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The Development of the Old Testament Canon, Part 1

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Title: The Development of the Old Testament Canon, Part 1


1
The Development of the Old Testament Canon, Part 1
  • Objectives
  • 1 To illustrate the process by which the Old
    Testament became a uniform body of literature
  • To stimulate deeper and more discriminating study
    of the Bible
  • To affirm faith in God and His word

2
First Form of the Biblical Material
  • Oral Form
  • The contents of most of the books of the OT
    existed in an oral form before they were
    eventually written down, sometimes hundreds of
    years later.

3
Evidence of Oral Existence
  • The pattern the Word of the Lord
  • Most of the time this pattern had to do
    with oral communication, not with written
    communication
  • Mic 11 Zeph 1Hag 11 Zech 11,7 The word of
    the Lord came to Micah, etc.
  • Jer 42 Hear the word of the Lord O house of
    Israel

4
Evidence of Oral Existence
  • Psa 1382-4 You have magnified your word when
    they heard the words of your mouth
  • Deut 55, 22 I declare to you the words of the
    Lord
  • The preaching of Jesus, Luke 51 811 1128
  • The word preached by the Apostles, Acts 429 62
  • Paul, the Gospel he preached, 1Cor 1436 2Cor
    217

5
Importance of Oral Communication in Antiquity
  • Platos Seventh Letter
  • Every serious man in dealing with really serious
    subjects carefully avoids writing, least thereby
    he may possibly cast them as prey to the envy and
    stupidity of the public. As quoted in William
    Schniedewind, How the Bible Became a Book, 14
  • Written words seem to talk to you as though they
    were intelligent, but if you ask them anything
    about what they say, from a desire to be
    instructed, they go on telling you just the same
    thing forever, Schniedewind, 14

6
Papius
  • If anyone came who had been a follower of the
    presbyters, I inquired into the words of the
    presbyters, what Andrew or Peter or Phillip or
    Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other
    of the Lords disciples had said, and what
    Aristion and the presbyter John, the Lords
    disciples, were saying. For I did not think that
    information from books would help me so much as
    the utterances of a living and surviving voice
  • Eusebius, The History of the Church, 339.

7
Importance of Oral Communication in Antiquity
  • 2 John12 Though I have many things to write to
    you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink
    but I hope to come to you and speak face to face,
    so that your joy may be made full. See also, 3
    John 13,14
  • Note The Rabbis of the first century AD
    emphasized that the oral tradition i.e., oral
    Torah was the final authority above the written
    Torah, Schniedewind, 15.

8
The Sources of the OT JEDP
  • J Yahwistic
  • E Eloistic
  • D Deuteronomistic
  • P Priestly

9
Sources
  • YHWH (J) Used the name YHWH for God,
    e.g., source of Gen 2 mostly Gen, Exo,
    Num
  • (Date 10th Cen BC)
  • Eloist (E) Employed name Elohim for God., e.g.,
    Gen 11-24b (9th Cen BC)
  • Deteronomistic (D) Source, concerned with
    laws, e.g., the book of Deuteronomy
  • Priestly (P) Writings concerned with the
    priesthood, e.g.,
    Leviticus Gen 24b

10
Evidence of Oral Existence in Multiple Sources
  • Different accounts of the same events
  • Exo 337 - Tabernacle outside the camp
  • Num 217 - Tabernacle in middle of the
    camp
  • Exo 191- Commandments given at Sinai
  • Deut 16 - Commandments given at Horeb

11
Evidence of Oral Existence Multiple Sources
  • Exo 19 3,20 242 Moses alone enters the
    mountain to receive Ten Commandments
  • Exo 241, 9- Moses, Nadab, Abihu, plus 70 elders
    enter mountain to receive Ten
    Commandments
  • Exo 2411 They (including Moses) saw God,
  • eat and drink
  • Exo 3428 Moses did not eat or drink

12
Multiple Sources
  • Exo 2412 God wrote the Ten Commandments
  • Exo 2443428 Moses wrote Ten Commandments
  • Note the emphasis on oral communication where the
    Ten Commandments and other laws are concerned,
    e.g., in Exo 20 the Ten Commandments are not
    written but spoken see also 311213
  • In Deuteronomy 11 the laws are again spoken to
    the people by Moses

13
Thought Question
  • If Moses was the original author of the
    Pentateuch, how is it that he is saying so many
    opposites about his own experience, and
  • why is he always writing in the third person
    throughout the Pentateuch and
  • did he record his death in Deuteronomy 34 ?

