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CONTENTS

The Bible 3

We Have the Book 4

Criterion of God’s True and Real Revelation 6

The Bible is the Word of God 10

History of the Bible: How The Bible Came To Us 13

History of the Bible 23

The Bible’s Manuscript Evidence 30

The Bible’s Documentary Evidence 36

The Bible’s Archeological Evidence 38

Advanced Medical Knowledge 40

Advanced Scientific Knowledge 43

Science and the Bible 46

Bible Translations 52

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THE BIBLEOverview

The Bible (from Koine Greek τὰ βιβλία ta biblia "the books" and from the Latin biblia) refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Mainstream Judaism divides the Tanakh into 24 books, while a minority stream of Judaism, the Samaritans, accepts only five. The 24 texts of the Hebrew Bible are divided into 39 books in Christian Old Testament, and complete Christian Bibles range from the 66 books. The New Testament books were the Synoptic Gospels, Book of Acts, Pauline Epistles, General Epistles and the Book of Revelation.

The Jewish Bible, or Tanakh, is divided into three parts: (1) the five books of the Torah ("teaching" or "law"), comprising the origins of the Israelite nation, its laws and its covenant with the God of Israel; (2) the Nevi’im ("prophets"), containing the historic account of ancient Israel and Judah focusing on conflicts between the Israelites and other nations, and conflicts among Israelites – specifically, struggles between believers in "the LORD God" and believers in foreign gods, and the criticism of unethical and unjust behavior of Israelite elites and rulers; and (3) the Ketuvim ("writings"): such as the Psalms and the Book of Job.

The Christian Bible is divided into two parts. The first is called the Old Testament, containing the 39 books of Hebrew Scripture, and the second portion is called the New Testament, containing a set of 27 books. The first four books of the New Testament form the Canonical gospels which recount the life of Christ and are central to the Christian faith. Christian Bibles include the books of the Hebrew Bible, but arranged in a different order: Jewish Scripture ends with the people of Israel restored to Jerusalem and the temple, whereas the Christian arrangement ends with the book of the prophet Malachi. The oldest surviving Christian Bibles are Greek manuscripts from the 4th century; the oldest complete Jewish Bible is a Greek translation, also dating to the 4th century. The oldest complete manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible (the Masoretic text) date from the Middle Ages.

During the three centuries following the establishment of Christianity in the 1st century, Church Fathers compiled Gospel accounts and letters of apostles into a Christian Bible which became known as the New Testament. The Old and New Testaments together are commonly referred to as "The Holy Bible" (τὰ βιβλία τὰ ἅγια). The canonical composition of the Old Testament is under dispute between Christian groups: Protestants hold only the books of the Hebrew Bible to be canonical; Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox additionally consider the deuterocanonical books, a group of Jewish books, to be canonical. The New Testament is composed of the Gospels ("good news"), the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles (letters), and the Book of Revelation.

Sacred Scriprure.”Bible”.Barnes & Noble.2 February, 2014.< http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bible-sacred-scriptures/1030170698?ean=2940012230096>

WE HAVE THE BOOK

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God preserved His words “Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them.” Isaiah 34:16

Commanded to be written

And when Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, Deut 31:24

“Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.

Deut 17:18

And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. Neh 8:1

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. Mal 4:16

Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Write promptly what you see (your vision) in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. Rev 1:11

1What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

1Jn 1:1-4

The Word of God unto the end

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Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4

Jesus said it will not pass away

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:35

David said it is settled forever “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.” Psalms 119:89

The World will be judged at the Last Day according to the Books

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.

Revelation 20:12

CRITERION OF GOD'S TRUEAND REAL REVELATION

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THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

The Bible is the Word of God. It is the original and authentic revelation from God. God revealed Himself and His words to His prophets, spoke the words directly and gave instructions. Any angel that would appear to man and has a different revelation contradicting the original revelations is therefore not from God.

GOD’S WORDS COME FROM HIS MOUTH:

Mt 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’’”

THE WORD OF GOD CAME TO HIS PROPHETSSURE REVELATION

In the Old Testament God directly spoke to His Prophets and they wrote His words.2Ch 36:15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, …Jer 31:10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands:‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’Ge 6:13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.Ge 9:1 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.Ge 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Ex 3:5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Ex 3:6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Ex 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Ex 3:15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me

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to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

Jos 1:1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: Jos 1:2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. Jos 1:3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.1Sa 3:21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.2Sa 23:1 These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs : 2Sa 23:2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.1Ki 6:11 The word of the LORD came to Solomon:1Ki 12:24 ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’ ” So they obeyed the word of the LORD and went home again, as the LORD had ordered.1Ki 16:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha: 1Ki 16:7 Moreover, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.1Ki 17:2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 1Ki 18:1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”1Ch 17:3 That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

Ezr 1:1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: Isa 38:4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: Isa 39:5 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD Almighty:Jer 1:4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jer 1:11 The word of the LORD came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. Jer 1:12 The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

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Eze 1:3 the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him. Eze 3:16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: Eze 3:17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.Eze 27:1 The word of the LORD came to me: Eze 28:1 The word of the LORD came to me: Eze 28:11 The word of the LORD came to me: Eze 28:20 The word of the LORD came to me:Da 9:2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.Am 7:16 Now then, hear the word of the LORD. Jnh 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:Mic 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—the vision he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Mic 4:2 Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,to the house of the God of Jacob.He will teach us his ways,so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.Zep 1:1 The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:Hag 1:1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: Hag 1:3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:Zec 1:1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo:Mal 1:1 An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT GOD HAS SPOKEN TO US THROUGH HIS SON

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Heb 1:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, Heb 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.Rev 19:13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

Lk 5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God,

He has chosen and sent His Disciples

Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Mt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Mt 28:20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Lk 10:16 “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”1Pe 1:25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.Ac 6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.Ac 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.Ac 8:25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. Ac 11:1 The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. Ac 12:24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.Rev 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.Rev 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of theirtestimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.Rev 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

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The Bible is the Word of God

Below are its own written testimonies.

1Ki 12:22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:

1Ch 17:3 That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

Pr 30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Mt 15:6 he is not to ‘honor his father’’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

Mk 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Lk 3:2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.

Lk 5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God,

Lk 8:11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

Lk 11:28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Jn 10:35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—

Act 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Act 6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

Act 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Act 8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

Act 11:1 The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

Act 12:24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.

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Act 13:5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

Act 13:7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

Act 17:13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.

Act 18:11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

1Co 14:36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?

2Co 2:17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

2Co 4:2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Eph 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Phil 1:14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Col 1:25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—

1Th 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

1Ti 4:5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Tit 2:5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Heb 6:5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,

Heb 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

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1Pe 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1Jn 2:14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.I write to you, young men, because you are strong,and the word of God lives in you,and you have overcome the evil one.

Rev 1:2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Rev 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.

Rev 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

THE SCRIPTURES

History of the Bible: How The Bible Came To Us

Important terms to remember:

Skeptics often claim that the Bible has been changed. However, it is important to define the terms that apply to the source of our English Bible.

Autographs: The original texts were written either by the author's own hand or by a scribe under their personal supervision.

Manuscripts: Until Gutenberg first printed the Latin Bible in 1456, all Bibles were hand copied onto papyrus, parchment, and paper.

Translations: When the Bible is translated into a different language it is usually translated from the original Hebrew and Greek. However some translations in the past were derived from an earlier translation. For example the first English translation by John Wycliffe in 1380 was prepared from the Latin Vulgate.

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The Old Testament

The Bible comes from two main sources - Old and New Testaments - written in different languages. The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew, with some books written in Aramaic. The following are brief snap shots of the beginning and ending of the Old Testament and the reasons for the first two translations of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Aramaic and Greek

1875 B.C. Abraham was called by God to the land of Canaan. 1450 B.C. The exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt.

Autographs

There are no known autographs of any books of the Old Testament. Below is a list of the languages in which the Old Testament books were written.

1450-1400 B.C. The traditional date for Moses' writing of Genesis-Deuteronomy written in Hebrew.

586 B.C. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews were taken into captivity to Babylon. They remained in Babylon under the Medo-Persian Empire and there began to speak Aramaic.

555-545 B.C. The Book of Daniel Chapters. 2:4 to 7:28 were written in Aramaic.

425 B.C. Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, was written in Hebrew. 400 B.C. Ezra Chapters. 4:8 to 6:18; and 7:12-26 were written in Aramaic.

Manuscripts

The following is a list of the oldest Hebrew manuscripts of the Old Testament that are still in existence.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: date from 200 B.C. - 70 A.D. and contain the entire book of Isaiah and portions of every other Old Testament book but Esther.

Geniza Fragments: portions the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic, discovered in 1947 in an old synagogue in Cairo, Egypt, which date from about 400 A.D.

Ben Asher Manuscripts: five or six generations of this family made copies of the Old Testament using the Masoretic Hebrew text, from 700-950 A.D. The following are examples of the Hebrew Masoretic text-type.

o Aleppo Codex: contains the complete Old Testament and is dated around 950 A.D. Unfortunately over one quarter of this Codex was destroyed in anti-Jewish riots in 1947.

o Codex Leningradensis: The complete Old Testament in Hebrew copied by the last member of the Ben Asher family in A.D. 1008.

Translations

The Old Testament was translated very early into Aramaic and Greek.

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400 B.C. The Old Testament began to be translated into Aramaic. This translation is called the Aramaic Targums. This translation helped the Jewish people, who began to speak Aramaic from the time of their captivity in Babylon, to understand the Old Testament in the language that they commonly spoke. In the first century Palestine of Jesus' day, Aramaic was still the commonly spoken language. For example maranatha: "Our Lord has come," 1 Corinthians 16:22 is an example of an Aramaic word that is used in the New Testament.

250 B.C. The Old Testament was translated into Greek. This translation is known as the Septuagint. It is sometimes designated "LXX" (which is Roman numeral for "70") because it was believed that 70 to 72 translators worked to translate the Hebrew Old Testament in Greek. The Septuagint was often used by New Testament writers when they quoted from the Old Testament. The LXX was translation of the Old Testament that was used by the early Church.

1. The following is a list of the oldest Greek LXX translations of the Old Testament that are still in existence.

o Chester Beatty Papyri: Contains nine Old Testament Books in the Greek Septuagint and dates between 100-400 A.D.

o Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus each contain almost the entire Old Testament of the Greek Septuagint and they both date around 350 A.D.

The New Testament

Autographs

45- 95 A.D. The New Testament was written in Greek. The Pauline Epistles, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts are all dated from 45-63 A.D. The Gospel of John and the Revelation may have been written as late as 95 A.D.

Manuscripts

There are over 5,600 early Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament that are still in existence. The oldest manuscripts were written on papyrus and the later manuscripts were written on leather called parchment.

125 A.D. The New Testament manuscript which dates most closely to the original autograph was copied around 125 A.D, within 35 years of the original. It is designated "p 52" and contains a small portion of John 18. (The "p" stands for papyrus.)

200 A.D. Bodmer p 66 a papyrus manuscript which contains a large part of the Gospel of John.

200 A.D. Chester Beatty Biblical papyrus p 46 contains the Pauline Epistles and Hebrews.

225 A.D. Bodmer Papyrus p 75 contains the Gospels of Luke and John. 250-300 A.D. Chester Beatty Biblical papyrus p 45 contains portions of

the four Gospels and Acts.

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350 A.D. Codex Sinaiticus contains the entire New Testament and almost the entire Old Testament in Greek. It was discovered by a German scholar Tisendorf in 1856 at an Orthodox monastery at Mt. Sinai.

350 A.D. Codex Vaticanus: {B} is an almost complete New Testament. It was cataloged as being in the Vatican Library since 1475.

Translations

Early translations of the New Testament can give important insight into the underlying Greek manuscripts from which they were translated from.

180 A.D. Early translations of the New Testament from Greek into Latin, Syriac, and Coptic versions began about 180 A.D.

195 A.D. The name of the first translation of the Old and New Testaments into Latin was termed Old Latin, both Testaments having been translated from the Greek. Parts of the Old Latin were found in quotes by the church father Tertullian, who lived around 160-220 A.D. in north Africa and wrote treatises on theology.

300 A.D. The Old Syriac was a translation of the New Testament from the Greek into Syriac.

300 A.D. The Coptic Versions: Coptic was spoken in four dialects in Egypt. The Bible was translated into each of these four dialects.

380 A.D. The Latin Vulgate was translated by St. Jerome. He translated into Latin the Old Testament from the Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek. The Latin Vulgate became the Bible of the Western Church until the Protestant Reformation in the 1500's. It continues to be the authoritative translation of the Roman Catholic Church to this day. The Protestant Reformation saw an increase in translations of the Bible into the common languages of the people.

Other early translations of the Bible were in Armenian, Georgian, and Ethiopic, Slavic, and Gothic.

1380 A.D. The first English translation of the Bible was by John Wycliffe. He translated the Bible into English from the Latin Vulgate. This was a translation from a translation and not a translation from the original Hebrew and Greek. Wycliffe was forced to translate from the Latin Vulgate because he did not know Hebrew or Greek.

The Advent of Printing

Printing greatly aided the transmission of the biblical texts.

1456 A.D. Gutenberg produced the first printed Bible in Latin. Printing revolutionized the way books were made. From now on books could be published in great numbers and at a lower cost.

1514 A.D. The Greek New Testament was printed for the first time by Erasmus. He based his Greek New Testament from only five Greek manuscripts, the oldest of which dated only as far back as the twelfth century. With minor revisions, Erasmus' Greek New Testament came to be known as the Textus Receptus or the "received texts."

1522 A. D. Polyglot Bible was published. The Old Testament was in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin and the New Testament in Latin and Greek. Erasmus used the Polyglot to revise later editions of his New Testament. Tyndale made use of the Polyglot in his translation on the Old Testament into English which he did not complete because he was martyred in 1534.

