The Catholic Contributions to the Bible

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THE CATHOLIC CONTRIBUTIONSTOTHE BIBLETHE HISTORYOFTHE BIBLE

By Charles the Hammer

Luther himself noted it was an effect of Gods power, that the Papacy should have remained, in the

first place, sacred baptism; secondly, the text of the Holy Gospels which it was custom to read from the

pulpit in the vernacular tongue of every nationiMany people both Catholic and Protestant do not

realize exactly how much they owe the Catholic Church for the progression of the bible as we know it

today. For example., before Luther made his German Translation in September of 1522 A.D., there

were seventeen German Translations (all before 1518 A.D.) already in print, twelve of these in the Low-

German dialect.ii

38-61 A.D. THE FIRST GOSPEL WAS WRITTEN: St. Matthew one of the twelve apostles of Christ,

Catholic Bishop and martyr for the faith, writes the first gospel of the life of Christ in his native

language of Hebrew. This gospel would eventually be followed by three other gospels written in the

Greek language which were the gospel of St. Mark (64 A.D.), the gospel of St. Luke (63 or 64 A.D.) andthe gospel of St. John (97 A.D.).

52 A.D. THE FIRST EPISTLEWAS WRITTEN: St. Paul, apostle of Christ, Catholic Bishop and martyr

for the faith writes the first epistle to a part of the Church. This is known today as First

Thessalonians. This writing would soon be followed by 21 other apostolic epistles by various Catholic

authors, the last one being written by St. John the Apostle in 69 A.D.

64 A.D ACTS OF THE APOSTLES WAS WRITTEN:St. Luke disciple of St. Paul and Bishop of theCatholic Church and martyr for the faith, Writes Acts of the Apostles a history of the Catholic church

from Easter to the death of St. Paul. The two contributionsActs and his gospelmake St. Luke the

author of the largest portion of the New Testament about twenty-eight percent.

98-99 A.D. THE LAST DIVINELY INSPIRED WRITING OF THE APOSTLES IS COMPLETED: St. John,

apostle of Christ and Bishop of the Catholic Church writes the last divinely inspired writing of the

apostles. This is known today as Revelations.

153-170 A.D. THE FIRST TREATISEON THE HARMONYOFTHE GOSPELS: The earliest attempt atconstructing a Harmony was that of Tatian (died A.D. 172) and its title, Diatessaron, furnishes abundant

evidence of the early acceptance in the Catholic Church of our four canonical Gospels The next

Harmony was that of Ammonius of Alexandria, the teacher of Origen, It appeared about A.D. 220, but

has been lost.iii

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2ND 3RD A.D. CENTURY., THE FIRST BIBLE SCHOOL: The early Catholics started a school in

Alexandria for the learning of the Gospels and other early Catholic writings.iv

250 A.D. THE FIRST PARALLEL LANGUAGE BIBLE: The Catholic Origen creates the Hexapla edition

of the Old Testament which contained parallel Hebrew and Greek versions.v

250 A.D. THE FIRST CATHOLIC LIBRARY: The Catholic Origen creates a very well- stocked library in

Csarea, for the purpose of studying the Gospels and other early Catholic writings.vi

250-300 A.D. THE FIRST BIBLE IN BOOK FORM: The Jews used long papyrus scrolls, the Early

Catholics were the first to use the book (codex) form for sacred scriptures. vii

4TH CENTURY., THE FIRST USE OF THE WORD BIBLE: It came from the Greek word

(biblos) which means the inner bark of the papyrus, paper-reed, from which paper was originally made,in Egypt. The Latin form Bibla spelled with a capital letter, came to mean the Book of Books,

The Book by way of pre-eminence, the inspired Book, &c. The Holy Scriptures were first called the

Bible by St. Chrysostom, the Catholic Archbishop of Constantinople, in the 4th century.viii

4TH CENTURY., THE OLDEST EXISTING BIBLES: The two oldest existing Bibles containing both the

Old and mostNOT NOT THE COMPLETEthe New Testaments, today called the Codex Vaticanus

(325-350 A.D.), the Codex Sinaiticus (340-350 A.D.), the Codex Ephrmi (345 A.D.), and the Codex

Alexandrinus (450 A.D.) were hand copied by Catholic monks.ix

367 A.D. THE FIRSTUSEOFTHEWORD CANON: St. Athanasius, the Catholic bishop of Alexandria,

is the first to apply the term Canon to the contents of the Bible, he introduced the verb canonize,

meaning To give official sanction to a written document.x

367 A.D. THE CANONOFTHE NEW TESTAMENT: The 39th festal letter of St. Athanasius, the Catholic

bishop of Alexandria, sent to the churches under his jurisdiction in 367, ended all uncertainty about the

limits of the New Testament canon. In the so-called festal letter, preserved in a collection of annual

Lenten messages given by Athanasius, he listed as canonical the 27 books that remain the contents ofthe New Testament, although he arranged them in a different order. Those books of the New

Testament, in their present-day order, are the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the Acts of

the Apostles, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1

Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2

Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and The Apocalypse of St. John (A.K.A. The Book of Revelation)xi.

