WHEN WAS THE BIBLE ASSEMBLED?

The first widespread edition of the Bible was assembled by St.Jerome around A.D. 400. This manuscript included all 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament in the same language: Latin. This edition of the Bible is commonly referred to as The Vulgate. Jerome wasn't the first to select all 66 books we know today as the Bible. He was the first to translate and compile everything into a single volume. The first step in assembling the Bible involves the 39 books of the Old Testament, also referred to as the Hebrew Bible. Beginning with Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Bible, these books were written over the centuries by prophets and leaders. By the time of Jesus and his disciples, the Hebrew Bible had already been established as 39 books. This was what Jesus meant when he referred to "the Scriptures." After the early church was established, people such as Matthew started writing historical records of Jesus' life and ministry, which b...