<P> The original autographs, that is, the original Greek writings and manuscripts written by the original authors of the New Testament, have not survived . But historically copies exist of those original autographs, transmitted and preserved in a number of manuscript traditions . There have been some minor variations, additions or omissions, in some of the texts . When ancient scribes copied earlier books, they sometimes wrote notes on the margins of the page (marginal glosses) to correct their text--especially if a scribe accidentally omitted a word or line--and to comment about the text . When later scribes were copying the copy, they were sometimes uncertain if a note was intended to be included as part of the text . </P> <P> The three main textual traditions of the Greek New Testament are sometimes called the Alexandrian text - type (generally minimalist), the Byzantine text - type (generally maximalist), and the Western text - type (occasionally wild). Together they comprise most of the ancient manuscripts . </P> <P> The Old Testament canon entered into Christian use in the Greek Septuagint translations and original books, and their differing lists of texts . In addition to the Septuagint, Christianity subsequently added various writings that would become the New Testament . Somewhat different lists of accepted works continued to develop in antiquity . In the 4th century a series of synods produced a list of texts equal to the 39, 46, 51, or 54 - book canon of the Old Testament and to the 27 - book canon of the New Testament that would be subsequently used to today, most notably the Synod of Hippo in 393 CE . Also c. 400, Jerome produced a definitive Latin edition of the Bible (see Vulgate), the canon of which, at the insistence of the Pope, was in accord with the earlier Synods . With the benefit of hindsight it can be said that this process effectively set the New Testament canon, although there are examples of other canonical lists in use after this time . </P> <P> The Protestant Old Testament of today has a 39 - book canon--the number of books (though not the content) varies from the Jewish Tanakh only because of a different method of division--while the Roman Catholic Church recognizes 46 books (51 books with some books combined into 46 books) as the canonical Old Testament . The Eastern Orthodox Churches recognize 3 Maccabees, 1 Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh and Psalm 151 in addition to the Catholic canon . Some include 2 Esdras . The Anglican Church also recognizes a longer canon . The term "Hebrew Scriptures" is often used as being synonymous with the Protestant Old Testament, since the surviving scriptures in Hebrew include only those books, while Catholics and Orthodox include additional texts that have not survived in Hebrew . Both Catholics and Protestants (as well as Greek Orthodox) have the same 27 - book New Testament Canon . </P>

When were the old and new testaments combined into the bible