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382 A.D. THE DECREEOF POPE ST. DAMASUS I, COUNCILOF ROME: It is likewise decreed: Now,

indeed, we must treat of the divine Scriptures: what the universal Catholic Church accepts and what she

must shun.

The list of the Old Testament begins: Genesis, one book; Exodus, one book: Leviticus, one book;

Numbers, one book; Deuteronomy, one book; Jesus Nave, one book; of Judges, one book; Ruth, one

book; of Kings, four books; Paralipomenon, two books; One Hundred and Fifty Psalms, one book; of

Solomon, three books: Proverbs, one book; Ecclesiastes, one book; Canticle of Canticles, one book;

likewise, Wisdom, one book;Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), one book; Likewise, the list of the Prophets:

Isaiah, one book; Jeremias, one book; along with Cinoth, that is, his Lamentations; Ezechiel, one book;

Daniel, one book; Osee, one book; Amos, one book; Micheas, one book; Joel, one book; Abdias, one

book; Jonas, one book; Nahum, one book; Habacuc, one book; Sophonias, one book; Aggeus, one

book; Zacharias, one book; Malachias, one book. Likewise, the list of histories: Job, one book; Tobias,

one book; Esdras, two books; Esther, one book;Judith,1 one book; ofMaccabees, two books.

Likewise, the list of the Scriptures of the New and Eternal Testament, which the holy and CatholicChurch receives: of the Gospels, one book according to Matthew, one book according to Mark, one

book according to Luke, one book according to John. The Epistles of the Apostle Paul, fourteen in

number: one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Ephesians, two to the Thessalonians,

one to the Galatians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to Timothy, one to Titus one to

Philemon, one to the Hebrews. Likewise, one book of the Apocalypse of John. And the Acts of the

Apostles, one book. Likewise, the canonical Epistles, seven in number: of the Apostle Peter, two

Epistles; of the Apostle James, one Epistle; of the Apostle John, one Epistle; of the other John, a

Presbyter, two Epistles; of the Apostle Jude the Zealot, one Epistle. Thus concludes the canon of the

New Testament.

Likewise it is decreed: After the announcement of all of these prophetic and evangelic or as well as

apostolic writings which we have listed above as Scriptures, on which, by the grace of God, the

Catholic Church is founded, we have considered that it ought to be announced that although all the

Catholic Churches spread abroad through the world comprise but one bridal chamber of Christ,

nevertheless, the holy Roman Church has been placed at the forefront not by the conciliar decisions of

other Churches, but has received the primacy by the evangelic voice of our Lord and Savior, who says:

"You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against

it; and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you shall have bound onearth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall have loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

1 Note: the book of Baruch was considered by some Church Fathers to be a part of the book of Jeremiah and thus was not

listed separately by them.

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388 A.D. THE FIRST GLOSSARYOF PROPER NAMESINTHE BIBLE: St. Jerome compiled the Book of

Hebrew names, or Glossary of Proper Names in the Old Testament, The Book of Hebrew Names was

no doubt of much use in the ages is which men were ignorant of Hebrew, although its arrangement is

rather clumsy with a separate glossary for each book of the Bible. xii

388 A.D. THE BOOKOFTHE SITEAND NAMESOF HEBREW PLACES: St. Jerome compiled the The

Book of the Site and Names of Hebrew Places which was first compiled by Eusebius although St.

Jeromes has additions. The names under each letter being placed in separate groups in the order of the

books of Scripture in which they occur; for instance, under the letter A we have first the names in

Genesis, then those in Exodus, and so on. But there is less room here for what is fanciful, and the

testimony of men who lived in Palestine in the fourth and fifth centuries is of great value still to the

student of sacred topography. When the places are outside the writers knowledge, credulity is apt to

creep in, as when the author tells us that on Ararat portions of the ark are still to be found. xiii

390 A.D. THE FIRST COMPILINGOFTHE COMPLETE NEW & OLD TESTAMENT: At the Council of

Hippo, the Catholic Church gathered together the various books which claimed to be scripture, passed

on the merits and claims of each and this council decided which were inspired and which were not. The

Catholic Church put all the inspired books and epistles together in one volume with The Septuagint

Version of the Old Testament (which was translated by seventy scholars at Alexandria, Egypt around

the year 227 A.C., this was the version Christ and His apostles used) and That is the Bible as we have it

today. The Catholic Church therefore gave to the people and the World, the Bible as we have it today xiv.

