The Bible: I. Authenticity II. Credibility III. Morality

by John E. Remsburg

Ethiopic.—This was the Bible of Ethiopian Christians. The Old Testament contained four divisions: 1. The Law; 2. Kings; 3. Solomon; 4. The Prophets. It also contained the Book of Enoch, a book found in no other version. The New Testament omitted Revelation and included the Apostolic Constitutions.

Gothic.—This version was made by a Gothic bishop in the fourth century. It omitted four of the principal books of the Old Testament, First and Second Samuel, and First and Second Kings.

Italic.—The Italic version was one of the earliest Latin versions of the Bible. The New Testament contained but twenty-four books. It omitted Hebrews, James, and Second Peter.

Vulgate.—The Vulgate, one of the most important versions of the Bible, is the Latin version made by Jerome about the beginning of the fifth century. It is the standard version of the Roman Catholic church. It has undergone many revisions and consequently many changes. It now includes the Apocryphal books which Jerome did not accept as canonical.

Ancient Manuscripts.

The three most important Greek manuscripts, those which are recognized as the highest authorities in determining the text of the Bible, are the Sinaitic, the Vatican, and the Alexandrian.

Sinaitic.—The Sinaitic Manuscript, now preserved in St. Petersburg, was discovered by Dr. Tischendorf at a convent near Mount Sinai. It is believed by many to be the oldest manuscript of the New Testament extant, dating back, it is supposed by some, to the fourth century. It contains twenty-nine books—the twenty-seven canonical books, the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Shepherd of Hermas.

Vatican.—This manuscript, now in the Vatican library at Rome, belongs, it is claimed, to the fourth century. The Old Testament contains the Apocrypha. The New Testament is a mutilated copy, containing only the Four Gospels, Acts, and a part of the Epistles.

Alexandrian.—The Alexandrian Manuscript, now in the British Museum, belongs, it is said, to the fifth or sixth century. The Old Testament includes the Apocryphal books. The New Testament includes the canonical books, and in addition to these the First and Second Epistles of Clement.