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Encyclopedia of Religion entry forAlexandrian CanonThe Bible of Greek-speaking Jews, the Septuagint (q.v.), includes, in addition to our canonical books of the Old Testament, the books commonly known to us as the Apocrypha. It has been customary therefore to speak of an Alexandrian Canon in distinction from the Palestinian Canon. This, as C. H. Cornill points out (Intr.), is hardly correct. " In strict correctness an Alexandrian ‘Canon ‘ should not be spoken of at all; for neither the number of the books admited nor their order is in agreement in the Greek Bible MSS. It is clear that the Greeks have allowed themselves to be guided simply by the principle of oikodoun (‘ edification ‘) : all writings of a religious character which they found edifying they read and held in high esteem. But such a proceeding would have been quite inconceivable if at the time of the birth of Christ there already existed in Palestine an official canon, and if the books had already at that time been separated into such as defile the hands [i.e., are canonical], and such as do not." See further CANON, OLD TESTAMENT. citations: Encyc. of Rel., Canney
article created 2006-04-12 , last updated 2006-04-12 |
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