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1611 A.D. The King James Version into English from the original Hebrew and Greek. The King James translators of the New Testament used the Textus Receptus as the basis for their translations.

1968 A.D. The United Bible Societies 4th Edition of the Greek New Testament. This Greek New Testament made use of the oldest Greek manuscripts which date from 175 A.D. This was the Greek New Testament text from which the NASV and the NIV were translated.

1971 A.D. The New American Standard Version (NASV) was published. It makes use of the wealth of much older Hebrew and Greek manuscripts now available that weren't available at the time of the translation of the KJV. Its wording and sentence structure closely follow the Greek in more of a word for word style.

1983 A.D. The New International Version (NIV) was published. It also made use of the oldest manuscript evidence. It is more of a "thought-for-thought" translation and reads more easily than the NASV.

o As an example of the contrast between word-for-word and thought-for-thought translations, notice below the translation of the Greek word "hagios-holy" NASV Hebrews 9:25. "...the high priest enters the Holy Place year by year with blood not his own."NIV Hebrews 9:25. "...the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own."

o The NIV supplies "understood" information about the Day of Atonement, namely that the high priest's duties took place in the compartment of the temple known specifically as the Most Holy Place. Note that the NASV simply says "holy place" reflecting the more literal translation of "hagios."

The Integrity of the Manuscript Evidence

As with any ancient book transmitted through a number of handwritten manuscripts, the question naturally arises as to how confident can we be that we have anything resembling the autograph. Let us now look at what evidences we have for the integrity of the New Testament manuscripts. Let us look at the number of manuscripts and how close they date to the autographs of the Bible as compared with other ancient writings of similar age.

A. Tacitus, the Roman historian, wrote his Annals of Imperial Rome in about A.D. 116. Only one manuscript of his work remains. It was copied about 850 A.D.

B. Josephus, a Jewish historian, wrote The Jewish War shortly after 70 A.D. There are nine manuscripts in Greek which date from 1000-1200 A.D. and one Latin translation from around 400 A.D.

C. Homer's Iliad was written around 800 B.C. It was as important to ancient Greeks as the Bible was to the Hebrews. There are over 650 manuscripts remaining but they date from 200 to 300 A.D. which is over a thousand years after the Iliad was written.

D. The Old Testament autographs were written 1450 - 400 B. C. 1. The Dead Sea Scrolls date between 200 B.C. to 70 A. D and date

within 300 years from when the last book of the Old Testament was written.

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2. Two almost complete Greek LXX translations of the Old Testament date about 350 A. D.

3. The oldest complete Hebrew Old Testament dates about 950 A. D. 4. Genesis-Deuteronomy were written over 1200 years before the Dead

Sea Scrolls.

Codex Vaticanus is an almost complete Greek translation of the Old Testament dating around 350 A.D. The Aleppo Codex is the oldest complete Old Testament manuscript in Hebrew and was copied around 950 A.D. The Dead Sea Scrolls date from within 200-300 years from the last book of the Old Testament. However since the five books of Moses were written about 1450- 1400 B.C. the Dead Sea Scrolls still come almost 1200 years after the first books of the Old Testament were written.

E. The New Testament autographs were written between 45-95 A. D. 1. There are 5,664 Greek manuscripts some dating as early as 125 A. D.

and an complete New Testament that dates from 350 A. D. 2. 8,000 to 10,000 Latin Vulgate manuscripts. 3. 8,000 manuscripts in Ethiopic, Coptic, Slavic, Syriac, and Armenian. 4. In addition, the complete New Testament could be reproduced from

the quotes that were made from it by the early church fathers in their letters and sermons.

Authorship and dating of the New Testament books

A. Many of the New Testament books claim to be written by eyewitnesses.

1. The Gospel of John claims to be written by the disciple of the Lord. Recent archeological research has confirmed both the existence of the Pool of Bethesda and that it had five porticoes as described in John 5:2. This correct reference to an incidental detail lends credibility to the claim that the Gospel of John was written by John who as an eyewitness knew Jerusalem before it was destroyed in 70 A. D.

2. Paul signed his epistles with his own hand. He was writing to churches who knew him. These churches were able to authenticate that these epistles had come from his hands (Galatians 6:11). Clement an associate of Paul's wrote to the Corinthian Church in 97 A. D. urging them to heed the epistle that Paul had sent them.

B. The following facts strongly suggest that both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were written prior to 65 A.D. This lends credibility to the author's (Luke) claim to be an eyewitness to Paul's missionary journeys. This would date Mark prior to 65 A.D. and the Pauline epistles between 49-63 A.D.

1. Acts records the beginning history of the church with persecutions and martyrdoms being mentioned repeatedly. Three men; Peter, Paul, and James the brother of Jesus all play leading roles throughout the book. They were all martyred by 67 A.D., but their martyrdoms are not recorded in Acts.

2. The church in Jerusalem played a central role in the Book of Acts, but the destruction of the city in 70 A.D. was not mentioned. The Jewish historian Josephus cited the siege and destruction of Jerusalem as

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befalling the Jews because of their unjust killing of James the brother of Jesus.

3. The Book of Acts ends with Paul in Rome under house arrest in 62 A.D. In 64 A.D., Nero blamed and persecuted the Christians for the fire that burned down the city of Rome. Paul himself was martyred by 65 A.D. in Rome. Again, neither the terrible persecution of the Christians in Rome nor Paul's martyrdom are mentioned.

These books, Luke-Acts, were written while Luke was an eyewitness to many of the events, and had opportunity to research portions that he was not an eyewitness to.

The Church Fathers bear witness to even earlier New Testament Manuscripts

The earliest manuscripts we have of major portions of the New Testament are p 45, p 46, p66, and p 75, and they date from 175-250 A. D. The early church fathers (97-180 A.D.) bear witness to even earlier New Testament manuscripts by quoting from all but one of the New Testament books. They are also in the position to authenticate those books, written by the apostles or their close associates, from later books such as the gospel of Thomas that claimed to have been written by the apostles, but were not.

A. Clement (30-100 A.D.) wrote an epistle to the Corinthian Church around 97 A.D. He reminded them to heed the epistle that Paul had written to them years before. Recall that Clement had labored with Paul (Philippians 4:3). He quoted from the following New Testament books: Luke, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Titus, 1 and 2 Peter, Hebrews, and James.

B. The apostolic fathers Ignatius (30-107 A.D.), Polycarp (65-155 A.D.), and Papias (70-155 A.D.) cite verses from every New Testament book except 2 and 3 John. They thereby authenticated nearly the entire New Testament. Both Ignatius and Polycarp were disciples of the apostle John.

C. Justin Martyr, (110-165 A.D.), cited verses from the following 13 books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, 2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Peter, and Revelation.

D. Irenaeus, (120-202 A.D.), wrote a five volume work Against Heresies in which,

1. He quoted from every book of the New Testament but 3 John. 2. He quoted from the New Testament books over 1,200 times.

Canonization of the New TestamentThe Early church had three criteria for determining what books were to be included or excluded from the Canon of the New Testament.

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1. First, the books must have apostolic authority-- that is, they must have been written either by the apostles themselves, who were eyewitnesses to what they wrote about, or by associates of the apostles.

2. Second, there was the criterion of conformity to what was called the "rule of faith." In other words, was the document congruent with the basic Christian tradition that the church recognized as normative.

3. Third, there was the criterion of whether a document had enjoyed continuous acceptance and usage by the church at large.

4. The gospel of Thomas is not included in the Canon of the New Testament for the following reasons.

a. The gospel of Thomas fails the test of Apostolic authority. None of the early church fathers from Clement to Irenaeus ever quoted from the gospel of Thomas. This indicates that they either did not know of it or that they rejected it as spurious. In either case, the early church fathers fail to support the gospel of Thomas' claim to have been written by the apostle. It was believed to by written around 140 A.D. There is no evidence to support its purported claim to be written by the Apostle Thomas himself.

b. The gospel of Thomas fails to conform to the rule of faith. It purports to contain 114 "secret sayings" of Jesus. Some of these are very similar to the sayings of Jesus recorded in the Four Gospels. For example the gospel of Thomas quotes Jesus as saying, "A city built on a high hill cannot be hidden." This reads the same as Matthew's Gospel except that high is added. But Thomas claims that Jesus said, "Split wood; I am there. Lift up a stone, and you will find me there." That concept is pantheistic. Thomas ends with the following saying that denies women salvation unless they are some how changed into being a man. "Let Mary go away from us, because women are not worthy of life." Jesus is quoted as saying, "Lo, I shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit, resembling you males. For every woman who makes herself male will enter into the kingdom of heaven."

c. The gospel of Thomas fails the test of continuous usage and acceptance. The lack of manuscript evidence plus the failure of the early church fathers to quote from it or recognize it shows that it was not used or accepted in the early Church. Only two manuscripts are known of this "gospel." Until 1945 only a single fifth-century copy translation in Coptic had been found. Then in 1945 a Greek manuscript of the Gospel of Thomas was found at Nag Hammadi in Egypt. This compares very poorly to the thousands of manuscripts that authenticate the Four Gospels.

Textual Criticism: What Is It And Why It Is NecessaryImportant terms:

Textual criticism is the method used to examine the vast number of manuscripts to determine the probably composition of the original autographs.

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"Lower" Textual Criticism: the practice of studying the manuscripts of the Bible with the goal of reproducing the original text of the Bible from this vast wealth of manuscripts. This is a necessary task because there exists minor variations among the biblical manuscripts. So, unless one manuscript is arbitrarily chosen as a standard by which to judge all others, then one must employ textual criticism to compare all manuscripts to derive the reading which would most closely reflect the autographs.

"Higher" criticism: "The Jesus Seminar" is a group of liberal Christian higher critics who vote on which of the sayings of Christ they believe to have actually been spoken by Him. This is an example of "higher" criticism. It is highly subjective and is colored by the view points of various "higher" critics.

Textual Variants: Since all Greek manuscripts of the New Testament prior to Erasmus' first printed Greek New Testament were copied by hand scribal errors or variants could have crept into the texts.. When these Greek New Testament manuscripts are compared with each other we find evidence of scribal errors and places where the different manuscripts differ with one another.

Textual variants and the integrity of the New Testament text

Many scholars have spent a lifetime of study of the textual variants. The following is the conclusion of the importance of these variants as they relate to the integrity of the New Testament text.

A. There are over 200,000 variants in the New Testament alone. How do these variants effect our confidence that the New Testament has been faithfully handed down to us?

B. These 200,000 variants are not as large as they seem. Remember that every misspelled word or an omission of a single word in any of the 5,600 manuscript would count as a variant.

C. Johann Bengel 1687-1752 was very disturbed by the 30,000 variants that had recently been noted in Mill's edition of the Greek Testament. After extended study he came to the conclusion that the variant readings were fewer in number than might have been expected and that they did not shake any article of Christian doctrine.

D. Westcott and Hort, in the 1870's, state that the New Testament text remains over 98.3 percent pure no matter whether one uses the Textus Receptus or their own Greek text which was largely based on Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus.

E. James White, on p. 40 of his book The King James Only Controversy states: "The reality is that the amount of variation between the two most extremely different manuscripts of the New Testament would not fundamentally alter the message of the Scriptures! I make this statement (1) fully aware of the wide range of textual variants in the New Testament, and (2) painfully aware of the strong attacks upon those who have made similar statements in the past."

F. Scholars Norman Geisler and William Nix conclude, "The New Testament, then, has not only survived in more manuscripts that any other book from antiquity, but it has survived in a purer form than any other great book-a form that is 99.5 percent pure."

G. When textual critics look at all 5,600 Greek New Testament manuscripts they find that they can group these manuscripts into text-types or families with other similar manuscripts. There are four text-types.

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Figure 1. Age differences between Alexandrian and Byzantine manuscripts.

1. The Alexandrian text-type, found in most papyri and in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus all of which date prior to 350 A.D.

2. The Western text-type, found both in Greek manuscripts and in translations into other languages, especially Latin.

3. The Byzantine text-type, found in the vast majority of later Greek manuscripts. Over 90 percent of all 5,600 Greek New Testament manuscripts are of the Byzantine text-type. The Byzantine text-type is "fuller" or "longer" than other text-types, and this is taken as evidence of a later origin. The reason that we have so many manuscripts of the Byzantine text-type is because the Byzantine Empire remained Greek speaking and Orthodox Christian until Islamic Turks overran its capital, Constantinople, in 1453. Constantinople is now called Istanbul and is Turkey's largest city, although no longer its capital.

4. The Caesaarean text-type, disputed by some, found in p 45 and a few other manuscripts.

Ringer ,Wesley. “History of the Bible: How The Bible Came To Us”. God and Science. 2, February, 2014. <http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/bibleorigin.html>.

History of the Bible

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Septuagint, LXX {sep' - too - uh - jint}

General Information

The Septuagint, commonly designated LXX, is the oldest Greek version of the Old Testament of the Bible, the title "seventy" referring to the tradition that it was the work of 70 translators (or 72 in some traditions). The translation was made from the Hebrew Bible by Hellenistic Jews during the period 275 - 100 BC at Alexandria. Initially the Septuagint was widely used by Greek - speaking Jews, but its adoption by the Christians, who used it in preference to the Hebrew original, aroused hostility among the Jews, who ceased to use it after about 70 AD. It is still used by the Greek Orthodox church.

The Septuagint contains the books of the Hebrew Bible, the Deuterocanonical books - that is, those not in the Hebrew version but accepted by the Christian church - and the Apocrypha. Ancient manuscripts from Qumran suggest that the Septuagint often followed a Hebrew text different from the present authoritative Hebrew text. Thus its value for textual criticism has been enhanced. The Septuagint provides an understanding of the cultural and intellectual settings of Hellenistic Judaism.