14
Multiple Sources
  • Languages
  • Gen 10 5,20,31 Many
    nations and many languages
  • Gen 116 The
    whole earth, one language
  • Building of the Ark
  • Deut. 101-5 Ark built before Moses
    ascended
  • Mt. Sinai
  • Exo. 4020/Deut 371 Ark build
    after Moses
    descended from the mountain
  • Different Order of Places
  • Deut 106-7
  • Num 3330,39

15
Multiple Sources
  • Deut 106 Aaron died at
    Moserah
  • Num 221-29 33, 38 Aaron died at Mt. Hor
  • Note If he died at Moserah he could not have
    arrived at Kadesh to which the Israelites
    journeyed after leaving Moserah. In addition,
    he played a prominent role in the events of
    Kadesh then from there to Mt. Hor.
  • See also, Num 2022-29 Deut 3250

16
Evidence of Multiple Sources other Places in the
OT
  • 2 Sam 241-The Lord caused David to number
    Israel
  • 1Chro 211-The Devil caused David to number
    Israel
  • Note the many differences in both stories

17
Some Evidences of Editorial work
  • Two books of Jeremiah
  • Two books of Isaiah
  • The Isaiah and Kings sources
  • The stories of the Chronicles, Kings and Samuel
  • As it is written in the books of Gad and Asher

18
Editorial Activity in Jeremiah
  • There are actually two books of Jeremiah
  • Book 1 Jer 2513 - completed before 3rd
    Babylonian deportation, 582 BC
  • This is shorter version, now lost
  • Basis for LXX
  • Book 2 Longer version edited during Babylonian
    captivity
  • Is 1/6 longer than version 1, i.e., the LXX
    version
  • Basis for the Masoretic text, found in English
    Bible

19
Editorial Activity in Jeremiah
  • Verses present in the Masoretic Hebrew text but
    missing in the Greek LXX include
  • Jer 21 71 811-12 106-8 117 171-4
    2513b-14 271,7,13, 17, 21 296,16-20
    3010-11,22 3314-26 394-13 (// Jer 524-16)
    461 496

20
Differences in the Hebrew MT and the Greek LXX of
Jeremiah
  • Hebrew (MT)
  • 1-2513a
  • 2513b-38
  • 26-45
  • 47
  • 48
  • 491-6
  • 497-22
  • 4923-27
  • 4928-33
  • 4934-39
  • 50-51Babylon
  • 52
  • Greek (LXX)
  • 1-2513a
  • 3213b-38
  • 26
  • 29
  • 31
  • 3017-21/22
  • 301-16
  • 3029-33
  • 3023-28
  • 2514-20
  • 27-28
  • 52

21
Edit
  • Note edited version of Jeremiah intended to show
    that Johoiachin not Zedekiah legitimate ruler of
    Judah and that the fate of Judah was a result of
    the sins of Manesseh and the false prophets.

22
Two Books of Isaiah
  • Book 1 Chap 1- 39
  • Book 2 Isa 4066
  • Note the difference in tone and message of both
    sections

23
Evidences of Editorial Activities Schniedewind,
186
  • 2 Sam 5-24 reorganized in 1Chron 11-21
  • Note negative aspects of Davids life
    (Bathsheba/Uriah incident) edited out, so as to
    present him worthy to build temple etc.
  • Chronicles borrows heavily from Samuel and Kings

24
Approximate Date of OT Writings
  • Most of the OT was written between the 8th - 6th
    Cen. BC, Schniedwind, 17
  • Ezra is credited for being the scribe who pulled
    all the different books into one collection 5th
    4th Cen. BC
  • Prior to that, it existed in oral/written form as
    the previous evidences show
  • Note writing was not popular among the Jews
    until the 8th Cen. BC

25
The Septuagint - 285-247 BC
  • Jews of post-Babylonian captivity forgot Hebrew
    language
  • Greek became the international language
  • Jews in Alexandria translated Hebrew OT into
    Greek

26
The Septuagint
  • Nature An interpretive text, does not always
    agree with the extant Hebrews texts
  • Origin From mss earlier than the Masoritics mss
  • Usage 80 of time by NT writers
  • Contents The Apocryphal books, e.g.,
  • 1-3 Macabbees, Judith,Tobit, Bel and the
    Dragon, Ecclesiasticus

