What's in a Version?. Henry E Neufeld
as the methodologies of Biblical criticism. They are often called “higher criticism.”
| AD – Anno domini, or “the year of our Lord.” In interfaith contexts CE, for common era is commonly used. This refers to the years after the birth of Jesus, though that date is not precisely know. BC – before Christ. Now generally replace by BCE in interfaith contexts. BCE – before the common era, used in interfaith contexts. Same as BC. CE – common era, also AD. I use CE and BCE in this book. |
Once a book of the Bible attained its final form, it was copied by hand. In modern times we use those copies to try to determine as best as we can what the precise original text of a passage actually was.
It was very difficult work to produce copies of the Biblical text. Sometimes a copyist would simply copy a manuscript by hand, reading one and writing the other. Sometimes one person would read a manuscript slowly, while a number of others wrote down what he read.
In addition, there were early translations. When the Jews returned from exile in Babylon, late in the sixth century BCE, most of them no longer spoke Hebrew. Aramaic was the lingua franca of the eastern world. Over time, translations were made of the Biblical books into Aramaic. Later, starting in the fourth century BCE, translations were made into Greek, then into Latin. In each case, once a translation was made, it was copied by hand, and again we have the manuscripts.
In modern times there have been numerous translations. Our problem has changed from one of having difficulty getting a copy of the Bible to choosing the right one of very many translations. Modern printing methods ensure that most Bibles will be accurate reflections of their originals.
Key Dates in the History of the English Bible
| Bible | Approximate Date |
| Wycliffe | Late 14th Century |
| Tyndale | 1525 |
| Erasmus and the Greek New Testament | 1516 |
| Coverdale | 1537 |
| Great Bible | 1537 |
| Geneva Bible | 1550 |
| Bishop’s Bible | 1568 |
| King James Version | 1611 |
| Westcott and Hort Text | 1881 |
| English Revised Version | 1885 |
| American Standard Version | 1901 |
| Revised Standard Version | 1952 (Whole Bible) |
| New American Standard Bible | 1975 |
| New International Version | 1973 (NT), 1978 (Whole Bible) |
For more information on the history of English Bible translations see:
Bruce, F. F. History of the English Bible
The Cambridge History of the English Bible
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