Bible Canon

THE BIBLE CANON : M. M. NINAN
Christian biblical canons
Early Church
Earliest Christian communities
The Apostles did not leave a defined set of new scriptures; instead, the New Testament
developed over time. Early Church used the Old Testament according to the canon of the
Septuagint (LXX). However by the end of first millenium all the books in our present bible
were written. There was no attempt to make a rule and measure these literature as it was
not necessary. These evaluation became necessary as heretical writings began to develop.
Earliest Christian canon of the Old Testament
The Bryennios List
Perhaps the earliest Christian canon is the Bryennios List which was found by Philotheos
Bryennios in the Codex Hierosolymitanus (Jerusalem Codex) discovered in 1873. This
manuscript, usually designated H, was discovered in 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios, the
Metropolitan of Nicomedia, in the library of the Jerusalem Monastery of the Holy Sepulchre
at Constantinople. It was written by a scribe, Leo, in 1056. It includes a list of the 27
canonical book Old Testament, in Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew, similar to Epiphanius' canon.
The list is written in Koine Greek (with transcribed Aramaic and/or Hebrew). The 27-book
canon comprises:
"Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Jesus Nave, Deuteronomy, Numbers, Judges, Ruth, 4 of Kings
(Samuel and Kings), 2 of Chronicles, 2 of Esdras, Esther, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Songs, Job, Minor prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel".
"Jesus Nave" was an old name for the Book of Joshua. "2 of Esdras" could be 1 Esdras and
Ezra-Nehemiah as in the Septuagint or Ezra and Nehemiah as in the Vulgate.
Melito of Sardis (D. 170)
Melito is also an early Christian canon of the "Old Testament"
The Catholic Encyclopedia states that "Melito's canon consists exclusively of the
protocanonicals minus Esther".
Nehemiah and Lamentations are also not mentioned, but the former is thought to be part of
Ezra (being referred to as Esdras), and with Lamentations being part of Jeremiah.
Melito's canon does not include the Deuterocanonical books, except for the possible
inclusion of the Book of Wisdom, which is disputed.
Eusebius on Melito's canon EH4.26.13–14:
"Accordingly when I went East and came to the place where these things were preached and
done, I learned accurately the books of the Old Testament, and send them to thee as
written below. Their names are as follows: Of Moses, five books: Genesis, Exodus,
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