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... Now You can Read the Oldest Copy of the BibleAlthough we have some older manuscripts, the beautifully written Codex Sinaiticus is the earliest complete copy of the Bible known to have survived. Handwriting analysis has dated the manuscript to the mid 4th Century. The manuscript is written in Greek, the Old Testament taking the form of the Septuagint (Greek version of the Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament retaining its early Koine (vernacular) style of Greek. What is of particular interest is the way it has been extensively corrected over the years, ranging from those made by the original scribe in the 4th to ones made as late as the 12th century. The modern reader will immediately notice some differences. The Septuagint includes a number of books that are classed within the Protestant tradition as apocryphal (for example; 2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, 1 & 4 Maccabees, Wisdom and Sirach). The New Testament also might appear a little unusual. Firstly, the order of some of the books is a little different. The Acts is placed between the Pastoral and Catholic Epistles, whilst Hebrews appears after 2 Thessalonians. The modern reader of Mark's Gospel might be a little surprised at its apparent abrupt ending before Christ's resurrection at Mark 16:8. Most modern English translations now include both the short and longer endings. A further surprise might be the inclusion of two 'extra' books to the New Testament; the Epistle of Barnabas and The Shepherd of Hermas. Both these works were extremely popular within the early church. An international project is currently producing a digitised copy of the codex and the first books have now been published online by the British Library. It should prove to be an informative and fascinating resource for anyone interested in the Bible and its history.
To read the report in the Daily Telegraph... To read the report in the Times... To read the British Library press release...
... 'Messianic Tablet' Pre-dates Christianity?An 87 line apocalyptic Hebrew text written in ink on rock and dating to the first century BCE is being claimed to 'predict' the resurrection on the third day of the messiah. Professor Israel Knohl (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) claims that the text, known as Gabriel's Vision of Revelations or Hazon Gabriel, describes the angel Gabriel telling the "Prince of Princes" that "[i]n three days you shall live, I Gabriel, command you." Like most apocalyptic writings, the text is set against the background of unrest and violence and it has been suggested that it refers to the Jewish revolt against the Roman Occupation. The tablet, found ten years ago and is part of a collection held by David Jeselsohn in Zurich. Although it is unclear where it was discovered, it has been argued that it could have been found near Jordan. Professor Knohl claims that, "this text could be the missing link between Judaism and Christianity in so far as it roots the Christian belief in the resurrection of the Messiah in Jewish tradition." If he is correct, this provides a clear link between Jewish messianic figures and the Christian presentation of Jesus Christ. One of the problems which has perplexed Biblical scholars has been the apparent dissimilarity between the Christian depiction of Jesus as a suffering servant and who died (and was subsequently raised) and the representations of messiahs in Jewish literature. However, not all scholars are convinced by Prof Knohl's assertions. Textual questions have been raised following this press release. Last year a detailed study of the tablet by two Israeli scholars, Ada Yardeni and Binyamin Elitzur, concluded that the word following "three days" was illegible.
To read the report in the Daily Telegraph...To read the report in the Independent...Back.... How was Jesus crucified?Prompted by the BBC dramatisation of the Passion of Christ, the method of Roman crucifixion has once more been examined. The method depicted in the dramatisation is based upon archaeological evidence uncovered in the late 1960s where a crucifixion was performed on a T-shaped cross with the arms tied or nailed to the cross-piece and the victim placed in the foetal position. For a number of years it has been understood that the Romans used a number of ways to crucify their victims and, it should be noted that, scholarly opinion is not as divided as some reports suggest.
To read the report in the Sunday Telegraph... To read the report in the Daily Mail... To visit the BBC site about the programme... Back-------------------- ... 1,000 Year Old Hebrew Text Returns to IsraelA scrap of parchment, measuring roughly the size of a credit card, which was rescued from the floor of a burnt synagogue in Aleppo sixty years ago is thought to be part of the influential Aleppo Codex. The codex is viewed as one of the most important and authoritative manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. The early Masoretic text was produced (and edited) by Aaron ben Asher, a prominent grammarian, in the 10th century CE. Although, at one time, it was thought to have been the oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible, approximately a third of it has been missing since 1947. However, a small scrap found in 1947 by Sam Sabbagh and kept as a lucky memento is thought to be a part of this important codex. The fragment, which contains a couple of verses from the Book of Exodus and includes the words of Moses to the Pharaoh, "Let my people go", is now set to return to its counterparts in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. To read the Associated Press report... To read the report in Haaretz...
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... The Devil's Bible on display in PragueThe enormous Devil's Bible (Codex Gigas) measuring 90cm by 50.5cm and weighing 75 kilograms is to go on display in Prague. Thought to have been produced in the late 12th century by monks from the Benedictine monastery at Podlazice in, what is now, Czechoslovakia, it was rumoured that it was written in a single night by a repentant monk with the help of the devil. The richly illuminated manuscript contains the Old and New Testament following the Vulgate text, with the exception of the Acts of the Apostles and Book of Revelation which copies an earlier Latin translation, known as 'Vetus Latina', which dates to around the 4th century. The sequencing of the books also follows older conventions: for example, the major and minor prophets come after the Pentateuch and the Catholic Epistles (James, Peter, John and Jude) immediately precede the Book of Acts. Sandwiched between the Old and New Testaments are a number of other texts. Listed in their order these are: 2 works by the Jewish historian Josephus (The Antiquities and The Jewish War), an encyclopaedia of the middle ages by the 6th century Isidore (20 books), a Chronicle of Bohemia by Cosmas (c1045-1125) and 8 medical writings. A digitised version of the codex and a wealth of information can be found at the Library of Stockholm's website which can be accessed by clicking here. To read the report in the Prague Monitor... To read the report in the Telegraph...
-------------------- ... New Examination of the Dead Sea ScrollsScientists from the University of Cardiff will use laser technology to examine previously unread fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Although most of the scrolls found at the Qumran site in 1948 have been read, translated and published, work still remains to be completed on a mass of fragments. Until now, examination has been hampered by their extremely fragile nature and that moisture has resulted in some sections of the scrolls becoming stuck together. The Diamond Synchrotron laser, based at Didcot in Oxfordshire, is totally non-invasive and will allow researchers to access successive layers of the document without the need to physically separate the adhered material. Not only will this technique enable us to read the text, but it will also present valuable data relating to inks and other materials used by the scribes which, in turn, will help to further our understanding of the scribal community associated with these texts. To read the report in the Telegraph... To read the report in the Guardian...
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