The Bible. a Human Text

8/13/2019 The Bible. a Human Text

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The Bible: A Human TextWritten and translated by: Jos Alonso Hernndez2013

The word Bible, is a term that comes from the Greek: "ta bibla", that means 'the

books', but actually is knowing like a group of canonical books, for the Judaism

(Tanaj/Old Testament) and Christianity (New Testament). Originally, the

Scriptures, are texts written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek during a period of

1,000 years, since the 900 B.C. until the year 100 A.D.

The problem about the Bible, for secular critical, it isn't its antiquity, but yes the

premeditation of the Book, meanwhile some people see it like a simple book

written by human beings, for the Christianity it constitutes the unequivocal and

inspired word of God, for that, the debate is centered in determining if the Bible is

a Divine Text or a Human Text. To determine this, a travel to the past is necessary

and to know firstly as the Canon, Old and New Testament, was formed.

Old Testament

The old part of the Bible, narrates the humanity's history and the formation of the

Israeli town, written in Hebrew, with small portions in aramaic. The word Canon,

refers to a rule or measure, for so many people is considered books "divinely

inspired"; which consists of 39 books, although the Catholic Church includes more

books, considered Deuterocanonical books: Tobit, Judith, Additions to Esther ,

Wisdom, Sirach or Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, including the Letter of Jeremiah

Additions to Daniel, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees.

The Old Hebrew Testament is conformed by three parts: The Torah, or law,

consistent in the first five books: Genesis, Exodus, Levticus, Numbers and

Deuteronomy; continued by the Prophets, which are divided in Former Prophets:

"Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings I and II, Kings III and IV", and Latter

Prophets:"Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the twelve minors prophets, to those that

Hebrews count as a single book". The last part, call the Writings, better


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acquaintances for Hagiographa (sacred writings): "Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of

Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, or

Ezra II". However to beginnings of the century I, a dispute arises on the canon, for

the Sadducees who sustained that only the Torah ('the Law') or Pentateuch ('five

books'), it was inspired, nevertheless after the destruction of the temple of

Jerusalem in the year 70 AD., the predominant Jewish group was the Pharisees,

considering the three parts as definitive.

The two more old complete canons, of which one has knowledge is the Palestinian

and the Alexandrine. The specialists locate the beginning of the Palestinian Canon

in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, by the middle of the century V b.C. in favor of

this point is the declaration of Flavious Josephus, in his book: "Against to Apion",

there describes that the texts of Palestinian's Hebrews was formed a closed and

this sacred collection dates from the days of Persian King's Artajerjes

Longiamanus (465-425 B.C.). Enumerating 22 books, to coincide with the number

of letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The fourth book of Ezra, written toward the end

of the century I AD, affirms that the number of the sacred books is of twenty-four.

The author of this book, gives us a description of a legendary way to how, Ezra,

scribe and priest, can to recast the sacred books destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. It

is commented that it was dictating four scribes, during forty days, ninety four

books. Of these, twenty-four should be read by the worthy ones and the unworthy

ones, and the other seventy it was necessary to give them to the well educated

men (4 Ezra 14,44). The number of twenty-four books corroborates the figure of 22

books that gives us Josephus, evidently and that it is gotten joining Rut with

Judges and the Lamentations with Jeremas. In consequence, the small difference

of twenty-four and of twenty-two it is only apparent.

Although some think that the Canon began to form in the time of King Josiah, after

the invasion of Assyria to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Josiah wanted to unite Judah

and Israel in a only one country and for that began a campaign on the creation of

the book that it would determine the legal and religious statutes, according to this


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relate, around the year 621 B.C., the high priest Helcas found in the temple of God

"The book of the Law", specialists consider that it was the Book of the

Deuteronomy, until that time there was not in Israel any text legal codex, neither

any other work that was recognized universally as coming from the supreme divine

authority: "And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah

and of Jerusalem and the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the

men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and

the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all

the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the

LORD.statutes" 2 Kings 23:1,2.

Regrettably Josiah failed in his objective, because he was murdered by the

Pharaoh Necho II and time later, in the 597 B.C., the Babylonians entered,

plundered later to Judah and eleven years after Nebuchadnezzar entered in

Jerusalem, destroying the temple and the inhabitants went exiles to Babylon,

including the King Zedekiah.

During the Council of Jamnia, in the first century after Christ, under the direction of

the Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, according to some specialists took place the

ratification of the Canon of the Old Testament, being this way the 39 books,

excluding the 7 Deuterocanonicals.

