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The Bible is believed by Christians to be the perfect word of God. Jews & Muslims believe portions of the Bible are from God while others are interpolations/insertions/additions. In 2015 I chose to research the history for myself and compile a document to preserve my research. Enjoy:

Research notes in no particular order on the subject of “History of the Bible” by @Toon

Do any original manuscripts of the Greek or Hebrew scriptures exist?:

• "…no original Bible manuscript of the Hebrew and Aramaic Scriptures or of the Christian Greek Scriptures has survived to our day." (1)

Were any manuscripts copied perfectly? Are any manuscripts identical?:

• “Not all copies of ancient Bible manuscripts contain identical wording.” (1)

• “There are 24,000 manuscripts of the New Testament, 5,000 of which were written in the original Greek language. Of these thousands of manuscripts, no two manuscripts are identical. These differences lead to hundreds of thousands of variations.” (11)

Has it yet been proven what the original text contained?:

• “Not all copies of ancient Bible manuscripts contain identical wording. How, then, can we know what the original text contained? The situation could be likened to that of a teacher who asks 100 students to copy a chapter of a book. Even if the original chapter was later lost, a comparison of the 100 copies would still reveal the original text.” (1)

-----o The above method is given as a solution to know what the original text contained, but constant revisions to the Bible prove that we have yet to reveal the original text.

• No one can say 100% what the original text contained since they do not exist and no two manuscripts are identical.

What errors were found in the copies?:

• Despite the claim that only grammatical differences were found (and continue to be found) in copies of the Bible, it has been proven that entire verses have been injected into the Bible.

• “…some verses of the Christian Greek Scriptures found in older translations, such as the King James Version, were actually additions made by later copyists and were never part of the inspired Scriptures… The verses are Matthew 17:21; 18:11; 23:14; Mark 7:16; 9:44, 46; 11:26; 15:28; Luke 17:36; 23:17; John 5:4; Acts 8:37; 15:34; 24:7; 28:29; and Romans 16:24. In this revised (NWT) edition, those omitted verses are indicated by a footnote at the location of the omission.” (1)

• “Regarding the long conclusion for Mark 16 (verses 9-20), the short conclusion for Mark 16, and the wording found at John 7:53–8:11, it is evident that none of these verses were included in the original manuscripts.” (1)

Changes to the NWT:

• “Some other wording has been adjusted to incorporate what scholars generally accept as the most authentic reflection of the original writings.” (1)
-----o The above mentioned scholars include: Nestle, Kittel, Westcott, Hort, the UBS and Aland.
• The latest NWT revision incorporates findings based on the text from Nestle, Aland, the United Bible Societies and other Scholars.

• “…master texts such as those by Nestle and Aland and by the United Bible Societies reflect recent scholarly studies. Some of the findings of this research were incorporated into this present revision.” (1)

When was it discovered that modifications, additions, and subtractions were made to the Bible?:

• “More recently, several discoveries of ancient manuscripts such as the Dead Sea scrolls, and Codex Sinaiticus, have led to modern translations like the New International Version differing somewhat from the older ones such as the 17th century King James Version, removing verses not present in the earliest manuscripts (see List of omitted Bible verses), some of which are acknowledged as interpolations” (10)

• After the Dead Sea scrolls were found in 1947, it was discovered that certain scriptures were interpolates, insertions, additions.

• Over 1400 years ago it was stated in the Quran that the “Book” was corrupted by men who wrote things from their own hands and claimed it to be from God.

• “Can ye (o ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the Word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it… Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say:"This is from Allah," to traffic with it for miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby.” (Quran 2:75,79)

How many Bible translations exist?:

• A list of 130+ different bibles can be found at tyndalearchive.com/scriptures/ but I have been unable to find a total number of Bible versions created. However, it is evident that hundreds if not thousands of Bible versions have been created.

Which manuscript was the Hebew scriptures of the New World Translation translated from?:

• “The New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (1953-1960) was based on Biblia Hebraica, by Rudolf Kittel…updated editions of the Hebrew text, namely, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and Biblia Hebraica Quinta… were consulted when preparing the present revision of the New World Translation. (1)

Who is Rudolf Kittel?:

• Rudolf Kittel was a Protestant, an Old Testament scholar and believed in the doctrine of the Trinity. His two main influences were also Protestants who also believed in the Trinity.