27
Arrangement of Books in the Septuagint
  • Law
  • Genesis
  • Exodus
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers
  • Deuteronomy
  • History
  • Joshua
  • Judges
  • Ruth
  • 1 Reign 1 Samuel
  • 2 Reigns 2 Samuel
  • 3 Reigns 1 Kings
  • 4 Reigns 2 Kings
  • 1 Chronicles
  • 2 Chronicles
  • 1 Edras
  • 2 Edras Ezra-Nehemiah
  • Esther
  • Judith
  • Tobit
  • 1Maccabees
  • 2 Maccabees
  • 3 Maccabees
  • 4 Maccabees

28
Arrangement of Books in the Septuagint
  • Poetry
  • Psalms
  • Proverbs
  • Odes
  • Ecclesiastes
  • Song of Songs
  • Job
  • Wisdom
  • Ecclesiasticus
  • Psalms of Solomon
  • Prophecy
  • The Twelve
  • Hosea
  • Amos
  • Micah
  • Joel
  • Obadiah
  • Jonah
  • Nahum
  • Habakkuk
  • Zephaniah
  • Haggai
  • Zephaniah
  • Haggai
  • Zachariah
  • Malachi
  • Isaiah
  • Jeremiah
  • Baruch
  • Lamentations
  • Epistle of Jeremy

29
Arrangement of Books in the Septuagint
  • Ezekiel
  • Susanna
  • Daniel
  • Bel and the Dragon
  • x

30
Relation of the LXX to the Masoretic Hebrew Text
  • BC 285/247 Jesus/NT
    200AD
  • Heb (Lost) LXX
    Masoretic (Heb)
  • Greek OT
    Heb OT -English

31
Multiple Sources Difference Between the LXX and
the Masoretic Text
  • 1Sam 17-18 Story of David and Goliath- two
    versions from different sources
  • a). Not included in the LXX or addition to
    Masoretic
  • 1712-31, 41, 50, 55-58
  • 181-6 9-11 1719 30-191
  • b) addition to 1Sam 1743- And the Philistine
    said to David, am I a dog that thou comest
    against me with a staff and stones? And David
    answered, Nay but worse than a Dog

32
The Bibles of Jesus day
  • There was no fixed canon in the time of Jesus,
    there were
  • The canon of the Pharisees
  • The canon of the Sadducees
  • The Canon of the Essenes
  • The Canon of the Samaritans

33
Canon of the Pharisees
  • Written Torah (OT) Oral Tradition
  • Written Torah The Law, the Prophets and the
    Psalms, essentially the LXX
  • Moses received the Law from Sinai and committed
    it to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the
    elders to the Prophets and the Prophets
    committed it to the men of the Great Synagogue.
    Mishnah, Aboth 11

34
Canon of the Pharisees
  • Oral Tradition Two dimensions
  • a) halakah rules
  • b) haggadah lore, stories,
    theology

35
Canon of the Sadducees
  • Only the five books of Moses
  • Evidence Matt 2223-33 Mk 1218-27
    note Jesus response from Exo 36 instead of
    from prophetic books where the resurrection is
    more clearly mentioned (see also, Acts 236-10)

36
Canon of the Sadducees
  • The Sadducees teach that the soul dies along with
    the body and they observe no tradition apart from
    the written laws. Whenever they assume office
    however they submit to the formula of the
    Pharisees, because the masses would not tolerate
    them otherwise. Ant 18.16.

37
Canon of the Essenes
  • 1. All Old Testament (except the book of Esther)
    with Apocryphal books
  • 2. The Manual of discipline

38
The Canon of the Essenes
  • Essenes would alter the text of scripture e.g.,
    add the refrain praise be the Lord and praise be
    his name forever and ever after each verse of
    Psa 145. Also changed the script spelling and
    grammar and content of Isaiah. Therefore
    different attitude from later rabbinic Judaism
    that copied every word faithfully. McDonald,
    Formation, 73

39
Canon of the Samaritans
  • The Samaritan Pentateuch Only Moses was inspired
  • Differs From Hebrew Scriptures
  • 1.Mt. Gerizim, not Jerusalem is the
    chosen place of worship
  • 2. Had different numbering for the Ten
    Commandments
  • 3. Tenth Commandment a passage based on
  • Deut 272-8 1130
  • 4. Inserted singular verb with the plural
    Elohim,
  • Gen 2013 3153 357
  • Note More strict than the Jews in applying the
    letter of the Torah, had no
    commentary on the Torah.

