At 03:01 PM 9/23/98 -0400, Margaret McCormack wrote:
>When is the earliest example of the desinations "old
testament" and
>/ or "new testament" (in whatever language they first occur?)
>thanks
The first usage of these phrases is Biblical; see Mt 26:28
(and parallel passages), 2 Cor 3:6 and 14 (which mentions
both OT and NT), and several spots in Heb 9. In these
passages, however, "testament" generally refers to an
agreement between God and humankind, not to a collection of
holy books (the usual modern English usage).
Stephen A. Allen
The Medieval Institute
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556-5692
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