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History of the Bible

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A Version is a translation of the holy Scriptures. This word is not found in the Bible; nevertheless, as frequent references are made in this work to various ancient as well as modern versions, it is fitting that some brief account should be given of the most important of these. These versions are important helps to the right interpretation of the Word. (See Samaritan Pentateuch article, below.)

The Targums
After the return from the Captivity, the Jews, no longer familiar with the old Hebrew, required that their Scriptures should be translated for them into the Chaldaic or Aramaic language and interpreted. These translations and paraphrases were at first oral, but they were afterwards reduced to writing, and thus targums, i.e., "versions" or "translations", have come down to us. The chief of these are,

(1.) The Onkelos Targum, i.e., the targum of Akelas=Aquila, a targum so called to give it greater popularity by comparing it with the Greek translation of Aquila mentioned below. This targum originated about the second century after Christ. Other scholars say it dates from 60 BC. This Targum includes the Hebrew text of the Pentateuch. The oldest existing copies seem to be from about 500 AD.

(2.) The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel comes next to that of Onkelos in respect of age and value. It is more a paraphrase on the Prophets, however, than a translation. It is thought to be from about 30 BC. This Targum contains the historical Books of the Old Testament and the Prophets. The oldest existing copies seem to be from about 500 AD. Written in Aramaic.

Both of these targums issued from the Jewish school which then flourished at Babylon.

The Greek Versions

(1.) The oldest of these is the Septuagint, usually quoted as the LXX. The origin of this, the most important of all the versions is involved in much obscurity. It derives its name from the popular notion that seventy-two translators were employed on it by the direction of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt, and that it was accomplished in seventy-two days, for the use of the Jews residing in that country. There is no historical warrant for this notion. It is, however, an established fact that this version was made at Alexandria; that it was begun about 280 B.C., and finished about 200 or 150 B.C.; that it was the work of a number of translators who differed greatly both in their knowledge of Hebrew and of Greek; and that from the earliest times it has borne the name of "The Septuagint", i.e., "The Seventy."

This version, with all its defects, must be of the greatest interest:

(a) as preserving evidence for the text far more ancient than the oldest Hebrew manuscripts;

(b) as the means by which the Greek Language was wedded to Hebrew thought;

(c) as the source of the great majority of quotations from the Old Testament by writers of the New Testament.

(2.) Aquila, called Aquila of Pontus (flourished about 130), translated the Old Testament into Greek. He was born in Sinope, Pontus (now Sinop, Turkey). His translation of the Old Testament was so literal that Jews of his time preferred it to the Septuagint version, as did the Judaistic sect of Christians called Ebionites. The remaining fragments of the version may be found in the Hexapla of the Alexandrian theologian Origen.

(3.) The New Testament manuscripts fall into two divisions,

Uncials, written in Greek capitals, with no distinction at all between the different words, and very little even between the different lines; and

Cursives, in small Greek letters, were a "running hand" script form where the letters were connected as in our longhand. This script was continuous scriptio continua, without breaks for words or lines or verses. Also called Minuscule writing.

The change between the two kinds of Greek writing took place about the tenth century AD.

Only five manuscripts of the New Testament approaching to completeness are more ancient than this dividing date.

The first, numbered A, is the Alexandrian manuscript. Though brought to this country by Cyril Lucar, patriarch of Constantinople, as a present to Charles I., it is believed that it was written, not in that capital, but in Alexandria; whence its title. It is now dated in the fifth century A.D. Also called Codex Alexandrinus. It contains almost the entire Bible.

The second, known as B, is the Vatican manuscript. (See Codex Vaticanus article, below.)

The Third, C, or the Ephraem manuscript, was so called because it was written over the writings of Ephraem, a Syrian theological author, a practice very common in the days when writing materials were scarce and dear. It is believed that it belongs to the fifth century, and perhaps a slightly earlier period of it than the manuscript A. Also called Codex Ephraemi. Nearly every Book of the Bible is represented in it.

The fourth, D, or the manuscript of Beza, was so called because it belonged to the reformer Beza, who found it in the monastery of St. Irenaeus at Lyons in 1562 A.D. It is imperfect, and is dated in the sixth century. Also called Codex Bezae. This manuscript contains the Gospels and Acts in both Greek and Latin.

The fifth (called Aleph) is the Sinaitic manuscript. (See Codex Sinaiticus article, below.)

The Syriac Versions

Old Syriac Version. Contains the Four Gospels, copied about the fourth century. Two copies exist today.

Syriac Peshitta. This was the standard Syrian Version, created about 150-250 AD. More than 350 copies of it exist today.

Palestinian Syriac. About 400-450 AD.

Philoxenian. 508 AD. Polycarp made this translation.

Harkleian Syriac. 616 AD, by Thomas of Harkel.

(See Syriac article, below.)

The Latin Versions
A Latin version of the Scriptures, called the "Old Latin," which originated in North Africa, was in common use in the time of Tertullian (A.D. 150). Of this there appear to have been various copies or recensions made. About 50 copies exist today. The dates of those copies are not known.

A Latin version made in Italy, and called the Itala, was reckoned the most accurate. This translation of the Old Testament seems to have been made not from the original Hebrew but from the LXX. This version became greatly corrupted by repeated transcription, and to remedy the evil, Jerome (A.D. 329-420) was requested by Damasus, the bishop of Rome, to undertake a complete revision of it. By 384 AD, Jerome had completed the task. It met with opposition at first, but was at length, in the seventh century, recognized as the "Vulgate" version. The word Vulgate means common or popular. More than 10,000 manuscript copies of the Vulgate exist today.

The Vulgate Bible appeared in a printed from about A.D. 1455, the first book that ever issued from the printing press. The Council of Trent (1546) declared it "authentic." It subsequently underwent various revisions, but that which was executed (1592) under the sanction of Pope Clement VIII was adopted as the basis of all subsequent editions. It is regarded as the sacred original in the Roman Catholic Church.

All modern European versions have been more or less influenced by the Vulgate. This version reads ipsa instead of ipse in
Gen. 3:15, "She shall bruise thy head."

Other Latin Versions

African Old Latin or Codex Babbiensis. 400 AD.

Codex Corbiensis. 400-500 AD. Contains the Four Gospels.

Codex Vercellensis. 360 AD.

Codex Palatinus. Fifth century AD.

Article by Believe Project

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