• “He studied since 1871 Protestant theology at the Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen and was a member of the Royal Society Tübingen Roigel . Influences were two of his former teacher, theologian Johann Tobias Beck and the historian Karl Heinrich Weizsäcker” (3)

• “Rudolf Kittel (28 March 1853, Eningen, Württemberg - 20 October 1929, Leipzig) was a German Old Testament scholar.” (4)

Which manuscripts were the Greek scriptures of the NWT translated from?:

• “In the late 19th century, scholars B. F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort compared existing Bible manuscripts and fragments as they prepared the Greek master text that they felt most closely reflected the original writings. In the mid-20th century, the New World Bible Translation Committee used that master text as the basis for its translation. Other early papyri, thought to date back to the second and third centuries C.E., were also used… master texts such as those by Nestle and Aland and by the United Bible Societies reflect recent scholarly studies. Some of the findings of this research were incorporated into this present revision.” (1)

Who is Brooke Foss (B.F.) Westcott?:

• Brooke Foss Westcott was a 19th century Catholic bishop who believed in the doctrine of the Trinity.

• “Brooke Foss Westcott (12 January 1825 – 27 July 1901) was a British bishop, biblical scholar and theologian, serving as Bishop of Durham from 1890 until his death.” (2)

• Westcott wrote “It is of interest to notice that ‘love’ is connected by St Paul with each Person of the Holy Trinity,” (Westcott, The Epistles of St. John, p. 133).

• Westcott wrote “I should be inclined to say that the conception of God as Love complete and self-sufficing includes a Trinity. We cannot, as far as I see, think of love without (so to speak) subject, object, and uniting power” (Westcott, Life and Letters, Vol. II, p. 75).’

• Westcott wrote “It may be added that vv. 6—9 contain a testimony to the Holy Trinity in the several works of the Divine Persons: Christ ‘comes,’ the Spirit ‘witnesses,’ God (the Father) ‘hath witnessed concerning His Son,” (Westcott, The Epistles of St. John, p. 186).

• Westcott wrote a book titled ‘The Victory of the Cross: Sermons in Holy Week’ (2)

Who is Fenton John Anthony Hort (F.J.A) Hort?:

• F.J.A worked on the committee of the Revised Version of the Bible whose job was to remove/correct any errors in the King James Bible. His edition of the New Testament is used as the basis for many Bible translations today including the New World Translation.

• F.J.A Hort:
-----o Believed Greek Philosophy was NOT worthless
-----o Believed the common interpretation of the Biblical account of Adam & Eve was inaccurate
-----o Believed Darwin’s theory of evolution was “unanswerable” while believing the Bible was corrupt
-----o Believed the Bible lacked authority
-----o Sympathized with the pro-slavery South during the Civil War
-----o Cared more for Europe & America than all the “NIGGERS” in the world
-----o Believed “NIGGERS” were an immeasurably inferior race, nothing more than human whose virtues were that of a DOG.
-----o Hated slavery because of the influence it had on whites NOT because of the affect it had on “NIGGERS”
-----o Believed Jesus did NOT die for the sins of mankind

• “I am inclined to think that no such state as "Eden" (I mean the popular notion) ever existed, and that Adam's fall in no degree differed from the fall of each of his descendants, as Coleridge justly argues.”
(Hort, Arthur Fenton, Life and Letters of Fenton John Anthony Hort. (New York, 1896), Vol. 1, p.78)

• “You seem to make (Greek) philosophy worthless for those who have received the Christian revelation. To me, though in a hazy way, it seems full of precious truth of which I find nothing, and should be very much astonished and perplexed to find anything in revelation.”
(Hort, Arthur Fenton, Life and Letters of Fenton John Anthony Hort. (New York, 1896), Vol. 1, p.449)

• “The fact is, I do not see how God's justice can be satisfied without every man's suffering in his own person the full penalty for his sins.”
(Hort, Arthur Fenton, Life and Letters of Fenton John Anthony Hort. (New York, 1896), Vol. 1, p.120)

