1. How the Bible was Written
A Study of the Materials and Methods of Writing the Bible

2. Writing Material Papyrus A reed Split Laid cross ways
Pressed and dried
From Egypt, Syria
Origin of our English word “paper”
Oldest dates to 2400 BC

3. Writing Material Parchment Problems Sheep or goat skins
Shaved very thin
Flexible to roll
Problems
Dried out
Cracked
Dry rot
Not long lasting

4. Writing Material Vellum Calf or Deer skins Dyed purple
Ink was silver or gold
Oldest we have is from about 1500 BC

5. Writing Material Ostraca Problems Clay tablets Pottery Stone
Wax covered wood
Problems
Heavy, hard to carry
Cannot be changed, added to, corrected

6. Writing Instruments
Chisel
Metal Stylus
Pen (Quill)
Ink

7. Forms of Ancient Books Scrolls
Sheets of vellum or parchment sewn together
Whole books of the Bible form one scroll
Often kept in cloth sack for protection

8. Forms of Ancient Books Codex (Book form) Sheets of papyrus
Thin sheets of parchment
Stacked together and bound
Similar to our books

9. Types of Writing Uncial All capital letters
Common in clay, wax, or stone
Capitals were easy to chisel in stone

10. Types of Writing Miniscule Small letters
More common on papyrus or parchment
Script writing
Often no space between words
Massorites – added vowels to Hebrew texts
This aided in proper pronunciation

11. Divisions – Hebrew Canon
Law - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Prophets - Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
Latter Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the 12
The Writings - Psalm, Proverbs, Job
Five Rolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Ecclesiastes
Historical – Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles

12. Sections of OT & NT
Luke 24:44 - Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

13. Sections of OT & NT
John 10: Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? 35If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
They disagreed about the interpretation, not the canon.

14. Chapters
Pentateuch (5 books of Moses) – were divided into 154 groupings in 586 BC
In 536 BC – they were sectioned into 54 divisions and into 669 smaller segments
Greeks made divisions around 250 BC and noted the divisions in the margin until about 350 BC

15. Verses The section format remained until the 13th century.
Latin Vulgate (4th century) was the first Bible with both chapter and verse divisions on both OT & NT
The first verse divisions were around 900 AD
Archbishop of Canterbury – 1227 – put in the present chapter / verse divisions.