400 A.D. MOST OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES TRANSLATED: In the; Syriac, Coptic, Ethhiopic,

Georgian Languagesxv. Across the Rhine and Danube from the Roman Empire a Gothic version was

translated by the Gothic Bishop Ulfilas (318-388 A.D.), who after devising an alphabet, produced a

version of the Scriptures from the Septuagint Old Testament and from the Greek.xvi

406 A.D. THE ARMENIAN TRANSLATION: In 406 A.D. the Armenian alphabet was invented by Mesrob,

who five years later completed a translation of the Old and New Testament from the Syriac version into

Armenian.xvii

405 A.D. THE FIRST TRANSITION OF THE COMPLETE BIBLE IN THE COMMON LANGUAGE: Latin

Vulgate, from the Latin editio vulgata: common version, the Bible still used by the Roman Catholic

Church, was translated by St. Jerome (Whom the translators of the 1611 Authorized Version in their

original preface called a most learned father , and the best linguist without controversy, of his age, or

of any that went before himSee figure 1-1 & 1-2).

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Figure 1-1

Scan of 1611 A.D. Great He King James Bible Preface Page 5 of the Preface

Figure 1-2

Scan of 1611 A.D. Great He King James Bible Preface Page 5 of the PrefaceIN 382 A.D. Pope St. Damasus commissioned Jerome, the leading biblical scholar of his day, to produce

an acceptable Latin version of the Bible from the various translations then being used. His revised

Latin translation of the Gospels appeared about 383 A.D.,. Using the Septuagint Greek version of the

Old Testament, of which he produced a new Latin translation, a process that he completed about 405

A.D.,.xviii It is as a translator of Scripture that Jerome is best know. His Vulgate was made at the right

moment and by the right man. The Latin language was still living, although Latin civilization was

dying; and Jerome was a master of it.xix

450-550 A.D. THE BEZAE CANTABRIGIENSIS (ALSO CALLED CODEX BEZAE): This is the oldest

existing bilingual manuscript, with Greek on the left page, and Latin on the right. Bezae

Cantabrigiensis was a western text copied c. 450-550 A.D. It has preserved most of the four Gospels,

parts of Acts.

7TH CENTURY., THE FIRST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE INTO THE FRENCH LANGUAGE: French

Versions of the Psalms and the Apocalypse, and a metrical rendering of the Book of Kings, appeared as

early as the seventh century.XXIn 1223 (A.D.) a complete translation was made under the Catholic King

Louis the Pious. This was 320 years before the first Protestant French version.

xxi

Up to the fourteenthcentury, many Bible histories were produced.

7TH CENTURY., THE FIRST GERMAN VERSION: The history of Biblical research in Germany shows

that of the numerous partial versions in the vernacular initials at the beginning of every chapter are very

elaborate! Some go back to the seventh and eighth centuries. It also establishes the certainty of such

versions on a considerable scale in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and points to a complete

Bible of the fifteenth in general use before the invention of printing. XXII

7TH CENTURY., SPACES PLACED BETWEEN THE WORDS: In the seventh Century, Irish and English

monks began to leave space between the words as they copied the biblical texts by hand, before this all

the letters ran together making an entire book look like one giant word. xxiii

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8TH CENTURY., THE FIRST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE INTO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: By

Aldhelm, the Bishop of Sherborne, and Bede (see figure 1-3). A 9 th century translation of the Bible into

English (Anglo-Saxon the dialect of its time) was made by Alfred. A tenth century translation into

English was made by Aelfric.xxiv By 1361 A.D. a translation of most of Scripture in the English dialect

(Anglo-Norman) of its time had been executed. xxv This was twenty years before Wycliffes 1381 A.D.

Translation.xxvi

Figure 1-3

This image is of the Vespasian Psaltera eighth century

Catholic translation of the Book of Psalm in to English.

