Final answer:
During the New Testament period, the Old Testament existed in various copies, written on scrolls and later codices, and served as a foundation for Christian beliefs. The Vulgate was a significant translation of the Bible into Latin, and illuminated manuscripts provided visual context to the religious texts. Historical events affected the creation, compilation, and circulation of these religious documents.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the time of the New Testament, copies of the Old Testament were in circulation among early Christians, Jews, and converted pagans. As a crucial part of religious practice, Old and New Testament figures were commonly referenced to demonstrate the fulfillment of the Mosaic law by Christian teachings.
Scribes created copies of religious texts, which, before the invention of printing, were meticulously written onto scrolls made of papyrus or parchment, and later into bound manuscripts or codices. These copies served as essential tools for worship, instruction, and the propagation of Christian doctrines.
The translation and compilation of these texts varied across different regions and languages, as seen in the creation of the Latin Vulgate Bible by the monk Jerome, which became the main edition in Europe for many centuries. The manuscripts often featured illuminated illustrations that provided visual interpretations of the texts.
The establishment of the biblical canon during the Renaissance was a pivotal moment that defined the definitive version of the Bible used by the Western Church. Furthermore, the fall of the Roman Empire and subsequent events like the Crusades and the rise of the Ottoman Empire shaped the distribution and access to these religious texts over the centuries.