kata ta biblia

a blog exploring Christian origins, biblical studies, social/cultural history, method, education and the journey through academia

Wait . . . what happened in the first century?

In a recent book review, I read:

Christians in the first century determined to add a second set of texts to the Hebrew Bible and in the fourth century determined to translate the composite text (in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) into one coherent and narrative Latin text.

I don’t know if this information comes from the author of the book or the author of the review, but we have a problem here. Even using the word “Christians” is suspect, but I’ll let that issue slide for now. But “in the first century” they did what? Did all the Christians sit down together during the first century and decide, “Hey, we should add stuff to the Bible”?

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5 Comments by Patrick George McCullough  /  September 19, 2009  /  Posted in: new testament, quotes
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  • http://www.randomcolin.blogspot.com Colin Toffelmire

    And a second “set” hey? Cause those deutero-canonical books were just sitting there in a book and someone thought, hey, let’s add that thing to our Bible! Let’s play a game, how many errors can you find in that one little quote?

  • http://transformingseminarian.blogspot.com Mark Baker-Wright

    Wow….

  • http://patmccullough.com/ Patrick George McCullough

    Right on, Colin. What about the Septuagint?? What would we even call the “Hebrew Bible” in the first century? And are the “Christians” using whatever that “Hebrew Bible” is or are they using the Greek texts?

  • http://clayboy.co.uk Doug Chaplin

    I think you should name and shame the person responsible for such silliness

  • http://patmccullough.com/ Patrick George McCullough

    I’m tempted. But I’m going to try to hold up to my “blogging etiquette” on the right sidebar :)