as our own Peter Kirby's
Early Xian Writings site.

CX

FYI, there was a discussion on MSS evidence and the text of the NT here awhile back which you might find useful.

Yuri Kuchinsky

Roofire,

Please check out this article that I wrote recently, and tell me what you think.

"Evolutionary View of the Gospels"

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?threadid=53550

All the best,

Yuri.

Haran

This is an incredible timeline from OliveTree software:

http://www.olivetree.com/history/

Apikorus

Indeed, it is incredible.

hezekiah jones

hahahaha

Hey Apikorus, how's it going.

Haran

I didn't say incredibly accurate... The incredible was for the interactive part. I've not been able to find one quite as nice anywhere else. If you know of a better one, do present it... I'd like to include it on my website.

Regardless, the timeline should lend some helpful perspective....