Biblical canon

====Fifty Bibles of Constantine====
{{main|Fifty Bibles of Constantine}}
In 331, [[Constantine I and Christianity|Constantine I]] commissioned [[Eusebius]] to deliver fifty Bibles for the [[Church of Constantinople]]. [[Athanasius]]<ref>''Apol. Const. 4''</ref> recorded [[Early centers of Christianity#Alexandria|Alexandrian]] scribes around 340 preparing Bibles for [[Constans]]. Little else is known, though there is plenty of speculation. For example, it is speculated that this may have provided motivation for canon lists, and that [[Codex Vaticanus]] and [[Codex Sinaiticus]] are examples of these Bibles. Those codices contain almost a full version of the [[Septuagint]]; Vaticanus lacks only 1–3 [[Books of the Maccabees|Maccabees]] and Sinaiticus lacks 2–3 Maccabees, [[1 Esdras]], [[Book of Baruch|Baruch]] and [[Letter of Jeremiah]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LUmGZ0NiweAC |title=Septuagint As Christian Scripture |author-first=Martin |author-last=Hengel |publisher=A&C Black |year=2004 |isbn=978-0567082879 |page=57}}</ref> Together with the [[Peshitta]] and [[Codex Alexandrinus]], these are the earliest extant Christian Bibles.<ref>''The Canon Debate'', pp. 414–415, for the entire paragraph</ref>

There is no evidence among the [[First Council of Nicaea#Biblical canon|canons of the First Council of Nicaea]] of any determination on the canon; however, [[Jerome]] (347–420), in his ''Prologue to Judith'', makes the claim that the [[Book of Judith]] was "found by the Nicene Council to have been counted among the number of the Sacred Scriptures".<ref>{{CathEncy|wstitle=Book of Judith}}: Canonicity: "..."the Synod of Nicaea is said to have accounted it as Sacred Scripture" (Praef. in Lib.). It is true that no such declaration is to be found in the Canons of Nicaea, and it is uncertain whether St. Jerome is referring to the use made of the book in the discussions of the council, or whether he was misled by some spurious canons attributed to that council"</ref>