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Twenty Two Books
#1
Shlama Akhay,

As many of you already know, the Hebrew canon of the OT contains only 22 books. They are the same as the Christian OT canon, but it's just that the Jews reckoned certain books as one, such as the two Books of Samuel, the two Books of Kings, the two books of Chronicles, the Twelve Minor Prophets which were originally written on a single scroll, Judges with Ruth and Jeremiah with Lamentations.

In the 1st century, Josephus writes:

Josephus Wrote:For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one another, as the Greeks have, but only twenty-two books, which contain the records of all the past times; which are justly believed to be divine.

Another early witness is Origen (185 ??? 254 AD):

Quote:Nor must we fail to observe that not without reason the canonical books are twenty-two, according to the Hebrew tradition, the same in number as the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. For as the twenty-two letters may be regarded as an introduction to the wisdom and the Divine doctrines given to men in those Characters, so the twenty-two inspired books are an alphabet of the wisdom of God and an introduction to the knowledge of realities.

Even Jerome, the famous Hebrew and Aramaic scholar and author of the Vulgate (347-420 AD):

Quote:As, then, there are twenty-two elementary characters by means of which we write in Hebrew all we say, and the compass of the human voice is contained within their limits, so we reckon twenty-two books, by which, as by the alphabet of the doctrine of God, a righteous man is instructed in tender infancy, and, as it were, while still at the breast.

Is it a coincidence that the eastern canon of the Peshitta NT contains 22 books? <!-- sWink --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/wink1.gif" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /><!-- sWink -->
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#2
Paul Younan said:

"Is it a coincidence that the eastern canon of the Peshitta NT contains 22 books?"

I seriously doubt it!

Wow! I'm blown away. Everytime that I learn something more about the Eastern Text of the P'shitta NT, I'm even MORE blown away! <!-- s:bomb: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/bomb.gif" alt=":bomb:" title="The Bomb" /><!-- s:bomb: --> lol

Shlama, Albion
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#3
Akhi Albion,

As the Jews categorized the three sections of the OT canon ("Law", "Prophets" and "Writings", c.f. Luke 24:44), hence the term TaNaKh (for Torah, Nevi'im, Khetuvim), so too the CoE categorizes the NT canon into three sections: The Gospels, Acts and the Epistles.
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#4
Shlama Akhi Paul,

I believe in a 21 book canon. The 4 Gospels, Acts, James, Peter (1&2), John (1,2,3), Jude, Romans, Corinthians (1,2) Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians (1,2), Timothy (1,2), Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, Revelation, using the Jewish method of reckoning for the Hebrew Bible (which is a bit contrived, since it lumps Jeremiah's writings into one book, Judges and Ruth together as one, but The Torah of Moses remained 5 separate books, which is hardly consistent).

By the same method, you have a 19 book Eastern canon. Hardly a sexy number, except by Islamic standards.
Burkta,

Dave
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#5
Hey, take it up with the Jews, Josephus, Origen and Jerome. I'm just the messenger!
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#6
Paul Younan Wrote:Hey, take it up with the Jews, Josephus, Origen and Jerome. I'm just the messenger!
lol. I have to admit, I was about to say almost exactly what Mr. Bauscher did when I saw that he beat me to it. You're not measuring the two equally. Even ancient sources are inconsistent as to how many books they count in the TN"K. If you are going to count the TN"K according to it's method, you should really do the same with the NT. Matthew, Mark, Luke&Acts, John, Yaqub, I&II Peter, I-III John, Jude, Romans, Corinthians (I&II), Galatians, Ephesians, Philippaians, Colossians, Thessalonians (I&II), Timothy (I&II), Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, Revelation. At most this counts 21, and if we combine the Catholic Epistles, like the Minor Prophets are, then we end up with a mere 16 at most. It could be counted as low as 14.
It's like an equation. Anything that you do to one side you must do to the other side also.
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#7
I think both of you are misunderstanding the intent of the post.

I'm not dogmatically declaring how many books are in either canon, or even justifying the rationale behind the groupings.

I found it interesting that the Jews tried really hard to come up with a 22-book canon, to give it a mystical relationship to the 22-letter alphabet. After all, Origen and Jerome didn't come up with that rationale on their own.

I thought the link between the CoE's 22-book canon and the Jewish desire to maintain a 22-book canon may have historical importance in the sense that the CoE was almost entirely Jewish for the first few centuries. And we also happen to have the same 22 letters in the alphabet.

Just an interesting link, that's all. Don't get all up in a tizzy or anything!
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#8
Intent of the post aside, Paul, you have to admit, The COE may have been interested in coming up with a 22 book canon for the same reasons The Jews came up with one. Is it not then possible that whoever first compiled the 22 books together excluded some books because it would have messed up the number 22, and he (they) had already decided that 22 was the magic number?

Dave
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#9
Anything is possible, but that hardly explains why the West had so much trouble with these books. Revelation was resisted in the west for a long time, it was the last one accepted "universally" by the west. Not until the 8th century or so was it "cleared" by everyone. The other 4 had a hard time being accepted, too.

Why did the Synod of Laodicea (~363 CE) exclude Revelation? Laodicea was hardly CoE, right?

Quote:Canon 59. Let no private psalms nor any uncanonical books be read in the church, but only the canonical ones of the New and Old Testament.

Canon 60. [After listing the books of the Old Testament] And these are the books of the New Testament: four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles, seven Catholic epistles, namely, one of James, two of Peter, three of John, one of Jude, fourteen epistles of Paul, one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Galatians, one to the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, one to the Hebrews, two to Timothy, one to Titus, and one to Philemon.