About the Alexandrine canon, it is believed it was given during the conquering

Alexander the Great, during the foundation of the library of Alexandria. This

requested to the King Ptolemy that will order a version in Greek of the Hebrew

texts, the high priest Eleazar consented to choose 6 priests for each tribe of Israel

to conform the 70 men that would travel to Alexandria to make the translation, to

this, actually, it's known like the version of the seventy or Septuagint.


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New testament

The New Testament Canon was officially in the year 397 AD, during the Synod of

Carthage, when Saint Jerome announces the beginning of his translation from the

Bible to Latin, called the Vulgate, in this edition the 27 books are included and wasfinished in the 405 AD, but the story of this began time ago, until the same

apostolic time by the middle of the century I.

For example, we have the foreword of Lucas's Gospel, which dates of around the

year 80 AD., he affirms that already for that date writings of Jesus' teachings

existed: "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration

of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered

them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the

word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things

from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou

mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Luke 1:1-4.

Another fact of interest is about the word "gospel" which appears only in the New

Testament in singular, but it was Justin Martyr, 150 AD., who used this term in

plural "Gospels", to designate the text and stories of Jesus' life. The chapter 14 of

the Second Epistle of Clement, more or less from the same date, speaks of the

teaching of the "Books of the apostles".

Besides the Gospels other Christian texts circulated in the primitive church; but the

Epistles of the Apostle Paul occupied the first place. Paul generally wrote for

specific problems in certain towns; however, at the same time it fomented the

distribution of his letters, like it's evident for example in colossians: " And when this

epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the

Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea". Colossians 4:16.

Another testimony of this is in the Second Letter of the Apostle Peter, around the

year 65 AD. that he affirms that the text of the Apostle Paul was already known:


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"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved

brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as

also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things

hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they

do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.". 2 Peter 3:15-16.

As for the first Canon, not official, of which has knowledge it was of the Marcion,

dated by the middle of the century II, he was anti-Semitic, for that reason

eliminated the whole Old Testament and some books of the apostolic era. His Bible

consisted in: "Lucas's Gospel, the texts of the Apostle Paul and a book called

Antithesis, in which presented his arguments to reject the Old Testament". His

collection of Paul's epistles, called Apostlikon, it consisted of ten letters of Paul:

Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, 1 and 2 Tessalonians, " Laodiceans"

(Ephesians), Colossians, Philippians and Philemon. The work of Marcion forced to

the church to be defined regarding the books that could be considered as part of

the Scriptures.

To beginnings of the century III AD. begin to appear evidence about the texts that

officially would conform the New Christian Testament, for example, the canon of

Muratori, named this way by his discoverer, L. A. Muratori, in the library of a

monastery of Milan in 1740 AD. These writings have been dated at the end of the

century II, and it presents a list of the books that they could be read openly in the

church and it also mentions several books that should not be read.

In the portion that it lacks in the beginning of the Muratorian fragment there was an

observation evidently about Matthew; followed by a note about Mark of which a line

has only been conserved. As Luke it is called the third Gospel and John the fourth,

without any doubt Matthew headed the list. Next it continues the Acts of the

Apostles, and after the epistles come in this order: 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians,

Philippians, Colossians, Galatians, 1 and 2 Tessalonians, Romans, Philemon,

Titus, 1 and 2 Timothy. It also includes Jude and 1 and 2 John. They have been


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omitted Hebrew, James, 1 and 2 Peter and 3 John. About the Revelations it's

declared in the Fragment that although John wrote to the seven churches, he

spoke to all.

Also was accepted the list of books for the New Testament from Saint Irenaeus,

half-filled of the century II, picked up through their multiple appointments: It

recognizes the four Gospels (Against Heresies iii. 11. 8). it also accepts 13 epistles

of Paul 1 Peter, 1 and 2 John, Acts and Revelations. Evidently Irenaeus

considered the Shepherd of Hermas like canonical because it introduces an

appointment of that work with the words: "The Scripture declared" (Id., iv. 20. 2).

Another father of the Church that confirmed many of the books of the New

Testament was Tertullian, final of the century II, with the following variants, he

didn't consider the Letter to Hebrews as canonical, because he thought that it had

been written by Barnabas (On the modesty/ sobre el recato cap. 20). Tertullian

accepted the Shepherd of Hermas during his first years, but it rejected it later.

