Chapter 1: Holy Bible - Canonisation

Question 1

From which language did the term ‘Bible’ originate? (Greek, Hebrew, Latin)

Answer 1

Greek

Question 2

The Old Testament refers to the covenant made between God and whom? (The Egyptians, The Romans, The people of Israel)

Answer 2

The people of Israel

Question 3

How many books does the Old Testament contain? (27, 39, 12)

Answer 3

39

Question 4

Which version of the Bible was written in Syriac? (Targum, Vulgate, Peshitha)

Answer 4

Peshitha

Question 5

Which Church did first accept the Book of Revelation as canonical? (Eastern Church, Western Church, Catholic Church)

Answer 5

Western Church

Question 6

When was the Council of Jamnia held? (70 CE, 90 CE, 100 CE)

Answer 6

90 CE

Question 6

What is the earliest written material in the New Testament? (Gospels, Pauline letters, Acts of Apostles)

Answer 6

Pauline Letters

Question 7

What is the Syrian translation of the Holy Bible? (Vulgate, Peshitha, Targum)

Answer 7

Peshitha

Question 7

Which Church did reject the Apocryphal literature during canonisation? (Catholic Church, Protestant Church, Orthodox Church)

Answer 7

Protestant Church

Question 8

What was discovered by Metropolitan Mor Athanasius Yeshu Samuel? (Cross of Jesus, Tomb of Moses, Dead Sea Scrolls)

Answer 8

Dead Sea Scrolls

Question 9

What does the term “Peshitha” mean? (Complicated, Simple, Sacred)

Answer 9

Simple

Question 10

True of False? The term ‘Bible’ is derived from a Latin word.

Answer 10

False ( It is derived from Greek)

Question 11

True or False? The New Testament focuses on God’s covenant with humanity through Jesus.

Answer 11

True

Question 12

True or False? The Book of Daniel was included in the Old Testament canon in the third century BCE.

Answer 12

False

Question 13

True or False? The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

True or False? The Orthodox Churches accepted 11 books as intertestamental books.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

True or False? The gospels were written between 30 and 50 CE.

Answer 15

False (They were written between 65 and 100 CE)

Question 16

True or False? The Peshitha Bible was written in Latin.

Answer 16

False, it was written in Syriac.

Question 17

The word ‘testament’ is derived from the Hebrew word ______.

Answer 17

Berit

Question 18

The Council of Jamnia in 90 CE determined the contents of the ______.

Answer 18

Old testament

Question 19

The _________ or Writings or Hagiographa is the third section of the Hebrew Bible.

Answer 19

Ketuvim

Question 20

The ______ are the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible.

Answer 20

Dead Sea Scrolls

Question 21

The translation of the Old Testament into Syriac was done in the district of Adiabene and in _________.

Answer 21

Edessa

Question 22

The Protestant and Reformed churches rejected the _________ writings from the biblical canon.

Answer 22

Intertestamental

Question 22

The Pauline letters were written and preserved by ______ and his disciples.

Answer 22

St. Paul

Question 23

It is believed that the oldest written passages of the Hebrew Bible are the Song of _________ in Judges 5 and the Samson story of Judges 16 and 1 Samuel, composed in the early Iron Age.

Answer 23

Deborah

Question 24

What does the Greek word ‘Kanon’ mean?

Answer 24

Measuring rod / a cane / a norm/ a law / a straight rod

Question 24

The Masoretes is a version of the ______ .

Answer 24

Tanak/Hebrew Bible

Question 25

What is the Greek word from which the term Bible originated?

Answer 25

Bible

Question 26

What is the meaning of the term ‘Biblia’?

Answer 26

Book

Question 27

Name the Council at which the Old Testament contents were determined?

Answer 27

Council of Jamnia

Question 28

In which year did the Qumran Scrolls were discovered?

Answer 28

1947

Question 29

What is the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible of any length?

Answer 29

Qumran Scrolls/Dead Sea Scrolls

Question 30

Give the Hebrew word from which the term ‘testament is derived from?

Answer 30

Berit

Question 31

Who does embody the new Exodus and new Covenant?

Answer 31

Jesus Christ

Question 32

Which were the earliest written materials of the New Testament?

Answer 32

Pauline Letters

Question 33

What are the other names for Intertestamental writings?

Answer 33

Apocryphal literature and Deutero-canonical books

Question 34

Which are the originally written languages of the Bible?

Answer 34

Hebrew, Aramiac, Greek

Question 34

What do you mean by Septuagint?

Answer 34

Greek Bible

Question 35

Name the metropolitan of our Church who discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Answer 35

Metropolitan Mor Athanasius Yeshu Samuel

Question 36

Name the category of books added to the canon in 90 CE.

Answer 36

Ketuvim / Wisdom Literature

Question 37

Which version of the Bible is written in Latin?

Answer 37

Vulgate

Question 38

What is the Hebrew Bible called?

Answer 38

Tanakh

Question 39

What language is the Peshitha Bible written in?

Answer 39

Syriac

Question 40

Answer in 1-2 Sentences:
What is the significance of the term ‘canon’ in relation to the Bible?

