Do Bibles survive from A.D. 400–1500, and did they leave out the deuterocanonical books?
The short answer
Yes, Bibles from that period survive in museums, and even a second-century Latin translation has survived in part. Until Martin Luther, the deuterocanonical books were never omitted or placed in a separate, non-canonical section.
Bibles from those centuries are preserved in museums today. Even a second-century Latin translation, based on the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) and the Greek New Testament, has survived. The Catholic Encyclopedia calls it the Vetus Itala (Old Latin) and notes that its New Testament survives complete in some thirty-eight manuscripts, while its Old Testament survives only in parts.
Before Martin Luther, the deuterocanonical books were never left out of the Bible or set apart in a non-canonical section. See the Catholic Encyclopedia article "Versions of the Bible."
Continue exploring
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