How We Got the Bible #2

The Codex

Codex is the term for the Roman writing tablet.

Eventually used to describe a book with “leaves” or pages.

development due to the unwieldy nature of scrolls. [image of scroll]

How We Got the Bible The Codex

In the making of a codex, the sheets were placed together, folded in the middle and stitched, then opened in separate pages. The result was a book that could be easily read, easily referred to, and easily carried about.

Early Form of the Bible

Compiled in stages.

1st stage: Oral communication - God speaking directly to humanity: Adam, Noah, Abraham.

Eventually, God’s words and will needed to be communicated more permanently through a written record.

Moses cited as author of some of the earliest writing in Hebrew Bible:

Joshua 8:31 NLT

31 He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction: “Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.” Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

Mark 12:26 NLT

26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

John 7:19 NLT

19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.”

Other Godly men continued to write down both history and prophecy.

1 Samuel 10:25 NLT

25 Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.

Jeremiah 36:2 NLT

2 “Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time.

These writings were held to be Scripture by the Jewish people and accepted into a collection.

By 400 B.C. the Hebrew scriptures were compiled.

NT books were compiled in a relatively short time frame. Probably A.D. 50-100.

Primarily letters written by apostles or their followers.

Expected to be read in public assemblies:

1 Thessalonians 5:27 NLT

27 I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.

Colossians 4:16 NLT

16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.

Following the letters (epistles) which were primarily circumstantial, was a need to write down the central events of Jesus’ life.

Before this, Jesus’ story was passed along orally by eyewitnesses. As these trusted sources died, the church needed authoritative written narratives.

Luke 1:1–4 NLT

1 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.

This also included a history of the beginnings of the church: the Book of Acts.

Lastly, and probably last written, was an apocalyptic letter know to us as Revelation.

The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Book 1

For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another [as the Greeks have], but only twenty-two books,g which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine;

Early Form of the Bible

Codex is the term for the Roman writing tablet.

Eventually used to describe a book with “leaves” or pages.

The Form of Our Bible

development due to the unwieldy nature of scrolls. [image of scroll]

How We Got the Bible The Codex

In the making of a codex, the sheets were placed together, folded in the middle and stitched, then opened in separate pages. The result was a book that could be easily read, easily referred to, and easily carried about.

2 major sections:

Old Testament

Early Form of the Bible

New Testament

Testament = covenant.

Basic idea is that God has made two significant covenants with his people and that the New Covenant has replaced the Old.

Details on the contents next week.

How Was the Bible (Literally) Put Together?

The work of scribes, or writers.

Professionals in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome who were responsible for writing and copying most documents.

Scribes worked by sitting on a bench with the codex laid across his knees. [scribe1 and scribe2, Egyptian scribe images]

He wrote with a reed pen, using carbon black ink (soot with water and gum).

He would have had a sponge, a penknife, stylus, and a ruler for lining his parchment.

The actual copying would have been in columns, the size of the parchment determined the number of columns.

To “mass produce” books, a room of scribes called a “scriptorium” would have a book recited to them and they all copied by dictation. [image of scriptorium].