SeptuagintGeneral Information

Septuagint is the name given the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. The term is derived from the Latin word septuaginta ("seventy"; hence, the customary abbreviation LXX), which refers to the 70 (or 72) translators who were once believed to have been appointed by the Jewish high priest of the time to render the Hebrew Bible into Greek at the behest of the Hellenistic emperor Ptolemy II.

The legend of the 70 translators contains an element of truth, for the Torah (the five books of Moses-Genesis to Deuteronomy) probably had been translated into Greek by the 3rd century BC to serve the needs of Greek-speaking Jews outside Palestine who were no longer able to read their Scriptures in the original Hebrew. The translation of the remaining books of the Hebrew Old Testament, the addition to it of books and parts of books (the Apocrypha), and the final production of the Greek Old Testament as the Bible of the early Christian church form a very complicated history. Because the Septuagint, rather than the Hebrew text, became the Bible of the early church, other Jewish translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek were made by the 3rd century; these are extant only in fragments, and their history is even more obscure than that of the Septuagint.

VulgateGeneral Information

Vulgate (Latin vulgata editio, "popular edition") is the edition of the Latin Bible that was pronounced "authentic" by the Council of Trent. The name originally was given to the "common edition" of the Greek Septuagint used by the early Fathers of the

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Church. It was then transferred to the Old Latin version (the Itala) of both the Old Testament and the New Testament that was used extensively during the first centuries in the Western church. The present composite Vulgate is basically the work of St. Jerome, a Doctor of the Church.

At first St. Jerome used the Greek Septuagint for his Old Testament translation, including parts of the Apocrypha; later he consulted the original Hebrew texts. He produced three versions of the Psalms, called the Roman, the Gallican, and the Hebrew. The Gallican Psalter, based on a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew text, is now read in the Vulgate. At the request of Pope Damasus I in 382, Jerome had previously undertaken a revision of the New Testament. He corrected the Gospels thoroughly; it is disputed whether the slight revisions made in the remainder of the New Testament are his work.

Through the next 12 centuries, the text of the Vulgate was transmitted with less and less accuracy. The Council of Trent (around 1550) recognized the need for an authentic Latin text and authorized a revision of the extant corrupt editions. This revision is the basic Latin text still used by scholars. A modern reworking of it, called for by Pope Paul VI as a result of the Second Vatican Council, was largely completed in 1977. It was used in making up the new liturgical texts in Latin that were basic to the vernacular liturgies mandated by the council.

Ver'sionAdvanced Information

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 TargumsAfter 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,

o (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.

o (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.

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

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The Greek Versions

o (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 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.

o (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.

o (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.)

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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

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

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

o Palestinian Syriac. About 400-450 AD. o Philoxenian. 508 AD. Polycarp made this translation. o Harkleian Syriac. 616 AD, by Thomas of Harkel.

The Latin VersionsA 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."

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Other Latin Versions

o African Old Latin or Codex Babbiensis. 400 AD. o Codex Corbiensis. 400-500 AD. Contains the Four Gospels. o Codex Vercellensis. 360 AD. o Codex Palatinus. Fifth century AD.

Other Versions

There are numerous other ancient versions which are of importance for Biblical critics, but which we need not mention particularly, such as the:

o Ethiopic. Fourth century, from the Greek LXX; More than 2,000 manuscript copies of it exist today. Some scholars say sixth century.

o Memphitic. Circulated in Lower Egypt about the fourth century from the Greek.

o Thebaic. Designed for Upper Egypt, about the fourth century from the Greek.

o Sahidic. Early in the third century in Egypt o Bohairic. Fourth century. About 100 manuscript copies now exist. o Middle Egyptian. Fourth or fifth century. o Gothic, written in the German language, but with the Greek alphabet,

by Ulphilas (died A.D. 388), of which only fragments of the Old Testament remain; About 6 partial texts exist today.

o Armenian, about A.D. 400; About 2,600 manuscript copies exist today. Translated from a Greek Bible.

o Slavonic, in the ninth century, for ancient Moravia. Over 4,000 manuscript copies exist today.

o Arabic. About 75 manuscript copies exist today. o Persian. Only 2 manuscript copies exist today. o Anglo-Saxon. Seven manuscript copies exist today. o Georgian. Fifth century. o Nubian. Sixth century.

The English VersionsThe history of the English versions begins properly with Wyckliffe (around AD 1384). But earlier, around AD 650, Caedmon wrote many of the Bible's central passages in the form of Saxon poems. Around AD 700, two bishops, Eadhelm and Egbert, made rather crude Saxon translations of the Psalms and of the Gospels.

Portions of the Scriptures were rendered into Saxon (as the Gospel according to John, by Bede, A.D. 735), (much improved quality) and also into English (by Orme, called the "Ormulum," a portion of the Gospels and of the Acts in the form of a metrical paraphrase, toward the close of the seventh century), long before Wyckliffe; but it is to him that the honour belongs of having first rendered the whole Bible into English (A.D. 1384). This version was made from the Vulgate, and renders Gen. 3:15 after that Version, "She shall trede thy head." This translation was very stilted and mechanical in style. It is likely that only a few hundred copies were ever made, because the printing press had not yet been invented. Each

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copy was laboriously and meticulously copied by hand. There are presently one hundred and seventy copies still in existence.

In 1454, Johann Gutenberg developed the movable type printing press. This allowed all of the following Bible versions to be printed in much larger quantity. It seems no coincidence that Martin Luther and the Protestant Revolution began soon after (1517), since a much larger number of scholars now had easy access to Biblical texts.

This was followed by Tyndale's translation (1525-1531) (this translation was based on the original Greek of the New Testament, and was translated in a free idiomatic English; when the KJAV was produced almost a century later (1611), one-third of it retained Tyndale's wording and the remainder retained his general literary structure); Miles Coverdale's (1535-1553); Thomas Matthew's (1537), really, however, the work of John Rogers, the first martyr under the reign of Queen Mary. This was properly the first Authorized Version, Henry VIII, having ordered a copy of it to be got for every church. This took place in less than a year after Tyndale was martyred for the crime of translating the Scriptures. In 1539 Richard Taverner published a revised edition of Matthew's Bible. The Great Bible, so called from its great size, called also Cranmer's Bible, was published in 1539 and 1568. In the strict sense, the "Great Bible" is "the only authorized version; for the Bishops' Bible and the present Bible [the A.V.] never had the formal sanction of royal authority." Next in order was the Geneva version (1557-1560) (the first version to recognize the division of the text into verses); the Bishops' Bible (1568); the Rheims and Douai versions, under Roman Catholic auspices (1582, 1609) (still the standard Roman Catholic Bible); the Authorized Version (1611) (the most broadly distributed version, also called King James Authorized Version [KJAV]; the work of fifty-four scholars from Oxford, Cambridge and Westminster; a number of revisions were soon made, in 1613, 1629, 1638, 1762, and 1769); and the Revised Version of the New Testament in 1880 and of the Old Testament in 1884. The two were combined and called the English Revised Version (1885).

Newer Popular English VersionsGeneral Information

The American Standard Version (1901, 1946, 1957); The Holy Bible; Revised Standard Version (1946 [NT], 1952 [OT], 1971); the Living Bible (1971); the New International Version (NIV) (1973, 1978, 1984); the Simple English Version (1978, 1980); the New King James Version (1982); and the Micro Bible (1988), have all developed broad acceptance by various Christian Denominations and groups.

Additionally, the Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (Young, 1887, reprinted 1953); The Twentieth Century New Testament (1901); The Historical New Testament (Moffatt, 1901); The New Testament in Modern Speech (Weymouth, 1903); The Holy Bible - An Improved Edition (Amer. Baptist Publication Society, 1913); The Bible - A New Translation (Moffatt, 1922); The New Testament, an American Translation (Goodspeed, 1923); The Bible, an American Translation

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(Goodspeed, 1931); The New Testament (Williams, 1937); Letters to Young Churches (Phillips, 1948) (paraphrases the New Testament Epistles); The Gospels (Phillips, 1953) (popular paraphrases among young people); The Berkeley Version of the Bible (Verkuyl, 1959); have popularity for various reasons, usually either common vocabulary or extremely careful translation.

The Early Canon of the New TestamentThe following table indicates which Books of the New Testament were included in a number of early Versions, including several of the Manuscripts discussed above. See the legend at the bottom for descriptions of what the letters indicate.

Marcion

c.140

Iren-aeus130-202

OldLatin150-70

Murat-orianc.170

Tertull.

150-220

OldSyriac

200

Origen.

185-254

Hippo-lytus

200-25

Euse-bius325-40

CodexVatic

325-50

CodexSinai325-425

Athanasius367

Amphilocius380

Pesh-itta375-400

Cart-hage3c.397

CodexAlex

425-75

Matthew O I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IMark O I I I i I i i i i I i i i i ILuke i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IJohn o I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IActs o I I I i I i i i i I i i i i I

Romans i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i I1 Cor i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i I2 Cor i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IGalat i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IEphes i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IPhilip i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i IColoss i I I I i I i i i i I i i i i I1 Thess i i I I i I i i i i I i i i i I2 Thess i i i I i I i i i i I i i i i I1 Tim o i i I i I i i i m i i i i i I2 Tim o i i I i I i i i m i i i i i ITitus o i i I i I i i i m i i i i i I

Philem i i i I i I i o i i i i o i i I

Hebrew o o o O o I d o i i i i o i i IJames o o o O o I d o d m i i o i i I1 Pet o i o O i I i i i m i i o i i I2 Pet o o o O o O o o d m i i i o i I1 John o i i i i I o o i m i i i i i I2 John o i i i o O d o d m i i i o i I3 John o o i o o O d o d m i i i o i IJude o o i i i O d o d m i i i o i IRevel o i i i i O i i i m i i i o i I

Hermas o i o o o O i o r m i o o o o OBarnabas o o o o o O i o r m i o o o o ODidache o o o o o O i o r m o o o o o OApocPet o o o i o O o o o m o o o o o O

1Clement o o o o o O o o o m o o o o o i

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2Clement o o o o o O o o o m o o o o o i

i=included (canonicity definitely accepted) d=disputed (canonicity mentioned as being in doubt)o=omitted (canonicity doubted or denied) r=rejected (canonicity specifically denied)m=missing (the codex omits the Pastorals and ends at Heb. 9:13)

“History of the Bible”. BELIEVE Religious Information Source. 2 February, 2014. <http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/septuagi.htm

THE BIBLE'S MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE

Unlike the Qur'an, when we consider the New Testament manuscripts (MSS) we are astounded by the sheer numbers of extent copies which are in existence. Muslims contend, however, that since we do not have the original documents, the reliability of the copies we do have is thus in doubt. Yet is this assumption correct?

(1) New Testament Manuscript Copies:

Because the Bible is a book, it was initially made up of manuscripts. Consequently a primary means for ascertaining its credibility today are the number of copies from those manuscripts which are currently in one's possession. The more copies we have the better we can compare between them and thus know if the document we now read corresponds with the original. It is much like a witness to an event. If we have only one witness to the event, there is the possibility that the witness's agenda or even an exaggeration of the event has crept in and we would never know the full truth. But if we have many witnesses, the probability that they all got it wrong becomes minute.

Because of time and wear many of the historical documents from the ancient world have few manuscripts to which we can refer. This is specially true when we consider the secular historians and philosophers. For instance, we only have eight copies of Herodotus's historical works, whose originals were written in 480-425 BC. Likewise, only 5 copies of Aristotle's writings have found their way to the 20th century, while only 10 copies of the writings of Caesar, along with another 20 copies of the historian Tacitus, and 7 copies from the historian Pliny, who all originally wrote in the first century, are available today (McDowell 1972:42). These are indeed very few.

When we consider the New Testament, however, we find a completely different scenario. We have today in our possession 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, another 10,000 Latin Vulgates, and 9,300 other early versions (MSS), giving us more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament in existence today! Though we do not have any originals, with such a wealth of documentation at our disposal with which to compare, we can delineate quite closely what those originals contained.

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What's more, a substantial number were written well before the compilation of the Qur'an. In fact, according to research done by Kurt and Barbara Aland, a total of 230 manuscript portions are currently in existence which pre-date 600 AD! These can be broken down into 192 Greek New Testament manuscripts, 5 Greek lectionaries containing scripture, and 33 translations of the Greek New Testament (Aland 1987:82-83).

Muslims assert that we have similar problems concerning the large number of years which separate the manuscripts from the events which they speak about. Yet, unlike the Qur'an which was compiled much more recently, we do not find with the Bible such an enormous gap of time between that which the Bible speaks about and when it was written down. In fact, outside of the book of Revelation and the three letters of John considered to have been written later, when we look at the rest of the New Testament books, there is no longer any solid basis for dating them later than 80 AD, or 50 years after the death of Jesus Christ (Robinson 1976:79). Most of the New Testament was likely written before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and perhaps before the fire of Rome (64 AD), and the subsequent persecution of Christians, since none of these events, which would have had an enormous impact on the nascent Christian community are mentioned in any of the New Testament writings. Had the documents been compiled in the second century as Muslims claim, then certainly they would have mentioned these very important events.

This same logic can be taken a step further. Take for instance the martyrdoms of James in 62 AD, Paul in 64 AD, and Peter in 65 AD. All were leaders in the nascent church. Thus their deaths were momentous events for the early Christian community. Yet we find none of the deaths referred to in any of the 27 canonized books of the New Testament (and significantly not in Acts, the most comprehensive historical record we have of the early church). The only explanation can be that they were all written prior to these events, and thus likely before 62 AD, or a mere 30 years after the death of Jesus, of whose life they primarily refer.

(2) Available Manuscripts:

A further criticism concerns whether the copies we possess are credible. Since we do not possess the originals, people ask, how can we be sure they are identical to them? The initial answer is that we will never be completely certain, for there is no means at our disposal to reproduce the originals. This has always been a problem with all known ancient documents. Yet this same question is rarely asked of other historical manuscripts which we refer to constantly. If they are held to be credible, let's then see how the New Testament compares with them. Let's compare below the time gaps for the New Testament documents with other credible secular documents.

