CANON

Q: What Bible do they use most in Israel? M.W.

A: I am assuming that by "they" you are referring to Jewish Believers. The

original Masoratic Hebrew text is the Old Testament standard. (The one used

for the King James translation.) The only book in doubt, in this Canon, is

the Song of Solomon.

New Testament translations are quite varied. People tend to use the one

written in their first language. The Russian Jews use the Russian Orthodox

Bible which unfortunately contains some Apocryphal and some Pseudepigraphal

books. Some Jewish Believers from Syria, Iraq and Turkey use the Syriac text

which does not have I, II, & III John, II Peter or Jude.  (The Syriac

Christian Church considers these books to be Apocryphal!) The Ethiopian Jews

have the Coptic Bible, some of which contain gnostic books. French Jews tend

to use the Jerusalem Bible (The N.T. translated: from Greek to Latin to

French). We are dealing with many Bibles in the land of Israel.

The Roman Catholics have their Canon (Books in their Bible); the Greek

Orthodox and Russian Orthodox have their Canon; the Syriac Church has their

Canon; the Coptic Church has their Canon; the Armenian Church has their

Canon; and of course the Protestant Church has their Canon.

Each Church  believes that their Bible is the true and Holy Bible, the

sacred Canon.  Each Church wonders how any Christian could doubt the

authenticity of their choice of Books in the Canon. Each Church feels that

the superiority of their Canon is obvious. Each Church is convinced that they

have the real Word of GOD and that the others are laboring under a demonic

illusion. Each Church has theological arguments that prove their Canon to be

right beyond a reasonable doubt. Is it any wonder that new Jewish Believers

get confused about which Bible is right and to be trusted?