New Testament

The article deals with the origin and translation of the writings of the New Testament. It examines the Greek manuscripts and various critical editions, as well as their importance for the accuracy of modern translations.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

There are not several Bibles, but different translations of the same Greek and Hebrew source texts. Changes in language require regular revisions. Catholics include seven deuterocanonical books that are absent from the Protestant canon. The Jehovah's Witnesses' New World Translation is criticised for its theologically motivated choices.

Level: Easy Audience: Beginners

Martin Luther translated the Bible into German in the sixteenth century to make Scripture accessible to everyone, affirming the principle of “sola scriptura”. This translation made it possible to criticise Catholic practices lacking a biblical foundation, such as indulgences. It also played a major role in standardising the German language and spreading the ideas of the Protestant Reformation, particularly through printing.

Level: Easy Audience: Beginners

The apocryphal books are religious writings excluded from the official biblical canon. A distinction is made between the Old Testament apocrypha (Tobit, Judith, Maccabees, Sirach…), recognized as deuterocanonical by Catholics and Orthodox, and those of the New Testament (the Gospels of Thomas, Philip, Mary Magdalene…), often with a Gnostic coloring. Their study sheds light on the religious history and debates of the first Christian centuries, without placing them on the level of the canonical Scriptures.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

This article explores the composition of the Catholic Bible, its books and its distinctive features, notably the deuterocanonical books and the canon fixed at the Council of Trent.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Codex Sinaiticus is a Greek biblical manuscript dating from the 4th century, discovered at Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai by Tischendorf in 1844. It contains the entire New Testament, a large part of the Old Testament in Greek (Septuagint), as well as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas. An Alexandrian-type text, it is crucial for textual criticism. Divided among the British Library, Saint Petersburg, Leipzig and Sinai, it is fully digitized and can be consulted online.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Codex Vaticanus, dated between AD 300 and 325, is one of the oldest complete biblical manuscripts in Greek. Held in the Vatican Apostolic Library in Rome, it contains the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Epistle of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas. Of the Alexandrian type, it is very close to the original texts and is a major reference for textual criticism. Digitized in 2019, it is now accessible online to all researchers.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Codex Alexandrinus is a Greek biblical manuscript of the fifth century, made up of 773 leaves of vellum and containing most of the Old and New Testaments. Originating in Alexandria, it was presented to King Charles I of England in 1628 by Patriarch Cyril Lucaris. Today held in the British Library in London, it belongs to the Byzantine family of the text and is a major witness for textual criticism and the history of the transmission of the Scriptures.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus is a palimpsest manuscript of the 5th century (AD 400-440), discovered by Tischendorf in 1840 and held in the National Library of France. Written in Greek uncial script, it contains portions of the Old and New Testaments and belongs to the Alexandrian family of the biblical text, regarded as close to the originals. It is fundamental for textual criticism and the history of the transmission of the Scriptures.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis is a bilingual Greek-Latin manuscript of the New Testament, dated to around AD 400-420. Named after Theodore Beza, who presented it to Cambridge in 1581, it contains the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in about 406 folios. Its unusual order of the Gospels (Matthew, John, Luke, Mark) and its place within the Western text make it an exceptional witness for textual criticism and the history of the transmission of the Scriptures.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Vulgate is a Latin translation of the Bible made by Saint Jerome at the end of the 4th century at the request of Pope Damasus I. Translated mainly from the Hebrew for the Old Testament and revised from the Greek for the New Testament, it became the standard version of the Roman Catholic Church for more than a thousand years. The Council of Trent officially made it the authentic edition in the 16th century. Its influence on Western culture, theology and liturgy is considerable.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Peshitta is one of the oldest translations of the Bible into the Syriac language (Aramaic). Its Old Testament was translated from Hebrew in the 2nd century, and its New Testament from Koine Greek in the 5th century. Meaning 'simple' or 'common', it is the standard Bible version of the Syriac Orthodox and Catholic Churches. It plays a major role in the transmission of the biblical texts and is a valuable source for textual criticism.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate

The Textus Receptus is a compilation of the Greek text of the New Testament first published by Erasmus in 1516. Revised by Estienne, Beza and the Elzevir brothers, it served as the basis for major translations such as the King James Bible and Luther's Bible. In the 19th century, the discovery of older manuscripts such as Codex Sinaiticus revealed its limitations. Modern critical editions (Nestle-Aland, UBS) have since replaced it, although it remains an essential historical reference.

Level: Intermediate Level: Intermediate