There were several historians of the ancient world whose works are quite popular. Thucydides, who wrote History of the Peloponnesian War, lived from 460 BC to 400 BC. Virtually everything we know about the war comes from his history. Yet, the earliest copy of any manuscripts of Thucydides' work dates around 900 AD, a full 1,300 years later! The Roman historian Suetonius lived between AD 70 to 140 AD. Yet the earliest copy of his book The Twelve Caesars is dated around AD 950, a full 800 years later. The chart below reveals the time gaps of these and other works

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from the ancient world and compares them to the earliest New Testament manuscripts (taken from McDowell 1972:42, & Bruce 1943:16-17).

Author Date Written Earliest Copy Time Span Copies (extent)

 Secular Manuscripts:Herodotus (History) 480 - 425 BC 900 AD 1,300 years 8Thucydides (History) 460 - 400 BC 900 AD 1,300 years ?Aristotle (Philosopher) 384 - 322 BC 1,100 AD 1,400 years 5Caesar (History) 100 - 44 BC 900 AD 1,000 years 10Pliny (History) 61 - 113 AD 850 AD 750 years 7Suetonius (Roman History) 70 - 140 AD 950 AD 800 years ?Tacitus (Greek History) 100 AD 1,100 AD 1,000 years 20 Biblical Manuscripts: (note: these are individual manuscripts)Magdalene Ms (Matthew 26) 1st century 50-60 AD co-existant (?)  John Rylands (John) 90 AD 130 AD 40 years  Bodmer Papyrus II (John) 90 AD 150-200 AD 60-110 years  Chester Beatty Papyri (N.T.) 1st century 200 AD 150 years  Diatessaron by Tatian (Gospels) 1st century 200 AD 150 years  Codex Vaticanus (Bible) 1st century 325-350 AD 275-300 years  Codex Sinaiticus (Bible) 1st century 350 AD 300 years  Codex Alexandrinus (Bible) 1st century 400 AD 350 years  

Total New Testament manuscripts = 5,300 Greek MSS, 10,000 Latin Vulgates, 9,300 others = 24,000 copiesTotal MSS compiled prior to 600 AD = 230

What one notices almost immediately from the table is that the New Testament manuscript copies which we possess today were compiled very early, a number of them hundreds of years before the earliest copy of a secular manuscript. This not only shows the importance the early Christians gave to preserving their scriptures, but the enormous wealth we have today for early Biblical documentation.

What is even more significant however, are the differences in time spans between the original manuscripts and the copies of both the biblical and secular manuscripts. It is well known in historical circles that the closer a document can be found to the event it describes the more credible it is. The time span for the biblical manuscript copies listed above are all within 350 years of the originals, some as early as 130-250 years and one even purporting to coexist with the original (i.e. the Magdalene Manuscript fragments of Matthew 26), while the time span for the secular manuscript copies are much greater, between 750-1,400 years! This indeed gives enormous authority to the biblical manuscript copies, as no other ancient piece of literature can make such close time comparisons.

Because of its importance to our discussion here a special note needs to be given to the Magdalene Manuscript mentioned above. Until two years ago, the oldest assumed manuscript which we possessed was the St. John papyrus (P52), housed in the John Rylands museum in Manchester, and dated at 120 AD (Time April 26, 1996, pg.8). Thus, it was thought that the earliest New Testament manuscript could not be corroborated by eyewitnesses to the events. That assumption has now changed, for

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three even older manuscripts, one each from the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke have now been dated earlier than the Johannine account. It is two of these three findings which I believe will completely change the entire focus of the critical debate on the authenticity of the Bible.

The Lukan papyrus, situated in a library in Paris has been dated to the late 1st century or early 2nd century, so it predates the John papyrus by 20-30 years (Time April 26, 1996, pg.8). But of more importance are the manuscript findings of Mark and Matthew! New research which has now been uncovered by Dr. Carsten Thiede, and is published in his newly released book on the subject, the Jesus Papyrus mentions a fragment from the book of Mark found among the Qumran scrolls (fragment 7Q5) showing that it was written sometime before 68 AD It is important to remember that Christ died in 33 AD, so this manuscript could have been written, at the latest, within 35 years of His death; possibly earlier, and thus during the time that the eyewitnesses to that event were still alive!

The most significant find, however, is a manuscript fragment from the book of Matthew (chapt.26) called the Magdalene Manuscript which has been analysed by Dr. Carsten Thiede, and also written up in his book The Jesus Papyrus. Using a sophisticated analysis of the handwriting of the fragment by employing a special state-of-the-art microscope, he differentiated between 20 separate micrometer layers of the papyrus, measuring the height and depth of the ink as well as the angle of the stylus used by the scribe. After this analysis Thiede was able to compare it with other papyri from that period; notably manuscripts found at Qumran (dated to 58 AD), another at Herculaneum (dated prior to 79 AD), a further one from the fortress of Masada (dated to between 73/74 AD), and finally a papyrus from the Egyptian town of Oxyrynchus. The Magdalene Manuscript fragments matches all four, and in fact is almost a twin to the papyrus found in Oxyrynchus, which bears the date of 65/66 AD Thiede concludes that these papyrus fragments of St. Matthew's Gospel were written no later than this date and probably earlier. That suggests that we either have a portion of the original gospel of Matthew, or an immediate copy which was written while Matthew and the other disciples and eyewitnesses to the events were still alive. This would be the oldest manuscript portion of our Bible in existence today, one which co-exists with the original writers!

What is of even more importance is what it says. The Matthew 26 fragment uses in its text nomina sacra (holy names) such as the diminutive "IS" for Jesus and "KE" for Kurie or Lord (The Times, Saturday, December 24, 1994). This is highly significant for our discussion today, because it suggests that the godhead of Jesus was recognised centuries before it was accepted as official church doctrine at the council of Nicea in 325 AD There is still ongoing discussion concerning the exact dating of this manuscript. However, if the dates prove to be correct then this document alone completely eradicates the criticism levelled against the gospel accounts (such as the "Jesus Seminar") that the early disciples knew nothing about Christ's divinity, and that this concept was a later redaction imposed by the Christian community in the second century (AD).

We have other manuscript evidence for the New Testament as well:

(3) Versions or Translations:

Besides the 24,000 manuscripts we have more than 15,000 existing copies of the various versions written in the Latin and Syriac (Christian Aramaic), some of which were written as early as 150 A.D., such as the Syriac Peshitta (150-250 A.D.).

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Because Christianity was a missionary faith from its very inception (Matthew 28:19-20), the scriptures were immediately translated into the known languages of that period. For that reason other written translations appeared soon after, such as Coptic translations (early 3rd and 4th centuries), Armenian (400 A.D.), Gothic (4th century), Georgian (5th century), Ethiopic (6th century), and Nubian (6th century) (McDowell 1972:48-50). The fact that we have so many translations of the New Testament points to its authenticity, as it would have been almost impossible, had the disciples or later followers wanted to corrupt or forge its contents, for them to have amassed all of the translations from the outlying areas and changed each one so that there would have been the uniformity which we find witnessed in these translations today.

(4) Lectionaries:

The practice of reading passages from the New Testament books at worship services began from the 6th century, so that today we have 2,135 lectionaries which have been catalogued from this period (McDowell 1972:52). If there had been a forgery, they too would have all had to have been changed.

(5) Early Church Father's Letters:

But possibly the greatest attestation for the authority of our New Testament are the masses of quotations taken from its pages by the early church fathers. Dean Burgon in his research found in all 86,489 quotes from the early church fathers (McDowell 1990:47-48; 1991:52). In fact, there are 32,000 quotations from the New Testament found in writings from before the council of Nicea in 325 A.D. (Mcdowell Evidence, 1972:52). J. Harold Greenlee points out that the quotations of the scripture in the works of the early church writers are so extensive that the New Testament could virtually be reconstructed from them without the use of New Testament manuscripts.

Sir David Dalrymple sought to do this, and from the second and third century writings of the church fathers he found the entire New Testament quoted except for eleven verses (McDowell 1972:50-51; 1990:48)! Thus, we could throw the New Testament manuscripts away and still reconstruct it with the simple help of these letters. Some examples of these are (from McDowell's Evidence..., 1972 pg. 51):Clement (30- 95 A.D.) quotes from various sections of the New Testament.Ignatius (70-110 A.D.) knew the apostles and quoted directly from 15 of the 27 books.Polycarp (70-156 A.D.) was a disciple of John and quoted from the New Testament.Thus the manuscript evidence at our disposal today gives us over 24,000 manuscripts with which to corroborate our current New Testament. The earliest of these manuscripts have now been dated earlier than 60-70 A.D., so within the lifetime of the original writers, and with an outside possibility that they are the originals themselves. On top of that we have 15,000 early translations of the New Testament, and over 2,000 lectionaries. And finally we have scriptural quotations in the letters of the early Church fathers with which we could almost reproduce the New Testament if we so wished. This indeed is substantial manuscript evidence for the New Testament.

So what comparisons are there between the manuscript evidence for the Qur'an and

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the Bible? We know from the historical record that by the end of the seventh century the Arabs had expanded right across North Africa and up into Spain, andeast as far as India. The Qur'an (according to later Islamic tradition) was the centrepiece of their faith and practice at that time. Certainly within that enormous sphere of influence there should therefore be some Qur'anic manuscripts which still exist till this day. Yet, there is nothing from that period at all. The only manuscripts which Islam provides turn out to have been compiled in the ninth century, while the earliest corroborated manuscript is dated 790 A.D., written not 1400 years ago asMuslims claim but a mere 1,200 years ago.

While Christianity can claim more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, 10,000 Latin Vulgates and at least 9,300 other early versions, adding up to over 24,000 corroborated New Testament manuscripts still in existence (McDowell 1990:43-55), most of which were written between 25-400 years after the death of Christ (or between the 1st and 5th centuries) (McDowell 1972:39-49), Islam cannot provide a single manuscript until well into the eighth century (Lings & Safadi 1976:17; Schimmel 1984:4-6). If the Christians could retain so many thousands of ancient manuscripts, all of which were written long before the Qur'an, at a time when paper had not yet been introduced, forcing the dependency on papyrus which disintegrated with age, then one wonders why the Muslims are not able to forward a single manuscript from this much later period, during which the Qur'an was supposedly revealed? This indeed gives the Bible a much stronger claim for reliability than the Qur'an.

Furthermore, while the earliest New Testament manuscripts as well as the earliest letters from the church fathers correspond with the New Testament which we have in our hands, providing us with some certainty that they have not been unduly added to or tampered with, the Qur'anic material which we have in our possession abounds with stories whose origins we can now trace to second century Jewish and Christian apocryphal literature. We know in some cases who wrote them, when exactly they were written and at times even why they were written; and that none of them were from a divine source, as they were written by the most human of Rabbis and storytellers over the intervening centuries after the Bible had been canonized.

JAY, A WEBSITE STUDY, “The Bible and the Qu’ran, An Historical Comparison”. Bible Study Manuals. 2 February 2014. <http://www.biblestudymanuals.net/quran3.htm>

THE BIBLE'S DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE(1900=Abraham, 1700=Joseph, 1447=Moses, 1000=David)

The documentary evidence for the reliability of the Bible has been an area of research which has been increasing rapidly over the last few decades. But this hasn't always been so. The assumption by many former archaeologists was that the Old Testament was written not in the tenth to fourteenth centuries B.C. by the authors described within its text, but by later Jewish historians during the much later second to sixth century B.C., and that the stories were then redacted back onto the

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great prophets such as Moses and David, etc... Yet, with the enormous quantity of data which has been uncovered and is continuing to be uncovered, as well as the new forensic research methods being employed to study them, what we are now finding is that many of these preconceived notions of authorship are simply no longer valid.

For instance:

(1) The skeptics contended that the Pentateuch could not have been written by Moses, because there was no evidence of any writing that early. Then the Black Stele was found with the detailed laws of Hammurabi which were written 300 years before Moses, and in the same region.

(2) There was much doubt as to the reliability of the Old Testament documents, since the oldest manuscript in our possession was the Massoretic Text, written in 916 A.D. How, the skeptics asked, can we depend on a set of writings whose earliest manuscripts are so recent? Then came the amazing discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls written around 125 B.C. These scrolls show us that outside of minute copying errors it is identical to the Massoretic Text and yet it predates it by over 1,000 years! We have further corroboration in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew text, translated around 150-200 B.C.

Yet to please the skeptics, the best documentary evidence for the reliability of the �Biblical text must come from documents external to the Biblical text themselves. There has always been doubt concerning the stories of Abraham and the Patriarchs found in the books attributed to Moses, the Pentateuch. The skeptics maintained that there is no method of ascertaining their reliability since we have no corroboration from external secular accounts. This has all changed; for instance:

(3) Discoveries from excavations at Nuzu, Mari and Assyrian, Hittite, Sumerian and Eshunna Codes point out that Hebrew poetry, Mosaic legislation as well as the Hebrew social customs all fit the period and region of the patriarchs.

(4) According to the historians there were no Hittites at the time of Abraham, thus the historicity of the Biblical accounts describing them was questionable. Now we know from inscriptions of that period that there were 1,200 years of Hittite civilization, much of it corresponding with the Patriarchal period.

(5) Historians also told us that no such people as the Horites existed. It is these people whom we find mentioned in the genealogy of Esau in Genesis 36:20. Yet now they have been discovered as a group of warriors also living in Mesopotamia during the Patriarchal period.

(6) The account of Daniel, according to the sceptical historians, must have been written in the second century and not the sixth century B.C. because of all the precise historical detail found in its content. Yet now the sixth century's East India Inscription corresponds with the Daniel 4:30 account of Nebuchadnezzar's building, proving that the author of Daniel must have been an eye-witness from that period. Either way it is amazing.

