Note here the methods of the redactors (special scribes) under King Ezra,
5th-4th century BC:
(E) Elohiym, (J) Jehovah, (P) Priestly, and (D) Deuteronomy texts.
As a means of organizing the various stories of creation, he cut up the book of generations, connecting
them into one geological tale. For example: Genesis Ch. 1, (E); Genesis Chs. 2 & 3, (J); Genesis Ch. 4,
a mix of (J), (E) and (P). Look at Genesis 20:18, (E) speaks; Genesis 21:1, (J) speaks, "And the Lord
visited Sarah as he had said;" then (P), "And the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. Individual verses
were mixed again in Genesis 21:2, (J), to "old age," then (P), to the end. Verses 3-5 were completely
added by (P); Verse 6, (E); Verse 7, (J); and Verse 8, (E).
Texts from Deuteronomy (D) were also added to Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers to strengthen the
validity of "the Law" and to catalogue the steps of the Israelites during their 40-year trek in the
wilderness. "Skillfully woven into the text, the list creates a structure for the wilderness stories and gives
shape to a series of otherwise unrelated episodes" (Book: "The Bible Through The Ages," Readers
Digest Association, 1996, pg. 97, par. 4). A few bits and pieces were added or deleted during the
translation of the hebrew Old Testament into greek (Septuagint), 2nd to 1st century BC. One example
is the last two verses of Genesis 4, which were added (130BC) to connect the story of aw-dawm and
Eve (1st man) to Adam (son of God, 2nd man, but incorrectly so). The hebrews did not recognize the
greek translation, but held fast to the masoretic texts and a revised version of the Samaritan Pentateuch,
they now called the Torah (instruction), (mentioned in Nehemiah chapter 8, 1st century BC). They did
however translate the Torah into the aramaic language to reach a greater number of readers. The
Septuagint was revised again in the 1st century AD. So you can clearly see that the Old Testament is at
best an attempt to organize, reorganize and combine a mixture of oral and written fragments into one
"authorized" text.
The New Testament was compiled and recorded in the greek language and finally canonized in 367AD.
Jerome was commissioned by the Pope to produce a latin bible from the greek (400AD). This
translation is called the Vulgate, which King James had translated into english. Modern day versions of
"The Bible - Old Testament" are more inclined to be translated from old hebrew texts, as they are the
closest to the original sumerian thought, and hebrew is a more expressive language.
5th-4th century BC:
(E) Elohiym, (J) Jehovah, (P) Priestly, and (D) Deuteronomy texts.
As a means of organizing the various stories of creation, he cut up the book of generations, connecting
them into one geological tale. For example: Genesis Ch. 1, (E); Genesis Chs. 2 & 3, (J); Genesis Ch. 4,
a mix of (J), (E) and (P). Look at Genesis 20:18, (E) speaks; Genesis 21:1, (J) speaks, "And the Lord
visited Sarah as he had said;" then (P), "And the Lord did unto Sarah as He had spoken. Individual verses
were mixed again in Genesis 21:2, (J), to "old age," then (P), to the end. Verses 3-5 were completely
added by (P); Verse 6, (E); Verse 7, (J); and Verse 8, (E).
Texts from Deuteronomy (D) were also added to Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers to strengthen the
validity of "the Law" and to catalogue the steps of the Israelites during their 40-year trek in the
wilderness. "Skillfully woven into the text, the list creates a structure for the wilderness stories and gives
shape to a series of otherwise unrelated episodes" (Book: "The Bible Through The Ages," Readers
Digest Association, 1996, pg. 97, par. 4). A few bits and pieces were added or deleted during the
translation of the hebrew Old Testament into greek (Septuagint), 2nd to 1st century BC. One example
is the last two verses of Genesis 4, which were added (130BC) to connect the story of aw-dawm and
Eve (1st man) to Adam (son of God, 2nd man, but incorrectly so). The hebrews did not recognize the
greek translation, but held fast to the masoretic texts and a revised version of the Samaritan Pentateuch,
they now called the Torah (instruction), (mentioned in Nehemiah chapter 8, 1st century BC). They did
however translate the Torah into the aramaic language to reach a greater number of readers. The
Septuagint was revised again in the 1st century AD. So you can clearly see that the Old Testament is at
best an attempt to organize, reorganize and combine a mixture of oral and written fragments into one
"authorized" text.
The New Testament was compiled and recorded in the greek language and finally canonized in 367AD.
Jerome was commissioned by the Pope to produce a latin bible from the greek (400AD). This
translation is called the Vulgate, which King James had translated into english. Modern day versions of
"The Bible - Old Testament" are more inclined to be translated from old hebrew texts, as they are the
closest to the original sumerian thought, and hebrew is a more expressive language.
Bible History
Copyright 2002
The Revelation of Genesis...Continued