8TH- 9TH CENTURY., THE USEOFTHE FORMOF WRITINGCALLED MINUSCULE: As the breakdown

of Oriental commerce took papyrus out of the western market in compelled to use of parchment, the

factor of economy became increasingly potent. To get more words on page, the scribe had two use

smaller letters and squeeze them close together. Some, to preserve their distinct shapes, were extended

above the line, some below. The ultimate result was a form of writing called Minusculelittle

letters, with capitals inserted for emphasis. It is this system which is still use today. This grammatically

was a major change from the Majusculewhich consisted of only large letters as used by the

Greeks, Romans, and Jews.xxvii

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9TH CENTURY., THE FIRST SLAVIC TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE: The Catholic Saints Cyril and

Methodius preached the Gospel to the Slavs in the second half of the ninth century, and St. Cyril,

having formed an alphabet, made for them, in Old Ecclesiastical Slavic, or Bulgarian, a translation of

the Bible from the Greek. Toward the close of the tenth century this version found its way into Russia

with Christianity, and after the twelfth century it underwent many linguistic and textual changes. A

complete Slav Bible after an ancient codex of the time of Waldimir (d. 1008) was published at Ostrog

in 1581 A.D.,.XXVIII

1170 A.D. THE FIRST PARALLEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE BIBLE: Eadwines Psalterium This leaf (circa

1260 A.D. see Figure 1-6, Figure 1-7, & Figure 1-8) has been written by hand in Latin, in black ink

using miniature Gothic texture on animal vellum. Rubricated initials and marginalia can be seen in red

and blue. It was originally owned by William Foyle of Beeligh Abbey England triplex, which

contained the Latin version accompanied by Anglo-Norman and Anglo-Saxon renderings, appeared it

became the basis of all subsequent Anglo-Norman versions.xxix

THIRTEENTH CENTURY., THE FIRST DIVISION OF CHAPTERS: It was the British Catholic Arch-

Bishop of Canterbury, St. Stephen Langton (died 1228 A.D.), was first to tabulate scripture into

Chapters, and we follow his arrangement to this day: some 1,163 chapters in the Old Testament, and

only 260 in the New Testament."xxx

THIRTEENTH CENTURY., THE FIRST TRANSLATIONOFTHE BIBLEINTOTHE SPANISH LANGUAGE:

Under King Alfonso V of Spain.xxxi

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THIRTEENTH CENTURY IMAGES

Figure 1-4

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Figure 1-5

These two leaf (see above Figure 1-4 & Figure 1-5) are from different Bibles in French. They were both hand

copied about the year 1250 (A.D.) and are written in a very fine, regular, hand: The initials at the beginning of

every chapter are very elaborate!

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Figure 1-6

This is a close up of a leaf from a Latin Bible it hand copied minuscule script about the year 1260 (A.D.).

This leaf originates from Northern France (probably Paris)

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Figure 1-7

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Figure 1-8

This leaf (circa 1260 A.D. See above, Figure 1-7 & Figure 1-8) has been written by hand in Latin, in

black ink using miniature gothic texture on animal vellum. Rubricated initials and marginalia can be seen

in red and blue. It was originally owned by William Foyle of Beeligh Abbey England.

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Figure 1-9The image on the right is a scan if from the this historic Bible Dictionary

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Figure 1-10

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Figure 1-11

These are two incunabula leafs from Pre-Luther Biblias Germanica or German Bibles. Printed by the

Catholic Anton Koberger printed it on February 17, 1483 in the city of Nuremberg.

1466 A.D. THE FIRST PRINTED FRENCH BIBLE:XXXIX In the years before Luthers Bible was published

(Luthers Biblical translations, begun in 1522 A.D.), the Catholics printed 26 different French editions

of the Bible.

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1516 A.D. THE FIRST PRINTED GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: A Catholic named Erasmus first printed

his Greek New Testament.xl In the years before Luthers Bible was published (Luthers Biblical

translations, begun in 1522 A.D.), the Catholics printed 22 different Greek editions of the Bible.

1534 A.D. THE FIRST USE OF ITALICS TO INDICATE WORDS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL: A Catholic

named Munster was the first to use italics to indicate words not in the original Greek or Hebrew texts,

in his version of the Latin Vulgate.xli

1535A.D. THE FIRST BIBLE CONCORDANCE EVER PRINTED: Done in Latin, and extensively accented

in red ink, this is the very first concordance to the Bible ever printed. (See Figure 1-12)

Figure 1-12

This scan is of the first concordance ever printed.

