Posted on 02/22/2010 9:47:13 PM PST by restornu
Since ancient scribes were so totally accurate in their work, how could any mistakes ever enter into the Bible?
There is a myth among some circles that ancient scribes were so incredibly cautious, making sure that every letter was perfectly copied, that they never produced any mistakes when copying the manuscripts, and thus all ancient manuscripts agree with each other.
This is entirely bogus - a deceptive lie or statement of shear stupidity. The great Hebrew scholar,
Emmanuel Tov, for example, has discussed numerous scribal problems in Hebrew manuscripts.
In a 1994 lecture entitled "The Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls," Dr. Tov explains what we learned about ancient scribes and Hebrew manuscripts with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls:
Let me explain the importance of having discovered these documents from a very early period relating to the Hebrew Bible.
Before these discoveries were made in 1947, the earliest sources for the Hebrew Bible were the texts found in the Cairo Geniza.
The Geniza is a storeroom in which discarded writings considered to be holy or that contained the name of God were placed [when they were worn out].
The earliest of these document are from the eighth century of the Common Era [A.D.].
Until 1947 we had no ancient records in Hebrew of the Hebrew Bible.
You might say we had no really good evidence of what the Hebrew Bible looked like, until the discoveries of Qumran.
It turns out that our knowledge was rather good, but we had no evidence in our hands.
So, the first time that we were able to see what an ancient Hebrew Bible looked like was after these documents were found near the Dead Sea.
We now know what is meant by a copy of the Hebrew Bible from early periods.
We now know that the text was written in a scroll, and when we say scroll, we really mean something which was rolled.
We mean that these were sheets of leather sewn to each other or glued to each other, on each of which you could have a number of columns of writing.
Each column is what we would probably call a page, and so normally you'd have three or four columns on each sheet, with a fixed number of lines.
We now see what the text looked like.
We see that there are scribes who wrote well, and we see that there are scribes who were rather sloppy.
One of the scribes was a terrible scribe, the scribe who wrote the Isaiah scroll.
When I say terrible, I mean terrible.
This is a scribe who made a mistake in every second, third, or fourth -- well, let's say every fifth word.
Already the second word of that scroll has a mistake.
It starts with the vision of Isaiah, and in that word Yisha'yahu the third letter, the 'ayin, he simply forgot, because this is a guttural letter, which he (like I) did not pronounce, so he just wrote yod shin yod hay vav and then afterwards when he realized what he did, he, or a reader, put the 'ayin above the line.
Mistakes in guttural letters in that scroll abound. Words are omitted.
Words are added.
Words are added in the margin.
This is sloppy handwriting.
We simply must remember that this is a human scribe of blood and flesh who wrote this scroll and hence produced a product which, in his case, was not a good product.
(Emmanuel Tov, "The Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls," Seventh Annual F.A.R.M.S. Lecture, Feb. 20, 1994, Document TOV-94, Provo, Utah: FARMS, 1994, pp. 6-7; see also Emmanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, 2nd edition, Fortress Press, 2001)
It's not just that some scribes were sloppy.
They were condemned as a class by the Lord for their unrighteousness ("Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" in Matt. 23:39).
Evidence supports the idea that changes were deliberately made due to their religious bias.
Some early Christians reported that Hebrew scriptures had been changed to take out some clear prophecies of Christ, which was an entirely logical but corrupt response from those who kept the manuscripts and hated Christianity.
One thing is clear: there are numerous variants between the different ancient texts, both in Greek and Hebrew.
While the manuscripts agree with each other in many ways, there are thousands of differences due to the vagaries of human activity.
Scribes were imperfect.
They were not infallible.
Their products cannot possibly be considered infallible, perfect and complete.
One can ignore the abundant evidence, but it's time to recognize that only God is the final and perfect authority, and that's why we need continuing revelation from his authorized prophets and apostles.
The Bible is scripture and needs to be studied with faith, but also with a recognition that it is a book printed by humans, translated by humans, copied by humans, and even originally written by inspired humans, none of whom were infallible. Mistakes happen. Errors creep in.
Translations create unintended meanings. This is mortality, and these kind of things happen.
Thank goodness there is a mechanism to overcome these problems when it's critical, and that mechanism is continuing revelation, which was meant to be an integral part of the Church of Jesus Christ from the beginning, and which has been restored in our day.
