Bible Printing Timeline

I quickly wanted to see the evolution of the printing of bibles. Though I will add as I do believe there to be many other interesting Bibles. I quickly put this one together. Check it out.

Septuagint (LXX) ~250–132 BCE

The first Bible recorded as an actual “canon” of sorts. Seventy-two Jewish scholars were commissioned by Ptolemy II Philadelphus to translate the Torah for the Library of Alexandria. The books are:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–4 Kingdoms (1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings), 1–2 Paralipomenon (Chronicles), 1–2 Esdras, Esther, Judith, Tobit, 1–4 Maccabees, Psalms, Odes (including the Prayer of Manasseh), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Psalms of Solomon, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Lamentations, Letter of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Peshitta ~100–200 AD

The first Old and New Testament recorded in Aramaic.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, 1–2 Maccabees, Prayer of Manasseh, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, and 1 John.

Codex Sinaiticus ~330–360 AD

The first and oldest COMPLETE copy of the New Testament. Written by what is believed to be three or four scribes. For 1,500 years, it was kept in Saint Catherine's Monastery at the base of Mount Sinai in Egypt.

Genesis, Numbers, 1 Chronicles, 2 Esdras, Esther, Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Job, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, Hebrews, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Acts of the Apostles, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude, Revelation, Epistle of Barnabas, and The Shepherd of Hermas.

Latin Vulgate ~382–405 AD

Pope Damasus commissioned his secretary, a scholar named St. Jerome, to create a unified Latin translation of the Bible. The goal was to promote a universal doctrine. Jerome believed that the Old Testament should be translated from Hebrew, NOT the Septuagint.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–4 Kings, 1–2 Paralipomenon (1–2 Chronicles), 1 Esdrae (Ezra), 2 Esdrae (Nehemiah), Tobias (Tobit), Judith, Esther, 1–2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

Note: The Prayer of Manasseh, 3 Esdras, and 4 Esdras were included until the Council of Trent.

Ethiopian Bible ~350-450AD

This is the world’s oldest living canon. It was translated originally from the Greek Septuagint and Syriac sources into Ge’ez.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings,  2 Kings, 1 Chronicles,  2 Chronicles (Includes the Prayer of Manasseh)15. Jubilees (Unique to the Ethiopic canon),  Enoch (Unique to the Ethiopic canon), 1 Ezra (Ezra-Nehemiah combined as one book), 2 Ezra (Greek Esdras), Ezra Sutuel (4 Ezra), Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 Meqabyan (Ethiopian Maccabees; distinct from Greek Maccabees), 2 Meqabyan, 3 Meqabyan, Job, Psalms (Includes Psalm 151), Messale (Proverbs chapters 1–24), Tegsats / Tagsas (Proverbs chapters 25–31, "Reproof"), Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Isaiah, Jeremiah (Includes Baruch, Lamentations, Letter of Jeremiah, and 4 Baruch), Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Josippon (Book of Josephas ben Gorion).

Masoretic Text ~600–1000 AD

Ancient Hebrew was written with consonants and preserved mainly through oral tradition until written vowels were introduced between the 6th and 10th centuries CE. That is when these books were first preserved in this specific way.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, and 1–2 Chronicles.

Wycliffe’s Bible ~1382–1384

John Wycliffe, an Oxford theologian, believed the Bible should be in a language the commoner could read. It was used by the “Lollards,” a movement that helped distribute these Bibles. This was the first wave of Reformers or “Protestants.” It was translated from the Latin Vulgate, not the original languages. The State, ruled by the Catholic Church, was so outraged that they dug up Wycliffe’s remains after he had died, burned them, and threw them into the River Swift.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Kings (Samuel), 3–4 Kings (1–2 Kings), 1–2 Chronicles (Paralipomenon), Ezra (1st Esdras), Nehemiah (2nd Esdras), Tobit, Judith, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel (including the Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon), Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, 1–2 Maccabees, 3–4 Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Laodiceans (the “lost” Pauline Epistle included in Wycliffe Bibles), 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, Acts, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

The Luther Bible ~1534AD

Luther coined the “Scripture Alone” context and translated the New testament in only 11 weeks from Greek to German while in hiding.  He also moved the apocryphal books to stand alone between the Hebrew canonized Old Testament and the New testament.  Critics accused Luther of altering text to fit his theology in Romans 3:28 he added the word “allein” (alone) to read “justified by faith alone” to cement HIS doctrine of justification.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Tobit, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch (including the Letter of

Chronological (Jeremiah), 1 & 2 Maccabees, and Additions to Esther, Daniel, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation

Geneva Bible ~1560 AD

A landmark Protestant Bible. It was the first English Bible translated directly from the original Greek and Hebrew. This is the Bible William Shakespeare used and the Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower. Queen Mary I (“Bloody Mary”) banned English Bibles and prosecuted Protestant reformers, so hundreds of scholars fled to Geneva, Switzerland. It contains 1,560 margin notes.

In 1640, the first edition without the Apocrypha was printed, and by 1644, the Apocrypha was officially forbidden by the Long Parliament. By 1826–1827, the printing and circulation of Bibles containing the Apocrypha stopped entirely. Because of the Masoretic canonization between 600–1000 AD, Puritans used that as proof that the Apocrypha was not divinely inspired, further distancing themselves from the Catholic Church.

Douay-Rheims Bible ~1568–1610

The first authorized Catholic Bible translated into English. The availability of Protestant Bibles likely motivated its printing. It was translated from the Latin Vulgate instead of the original Hebrew and Greek.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Josue (Joshua), Judges, Ruth, 1 Kings (1 Samuel), 2 Kings (2 Samuel), 3 Kings (1 Kings), 4 Kings (2 Kings), 1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles), 2 Paralipomenon (2 Chronicles), 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras (Nehemiah), Tobias (Tobit), Judith, Esther (contains additions), 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon's Canticle of Canticles (Song of Solomon), Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Isaias (Isaiah), Jeremias (Jeremiah), Lamentations, Baruch (includes the Letter of Jeremiah), Ezechiel (Ezekiel), Daniel (includes Susanna and Bel and the Dragon), Osee (Hosea), Joel, Amos, Abdias (Obadiah), Jonas (Jonah), Micheas (Micah), Nahum, Habacuc (Habakkuk), Sophonias (Zephaniah), Aggeus (Haggai), Zacharias (Zechariah), Malachias (Malachi), Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude, and Apocalypse (Revelation).

Note: Omitted in the standard Challoner revision used today, the original 1610 printing contained three books as an appendix: 3 Esdras (1 Esdras in KJV), 4 Esdras (2 Esdras in KJV), and the Prayer of Manasses (Manasseh).

King James Version (KJV) ~1611 AD

King James commissioned this Bible because he was not fond of the many marginal notes in the Geneva Bible, which he felt undermined royal authority. Similar to the Geneva Bible, the original 1611 KJV included the Apocrypha. However, following the Protestant movement's shift after the Thirty Years' War, printers slowly stopped including these books. By 1885, the Apocrypha was officially dropped from most standard printings of the King James Version.

The Books:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

The Apocrypha (included in original 1611):

1–2 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Rest of Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Baruch (includes the Letter of Jeremiah), Prayer of Azariah, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasseh, and 1–2 Maccabees.

The New Testament:

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1–2 Peter, 1–3 John, Jude, and Revelation.