Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-08-25
WHAT ABOUT THE BIBLE2

WHAT ABOUT THE BlBLE2
A correspondent from Park city ask
the following questions:
lin about what year were those
manuscripts comprising the Holy
Bible formed into book form and called
the Holy Blble2
ply whom were they bound TO-
gether and called the Holy BIble2
"3-Who FIRST translated the Bible IN
70 the English language? Was he a
Catholic or a Protestant
Alas the Holy Bible been revised
since rs FIRST publication
'5-Were the manuscripts composing
the Old Bible In book form before
Christs timer"
The FIRST two questions may be con-
sidered as one. There is, as far as we
know, no record showing by whom the
Inspired writings were first bound to-
gether into one Volume and named the
Bible The singular form Of the noun
was In common use IA the middle ages,
though the original Greek name was
plural-Ta Biblla-meanng The Books,
and indicating a collection Of writings
each inde9endent Of the others The
name must date back to the very earli-
est ages, when the sacred writings we're
considered THE books" par excel
lence.
When each Of these books nrs, left
the inspired authors. they existed only
In single form. But as their authority
was recognized. copies were multiplied
and circulated throughout the various
branches Of the Church. In this way
collections OF sacred books came into
existence. These collections would be
more or less complete. just as libraries
are today, and finally the question
would arise as 20 how many books act
ually were worthy Of a place In the
sacred collection. This once ascertained
they were kept together and named Ia
Biblla.
As early as 200 years after Christ
lists or catalogues OF the books ac-
cepted as inspired were published. No
less than fifteen Of these, dated In
the years between 200 and 400 AID, are
known. They differ slightly, but they
prove that the Bible az that time was
IN the main as It is today, Six OF these
catalogues, compiled by Athanasius.
Rufiln. Augustine, the
third council Of Carthage, and Dlony-
sius. the Areopagite. are identical with
the present canon. In other catalogues
the Book Of Revelation Is omitted. one
omlts James, II Peter. III John and
Hebrews. Another omits James and
Jude. II Peter, II and III John, Reyela-
ton. etc.
But the catalogues referred 10 are
not the only evidence OF the existence
la the first centuries Of our era Of the
Bible The earliest manuscripts date
from about the same time.
The Alexandrian manuscript com
pusing four volumes and containing
both the Old and New Testaments, Is
how in ne British museum London
Il was written before the 9Th century.
In the Vatican, Rome Is another man
lscrlpt belonging TO the atm century
As Tor the Old Testament, this was
translated into the Greek version
known as septuagint more than 200
years before Christ Il Is frequently
quoted ia the New Testament writings,
and the first reference to II is by |
Aristobulus. who lived in the second |
century before our era.
Il may be added that as early az the |
econd century after Christ Il was COM
non 10 refer TO the books Of the Mosaic /
as the old Covenant, and |
hose OF the Christian era as the New
Covenant. which word has been trans
ated Testament, The fact proves the
existence In that century OF the coIlec-
ion of books SO designated The Books
TIA BIbua-were already at that time
ormcd into one book divided into two
arts.
The third question can Doe briefly
wefed. The first complete translation
Z the Bible into English was made
bout A. ID. 1880 by WyclGe. the cele-
rated English reforner, one Of the
lcat pioneers OF the Reformation. The
w printed edition OF the English Bible
aa published by Tyndale In 1926 and
lSl This was bought up and burnt by
bishop T1ustall and Sir Thomas More,
ut a larger and improved edition APP
cared shortly afterwards. Tyndale SUI
.rol the death OF a martyr. The So
allied Great Bible appeared In 1893.
his was revised under the sane
on Of Cranmer, and published by au-
lority.' In 1908, King James appoint
a commission TO revise the existing !
anslations They completed their work
four years. and the result was the
lthorized version, which was printed
sftr
The fourth question has been briefly
Ifwered as far as relating 10 the Eng.
.h Bible The Hebrew text was crlti-
my examined by learned Jews at III.
.rias more than q thousand years ago,
ld corrections made as suggested by
nerent readings ia the existing man
Icrlpts Their text IS known as the
asoretic text. and 50 carefully is the
ork done that recent investigations
sustain q In rs readings
hen the Jews were dispersed BY the {