Did Constantine Change the Hebrew Scriptures?
An interactive investigation into the Council of Nicaea, the “Fifty Bibles,” and the formation of the Old Testament canon.
The Verdict: Evidence Summary
No. Constantine the Great did not change the text of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament).
Historical evidence shows that the Christian Church had been using the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) for nearly 300 years before Constantine was born. The canon was largely established by tradition and usage, not imperial decree.
However, Constantine did have a massive impact on the format and distribution of the Bible. He commissioned 50 professional copies, which helped standardize the “Codex” (book) format over scrolls and likely solidified the text type used in the Eastern Church.
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD)
Addressed Arianism (nature of Jesus) and the date of Easter. It did NOT vote on the books of the Bible.
Chronology of the Scriptures
Explore when the scriptures were actually written compared to when Constantine lived. Click events for details.
Busting the “Da Vinci” Myths
Click the cards to reveal the historical reality.
Myth:
“Constantine decided which books belong in the Bible at the Council of Nicaea.”
(Click to Reveal Truth)
Reality:
There is no historical record of the canon being discussed at Nicaea. The Council focused on the Arian controversy (divinity of Christ). The canon was established by usage over centuries.
Myth:
“Constantine ordered the destruction of the ‘original’ Hebrew Gospels.”
Reality:
Constantine ordered the burning of books by Arius (a heretic) and Porphyry (an anti-Christian philosopher), not the Hebrew Scriptures. The Church actually preserved the Hebrew scriptures as part of their canon.
Myth:
“Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday to replace Jewish Law.”
Reality:
Christians had been worshipping on Sunday (The Lord’s Day) since the 1st Century (Acts 20:7). Constantine merely made it a civil holiday in 321 AD. He did not invent the practice.
The “Fifty Bibles” Commission
Around 331 AD, Constantine wrote to Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea:
“I have thought it matches our purpose to order fifty copies of the sacred Scriptures… to be written on prepared parchment in a legible manner…”
This was a logistical move, not an editorial one. The persecution under Emperor Diocletian (just years prior) had destroyed many church libraries. Constantine was restocking the shelves of the new churches in Constantinople.
Standardization: Producing 50 identical high-quality copies likely helped standardize the text across the empire.
Format Shift: These were likely Codices (books), helping seal the transition away from scrolls.
Pre- vs Post-Constantine Scripture
Impact of Imperial Sponsorship on Format & Availability
The “Old Testament” Canon
Did Constantine add books? Actually, the Early Church utilized the Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures completed around 132 BC—over 400 years before Constantine.
Books in the Canon Comparison
*The “Deuterocanon” (or Apocrypha) was included in the Septuagint and used by the early church. Constantine didn’t “sneak them in”; they were already there.
The Septuagint Connection
The writers of the New Testament quoted the Septuagint (Greek OT) most of the time. Because this version contained books like Maccabees and Tobit, the early Christians accepted them. Constantine simply inherited this tradition.
Anti-Jewish Legislation
While Constantine didn’t change the text, he did change the attitude. He passed laws forbidding Jews from owning Christian slaves and forbade conversion to Judaism. His rhetoric solidified the “separation” of the two faiths, but he did not alter the Hebrew text itself.