Christian History Home > Issue 43 > How We Got our Old Testament
How We Got our Old Testament
The process was long and complex, and the result is still a matter of dispute.
Dr. Bruce Waltke is professor of Old Testament at Regent College in Vancouver, British Colombia. His most recent book is a commentary on Micah (Baker, 1993). | posted 7/01/1994 12:00AM
In the late 100s, Bishop Melito of Sardis (in modern Turkey) was pressed by a friend to obtain “an accurate statement of the ancient books as regards their number and their order.” Melito did, and as a result, gave a now-famous list of the Old Testament books. Except for its lack of Esther, this list matches today’s Jewish and Protestant Old Testament.
But how was this Old Testament canon—the recognized, authoritative writings—formed?
Four Stages
According to the legend of 2 Esdras 14:37–47 (written about a.d. 100), God commanded Ezra to drink a potent cup. “Thereupon, my heart poured forth understanding. And the Most High gave understanding to the five men [with me], and by turns they wrote what was dictated, in characters they did not know. … ” After forty days were up, God told Ezra to make these now sacred books public.
On firmer history, however, professors LaSor, Hubbard, and Bush (of Fuller Theological Seminary) distinguish four stages in the development of the Old Testament canon, ... To view this item, you must be a member of ChristianHistory.net.
|
If you ARE a member
of ChristianHistory.net…
Please login:
| |
If you are NOT a member
of ChristianHistory.net…
Please click here to see our membership options. As a member, you will be able to have access to all of the content on ChristianHistory.net.
|
|
Browse More ChristianHistory.net
Home | Browse by Topic | Browse by Period | The Past in the Present | Books & Resources
| |
|
