The Written Record... Manuscripts...
Critics of the Bible, cite that since there are no original manuscripts; therefore there is no proof that the Word of God has been accurately preserved. I disagree with that criticism.
Papyrus 52, the John Rylands fragment, is the oldest known record of the Gospels. It records John 18:31-33, and 37-38. In Eyewitness to Jesus, Page 126, Dr. Carsten Thiede notes P52 "has been dated to the first quarter of the second century but could be still older..." That places the document within two to three decades of the time that it was written. Such a close dating increases the credibility of the manuscript witness as it reduces the possibility of any type of transmission error.
Additionally, the stringent rules for copying manuscripts provide an assurance of preservation with a system of checks and balances.
The first step was to use an acceptable written material. Parchment was the preferred material, but not just any parchment. The parchment must be from a ceremonially clean animal according to the Levitical laws. The parchment must be prepared by a Jew and the strings which fastened the pages of the parchment together must also be prepared with the same strict requirements.
The ink used in writing must be prepared from a specific recipe.
Each manuscript page could not have less than forty-eight lines nor more than sixty lines. Specific letter forms and spacing were required and each word and letter was counted. An addition or deletion of a letter or the fact that two letters touched could deem a manuscript to be condemned.
No one could transcribe from memory, but rather, each word had to be spoken, then written. In a scriptorium, one person might read the original manuscript while numerous scribes made additional copies, first speaking the word, then writing it.
Each time the word “Elohim” was written, the writing utensil had to be cleaned. Each time the name “Jehovah” was used, the scribe had to ritually cleanse his body less the Holy Name of God would be defiled or contaminated.
Within thirty days of the completion of a manuscript, it had to be verified or destroyed. One mistake on a page condemned the page. Three mistakes on a page condemned the entire manuscript and it would be destroyed.
With this understanding of the strict requirements for manuscript transmission, one can believe that the Word of God has been preserved just as God promised that He would do.
~serapha~
Papyrus 52, the John Rylands fragment, is the oldest known record of the Gospels. It records John 18:31-33, and 37-38. In Eyewitness to Jesus, Page 126, Dr. Carsten Thiede notes P52 "has been dated to the first quarter of the second century but could be still older..." That places the document within two to three decades of the time that it was written. Such a close dating increases the credibility of the manuscript witness as it reduces the possibility of any type of transmission error.
Additionally, the stringent rules for copying manuscripts provide an assurance of preservation with a system of checks and balances.
The first step was to use an acceptable written material. Parchment was the preferred material, but not just any parchment. The parchment must be from a ceremonially clean animal according to the Levitical laws. The parchment must be prepared by a Jew and the strings which fastened the pages of the parchment together must also be prepared with the same strict requirements.
The ink used in writing must be prepared from a specific recipe.
Each manuscript page could not have less than forty-eight lines nor more than sixty lines. Specific letter forms and spacing were required and each word and letter was counted. An addition or deletion of a letter or the fact that two letters touched could deem a manuscript to be condemned.
No one could transcribe from memory, but rather, each word had to be spoken, then written. In a scriptorium, one person might read the original manuscript while numerous scribes made additional copies, first speaking the word, then writing it.
Each time the word “Elohim” was written, the writing utensil had to be cleaned. Each time the name “Jehovah” was used, the scribe had to ritually cleanse his body less the Holy Name of God would be defiled or contaminated.
Within thirty days of the completion of a manuscript, it had to be verified or destroyed. One mistake on a page condemned the page. Three mistakes on a page condemned the entire manuscript and it would be destroyed.
With this understanding of the strict requirements for manuscript transmission, one can believe that the Word of God has been preserved just as God promised that He would do.
~serapha~
posted by ~serapha~ at 6:36 PM
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