Bible style books of that era?

During the time of the bible being put together as a book (a compilation, I believe), was there a style or trend in making books this way? Does anyone know of any other books from that specific book-making time?

I'm unaware of another book like it. 66 books/letters written by approximately 40 authors, on three continents, in three languages, and over the course of 1500-1600yrs while seeming to have a continuous message.

That's impressive, to me.

The Romans made the first modern bound books around the 1st century, these are called a Codex.
Traditional hand bound books are still made today in the same way using wooden handtools.
I'm not sure of the content of these early codices but I would assume they would have been
law and religion in nature, as the early christians used this style the most.

reply to post by jiggerj


How about the "Description of Greece" by Pausanias? He was a wanderer, writer, and geographer who lived from 110-170 AD. The "Description of Greece" is a compendium of 10 books detailing worship, life, and architecture of various regions of Greece.


~ Wandering Scribe

Originally posted by TheOnlyAnswer
I'm unaware of another book like it. 66 books/letters written by approximately 40 authors, on three continents, in three languages, and over the course of 1500-1600yrs while seeming to have a continuous message.

That's impressive, to me.

edit on 23-6-2013 by TheOnlyAnswer because: (no reason given)

I honestly don't know, so I have to ask, is it really that impressive? With no TV or radio back then, people had to have spent hours each day reciting stories to one another, with changes occurring with each telling. Stories get passed around from village to village, with new ideas starting from one story to create another. So, when books became popular it wouldn't have been unreasonable to expect many stories on a theme to be put together.

One has to consider that there are many books today written by different authors. Star Wars, for example. And each episode of TV shows could be written by a different author. I'm just saying that the way the bible was put together is not unique, but I don't know of any other books like this from that time.

reply to post by jiggerj


I think a big reason for the "uniqueness" of the Bible comes from the fact that it was compiled not only by Christians, but also by Jews. The entire Old Testament was written nearly 1000 years before the writers of the New Testament even began theorizing the life and times of Jesus Christ.

If you want to look at it from that light, consider the Sumerians.

There are several hundred cuneiform tablets depicting the myths and culture of Sumer available from 5000 BC to approximately 2700 BC when the Akkadians swallowed up Sumerian culture.

Then, you have Akkadian literature, covering many of the same topics as the Sumerians, available from 2700 BC until about 1800 BC with the rise of the city-state of Babylon.

Further, you have the city-state of Babylon, which had its own library containing more cuneiform tablets outlining the myths of Sumer, Akkad, and Babylon.

When you put it all together you have 5000 years of collected writings detailing the same cast of characters, their myths, and lessons on morality and life.

Pretty much the same thing the Hebrews and Christians did.

The Sumerians/Akkadians/Babylonians just didn't make a leather-bound book out of it all because, well, they had just invented writing. Who can blame them if they don't simultaneously invent paper, and then the printing-press as well? Ha ha.


~ Wandering Scribe

reply to post by jiggerj


Culturally, I believe, the oral telling of their traditional stories was something they held in very high regard. We modern westerns have nothing to relate it to. It's my understanding that the stories didn't change with each telling and that was the point. Whether one accepts that is another issue.

Your questions are perfectly valid and I have a lot of respect for someone who can engage in conversations on this topic in a civilized manner.

All things aside, though, I do believe the Bible is unique.

reply to post by jiggerj


How about the book of the dead, does that count Jigger ?

The Book of the Dead is an ancient Egyptian funerary text, used from the beginning of the New Kingdom (around 1550 BCE) to around 50 BCE.[1] The original Egyptian name for the text, transliterated rw nw prt m hrw[2] is translated as "Book of Coming Forth by Day".[3] Another translation would be "Book of emerging forth into the Light". The text consists of a number of magic spells intended to assist a dead person's journey through the Duat, or underworld, and into the afterlife. The Book of the Dead was part of a tradition of funerary texts which includes the earlier Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts, which were painted onto objects, not papyrus. Some of the spells included were drawn from these older works and date to the 3rd millennium BCE. Other spells were composed later in Egyptian history, dating to the Third Intermediate Period (11th to 7th centuries BCE). A number of the spells which made up the Book continued to be inscribed on tomb walls and sarcophagi, as had always been the spells from which they originated. The Book of the Dead was placed in the coffin or burial chamber of the deceased.

Linky to sourcey

Cody

Originally posted by TheOnlyAnswer
reply to post by jiggerj

 

Culturally, I believe, the oral telling of their traditional stories was something they held in very high regard. We modern westerns have nothing to relate it to. It's my understanding that the stories didn't change with each telling and that was the point. Whether one accepts that is another issue.