No mention of Revelation. Nada.

And wasn't Laodicea one of the "Seven Churches" addressed in Revelation?
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#10
Dave,

Here is the Canon of Cyril of Jerusalem: (315-386 CE)

Quote:Then of the New Testament there are four Gospels only, for the rest have false titles and are harmful. The Manicheans also wrote a Gospel according to Thomas, which being smeared with the fragrance of the name 'Gospel' destroys the souls of those who are rather simple-minded. Receive also the Acts of the Twelve Apostles; and in addition to these the seven Catholic Epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; and as a seal upon them all, and the latest work of disciples, the fourteen Epistles of Paul.
But let all the rest be put aside in a secondary rank. And whatever books are not read in the churches, do not read these even by yourself, as you have already heard [me say concerning the Old Testament apocrypha].

No mention of Revelation.
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#11
Akhi Dave,

The Canon of Gregory of Nazianus (329-389 CE), hardly a CoE prelate:

Quote:List of books of the Old Testament ...
But now count also [the books] of the New Mystery;
Matthew indeed wrote for the Hebrews the wonderful works of Christ,
And mark for Italy, Luke for Greece,
John, the great preacher, for all, walking in heaven.
Then the Acts of the wise apostles,
And fourteen Epistles of Paul,
And seven Catholic [Epistles], of which James is one,
Two of Peter, three of John again.
And Jude's is the seventh, You have all.
If there is any besides these, it is not among the genuine books.

Not a mention of the Apocalypse.
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#12
The Canon of Amphilochius of Iconium (after 394 CE)

Quote:It is time for me to speak of the books of the New Testament.
Receive only four evangelists:
Matthew, then Mark, to whom, having added Luke
As third, count John as fourth in time,
But first in height of teachings,
For I call this one rightly a son of thunder,
Sounding out most greatly with the word of God.
And receive also the second book of Luke,
That of the catholic Acts of the Apostles.
Add next the chosen vessel,
The herald of the Gentiles, the apostle
Paul, having written wisely to the churches
Twice seven Epistles: to the Romans one,
To which one must add two to the Corinthians,
That to the Galatians, and that to the Ephesians, after which
That in Philippi, then the one written
To the Colassians, two to the Thessalonians,
Two to Timothy, and to Titus and the Philemon,
One each, and one to the Hebrews.
But some say the one to the Hebrews is spurious,
not saying well, for the grace is genuine.
Well, what remains? Of the Catholic Epistles
Some say we must receive seven, but others say
Only three should be received -- that of James, one,
And one of Peter, and those of John, one.

And some receive three [of John], and besides these, two
of Peter, and that of Jude a seventh.
And again the Revelation of John,
Some approve, but the most
Say it is spurious
, This is
Perhaps the most reliable (lit. most unfalsified)
canon of the divinely inspired Scriptures.

Here you have a Cappadocian bishop, in Asia Minor, basically approving the 22 book canon of the CoE. For he mentions that the other 4 are in dispute, and practically rejects Revelation by consensus of the majority.
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#13
The Stichometery of Nicephorus, Patriarch of Constantinople (806-815 CE)

Quote:And the (writings) of the Old Testament which are gainsaid and are not recognized in the Church (canonized) are the following:

1. 3 Books of the Maccabees 7300 lines
2. The Wisdom of Solomon 1100 lines
3. The Wisdom of Jesus Sirach 2800 lines
4. The Psalms and Odes of Solomon 2100 lines
5. Esther 350 lines
6. Judith 1700 lines
7. Susanna 500 lines
8. Tobith, also (called) Tobias 700 lines

And of the New Testament (writings) the following are gainsaid:

1. The Revelation of John 1400 lines

2. The Revelation of Peter 300 lines
3. The Epistle of Barnabas 1360 lines
4. The Gospel of the Hebrews 2200 lines

Was the Patriarch of Constantinople a part of the CoE? And look at the late date of 9th century AD!

Don't make this a CoE thing, apparently this book was doubted by the west for a long time, too.
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#14
Shlama Paul,

Thank you for all these resources. This will be very helpful and time saving for research.

Ya'aqub
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#15
AD 200 Muratorian Canon
Four Gospels
Acts
Pauls Letters: Romans, I & II Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col. I & II Thess., I & II Tim., Titus, Philemon
James
I & II John
Jude
Revelation of John
Revelation of Peter
Wisdom of Solomin

for private study:
Shepherd of Hermas



AD 250 AD
Origen's collection
Four Gospels
Acts
Pauls Letters: Romans, I & II Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col. I & II Thess., I & II Tim., Titus, Philemon
I Peter
I John
Revelation of John

disputed:
Hebrews
James
II Peter
II & III John
Jude
Shepherd of Hermas
Letter of Barnabas
Teaching of Twelve (Didache)
Gospel of the Hebrews


300 AD
Eusebius's collection
Four Gospels
Acts
Pauls Letters: Romans, I & II Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col. I & II Thess., I & II Tim., Titus, Philemon
I Peter
I John
Revelation of John

disputed:
Hebrews
James
II Peter
II & III John
Jude

Purposely excluded: Shepherd of Hermas
Letter of Barnabas
Teaching of Twelve (Didache)
Gospel of the Hebrews
Revelation of Peter
Acts of Peter


AD 400
Council of Carthage
Four Gospels
Acts
Pauls Letters: Romans, I & II Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col. I & II Thess., I & II Tim., Titus, Philemon
Hebrews
James
I & II Peter
I, II, & III John
Revelation of John

All the above canons and counsels have Revelation from AD 200 on. The Western canon was settled at the current 27 books in AD 397.



Burkta,

Dave
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