▁his ▁request ▁was ▁for ▁fifty ▁copies ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁Old ▁and ▁New ▁Test aments , ▁only ▁the ▁New ▁Testament , ▁or ▁merely ▁the ▁G osp els ). ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁believe ▁that ▁this ▁request ▁provided ▁motiv ation ▁for ▁canon ▁lists . ▁In ▁Jer ome ' s ▁Pro log ue ▁to ▁Jud ith , ▁he ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Jud ith ▁was ▁" found ▁by ▁the ▁Nic ene ▁Council ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁counted ▁among ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁Sac red ▁Script ures ", ▁which ▁some ▁have ▁suggested ▁means ▁the ▁Nic ene ▁Council ▁did ▁discuss ▁what ▁documents ▁would ▁number ▁among ▁the ▁sacred ▁script ures , ▁but ▁more ▁likely ▁simply ▁means ▁the ▁Council ▁used ▁Jud ith ▁in ▁its ▁deliber ations ▁on ▁other ▁matters ▁and ▁so ▁it ▁should ▁be ▁considered ▁canonical . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁the ▁Bible ▁was ▁created ▁at ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁N ica ea ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁Vol taire , ▁who ▁popular ised ▁a ▁story ▁that ▁the ▁canon ▁was ▁determined ▁by ▁placing ▁all ▁the ▁compet ing ▁books ▁on ▁an ▁alt ar ▁during ▁the ▁Council ▁and ▁then ▁keeping ▁the ▁ones ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁fall ▁off . ▁The ▁original ▁source ▁of ▁this ▁" f ict it ious ▁an ec d ote " ▁is ▁the ▁Syn od icon ▁V et us , ▁a ▁pseudo - histor ical ▁account ▁of ▁early ▁Church ▁coun c ils ▁from ▁AD ▁ 8 8 7 : The ▁canonical ▁and ▁ap oc ry phal ▁books ▁it ▁distinguished ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁manner : ▁in ▁the ▁house ▁of ▁God