The strongest case for extra-Biblical corroboration of the Patriarchal period is found in four sets of tablets which have been and are continuing to be uncovered from that

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area of the world. They demonstrate that the Biblical account is indeed historically reliable. Let's briefly look at all four sets of tablets.

(7) *Armana tablets: (from Egypt) mention the Habiru or Apiru in Hebrew, which was first applied to Abraham in Genesis 14:13.

(8) *Ebla tablets: 17,000 tablets from Tell Mardikh (Northern Syria), dating from 2300 B.C., shows us that a thousand years before Moses, laws, customs and events were recorded in writing in that part of the world, and that the judicial proceedings and case laws were very similar to the Deuteronomy law code (i.e. Deuteronomy 22:22-30 codes on punishment for sex offenses). One tablet mentions and lists the five cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar in the exact sequence which we find in Genesis 14:8! Until these tablets were uncovered the existence of Sodom and Gomorrah had always been in doubt by historians.

(9) *Mari tablets: (from the Euphrates) mentions king Arriyuk, or Arioch of Genesis 14, and lists the towns of Nahor and Harran (from Genesis 24:10), as well as the names Benjamin and Habiru.

(10) *Nuzi tablets: (from Iraq) speaks about a number of customs which we find in the Pentateuch, such as:

a) a barren wife giving a handmaiden to her husband (i.e. Hagar)

b) a bride chosen for the son by the father (i.e. Rebekah) c) a dowry paid to the father-in-law (i.e. Jacob)

d) work done to pay a dowry(i.e.Jacob)

e) the unchanging oral will of a father (i.e. Isaac)f) a father giving his daughter a slave-girl (i.e. Leah, Rachel)

g) the sentence of death for stealing a cult gods (i.e. Jacob).

Because of these extra-Biblical discoveries many of the historians are now changing their position. Thus Joseph Free states: "New discoveries now show us that a host of supposed [Biblical] errors and contradictions are not errors at all: such as, that Sargon existed and lived in a palatial dwelling 12 miles north of Ninevah, that the Hittites were a significant people, that the concept of a sevenfold lamp existed in the early Iron Age, that a significant city given in the record of David's empire lies far to the north, and that Belshazzar existed and ruled over Babylon."

“The Bible’s Documentary Evidence”. The Debate. 2 February, 2014. <http://www.debate.org.uk/debate-topics/historical/the-bible-and-the-quran/the-bibles-documentary-evidence/>

THE BIBLE'S ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE (1900=Abraham, 1700=Joseph, 1447=Moses, 1000=David)

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What has become evident over the last few decades is that unlike the difficulties found with the Qur'anic evidence, the most fruitful area for a confirmation of the Bible's reliability has come from the field of archaeology, for it is here that the past can speak to us the clearest concerning what happened then.

Because Abraham is honoured by both Christianity and Islam it is interesting to look at the archaeological evidence concerning his time which is now coming to light in the twentieth century. What we find is that archaeology clearly places Abraham in Palestine and not in Arabia.

1) Abraham's name appears in Babylonia as a personal name at the very period of the patriarchs, though the critics believed he was a fictitious character who was redacted back by the later Israelites.

2) The field of Abram in Hebron is mentioned in 918 B.C., by the Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt (now also believed to be Ramases II). He had just finished warring in Palestine and inscribed on the walls of his temple at Karnak the name of the great patriarch, proving that even at this early date Abraham was known not in Arabia, as Muslims contend, but in Palestine, the land the Bible places him.

3) The Beni Hasan Tomb from the Abrahamic period, depicts Asiatics coming to Egypt during a famine, corresponding with the Biblical account of the plight of the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'.There is further archaeology evidence which supports other Biblical accounts, such as:

4) The doors of Sodom (Tell Beit Mirsim) dated to between 2200-1600 B.C. are heavy doors needed for security; the same doors which we find in Genesis 19:9. Yet, if this account had been written between 900-600 B.C., as the critics previously claimed, we would have read about arches and curtains, because security was no longer such a concern then.

5) Joseph's price as a slave was 20 shekels (Genesis 37:28), which, according to trade tablets from that period is the correct price for 1,700 B.C. An earlier account would have been cheaper, while a later account would have been more expensive.

6) Joseph's Tomb (Joshua 24:32) has possibly been found in Shechem, as in the find there is a mummy, and next to the mummy sits an Egyptian officials sword! Is this mere coincidence?

7) Jericho's excavation showed that the walls fell outwards, echoing Joshua 6:20, enabling the attackers to climb over and into the town. Yet according to the laws of physics, walls of towns always fall inwards! A later redactor would certainly have not made such an obvious mistake, unless he was an eyewitness, as Joshua was.

8) David's capture of Jerusalem recounted in II Samuel 5:6-8 and I Chronicles 11:6 speak of Joab using water shafts built by the Jebusites to surprise them and defeat them. Historians had assumed these were simply legendary, until archaeological excavations by R.A.S. Macalister, J.G.Duncan, and Kathleen Kenyon on Ophel now have found these very water shafts.

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Another new and exciting archaeological research is that which has been carried out by the British Egyptologist, David Rohl. Until a few years ago we only had archaeological evidence for the Patriarchal, Davidic and New Testament periods, but little to none for the Mosaic period. Yet one would expect much data on this period due to the cataclysmic events which occurred during that time. David Rohl (in A Test of Time) has given us a possible reason why, and it is rather simple. It seems that we have simply been off in our dates by almost 300 years! By redating the Pharonic lists in Egypt he has been able to now identify the abandoned city of the Israelite slaves (called Avaris), the death pits from the tenth plague, and Joseph's original tomb and home. There remain many 'tells' yet to uncover.

Moving into the New Testament material we are dependant on archaeology once again to corroborate a number of facts which the critics considered to be at best dubious and at worst in error.

9) Paul's reference to Erastus as the treasurer of Corinth (Romans 16:23) was thought to be erroneous, but now has been confirmed by a pavement found in 1929 bearing his name.

It is to Luke, however, that the skeptics have reserved their harshest criticisms, because he more than any other of the first century writers spoke about specific peoples and places. Yet, surprisingly, once the dust had settled on new inscription findings, it is Luke who has confounded these same critics time and again. For instance:

10) Luke's use of the word Meris to maintain that Philippi was a "district" of Macedonia was doubted until inscriptions were found which use this very word to describe divisions of a district.

11) Luke's mention of Quirinius as the governor of Syria during the birth of Jesus has now been proven accurate by an inscription from Antioch.

12) Luke's usage of Politarchs to denote the civil authority of Thessalonica (Acts 17:6) was questioned, until some 19 inscriptions have been found that make use of this title, 5 of which are in reference to Thessalonica.

13) Luke's usage of Praetor to describe a Philippian ruler instead of duumuir has been proven accurate, as the Romans used this term for magistrates of their colonies.

14) Luke's usage of Proconsul as the title for Gallio in Acts 18:12 has come under much criticism by secular historians, as the later traveller and writer Pliny never referred to Gallio as a Proconsul. This fact alone, they said, proved that the writer of Acts wrote his account much later as he was not aware of Gallio's true position. It was only recently that the Delphi Inscription , dated to 52 A.D. was uncovered. This inscription states, "As Lusius Junius Gallio, my friend, and the proconsul of Achaia..." Here then was secular corroboration for the Acts 18:12 account. Yet Gallio only held this position for one year. Thus the writer of Acts had to have written this verse in or around 52 A.D., and not later, otherwise he would not have known Gallio was a proconsul. Suddenly this supposed error not only gives credibility to the historicity of the Acts account, but also dates the writings in and around 52 A.D. Had the writer written the book of Acts in the 2nd century as many liberal scholars suggest he would have agreed with Pliny and both would have been contradicted by the eyewitness account of the Delphi Inscription.

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“The Bible’s Archeological Evidence”. The Debate. 2 February 2014. <http://www.debate.org.uk/debate-topics/historical/the-bible-and-the-quran/the-bibles-archaeological-evidence/>

Advanced Medical Knowledge

In numerous instances the Bible contains medical information that far predates man's actual discoveries of related principles in the field of medicine. The medical instructions given by Moses to the Israelites some 3500 years ago were not only far superior to the practices of contemporary cultures, they also exceeded medical standards practiced as recently as 100 years ago. Where did Moses get this advanced information? Following are some examples of the medical knowledge afforded the Israelites in biblical times:

Sanitary Practices

For centuries doctors denied the possibility that disease could be transmitted by invisible agents. However, in the late 19th century Louis Pasteur demonstrated in his Germ Theory of Diseasethat most infectious diseases were caused by microorganisms originating from outside the body. This new understanding of germs and their means of transmission led to improved sanitary standards that resulted in an enormous drop in the mortality rate. Yet these core principles of sanitation were being practiced by the Israelites thousands of years earlier.

The Israelites were instructed to wash themselves and their clothes in running water if they had a bodily discharge, if they came in contact with another person's discharge, or if they had touched a dead human or animal carcass. They were also instructed to wash any uncovered vessels that were in the vicinity of a dead body, and if a dead carcass touched a vessel it was to be destroyed. Items recovered during war were also to be purified through either fire or running water. In addition, the Israelites were instructed to bury their human waste outside of camp, and to burn the waste of their animals (See Numbers 19, Leviticus 11 and 15, Deuteronomy 23:12).

These sanitary practices without question saved countless lives in the Israelite camps by protecting them against infection caused by unseen germs. Meanwhile, their Egyptian peers were dying by the thousands due to "remedies" that almost always consisted of some amount of human or animal dung. As mentioned earlier, the sound sanitary practices that we take for granted today only began to flourish about a 100 years ago.

Bacteria

Some time after I wrote these web pages, a Bible skeptic unwittingly showed me yet another example of advanced scientific/medical knowledge in the Bible. He posted a message on a discussion board that ridiculed some verses in Leviticus 13 and 14 that mention leprosy on walls and on garments. He felt this was silly and an error since leprosy is a human disease. What this skeptic was unaware of is the fact that leprosy is a bacteria, a living organism, that certainly can survive on walls and

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garments! In fact, the Medic-Planet.com encyclopedia notes that leprosy "can survive three weeks or longer outside the human body, such as in dust or on clothing". It is no wonder that God commanded the Levitical priests to burn the garments of leprosy victims! (Leviticus 13:52)

Laws of Quarantine

In the same Med-Planet encyclopedia cited above we read that "It was not until 1873 that leprosy could be shown to be infectious rather than hereditary." Of course God knew this all along, as His laws to Moses reveal (Leviticus 13, 14, 22, Numbers 19:20). His instructions regarding quarantine to prevent the spread of leprosy and other infectious diseases are nothing short of remarkable, considering that this life-saving practice was several thousand years ahead of its time. Infected persons were instructed to isolate themselves outside the camp until healed, and were to shave and wash thoroughly. The priests that administered care were instructed to change their clothes and wash thoroughly after inspecting a plague victim.

It should be re-emphasized that the Israelites were the only culture to practice quarantine until the last century, when medical advances finally demonstrated the importance of sanitation and isolation during plagues. The devastating black plague of the 14th century that claimed millions of lives was not broken until the church fathers in Vienna began encouraging the public to start following the guidelines as set forth in the Bible. The promising results in Vienna compelled other cities to follow suit, and the dreaded plague was finally eradicated.

The First Antiseptic

Hyssop oil was charged by God to Moses to be used as a purifying agent. Hyssop oil has been shown to contain 50% antifungal and antibacterial agents (Numbers 19:18, Psalm 51:7).

Circumcision and Blood Clotting

For centuries scholars must have been perplexed by God's law of circumcision which required the procedure to be performed on the 8th day after birth (Gen 17:12, Gen 21:14, Lev 12:3, Luke 2:21). Medical researchers recently discovered that the two main blood clotting factors, Vitamin K and Prothrombim, reach their highest level in life, about 110% of normal, on the 8th day after birth. These blood clotting agents facilitate rapid healing and greatly reduce the chance of infection. You can verify with any Obstetrician that the 8th day of life is the ideal time for a circumcision, and that any circumcision done earlier requires an injection of Vitamin K supplement.

Dietary Guidelines

By the 1980s, all the health organizations of the United States had adopted low-fat, high fiber dietary guidelines.  This was the culmination of numerous scientific studies that had demonstrated that diets high in vegetables, fruits, and grains reduced the risk of heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases.  Secular physicians generally agree that these dietary guidelines that were producing longer life spans were first developed by religious movements founded in the 1800s,

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particularly by the Seventh-day Adventists.  Where did the Seventh-day Adventists get their guidelines?   From a meticulous and careful study of the Bible.  It appears man has finally caught up to the dietary recommendations given by God to the Israelites some 3500 years ago!

   Williams, Fred.“Advanced Medical Knowledge”. Bible Evidences. 2 February 2014.<http://www.bibleevidences.com/medical.htm>    

                     Advanced Scientific Knowledge

Though the Bible is not a science book, when it touches on scientific matters it is either completely accurate or non-contradictory, and often demonstrates remarkable fore-knowledge. There are many scientific facts mentioned in the Bible that were not understood by man until centuries after the Bible was written. Following are a few examples:

The Earth and Space

The earth's shape is perhaps the most important to deal with first since many critics claim that the Bible portrays the earth as flat. This couldn't be farther from the truth and in my opinion is one of the most vaporous arguments used by skeptics against the Bible. There is not a single passage that plainly states that the earth is flat. The groundswell of this criticism gets its roots from the inaccurate but common belief among many that the ancients on up through the middle ages believed that the earth was flat. The truth is, virtually all learned people have known for the last 2500 years that the earth is spherical.

