Restoring the Original Canon Order

[Joel]

Has anyone seen this study on askelm? I personally have been blessed by many things from this site, but this study has caused me to dig and study lately myself into this issue.

It's supposedly an effort to restore the original Canon Order, which proves to be rather symmetrical. Of course, being absolutely certain IMHO, is not guaranteed... but it's interesting to ponder.

http://askelm.com/restoring/index.asp





There's the idea, with a few historical references.. that the original Hebrew canon [which is today split up into 24 books] was actually, originally 22 books [equating each book in accordance with the 22 Hebrew letters].


So it would look something like this [according to this scale]...
[and the order can possibly differ, according to varying research I've seen]






The Law [Torah]
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
The Prophets [Nevi'im]

(Former Prophets)
Joshua/Judges
Book of the Kingdoms [1st-2nd Samuel/1st-2nd Kings](Latter Prophets)
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
"The Twelve" [one scroll]:
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
The Writings [Ketuvim]

(Wisdom-Poetical)
Psalms
Proverbs
Job(The Five Festival Scrolls)
Song of Solomon [Passover]
Ruth [Pentecost]
Lamentations [9th of Av]
Ecclesiastes [Tabernacles]
Esther [Purim](Restoration Period)
Daniel
Ezra/Nehemiah
Chronicles [1st-2nd Chronicles]



















While the New Testament Canon order would make the most symmetrical sense arranged like this....



The Brit Chadash Pentateuch

(in imitation of the First Five Books of Moses: the Law, being the Foundation to the Hebrew canon)
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
ActsThe Epistles [General]

(Seven 'Jewish' Letters)
James (Jacob)
1st Peter
2nd Peter
1st John
2nd John
3rd John
Jude (Judah)The Epistles [Pauline]

(Seven Churches addressed) (Fourteen letters alltogether)
Romans
1st Corinthians
2nd Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1st Thessalonians
2nd Thessalonians(Millennial/Temple Symbolism)
Hebrews(Ministerial)
1st Timothy
2nd Timothy
Titus
PhilemonThe Prophetic

Revelation of Jesus




Thus, the complete Biblical canon would be in actuality, 49 books compiled together [7 * 7]. Revelation being the last, and fruition of all the preceding books... [Revelation already possessing within itself remarkable properties with the numeric 7].

[Joel]

Here's a visual graph of the author's work/theory expressed:


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c364/JP888/Outlines-Timelines/OriginalCanon.gif

[Joel]

I also find it intriguing on that study, they compare the three dvisions of the Hebrew Canon [the TaNaK] as corresponding to the three divisions of the Temple.



In essence...

the Torah [the Five books of Moses] correllates to the Most Holy Place.
the Prophets [Joshua unto Malachi] correllate to the Holy Place.
the Writings [Psalms unto Chronicles] correllate to the Court of the Israelites.

[Joel]

Early Christian Beliefs

Almost all the Greek-speaking ecclesiastical authorities from the areas of Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece refer to the books of the New Testament and they do so in the proper manuscript arrangement. Note in all cases that they position the seven “Catholic Epistles” (from James to Jude) before those of the apostle Paul.
Athanasius said the order was “the four Gospels; the Acts of the Apostles; the seven Catholic Epistles; the fourteen epistles of St. Paul; and the Revelation of John.” 5 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn5)
Leontius of Byzantium mentioned the order as “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; the Acts of the Apostles; the seven Catholic Epistles; the Epistles of Paul; and the Apocalypse.” 6 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn6)
Philastris was even bold in his statement that the seven Catholic Epistles must be positioned before Paul’s because in Galatians 1:17 Paul said that the Jewish apostles were “before me.” 7 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn7)
The normal manuscript order was also advocated by the clerics at the eastern Church Synod of Laodicea in 365 C.E. 8 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn8) and it was further maintained by Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem. 9 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn9)
John of Damascus (born 675 C.E.)—author of the standard textbook on Dogmatic Theology for the Greek Church—referred to the manuscript order of the books as the proper one. Without qualification he stated that the seven Catholic Epistles must be placed right after the Book of Acts. 10 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn10)Further names could be cited in support of this prevalent view among eastern churchmen. These included Cassiodorus, Nicephorus and also the Syrian Pe****ta Version of the New Testament. 11 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn11) These were followed by Stoichiometry from Cotelerius (806 C.E.) and Gecumenius (950 C.E.) the Bishop of Thessaly who wrote a short copy of verse on the New Testament in the proper manuscript order. 12 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn12)

(http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn12)
This proper manuscript order (with the seven Catholic “Jewish” Epistles positioned before those of Paul) was even acknowledged by Jerome himself, yet in a personal letter to his friend Paulinus, Jerome followed an order peculiar to Epiphanius who even placed Paul’s letters right after the four Gospels. 13 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm#_ftn13) This oddity of order is also found in the Sinaiticus manuscript and plainly is unlike the order of the original manuscripts as the textual scholars Westcott & Hort make clear. (See APPENDIX ONE to this chapter, below).


