Thompson, Jeremy, ed. Lists of Biblical People, Places, Things, and Events. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2020.
Again, Biblical Events uses only a truncated canon used by a minority of Christians which regardless of the canonity is essential context for whatever canon you use.
August 1, 2014
I've tried to be patient in waiting for Logos to adapt the Biblical facts to the larger "canons" of the Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic and Orthodox spheres - canons in quotes to indicate apocryphal/deuterocanonical status for those who won't automatically consider it. My patience is wearing thin. Please complete Biblical Facts.
Thanks for your patience. We've completed the main editorial work on this (including the people, places, and things as well), but haven't shipped it yet. You should see it fairly soon.
So why a decade later something so basic still an issue anywhere?
July 30, 2024
Yes, it is time for me to again nag about the shocking lack of detail in the Biblical Events list ... and how it doesn't even pretend to list "all the things that happened".
It looks like we have a long-standing bug that's preventing events from some deuterocanonical books from showing up. We're looking into that.
Yes, but this is not a lookup - its a flagrant omission.
This is starting to look like willful ignorance on the part of Logos - ignorance of church history. I posed this question to 3 chat bots "I know there is evidence in Christianity of the church using New Testament apocrypha as late as 1100 A.D. I know individuals debated the use of the Tanakh or the LXX as the Christian canon throughout history. Is there evidence of the church or sects limiting the canon to the Hebrew Tanakh prior to 1500 A.D." I know there are reasonable arguments on both sides which is why I personally use the ecumenical canon of the NRSV which is broader than the canon used by my church. However, all the answers came out similar to this:
There is limited evidence of any major Christian church or sect officially restricting the Old Testament canon to the Hebrew Tanakh (Masoretic Text) prior to 1500 A.D. However, the question of which books should be included in the Old Testament canon was debated throughout Christian history, often revolving around the differences between the Septuagint (LXX) and the Hebrew Bible.
1. Early Church and Septuagint Preference
- In the early centuries of Christianity, the Greek Septuagint (LXX) was widely used by Greek-speaking Christians, particularly in the Eastern Church. The Septuagint includes books that are not found in the Hebrew Tanakh, such as Tobit, Judith, and the Maccabees.
- Church Fathers like Augustine of Hippo (d. 430) favored the Septuagint, considering it divinely inspired. The Western Church, influenced by Latin translations (Vetus Latina, and later the Vulgate), continued this tradition.
2. Jerome and the Vulgate
- St. Jerome (d. 420), when tasked with translating the Bible into Latin, initially argued for the Hebrew texts as the authoritative source for the Old Testament. His preference for the Hebrew text over the Greek Septuagint stirred debates, but his completed Vulgate still included the Deuterocanonical books (the books found in the Septuagint but not in the Hebrew Bible).
- Jerome's work planted seeds for later discussions, but the church in the West did not officially restrict the canon to the Hebrew Tanakh during his lifetime. His view represented more of a scholarly preference than a formal doctrinal stance by the Church.
3. Jewish-Christian Sects and Limited Canons
- Some early Jewish-Christian sects (such as the Ebionites) may have favored the Hebrew Bible and rejected portions of the Septuagint, though this evidence is fragmentary. These groups were not part of the mainstream Christian tradition and had limited influence.
- The Council of Laodicea (mid-4th century) produced a list of canonical books that excluded some of the Deuterocanonical works, but this list was not universally accepted and does not reflect a formal restriction to the Hebrew Tanakh.
4. Medieval Period (Up to 1500 A.D.)
- During the medieval period, the Latin Vulgate, which included the Deuterocanonical books, remained the standard Bible in the Western Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church continued using the Septuagint, which also contained these books.
- The idea of restricting the Old Testament canon to the Hebrew Tanakh did not gain significant traction among the major branches of Christianity. While individuals might have preferred the Hebrew text, no large movement or sect within the Christian church is documented as officially limiting the Old Testament canon to the Hebrew Bible before the 16th century.
- Notably, debates around the canon remained mostly academic or localized until the Protestant Reformation.
5. Post-1500 Development: Protestant Reformation
- It was not until the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century that the issue of restricting the canon to the Hebrew Bible became more pronounced. Reformers like Martin Luther advocated for the exclusion of the Deuterocanonical books, aligning the Old Testament more closely with the Hebrew Tanakh.
In conclusion, while debates about the use of the Hebrew Tanakh versus the Septuagint occurred throughout Christian history, there is no substantial evidence of any major Christian church or sect officially limiting the Old Testament canon to the Hebrew Tanakh before 1500 A.D.
I am simply asking you to respect Christian history. I am not asking you to adopt any particular canon. If I were to do so, I'd ask for a few more beyond the ecumenical canon.
As for the use of the ecumenical canon of the NRSV, RSV,
Based on the search results and additional information, here are some churches that use the ecumenical canon (including deuterocanonical/apocryphal books) of the RSV and NRSV:
- The Episcopal Church - The NRSV is authorized for use in worship.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - Uses the NRSV as its official translation.
- United Methodist Church - Commonly uses the NRSV.
- Presbyterian Church (USA) - Widely uses the NRSV.
- United Church of Christ - Frequently uses the NRSV.
- Roman Catholic Church - Uses the NRSV Catholic Edition, which includes all the deuterocanonical books.
- Many Anglican/Episcopal churches worldwide - Often use the NRSV.
- Some Orthodox churches - May use the RSV or NRSV, though they often prefer other translations.
- Some Reformed churches - May use the NRSV, particularly more mainline denominations.
- Disciples of Christ - Commonly uses the NRSV.
It's important to note that while these denominations officially use or approve the NRSV (or RSV), individual churches within these denominations may choose to use other translations as well. The NRSV is particularly popular among mainline Protestant denominations and is also accepted for use in the Roman Catholic Church.The ecumenical nature of the NRSV, including its incorporation of deuterocanonical/apocryphal books, makes it a preferred choice for churches that recognize a wider canon or wish to use a translation that bridges different Christian traditions.