1548 A.D. THE FIRST CHINESE VERSION: Among earlier translations is a version of St. Matthew by

Anger, a Japanese Catholic (Goa, 1548 A.D.). The Jesuit Father de Mailla wrote an explanation of the

Gospels for Sundays and feasts in 1740 A.D.XLII

1551 A.D. THE FIRST DIVISIONOF VERSES: The first division of the Bible into its present verses is

found for the first time in an edition of the Greek New Testament published in Paris by the CatholicRobert Stephens.xliii

1555 A.D. THE FIRST PRINTED COMPLETE BIBLEWITH CHAPTERSAND VERSES: The first division

of the Bible into its present chapters and verses is found for the first time in an edition of the Vulgate

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published in Paris by the Catholic Robert Stephens.xliv

1561 A.D. THE FIRST COMPLETE POLICH BIBLE: Was printed at Cracow in 1561 A.D., 1574 A.D., and

1577 A.D.,. Jacob Wujek, S.J., undertook a new translation from the Vulgate (Cracow, 1593 A.D.),

which was praised by Clement VIII, and reprinted frequently.XLV

1579 A.D. THE FIRST MEXICAN VERSION: The first known Biblical undertaking in Mexico was a

version of the Gospels and Epistles in 1579 by Didacus de S. Maria, O. P., and the Book of Proverbs by

Louis Rodrguez, O.S.F. A version of the New Testament was made in 1829, but only the Gospel of St.

Luke was printed.XLVI

1836A.D. THE FIRST TRANSLATIONOFTHE BIBLEINTOTHE JAPANESE LANGUAGE: A version of

St. Johns Gospel and of the Acts was edited in katakana (square type e.g., ) at Singapore

(1836 A.D.) by Charles Gutzlaff.XLVII

THIS DOCUMENT WAS ORIGINALLY UPLOADED AND IS THE WORK OF THE PERSONNEL OF

CATHOLICAPOLOGETICS.NET ANDISMERELYAREPRODUCTIONOFTHEORIGINALARTICLEWITHTHEADDITION

OF POPE ST. DAMASUS DECREE AT THE COUNCIL OF ROME 382 A.D. CATHOLICAPOLOGETICS.NET HASUNFORTUNATELY BEEN SHUTDOWN INDEFINITELY (TO MY KNOWLEDGE) | CURRENT DATE OF CREATION OF

DOCUMENT: FEB. 20, 2011.

I HUMBLYDEDICATETHISWORKIN HONOUROF OUR BLESSED MOTHER'S [BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHEROF GOD]

IMMACULATE CONCEPTIONWHICHHASUNFORTUNATELYBEENDISREGARDEDMY MANY.

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i De Missa privata, ed by Jensen, VI, Pg 92

ii Imperial Encyclopedia and Dictionary 1904 Volume 4, Henry G. Allen & Company

iii The Complete Christian Collection 1999iv The Bible Through the Ages 1996, Readers Digest Association, New York.

v Funk & Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia 1951 Volume 4

vi Grolier Family Bible Cards MCMXCVIII

vii The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary 1977

viiiWhat Say You? p. 244-289 1945 By David Goldstein.

ix The Bible Through the Ages 1996, Readers Digest Association, New York.x The Bible Through the Ages 1996, Readers Digest Association, New York.

xi Encarta Encyclopedia 1997-2000xii The Complete Christian Collection 1999

xiiiThe Complete Christian Collection 1999

xiv The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 68 1917. See also Whos Who in the Bible 1986

xv Holman Bible Dictionary 1991

xvi The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary 1977

xviiThe Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary 1977

xviiiEncyclopedia Britannica 1999-2000

xix The Complete Christian Collection 1999xx The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912

xxi Imperial Encyclopedia and Dictionary 1904 Volume 4, Henry G. Allen & Company

xxiiThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912xxiiiGrolier Family Bible Cards MCMXCVIII

xxivImperial Encyclopedia and Dictionary 1904 Volume 4, Henry G. Allen & Company

xxvEncyclopedia Britannica 1999-2000

xxviEncyclopedia Britannica 1999-2000

xxviiMediaeval history 1967, pg 166-167

xxviiiThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912

xxixEncyclopedia Britannica 1999-2000xxxThe Only Begotten, Chapter 7, p. 130 by Michael Malone: CATHOLIC TREASURES, 1997

xxxiImperial Encyclopedia and Dictionary 1904 Volume 4, Henry G. Allen & Company

xxxiiThe Encyclopedia Britannica 1999-2000

xxxiiiThe Bible Through the Ages 1996, Readers Digest Association, New York.

xxxivHolman Bible Dictionary 1991

xxxvThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912xxxviHolman Bible Dictionary 1991

xxxviiThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912xxxviiiHolman Bible Dictionary 1991

xxxixHolman Bible Dictionary 1991

xl Holman Bible Dictionary 1991

xli English Versions of the Bible 1952

xliiThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912

xliiiThe Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary 1977

xlivThe Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary 1977

xlv The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912xlviThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912

xlviiThe Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV Copyright 1912

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The Catholic Contributions to the Bible

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