Part One The Tanak

The process by which something becomes a recognized standard is called, canonization.

standards for the faithful to follow. These individuals are the Catholic Saints.

Roman Catholic canonize certain saintly individuals as

In Biblical studies canonization is the description of how specific texts become recognized as divinely inspired Scripture.

Canonization of Scripture deals with when the books came together as an anthology. There are two different anthologies in the Bible. Each with its own history and issues.

Old Testament Canon New Testament Canon

Therefore, we will deal with the Old Testament first.

The recognition of the Old Testament canon is a two part narrative. The recognition of the Tanak The debate over the additions in the Greek Septuagint.

The formation of the Tanak is clouded in ancient history. Since the Tanak is arranged artistically its divisions do not support the idea of a three stage development of the Canon. The Pentateuch was canonized first. The Prophets and the Writing groupings were finalized after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

The Samaritan Pentateuch (722-110 B.C.) Ezras and Nehemiahs collection (c. 432 B.C.) Ptolemy II of Egypt call for a translation (c. 250 B.C.) Jesus ben Sirach recognizes the three parts of the Tanak (c. 180-135 B.C.)

Antiochus Epiphanies imposed the death penalty for possessing copies of the law in 167 B.C. (1 Mac. 1:5657) The Dead Sea Scrolls identify the tri-part division of the Old Testament.

The New Testament recognized the tripart of the Hebrew Canon or Tanak
The Law of Moses, The Prophets, and the Writings The Law, The Prophets, and Psalms (Luke 24:44-45)

Jesus parallels Abel with a Zachariah.

Matt 23:35-36//Luke 11:50-51 Abel (Genesis 4) Zechariah son of Barachiah* (2 Chr. 24:20-22). This parallelism works with traditional division of the Tanak.

* only in Matthew but omitted in Luke

The Academy of Jamnia (c. A.D. 90) Rabbinic scholars (Pharisees) Questioned why certain books were part of the Canon.

Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Esther Ezekiel

Josephus (c. 37-100) Contra Apion 1.8 (c. A.D. 90) Five books of Moses 13 books of Prophecy and History 4 books of wisdom and poetry Canonical books were not written after the reign of Artaxerxes I, king of Persia (465-424 B.C)

Marcion of Sinope (c. 80 c. 160) Came to Rome in 140 seeking the office of Bishop. Taught that the God of the Old Testament was a lesser being than God the Father and Jesus.

Completely rejected the Old Testament.

The Church excommunicated him in 144. The Church Fathers affirmed the Old Testament as the Word of God. They accepted the Hebrew Bible as part of the Christian canon.

The

Law The Prophets The Writings

 Most

early Christians spoke or read Greek not Hebrew. They had to read a Greek translation.

Translation began around 250 B.C. in Alexandria By the First Century A.D. other books were commonly included in the LXX (See handouts).

Shorten editions of Hebrew works: Jeremiah Jewish Wisdom: Sirach (after 135 B.C.) Stories of the Diaspora: Tobit Works of History: Maccabees (after 160 B.C.) Greek additions to the Tanak: Daniel and Esther (Not known at Jamnia 90 A.D.).

Christians pretty much read the Septuagint without questioning it.

Lxx was translated into Latin.

New Latin translation was needed.

Jerome stated a new Latin translation: The Vulgate (c.

A.D. 391-406).

Recognized

the difference between the Hebrew Canon and the various editions of the Lxx.

 Decided

to include some of the works found in the Lxx.

Called them apocryphal

meaning hidden.

But beneficial to read.

Council of Carthage (397 A.D.)

Augustine

Was a major leader at the Council. Later accepted Jeromes conclusions.

Protestant Reformation (Sixteenth Century)

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Diet of Worms (1521) The Augsburg Confession (1530) Neither must we submit to Catholic bishops if they chance to

err, or hold anything contrary to the Canonical Scriptures of God

Luther translated the Bible in German. Hebrew Canon Greek additions were included between the Old and New Testaments Apocrypha
Not inspired But profitable to read.

Roman Catholic Council of Trent (1546) Included in the Old Testament Canon many of the additional works in the Lxx. Sextus of Siena, Bibliotheca Sancta (1566) Proto-canonical Deuterocanonical.

The difference between the Protestant and the Catholic conclusions has to do authority and inspiration.

Does the Church grant authority or did it merely recognize authority of the text?

The Catholics hold that the Church has the authority to grant canonicity to a writing. The Protestants said that the Church only recognized the inspiration of those works approved by the Holy Spirit.