Time later, when the Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire, year

313 AD, specialists consider that a differentiation already existed between

accepted books and rejected, based on a text of Eusebius of the year 325 AD

(ecclesiastical history iii. 25), it divided in three classes: accepted, disputed and

rejected. The accepted books consist of four gospels, Acts, Paul epistles (how

many and whether they include Hebrews are not specified), 1 John, 1 Peter and

Apocalypse of John (or Revelation). Disputed books include James, Jude, 2 Peter,

2 & 3 John and Gospel according to Hebrews; while books like Acts of Paul,

Apocalypse of Peter, Shepherd of Hermas, Epistle of Barnabas, Didache, but also

Revelation belong to rejected books. Note that Revelation was listed as both

accepted and rejected books. It shows the two different opinions of the canonicity

of Revelation, which was especially true between the eastern churches. An

important factor to institute the canon in the Greek church was the declaration of

Athanasius of Alexandria in his 39.a festival Letter (367 AD), affirming that the New


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Testament consisted of 27 books. Nevertheless some theologians of the East

rejected the Revelations until the century V; but finally it was accepted.

Divine Scripture or Human Scripture?

Once having the formation of the complete biblical canon, does the question arise

these books are of origin Divine or Human?, should it understand each other

several things to give a good answer, but for a simply answer the Scripture it was

written by humans, in any part of the Bible declare that the Scripture have been

written by the hand of God, to exception of the ten original commandments: "At that

time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and

come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood and I will write on

the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt

put them in the ark and I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of

stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine

hand and he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten

commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of

the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me".

Deuteronomy 10:1-4.

Nevertheless, the Bible is clearly inspired by God, for example: "All scripture is

given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,

for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly

furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The word inspiration means to the influence that God gave to the human authors

that wrote it; and that intervention is usually awarded to the Holy Spirit: "For the

prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as

they were moved by the Holy Ghost.". 2 Peter 1:21.

But, if the Bible was inspired for God, How to explain errors or contradictions inside

the book, if the same Scripture affirms that God is perfect?, even when the Holy


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inspiration have support, once again it should be been careful because this word is

not synonymous of "dictation", nevertheless for some specialists of the Bible, that

the Bible possesses errors or contradictions, isn't a fraud sign, but if the personal

vision of the scribe to the moment of the events, if it was present, or the conclusion

about an investigation. For example exist two versions of the victorious entrance of

Jesus in Jerusalem; Mark 11:7 and Luke 19:35, both say: "And they brought the

colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.". while

Matthew 21:7, affirms: " And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their

clothes, and they set him thereon". that menas for one side it is spoken of a single

animal, a young colt, and for the other one it is spoken of two, a young colt and an

ass, even when this is contradictory, first it is to know that none of the four gospels,

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, it was really written by them, therefore the scribe to

the moment to write the data, have been taken of the oral tradition, of other texts or

of present information, that is what wrote.

For example, if at the present time an accident is given in the highway that involves

two cars, and four witness from different angles, each who will say their version of

how it perceived the accident, and although there are small differences, none is

lying, it is the same thing, if the Bible contains errors or contradictions, the

specialists affirm that are just simply errors without importance that don't deviate

the general truth of the Scripture.

After all, the believers consider a miracle that a complete book written for

approximately 40 different authors in a period approximate of 1500 years, and only

it possesses tiny errors, after all historically it is known that the Hebrew copyists of

the Scriptures, denominated masoretics, between the centuries VI and X, they

used to count the letters to avoid errors and if they made one they began of zero.

But leaving the errors of perception, the critics argue historical errors, in fact many

passages of the Bible, don't coincide with the secular historical thought, for

example, evidences of Abraham, Joseph and Moses in Egypt, the patriarch's

existence, the conquest of Canaan and many others, it cannot refuse that it also


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possesses many successes, for example the existence fo the King Sargon II of

Assyria, confirmed in 1843, Jehoiachin, king of Judah, in Babylonian tablets, the

city of Nnive. The Cylinder of Ciro that Narrates the conquest of Babylon for Cyrus

the Great, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and others.

Another criticized aspect, but that at the same time it fascinates it is the prophetic

part, after everything to the Bible are awarded many fulfilled prophecies, as the

Messiah's (Jesus), the destruction of the temple and others, however, the prophecy

more interesting that even the sceptic are astonished is the destruction of the

Ptolemaic empire, there is part of that prophecy here, explained by Like The

Master Ministries www.neverthirsty.org

Daniel 11:5: Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his

princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be

a great dominion indeed. (NASB) predicted that the king of the south will grow

strong, along with one of his princes. The prince was Seleucus I. Together,

Ptolemy and Seleucus grew strong. Eventually, there was a battle in the Gaza

region and Antigonus the One-eyed was defeated. Consequently, Seleucus

captured Babylonia and then Media, Susiana, and eventually the Indus region.

