BIBLICAL CANON (‘reed’ or measuring rod, used as a standard = officially accepted list of books) Old Testament (Jewish: 24 books = Christian Protestant = 39 books ≠ Christian Catholic = 52 books): -Canon was probably established between 300 BC – 150 BC. From 4th c. on, Jews believed “the voice of God had ceased to speak directly” -Last books to be written in the Canon were Malachi (450 – 430 BC) & Chronicles (400 BC) -All canonical books appear in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Canon (250-150 BC) Jamnia Council: -Convened in 90 AD at Jamnia, as an informal meeting for Rabbis to discuss whether certain books should „remain‟ in the canon. No considerations given over adding or removing any however. -Books in question: Esther, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, & Ezekiel -Christ‟s witness to the OT Canon: Lk.24:44 („Law, Prophets, Writings‟ shows 3sections of Hebrew Bible); Jn.10:31-36 (Agreed with Oral traditions, but not Canon); Lk.11:51 („Abel to Zechariah‟ shows the line of martyrs from the 1st book, Genesis, to the last, & 24th book, Chronicles) Old Testament Principles for exclusion: 1. They are full of historical and Geographical inaccuracies and anachronisms. 2. They teach false doctrines and contradict inspired scripture 3. They are poorly written, and have artificial subject matter 4. They lack prophetic power, & poetic and religious feelings Old Testament Apocryphal Books: Ecclesiasticus: (180 BC, Like Proverbs, with sayings & practical advise on making speeches…hmmm) 1st & 2nd Esdras: (150 BC, drawn from Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, apocalyptic, & 7 visions) Tobit: (2nd C. BC, Pharisaic novel, laws & regulations, says almsgiving atones sin, purgatory, etc…) Judith: (2nd C. BC, Pharisaic, story about Judith cutting head off of Assyrian king, & destroying army) Prayer of Manasseh: (2nd C. BC, prayer of wicked king Manasseh, referred in 2 Chron.33:19) 1st & 2nd Maccabees: (1st C. BC, Exploits of 3 Maccabean brothers, best historical account of this period) Additions to Esther: (100 BC, full of Prayers of Esther to God to give credence to book of Esther) Wisdom of Solomon: (40 AD, Like Proverbs, sayings against scepticism, materialism, & idolatry) Baruch: (100 AD, Depicts destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, warns against idolatry + 13 chpt. of Daniel) Bel and the Dragon: (100 AD, Against idolatry, + 14th chpt. of Daniel) Song of the 3 Hebrew Children: (100 AD, Songs, borrowing from Psalm 148) New Testament: Need for the Canon: 1) Preservation: They were prophetic, written by the apostles, so needed to be preserved. 2) Guide: Needed to know which books would be their source of authority. 3) Counter: Against the Heretics (i.e. Marcion‟s [Luke & 10 of Paul‟s Epistles] in 140 AD). 4) Standard: Against the Heresies (Monarchic, Docetic, Gnostic, Cholloridian) 5) Mission: Needed a set of books to translate into Syriac and Old Latin. 6) Persecution: Edict of Diocletion (303 AD) called for destruction of all sacred books, thus needed to know which they were. Finally accepted at councils: Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage (397 AD), though Athanasius listed all in (367 AD) Principles for inclusion or Rules of Canonicity: 1) Apostolic Authorship: Was it written by a prophet, or spokesman of God? 2) Ecclesiastical Acceptance: Was it accepted by the people of God 3) Divine Authority: Was the prophet confirmed by an act (miracle or prophecy)? 4) Divine Truth: Did the message tell the truth about God (no contradictions, or errors)? 5) Divine Power: Did it have the power of God (did it change lives)? New Testament Apocryphal Books: Gospel According to the Hebrews (65-100 AD) Epistle of Pseudo-Barnabas (70-79 AD *in Codex Sinaiticus) Epistle of Corinthians (96 AD approx.) Seven Epistle of Ignatius (100 AD) Didache, Teaching of the Twelve (100-120 AD) Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians (108 AD approx.) Shepherd of Hermas (115-140 AD *in Codex Sinaiticus) 1 2nd Epistle of Clement (120-140 AD) Apocalypse of Peter (150 AD approx.) Acts of Paul and Thecla (170 AD) Epistle to the Laodiceans (4th c.) Reasons why they were rejected: -Only had temporary or local recognition -All appended to various MSS (i.e. Shepherd of Hermas & Epistle of Barnabas in Sinaiticus) -No major canon or church council included them as inspired books. -Only acceptance was due to a reference in Canonical books (i.e. Laodiceans in Col. 4:16) QUR’ANIC CANON (Officially recognized in 1924, by Al-Azhar University, Cairo) COLLATION: 16 Codices: Zaid ibn Thabit (Mecca), Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (Kufa - no Fatiha, or