The Strand Study Bible

LUKE

LUKE

1624

historians have often been much readier to trust the New Testament records than have many theologians. 10 In light of these facts many intellectuals (including, sadly, theological intellectuals) will still accept the ill-preserved literary works of all antiquity 11 as being accurate over the best-preserved work in the world –The Bible. Note the ill-preserved literary works of antiquity: 1. Homer’s Iliad (c. 750 BC) Homer’s Iliad , the most renowned book of ancient Greece, is the second best-preserved literary work of all antiquity. Homer, author of both the Iliad and the Odyssey , lived c. 850 BC. Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Homer’s Iliad only 634 copies remain, with the earliest one dating to 2,000 years after the original autograph (c. AD 1200). NOTE – Alexander the Great took a copy of Homer’s Iliad into every battle he waged. 2. Herodotus’ History (c. 480-425 BC) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Herodotus’ History only 8 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 1,300 years after the original autograph (c. AD 900). 3. Thucydides’ History (460-400 BC) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Thucydides’ History only 8 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 1,300 years after the original autograph (c. AD 900). 4. Plato’s Tetralogies (c. 380 BC) Of the 27 writings pertaining to Plato, his work called The Republic was his most famous. However, of the many writings attributed to Plato only 7 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 1,300 years after the original autograph (c. AD 900). 5. Aristotle (c. 384-322 BC) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Aristotle only 5 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 1,400 years after the original autograph (AD 1100). 6. Demosthenes (c. 383-322 BC) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Demosthenes only 200 copies remain (and all from one copy), with that one dating 1,300 years after the original autograph (c. AD 1100). 7. Caesar’s Gallic War (c. 50 BC) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Caesar’s Gallic War only 10 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 1,000 years after the original autograph (c. AD 900). 8. Livy’s Roman History (c. 59 BC – AD 17) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Livy’s Roman History only 20-35 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 400 years Of the 14 manuscripts of Tacitus’ Histories that were said to be in existence only 4 copies remain; of the 16 manuscripts of Tacitus’ Annals that were said to be in existence only 10 copies, with the earliest one dating 800 - 1,000 years after the original autograph (c. AD 900-1100). 10. Pliny the Younger’s History (c. AD 112) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Pliny the Younger’s History only 7 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 750 years after the original autograph (c. AD 850). 11. Suetonius’s De Vita Caesarum (AD 75-160) Of the many manuscripts pertaining to Suetonius’s De Vita Caesarum only 8 copies remain, with the earliest one dating 800 years after the original autograph (c. AD 950). 12. Shakespeare (AD 1600) There are no surviving manuscripts of any of William Shakespeare’s 37 plays. None! Not only that, but in every one of his 37 plays there are probably a 100 readings still in dispute, a large number of which materially affect the meaning of the passages in which they occur. Again, there is no contest between a “handful” (the literary works of antiquity) and “thousands” (the New Testament Scriptures). NOTE – I don’t know of a better article concerning the existence of Jesus than Bart D. Ehrman’s blog Did Jesus Exist? 12 Despite the fact that Bart is a confirmed agnostic historian (Bart has a problem with the “harmony” of the four Gospels), still, his consensus concerning the historical figure of the person Jesus is masterfully written and worth the read. 1 Varner, William. Jacob’s Dozen, Bellmawr , NJ, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, 1987. Print. 2 Cureton, Spicilegium Syriacum , London, 1855 [translated by Pratten in the “Ante-Nicene Library,” Edinb. Vol. xxiv. (1872), 104-114 3 Whiston, William. The Works of Josephus . Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Pub. 1987. Print. 4 Tacitus (c. AD 55- 117). Annals 5 Pliny the Younger. Letters (Vol 10) 6 The Talmud 7 The Works of Lucian of Samosata , Oxford, The Clarendon Press. 1905. Print. 8 Geisler, Norman. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics “New Testament Manuscripts” , Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Book House. 1999. Print 9 Scrivener, F.H.A. Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament , Cambridge, England, Deighton, Bell & Co. 1833. Print. 10 Bruce, F.F. The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? , Downer’s Grove, ILL, InterVarsity. 1960. Print. 11 Moreland, J.P. Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity , Grand Rapids, MI, Baker Book House. 1987. Print. 12 Ehrman, Bart D. Did Jesus Exist? (Internet article) after the original autograph. 9. Tacitus’ Annals (c. AD 100)