Your questions are perfectly valid and I have a lot of respect for someone who can engage in conversations on this topic in a civilized manner.

All things aside, though, I do believe the Bible is unique.

After many google searches on terms like "bibles of other religions" I stumbled on a book called Tripiṭaka (meaning three baskets):

The expression Three Baskets originally referred to three receptacles containing the scrolls on which the Buddhist scriptures were originally preserved.] Hence, the Tripiṭaka traditionally contains three "baskets" of teachings:

Tripitaka

Then there is the Vedas:

The Vedas There are four Vedas, the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas are the primary texts of Hinduism. They also had a vast influence on Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Traditionally the text of the Vedas was coeval with the universe. Scholars have determined that the Rig Veda, the oldest of the four Vedas, was composed about 1500 B.C., and codified about 600 B.C. It is unknown when it was finally committed to writing, but this probably was at some point after 300 B.C. The Vedas contain hymns, incantations, and rituals from ancient India. Along with the Book of the Dead, the Enuma Elish, the I Ching, and the Avesta, they are among the most ancient religious texts still in existence. Besides their spiritual value, they also give a unique view of everyday life in India four thousand years ago. The Vedas are also the most ancient extensive texts in an Indo-European language, and as such are invaluable in the study of comparative linguistics.

The Vedas

Surely, this Vedas must have been written by many, wouldn't you think?

reply to post by jiggerj


I believe that at the time church leaders were collecting writings to make their bible, there was another group, a rival group, of religious leaders that were also compiling their "bible".

This group was under attack and hid their collection, hoping that someday in the future they would be found, read and understood. They were found in 1945.

The Nag Hammadi Library

Originally posted by Wandering Scribe
When you put it all together you have 5000 years of collected writings detailing the same cast of characters, their myths, and lessons on morality and life.

Pretty much the same thing the Hebrews and Christians did.

The Sumerians/Akkadians/Babylonians just didn't make a leather-bound book out of it all because, well, they had just invented writing. Who can blame them if they don't simultaneously invent paper, and then the printing-press as well? Ha ha.


~ Wandering Scribe

edit on 23/6/13 by Wandering Scribe because: (no reason given)

I'm still waiting for one. When one comes out that's reasonably priced, I think there will be a pretty big controversy about it being released on store shelves. It is no secret that the Judeo-Christian belief system is newer than the Mesopotamian ones but it's not common knowledge.

I think releasing something as impressive as an affordable compilation of Mesopotamian religious texts spanning a period larger than the bible does and before the bible would have fundamentalist Christians up in arms as much as the discovery of dinosaur bones did.

reply to post by jiggerj


Ovid was doing this all by himself.

his work Metamorphoses may be an example of what your looking for.

his history took an intresting twist after he was outcast for a certain (lost) work
Exile of Ovid

the story is similiar to the story of 'john' in the bible...
just somethin' to get you thinkin.

reply to post by Cuervo


There are entire books dedicated to the myths of a single Sumerian figure.

I have the Myths of Enki, the Crafty God volume, which is more than 200 pages of Enki myths (before the "Notes" section).

In addition, I have the Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth volume, another 200 pages of Inanna myth (before the "critical analysis" section).

I also have the A dapa and the South Wind volume, which is 140 pages of Adapa myth and analysis.

In just those three figures there's nearly 600 pages of information available.

I would love to buy a compendium of the myths from Mesopotamia. I fear I would need to install a whole new bookshelf just to hold it though, ha ha.

And, the fundamentalist Christians will only be upset if they somehow find their way out of the Christian section of bookstores, and into the history, mythology, or alternative religions sections, ha ha.


~ Wandering Scribe

reply to post by Wandering Scribe

And, the fundamentalist Christians will only be upset if they somehow find their way out of the Christian section of bookstores, and into the history, mythology, or alternative religions sections, ha ha.

Why would we be upset?

The Bible makes no secret about all of the ancient gods that people worshiped and who worshiped them.

In the meanwhile, you have all of these ancient gods that are no longer being revered in the Middle East and their legacies only survive through ancient texts.

In the meanwhile, there's the Bible that has foretold prophecy. Prophecy that is still being played out today in the Middle East, just as the Bible describes it.

Where are the ancient gods' prophecies? Why haven't their texts been strung together to make a complete story of everything past, present and future? These gods all have changed names, lineages and characteristics throughout time and have only jumbled their own story.

reply to post by Deetermined

Why would we be upset?

The Harry Potter series.

A fantasy novel series, about mysticism and magic, which absolutely drove fundamentalist Christians up the walls because it was popular.

