Original Bible?

Question

Where is the original Bible? Or the oldest Bible known to man? (and I am not talking about all the versions exist today. In Hebrew and all)

Answer 1

One of the oldest Torah scrolls in the world is about 800 years old, and was used in Spain for 300 years prior to the inquisition.
http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=oldest+torah+scroll&fr=yfp-t-501&u=www.rhodesjewishmuseum.org/torah.htm&w=oldest+torah+scroll+scrolls&d=DC1JxurnO_6v&icp=1&.intl=us

Answer 2

The Dead Sea Scrolls contains the majority of the Old Testament (As well as many other non-cannonical books). They were written out around 200 BC to AD 70. For the most part, what is contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls is exactly the same as the Mesoretic Text which is the standard version of the Hebrew Scriptures used by Jews today. The Mesoretic Text is only as old as 1100 AD, since that time it has been preserved precisely.

As for the New Testament, which by the way was written in Greek, not Hebrew. Although a few scholars believe the Gospel According to Matthew was originally written in Hebrew and only later translated into the Greek language. The oldest versions of the New Testament date back to around 300 to 450 AD.

To answer the question: where is it? Well, paper doesn't last forever you know. The original versions of the books that make up the Bible are long gone. They were preserved by being copied over and over again. The original is long gone, but many ancient versions were preserved. (And there is almost perfect agreement amongst them, just phrased slightly different sometimes...). They are housed in many museums all over the world. There is a building especially made for the Dead Sea Scrolls called "The Shrine of the Book". It is in Israel.

I hope this helped. :)

Answer 3

Humanity existed many thousands of years without writing, and therefore without a Bible. There is no original Bible.

The Hebrew Bible, as a compilation of several documents in Hebrew bound together, did not really occur until sometime in the early centuries of the Common Era. As concept, it probably came about in the years after the return of the Jews from exile in Babylon. (Note the origins of the LXX.)

The documents in Hebrew are not just versions. They ARE the Hebrew Bible. Other than the autographs, which do not exist anymore and can only be witnessed to by the earliest manuscripts, there is nothing original behind these document.

Obviously there are much older writings, the Sumerian writings being very early indeed. And for some Sumerian texts we have early tablets that predate the oldest documents in the Hebrew Bible. But these ancient writings were never used as a unified collection, i. e. a Bible.

A Bible is not a necessary condition of humanity. We really do not need one. And no set of documents could ever express everything of importance to modern societies. The Christian Bible was a library. We have literally millions of documents in our bible-the sum total of all the books and other texts in the libraries of the world.

Answer 4

There is no 1 original Bible.
It is a compilation of 66 little books, written over 1600 years.
Although those originals don't seem to be in existence, copies are had.
Try the British Museum.
BTW The Dead Sea Scrolls are proof that nothing changed in those 66 books since the originals were written.

Answer 5

The Masoretic Text, written in Hebrew, became the standard authorized Hebrew text around 100 AD.

Answer 6

The bible as we know it did not exist until after the Council of Nicea in 325 CE. There were other gospels and epistles floating around that they deemed heretical or insignificant. You have to realize that the gospels were in no way eye witness accounts. They were not written until many years after the events they supposedly recorded. Its interesting that protestants accept the New Testament as it was put together by the council, but reject the Old Testament canon.

Answer 7

Oldest fragment of new testament, i believe, is in the British Museum--it's pretty small, maybe 3 inches by 4 inches (it's years since i saw it), a bit of the gospel of Mark, as i recall, dated to about 130 AD

Answer 8

There is a book called ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED OF GOD AND BENEFICIAL published by Jehovahs Witnesses and in the back of that book there is a section that has the Outstanding Early Catalogues of the Christian Greek Scripture...it gives the names and places of the early fragments, and writings. It might be on their web site at www.watchtower.org

Answer 9

I believe the Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest manuscripts.

Answer 10

The Jews have 'em.