For centuries scribes dedicated themselves to copying the Scriptures by hand—primarily on papyrus or animal skin parchment. With the rise of monasteries, copying the Scriptures became the occupation for some monks. But it was truly a labor. The idea that every believer or family could have a Bible was unthinkable. In the s, the German Johann Gutenberg began experimenting with novel, mysterious ways of approaching printing.
So did many other Europeans, all looking for a faster, cheaper way to produce books. And the printing methods used in the Orient, primarily block printing, were unknown in Europe. Gutenberg had an advantage: he was skilled in engraving and metal working. While living in Strasbourg, Gutenberg perfected several unique ideas: a hand-held mold that could adjust to cast any letter accurately and in large quantities; a durable tin alloy that melted and solidified quickly and without distortion; an oil-based ink; and a modified printing press.
By about , he had assembled the necessary components for mass-produced printing, but if he printed anything in Strasbourg, it has not survived. By , Gutenberg returned to his hometown of Mainz and borrowed money for his printing business. Nor is there an authentic portrait of him or a copy of his autograph. The Bible, which was printed simultaneously on six printing presses, was stunning. See graphic in From the Editor. Some collectors say this first printed book is also the most beautiful ever printed, and they pay astounding sums for the forty or fifty copies that survive of the original two hundred.
Each chapter began with a large illuminated initial. Later, in the interest of economy, more straightforward typefaces developed—easier to cast, easier to read, but less beautiful. But the collection is a work of early Judaism. It should be remembered that for a long time it was a collection of individual scrolls, not a single book between two covers. But messianic hopes were not widespread or massively important in first-century Judaism and are even less central to the Old Testament itself.
Christians discovered texts they saw as messianic prophecies — for example, in Isaiah 7 — though other Jews did not read them that way. The message, which was that all humankind was accepted through Jesus by the God worshipped by the Jews, proved a winner. David is also a hugely important figure in the quest to establish links between the Bible and historical fact, for he appears to be the earliest biblical figure to be confirmed by archaeology.
But it at least indicates that David was a historical figure. The Tel Dan Stele also suggests that,no matter how capable their rulers, the people of Israel continued to be menaced by powerful, belligerent neighbours. And, in BC, one of those neighbours, the Babylonians, would inflict on the Jews one of the most devastating defeats in their history: ransacking the sacred city of Jerusalem, butchering its residents, and dragging many more back to Babylonia.
For the people of Israel, the fall of Jerusalem was a searing experience. And, according to many scholars, that crisis may have had a transformative impact on the writing of the Bible. However, it would be centuries before the book would be revered as a secret text for non-Jews. And the reason for that transformation from national to international significance was, of course, the figure of Jesus Christ.
Most scholars agree that Jesus, a first-century religious leader and preacher, existed historically. Then, for around 40 years, news of his teachings was spread by word of mouth until, from around AD 70, four written accounts of his life emerged that changed everything. It is their descriptions of the life of Jesus Christ that have made him arguably the most influential figure in human history.
But the guess is that Mark came first, in the 70s, followed by Matthew and Luke in the 80s and 90s, and John in the 90s or early in the second century. Matthew and Luke seem to be attempts to improve on Mark, by adding more stories and sayings from sources now lost.
John is a different conceptualisation of the story of Jesus, portraying a more obviously divine figure. Both John and Matthew hint at the growing tensions between Jewish Christians and the Jewish religious authorities.
As a Jew, Jesus would have been well-versed in the Hebrew Bible and, according to the gospels, saw himself as the realisation of ancient Jewish prophecies. The Epistles, or letters, written by Paul the Apostle to churches dotted across the Mediterranean world — which are our best source for the initial spread of Christianity — confirm that Christianity started in Jerusalem, but spread rapidly to Syria and then to the rest of the Mediterranean world, and was mostly accepted by non-Jews, says John Barton, former professor of the interpretation of holy scriptures at the University of Oxford.
With its dark descriptions of a seven-headed beast and allusions to an imminent apocalypse, Revelations is now widely believed to be a foretelling of the grisly fate that the author believed awaited the Roman oppressors of Christianity. Despite that oppression, by the fourth century Christianity had become the dominant religion in the Mediterranean world, with the New Testament widely revered as a sacred text inspired by God.
Different editions of the Bible have appeared over the centuries, aiming to further popularise the stories and teachings within. Here are three of the most notable versions….
His reign would usher in a new royal dynasty the Stuarts and a new era of colonialism most especially in North America. The first Hebrew Bible was printed in America in , followed by the first French version in , and the first Spanish version in Today, there are hundreds of English translations of the Bible available in America. As the United States celebrates freedom from Britain this July, may we all celebrate our freedom in Christ.
Alyssa Roat studied writing, theology, and the Bible at Taylor University. She is a literary agent at C. Find out more about her here and on social media alyssawrote. Share this. Alyssa Roat Contributing Writer 9 Jul. Today on Christianity. Is Thanksgiving Truly a Christian Holiday?
0コメント