S.113-114, differences in S.3:19, 39 & S.9- Bismillah, Shi‟ite readings), Abu Musa (Basra,116 Suras), Ubayy ibn Ka'b (Damascus,116 Suras) Missing Vss = 24:32 (stoning), 33:23 (Refer to Page 4 to see what the Traditions tell us about the Collation of the Qur’an) WHAT THE TRADITIONS TELL US ABOUT THE COLLATION OF THE QUR’AN: 1. Some Qur‟anic verses were lost. Many (of the passages) of the Qur‟an that were sent down were known by those who died on the day of Yamama...but they were not known (by those who) survived them, nor were they written down, nor had Abu Bakr, Umar, or Uthman (by that time) collected the Qur‟an, nor were they found with even one (person) after them. (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif p.23). 1. Much of the Qur‟an has disappeared. It is reported from Ismail ibn Ibrahim from Ayyub from Naafi from Ibn Umar who said: “Let none of you say ‘I have acquired the whole of the Qur’an’. How does he know what all of it is when much of the Qur’an has disappeared? Rather let him say ‘I have acquired what has survived.‟ (as-Suyuti, [d. 911AD] Al-Itqan fii Ulum al-Qur’an, p.524). 2. Parts of the Qur‟an have been forgotten. We used to recite a surah which resembled in length and severity to (Surah) Bara’at. I have, however, forgotten it with the exception of this which I remember out of it: “If there were two valleys full of riches, for the son of Adam, he would long for a third valley, and nothing would fill the stomach of the son of Adam but dust”. (Sahih Muslim, [d. 875 AD] Vol. 2:2286, p.501). 3. Parts have been canceled. We used to read a verse of the Qur’an revealed in their connection, but later the verse was canceled. It was: “convey to our people on our behalf the information that we have met our Lord, and He is pleased with us, and has made us pleased”. (Sahih al-Bukhari, [d. 870AD] Vol. 5:416, pg.288). 4. While others are now missing. Allah sent Muhammad (saw) with the Truth and revealed the Holy Book to him, and among what Allah revealed, was the Verse of the Rajam (the stoning of married persons, male and female, who commit adultery) and we did recite this Verse and understood and memorized it. Allah‟s Apostle (saw) did carry out the punishment of stoning and so did we after him. I am afraid that after a long time has passed, somebody will say, „By Allah, we do not find the Verse of the Rajam in Allah’s Book‟, and thus they will go astray by leaving an obligation which Allah has revealed. (Sahih al- Bukhari, [d. 870AD] Vol. 8:817, pg.539). 5. There are some verses which have been overlooked. Khuzaimah ibn Thabit said: “I see you have overlooked (two) verses and have not written them”. They said “And which are they?” He replied “I had it directly (tilqiyya - „automatically, spontaneously‟) from the messenger of Allah (saw) (Surah 9, ayah 128): „There has come to you a messenger from yourselves. It grieves him that you should perish, he is very concerned about you: to the believers he is kind and merciful‟, to the end of the surah”. Uthman said “I bear witness that these verses are from Allah”. (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif p.11). 6. Some verses which have been changed. Abu Yunus, freedman of Aishah, Mother of Believers, reported: Aishah ordered me to transcribe the Holy Qur‟an and asked me to let her know when I should arrive at the verse Haftdhuu alaas-salaati waas-salaatiil-wustaa wa quumuu lillaahi qaanitiin (2.238). When I arrived at the verse I informed her and she ordered: Write it in this way, Hafidhuu alaas-salaati waas-salaatiil-wustaa wa salaatil ‘asri wa quumuu lillaahi qaanitiin. She added that she had heard it so from the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). (Muwatta Imam Malik, [d.795 AD] p.64). 7. And others which have been modified. Altogether al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf made eleven modifications in the reading of the Uthmanic text. ... In al-Baqarah (Surah 2.259) it originally read Lam yatasanna waandhur, but it was altered to Lam yatasannah ... In al-Ma‟ida (Surah 5.48) it read Shari ya’atan wa minhaajaan but it was altered to shir ‘atawwa minhaajaan. (Ibn Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif p.117). Manuscript Variants (extant mss. available to Western researchers) • Difficulty finding complete early MSS • Keith Small: (Sura 14:35-41 – Abraham in Mecca) vs. Acts 7:1-8 (Stephen on Abraham, Isaac & UR) – 150 available MSS in the 1st 300 yrs. (i.e. between 650 – 900 AD) – Only 13 mss with Sura 14:35-41 – Suras 82-114, only 3 in late 8th c. – Suras 108-114, no extant examples exist in the first 300 years! Conclusions: Possible standardization of verses by late 7th c., but no extant MS.