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Gospel of John - Jewish Canon
- The Books Christians call the Old Testament were canonically defined as such by the Christian Church,
and indeed over many centuries. Originally this was based on the suptuagint (LXX) drawn up in Alexandria. But
the reformers reverted to a Palestinian canon which seems to have evolved at the Rabbinic school set up at Jamnia
at the time of the fall of Jerusalem, AD 70. This included fewer books: those initially excluded from protestant
bibles, now usually referred to as “apocryphal”, are Tobit, Judith, 1-2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and
parts of Esther and Daniel.
- Before AD 200 no definitive Jewish list of canonically accepted books appears to have been made. For Judaism
the Hebrew Bible consists of 3 parts:-
- The Law (Torah): the 5 books of the Pentateuch, ie Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Probably seen as complete by about 400 BC (Cf Ezra 7:14), but this did not prevent other books being used
or consulted.
- The Prophets (Nebi’im): The “Former Prophets”, now called History, ie Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings,
completed by about 560 BC - all the pre-exilic books known to have survived. The “Latter Prophets”,
composed between 750 and about 300 BC, and seen as complete by about 190 BC (Sir 49:10). But again
with variations in the importance/inclusion of some books.
- The Writings (Ketubim): A miscellaneous collection, all written after the Exile, and accepted as canonical
by about 100 BC. Includes Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Canticles, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Daniel,
Ezra/Nehemiah, Chronicles. But still variations as to which are included into 1st century AD: although
Josephus’ list in AD 90 seems definitive (cf.Luke 24:44), 4 Ezra appears to differ slightly. The term
“Writings” appears in the Talmud (begun about 200 AD), but may have been in use earlier.
- The initial letters of these 3 parts, TNK, was verbalised as Tenak, meaning “the Bible”.
- Jewish writings of the 1st and early 2nd centuries AD included 4 Maccabees, Assumption of Moses, 4 Ezra, 2-3
Apoc Baruch, Prayer of Manasseh, Sybilline Oracles, Psalms of Philo.
- Although it was supposed that the School at Jamnia settled the Palestinian canon about 90-100 AD, there is no
evidence that a list was drawn, nor that any books were excluded, and various Jewish groups continued to read
books not included in the 22/24 book list (depending how it was counted), and there was no rigidly fixed Hebrew
canon until the end of 2nd century AD.
- As society changes, so law needs to develop and be adapted to new situations. Even after the Pentateuch, Judaism
continued to develop law codes in response to changes in their situation. Some of these are seen in non-canonical
literature, but a particular development led to a flourishing rabbinic literature in the centuries after Christ.
- The main bodies of rabbinic literature are: Mishna, Tosepta, Talmuds (Palestinian, Babylonian), Targum, and the
Midrash collections. Written between AD 200 and Middle Ages, but continuing to be revised after that. Largely
seen as “oral law” continuing and protecting the teachings of the Law handed down by Moses. (Cf Canon Law in
the Christian Church).
- Because this literature, especially the Mishna, was continually being revised, it can never be assumed to represent
the situation at any particular time, and especially it can not be used uncritically to reflect the situation in the time
of Jesus. It is very difficult to jump from rabbinic literature of AD 200 to a pre-AD 70 situation. Thus the rabbis
of the 2nd century AD appear as “Scribes” in pre-Christian Judaism, and Pharisees are given roles before AD 70
identical to the later rabbis, even though the Pharisees never had direct control over the Temple or government.
The Pharisees behaved both as a sect and as a political party, and were not uniform over time.