40
x
  • End - Part 1

41
The Use of the Apocrypha in the NT
  • Ascension of Isaiah1134
  • Romans 119-23
  • Jude 4
  • Jude 6
  • Jude 14 2Peter
    Heb 13
  • James 45
  • 1Cor 29
  • Wisdom of Sol 13-15
  • 1Enoch 4810,
  • 1Enoch 106
  • 1Enoch 19
  • 1Enoch 24 36
  • Wisdom 725-26
  • Unknown source

42
NT Use of the OT
  • Judges, Ruth Esther not mentioned by NT writers
  • Jesus does not quote from Judges, Ruth and Esther
    (p. 98)
  • Luke 2444 - Only clear reference to the third
    division of the OT in NT.
  • Therefore OT canon in time of Jesus appears to be
    the Law, Prophets and an undefined section, the
    Psalm

43
Josephus 22 book Canon
  • Against Apion 137-43
  • Our books those which are justly accredited,
    are but two and twenty and contain the
    records of all time.
  • 4 Ezra1422-48- written 100ce Mentioned 24
    books in the Hebrew scriptures -does not say
    which 24

44
Criteria for Canon Among 2nd Century Jews
  • 1. Prophecy ceased by time of Artaxerxes, 465-
    424BC,Therefore books written thereafter suspect
  • 2. A book originally written in Hebrew
  • 3. A book used by Christians suspect, e.g. the
    Apocrypha
  • 4. Conformity to the Torah
  • 5. Practical value among Jews

45
Criteria for Canon Among 2nd Century Jews
  • 6. Reject the LXX because Christians used it
  • Replaced with Aquilas translations from the
    Hebrew

46
Criteria for Canon Among 2nd Century Jews
  • Note Early Judaism of Jesus day had a wider
    canon than later Judaism of second century
    onwards. By second century OT canon decided
    among Jews, at the same time the quest for OT
    Canon began among Christians. Gowan, Bridges,
    p.127

47
OT Canon Among Christians 2nd Onwards
  • Whereas for the Jews the OT canon was fixed by
    the end of the 2nd Century for the Christians the
    same period marked the process that began the
    fixing of the OT canon

48
Disputed Books Among Christians/Jews From 3rd
6th Cen
  • Ester Never mentioned the name
    God
  • Song of Songs There seems not be nothing
    about God therein, other
    than what is derived from
    interpretation
  • Ezekiel It appears to be in conflict
    with the Torah
  • Ecclesiastices Its authorship by Jeremiah was
    in doubt

49
Canon Lists of the of the Early Church
  • When the early church began to compile lists of
    OT books none of the various lists were identical
  • e.g.,
  • 1. Cyril of Jerusalem (350AD) 22 canon
  • 2. Jerome (342-420AD) 24 book canon
  • 3. Augustine (354-430AD) 44 book canon,
    (includes Wisdom, Sirach,Tobias,Judith,

    1-2 Maccabees, Baruch,Jeremiah etc).

50
Canon Lists of the of the Early Church
  • Note Melito bishop of Sardis was the first to
    offer a list of books that make up the OT canon
    of scriptures, his list contains 22 books
    including Wisdom of Solomon but exclude Ester

51
Melito (180AD)
  • Genesis
  • Exodus
  • Numbers
  • Leveticus
  • Josh
  • Judges
  • Ruth
  • 1-4 kingdoms
  • 1-2 Chron
  • Psalms
  • Proverbs
  • Ecclesiastes
  • Song of Song
  • Job
  • Isaiah
  • Jeremiah
  • The Twelve
  • Daniel
  • Ezekiel
  • Ezra

52
Origen (185-256AD)
  • Gen
  • Exo
  • Lev
  • Num
  • Deut
  • Josh
  • Judg
  • Ruth
  • 1-2 Kings
  • 3-4 Kings
  • 1-2 Chron
  • 1-2 Esd
  • Psa
  • Prov
  • Eccl
  • Song of Sol
  • Isa
  • Jer
  • Lam
  • Epistle of Jeremiah
  • Dan
  • Ezk
  • Job
  • Esth

53
Origen
  • A Christian diet should include OT apocrypha,
    Ester, Judith Tobit, Wisdom the Psalms and the
    Gospels

54
Council of Hippo
  • Gen
  • Exo
  • Lev
  • Num
  • Deut
  • Josh
  • Judg
  • Ruth
  • 1-4 Kings
  • 1-2 Chron
  • Job
  • Ps
  • 1-5 Sol
  • Twelve
  • Isa
  • Jer
  • Ezk
  • Dan
  • Tobith
  • Judith
  • Ester
  • 1-2 Esd
  • 1-2 Macc

