How did the Bible evolve up to now?

Answer 1

The Bible has continued to evolve since the first writing.

The Book of Deuteronomy is believed to be the Book of Lawthat was said to have been found in the Temple during the reign of King Josiah - around 622 BCE. Many scholars believe that the book was actually written at this time, but placed in the Temple, to be found, so as to lend antiquity to it. The author of Deuteronomy, now known as the Deuteronomist, also put together the earliest Book of Genesis more or less as we know it, based on earlier work by sources now known as the Elohist and the Yahwist. The Priestly source subsequently amended the text and added further material from the priestly point of view. A final source, the Redactor, finalised Genesis and the other books of the Pentateuch.

The Deuteronomist is also believed to have written the Deuteronomic History - Joshua, Judges and Kings - which all form an integrated block of material, written in the same style and in the same relatively modern Hebrew. Kings was added to after the time of the Deuteronomist, to include material up to the end of the monarchy. Chronicles was written during or just after the Babylonian Exile, based on the Deuteronomic History, but with some material substantially modified to reflect the Chronicler's point of view.

Another Old Testament book that is believed to have been added to is Isaiah. The pre-Exilic material was written by 'First Isaiah', who identifies himself as the son of Amoz, and who lived during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. 'Second Isaiah' added considerable additional material during the Babylonian Exile, more than a hundred years later.

The earliest gospel account was Mark's Gospel, widely considered to have been written around 68-73 CE. Matthew and Luke were largely based on Mark, elaborated and with some material added. Some scholars say that John's Gospel was then based on Luke, with some input direct from Mark.

Most of the books of the Bible seem to have been amended and added to over the years. For example, Mark's Gospel originally ended at verse 16:8, when the women went out from the tomb and told no one what they had seen. The original gospel had no stories of the resurrection, but the present 'long ending' was added later.

The famous passage known as the "Johannine Comma" (1 John 5:7) was never in the early Greek manuscripts, only appearing in the Latin translation of the fifth century, after the Trinity doctrine had been accepted by the Council of Nicaea. This passage is the only biblical passage that seems to refer to the concept of the Holy Trinity.

Translations into English and other languages have also resulted in minor evolution of the Bible text, as translators struggle to establish the real meaning of the ancient languages, or add glosses of their own. Even today, new versions of the Bible evolve, with improved or re-evaluated translations.