asaris

I say this again (and this applies to both the Old and New Testaments):
1. The extant manuscripts we have are very, very old. I don't remember the exact dates anymore, but they are much closer to the original than the extant manuscripts of just about any other ancient text.

2. We used to only have more recent manuscripts. When we compare the older manuscripts with the more recent (Masoretic and Septuagint, for example), there are few differences, very few of which are actually differences in meaning, and almost none of which are important differences in meaning.

You have to realize, Tecoyah, that these people doing the transcribing were transcribing what they believed to be the word of God. (The Word of God is someone else entirely). So they were very, very careful. Furthermore, it requires a very cynical mind, which violates the most basic principle of interpretation, to think that they would have changed the words of God to suit their own purposes. Which is why there are so few differences between different manuscripts.

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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."

"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."

-- Friedrich Nietzsche