The Origins of the New Testament: Myths, Legends, and Quotidian Copies
When we delve into the origins of the New Testament, we find a fascinating blend of ancient myths, legends, and the practical realities of early Christianity. Far from possessing an original copy of the New Testament, early Christians faced the challenges of copying and sharing texts over centuries. This article explores the mythological influences and the complex process by which the New Testament came into being.
Mythological Influences
The cultural and mythological legacies of earlier civilizations significantly shaped the biblical narratives that became part of the New Testament. For instance, the story of the Garden of Eden, the creation of Adam and Eve, and the tale of Noah and the Ark can be traced back to Sumerian mythology. According to these legends, the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, written over 1500 years before the Hebrews began their tales, featured a narrative of the first man, Adapa, who lost paradise due to a confrontation with gods.
The Bible itself acknowledges its literary and mythological debts to these earlier stories. Abraham, the patriarch of the Hebrews, was from the Sumerian city of Ur, bringing these myths with him when he journeyed to Palestine and formed the beginning of the Hebrew tribe. These tales and legends formed a rich tapestry that would later be woven into the Jewish Talmud and then into the Christian Bible.
The Formation of the New Testament
Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as an “original copy” of the New Testament. In fact, scholars do not recognize any manuscript as such an original. According to Dr. Bart D. Ehrman, a prominent New Testament scholar, 'If there is an original “New Testament” it is not recognized by scholars as such.' Instead, the New Testament emerged through a process of selective collection and transcription by early Christian communities.
The New Testament was not written with the intention of forming a single, unified text. It is a collection of 27 separate manuscripts, including letters and other documents from various authors. These documents were copied and shared among early Christians. Over time, a few hundred years after their original writing, the leaders of the Christian churches deemed these documents inspired and collected them into a single book. This compilation process is what resulted in the New Testament we know today.
The Uninterrupted Transmission of Texts
The process of copying and sharing texts meant that the manuscripts we possess today are all copies. The earliest copies we have date back to the second and third centuries CE, long after the original authors of the New Testament books wrote them. These manuscripts were passed down through generations, each one a copy of the previous.
The leaders of the Christian churches decided on the canon of the New Testament based on which texts they found useful and inspiring over a wide consensus over a long period of time. This process ensured the preservation of core Christian teachings but also led to the exclusion of some texts deemed less authoritative or relevant at the time.
Myths and Legends as Part of Christian Narrative
It is crucial to understand that the New Testament, like many ancient religious texts, is replete with mythological elements. Key figures and stories, such as Moses and the Exodus, were foundational narratives of the bronze age for the Jewish people. These narratives, rich in mythological and legendary details, form a significant part of the Christian narrative as it evolved over time.
The New Testament consists of accounts that, in many ways, resemble Greek god myths. The stories of the creation of Adam and Eve, as well as the accounts of Noah and the flood, echo earlier Sumerian and Babylonian myths. This mythological foundation shapes the way the stories are retold and understood within the Christian tradition.
The lack of firsthand accounts or witnesses of Jesus or his miracles further emphasizes the oral and literary traditions that shaped early Christian narratives. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the canonical Gospels, were not written by Jesus’ disciples but by individuals who compiled and shared these stories over time.
Understanding the origins of the New Testament involves recognizing the interplay of myth, legend, and practical religious practice. The texts did not emerge fully formed but evolved through a process of copying, sharing, and selection based on their perceived spiritual and communal value.