It is really easy to see that the final “western rearrangement” of Jerome which he displayed in his Latin Vulgate translation (and that which we find in our Bibles today) was an attempt to exalt the political position of the western church over the rest of Christendom. It was especially designed to put Rome ahead of all the churches in Christendom.

http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm

[Joel]

The original arrangement of the Old and New Testament books shows a marvelous design that enhances the basic teaching of Christ and the apostles. It reveals a symmetrical balance between the divisions and parts of the Bible that is truly inspiring and instructive. We will look at the significance of this matter later in this book, but as a preliminary synopsis, note that the original Scriptures had exactly 49 books: 22 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.

This number 49 is, of course, 7 times 7, and seven represents the symbolic number of completion or finalization. One could spend many pages giving biblical references concerning the significance of the number seven. But as a simple illustration of its symbolic meaning, look at some basic features of the Hebrew calendar that Christ and the apostles observed. Note how the Hebrews recognized this.
They noticed that the seventh day of the week completed the week.
They also saw that the seven weeks of grain harvest (the 49 days from Passover to Pentecost) completed the firstfruits harvest. And there is more.
The first seven months of the Hebrew calendar contained the times for the seven annual festivals commanded by Moses. In a sense it could be said that the festival year of Moses was completed in seven months, and those seven months contained and completed the holyday schedule for the Israelites.
And let us not forget that every seventh year was reckoned a Sabbatical Year and it commemorated the completion of six years of agricultural activity for the Hebrews in Palestine.
After seven of those Sabbatical Years were completed (a period of 49 years), the Year of Jubilee was reached which was supposed to be a time of a thorough and finalized agricultural and financial rejuvenation for all Israelites in Palestine. This period of 49 years (7 times 7) was the Jubilee period when a religious and civil cycle was completed. This was when all social and economic activities were supposed to return to the same condition as they had been at the beginning of the previous 49 years.Why are these sevens and multiples of sevens important? They show that it was no accident that the total number of Old and New Testament books came to 49 in number (7 times 7) in the enumeration maintained by the early Jewish and early Christian authorities. But there is more to it than that. There are also (as Christ taught) three divisions to the Old Testament: (1) The Law,
(2) The Prophets, and
(3) The Writings’ (the Psalms) Division.
To these can be added the four divisions of the New Testament: (4) The Historical Books [Gospels and Acts],
(5) The seven General [or Catholic] Epistles,
(6) The fourteen [2 times 7] epistles of Paul, and then
(7) the final Book of Revelation.
When one adds the three divisions of the Old Testament with the four of the New Testament, we arrive at seven divisions for the complete Bible. This seven-fold division was no accident.

http://askelm.com/restoring/res001.htm

[Joel]

The Old Testament books today are usually reckoned as being 39 in number. But the earliest records show the official numeration among the Jewish authorities was 22 books. We will later see that the symbolic meaning to the number 22 affords a significant symmetrical balance to the Old Testament, and when those books are combined with those of the New Testament, the number 49 (7 times 7) is reached. This latter number figuratively indicates “completion” and “finality.” We will see, however, that even the number 22 has a ring of “completion” to it when it comes to matters involving the Hebrew language. Note that Josephus, as a spokesman for his people, said the divine scriptures of the Old Testament were 22 in number. “We have not a countless number of books, discordant and arranged against each other; but only two and twenty books, containing the history of every age, which are justly accredited as divine.” Contra Apion 1.8 ¶38To Josephus, who was an Aaronic priest, the Old Testament scriptures contained only 22 books. These were the official books which were deposited in the Temple and represented the religious constitution of the Jewish people. In no way was Josephus speaking of a canon different from the normal Old Testament books that are normally recognized today. 4 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn4) The main difference centered on the manner in which the books were counted. For example, the early Hebrews reckoned the books of the twelve Minor Prophets (from Hosea to Malachi) as one book in the canonical number of books, not twelve separate ones as most versions count them today. In addition, our two books of Chronicles, and other historical books, were not divided as they are in most modern Bibles. There was anciently only one Book of Chronicles. But church leaders after the canon was established, to please various Gentile peoples, divided many of the early books into two (or even four) divisions. This procedure resulted in the original numbering of 22 books being reckoned as our modern (and erroneous) 39 books.






