The Greek word “biblia” is a plural noun derived from the word “biblion,” which means “scroll.” The general meaning of “biblia” is “books.” In a biblical context, the word “biblia” is commonly used to refer to the collection of books that make up the Christian Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. The Greek word “bibliia” (βιβλία) is used in the Greek New Testament to refer to books, especially religious or sacred books. In the context of the New Testament, the word is typically used to refer to the Old Testament, which was the collection of sacred texts used by Jews in the time of Jesus and the early Christians.
Has the Bible Been Accurately Copied Down Through the Centuries?
Learn about the accuracy of the Bible through the centuries with textual criticism, historical evidence, and manuscript comparisons. Discover how the Bible has been accurately copied down through the ages.
Why Would the Holy Spirit Miraculously Inspire 66 Fully Inerrant Texts and Then Allow Human Imperfection Into the Copies?
Some have argued that he values human agency and free will. God did not want to force people to preserve the texts perfectly or to remove all errors, but rather wanted them to use their own judgment and efforts to transmit them as faithfully as possible. Others argue that the variations and errors in the copies do not necessarily affect important matters of doctrine or theology. Many of the errors are minor and do not impact the overall message and meaning of the text. Neither answer is completely correct.
Have the Early Papyri Manuscripts Made a Difference In the Critical Text of the Greek New Testament?
The papyri are documents written on papyrus, a material prepared in Ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant, used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing. The early papyri of about 100+ manuscripts that date from 110-390 C.E. are said to be the most important for establishing the original.
CHRISTIANS DEVELOP THE CODEX: The Early Christian Codex
A codex is an ancient manuscript text in book form. Did the early Christians invent the codex or just popularize it? What were the advantages of the codex over the scroll? Why was the codex preferred by the Christians to the scrolls that had been so widely used and familiar?
COULD THE APOSTLE PETER AND JOHN READ AND WRITE: The Literacy Level of the Apostle Peter and John
Rome was a complex society. Levels of literacy were fluid because of the conditions of the day being as culturally and ethnically diverse as it was. The Roman Empire from the first century to the fourth century was as culturally and ethnically diverse as New York City and its five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. A person’s literacy level to carry out different job functions and skills for daily living and employment would not be the same in Nazareth as would have been the case in Rome. The need or desire for literacy would not be as important in Nazareth as it would have been in Rome. As we will see, the need or desire for literacy was likely ...
The “Meta-data” of Early Christian New Testament Manuscripts
Discover the enduring legacy of early Christian book-production and its impact on modern book production, Christian theology and doctrine, and the tradition of religious scholarship. Learn about the innovations in codex format, reader's aids, punctuation, and metadata that facilitated the dissemination of written knowledge and the growth of the Christian church.
The Bible in a Single Volume
In the 6th century, Flavius Cassiodorus was instrumental in popularizing the use of the codex—a book rather than a scroll—to make copies of the Bible. Christians did not produce a single-volume Bible at the time, but Cassiodorus's efforts laid the groundwork for widespread production of these books.
NEW TESTAMENT TEXTUAL STUDIES: Scribal-Introduced Textual Variants Or Reader-Introduced Textual Variants?
This article explores the ongoing debate over the origin of textual variants in the Greek New Testament manuscripts, examining the evidence for and against the idea that some variants were intentionally introduced by readers. The implications for textual criticism and interpretation are discussed, as well as the views of scholars on both sides of the debate.
The Transmission Quality of the Early Text of the Greek New Testament
It is true that the first three centuries of copying New Testament Greek manuscripts were “free,” in that scribes often took liberties with the manuscript they were copying from, chaotic copying of the texts, a period of copying that was in a state of flux by scribes who did not value what they were copying? Herein lies the truth.