The Old Testament

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The original Hebrew Bible does not exist, but it has been preserved through manuscripts. As the years passed by, the originals got worn out and were copied on '''parchment''' made of animal skin or [https://www.britannica.com/topic/papyrus-writing-material papyrus]. The copies are called ''manuscripts''. Some worry that the Bible was altered in the process of being copied; however, if you look at the process of making manuscripts by the Jews, you can feel confident in its accuracy.<ref>Don Stewart : Why Don’t We Possess Any of the Original Manuscripts of the Books of the Bible?, FAQ, ''Blue Letter Bible''</ref><ref>[http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/significance Nature and Significance], The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls, ''The Israel Museum, Jerusalem''</ref><ref>[https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/category/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/ Dead Sea Scrolls], ''Biblical Archaeology Society''</ref>

In Israel, some people copied the Bible professionally; these people were called the [[~~Teacher of~~ the ~~Law~~|scribes]]. It is said that when making copies of the Bible, the parchment, ink color, and the scribes' clothing were fixed, and that the regulations of the shape and spacing of letters were also very strict. In addition, to prevent making any errors, the scribes had to read the original text aloud while transcribing, not relying on their memory. In order not to miss a single letter, they even counted the number of letters. It was then reviewed by another scribe to ensure accuracy.<ref>How Were the Scribes Who Copied the New Testament in Antiquity, and What Were Their Tools and Materials?, ''Christian Publishing House Blog''</ref><ref>Process of copying the Old Testament by Jewish Scribes, Scott Manning</ref>

In Israel, some people copied the Bible professionally; these people were called the [[Scribes in the Bible|scribes]]. It is said that when making copies of the Bible, the parchment, ink color, and the scribes' clothing were fixed, and that the regulations of the shape and spacing of letters were also very strict. In addition, to prevent making any errors, the scribes had to read the original text aloud while transcribing, not relying on their memory. In order not to miss a single letter, they even counted the number of letters. It was then reviewed by another scribe to ensure accuracy.<ref>How Were the Scribes Who Copied the New Testament in Antiquity, and What Were Their Tools and Materials?, ''Christian Publishing House Blog''</ref><ref>Process of copying the Old Testament by Jewish Scribes, Scott Manning</ref>

The accuracy of copying the Bible, however, was already verified through the comparison of various manuscripts that were written at different times. The scrolls written in 100 B.C. were discovered in the Qumran Cave near the Dead Sea in 1947. They are called the Dead Sea Scrolls or Qumran Caves Scrolls.<ref>QUMRAN: Caves and Monastery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, UNESCO, ''World Heritage Convention''</ref> The [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Masoretic-text Masoretic] Text, the oldest manuscript at that time, dates from about A.D. 900. After comparing the two scrolls, scholars found that the two were virtually identical even though there is a great time difference of a thousand years.<ref>ISAIAH, Henry H. Halley, Halley's Bible Handbook An Abbreviated Bible Commentary, pg. 286</ref><ref>A History of the Masoretic Hebrew Texts (Video), ''Ancient Hebrew Research Center''</ref>

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 The original Hebrew Bible does not exist, but it has been preserved through manuscripts. As the years passed by, the originals got worn out and were copied on '''parchment''' made of animal skin or [https://www.britannica.com/topic/papyrus-writing-material papyrus]. The copies are called ''manuscripts''. Some worry that the Bible was altered in the process of being copied; however, if you look at the process of making manuscripts by the Jews, you can feel confident in its accuracy.<ref>Don Stewart : Why Don’t We Possess Any of the Original Manuscripts of the Books of the Bible?, FAQ, ''Blue Letter Bible''</ref><ref>[http://dss.collections.imj.org.il/significance Nature and Significance], The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls, ''The Israel Museum, Jerusalem''</ref><ref>[https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/category/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/ Dead Sea Scrolls], ''Biblical Archaeology Society''</ref>
-In Israel, some people copied the Bible professionally; these people were called the [[Teacher of the Law|scribes]]. It is said that when making copies of the Bible, the parchment, ink color, and the scribes' clothing were fixed, and that the regulations of the shape and spacing of letters were also very strict. In addition, to prevent making any errors, the scribes had to read the original text aloud while transcribing, not relying on their memory. In order not to miss a single letter, they even counted the number of letters. It was then reviewed by another scribe to ensure accuracy.<ref>How Were the Scribes Who Copied the New Testament in Antiquity, and What Were Their Tools and Materials?, ''Christian Publishing House Blog''</ref><ref>Process of copying the Old Testament by Jewish Scribes, Scott Manning</ref>
+In Israel, some people copied the Bible professionally; these people were called the [[Scribes in the Bible|scribes]]. It is said that when making copies of the Bible, the parchment, ink color, and the scribes' clothing were fixed, and that the regulations of the shape and spacing of letters were also very strict. In addition, to prevent making any errors, the scribes had to read the original text aloud while transcribing, not relying on their memory. In order not to miss a single letter, they even counted the number of letters. It was then reviewed by another scribe to ensure accuracy.<ref>How Were the Scribes Who Copied the New Testament in Antiquity, and What Were Their Tools and Materials?, ''Christian Publishing House Blog''</ref><ref>Process of copying the Old Testament by Jewish Scribes, Scott Manning</ref>
 The accuracy of copying the Bible, however, was already verified through the comparison of various manuscripts that were written at different times. The scrolls written in 100 B.C. were discovered in the Qumran Cave near the Dead Sea in 1947. They are called the Dead Sea Scrolls or Qumran Caves Scrolls.<ref>QUMRAN: Caves and Monastery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, UNESCO, ''World Heritage Convention''</ref> The [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Masoretic-text Masoretic] Text, the oldest manuscript at that time, dates from about A.D. 900. After comparing the two scrolls, scholars found that the two were virtually identical even though there is a great time difference of a thousand years.<ref>ISAIAH, Henry H. Halley, Halley's Bible Handbook An Abbreviated Bible Commentary, pg. 286</ref><ref>A History of the Masoretic Hebrew Texts (Video), ''Ancient Hebrew Research Center''</ref>

The Old Testament: Difference between revisions