Why would you do that? (Part 4: Books Made Whole)
This one’s not too hard. Some of the longer books in the Bible were physically separated into shorter parts for the simple reason that they were too long to fit in the document form of their day (papyrus scrolls). Definitely one of those limits-of-technology things. Later translators then gave these individual scrolls names of their own, in effect making them separate books. The separation stuck, the names got handed down, and it became easier to think that these really were different books. (It’s interesting that the names weren’t always the same: some traditions speak of 1-4 Kings, not 1&2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings.)
But of course they’re not really different books. Samuel-Kings is a continuous narrative. Ezra and Nehemiah were joined together in much of Jewish tradition. Likewise, Chronicles was also unified. In fact, Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah is all a continuous narrative, as the overlapping text between Chronicles and Ezra makes clear. Luke-Acts is a single, two-volume work. Luke himself tells us what he’s up to in his introductions to each volume.
These books should be repaired. There’s no longer any reason for the artificial divisions to remain. Today’s current book form can fit the longer books, and our new form of the scroll (electronic text) can definitely accommodate them. (Although it’s interesting to see some expressions of electronic Scriptures atomizing the text even more than printed Bibles). So we’ve initiated a restoration project, allowing today’s readers to experience these texts as whole books.
By the way, higher critical speculations on how earlier parts of books may have existed separately and then put together later don’t really affect this issue. Many biblical books themselves acknowledge that they use material from other books that we don’t have today (“The Book of the Wars of Yahweh,” “The Book of Jashar,” etc.). This doesn’t change the fact that now this earlier material is incorporated into a different book. Even if, say, Ezra-Nehemiah was compiled at a different time than Chronicles, the text we have explicitly connects the ending of Chronicles with the beginning of Ezra. We are following the lead of the text itself, not randomly putting books together.
The exciting thing is that now readers can be more easily encouraged to ponder the message of these whole books. What does the entire Samuel-Kings story tell us, especially in light of the entire covenant history? What is the point of Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah’s sweep of history going all the way back to creation? How do Luke’s two volumes work together to present the drama of the birth of Christianity?
Restoring whole books. We like to think of it as a healing ministry for the Bible itself.
-Glenn
But of course they’re not really different books. Samuel-Kings is a continuous narrative. Ezra and Nehemiah were joined together in much of Jewish tradition. Likewise, Chronicles was also unified. In fact, Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah is all a continuous narrative, as the overlapping text between Chronicles and Ezra makes clear. Luke-Acts is a single, two-volume work. Luke himself tells us what he’s up to in his introductions to each volume.
These books should be repaired. There’s no longer any reason for the artificial divisions to remain. Today’s current book form can fit the longer books, and our new form of the scroll (electronic text) can definitely accommodate them. (Although it’s interesting to see some expressions of electronic Scriptures atomizing the text even more than printed Bibles). So we’ve initiated a restoration project, allowing today’s readers to experience these texts as whole books.
By the way, higher critical speculations on how earlier parts of books may have existed separately and then put together later don’t really affect this issue. Many biblical books themselves acknowledge that they use material from other books that we don’t have today (“The Book of the Wars of Yahweh,” “The Book of Jashar,” etc.). This doesn’t change the fact that now this earlier material is incorporated into a different book. Even if, say, Ezra-Nehemiah was compiled at a different time than Chronicles, the text we have explicitly connects the ending of Chronicles with the beginning of Ezra. We are following the lead of the text itself, not randomly putting books together.
The exciting thing is that now readers can be more easily encouraged to ponder the message of these whole books. What does the entire Samuel-Kings story tell us, especially in light of the entire covenant history? What is the point of Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah’s sweep of history going all the way back to creation? How do Luke’s two volumes work together to present the drama of the birth of Christianity?
Restoring whole books. We like to think of it as a healing ministry for the Bible itself.
-Glenn
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