Before the learned ancients surmised that the earth was spherical, the divinely inspired Isaiah wrote "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth...(Isaiah 40:22)". In addition, from the Book of Job we have "He stretches out the north over empty space; he hangs the earth on nothing (Job 26:7)". It should be noted that just last century scientists believed space consisted of a hypothetical substance called Ether (not the chemical), which was the medium between the celestial bodies.  Also, the pagans of that time believed in such things as a mythical Atlas character who supported the pillars that held heaven and earth apart, and later carried the earth around on his shoulders. Another interesting tidbit that illuminates the divine nature of Job 26:7 is the recent discovery of a huge hole in space in the direction of the northern hemisphere.

First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics

The 1st Law of Thermodynamics states that matter can be neither created nor destroyed, and that the amount of matter in the universe remains constant. If the First Law is correct, which every scientific measurement ever made has confirmed, then the universe could not have created itself, it must have been created in the past, no further creating must be going on, and no loss of creation is occurring. The Bible is the only religious book that correctly portrays the First Law by 1) its

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description in Genesis of a Creator who is no longer creating, and 2) a Creator who is "upholding all things by the word of his power ( Heb 1:3)" .

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, which states that all systems degenerate from order to disorder, was regarded by Albert Einstein to be the premier Law in science. Again the Bible is the only religious book to accurately describe this Law: "For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, the earth will grow old like a garment... , (Isa 51:6)", and also a New Testament rendering: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; (Heb 1:10-11)"

The Hydrologic Cycle

The circulation and conservation of earth's water is called the hydrologic cycle, which is accurately portrayed in several passages of the Bible, including the following: "For He draws up drops of water, which distill as rain from the mist, which the clouds drop down and pour abundantly on man. ( Job 36:27-28)" .Centuries after the Book of Job was written, Aristotle demonstrated only a vague understanding of this process. Though he recognized that rain came from clouds, he incorrectly postulated that air turned into water and vice versa.

It has only recently been learned that most clouds are formed by ocean evaporation, but again the Bible had it right centuries ago: "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; to the place from which the rivers come, there they return again (NKJ, Eccl 1:7)".   The complex nature of how water is supported in clouds despite being heavier than air is clearly implied when God declared to Job "Do you know how the clouds are balanced, those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge ,( Job 37:16).

The value of Pi

In the verse of the Bible that contains a circumference and diameter (1 Kings 7:23), the Hebrew word for circumference contains an extra character at the end that can only add value to the word by applying Gematria (each Hebrew letter also represents a number). When taking the ratio of the added character to the value of the original word, the value of Pi is achieved to within 4 decimal places!

Ocean Currents

Scientists have only recently discovered springs of water in the depths of the oceans. Perhaps this is what the Bible is referring to in the following: "Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths? (Job 38:16)".

Man from Dust

Researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center confirmed that every element in man can be found in the soil, prompting one of the scientists to say "...the biblical scenario for the creation of life turns out to be not far off the mark".

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DNA, Biological Information

Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA, is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms (with the exception of RNA viruses). The main role of DNA molecules is the long-term storage of information. DNA is often compared to a set of blueprints, like a recipe or a code, since it contains the instructions needed to construct other components of cells, such as proteins and RNA molecules. The Bible said that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.…, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,…. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret,And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seenmy unformed substance;… (Ps 139:13-16)

Gravitational Properties of Constellations

God asked Job “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?” (Job 38:31). In the last century astrophysicists have discovered that the stars of Pleiades move in unison with each other, and are thus gravitationally bound. They have also discovered that the stars of Orion are free agents that are not gravitationally bound! Interestingly, the three stars that comprise Orion's belt appear to be closer  together than the outer stars in the constellation, but are actually farther apart! (they appear closer together because of the 2-D plane we see them in).

Vast number of stars in the Universe

God said to Abraham 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.' And He said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.'(Gen 15:5)". And through the prophet Jeremiah, 'As the host of heaven (stars) cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant (Jeremiah 33:22,). And finally, in the New Testament "Therefore from one man, ...were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude-- innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Hebrews 11:12)"

Before the invention of the telescope in 1608, scientists throughout history, including the famous astronomer Ptolemy (150 AD), taught that the total number of stars in the heavens was under 3000. On a clear night the naked eye can only count about 1000 stars. However, because of telescopes such as the Hubble, we now know there are countless billions upon billions of stars in the universe - just as God had revealed to us several thousand years ago through the Bible.

Precise dimensions of Noah's Ark

The dimensions of Noah's Ark as described in the Bible are ideal for stability. In fact, South Korean architects who examined the dimensions found that the boat was virtually impossible to capsize! Their modeling and analysis found that the ark could survive waves higher than 30 meters! (note that a typical tsunami is only 10 meters high). Many other cultures have flood legends similar to the account in the Bible, but

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their ark descriptions were never palatable.  For example, the Babylonian Gilgamesh Flood legend described an ark that was shaped like a cube, which would be horrible for stability.

Williams, Fred. “Advanced Scientific Knowledge”. Bible Evidences. 2 February, 2014. <http://www.bibleevidences.com/scientif.htm>

Science and the Bible

The Bible is not a science book, yet it is scientifically accurate. We are not aware of any scientific evidence that contradicts the Bible. We have listed statements on this page that are consistent with known scientific facts. Many of them were listed in the Bible hundreds or even thousands of years before being recorded elsewhere.

Statements Consistent With Paleontology

Dinosaurs are referred to in several Bible books. The book of Job describes two dinosaurs. One is described in chapter 40 starting at verse 15, and the other in chapter 41 starting at verse 1. We think you will agree that 1½ chapters about dinosaurs is a lot—since most people do not even realize that they are mentioned in the Bible.

Statements Consistent With Astronomy

The Bible frequently refers to the great number of stars in the heavens. Here are two examples.

Genesis 22:17Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

Jeremiah 33:22“As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.” Even today, scientists admit that they do not know how many stars there are. Only about 3,000 can be seen with the naked eye. We have seen estimates of 1021 stars—which is a lot of stars. (The number of grains of sand on the earth’s seashores is estimated to be 1025. As scientists discover more stars, wouldn’t it be interesting to discover that these two numbers match?)

The Bible also says that each star is unique.

1 Corinthians 15:41There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. All stars look alike to the naked eye.* Even when seen through a telescope, they seem to be just points of light. However, analysis of their light spectra reveals that

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each is unique and different from all others. (*Note: We understand that people can perceive some slight difference in color and apparent brightness when looking at stars with the naked eye, but we would not expect a person living in the first century A.D. to claim they differ from one another.)

The Bible describes the precision of movement in the universe.

Jeremiah 31:35,36Thus says the LORD,Who gives the sun for a light by day,The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,Who disturbs the sea,And its waves roar(The LORD of hosts is His name):“If those ordinances departFrom before Me, says the LORD,Then the seed of Israel shall also ceaseFrom being a nation before Me forever.”

The Bible describes the suspension of the Earth in space.

Job 26:7He stretches out the north over empty space;He hangs the earth on nothing. Statements Consistent With MeteorologyThe Bible describes the circulation of the atmosphere.

Ecclesiastes 1:6The wind goes toward the south,And turns around to the north;The wind whirls about continually,And comes again on its circuit.

The Bible includes some principles of fluid dynamics.

Job 28:25To establish a weight for the wind,And apportion the waters by measure. The fact that air has weight was proven scientifically only about 300 years ago. The relative weights of air and water are needed for the efficient functioning of the world’s hydrologic cycle, which in turn sustains life on the earth.(If you are a physics enthusiast, please ignore our omission of the terms mass, gravity, and density from this comment.)

Statements Consistent With Biology

The book of Leviticus (written prior to 1400 BC) describes the value of blood.

Leviticus 17:11‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ The blood carries water and nourishment to every cell, maintains the body’s temperature, and removes the waste material of the body’s cells. The blood also

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carries oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. In 1616, William Harvey discovered that blood circulation is the key factor in physical life—confirming what the Bible revealed 3,000 years earlier.The Bible describes biogenesis (the development of living organisms from other living organisms) and the stability of each kind of living organism.

Genesis 1:11,12Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:21So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:25And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. The phrase “according to its kind” occurs repeatedly, stressing the reproductive integrity of each kind of animal and plant. Today we know this occurs because all of these reproductive systems are programmed by their genetic codes.

The Bible describes the chemical nature of flesh.

Genesis 2:7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Genesis 3:19In the sweat of your face you shall eat breadTill you return to the ground,For out of it you were taken;For dust you are,And to dust you shall return.

It is a proven fact that a person’s mental and spiritual health is strongly correlated with physical health. The Bible revealed this to us with these statements (and others) written by King Solomon about 950 BC.

Proverbs 12:4An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 14:30A sound heart is life to the body,But envy is rottenness to the bones.

Proverbs 15:30The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,And a good report makes the bones healthy.

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Proverbs 16:24Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Proverbs 17:22A merry heart does good, like medicine,But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Statements Consistent With Anthropology

We have cave paintings and other evidence that people inhabited caves. The Bible also describes cave men.

Job 30:5,6They were driven out from among men,They shouted at them as at a thief.They had to live in the clefts of the valleys,In caves of the earth and the rocks. Note that these were not ape-men, but descendants of those who scattered from Babel. They were driven from the community by those tribes who competed successfully for the more desirable regions of the earth. Then for some reason they deteriorated mentally, physically, and spiritually. (Go into a bad part of your town and you will see this concept in action today.)Statements Consistent With Hydrology

The bible includes reasonably complete descriptions of the hydrologic cycle.

Psalm 135:7He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;He makes lightning for the rain;He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

Jeremiah 10:13When He utters His voice,There is a multitude of waters in the heavens:“And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth.He makes lightning for the rain,He brings the wind out of His treasuries.” In these verses you can see several phases of the hydrologic cycle—the worldwide processes of evaporation, translation aloft by atmospheric circulation, condensation with electrical discharges, and precipitation.

Job 36:27-29For He draws up drops of water,Which distill as rain from the mist,Which the clouds drop downAnd pour abundantly on man.Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,The thunder from His canopy? This simple verse has remarkable scientific insight. The drops of water which eventually pour down as rain first become vapor and then condense to tiny liquid water droplets in the clouds. These finally coalesce into drops large enough to overcome the updrafts that suspend them in the air.

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The Bible describes the recirculation of water.

Ecclesiastes 1:7All the rivers run into the sea,Yet the sea is not full;To the place from which the rivers come,There they return again.

Isaiah 55:10For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,And do not return there,But water the earth,And make it bring forth and bud,That it may give seed to the sowerAnd bread to the eater,

The Bible refers to the surprising amount of water that can be held as condensation in clouds.

Job 26:8He binds up the water in His thick clouds,Yet the clouds are not broken under it.

Job 37:11Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;He scatters His bright clouds.

Hydrothermal vents are described in two books of the Bible written before 1400BC—more than 3,000 years before their discovery by science.

Genesis 7:11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Job 38:16Have you entered the springs of the sea?Or have you walked in search of the depths? Statements Consistent With GeologyThe Bible describes the Earth’s crust (along with a comment on astronomy).

Jeremiah 31:37Thus says the LORD:“If heaven above can be measured,And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,I will also cast off all the seed of IsraelFor all that they have done, says the LORD.” Although some scientists claim that they have now measured the size of the universe, it is interesting to note that every human attempt to drill through the earth’s crust to the plastic mantle beneath has, thus far, ended in failure.

The Bible described the shape of the earth centuries before people thought that the earth was spherical.

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Isaiah 40:22It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

The word translated “circle” here is the Hebrew word chuwg which is also translated “circuit,” or “compass” (depending on the context). That is, it indicates something spherical, rounded, or arched—not something that is flat or square.The book of Isaiah was written sometime between 740 and 680 BC. This is at least 300 years before Aristotle suggested that the earth might be a sphere in this book On the Heavens.

This brings up an important historical note related to this topic. Many people are aware of the conflict between Galileo and the Roman Catholic Pope, Paul V. After publishing A Dialogue on the Two Principal Systems of the World, Galileo was summoned to Rome, where he was forced to renounce his findings. (At that time, “theologians” of the Roman Catholic Church maintained that the Earth was the center of the universe, and to assert otherwise was deemed heretical.)We could not find any place in the Bible that claims that the Earth is flat, or that it is the center of the universe. History shows that this conflict, which took place at the time of the Inquisition, was part of a power struggle. As a result, scientific and biblical knowledge became casualties—an effect we still feel to this day.

Statements Consistent With Physics

The Bible suggests the presence of nuclear processes like those we associate with nuclear weaponry. This is certainly not something that could have been explained in 67 AD using known scientific principles (when Peter wrote the following verse).

2 Peter 3:10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

The television is a practical (if not always worthwhile ) device that uses electromagnetic waves (which transmit its video signal). The Bible contains passages that describe something like television—something that allows everyone on earth see a single event.

Matthew 24:30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Revelation 11:9-11Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

“Science and the Bible”. Clarifying Christianity. 2 February 2014.<http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml>

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Bible Translations

Formal Equivalent These translations attempt to reproduce the Greek and Hebrew as exactly as possible into English. Words, figures of speech, and sometimes even the sentence structure of the original languages are reproduced in a much more limited way in this type of Bible. These hold -in varying degrees- to a generally word for word approach.

Dynamic Equivalent These Bibles run on a more thought-for-thought philosophy than the Formal Equivalent translations, but do so in a much more sparing manner than paraphrases. Greek and Hebrew figures of speech are replaced with modern rough equivalents. They are more readable in a sense, though sometimes in a freer translation some passages become more interpretations than translations.

Paraphrase These are not really translations, but rewordings of the Scriptures that speak in a very earthy, common tongue. Those who advocate these note that the New Testament was written in the common language of the people and not that of playwrights or philosophers. The results can be the clearest expression of Scripture on par with the original. However, theological biases can creep in and be readily apparent. These are acceptable for devotional reading, but even the authors themselves would not suggest using them for study or as a church Bible. Some paraphrases are based on the original languages, while others on translations themselves.

