Codex Sinaiticus- the rival to the bible

[Immortal4life]

Codex Sinaiticus is probably the oldest copy of the bible ever found, it is quite different in many respects from today's bible, and many parts are not in it, so we can now know which parts of the bible were added in later and are not part of the original texts.
BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | The rival to the Bible

The rival to the Bible

By Roger Bolton

What is probably the oldest known Bible is being digitised, reuniting its scattered parts for the first time since its discovery 160 years ago. It is markedly different from its modern equivalent. What's left out?

The world's oldest surviving Bible is in bits.

For 1,500 years, the Codex Sinaiticus lay undisturbed in a Sinai monastery, until it was found - or stolen, as the monks say - in 1844 and split between Egypt, Russia, Germany and Britain.

Now these different parts are to be united online and, from next July, anyone, anywhere in the world with internet access will be able to view the complete text and read a translation.

For those who believe the Bible is the inerrant, unaltered word of God, there will be some very uncomfortable questions to answer. It shows there have been thousands of alterations to today's bible.

The Codex, probably the oldest Bible we have, also has books which are missing from the Authorised Version that most Christians are familiar with today - and it does not have crucial verses relating to the Resurrection.

Faced with differing texts, which is the truly authentic one?

Mr Ehrman was a born again Bible-believing Evangelical until he read the original Greek texts and noticed some discrepancies.

The Bible we now use can't be the inerrant word of God, he says, since what we have are the sometimes mistaken words copied by fallible scribes.

"When people ask me if the Bible is the word of God I answer 'which Bible?'"

The Codex - and other early manuscripts - omit some mentions of ascension of Jesus into heaven, and key references to the Resurrection, which the Archbishop of Canterbury has said is essential for Christian belief.

Other differences concern how Jesus behaved. In one passage of the Codex, Jesus is said to be "angry" as he healed a leper, whereas the modern text records him as healing with "compassion".

Also missing is the story of the woman taken in adultery and about to be stoned - until Jesus rebuked the Pharisees (a Jewish sect), inviting anyone without sin to cast the first stone.

Nor are there words of forgiveness from the cross. Jesus does not say "Father forgive them for they know not what they do".

Fundamentalists, who believe every word in the Bible is true, may find these differences unsettling.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Immortal4life

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

people are too preoccupied with physical, man-made, examples of the divine and distract themselves from the absolute divine that surrounds us.

 

silly humans.

[Cheshire Cat]

Wonderful!

 

They've found my early diaries at the end

 

Talking seriously, I'm very excited for this discovery which is extremely important

for those who never give much emphasis to old dead written words.

 

The others will just ignore

[Jetsun]

This has been online since 2009 but I can't seem to find any English translation, which is strange

[orb]

This has been online since 2009 but I can't seem to find any English translation, which is strange

 

 

the paperback ver

Codex Sinaiticus: The H. T. Anderson New Testament

Edited February 25, 2012 by orb

[Gerard]

people are too preoccupied with physical, man-made, examples of the divine and distract themselves from the absolute divine that surrounds us.

 

Yes, just look at trees and children always smiling; they have pure minds. The Divine in action.

 

 

 

 

Free Vipassana meditation courses are slowly becoming more popular amongst lay people, this is very good news. Keep them coming

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings.

[chi 2012]

What somebody did or didn't do - or said or didn't say 2000 years ago has nothing to do with making decisions this moment in the now. It's all irrelevant.

[orb]

What somebody did or didn't do - or said or didn't say 2000 years ago has nothing to do with making decisions this moment in the now. It's all irrelevant.

 

Your qigong practice is based on what people said 2000 years ago.

[NeiChuan]

Your qigong practice is based on what people said 2000 years ago.

 

 

Great point. Could possibly be 4,000 years.

[chi 2012]

Your qigong practice is based on what people said 2000 years ago.

My Qigong practice has nothing to do with what some spiritual master did or didn't do 2000 years ago. People can get the most out of Qigong without even knowing who people like Jesus and Buddha were.