Answer 40

The term ‘canon’ refers to the books of the Bible that are accepted as authoritative, containing divine revelation and inspiration. It serves as the norm for Christian faith and practice.

Question 41

Answer in 1-2 Sentences:
How does the Dead Sea Scrolls contribute to our understanding of the Bible?

Answer 41

The Dead Sea Scrolls are the oldest surviving copies of the Hebrew Bible, helping scholars verify the accuracy of later texts.

Question 42

Answer in 1-2 Sentences:
What is the Peshitha Bible?

Answer 42

The Peshitha Bible is the Syriac translation of the Hebrew Bible that dates back to the early centuries of the Christian era.

Question 43

Answer in 1-2 Sentences:
What was the role of St. Paul’s letters in the formation of the New Testament?

Answer 43

St. Paul’s letters were among the earliest written materials in the New Testament and were widely accepted as authentic instructions and explanation on Christian faith and Church.

Question 44

Write an essay:
Explain the process of canonisation of the Old Testament.

Answer 44

The thirty-nine books in the Old Testament are the final products of a lengthy process. The oldest part, the Pentateuch/Torah, the first five books, though ascribed to Moses, took many centuries after Moses to acquire its present form in the fifth-fourth century BCE. To this nucleus, prophetic books called Nevi’im were added as a separate entity, probably in the third century BCE, except the book of Daniel which came into existence only in around 165 BCE. Even though the historical narration dates back to the thirteenth century, the historical books ranging from Joshua were written and included in the canon around the beginning of the first century BCE. Even so the wisdom literature emerged during the reign of King Solomon in the tenth century BCE, its compilation was done in the fifth century BCE, and added to the canon later only in 90 CE under a new category called Ketuvim. The definitive determination of the contents of the Old Testament, as a whole, came only by the end of the first century CE at the Council of Jamnia in 90 CE, when the Jewish community was getting organised after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 CE. The three collections of Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim were written in Hebrew and named ‘Tanakh’ (TNK).

Question 45

Answer in a paragraph:
What factors contributed to the creation of written New Testament scriptures?

Answer 45

Several factors led to the creation of the New Testament, including the spread of Christianity to new regions, the death of eyewitnesses to Christ’s life, the delay in His Second Coming, and the need for written texts to maintain uniformity in teaching and worship. The first written materials were Pauline letters, followed by the gospels and other books, which were eventually canonised by Church leaders.

Question 46

Answer in a paragraph:
Describe the discovery and historical significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Answer 46

The Dead Sea Scrolls or the Qumran Scrolls, discovered in the caves of Qumran at Jerusalem in 1947 by Bedouin shepherds and Metropolitan Mor Athanasius Yeshu Samuel of Jerusalem Diocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church, are copies that can be dated to approximately between 250 BCE and 100 BCE. They are the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Bible of any length that are not fragments.

Question 46

Answer in a paragraph:
What are Intertestamental Writings? What are the different approaches by various denominations in the canonisation of the Intertestamental literature?

Answer 46

The period between the formation of the two Testaments is referred to as the intertestamental period (150 – 50 EC), so the writings in this period are known as intertestamental literature. Also known as Apocryphal literature or Deutero-canonical books, the intertestamental writings were given different approaches by various churches in their canonisation. The Orthodox churches accepted 11 books and the Catholic Church included 12 books, whereas the Protestant and Reformed churches rejected all of them to be included in the biblical canon.

Question 47

Write an essay:
Explain the process of canonisation of the Old Testament.

Answer 47

The thirty-nine books in the Old Testament are the final products of a lengthy process. The oldest part, the Pentateuch/Torah, the first five books, though ascribed to Moses, took many centuries after Moses to acquire its present form in the fifth-fourth century BCE. To this nucleus, prophetic books called Nevi’im were added as a separate entity, probably in the third century BCE, except the book of Daniel which came into existence only in around 165 BCE. Even though the historical narration dates back to the thirteenth century, the historical books ranging from Joshua were written and included in the canon around the beginning of the first century BCE. Even so the wisdom literature emerged during the reign of King Solomon in the tenth century BCE, its compilation was done in the fifth century BCE, and added to the canon later only in 90 CE under a new category called Ketuvim. The definitive determination of the contents of the Old Testament, as a whole, came only by the end of the first century CE at the Council of Jamnia in 90 CE, when the Jewish community was getting organised after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 CE. The three collections of Torah, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim were written in Hebrew and named ‘Tanakh’ (TNK).

Question 48

Write an Essay:
Analyse the formation of the New Testament, focusing on the criteria used for selecting canonical texts.

Answer 48

The formation of the New Testament involved several criteria to determine which books were authoritative. Apostolic origin was crucial, meaning texts had to be linked to the apostles or their close associates. Ecclesiastical acceptance ensured that the writings were already in use across various Christian communities. Conformity with the rule of faith ensured that the content aligned with accepted Christian teachings, and texts used in liturgy held particular significance. Over time, these criteria guided Church leaders in selecting the 27 books that comprise the New Testament today.