Aberrational TranslationsThese are translations done independently by a smaller religious sect. Usually they will "translate" Scripture by twisting it to fit their theologies, rather than conforming their theologies to the Scriptures. These groups often have a person or organization which is practically considered equal in authority with the Bible, and a number of them believe that their group is the only way to salvation.

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Geneva BiblePublished: 1560 (revised 1599)Reading Level: 12th GradeTranslators: CalvinistThe Goods: An excellent Reformation-era translation which is now widely available again through Tolle Lege Press. The language is Shakespearean, but a lot of "churchy-words" aren't there. The notes are the most excellent of any study Bible, as they were written by Reformers who trained under John Calvin, such as William Whittingham and John Knox.The Not-So-Goods: Language is dated, and this translation is not widely-known anymore due to being surpassed by the King James Version in the mid 1600'sGod's Name: Jehovah, Lord, God, JahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: 1599 Geneva Bible, GenevaBible.org

Douay-Rheims VersionPublished: 1609 (revised 1752)Reading Level: 12th GradeTranslators: CatholicThe Goods: For three and a half centuries this Bible (in one form or another) was the English Bible for Catholics. The revision by Bishop Challoner in the 1750s Anglicised more of the text and put it in more agreement with the Protestant Authorized version, at least in style (and since the original DRV influenced the King James Version, we have something of a quid pro quo). It is a faithful translation of the Latin Vulgate, the official edition of the Bible used by the Vatican.The Not-So-Goods: Even though many of the Latinisms were removed in Challoner's revision, several others remain, such as "supersubstantial" in the Lord's Prayer and "do penance" instead of "repent" (both of which have been corrected in most modern Catholic Bibles). It was translated from the Latin instead of from the original Hebrew and Greek. The English language has also changed a great deal in the last few centuries, as we have words that have changed meaning (such as "suffer" or "prevent") and other words have dropped from the language altogether. (See the King James Version below for others.)Deity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible

King James VersionPublished: 1611 (revised 1769)Reading Level: 12th GradeTranslators: AnglicanThe Goods: The old classic is still strong after four hundred years of use. To many, this is the Bible. This has a poetic and majestic language and structure and was translated extremely well. God has used it immensely in the spread of the gospel, and it sounds Biblical to English ears. The translators tried to translate the KJV as a Bible that was literary, accurate, understandable and would last. Of course, they had no idea that their work would be in almost exclusive use by over a quarter of the world for over three centuries.

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The Not-So-Goods: While still popular and a great translation of God's Word, this Bible is also archaic in many respects. The manuscripts from which the KJV was translated were far more recent than those discovered later and used in modern versions - i.e., the modern versions are based on copies of the Bible that are far closer to the originals than the KJV's mansucripts. We don't use words like "froward" and "wot" today, and words and phrases such as "prevent", "suffer", and "fetch a compass" had far different meanings than what they do today. The fact that there is a cultlike "King James Only" movement does not help either, and such a group would be steadfastly opposed by the translators of the KJV.God's Name: Jehovah, LORD, GOD, JahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: Wikipedia's KJV Article

Revised VersionPublished: 1885Reading Level: 12th gradeTranslators: Mainline/British, conservativeThe Goods: This is the first major attempt to revise the Bible of King James, both in language and textual basis. The translation is extremely literal to the Biblical languages, and is considered excellent for those who not read the originals. The distinction between the singular (thee, thou) and plural (ye, you) second persons is very helpful for detailed study. It is not the KJV but is not too far off to sound different. Many passages which have an enhanced understanding of the deity of Christ are rendered as such, and other corrections of the KJV's renderings (e.g, the RV has “Thou shalt do no murder” as the sixth commandment) are introduced. Godly people like Charles Spurgeon commended it for deep study...The Not-So-Goods: Spurgeon also said this Bible is “strong in Greek, but weak in English.” The text is more of a Jacobean English interlinear in some areas, and even reverts to the original language word order. Not all archaic words are updated, and those which are have a very British flavo(u)r – e.g. “corn” means what Americans call “grain.” This version is virtually (sadly!) out of print, though is available in some Bible software.God's Name: LORD, God, Jah, JehovahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: StrongWebsite: Michael Marlowe's ERV Page

American Standard VersionPublished: 1901Reading Level: 12th gradeTranslators: Mainline/Unitarian, conservativeThe Goods: This considered by many to be the most literal English translation of the Scriptures ever widely available. When one reads this Bible one is almost reading an interlinear. For those who are well-versed in the Scriptures and are wishing to study the Bible from a translation alone, this is one of the best, if not the best. There is also a differentiation between the singular (thee, thou) and plural (ye, you) second persons. The Name of God is rendered as a name rather than as the title of LORD. It is also generally conformable to the Authorized version.The Not-So-Goods: This translation is almost too literal. The text reads more like the mix of Shakespearean/Jacobean English and a Greek or Hebrew interlinear. Most archaic words are updated (to 1901 standards) but not all are. There is also an underlying Unitarian bias to certain passages of Scripture and some notes where the

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proper translation is put in the footnote (e.g. Titus 2:13) and any footnote where Christ is “worshiped” has to tell you that it can refer to obeisance to a created being as well as the creator, which seems to open the door for denial of the deity of Christ. It often reverts to the KJV's less accurate renderings (see it on the Titus passage above, as well as the sixth commandment). This version is almost out of print, though is available in most Bible software since it is now public domain, so if you want one in paper you'll have to get a used copy on Ebay or Abe Books or order a new one from Star Bible, the only current publisher of the ASV.God's Name: JehovahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: CCEL American Standard Version

Revised Standard VersionPublished: 1952 (revised 1971)Reading Level: 10th GradeTranslators: Mainline/Catholic, somewhat liberalThe Goods: This was once the alternative to the King James Version. It was released with a great deal of hype and expectation as a modern-language revision of the ASV by the National Council of Churches. Due to its long time on the market, there are many commentaries and studies based on the RSV. Mainline Christians loved it, and many evangelicals also appreciated the strong scholarship used in translating it. Even today many lectionaries and churches use the RSV. It was the first widely-used Bible since the KJV that was available with the Apocrypha, and was the first English translation to have the books in the Greek canon (3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151) that had never been in English editions of the Apocrypha.The Not-So-Goods: The biggest problem with the RSV is that the translation, from a left-of-center perspective, often obscures prophetic references to Christ in the Old Testament. This can trip people up who may use the NT references to the OT then find something entirely different. More educated evangelicals can get around these, however. Also, the RSV uses Shakespearean English when addressing God while using more modern language when others are in view. Finally, the RSV is no longer widely available, though a few reprinted editions can be found.God's Name: LORD, GODDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: NCC "About the RSV"

New World TranslationPublished: 1961 (revised 1984)Translators: The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society (aka Jehovah's Witnesses)The Goods: Well, since I guess I need to say something good about this one, here it goes... They do distinguish between the singular and plural second person (you for singular and YOU for plural) and this could be helpful for other translations to adopt, but this is the proverbial gold ring in a pig's snout.The Not-So-Goods: Where do I start? They insert the name "Jehovah" into the NT, and while some could argue that there are places where this (or Yahweh) might possibly be warranted occasionally, the JW's do it only where "Lord" refers to the Father or the Godhead, but never the Son. Yahweh and Adonai are both rendered as

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Kyrios (Lord) in the Greek and are undistinguished, so the way the JW's do it is they try to get away from the clear fact that Jesus is Yahweh God. The Holy Spirit is referred to as an "it" rather than as a "He" and is written as "holy spirit" to reflect their view that He is not a Person but a force. The references in the NT to Jesus being divine are further mistranslated by renderings such as John 1:1 ("The word was a god" instead of "The Word was God"), Hebrews 1:8 ("God is your throne" rather than "Your throne, O God"), and II Peter 1:1 ("Our God and [the] Savior Jesus Christ", where the bracketed word is clearly there just to hide the fact that Christ is Almighty God). This "translation" was done by people who were not scholars of the original languages and who did this with an agenda to promote what has always been seen as false views of God and of Christianity.God's Name: JehovahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Absent, excepting John 20.28Website: New World Translation @ Watchtower.org

Jerusalem BiblePublished: 1966Reading Level: 10th GradeTranslators: Catholic, moderateThe Goods: The Jerusalem Bible is a product of a fine Catholic translation team including author JRR Tolkein. Its literary quality is almost on the level of the King James Version, as the translators have sought to render the Scriptures in a more elevated tongue and sound like a work of great literature, whether read in private or spoken aloud. The Readers Edition has minimal theological notes, and the original edition has a plethora of theological and historical notes. God's Name is rendered as a name (and even the right one - Yahweh) rather than a title. Traditional gender language is used throughout. Though it is a Catholic translation it is not generally biased toward Catholicism in how it's written. If only they would release an edition with the Apocrypha separated from the OT...The Not-So-Goods: As a Catholic translation, the uninspired Apocryphal books are interspersed throughout the inspired Old Testament rather than separated (as the church father Jerome did). The reader's and other editions have somewhat more liberal book introductions and study notes. Also, while I am in strongly in favor of transliterating Yahweh, other Hebrew names for the deity (e.g. El Shaddai [God Almighty], Yahweh Sabaoth [Yahweh of Hosts], El Elyon [God Most High]) are unnecessarily transliterated where an English translation would be fine.God's Name: Yahweh, YahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Adequate

New American BiblePublished: 1970 (NT, Psalms revised 1996)Translators: Catholic, moderateReading Level: 9th GradeThe Goods: A generally good translation for Catholics to use. Is readable and scholarly. The notes are strongly Roman Catholic, but this can be good for those wanting to know Catholic interpretation of different Scriptures. Also, it is an American production, so those who speak American English will appreciate this.The Not-So-Goods: The theology of the notes are not only Catholic (and conservative with respect to the "perpetual virginity" of Mary and deity of Christ), but are quite liberal with respect to textual criticism, e.g. accepting as a given that Moses did not write any of the Pentateuch and that Daniel wrote his book after the fact of his

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"prophecies". The editors seem to not be able to take the Biblical writers at their word. Some gender-neutral language as well.God's Name: LORD, GODDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: StrongWebsite: US Conference of Catholic Bishops - the NAB

The Living BiblePublished: 1971Reading Level: 4th GradeTranslators: Kenneth Taylor (a Baptist)The Goods: The Living Bible became one of the more popular versions of the Bible when Dr. Taylor released this paraphrase. There were not many common-language editions on the market, and so this was a breath of fresh air. Taylor had attended seminary and originally did this to help his children understand God's Word. Because of the author's strong evangelical leanings, this Bible is generally devoid of liberal renderings.The Not-So-Goods: Being a paraphrase, this is not the most exact rendering of Scripture. Also, it was paraphrased from the ASV rather than the original languages. Some of Taylor's Arminian leaning show through in this Bible, as is evident from some passages that in most translations are used as Calvinist proof-texts. For instance, while most translations of Acts 13:48 follow the Greek in saying something in the nature of "and as many [of the Gentiles] as were appointed to eternal life believed (ESV - others say "ordained to eternal life"), the Living Bible badly mistranslates this as "and as many as wanted eternal life, believed." Verses are also sometimes combined or rearranged.God's Name: Jehovah, Lord, GodDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: The Living Bible (Wikipedia)

New American Standard BiblePublished: 1971 (revised 1977, 1995)Translators: Evangelical, ConservativeReading Level: 11th GradeThe Goods: This revision of the ASV is, like its parent, an excellent literal translation of the Bible. Language is updated (especially in the 1995 revision, where "You" replaces "Thou" in reference to God) and the text is much easier to read than that of the ASV. There are numerous text notes that are helpful as well. The translation method is eminently orthodox (much moreso than the ASV), and virtually all translation choices reflect a conservative and inerrantist perspective. Overall an excellent Bible to study from, and has become a standard among evangelical scholars and many laymen.The Not-So-Goods: Though an improvement on the ASV in readability, it is still a bit too wooden for some due to its strict literalism, and becuase of this it is not used as much in worship. If one reads it silently it is good, but if read aloud it takes a little more familiarity to make it sound the best.God's Name: LORD, GODDeity Pronouns: CapitalizedDeity of Christ: StrongWebsite: Lockman Foundation: The NASBEndorsements: Paige Patterson, Al Mohler, Charles Stanley, Kay Arthur, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Robert Norris,

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Good News Translation (Formerly Today's English Version)Published: 1976 (revised 1992)Reading Level: 8th GradeTranslators: Evangelical moderate, CatholicThe Goods: The original GNT was translated by a missionary who was trying to publish an edition of the Bible which was especially good for those for whom English was a second language. No big theological words here - easy-to-understand phrases replace them to communicate the original text to the reader.The Not-So-Goods: The GNT is a tad too paraphrased for many. Some of the "big words" have important meanings and could be just as well explained with a footnote or an appendix in the back. Several OT prophecies have the same problems as the RSV. The 1992 edition brings gender-neutrality into much of the text. The primary translator (Robert Bratcher) considers the foundational Christian belief in an inerrant Bible "heresy" and has made a name for criticizing and even ridiculing those who hold to this belief.Deity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: AdequateWebsite: Michael Marlowe's page on the GNT

New International Version (1984)Published: 1978 (revised 1984)Reading Level: 8th GradeTranslators: Evangelical, conservativeThe Goods: The NIV is a balance between literal (word-for-word) and paraphrase (thought-for-thought). The text is still readable enough along with the KJV-family of translations but is a much easier read. Many evangelical churches now use this translation as their official translation (including the webmaster's home church) because it uses the better, older manuscripts of the OT and NT but is eminently readable. The renderings also provide ease in memorization. One of the better study Bibles, the Zondervan Study Bible (now available in KJV and NAS as well), is originally based on this translation. The excellent Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible is based on this translation.The Not-So-Goods: The NIV is somewhat too free for my taste. Sometimes it's not forceful enough in how it translates some common phrases, e.g. "This is what the LORD says" rather than "Thus says the LORD"; we also read "Let him be eternally condemned!" rather than "Let him be cursed!" or "Let him be anathema!". The phrase "the LORD of Hosts" (denoting God as leader of heaven's armies) is replaced by "The LORD Almighty", which doesn't quite fit the meaning of "God of Heaven's Armies".God's Name: LORDDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: StrongWebsite: NIV Offical Site (International Bible Society)Endorsements: John Kohlenberger, Philip Yancey, Mike Yaconelli, Henry Cloud, Lee Strobel, Rick Warren, Joni Eareckson Tada, Charles Colson, Charles Swindoll, J.I. Packer, Cal Thomas, Harold Lindsell,

