The Roman Catholic "Encyclopedia of Theology" notes that, since the 27 books that make up the New Testament canon of scripture are not based on a scriptural list that authenticates them to be inspired, their legitimacy would be impossible to distinguish with certainty without appealing to another infallible source, such as the magisterium of the Catholic Church, which some have suggested assembled and authenticated this list at the Synod of Rome in AD 382 (although there is considerable debate surrounding this claim). Before this, a compiled and authenticated Bible as it is now known did not yet exist.