Responded by Isaiah White
QUESTION: Why was the Bible never written in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Century but instead in the 9th Century?
Mugoya
RESPONSE:
Thank you for this insightful question. As I often say, it is important in life to ask questions and critically examine the foundations of our belief systems. For Christians and members of Christendom, the Bible is foundational. Therefore, understanding a few basic things about the Bible is essential. Let us begin by clarifying what we mean by the term ‘Bible’ and what it represents.
Meaning of “Bible”
The word Bible can be traced back to the Greek word biblos, meaning ‘book(s)’. This term originally referred to the outer coat of the papyrus reed in Egypt around the 11th century B.C. Its plural form, biblia (books), was being used by Christians as early as the 2nd century A.D. to describe their sacred writings. It is from this that our modern Bible emerged—a collection or library of books. From this point of view, your question is already partly addressed, as what we know as the Bible today was already in circulation by the 2nd century.
The modern English word Bible comes from the Old French, later Anglicised. It has undergone four stages of transliteration and transmission. The term Bible is often used interchangeably with “Scripture” or “Word of God”, though these terms are not strictly synonymous—an important distinction for another time.
Bible divisions
As a library of books, the Bible is divided into two main sections, commonly referred to as the Old and New Testaments. The Hebrew word for testament is berith, meaning a “covenant, compact, or agreement between two parties.” In Greek, the word diathēkē is often translated as “testament” in the King James Version.
The Old Testament was first referred to as the covenant in the time of Moses (Exodus 24:8). Later, the prophet Jeremiah foretold a new covenant that God would establish with His people (Jeremiah 31:31–34), which Jesus claimed to institute at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:28, 1 Corinthians 11:23–25, Hebrews 8:6–8). Hence, for Christians, the earlier scriptures are referred to as the Old Covenant (Testament), and the latter as the New Covenant.
Revelation of God
The Bible documents God’s revelation throughout various cultures, as many of the myths and spiritual experiences described are not exclusive to the Israelites. For Christians, the fullness of this revelation is found in Christ Jesus.
The relationship between the two Testaments is well summarised by St Augustine’s famous statement: “The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New.” Or, as others have put it, “The New is in the Old contained, and the Old is in the New explained.” For Christians, Christ is the unifying theme of both covenants (Hebrews 10:7, Luke 24:27, 44, John 5:39). God has revealed Himself in various ways, through both Word and World, but the Bible remains the written form of divine revelation.
When was the Bible written?
The question suggests that the Bible was not written until the 9th century. However, as we have seen, that is inaccurate. Perhaps Mr Mugoya is referring to the compilation or canonisation of the Bible, that is, the formal recognition of which books should be included. If so, that is a different issue, and one we can explore another time. For now, it is clear that biblical texts (books/literature) existed well before the 9th century.
Stages of the Bible’s formation
- Oral tradition: The origins of the Bible lie in oral traditions, real-life accounts of people’s experiences with God. The Word of God existed in these stories long before the 1st to 9th centuries.
- Stone, clay, ostraca: With the advent of writing, early records were inscribed on stone and clay. As you may know, the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) was given on stone tablets (Exodus 31:18). Ostraca, pottery shards or stone pieces, were used for short messages, tax records, and military correspondence, such as the Lachish Letters.
- Papyrus scrolls: This stage marked a significant development, especially during the monarchy in Israel. For example, the prophet Jeremiah dictated his messages to the scribe Baruch (Jeremiah 36:20–23). Other biblical writings, such as Proverbs (25:1), were recorded during times of royal and religious reform (2 Kings 22–23).
- Animal skins (parchments): Parchments made from animal skins became widely used. Ezra the scribe played a key role in transferring sacred texts onto these materials (Nehemiah 7–8). This demonstrates that many biblical books were committed to writing well before the centuries mentioned in your question.
- Paper materials (scrolls): With further technological advancement, especially in the Greco-Roman world, paper scrolls became common. By the time of Christ, such materials were already in use. For instance, Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue (Luke 4). The Bible has been preserved and transmitted through various media over the ages.
I hope I have not omitted any of the significant stages, as different cultures had their own systems of record-keeping. What is clear is that the Bible, as a collection of writings, existed long before the 9th century. Your question may, in fact, relate more to the canonisation process conducted by Church councils, which is a separate topic for another discussion.
