Saint John Chrysostom Biblical Series The Origins of
Saint John Chrysostom Biblical Series The Origins of the Bible: Who wrote the Biblical books and when were they written?
Methods of Determining the Dates 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Manuscript Tradition (Latest possibility) The Event (Earliest possibility) External Witnesses (usually for the NT) Linguistics Themes Types of Writing
Manuscript Tradition – The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and translated into Greek (3 rd-2 nd cent BC). Two Major sources for the Hebrew Old Testament: https: //library. sebts. edu/c. php? g=457318&p=3128185 1. Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran 2. Masoretic Texts (Aleppo Codex, Leningrad Codex) Three Major sources for the Greek Old Testament (called the Septuagint). https: //library. sebts. edu/c. php? g=457318&p=5870329 1. Codex Sinaiticus 2. Codex Vaticanus 3. Codex Alexandrinus
Dead Sea Scrolls http: //dss. collections. imj. org. il/ https: //www. deadseascrolls. org. il/expl ore-thearchive/search#q=manuscript_type: 'Bi blical%20 Compositions'
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Masoretes (to bind, to hand down, tradition) These were Jewish scholars/scribes from the 6 th – 10 th cent AD located in Jerusalem and Tiberius. They wanted to “bind” or cement the Jewish text, give interpretations on what the words mean, and supply indications for how the text should be read. Masoretic Texts
Un-pointed Text Pointed Text
The Aleppo Codex (930 AD)
Leningrad Codex (1009 AD)
Modern Print Edition - Stuttengartesia
Greek Old Testament (LXX) and New Testament Three Major sources for the Greek Old Testament (called the Septuagint). 1. Codex Sinaiticus https: //www. codexsinaiticus. org/en/ 2. Codex Vaticanus https: //digi. vatlib. it/view/MSS_Vat. gr. 1209 3. Codex Alexandrinus http: //www. bl. uk/manuscripts/Viewer. aspx? ref=royal_ms_1_d_viii_fs 001 r These manuscripts also contain the New Testament and are the most important manuscripts for determining the New Testament.
New Testament Witnesses Papyri (about 100 from 2 nd – 8 th cent) These are designated by a P followed by a number Majuscules/Uncials (about 300 known manuscripts dating from the 4 th – 10 th cent). . These were originally designated with letters, but when the letters ran out, they were designated with a 0 followed by a number. Sinaiticus a 01 Alexandrinus A 02 Vaticanus B 03 Minuscules (1000 s from 8 th to 15 th cent). These are designated by numbers not beginning with a 0.
Various Papyri and Manuscripts
P 52 John (100 -135 AD)
7 Q 5 (Mark 6: 52 -53) (50 BC- 50 AD) ου γαρ συνηκαν επι τοις αρτοις, αλλ ην αυτων η καρδια πεπωρωμενη. και διαπερασαντες [επι την γην] ηλθον εις γεννησαρετ και προσωρμισθησαν. και εξελθοντων αυτων εκ του πλοιου ευθυς επιγνοντες αυτον. for they did not understand concerning the loaves but was their heart hardened. And crossing over [unto the land] they came unto Gennesaret and drew to the shore. And coming forth out of the boat immediately they recognized him.
2. The Events 1. 2. 3. 4. The Patriarchs (1800– 1700). The Hebrews in Egypt (1700 -1250). Moses and the Exodus (1250). Joshua and Judges (1200 -1020). -------------------------5. The United Monarchy (1020– 922). (Saul, David, Solomon) 6. The Divided Kingdom (922– 587). The Northern Kingdom (Israel – destroyed in 722). The Southern Kingdom (Judah – exiled in 587). 7. THE EXILE (587– 537). 8. The Persian Period (537– 333). 9. The Greek Period (333– 163). 10. The Maccabees (163– 63). 11. Roman Empire (63 BC – 12. Life of Jesus (6 -4 BC – 30 AD) 13. The Fall of Jerusalem (70 AD).
Dating the Exodus There are two plausible dates for the Exodus. 1. Early date: 1445 Biblical evidence: 1 Kings 6: 1; Judges 11: 26 External evidence: The Amarna Tablets 2. Late date: 1250 Biblical evidence: Exodus 1: 11 External evidence: The region of Edom/Moab
3. External Witnesses Apostolic Fathers: These were Christian writers who lived after the generation of the apostles. They knew the apostles, and their writings date from the 1 st-2 nd century AD. 1. The list typically includes five people. The best known are three bishops: Clement of Rome (d. 99), Ignatius of Antioch (d. 110), Polycarp of Smyrna (d. 115). The two other are Barnabas (70 -132) and the Shepherd of Hermas (150 -200) 2. There also those who remain anonymous: the authors of the Didache, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, and the letter to Diognetus.
External Witnesses Paul enjoyed authority, his letters are cited and alluded to with frequency. The words of Jesus are likewise cited and alluded to in order to assist the church and to decide practical and moral issues. His words are normative, and in some cases his words are cited as Scripture. The Gospel of Matthew is deployed more so than either Mark or Luke. The Gospel of John seems to have made little impact on the greater church.
4. Linguistics 1. Ancient uses of words are examined. 2. Loan words from Egypt, Persia, and Greece.
5. Themes 1. The figure of Wisdom. 2. Judgment after death. 3. The person seen as sacred space (Psalm 114; Song of Songs; Judith).
6. Types of Writing 1. Apocalyptic writing (Isaiah and Ezekiel) 2. Messianic predictions
Example – Psalm 1 Manuscript tradition 1. Dead Sea. Psalm 1 is quoted in one text 4 QFlor 2. Some late Hebrew manuscripts have Psalms 1 and 2 combined (Kennicott mss. nos. 1? , 37, 213, 409, and 505; the de Rossi mss. nos. 17, 37, 216, 505, 554, 596, and 782 and ms. no. 4 in the Wiener Nationalbibliothek). 3. Acts 13: 33. A few codices read “the first psalm. ” (D 06 from the 6 th cent; one Latin from the 5 th cent, and one from 13 th cent; another has a marginal reading. 4. Difference between Greek and Hebrew Events Depicts a judgment scene, perhaps after death. Linguistics Nothing unusual Type of Writing Wisdom literature (the two ways) Themes in the Writing (1 -41; 42 -72; 73 -89; 90 -106; 107 -150). Psalms 2 and 72 are royal psalms and may have served as bookends to the first two books. Perhaps then Psalm 1 was a later addition meant to serve as an introduction to the Book of Psalms.
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