Seleucus and Antigonus continued fighting until 308 B.C. Seleucus continued to

expand his empire until it included most of Asia Minor. His empire was very large

extending from Asia Minor on the west and into India in the east. Ptolemys

kingdom was significantly smaller in comparison. What did scripture predict would

happen between Ptolemy I Soter and Seleucus I Nicator? Daniel 11:5 says that

Seleucus would gain ascendancy over him and that is exactly what occurred.

Seleucus was more powerful and his empire was larger than that of Ptolemy I

Soter.

Daniel 11:6: "After some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the

king of the South will come to the king of the North to carry out a peaceful

arrangement. But she will not retain her position of power, nor will he remain with


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his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the

one who sired her as well as he who supported her in those times.

In 250 B.C. Antiochus II Theos and Ptolemy II Philadelphus agreed to a peace

treaty by an arranged marriage. Ptolemy II agreed that his teenage daughter

Bernice would marry Antiochus II. The treaty required Antiochus to divorce his wife

Laodice in order to marry Bernice. Within four years Ptolemy II died. Antiochus

then decides to divorce Bernice and remarry Laodice, who then poisoned

Antiochus, and murdered Bernice and those who came with her from Egypt. What

does verse 6 say would happen? The passage predicted that an alliance would

take place. A peaceful arrangement would be carried out when the daughter of the

king of the south went to the king of the north. But she would die later along with

those who came with her. The king would die and her father - sired her - would

die. This prophecy agrees with history very accurately.

Daniel 11:7-9: "But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he

will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he

will deal with them and display great strength. Also their gods with their metal

images and their precious vessels of silver and gold he will take into captivity to

Egypt, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some

years. Dan 11:7-8 (NAS95S)

History records that Bernices brother, Ptolemy III Eugeretes, became the new

pharaoh in Egypt. He was so angry that his teenage sister had been murdered that

he took military action against the Seleucid empire and murdered Laodice in

revenge. He captured Syria for Egypt and plundered the northern empire of a vast

amount of wealth and stole their gods. This was an insult to the Seleucid empire.

Verses 9-10. Time elapsed after the embarrassment of being defeated by Ptolemy

III Eugeretes. In response, Seleucus II Callinicus regained control of Syria and

attempted to enter Egypt later, but was unsuccessful dying in 227 B.C. This is the


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meaning of the latter will enter . . . but will return to his own land. History indicates

that the following prophecy was accurate.

Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his

own land. His sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one

of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, that he may again

wage war up to his very fortress. Dan 11:9 (NAS95S)

History records that Seleucus II Callinicus had two sons named Seleucus III

Ceraunus and Antiochus III The Great.. The first son, Seleucus III Ceraunus

became king for only four years and died in battle in Asia Minor.

He was succeeded by his brother Antiochus III The Great. The passage says that

one of them will keep coming and overflow and pass through. The one is

Antiochus. Antiochus gathered an army of 62,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 102

elephants. He brought his great force against Egypt.. Egyptian control had

extended up to the Seleucid empire including all of Palestine. History tells us that

Antiochus army moved through Palestine easily. He waged war up to his very

fortress refers to his campaign that was so successful that he recaptured the

fortress at Raphia in 219 B.C. Consequently, he pushed Egyptian control back to

the fortress at Raphia.

Verses 11-12. Ptolemy IIIs death occurred between verses 10 and 11. Verses 11

and 12 are focused on Antiochus III the Greats military campaign, and a new king.

Ptolemy IV Philopator became king over Egypt two years after Antiochus III the

Great. He was a man given to comfort and a life of ease. Yet, history records that

he sought to regain control of Raphia in a battle with Antiochus III at Raphia. But

his army was unsuccessful. Then he and his sister-wife, Arsinoe, gathered a large

army of 70,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 73 elephants and defeated Antiochus

at Raphia in 217 B.C. The actual Hebrew language, though awkward, gives us a

better sense of what was predicted. And shall become the furious the king of the


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south and will go out and fight with him, with the king of the north. And he shall

raise a host great. And shall be given the host into his hand. (Literal Hebrew) The

phrase his hand refers to Ptolemy. Now we understand that Ptolemy was

predicted to be successful against Antiochus. This agrees with history. Ptolemy

was happy with his great victory over Antiochus because he killed 10,000 infantry,

300 cavalry, and 5 elephants, and took 4,000 prisoners. He pushed Antiochus out

of Palestine and then made peace. He had the advantage and did not secure his

victory but decided to return home to comfort and his life of ease. History says that

Ptolemy pursued a life of pleasure. He did not prevail.

