Bible Manuscript Veracity

 

Question: Who has the authority to claim that the Bible is a factual document?  Is the Bible subjective or objective?

 

The original writings given to Moses and other men of Almighty God are termed Biblical Judaism.

The original Hebrew manuscripts were partially destroyed in the Alexandrian fire of 47 BC, but copies of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT), were made in Greek in the 3rd Cent. BC (Koine Greek commonly used in Egypt at the time).  The final burning of the remaining 700,000 volumes completed by Omar in AD 640.

The work is reputed to have been written in 70 days by 70 scholars, however that is disputed by some historians.  The fact of 70 scholars however is accepted generally.  The rest of the OT, in the 2nd Cent. BC (although some deny that Isaiah was included, but the Qumran Scrolls seem to confirm). Collectively this translation is termed "Septuagint" (LXX or 70).

The "Massorah" are the writings around the edge of the manuscripts, introduced to "fence" the Scriptures from mistakes by Scribe or copyist.  Ezra is reputed to be the originator of these (Ezra 7:6-11), and was part of his great contribution to re-establishing Israel after the return from the Babylonian Exile!  After Ezra's death, the work was altered by the "Sopherim", and called the "Sopherim Revision".  In that revision the names of Jehovah were changed in 134 cases, which alters the understanding of the narrative in context.  In the same "revision", 15 words were changed, which according to Bible Scholars gives an "abnormal appearance” to Jewish Bible text.  Also later,18 "emendations" were made to the Sopherim Revision, which affect the figure "anthropopathia", (Dr. Bullinger Appendix 31 etc.).  The Jews major departure from Truth after Ezra, (see: Changes Made To The Old Testament) which he had worked so hard to re-establish after their return from the Babylonian exile; produced the above mentioned, which were condemned by Jesus repeatedly during His Ministry.  Jesus also condemned the degraded Temple worship, and the misuse of the Temple, which is illustrated by His oft comments and prophetic condemnation of the Scribes and Pharisees, together with His cleansing of the Temple of traders in John 2:15!

Regarding the question; they are both objective and subjective!

See:

Jewish Scriptures:   (study)

Jewish Scriptures, most revered   (Comment)

 

 

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