Lectures on the Origin and History of the Bible

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  Table of Contents

  Davis Baird

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible. Davis Baird has created two table of contents spanning all sixteen documents (fourteen lectures and two appendices). The primary document contains the full list of lectures as well as their sections. The supplementary file consists of the other table of contents, this one a shorter version which is just the list of lecture titles and appendices.

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  Lecture II: History of Early Bible Manuscripts

  Earl Clement Davis

  Lecture II, "History of Early Bible Manuscripts," discusses the various manuscript sources for the earliest versions of the Bible. Among other topics, this lecture discusses some of the controversial -- and excluded -- passages, and why they should or should not be included in the Bible.
  
  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.
  
  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture III: The Origin of the Books of the Old Testament, Part 1

  Earl Clement Davis

  Lecture III, "The Origin of the Books of the Old Testament, Part 1," discusses the scholarly efforts, known in 1916 as "higher criticism," that bring careful historical and linguistic analysis to the study of biblical texts. Davis illustrates that text clearly shows that the Old Testament cannot be simply the received word of God because of various problems, including the idea that Moses could describe his own death, double accounts of creation and of the flood.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.
  
  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture XV: Bibliography

  Earl Clement Davis and Davis Baird

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here. Lecture XV is a Bibliography covering the collection of lectures.

  Davis left a single sheet with seven books under the title, “A Few Books Worth Reading.” This is included here along with a compiled list of references used in the earlier lectures, nearly 60 of them. This latter list has been created by Earl's grandson Davis Baird.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture XVI: Appendix: Additional Materials

  Earl Clement Davis and Davis Baird

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  This Appendix assembles the six remaining manuscripts following Davis Baird's organization of his grandfather's Bible lectures. They are not part of the official lectures, but do add some information on the “origin and history of the Bible.”

  They include:
  (1) “Outline of Talk on Bible.”
  (2) List of people at the November 21, 1950 talk–item #1
  (3) “Second Evening. November 28, 1950.” Another outline
  (4) “Notes on Third Evening of Bible Study.” Another outline, likely for December 6, 1950
  (5) “Lesson 2: Peter Waldo.” Unfortunately, no other lessons available. No date. (6) “List of Gospels”

  Date refers to Date Given.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription.The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture IV: The Origin of the Books of the Old Testament, Part 2

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  In addition to the manuscript clearly labeled, “Lecture IV,” which start with “Questions,” several other manuscripts with have been included along with an edited version of “Lecture IV”, curated by David Baird.

  (1) “Questions,” which contains further questions and answers about textual criticism (2) “Question,” which contains yet another question about the historical origin of the manuscripts (3) “The Pentateuch as a Whole,” which concerns the Hebrew Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Old Testament (4) A diagram of the history of the various documents that came together to form the Pentateuch

  It is perhaps worth noting that several lectures begin with “questions,”. It can be surmised that these were questions raised by congregants in response to the previous week’s lecture.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing. Transcription by Davis Baird.
  
  Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture IX: the Bible of the Early Christians

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture IX, "The Bible of the Early Christians," covers the history of the emergence of Christianity during the first three hundred years after Jesus' life. Notably, in the first 200 years very few historical documents even mention Jesus. Christianity emerged as multiple different groups or "cults," with varying beliefs. Significant among these were the Gnostics, which Davis spends some time discussing. This ultimately prompted the need to establish boundaries, and that led to the arguments leading up to the establishment of the canonical text of the New Testament.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture V: Amos and the Prophets

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture V, "Amos and the Prophets," discusses the origins of several subsequent books of the Old Testament, specifically those of "the Prophets," including Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah. The lecture considers and dismisses the idea that the Old Testament foretold the coming of Jesus Christ.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing. Transcription by Davis Baird.

  Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture VI: Finding the Book of Instruction in the Temple

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture VI, "Finding the Book of Instruction in the Temple," concerns the discovery of "the book of instruction," in the Temple in Jerusalem during repairs in the year 621 B.C.E. The chapter covers the complicated geopolitical history of Israel and Judah during the years 722 B.C.E. through 444 B.C.E. when the Jews returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylonia. These events were crucial to establishing the Pentateuch as the Sacred Scripture of the Jews of Judah and Israel.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture VIII: The Historical Setting to the Early Origins of the Christian Bible

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture VIII, "The Historical Setting to the Early Origins of the Christian Bible," concerns the critical historical aspects to the period leading up to the birth of Jesus. Davis notes in particular the cultural cross-currents that were influencing the thought of times -- Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman influences were significant additions to the Jewish thought of the time. These influences -- and the varied responses to them -- created the various factions among the Jews, including the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Zealots.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture VII: When and Where did the Hebrew Bible Become a Canonical Text?