55
Codex Vaticanus (B) 350AD29 Books
  • Gen
  • Exo
  • Lev
  • Num
  • Deut
  • Josh
  • Judg
  • Ruth
  • 1-4 Kings
  • 1-2 Chron
  • 1-2 Esd
  • Ps
  • Prov
  • Eccl
  • Song of Songs
  • Job
  • Wisdom
  • Sir
  • Ester
  • Judith
  • Tobith
  • Twelve
  • Isa
  • Jer
  • Bar
  • Lam
  • Epistle of Jeremiah
  • Ezek
  • Dan

56
Canon of the Reformation and Beyond
  • The Protestant Canon is derived from Luthers
    choice of books. He rejected the books that
    supported the Catholic doctrines which he
    rejected e.g. (2Macc 1245f prayer for the dead)
  • Note he also rejected James and Revelation, and
    Ester

57
Canon of the Reformation and Beyond
  • I hate Ester and 2 Maccabees so much that I wish
    they did not exist, they contain too much Judaism
    and no little heathen vice. Bruce,Canon,101
  • Separated the Apocrypha from the OT, place in
    appendix of his Bible

58
Protestant Canon
  • The contracted conservative Jewish canon of the
    2nd century eventually became the Protestant
    canon, not the more elaborate canon of Jesus
    day. Gowan, Bridges,128
  • This is confirmed by the more than 150
    references or allusion to the Apocrypha and
    pseudepigraphal literature in the New Testament.
    Gowan,128

59
Counter Reformation
  • The Counsel of Trent April 8,1546
  • Affirmed Jeromes Latin Volgate as official Bible
    of the Catholic Church, but
  • The Protocanonical and Deuterocanonical books
    should not be distinguished.

60
Lessons
  • In light of the fact that the scriptures of
    Jesus day contains the Apocrypha, what are we to
    understand by Pauls statement in 2 Tim 316,
    all scripture is inspired by God.
  • The scripture is a combination of the human and
    the divine
  • We need to constantly be hearing the voice of God
  • Note Rabbinic tradition contends that those who
    labor in the study of Torah can produce learning
    that was not revealed to Moses at Sinai.
    Revelation for the Rabbis continues to produce
    new echoes after Moses time Benjamin D.Sommer,
    Revelation at Sinai in the Hebrew Bible and in
    Jewish Theology, 447

61
x
  • If scripture contains tradition, or
    interpretation of past events or of Gods spoken
    word, How should we approach different traditions
    today, eg Adventist tradition, Catholic
    tradition, Baptist tradition etc. What is the
    value of tradition today

62
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63
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65
  • The END

66
  • NOTES

67
The Essenes 200/150 BC-70AD
  • Scrolls from about 600 works, came from 11 caves
  • Some worksSirach
  • John Baptist an Essene Preach Isa 403 popular
    among the Essenes, message of repentance and
    purity Mk 14-5

68
  • Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom of Sirach, Ester,
    Judith, Tobit, the Didache and Hermas are good
    for instructions (quoted in Schniedewind,111)

69
  • The list of 22 varies in different sources
  • Council of Laodicea 360-364 adds Baruch and
    Epistle of Jeremiah to the list that Melito of
    Sardis found at Jerusalem 170-180 AD see Eusebius
    H.E. 426 p63

70
  • Origin indicates 22 books includes Epistle of
    Jeremiah, p63
  • Cyril of Jerusalem (350AD) indicates 22 adds
    Epistle of Jeremiah
  • Gregory of Nazianzus 570 ad 22 bks separates
    Ruth from Judges and omits Ester p63/64

71
Criteria
  • The final canon was determined not by a council,
    but by widespread use in the community of faith,
    p64 McDonald Councils confirmed what was wide
    spread practice.
  • Criteria

72
  • Origin in Against Celcus 1.49 Jerome commentary
    on Matt 22.23ff agreed that the Sadducees
    accepted only the law of Moses as scripture (p
    69)

73
Canon of the Pharisees
  • Gen
  • Exo
  • Lev
  • Num
  • Deut
  • Josh
  • Judges
  • Ruth
  • 1-2Kings
  • 3-4kings
  • 1-2Chron
  • 1-2Esd
  • Ps
  • Prov
  • Eccl
  • Song Sol
  • Job
  • Twelve
  • Isa
  • Jeremiah
  • Baruach
  • Lam
  • Epistle of Jeremiah
  • Ezekiel
  • Dan

74
  • Two books of Jeremiah
  • Two books of Isaiah
  • The Isaiah and kings sources
  • The stories of the Chronicles and Kings and
    Samuel
  • Three different version of the ten commandments
  • As it is written in the books of the Gad, Asher
  • The voice of Moses in the third person
  • The death of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy
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