Don't try and pull the "Christians are the most loving, accepting, nice, caring, and non-discriminatory people on Earth" card. Your religion's whole history is one giant bloodbath.

The Bible makes no secret about all of the ancient gods that people worshiped and who worshiped them.

The Bible makes no secret about inaccurately describing pagan gods, pagan worship, and even the existence of particular pagan cultures. Fun fact: the Bible does not mention the Sumerians; only the Assyrian-Babylonian empire: there's a big difference between the two.

In the meanwhile, you have all of these ancient gods that are no longer being revered in the Middle East and their legacies only survive through ancient texts.

Who says they need to be revered in the Middle East alone?

Ásatrú, Neo Kemetism, Wicca, Neo Paganism, and a variety of other theological, spiritual, and mystical schools of thought and worship exist across the entirety of the world. These groups all honor and revere ancient pagan deities, like: the Æsir, the Neteru, the Anunnaki, the Olympians, the Tuatha dé Danann and many more.

Pagan worship and veneration is not dead, far from it. The adherents just practice among themselves, in private, because they are unconcerned about world-conquest, or converting everybody to a God who stole his attributes and mythology from others.

In the meanwhile, there's the Bible that has foretold prophecy. Prophecy that is still being played out today in the Middle East, just as the Bible describes it.

However, any example of apparent prophecy fulfillment that is presented can be explained, such as by its creative interpretation or being written after the event. Thus, although it is possible to identify parallels between Bible verses and subsequently occurring events, alleged prophecy fulfillment is not sufficient to compel belief in the inerrancy of the Bible.

From an encyclopedic article concerning failed Biblical prophecies. If you've got one that they don't cover on there, go ahead and let me know. I'll do my best to look into whether or not it is a legitimate prophecy.

Where are the ancient gods' prophecies? Why haven't their texts been strung together to make a complete story of everything past, present and future? These gods all have changed names, lineages and characteristics throughout time and have only jumbled their own story.

Ancient deities didn't need to make prophecy to earn man's trust. They worked in unison with man, instead of trying to lord over him.

This also defeats the purpose of needing a book which (incorrectly) tells the past, present, and future.

As for changed names, well, how about: YHVH, Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, El, Elohim, Ehyeh asher eyeh, Jesus, Allah, and so on, and so forth. About the only deity I know of with more names that the Christian god is Oðin.

Oh, and, as for "where" their books are, let me enlighten you:

You can't condense the history, impact, and importance of paganism into a single volume, like you can with the stolen mythologies of the Jews and Christians.


~ Wandering Scribe

reply to post by Wandering Scribe

From an encyclopedic article concerning failed Biblical prophecies. If you've got one that they don't cover on there, go ahead and let me know. I'll do my best to look into whether or not it is a legitimate prophecy.

Give me a break. For every "failed" prophecy these sites list, I could say it did not fail. (i.e. just a couple of examples from the first two on the list)...

Regarding Tyre:

www.lgic.org...

Regarding Egypt:

radaractive.blogspot.com...

reply to post by Wandering Scribe

As for changed names, well, how about: YHVH, Yahweh, Jehovah, Adonai, El, Elohim, Ehyeh asher eyeh, Jesus, Allah, and so on, and so forth. About the only deity I know of with more names that the Christian god is Oðin.

For starters, the Bible already tells us that these are all the same God and the different names represent his attributes and nature. It's not like there were relational differences.

When the Sumerian gods changed over to Babylonian gods, their roles and relationships changed.

reply to post by Wandering Scribe

Pagan worship and veneration is not dead, far from it. The adherents just practice among themselves, in private, because they are unconcerned about world-conquest, or converting everybody to a God who stole his attributes and mythology from others.

That's because their gods already know that they don't stand a chance up against the Most High.

reply to post by Wandering Scribe

Ancient deities didn't need to make prophecy to earn man's trust. They worked in unison with man, instead of trying to lord over him.

LOL! No, because the ancient deities were too busy trying to kill each other for power to bother with the little people!

Originally posted by Wandering Scribe

I would love to buy a compendium of the myths from Mesopotamia. I fear I would need to install a whole new bookshelf just to hold it though, ha ha.

And, the fundamentalist Christians will only be upset if they somehow find their way out of the Christian section of bookstores, and into the history, mythology, or alternative religions sections, ha ha.


~ Wandering Scribe

I would love that too. As far as the upset Christians, that is not what I wish to see. In fact, my goal is to soon have a shop that explores all faiths. I want the Christian bible next to 777 and Maid, Mother, Crone. I have been meeting more and more Christians who understand that the survival of their religion hinges upon their ability to accept other faiths alongside their own.

Then again, I've been accused of unchecked optimism before.