Resource - Read the Bible in a Year- Origins and Development of the Bible

 2024 Read the Bible in a Year

Source:

Clyde Fant, Donald Musser, Mitchell Reddish

Introduction to the Bible, Abington © 2001

ISBN 978-068708456-2

Note: There is a newer edition of this book available.

Origins and Development of the Bible

Formation of Hebrew Bible: Introduction, pp.55-62

Transmission of the Great Works of God as witnessed by the People of God:

1. Oral & Storytelling Stage

2. The Writing Stage

3. Establishing the Canon

Oral Stage:

Form: 

• Sagas and Songs about ancestral heroes, tribal leaders, military victories

• Prayers and confessions to express feeling toward God

• Proverbs and legal sayings to transmit social and religious values

• Over centuries, traditions developed, Hebrew culture established, storytellers refine the stories.

• Most not all passed down through the telling of the story, retelling of story

• Genesis 12 – 51 – Sagas told and retold then written down

• Sayings in Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Song of Deborah (Judges 5)

Written Stage:

• Few books in Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) are product of single author.

• Lots of oral and written tradition has gone into what we see today

The 3 Parts:

Torah (Law)(Pentateuch): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

• Documentary Hypothesis : How did this come together?

• J = Yahwist - ?1000-?900 BCE/BC

• E= Elohist - ? 900-800 

• D= Deuteronomy - ? 600

• P = Priest - ? 500 – 400

• All came together around 400’s

Nevi’im (Prophets)

Form: 2 parts

• Former Prophets

• Books of Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings

• Elijah and Elisha

• ? 600 = first edition  ? 500 = Deuteronomic History

• Latter Prophets

• Several authors and editors – Introduction p 58

Pre Exile (750 – 587 BCE)	Exile (587-538)	Post Exile (538- 400)
Amos	Isaiah additions	Haggai
Hosea	Jeremiah	Zechariah
Isaiah 1 –39	Ezekiel	Joel
Micah		Obadiah
Zephaniah		Jonah
Nahum		Micah
Habbakkuk

• Note the chart in Fant p 59 ? 700 – 400

Ketuvim (Writings)

• 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra Nehemiah, Ruth, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel

• 500s – 100s

• A lot written before the Exile most came together in the form we know post Exile

Canon

Torah: 400 BCE/BC held to be authoritative in all Jewish communities

Prophets: Former for sure, Latter later; with Torah authoritative by 200s BCE

Writings: Undefined for centuries; toward end of  1st century AD seemed to be authoritative. 90 AD – Meeting in Jamnia, How can faith survive without the Temple? Although did not have official authority – assembly of scholars – created a list – not fully excepted until end of 300s AD. Criteria for selection?: conformity, inspiration, Hebrew Language, wide spread use. No clear for sure.

Formation of the Christian Bible, Introduction, pp 62 – 73

Beginnings

• Early Christians accepted Hebrew Scriptures as authoritative. When Christianity separated from Judaism, the Jewish canon was NOT closed.

• Septuagint was Greek translation = Hebrew bible + Apocrypha

• Protestant Reformation in 16th century were rejected by reformers

• RCC declared works equally authoritative with other OT writings

• Early Christians began to recognize their writings as Scripture

• Known as New Testament

Oral Stage

• Oral materials that formed Gospels circulated orally for decades.

• Because of “end time expectancy” no need to write it down.

• Belief that oral was more reliable than written

Writing Stage

Circumstances that led to writing down:

• Need to preserve a record of the eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life

• End time did not come soon enough

• As church spread, knowledgeable church leaders consulted to solve disputes and this was written

• Number of converts increased, documents written for formation of the faith.

Note figure 3.4

Other books at end of 1st century through the end of second.

1 & 2 Clement, Epistle of Barnabas, Didache, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Gospel of Peter, the Apocalypse of Peter, the Gospel of Thomas, & the Acts of Peter.

Canon

• Letters of Paul gathered and considered authoritative

• Mid – 2nd Century Luke-Acts separated and 4 Gospels were collected

• Next accepted Acts, 1 John, 1 Peter

• Book of Revelation ??

• Hebrews accepted in the East and rejected in West

• Marcion canon believed 12 disciples had corrupted the teachings of Jesus. His was rejected.

• 367 AD, Bishop Athanasius accept 27 books in NT

• 393 AD, Council of Hippo accepted

• 397 AD, Council of Carthage accepted

• Not formal acceptance but the Christian canon was determined by gradual use and acceptance of religious community.

• Criteria for acceptance

• Part of the tradition of the apostles

• Orthodoxy

• Antiquity, written during the apostolic age

• Inspiration

• Widespread use in the Church

Outline originally used for
Grace Episcopal Church, Scripture 202 – September 28, 2011 – Session 4

Recast January 5, 2024 for 2024 Read the Bible in a Year via The Bible in Time