The 22 numbering is most interesting and fits in well with the literary and symbolic meaning of “completion” as understood by early Jews. The Book of Jubilees put forth that the number represented the “final” and “complete” creations of God. Adam was the last creation of God (being the 22nd). Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, was the 22nd generation from Adam; and Jacob was acknowledged as the father of the spiritual nation of God. Also the Hebrew language became the means by which God communicated his divine will to mankind. It had an alphabet of 22 letters. And, finally, when God wished to give his complete Old Testament revelation to humanity, that divine canon was presented in 22 authorized books. The medieval Jewish scholar Sixtus Senensis explained the significance of this matter. “As with the Hebrew there are twenty-two letters, in which all that can be said and written is comprehended, so there are twenty-two books in which are contained all that can be known and uttered of divine things.” Green, General Introduction to the Old Testament 6 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn6)

While early Jews have stated that the Old Testament was officially reckoned to be 22 books in number, they were even outdone by Christian scholars. It will profit us to view the list the evidence for these well-known opinions. 1) Melito (170 C.E.), in agreement with the original Jewish reckoning, gave the number of Old Testament books as 22. 7 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn7)
2) Origen (210 C.E.) also gave the same numbering: “It should be stated that the canonical books, as the Hebrews have handed them down, are twenty-two; corresponding with the number of their letters.” 8 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn8)
3) Hilary of Poitiers (360 C.E.): “The Law of the Old Testament is considered as divided into twenty-two books, so as to correspond to the number of letters.” 9 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn9)
4) Athanasius (365 C.E.): “There are then of the Old Testament twenty-two books in number ... this is the number of the letters among the Hebrews.” 10 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn10)
5) The Council of Laodicea (343–391 C.E.): Twenty-two books. 11 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn11)
6) Cyril of Jerusalem (386 C.E.): “Read the divine scriptures, the twenty-two books of the Old Testament.” 12 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn12)
7) Gregory of Nazianzus (390 C.E.): “I have exhibited twenty-two books, corresponding with the twenty-two letters of the Hebrews.” 13 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn13)
8) Epiphanius (400 C.E.): Twenty-two books. 14 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn14)
9) Rufinus (410 C.E.): Twenty-two books. 15 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn15)
10) Jerome (410 C.E.): “That the Hebrews have twenty-two letters is testified ... as there are twenty-two elementary characters by means of which we write in Hebrew all we say ... so we reckon twenty-two books by which ... a righteous man is instructed.” 16 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn16)
11) Synopsis of Sacred Scripture (c. 500 C.E.): “The canonical books of the Old Testament are twenty-two, equal in number to the Hebrew letters; for they have so many original letters.” 17 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn17)
12) Isidore of Seville (600 C.E.) said the Old Testament was settled by Ezra the priest into twenty-two books “that the books in the Law might correspond in number with the letters.” 18 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn18)
13) Leontius (610 C.E.): “Of the Old Testament there are twenty-two books.” 19 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn19)
14) John of Damascus (730 C.E.): “Observe further that there are two and twenty books of the Old Testament, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.” 20 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn20)
15) Nicephorus (9th century C.E.): “There are two and twenty books of the Old Testament.” 21 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn21)
16) Jesudad, Bishop of Hadad, Syria (852 C.E.) recognized a canon of twenty-two books. 22 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn22)
17) Hrabanus (9th century C.E.) said the Old Testament was formed by Ezra into twenty-two books “that there might be as many books in the Law as there are letters.” 23 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn23)
18) Moses of Chorene the Armenian historian (c. 1000 C.E. or perhaps as early as the 6th century) “speaks of twenty-two books of the Old Testament. This was clearly the Jewish Canon.” 24 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn24)
19) Peter of Cluny (1150 C.E.): Twenty-two books. 25 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn25)
20) John of Salisbury (1180 C.E.): Twenty-two books. 26 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn26)
21) Hugh of St. Victor (12th century): “As there are twenty-two alphabetic letters, by means of which we write in Hebrew, and speak what we have to say, so twenty-two books are reckoned, by means of which ... the yet tender infancy of our man is instructed, while it yet hath need of milk.” 27 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn27)
22) Richard of St. Victor (13th century): Twenty-two books. 28 (http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm#_ftn28)

http://askelm.com/restoring/res003.htm

[Joel]

I think it's interesting the 4 Gospels and the Historical narrative of Acts are coupled together as their own 'group', in essence forming a mirror to the Pentateuch of Moses.

There's even Five Festival Scrolls, and Five Books that the book of Psalms is divded into... corresponding to Moses' Torah once more.

[Werner]

Interesting food for thought :nod

[Joel]

If you noticed, the author pairs up Joshua and Judges into one book. There are some varying reconstructions out there... [allthough, I believe the author address this somewhere in one of his chapters].


