The concept of a single, original Bible is complex, as the Bible wasn't created as a single text but rather a collection of books written over centuries. The oldest extant handwritten copies of the complete Bible are the Codex Vaticanus (c. 325-350) and the Codex Sinaiticus (c. 330-360). These are not originals, but the oldest surviving complete versions of the Bible. 

"Oldest" Bibles:

• Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus: These are the oldest complete, surviving codices (bound books) of the Bible. 
• Codex Vaticanus: Written in Greek, it's preserved in the Vatican Library. 
• Codex Sinaiticus: Also in Greek, it includes the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. It was discovered in the 19th century and is now partially available online at Codex Sinaiticus. 
• Other Early Texts: Individual books or fragments of the Bible, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, are older, but not complete Bibles. 

The difference in the number of books included in various Bibles stems from historical and theological reasons related to the formation of the biblical canon. Different Christian denominations have adopted different collections of books, influenced by factors like language, translation, and interpretations of scripture. 

1. Development of the Canon:

• The biblical canon refers to the collection of books considered to be divinely inspired and authoritative scripture. 
• The Old Testament canon was largely established in Jewish tradition, with the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) serving as the foundational text. 

2. The Old Testament:

• The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) contains 24 books, often grouped into three sections: the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. 
• The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament, includes additional books, known as the Deuterocanonical books or Apocrypha, that are not found in the Hebrew Bible. 

3. The New Testament:

• The New Testament canon is generally consistent across different Christian denominations, with 27 books included in most Bibles.
• While there might be minor variations in the order of books, the core collection of Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation is the same. 
   

4. Reasons for Differences:

• Translation: Different translations of the Bible, especially of the Old Testament, have led to variations in the inclusion of books. 
• Authority of Texts: Some denominations place greater emphasis on the Hebrew texts of the Old Testament, while others rely more on the Greek Septuagint and its additional books. 

In summary: The differences in the number of books across various Bibles are a result of historical and theological factors related to the formation of the biblical canon, including translation, authority of texts, theological interpretations, and historical context. 

Protestants removed certain books from the Old Testament (specifically, the Apocrypha) because they do not consider them divinely inspired or part of the original Hebrew canon. These books, including Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch, were deemed to have been written in Greek and not Hebrew, and thus were not part of the authoritative Jewish scriptures used by Jesus and the apostles. 

• Protestants: Protestants believe the Bible is divinely inspired and inerrant, but they restrict the Old Testament canon to books originally written in Hebrew, reflecting the Jewish canon of the time. 
• Catholics and Orthodox: Catholics and Orthodox Christians include the Apocrypha, which they consider deuterocanonical, meaning they were accepted later into the canon. 

2. Historical Context:

• The Jewish Canon: The Jewish people had a canon of scripture, primarily in Hebrew, that was used in the first century. 
• The Septuagint: The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, also included these books (Apocrypha). 
• Martin Luther: Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant Reformation, favored the Hebrew canon and excluded the Apocrypha from his German translation of the Bible. 

3. Reasons for Exclusion: 

• Different Doctrine: Protestants argue that some teachings in the Apocrypha contradict other parts of the Bible or promote practices (like salvation by works) that are not consistent with their understanding of scripture. 
• Lack of Direct Quotation: The New Testament does not directly quote the Apocrypha as scripture, which Protestants see as evidence against its divine inspiration. 
• Hebrew Original: The Apocryphal books were not included in the Hebrew manuscripts available at the time of the Reformation, leading Protestants to question their authenticity. 

4. Not Deleted, But Reclassified:

• Protestants did not technically "delete" these books, but rather, they reclassified them as not being part of the canonical scriptures of the Old Testament. 
• Some Protestant Bibles include the Apocrypha in a separate section, acknowledging that they may have historical or devotional value, but not considering them to be divinely inspired in the same way as the rest of the Old Testament.