Does anybody have the original manuscripts of the books in the bible?

Pauliesonne · 15th April 2006, 10:33 PM

I'm currently waiting for the people who know about these things at SKEPTIC to answer this question but I would still appreciate your answers.

|PS|

Dr Adequate · 15th April 2006, 11:02 PM

No. None of them.

The earliest surviving OT in Hebrew is from the ninth century AD, or thereabouts: for the NT in Greek I think it's the second century.

Kopji · 15th April 2006, 11:11 PM

I have some.
They are kept in an old stone ossuary.
Decorated with salamanders
Signed by Jesus himself
And his wife Mary Magdalene

alfaniner · 16th April 2006, 07:45 AM

No.

brodski · 16th April 2006, 07:49 AM

and then I found the original copy of the bible, which was nice [/fast_show]

I don't know why, but I am surprised that there are older records of the NT than of the OT . I suppose I just expected to be the other way round.

tkingdoll · 16th April 2006, 09:09 AM

The problem is that it was not written all at the same time, but cobbled together over many years from various existing documents and (of course) word of mouth.

Hey, that's a groovy idea for a conspiracy theory/bestselling book/movie with Tom Hanks!

The Bible Collater.

Plot:

Our hero discovers that the bible in its current incarnation was compiled from ancient documents carefully collected and collated by, say, a group of dedicated monks (who are also ninjas). He sets out to follow the clues on the back of a packet of Cheerios to find the original copy of the bible! On the way, he meets a hot but learned chick who helps his quest and enables him to get laid in the process.

The End.

Dr Adequate · 16th April 2006, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by brodski

I don't know why, but I am surprised that there are older records of the NT than of the OT . I suppose I just expected to be the other way round.

You would, yes.

I think what happened is that when the Masoretes came up with the Masoretic Text^SW, it made earlier texts of the Hebrew OT obsolete.

Note that this applies only to the OT in Hebrew. There are older copies of translations such as the Vulgate^SW and the Septuagint^SW.

Of course, there are the Dead Sea Scrolls, but they're only little fragments of the whole.

Jekyll · 16th April 2006, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by tkingdoll

The problem is that it was not written all at the same time, but cobbled together over many years from various existing documents and (of course) word of mouth.

Hey, that's a groovy idea for a conspiracy theory/bestselling book/movie with Tom Hanks!

The Bible Collater.

Plot:

Our hero discovers that the bible in its current incarnation was compiled from ancient documents carefully collected and collated by, say, a group of dedicated monks (who are also ninjas). He sets out to follow the clues on the back of a packet of Cheerios to find the original copy of the bible! On the way, he meets a hot but learned chick who helps his quest and enables him to get laid in the process.

The End.

I think Dan Brown has already written it.

teacher · 21st April 2006, 06:35 PM

Point of note.
No original could be verified anyway. How could you know if you have an original or early copy? You can't know. No-one will ever know (even if they find one) if they have it.

David Swidler · 22nd April 2006, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Dr Adequate

Of course, there are the Dead Sea Scrolls, but they're only little fragments of the whole.

Most are indeed fragments, but the (mostly) intact bits are heavy stuff - an entire scroll of Isaiah, for example.

15th April 2006, 10:33 PM	#1
Pauliesonne Bi Gi Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: A small town in Northern Ireland called Limavady. Posts: 2,691	Does anybody have the original manuscripts of the books in the bible? I'm currently waiting for the people who know about these things at SKEPTIC to answer this question but I would still appreciate your answers. \|PS\|

16th April 2006, 07:45 AM	#4
alfaniner Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sorth Dakonsin Posts: 11,379	No.
	__________________ Science doesn't lie.

16th April 2006, 07:49 AM	#5
brodski Tea-Time toad Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 15,068	and then I found the original copy of the bible, which was nice [/fast_show] I don't know why, but I am surprised that there are older records of the NT than of the OT . I suppose I just expected to be the other way round.
brodski Tea-Time toad Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 15,068

16th April 2006, 09:09 AM	#6
tkingdoll AKA TEEK Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Up Myself Posts: 12,471	The problem is that it was not written all at the same time, but cobbled together over many years from various existing documents and (of course) word of mouth. Hey, that's a groovy idea for a conspiracy theory/bestselling book/movie with Tom Hanks! The Bible Collater. Plot: Our hero discovers that the bible in its current incarnation was compiled from ancient documents carefully collected and collated by, say, a group of dedicated monks (who are also ninjas). He sets out to follow the clues on the back of a packet of Cheerios to find the original copy of the bible! On the way, he meets a hot but learned chick who helps his quest and enables him to get laid in the process. The End.
	__________________ www.stormmovie.net Official website of Tim Minchin's Storm Movie

16th April 2006, 04:10 PM	#8
Jekyll Graduate Poster Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: The other other place Posts: 1,589	Originally Posted by tkingdoll The problem is that it was not written all at the same time, but cobbled together over many years from various existing documents and (of course) word of mouth. Hey, that's a groovy idea for a conspiracy theory/bestselling book/movie with Tom Hanks! The Bible Collater. Plot: Our hero discovers that the bible in its current incarnation was compiled from ancient documents carefully collected and collated by, say, a group of dedicated monks (who are also ninjas). He sets out to follow the clues on the back of a packet of Cheerios to find the original copy of the bible! On the way, he meets a hot but learned chick who helps his quest and enables him to get laid in the process. The End. I think Dan Brown has already written it.
	__________________ And I looked. And behold a green horse, and his name that sat on him was death. ~Tyndale New Testament

15th April 2006, 11:02 PM	#2
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Waiting Long Enough By The River Posts: 17,897	No. None of them. The earliest surviving OT in Hebrew is from the ninth century AD, or thereabouts: for the NT in Greek I think it's the second century.

15th April 2006, 11:11 PM	#3
Kopji Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mogollon Rim Posts: 7,697	I have some. They are kept in an old stone ossuary. Decorated with salamanders Signed by Jesus himself And his wife Mary Magdalene

16th April 2006, 12:42 PM	#7
Dr Adequate Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Waiting Long Enough By The River Posts: 17,897	Originally Posted by brodski I don't know why, but I am surprised that there are older records of the NT than of the OT . I suppose I just expected to be the other way round. You would, yes. I think what happened is that when the Masoretes came up with the Masoretic Text^SW, it made earlier texts of the Hebrew OT obsolete. Note that this applies only to the OT in Hebrew. There are older copies of translations such as the Vulgate^SW and the Septuagint^SW. Of course, there are the Dead Sea Scrolls, but they're only little fragments of the whole.

21st April 2006, 06:35 PM	#9
teacher Scholar Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London, England Posts: 119	Original documents Point of note. No original could be verified anyway. How could you know if you have an original or early copy? You can't know. No-one will ever know (even if they find one) if they have it.
	__________________ Stargazer - Christian Sceptic

22nd April 2006, 10:16 PM	#10
David Swidler Carrot Mohel Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Right here, obviously. Posts: 8,302	Originally Posted by Dr Adequate Of course, there are the Dead Sea Scrolls, but they're only little fragments of the whole. Most are indeed fragments, but the (mostly) intact bits are heavy stuff - an entire scroll of Isaiah, for example.