I have had many tell me they perfer some one who was learned in Hebrew and other languages and was one of those who did over see the Dead Sea Scrolls Project.
Co-founder and chairman (1991-2000) of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation. Member of the Academic Committee of the Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Senior Associate Fellow, Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies. [4]
From 1990-2009 he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the international Dead Sea Scrolls Publication Project, which during those years produced 32 volumes of the series Discoveries in the Judean Desert as well as two concordances [5].wiki
It is fixed now!
You did it again! Post more about ‘man’!
My God is Almighty! He is WELL CAPABLE of delivering HIS Word accurately. But, seems like some make a career at trying to prove they know more than God and need to fix what ‘they’ see as His ‘errors’. Shame on them!
Look what can I say some want credentials some don’t know what they want!
Credentials? What is it? this guy is more truthful because he has more credentials? The Bible is the inspired Word of God - post HIS credentials, also. Let’s see Who will be more inclined to KNOW what the REAL TRUTH is and who is in error.
Credentials? What is it? this guy is more truthful because he has more credentials? The Bible is the inspired Word of God - post HIS credentials, also. Let’s see Who will be more inclined to KNOW what the REAL TRUTH is and who is in error.
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Can’t please everyone pnsn
It seems Tov was commenting on document in his possession and seeing the error between them.
This article expresses my point of view to me it is common sense that humans are not perfect also there are those who do things they should not as the Lord called them on it.
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It’s not just that some scribes were sloppy.
“They were condemned as a class by the Lord for their unrighteousness (”Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” in Matt. 23:39).
Evidence supports the idea that changes were deliberately made due to their religious bias.
Some early Christians reported that Hebrew scriptures had been changed to take out some clear prophecies of Christ, which was an entirely logical but corrupt response from those who kept the manuscripts and hated Christianity.
One thing is clear: there are numerous variants between the different ancient texts, both in Greek and Hebrew.
While the manuscripts agree with each other in many ways, there are thousands of differences due to the vagaries of human activity”
Just the fact that the Lord call them on it show they had bias do you really think when they harbored ill feeling towards Jesus that they are not capable of distorting the word to testify to their agenda?
People have no qualms to bear false witness against Jesus changing the word is easy compared to having an innocence man put to death.
The Bible is scripture and needs to be studied with faith, but also with a recognition that it is a book printed by humans, translated by humans, copied by humans, and even originally written by inspired humans, none of whom were infallible.
Mistakes happen.
Errors creep in.
I wish to respectfully offer the point that good texts were used, and wore out. Bad texts were avoided, put in pots, and would not be used if there was better, and so, had a good chance of being preserved.
One example of that is the Codex Sinaiticus
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Sinaiticus";
I have had many tell me they perfer some one who was learned in Hebrew and other languages and was one of those who did over see the Dead Sea Scrolls Project.
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1. Then name one or two of the “many”
2. Reaganaut is learned in Hebrew and other languages
3. I’ve seen the Dead Sea Scrolls
Why did you not just ask us if you are so interested in this subject ???
Some early Christians reported that Hebrew scriptures had been changed to take out some clear prophecies of Christ,
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Source ???
People have no qualms to bear false witness against Jesus changing the word is easy compared to having an innocence man put to death.
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Joseph Smith comes to mind...
Just the fact that the Lord call them on it show they had bias do you really think when they harbored ill feeling towards Jesus that they are not capable of distorting the word to testify to their agenda?
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Joseph Smith comes to mind...
The book of mormon is scripture and needs to be studied with faith, but also with a recognition that it is a book printed by humans, translated by humans, copied by humans, and even originally written by inspired humans, none of whom were infallible.
Mistakes happen.
Errors creep in.
It would be nice instead of being unpleasant to show where you disagree with Prof Tov findings!
Yes this article was introduce on an LDS site Prof Tov is Jewish he is not LDS but he is a scholar who study most of his life biblical scriptures!
One can ignore the abundant evidence, but it’s time to recognize that only God is the final and perfect authority, and that’s why we need continuing revelation from his authorized prophets and apostles.
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Of which there are none...
Much of the article you are tampering with is by Prof Tov who is Jewish he is not LDS!
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