66 Books in the Bible (for Dave Court)

Steven Carr (steven@bowness.demon.co.uk)
Sun, 18 May 1997 21:46:24 +0100

The idea that there were 39 books in the OT is not one the early
Christians shared.

Melito (c. 170 AD) gives the list as follows :-'Their names are as
follows: Of Moses, five books: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus,
Deuteronomy; Jesus Nave, Judges, Ruth; of Kings, four books; of
Chronicles, two; the Psalms of David, the Proverbs of Solomon, Wisdom
also, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job; of Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah;
of the twelve prophets, one book ; Daniel, Ezekiel, Esdras.'

As you can see, he includes the Wisdom of Solomon and excludes Esther.
He is also using the Greek Septuagint LXX versions (4 books of Kings),
versions which you reject. Presumably it took the Holy Spirit a while to
guide the early Christians to the 'right' books.

Notice that he will be including Nehemiah with Ezra and Lamentations,
and possibly Baruch, in with Jeremiah.

-- 
Steven Carr steven@bowness.demon.co.uk
Visit the UK's leading atheist Web page
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