THE FORMATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
The story of the origin of the Old Testament is multi-layered and complex, and no known ancient sources actually tell it. The Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Ethiopian, and Syriac traditions all have slightly different Old Testaments. While they all agree on the books that comprise the Protestant Old Testament, the other groups also include books that Protestants call Apocryphal or Deuterocanonical books. The books agreed upon are the same as those in the Jewish Canon, also known as the Hebrew Bible( or Tanakh), although Chris tians have them in a different order. Some Jewish religious books that were popular in the time of Jesus and the early church were read as sacred Scripture. They were considered good for teaching by both Jews and Chris tians, but were later not included in the Old Testament( e. g., 2Pe 2:4 – 9; Jude 14 – 15; 2Co 12:1 – 4). Some of these other books help us piece together the story of the formation of the Chris tian Bible and provide insight into the context of early Chris tian ity.
Today, the term“ Canon” is commonly used to identify those books that comprise the Bible. In antiquity, however, neither the Jews nor the early Chris tians used the term“ Canon” as an official catalog. Jews used the phrase“ books that defile the hands” to describe their sacred books, and Chris tians simply used the term“ Scripture” or various formulations such as“ as it is written” or“ as the Scripture says.” Paul initially used the term“ Canon” in the New Testament( 2Co 10:13,15 – 16) to speak of the limits of his ministry and the rule( or scope) of the Chris tian faith( Gal 6:16).“ Canon” began to be used by Chris tians to refer to an official list of authoritative sacred writings in the late fourth century AD.
The basic properties of Scripture, both for ancient Judaism and Chris tian ity, seem to include at least four essential elements: The text is a written document; it is believed to have a divine origin; it communicates the will and truth of God for the believing community; and it provides a source of regulations for the corporate and individual life of the community.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE IDEA OF SCRIPTURE
Despite the importance of the Law in ancient Israel’ s identity( e. g., Ex 20), very few authors of the earlier Old Testament Scriptures— such as Judges, 1 – 2 Sam uel, and 1 – 2 Kings— actually appeal to Scripture directly. While there are references to sacred writings in this period, there are few references to the Law itself( compare 2Ki 22:3 – 13; 2Ch 34:8 – 21). At this stage in Israel’ s history, the Law itself— or the conviction that it is God’ s Law— may have been largely ignored and thus had little influence in national life. The prophets repeatedly warned the nation to keep the commands of God, but apparently without a positive response.
However, during king Josiah of Judah’ s reign in the late seventh century BC, his high priest found the“ Book of the Law”( probably Deuteronomy; 2Ki 22). After this point, the divinely authoritative status of the sacred writings came to national prominence and several of them were elevated to the status of Scripture, even if they were not yet called“ Scripture.” When the Jews returned to their homeland under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah after captivity in Babylon in the midsixth to mid-fifth century BC, many reforms were instituted. Regular reading and interpretation of the laws of Moses( Pentateuch or Torah) began at this time( Ne 8:1 – 8).