The other varying order that I seen was in not coupling Joshua and Judges together, but rather, coupling Judges and Ruth together instead.

Some attached Lamentations with Jeremiah, and some split "1st and 2nd Samuel" into a book called "Samuel", and "1st and 2nd Kings" into a book called "Kings" [whereas in the author's estimation: the "4 books" of "Samuel" and "Kings" are reckoned as one volume].

Either way, with this varying order, the count remains at 22 books.

And of course, the 12 "minor Prophets" were originally reckoned on one scroll, and thusly, one book.


Ezra and Nehemiah were one volume, and "1st and 2nd Chronicles" were reckoned simply as one volume dubbed "Chronicles".

[Joel]

The author also notices there are 5 items mentioned as being placed within the Most Holy Place by Paul [Hebrews 9:4-5], equating to the 5 Books of Moses [the Torah] - which, as above, seems to equate the Most Holy Division of the TaNaK.

the Pot of Manna,

Aaron’s rod,

the Tables of Stone — both identical,
the two Cherubim as one piece, and
the Mercy (Covering) Seat of the Ark of the Covenant (this lid was the top part of the Ark and it represented the Ark itself).He then goes on to decipher the symbolism from each of the 5 items into each of the 5 books.

It's interesting, because furthering the notion the Law represents the Most Holy Room division of the Hebrew canon, is the fact these 5 books of the Law [or Torah] were placed within the side of the Ark, which was in effect placed within the Most Holy Place itself.

Reaffirming the notion the Law was to be associated thematically with the Most Holy Room.




http://askelm.com/restoring/res008.htm

[Joel]

Realizing the original Hebrew canon order also sheds some light on this enigmatic passage....


Matthew 23:34-35 Therefore look, I am sending to you prophets, wise men and scholarly teachers. You will murder and crucify some of them; you will whip some of them in your synagogues and pursue them from town to town. [This will be done] so that on you may fall the guilt for shedding on the ground the blood of all those innocent people, from the blood of righteous Abel to that of Barachiah’s son Zachariah, whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the Altar [i.e., in the Temple area].



Realizing the Jews arranged their canon in symmetrical design, according to the 22 Hebrew letters.... and realizing Chronicles was the last book... [not Malachi].

This opens up this passage and saying of Christ. Why would the blood of Abel [the first righteous shed blood] unto "Zechariah son of Barachias" be mentioned?

If you notice, this same fellow happens to be mentioned at the end of the book of Chronicles [2nd Chronicles]:



2 Chronicles 24:20-22 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.



Thus, with this canon order in realization -- Christ was in effect saying: from the Alpha to the Omega, from the Aleph to the Tau, from the Z to the Z, From Genesis to Chronicles, from beginning to ending, from the first to the last shedding of righteous blood divinely recorded -- it will be required of this generation.

[Joel]

Christ Himself recognized the tripartite division... that is, the Torah, Prophets, and Writings division of the Hebrew Canon [whose acronymn is: TaNaK].



Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.


The 'psalms' meaning the 'writings', which is reckoned as representing the whole. Basically, the entire Hebrew bible prophesied, and writ of.. things pertaining to the Messiah, Christ.. the WORD manifest.

[Joel]

It's also interesting the books of Matthew - unto - Acts [5 books], the "New Testament Pentateuch" is distinguished from the rest of the New Testament Canon...

thusly, from Jacob [James] unto Philemon are 21 Epistles, or Letters. [7 Jewish epistles, 14 Pauline letters] Revelation could also, in effect, be considered an 'epistle' or 'letter' as its introductory chapters are addressed to 7 churches. Thus, the 22nd epistle, or letter of the New Testament, happens to land on the book of Revelation, which in turn contains 22 chapters -- also correllating to Hebrew letters once more.

And, as mentioned, the fact, or idea, the book of Revelation might be the 49th book is very symmetrical and timely in terms of the property of seven which inudates the book.

[Joel]

Considering the Old Testament Canon was laid out according to the Alphabet [22 books = 22 letters]....

i thought it pretty interesting there happens to be "5 final forms" to the Hebrew alphabet... letters that have an alternate construction [when they appear at the end of a word], totalling 27 Hebrew letters...

perhaps these 5 final forms allow for an alphabetic comparison between the 'extended' Hebrew alphabet and the 27 books of the New Testament canon.

[Gary]

:wacko This is WAAAYY over my head...:faint

[Joel]

Interesting food for thought :nod

I totally appreciate that we both love seeing how God's word interconnects. :yay

A good 'bump' for new viewers. :):

[hopemail]

gee, and there's always someone trying to tell me the Canon's, 'the Perfect'