• “I do not for a moment forget what slavery is, or the frightful effects which Olmsted has shown it to be producing on white society in the South; but I hate it much more for its influence on the whites than on the niggers themselves. The refusal of education to them is abominable; how far they are capable of being ennobled by it is not clear. As yet everywhere (not in slavery only) they have surely shown themselves only as an immeasurably inferior race, just human and no more, their religion frothy and sensuous, their highest virtues, those of a good Newfoundland dog.” (Hort, Arthur Fenton, Life and Letters of Fenton John Anthony Hort. (New York, 1896), Vol. 1, p.459)

Who is Eberhard Nestle?:

• Eberhard Nestle is a German scholar who composed an edition of the New Testament by combining the Biblical text of 3 scholars. His method was to compare differing verses of the 3, and keeping whichever appeared in 2/3 of the scholars text. No theology/belief system was involved in his choosing of the verses.

• “Eberhard Nestle (May 1, 1851, Stuttgart – March 9, 1913, Stuttgart) was a German biblical scholar, textual critic, Orientalist, editor of Novum Testamentum Graece” (5)

• “Nestle created his first text (1898) by comparing Tischendorf 1869, Westcott and Hort 1881, and Weymouth 1892, and placing in his text whichever reading was followed by two of the three.” (6)

• “…he can hardly be said to have "edited" an edition. His work was entirely mechanical (comparing the editions of Westcott and Hort, Tischendorf, and a third, originally that of Weymouth, later that of Weiss); today, it could have been edited by a computer.” (7)

Who is Kurt Aland?:

• “Kurt Aland (28 March 1915 – 13 April 1994) was a German Theologian and Biblical Scholar who specialized in New Testament textual criticism. He founded the Institute for New Testament Textual Research in Münster and served as its first director for many years (1959–83). He was one of the principal editors of Nestle-Aland - Novum Testamentum Graece for the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft and The Greek New Testament for the United Bible Societies.” (8)
• THE SOURCES FOR THE DOCTRINCAL VIEWS OF KURT ALAND HAVE NOT YET BEEN VERIFIED SO THEY ARE NOT STATED HERE

Who is the United Bible Societies?:

• “United Bible Societies (UBS), is an association of Bible societies from five countries: The American Bible Society, The National Bible Society of Scotland, the Württemberg Bible Institute (now called the German Bible Society), the Netherlands Bible Society, and the British and Foreign Bible Society. The association was created in 1955.” (12)

• The United Bible Societies published their first edition of the Greek New Testament in 1966. This first edition was based on the Novum Testamentum Graece by Eberhard Nestle, which was based on the editions of Westcott, Hort, and other scholars’ New Testament editions.

• The 4th Edition of the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament is virtually identical to the 27th Edition of the Nestle-Aland version.

• “The title Novum Testamentum Graece can also be applied to the United Bible Societies (UBS) edition which contains the same base text” (9)

• “The Greek text of the 28th edition (of the Novum Testamentum Graece) is the same as that of the 5th edition of the United Bible Societies The Greek New Testament” (9)

• “The great manuscript discoveries of the 20th century had also made a revision of the text necessary and, with Nestle's permission, Aland set out to revise the text of Novum Testamentum Graece. Aland submitted his work on NA to the editorial committee of the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (of which he was also a member) and it became the basic text of their third edition (UBS3) in 1975, four years before it was published as the 26th edition of Nestle-Aland.” (9)

Sources:

1. WatchTower, How the Bible Came to Us, http://www.jw.org/finder?locale=en&docid=1001061203&prefer=lang
2. Wikipedia, Brooke Westcott, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooke_Westcott
3. German Wikipedia, Rudolf Kittel, http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Kittel
4. Wikipedia, Rudolf Kittel, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Kittel
5. Wikipedia, Eberhard Nestle, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberhard_Nestle
6. Michael D. Marlowe, Bibliography > N, http://www.bible-researcher.com/bib-n.html
7. Rich Elliot, Biographies of Textual Critics, http://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/Bios.html
8. Wikipedia, Kurt Aland, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Aland
9. Wikipedia, Novum Testamentum Graece , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novum_Testamentum_Graece
10. Wikipedia, Criticism of the Bible, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Bible
11. Daniel Bowman, Is Today’s Bible the Real Bible?, http://irr.org/todays-bible-real-bible
12. Michael D. Marlowe, Bibliography > A, http://www.bible-researcher.com/bib-a.html
13. All photos courtesy of wikipedia.org