How can we prove that the early Bible manuscripts were properly preserved? To many defenders of Bible authenticity are of the opinion that early manuscript were frequently underwent re-copying before it finally arrived to the age of textual of industrial developments.
For example, the book called ‘The Bible as it was” argues it this way, “The stories, Psalms, laws and prophecies that have reached us today as part of the Bible must therefore have been copied many, many times even within the Biblical period itself… If these texts were repeatedly copied within the Biblical period itself, it was because they were used. They played some part on daily life. No one would go to the trouble of copying texts of no purpose”.
The defenders of Bible hold that such practice of continuous copying of the manuscripts passed through 1,500 years and included modernization of out dated grammatical forms and spellings.
The truth as hold by scholars is that all Egyptian Papyri written before Greco-Roman era have perished. They hold that the oldest surviving manuscripts that has been found is the Dead Sea scrolls which were wrapped in linen preserved in jars.
Scholars are of the conclusion that Biblical literatures were written down largely in the eighth to sixth centuries B.C.E. They hold that the Bible records were edited mostly during Persia and Hellenistic periods (5th 2nd Centuries BCE).
They equally conclude that all texts of the Bible in its present form date back 2nd- 1st century B.C.E.
The scholars were conclusive that ancient writers produced documents of poetry, prose and law over many hundred of years. And then editors used these documents as sources and followed them as present day Bible.
These points raised by scholars of both sides of Bible authenticity is a clear indication that there are great dislocations between the early and ancient Bible writers with the writers and copyists with editors that joined up in a distance of many centuries.
As said before, the ancient prophets wrote on perishable materials which show that the proof of authenticity cannot be acceptable by reasonable truth seekers.
Some of early Egyptian writers wrote on papyrus and clay seals. The ability to mass-produce such excruciating art-works was totally lacking, likewise its preservation were never guaranteed because of the fewness of elites and patronizers of the works
Again many theologians or Christians rely on the Bible based on its age and popular circulation without regarding to numerous attempts that were made along its history to suppress it.
For example, a 19th century theologian Albert Barnes put his conclusion of oppositions of the book in this way “No book has excited so much opposition at this: but it has survived every attack which power, talent and eloquence have ever made on it”.
He continued is this “But no army ever survived so much battle as the Bible, no ancient bulwark has endured so much sieges, and stood so firm amid the thunders of over and the ravages of time; and no rock has been swept by so many currents and has still stood unmoved”.
What this averred Bible defender refused to proof was that the same book has suffered many mutilations in which some of its ancient manuscripts lost, that majority of its writers and copyists sealed their conviction with their sacred blood, that some of its evered defenders risked their lives in course of its translations, transliteration and interpretations.
Some earnest readers and producers were arrested detained and executed, and too many of the manuscripts burnt into ashes in public places by its opposers.
The hatred against the book has a long history defending from the Biblical record days, with the common era through the middle ages down to moderations.
For example, in the days of prophet Yerimayah which date back to six hundred years before Yahoshea Meshiyach era, a manuscript of prophecy he produced was destroyed by King Jehoakim who was uncomfortable of the revelations.
King Jehoakim was never the only king that destroyed the manuscripts that bear word of Yahweh. Again in the age of Greek Empire, the Hebrew nation came under the rule of the Seleucid King dynasty. The Seleucid King – Antiochus Epiphanes influenced Helenistic culture, custom and religion on all peoples under it.
By this development, king Antiochus ordered that all scrolls of law in the land of Hebrew be destroyed, although the Bible defenders are of the claim that the order of Antiochus was rejected by some Hebrews who later rebelled against his rule over Hebrews.
After Yahoshea Meshiyach, the Holy Scripture faced monumental assaults and attacks from Emperors and their apologists. For instance, the Romans Emperor Diocletian who rule in forth century C.E. promulgated series of harsh laws against Yahosheans and their scriptures which many scholars term as the era of great persecutions on Yahoshea’s followers.
One of his famous edicts was the order of burning of copies of Holy Scriptures of Hebrews. One of early historian and Theologian of that century Eusebius of Caesarea made the following report, “We saw with our eyes the house of prayer cast down to their foundations from top to bottom, and the inspired and sacred scriptures committed to the flames in the midst of market places”.
any governors of colonies under Roman rule compromised the edict in their domains. For example, the Mayor of the city of Cirta which was alter renamed Constantine carried out the emperor’s order by ordering that Yahosheans should hand over all their “writings to the law” and “copies of scriptures” to the authority for destructions.
Even when the Roman Emperor adopted Yahoshoean doctrines which they mixed with their traditions to bring forth Roman Catholic church, the destructions of holy scriptures continued though with new form and ethics.
At this era, the Roman authority under emperors and popes formulated another formula of obstructing the translation, production and circulation of Holy Scriptures. This era saw to the amplified rage of burning of scriptures and its translators and patronisers. The Roman authority claimed that the aim of the barbarian acts was justified because it was aimed at keeping the holy scriptures out of the hands of common people.
The truth was that Roman authority was responding to its position of Anti-Yahweh and the people. The destruction of scriptures were targeted at ruining the doctrines and dogmas of Yahweh’s words that enshrined on the scriptures.
Our question continues and this, if going by these deficiencies and challenges, can the Bible account of today reflect to the original messages in the original ancient scripts from the original writers? Another area of concern over Bible books is about its translation into various languages. History proof that the original scrolls that gave birth to the book of Bible was written in Hebrew language.
By 2nd century B.C.E., the translation of the works into Greek language was carried out. That venture gave rise to Greek Septuagint or popularly known as Greek accounts.
About 4th century C.E. the Hebrew and Greek scriptures were rendered into Latin language. This work was done by Jerome who produced a famous translation known as vulgate.
Meshiyach Yahzitere Yahmarabhi