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture VII, "When and Where did the Hebrew Bible Become a Canonical Text?" Davis' answer to this question is that it was a matter of evolution over many centuries. He supports this by examining the sources of the various elements of the Old Testament, the "Law" or the Pentateuch, the Prophets, "Other writings," including Psalms, Chronicles, Job, Proverbs, among others. These various books were added over a period starting roughly 600 B.C.E and was closed and finished by 200 C.E.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture XII: Establishing the New Testament Canon

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture XII, "Establishing the New Testament Canon," concerns both the overall structure of the New Testament and how it was finalized as the New Testament canon. Davis notes that in previous lectures he has covered the Epistles and the Gospels. (This is why we can conclude that the missing lecture, Lecture X, concerns the Epistles.)

  He starts Lecture XII on The Book of Revelation and goes on to provide a detailed discussion of the Gospel of John. The last half of the lecture concerns the forces that drove the establishment of the New Testament canon from all of the various documents that could have been included. He credits Augustine with promoting what we now know as the New Testament canon; it was Pope Galasius in 496 who made the final declaration of the canon.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture XIII: the Bible as a Whole

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Unfortunately, only an outline is available for Lecture XIII.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture XI: The Words of Jesus

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture XI, "The Words of Jesus," provides a close study of the three synopitic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Davis' principle point is that each of these Gospels was written for a specific sociocultural purpose; none were written as history.

  Mark is the earliest, and both Matthew and Luke take from Mark. Mark's primary purpose is to support a Pauline doctrinal point of view. In Mark there is no supernatural birth and no resurrection. Matthew, on the other hand, although it takes from Mark, is aimed at demonstrating the Jesus is the Messiah as prophesized in the Old Testament. Luke, which also takes from Mark, writes from the point of view of a Gentile who has been a companion of Paul.

  Clipped to the manuscript for this lecture was a note, “This was the material used Tuesday Jan. 9, 1951".

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

  
  

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  Lecture XIV: The New Testament Story of the Resurrection

  Earl Clement Davis

  Among the manuscripts left by Earl C. Davis were a large collection concerning various aspects of the history of the Bible, which are collected here.

  Lecture XIV, "The New Testament Story of the Resurrection," debunks the idea of the resurrection of Jesus as historical fact with careful analysis of Biblical texts. Rather the resurrection was an important story or myth. The lecture closes considering the possible ancient sources for such a myth.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Transcription by Davis Baird. Item description based off writing and context provided by Davis Baird.

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  Lecture I: The English Bible

  Earl Clement Davis and Davis Baird

  A number of the manuscripts in this collection were organized into numbered lectures. Unfortunately, these did not include lectures 1 and 2. One manuscript, which curiously begins with “Results,” could be the basis for Lecture 1. It introduces the idea that “the Bible” is not a fully finished final document revealed as Scripture at birth, but rather is a text with a long history of creation, and, in particular with the English Bible, a long history tied to translation.

  This leads quite naturally to another manuscript, which starts with a question about the challenges of translation and moves from there into details about the challenges of “textual criticism.”. This could be lecture 2. And this lecture in turn leads into a manuscript identified as “lecture 3” that delves into detail on modern (c. 1900) textual criticism.

  To complicate matters, in addition to the manuscript that begins with “Results,” were several other separate manuscripts, all of which deal with various aspects to the history of the translation and birth of the English Bible. (1) “Septuagint” (2) “Historical Setting of the Translation,” which includes two pages of important dates (3) “John Wycliffe” (4) “Tyndale” (5) “Coverdale’s Bible” (6) “Important Dates” (7) “Outline of Points on the English Bible”

  These have been assembled by Davis Baird into a single narrative. This clearly is not the lecture Earl Davis wrote, but it does bring these various manuscripts together together in a sensible way.

  The primary downloadable document contains the original document followed by the transcription. The bottom of each item page also features the primary document as an embedded pdf for browsing.

  Curated and transcribed by Davis Baird. Item description slightly adapted from text written by Davis Baird.