Without entering into lots of detail, the technological shift in early
Christian circles (and some early Jewish ones?) from scroll to small
codices (2nd-3rd century) to mega-codices (4th century onward) such as the
Greek Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, etc., is relevant for this
discussion. It raises the question of what "Bible" or "biblical canon"
would mean at a time when it was impossible (practically speaking) to
include all "scriptural" writings in a single literary production ("under
one cover," in codex language). Presumably there were boxes or pouches of
scrolls, and certainly there were lists, but how did those physical
factors affect the understanding of "bible" as an abstraction?
Thanks for the openings and invitations, Oriens; wish there were more time
to pursue the details, fascinating and frustrating as they are!
Bob Kraft
> --- [log in to unmask] wrote:
> > In a message dated 03/26/2000 6:03:59 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> > [log in to unmask] writes:
> >
> > << Very few early manuscripts
> > contain the entire Bible. >>
> >
> > If I remember correctly, the first "complete" bible was put together
> > in the
> > 7th or 8th century in northern England.
>
> Alas, you don't remember correctly. You refer, I think, to the Codex
> Amiatinus, which is the first complete manuscript of the Latin Vulgate
> to survive (there may have been others 'put together' before that, but
> they haven't survived); however, there are plenty of complete codices
> of the Greek Bible from centuries earlier.
>
> Oriens.
--
Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
227 Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
[log in to unmask]
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
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