Who Wrote the Bible? | Ancient Mysteries (S1, E13) | Full Episode

HISTORY・2 minutes read

The Holy Bible, a compilation of 66 books divided into two testaments, serves as a cornerstone of laws, ethics, and faith for many, with origins shrouded in obscurity and authorship debated among scholars. The Bible's creation over 1,000 years includes stories passed orally, with the Dead Sea Scrolls shedding light on pre-Biblical texts and potential multiple authors, leading to the documentary hypothesis.

Insights

  • The Bible, a complex compilation of 66 books over 1,000 years, serves as a cornerstone of laws, ethics, and faith for many, with origins shrouded in mystery, sparking scholarly curiosity.
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on pre-Biblical texts, authorship debates, and diverse ancient scriptures, hinting at multiple authors, conflicting details, and the documentary hypothesis attributing the Bible to four distinct writers.

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Recent questions

  • What is the Bible?

    A compilation of 66 books with religious significance.

  • Who wrote the Bible?

    Authors remain unknown, attributed to divine inspiration.

  • What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?

    Ancient texts providing insights into the Bible's nature.

  • What is the documentary hypothesis?

    Theory proposing multiple authors for the Bible.

  • What is the significance of King Josiah in the Bible?

    Initiated religious reforms based on the Book of Deuteronomy.

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Summary

00:00

The Bible: A Divine and Mysterious Compilation

  • The Holy Bible is a compilation of 66 books divided into two testaments, containing almost 800,000 words, serving as a cornerstone of laws, ethics, and faith for a significant portion of the world's population.
  • The Bible is considered a book of inspiration, beauty, wisdom, and compassion, translated into numerous languages, yet its origins remain shrouded in obscurity.
  • The Bible is a product of a community of individuals spread over 1,000 years, with the Old Testament scriptures believed to be spiritually unabridged and beyond complete human comprehension.
  • The Bible serves as a detailed record of human history, bridging two major faiths, with the New Testament focusing on the story of Jesus, though its origins and authors remain mysterious.
  • The Bible's origins are as enigmatic as the emergence of religion itself, with questions surrounding its authors and the compilation process, compelling scholars to delve into its mysteries.
  • The Bible's creation is believed to be a fusion of stories, ideas, traditions, and chronologies over 1,000 years, from the exodus to Christ's life, with close to 100 million new copies printed annually.
  • The Bible's authorship, particularly the Pentateuch or Torah, is attributed to Moses receiving divine words on Mount Sinai, though scholars debate the extent of human intervention in its creation.
  • Traditional views maintain that the Bible's texts are divinely inspired, with beliefs in Moses, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and other contributors writing under divine guidance.
  • The Bible's stories were initially transmitted orally around communal campfires, with the Old Testament comprising the Law, history books, and writings, while the New Testament focuses on Jesus' life and teachings.
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947, provide crucial insights into the Bible's nature, authorship, and history, revealing new and familiar texts, hinting at diverse sources and potential earlier writings.

18:44

"Dead Sea Scrolls reveal ancient religious mysteries"

  • Essenes and Jerusalem priests disagreed on religious matters, particularly regarding mixing and marriage.
  • A copper scroll in cave 3 listed 64 buried treasure locations, possibly from the temple.
  • The scrolls were buried during the temple's destruction by the Romans, possibly by a group expecting to retrieve them during a war with Iran.
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls offer insight into pre-Biblical texts and the diverse range of ancient scriptures.
  • Scholars debated the authorship of the Bible, noting discrepancies like Moses writing about his own death.
  • The texts contain doublets, with conflicting details and different names for God, leading to theories of multiple authors.
  • The documentary hypothesis suggests the Bible was written by four authors: J, E, P, and D, each with distinct styles and concerns.
  • Pope Pius XII's 1943 edict encouraged research into biblical authorship, leading to the documentary hypothesis.
  • The search for Bible authorship goes back to the time of Moses and the Israelites entering Canaan, with debates over the first five books' origins.
  • King David's reign saw conflicts over high priests and royal succession, leading to the split of Israel and Judah in 922 BCE.

36:13

Sacred texts shape kingdoms, spark reforms.

  • Different kingdoms produced their sacred texts, with one person in each kingdom creating their version of the sacred text.
  • The J material was first compiled under King Solomon, representing an effort to narrate the story of the people of Israel.
  • The northern kingdom of Israel gathered historical stories, adding material known as E, emphasizing the significance of the second son.
  • The kingdom of Israel fell into paganism, leading to moral decay and corruption, eventually conquered by the Assyrians, scattering the 10 tribes.
  • King Josiah of Judah discovers the Book of Deuteronomy, initiating religious reforms based on its laws, aiming to return to the covenant with God at Mount Sinai.
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