The Sacred Scriptures, Bethel EditionPublished: 1981Translators: The Assemblies of Yahweh (mainly their leader, Jacob O. Meyer)

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The Goods: Hmm... God's Name is properly rendered in the OT as Yahweh. The NT has the Son as Yahshua, which is somewhat closer to the Hebrew than "Jesus". There are some passages (Hebrews 1:10, 2 Corinthians 3:17) which accidentally teach the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit, despite the denial of these doctrines by the AoY (later editions may mistranslate these as well). The term "Messiah" is used throughout this translation instead of "Christ", which makes it sound more Jewish. The SSB is mostly a reworking of the ASV, so it is fairly literal in its translation.The Not-So-Goods: While not even in the same league as the JW's NWT, the SSB still suffers from major shortfalls. They view words such as God, Lord, Christ, Church, hell, and Jesus as pagan and do not use them at all. The name Yahweh is placed into the New Testament, but only as a reference to the Father (except a few places where they have so far missed it) - e.g. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Yahweh, and the Word was Elohim", where the Greek has Theos (the Greek equivalent of Elohim or God) in both reference to Father and Son, and does not use Kyrios (which is the Greek rendering of Yahweh and Adonai). Like the JWs, the AoY and Elder Meyer believe that their sect is the only way to Salvation, and both JW and AoY teach such unbiblical doctrines as salvation by works, baptismal regeneration, and Sacred Name-ism (you must call God by His Name - His titles are either pagan [AoY] or not personal enough [JW]). The Assemblies also add the rites and trappings of old Judaism to the mix, and I have a feeling that the apostle Paul would have a field day with these folks.God's Name: YahwehDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: WeakWebsite: AoY Site on the Sacred Scriptures

New King James VersionPublished: 1982Reading Level: 9th GradeTranslators: Evangelical/Fundamental, conservativeThe Goods: Close to the wording and language structure of the KJV, yet archaisms are modernized and the famous "thees and thous" are out. Language is not too idiomatic so as to be dated too quickly, and is much easier to read than the old Authorized Version. Is a modern reworking of the KJV rather than a new translation. Variant readings from other texts are placed in the margins for people to read. Many conservative churches have adopted the NKJV, seeing as the old KJV needs update but they don't want to go too far. Also, the best study Bible on the market, the New Geneva/Reformation Study Bible is available in this translation.The Not-So-Goods: The biggest problem with the NKJV is that -for the most part- it uses the same texts as the KJV and only utilizes the older mansucripts in the margins. (If you're a Byzantine Text supporter, this is a big plus!) On a lesser note, the NKJV has 17th century sentence structure with 20th century words, which can look funny to people every now and then. God's Name: LORD, GOD, YahDeity Pronouns: CapitalizedDeity of Christ: StrongWebsite: Bible Gateway NKJV Page

New Jerusalem BiblePublished: 1985Reading Level: 10th GradeTranslators: Catholic, somewhat liberal

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The Goods: The NJB is a translation based on the Jerusalem Bible of the 60s. Most of the positives of the NJB are the same as the JB.The Not-So-Goods: The NJB may be somewhat more of a literal read than the JB, but the JB is usually fine. The NJB also is much more liberal in its translational choices and exceptionally moreso in its notes. Also, gender-neutrality have crept into the NJB, and it generally is not as easy on the ears as the older edition.God's Name: Yahweh, YahDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Adequate

Revised English BiblePublished: 1989Reading Level: 10th GradeTranslators: Mostly Liberal British Protestant/CatholicThe Goods: The REB is a through revision of the New English Bible of the 1960s. While still definitely dynamic in nature, the REB is more literal than its predecessor. Numerous unusual translations of the parent are rendered in a more traditional way. Like the NJB, the REB was intended to be a very literary edition of the Scriptures, and so is a good read (if you are familiar with British idiom - see below). It is a result of the work of a multidenominational team of scholars...The Not-So-Goods: ...who are all from liberal denominations. No real evangelical input seems to have been involved. Because of their desire to remain faithful to the originals, the text has not been thoroughly goofed up, but there are still a number of passages whose translations are iffy, if not totally off. The British idiom (e.g.corn instead of grain) may throw some people off as well - this is as much a British Bible as other popular translations are thoroughly American in idiom.God's Name: LORD, GODDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Adequate

New Revised Standard VersionPublished: 1990Reading Level: 10th GradeTranslators: Mainline/Catholic/Orthodox, somewhat liberalThe Goods: This translation is one of the more flowing, literary translations available. It is a fifth-generation descendant of the old KJV, but the language is modernized and readable to the average believer. In the NT, when Jesus' title is used among a Jewish audience it is rendered as "Messiah" rather than "Christ". It probably uses the best translation of John 1:18 (see below) of any modern translation. It is also available with the Apocrypha as a separate section (while these books are not inspired, they are still useful and interesting). Many mainline churches (PCUSA, Episcopal, United Methodist, Disciples) now use this as their version of choice. Is a good one for Christians who are familiar with the Bible and know about the questionable renderings (see below).The Not-So-Goods: The problems of the old RSV are readily apparent in the NRSV, if not more so. OT passages which are utilized by the NT writers to foretell the Messiah are not always rendered as they should be. There is a strong undercurrent of gender-neutral language in this translation which reduces its accuracy (though thankfully not going so far as changing "God the Father" to something like "God the Father-Mother"!). The fact that it is a product of the liberal National Council of Churches also does not help its acceptance by evangelicals.

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God's Name: LORD, GODDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Adequate

New Living TranslationPublished: 1996 (revised 2004)Reading Level: 6th GradeTranslators: Evangelical, conservativeThe Goods: The NLT is sylistically based on the old Living Bible, which was a popular paraphrase of the ASV. The NLT, unlike its predecessor, was done by a number of well-regarded Biblical scholars for the purpose of rendering the Scriptures in a decidedly modern tongue. Theological "buzzwords" (justification, sanctification, etc.) that are sometimes unfamiliar to younger believers (both chronologically and spiritually) are replaced with phrases that convey the meaning of the originals. Poetic sections are only rendered so if part of a song, prayer, etc. Jesus is called the Messiah when dealing with the Jews rather than the Christ. A few churches are adopting this translation.The Not-So-Goods: Because it goes between being dynamic and paraphrasic, the NLT suffers from some free translations where theological biases may be detected by some. Also, the NLT uses gender-neutral language much more than most conservative translations of the Bible, almost but not quite to the point of the NRSV. See the Not-so-goods section for the NIV for other problems.God's Name: LORDDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Strong

English Standard VersionPublished: 2001Reading Level: 10th GradeTranslators: Evangelical, conservativeThe Goods: This is a revision of the old Revised Standard Version done by evangelical scholars. While many evangelical theologians appreciated the translation of the RSV, there were numerous places in the OT where the RSV has some questionable translations on some passages that the NT writers use to point to Christ. The ESV corrects these for the most part, and also updates the language of the half-century old RSV, and is also generally more literal in a number of renderings than its parent. The text of this translation remains in the line of the KJV and its literary quality, but it is also not a difficult read. The Reformation Study Bible is now available in the ESV.The Not-So-Goods: There are a couple of OT passages where the Messianic character is still somewhat blurred (e.g. Daniel 9:25 reads "an anointed one" rather than "the Anointed One" or "Messiah"), but these are few in number. The standard theological "buzz-words" are still there, which aren't always easy for new believers to understand, though the regular churchgoer should be familiar with them and they are significant.God's Name: LORD, GODDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Strong

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Today's New International VersionPublished: 2005Reading Level: 8th GradeTranslators: Evangelical, slightly conservativeThe Goods: The TNIV is a brand new translation that is currently garnering a lot of press. Some of the positive aspects of this include the use of the term "Messiah" for Jesus rather than "Christ" when the passage is in a Jewish context. The TNIV's translation of John 1:18 is an improvement over the original NIV, and there are other passages which are improved. Time is given as, e.g., "nine o'clock" rather than "the third hour", and a woman who is "with child" is now "pregnant."The Not-So-Goods: The weaknesses of the NIV are generally apparent in the TNIV as well. The bulk of the criticism of the TNIV has been with respect to its use of gender. The TNIV joins the NRSV (translated by mainliners) and the NLT (a much freer translation) in going gender-neutral or, as they put it "gender accurate." There are passages where this can be warranted, e.g. "brothers" being rendered "brothers and sisters" when the term obviously deals with both sexes, as with changing "the man who believes" to "the one who believes" and "man" to "human". However, there are some passages in the TNIV where they use the term "their" to avoid the generic "he", but this can cause people to question whether the passage deals with the individual (as in the Greek) or with a group (as it may seem in the TNIV, NRSV, etc.). (And as people such as the DataRat have pointed out, it goes even further than the NRSV in some places!) A couple of passages in the TNIV seem to give justification for female officers in the church, whereas most conservative Christians don't support this. Finally, in a few passages the term "the Jews" is changed to "the Jewish leaders", which some have said tries to absolve the Jewish people of the time of any complicity in opposing Jesus. Already numerous evangelicals are protesting and boycotting this new translation, and time will tell how much of a following this new edition of the Bible will really gain.God's Name: LORDDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Strong

The MessagePublished: 2002 (whole Bible)Reading Level: 3rd GradeTranslators: Eugene Peterson (an evangelical Presbyterian)The Goods: Eugene Peterson did this to try to reproduce the flavor of the original languages as a language that people use in everyday life. In doing so, Peterson has some renderings that might sound a bit harsh to most of those familiar with the Bible, e.g. Acts 8:20 where in the usual translation Peter says something to the effect of “Your money perish with you" (NKJV) but in the Message he says "To hell with your money - and you with it!" It may sound different or unwelcome, but it is actually similar to the way the Greek has it.The Not-So-Goods: First of all, no verses in this one (except for the new Remix edition) makes it sometimes hard to find a specific passage. Also, not only will the earthy language offend those more used to the stately, majestic language of the King James Bible and its descendants, it is contemporary to the point of being trendy, and often in a way that is excessively forced. The media hype (e.g. "If the Bible were written today, this is what it would sound like") bothers a lot of folks like myself. Dr. Peterson himself says he is uncomfortable when churches use this, that it is for the private use of the believer. Is heavily paraphrased, even moreso than the old Livng Bible, to the extent that interpretation rather than translation abounds throughout and is not noted as such.

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God's Name: GOD (early editions of the Psalms used Yahweh, but this has since been changed, unfortunately)Deity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Strong

Holman Christian Standard BiblePublished: 2004Reading Level: 9th GradeTranslators: Evangelical, conservativeThe Goods: This is published by Holman, which is the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, but its translation team is multidenominational. The language is clear and easy to read yet not too colloquial. Some Hebraisms are in the text where warranted, such as the occasional use of "Yahweh" when God's name is referred to as a name (e.g. "I am the LORD" but "My name is Yahweh") and the use of "Messiah" instead of "Christ" when dealing with the Jews. Quotations from the OT are clearly marked, and the textual footnotes are great. Its character as a conservative, "optimal equivalent" translation is outstanding. (I especially like how John 3.16 is translated!)The Not-So-Goods: No translation is perfect. While most questionable readings are included in brackets (which can be good or bad depending on your point of view), some are adopted that don't belong, such as John 1.18 ("the only son" as opposed to "the only God"). On a few occasions the text gets a bit colloquial, such as the use of the term "slacker" for "sluggard", though "slacker" is much more understandable and perhaps more accurate.God's Name: LORD, GOD, YahwehDeity Pronouns: CapitalizedDeity of Christ: Strong

New International Version (2011)Published: 2011Reading Level: 8th GradeTranslators: Evangelical, slightly conservativeThe Goods: This is a rebranding and slight revision of the TNIV and calling it the NIV. It is not quite as far on the left in gender issues, and has the positives of the TNIV.The Not-So-Goods: The publishers of the NIV2011 seem to think that they know better than God on gender, and are now going to tell the NIV readers that they have to buy the new one or else switch to another translation since the NIV84 is being replaced. Many confessional Christians have done exactly that, and the NKJV, ESV and HCSB will reap the benefits..God's Name: LORDDeity Pronouns: Not capitalizedDeity of Christ: Strong

BIBLES ASV: American Standard Version, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1994. ERV: English Revised Version (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1885.

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ESV: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Good News Publishers) 2001. GNB: Good News Bible: Today’s English Version (New York: American Bible Society) 1992. HCSB: Holman Christian Standard Bible (Nashville: Holman) 2004.KJV: The Authorized (King James) Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769. NAB: The New American Bible (Nashville, Tennesee: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) 1997. NASB: The New American Standard Bible (La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation) 1995. NIV: New International Version (Colorado Springs: International Bible Society) 1984. NJB: The New Jerusalem Bible (New York: Doubleday) 1985. NKJV: New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982. NLT: New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996. NRSV: New Revised Standard Version (New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.) 1989.REB: Revised English Bible (London: Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press) 1989.RSV: Revised Standard Version (New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.) 1952.SSB: The Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition (Bethel, PA: Assemblies of Yahweh) 1981.TLB: The Living Bible (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1997.

Tate, Jonathan. “A Simple Layman's Guide to Bible Translations”. Bible Translation Guide. 2 February 2014.<http://www.tateville.com/translations.html>

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