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==Post Biblical Jewish Development and Literature==

==Post Biblical Jewish Development and Literature==

Yet while the Jewish [[canon]] of Scripture was being developed (to finally be defined at the Jamnia (Yavneh) on the Mediterraenean coast of Israel at 90A.D.), the Jewish literature called now the Intertestamental or Apocryphal made its appearance. Jews now also lived in great numbers outside of the Land of Israel, particularly in Mesopotamia (the Land between the Rivers of the Euphrates and the Tigris), and in Alexandria, Egypt.  Mesopotamian Jewry, with its large core from the exile to Babylon continually added to, was mainly Aramaic speaking while Egyptian Jewry was Greek speaking. Aramaic Jewry  began the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into [[Aramaic]], this came to be known as the [[Peshitta]]  ("simple" or common). This development was accelerated particularly when the queen of [[Adiabene]], Helena (Shlomzion HaMalka, converted with others to Judaism. The Old Testament Peshitta (there is also the New Testament Peshitta as  believers in Jesus translated the Greek New Testament into Aramaic) contains influence from the Jewish literature known as the [[Targum]]. Queen Helena was buried in Jerusalem around 70 A.D. The Aexandrian Jews also translated, even earlier, the Hebrew Scriptures into their language, Greek. This is known as the Septuagint (translated by 70 or 72 Jewish scholars). The Septuaginta was widely used by Greek speaking Jews and was naturally turned to by the Greek speaking believers in Jesus. As these believers in Jesus turned to various passages in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, the Septuagint gradually dropped out of general Jewish usage, and instead three translations, came into use, translations which were considered more literal - those of Symmachus, Aquilas, and Theodotios, all converts to Judaism. Around the same time of this process, the Rabbinical School at Jamnia (Yavneh) under Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai,  decided that what was canonical for Judaism was only those books which had already been accepted as Scripture and were found in the Hebrew language. This eliminated most of the Apocrypha (but the book of Ecclesiasticus - "Ben Sirach" - has now been found in Hebrew and considered cnonical by the Dead Sea community of Jews) as well as elevating the ''Hebrew'' Scriptures over just the Scriptures of Israel no matter in which language. Not only did the Septuagint drop out of Jewish usage, but so did the other Greek translations.  

Yet while the Jewish [[canon]] of Scripture was being developed (to finally be defined at the Jamnia (Yavneh) on the Mediterraenean coast of Israel at 90A.D.), the Jewish literature called now the Intertestamental or Apocryphal made its appearance. Jews now also lived in great numbers outside of the Land of Israel, particularly in Mesopotamia (the Land between the Rivers of the Euphrates and the Tigris), and in Alexandria, Egypt.  Mesopotamian Jewry, with its large core from the exile to Babylon continually added to, was mainly Aramaic speaking while Egyptian Jewry was Greek speaking. Aramaic Jewry  began the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into [[Aramaic]], this came to be known as the [[Peshitta]]  ("simple" or common). This development was accelerated particularly when the queen of [[Adiabene]], Helena (Shlomzion HaMalka, converted with others to Judaism. The Old Testament Peshitta (there is also the New Testament Peshitta as  believers in Jesus translated the Greek New Testament into Aramaic) contains influence from the Jewish literature known as the [[Targum]]. Queen Helena was buried in Jerusalem around 70 A.D. The Aexandrian Jews also translated, even earlier, the Hebrew Scriptures into their language, Greek. This is known as the Septuagint (translated by 70 or 72 Jewish scholars). The Septuaginta was widely used by Greek speaking Jews and was naturally turned to by the Greek speaking believers in Jesus. As these believers in Jesus turned to various passages in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, the Septuagint gradually dropped out of general Jewish usage, and instead three translations, came into use, translations which were considered more literal - those of Symmachus, Aquilas, and Theodotios, all converts to Judaism. Around the same time of this process, the Rabbinical School at Jamnia (Yavneh) under Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai,  decided that what was canonical for Judaism was only those books which had already been accepted as Scripture and were found in the Hebrew language. This eliminated most of the Apocrypha (but the book of Ecclesiasticus - "Ben Sirach" - has now been found in Hebrew and considered canonical by the Dead Sea community of Jews) as well as elevating the ''Hebrew'' Scriptures over just the Scriptures of Israel no matter in which language. Not only did the Septuagint drop out of Jewish usage, but so did the other Greek translations.  

===="Jamnia" and Protestantism====

===="Jamnia" and Protestantism====

Though the connection of Jamnia and Protestantism is little known it is a real one and one that exerted much influence on the developing Protestant Church and its outlook. The Hebrew canon of Scripture with its emphasis on Hebrew language originals sactioned at Jamnia which would exclude the Jewish but Greek language books we now know as Intertestamental or Apocryphal would be the basis of a continuing textual study and ammendation according to the passing on of readings and comments by succeeding Jewish authorities, scholars, and rabbis. This work would be carried on through the fifth century, the time of the Masoretes - the "tradition (of Scripture) bearers. The receiving and handing on of how scripture was to be read, and what it meant.  

Though the connection of Jamnia and Protestantism is little known, it is a real one and one that exerted much influence on the developing Protestant Church and its outlook. The Hebrew canon of Scripture with its emphasis on Hebrew language originals sactioned at Jamnia, which would exclude the Jewish but Greek language books, we now know as Intertestamental or Apocryphal, would be the basis of a continuing textual study and ammendation according to the passing on of readings and comments by succeeding Jewish authorities, scholars, and rabbis. This work would be carried on through the fifth century, the time of the Masoretes - the "tradition (of Scripture) bearers". The receiving and handing on of how Scripture texts were to be read and sung, and what they meant.  

When the Renaissance took hold in Europe, great interest was shown in the rediscovering both of the Greek classics, entailing the renewed study of Greek for this purpose, and the study of Hebrew language. Here now was the possiblity for many scholars to study the Hebrew Scriptures directly in the original language instead of the necessity of working through the Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (vulgate) translations. But the Hebrew source resorted to by these scholars was the Masoretic text - following the School of Jamnia - without the Apocrypha. From then on, the heritage and perspective of the Protestant churches was that the Bible excluded the Apocrypha, though some of the churches would use the Apocrypha as "secondary" readings.  

When the Renaissance took hold in Europe, great interest was shown in the rediscovering both of the Greek classics, entailing the renewed study of Greek for this purpose, and the study of Hebrew language. Here now was the possiblity for many scholars, and the emerging Protestant ones among them,  to study the Hebrew Scriptures directly in the original language instead of the necessity of working through the Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgate) translations. But the Hebrew source resorted to by these scholars was the Masoretic text - following the School of Jamnia - without the Apocrypha. From then on, the heritage and perspective of the Protestant Reformation churches was that the Bible excluded the Apocrypha, though some of the churches would use the Apocrypha as "secondary" readings.