When was The Bible started?

Answer 1

When the books of the Old Testament were being written, there was not yet the concept of a single-volume Bible. Of necessity, each book constituted a separate scroll. Those books that were considered inspired were considered 'scripture' rather than a specific Bible. In fact, it was not until the Council of Jamnia, meeting in 96 CE, that a decision was made as to which books should be included in the Hebrew Bible.

The first book to be written more or less as we know it today is believed to be the Book of Deuteronomy. This is thought to be the book of law supposedly 'found' during the reign of King Josiah during renovations of the Temple. We can date this book to just before the start of the sixth century BCE. Several other books were written by the same anonymous author, now known as the Deuteronomist ('D' source), including the group of books known as the Deuteronomic History (Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings).

The Book of Genesis contains material believed to have been written soon after 900 BCE by two anonymous authors, now known as the Yahwist and the Elohist. These were subsequently compiled into a single document, probably shortly after the fall of Israel. The Deuteronomist added further material, but Genesis did not really take the form we know today until it was completed by the Priestly source during the Babylonian Exile, and then finally edited by the Redactor.

In summary, some material that would be included in the Book of Genesis was written during the ninth and eighth centuries BCE, but the first completed book of The Bible was written late in the seventh century BCE. Their formal inclusion in the Hebrew canon took place at a meeting in 96 CE.