Verses 13-15. During 212-205 B.C. Antiochus III greatly expanded his empire into

the Caspian Sea and to the border of India. That is the reason he is called

Antiochus III The Great. But Antiochus had avoided Egypt until he heard that the

thirty-five year old Ptolemy IV Philopator and his wife had died and a four year boy,

Ptolemy V Epiphanes, was the new king.

Antiochus considered this to be wonderful news. After he made an agreement with

Philip V of Macedonia, together they brought their armies against Egypt. Some

Jews had attempted to help Antiochus defeat the Egyptians, but they were

defeated. After the battle at Panias, the Egyptian commander Scopas led his army

to Sidon. There Antiochus used siege works to capture the city. Notice the

comment about much equipment and siege mound. God not only predicted

these events, He predicted the method by which this fortress city would be

defeated.

Egypt was defeated. It was a crushing loss because the Egyptian commander

Scopas was the best general Egypt had, and the troops he led were Egypts elite.

What a sad picture of the human heart. We have seen men and women killing

each other. Now we see a man taking advantage of a child. When given the

opportunity, men and women often do just what they want.


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Another aspect that without a doubt competes against other sacred books its the

durability, so many people and cultures, even by the same religious, has been

under attacked to destroy it. Year 303 AD, the emperor Diocletians emitted a real

ordinance, in which declared that all Bible should be destroyed. Year 397 D.C.,

San Jernimo announces the beginning of his translation from the Bible to Latin,

call the Vulgata, concluded in the 405 AD, after that the Catholic Church decided

that common people could not understand the Bible, so only it could be read and

understood by priests, bishops and the Pope, so the language Latin was

officialized, prohibiting the Bible to people, during the Protestant reformation, this

heat vivified, when translations were made to the language common of people:

English, French, German, Spanish and others, which the same church burned

those Bible.

Half of the XVIII century, thinkers like the french Philosopher Voltaire, decided to

write against God, convinced that could destroy the whole Christian ideology in 50

years, Voltaire died in 1778 and twenty years after his death the Biblical Society

Geneve bought his old house and it used it to print Bibles. Later become in the

central headquarters of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Finally a historical truth is how through of the time many people have tried to

destroy to the Scripture, emperors and kings have killed believers because of their

faith, philosophers, thinkers and scientific have made fun of the Bible, but that book

is still alive, maybe Jesus was in truth after all: "Heaven and earth shall pass away,

but my words shall not pass away". Matthew 24:35.


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References:

Como recibimos nuestra Biblia. La Biblia bajo ataque. The Middletown Bible

Church. 349 East Street. Middletown, CT 06457. (860) 346-0907.

The Amazinf Prophecy. Copyright Like The Master Ministries. All RightsReserved. www.neverthirsty.org

Biblia. Wikipedia

Tanaj. Wikipedia

Hay errores en la Biblia? Por Norman L. Geisler

Contiene la Biblia errores, contradicciones, o discrepancias?http://www.gotquestions.org

Qu significa que la Biblia es inspirada? http://www.gotquestions.org

El Canon del Nuevo Testamento. cristianismo-primitivo.org/.net/.com.Todos los Derechos Reservados.

Los libros cannicos. Historia del canon de las sagradas escrituras. III.historia del canon del Nuevo Testamento. II. Historia del Canon del AntiguoTestamento. II. El canon del Antiguo Testamento entre los cristianos.http://www.mercaba.org/

Canon del Antiguo Testamento. Apologtica catlica. Tomadode Enciclopedia Catlica. George J. Reid.. Transcrito por Ernie Stefanik.Traducido por Javier Algara Cosso.

Documental. Sociedades Bblicas Unidas. El libro Indestructible.2000

Documental. La Biblia desenterrada. France 5. Arte France.

Eusebius and Canon of New Testament _ Viva Catholic. October 15, 2007.

TruthMagazine. The Indestructibility of the Bible. Cecil WillisMarion, Indiana. Guardian of Truth Foundation

The Bible. a Human Text

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